I've noticed on other threads people saying season tickets sales are down. I have mentioned my son before 17 and a season ticket holder, I used to pay it now he does. I don't think he has missed a game since he was about 10. He loves SAFC and has as much passion for them as I do, but! He has decided not to renew this year, says he will still be going but wants the option to say sod it can't be bothered. Nothing to do with money he can afford it. When you have a 17 year old (pretty good at footy himself.) returning from matches thinking he could have organised a team better than our highly paid manager it's time to worry. He was one of the ones that was pleased when Bruce came here. (I failed totally in indoctrinating him with my irrational hatred of all things Mag! ) When in the early days I was saying Sunderland weren't playing like a team under Bruce, he would defend him and say give him time, he will turn it round. Even he want's him out now! He is sick of happy clappers having a go at him, when the team are playing ****. (Which lets be fair was most of last season) As he quite rightly pointed out, some supporters sitting there in there season ticket seats, seem quite happy with any old dross on the pitch. And look on other supporters who get up and shout "Haway the lads" as fools. Maybe not prawn sandwich brigade ala Roy Keane at Utd, but pretty close, football was our sport, the working man's game. Are we seeing it turn into the middle classes sport, pricing out the young and minimum wage lads? Personally I think so and to our detriment. The passion is leaving the support, the lads he was paying the entrance money for were up for it, but were then served **** on the pitch. You take away these young lads passion, the right to have a go at players who aren't trying, the right to jump about like mad things when we score. You take away those things and you have nothing. May as well watch it in a bar somewhere. You want bums on seats Niall, put something on the pitch worth watching and subsidise those unsold tickets for people on minimum wage who no matter what can't afford to go.
Mate, my seat will be free a few times this season, obviously. If there are any weeks when nobody is using it, and i'm not back in the cold, i'll PM you, but he'll have to collect and return it to Fulwell, just by the Blue Bell
I think the club is on a knifes edge this summer. 40,000 average crowds for some of the dross served up since January is a remarkable effort IMO but I do think many fans are getting a bit fed up and not just this season but for the last 40 years. Quinny offered a new light for us to follow when he came into the club but here we are 5 years into his magic carpet ride and still we are just a selling club of the clubs best talent. Is it any wonder that the youth of today, brought up in an era where the EPL is a talent show of footballing greats, isn't prepared to pay to watch average ****e at the SOL? My mate too has a 17 year old lad who isn't that bothered about coming this season either and he's being going since he was 6 or 7 as well. The reason for him? We sold Bent and Henderson (2 of our best players and for whatever reason) and he just doesnt see Sunderland ever amounting to anything. Whilst we are prepared to sit it out as 40/50 year old they simply are not. There are too may things he would rather do than waste 3 hours coming to the game on a Saturday afternoon, when the football is pretty poor. The club really need to show its intent and replace Bent and Henderson with quality AND then some to as well. The youth of today are the me and you of tomorrow but what if we all just get fed up with it all? What then?
My nephew is 24 now and actually stopped going to the matches last February after Bent was sold, even though he was a season ticket holder. Like many others, he has become totally disillusioned with the club and can't fathom out what direction the club are taking if they are selling off their best players. Add to this, the mumblings of Gyan earlier this week, sounding like he wanted to jump ship and move to the big smoke and it's no wonder that the younger fans are deserting the stands on a Saturday afternoon. He is another who has not renewed his season ticket for next season, how many more, I wonder?
Nice offer BB and thanks for that. But like I say it isn't money, he pays for his best mates ticket too, even took a couple of others when the seats were cheap. Maybe someone else may take up your kind offer if they're a bit short one week. As to the boy he is getting disillusioned with the way things are turning out at the club. Like me he doesn't feel that was a top ten finish to the season which we both would have been chuffed with at the start.
On a serious note, I sit in the east stand and around me the vast majority are season ticket holders, thats the good news, the bad is they are in the main in my age group. Now it may just be its because we have been there for a long time, it may be because we are stuck in our ways, it may be because the young supporters are not around.
This article is just to have a go at Bruce and co but using your son as a scapegoat? You don't have to use your son as a way of having a moan, just say it yourself lol. I honestly cannot believe some things that are said on here. Your moaning about the football we played? Look at the 1st half of the season, beating Chelsea 0-3 at Stanford Bridge, playing teams of the park, the best football I have seen in years as a sunderland supporter. Finishing 10th. Yeah the 2nd half was bad, but we hardly had any players! When fit and complete last year, it was a pleasure to watch us play, pleasure. Some people you can't please, no matter what you do. No matter what manager, chairman, players. And you are quite clearly one of them.
Only just read this AFTER responding to BB's kind offer. The scary thing for me is a lot of us are using the word "disillusioned". When he came in from work after the Gyan story broke, he said if it was true he wasn't going back no matter what! So Quinn coming out and squashing that rumour straight away was a good thing. When a 17 year old thinks his club is happy just to survive in the Prem doesn't exactly bode well for the future or get the fence sitters to jump on the so called magic carpet.
dont agree with that mate, MR is never shy of giving his opinion and so would never hide behind his son. Dont think its a knock at anyone, its how many feel.
I also sit in the east stand and like you it could be we have seen it all before. As the saying goes support your team through thick and thin and i am sick and tired of people packing it in before they know whats happening. The trnsfer season goes on untill August if nothing materialises by the 31st then cast your judgement. Yes we struggled once Bent went and injuries certainly did not help. Packing in at 17 we are in the Premier league ffs. Watching the ****e under Wilkinson, Crosby, Buxton, Butcher then he would have something to complain about. The team is in my blood and i have gone for 45 years including the 3rd division. Im sorry to say it but if thats the way some people feel maybe they should'nt be there. Yes i get frustrated but pack it all in NEVER
Syd Why do many feel like that though? We arnt a London club who can attract the players and publicity. Do people expect us to finish above liverpool, villa and everton and get Europe? Clubs that have been established in the premier league with better players than us. We've been in the premier league 4 years! People expect way too much, maybe we should bring in messi and ronaldo to help the cause?
Not going to abuse you back as you are clearly more intelligent than myself and know more about football than i will ever do. Did you even read what I wrote? I have mentioned before about my son paying out of his pocket for his mates to go to the SOL. I'm so ****ing proud of that I could ****ing burst! I want you to retract the using him as a scapegoat crack though. I have shown my ignorance over the last 50 years, even being there every game in the old 3rd division. Always hoping for something better. Your rose tinted glasses may need wiping mind as Chelsea apart we were ****e the majority of the season scraping undeserved wins. Some people are easily pleased it seems and willing to accept mediocrity and toe the line. You will be pleased I won't be responding to any further post you make as clearly I am not up to your standard. PS. I changed my mind about abusing you. You're clearly an imbecile who having a different opinion to someone else thinks you have the right to say and do what you want. Incorrect as being an imbecile your opinion is null and void. Have a nice day.
I think you're missing the point of the thread totally marra. This is middle aged men talking about younger Sunderland fans and what their opinion is of the club and where it is going.
At no point did I say he wasn't going back in the OP. I said he wasn't renewing his season ticket or are only season ticket holders now allowed an opinion on SAFC? Thats me ****ed then. So his only going for the last 10 years doesn't allow him to express his displeasure? I will pass on your kind words and tell him he shouldn't go at all as he isn't a happy clapper.
I think that part of the disillusion comes from the poor atmosphere that prevailed for much of last season, despite the decent performances we had for the majority of the season. Then having the terrible run that we had in the latter months didn't help. For me it has to be a two-way process, where fans go to the game to support the lads with passion for 90 minutes and thus play there part in making the SoL a vibrant and exciting place to go. Hopefully, the players would then respond to this with improved displays, and it would also make life easier for Quinn and Co in bringing players in. The amount of negativity that seems to be around lately is in my opinion a recipe for disaster.
Mackems rule Well done, contradicted yourself straight away lol. Okay what about villa away? Bolton at home, man utd at home (should have won), Liverpool away. They are just on the top of my head. ****e aswell mate? Don't need Rose tinted glasses for them, just a footballing brain. Don't care if you reply to me or not, I think barcelona suit you better, are they good enough for you, or you can borrow my Rose tinted glasses? Clueless twat
why that, what is the reason for it? A Sunderland fan gives an opinion and is met with Clueless twat, just lost any will to go any further with you mate, no call, reason or excuse for that.
Fair point well made. My worry is that sometimes, that passion HAS to emanate off the pitch and sadly we have seen very little passion on there. For my son and my mates, who are still lifelong season ticket holders, it was only seen coming through our left back.
