One of the few advantages of being in ones 60âs is the ability to look back over many years and see change, you can also fart in public and rant a lot. So many changes have taken place within football and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the working mans game is further away from the working man than it has ever been, I hang on best I can but it gets harder. I was raised in a small pit village in the Durham coal field, a very insular upbringing in many ways because of how it was back then, I think thatâs the first clue, IMO, to why its changed. We had no mobile phones, didnât have a house phone TBH, no internet or Sky TV and 24 hour news on demand so your view of life outside was down to radio, newspapers and word of mouth. Escape from the day to day drudgery of life in those long gone days was the workmenâs club, the allotment and for many their football team and once a fortnight visit to watch their team play, in my case Sunderland. Because of this distance between club and fan it kept us, the fans, hungry for information and in some awe of the team, a team made up of ordinary people, like us, who had the good fortune to be able to kick a ball. A football club back then was made up of the bosses, I remember Mr Cowie and Mr it always was, the manager, who was sort of one of them, then the rest. The team had stars but not celebrities and we could identify with them, they had wives and girlfriends not WAGS and they lived ordinary lives, well to us they did. They may well have been up to all the things some players of today are but we never knew, no 24 hour news, kiss and tell. The first I remember of things changing was the George Best years, Iâm sure there were others but it was George, the Beatles, swinging 60âs and drugs sex and rock and roll for me. I know we had a directors box at Roker Park but cant remember the prawn sandwich brigade, it was my team, my ground and my mates on and off the pitch. Players arrive on match day at the SoL and their parking bays are protected by stewards to stop us fans getting to near, they are then escorted up the steps by a supervisor, what do they think the fans are going to do to them. Most then at least sign autographs but some cant even be bothered to do that. One big exception to this attitude, Quinn who parks outside the barriers, gets out of his car that is surrounded by fans, chases his escort and stands there until every piece of paper is signed and every photo is taken. On many occasion he is still there after the visitors team bus has dropped off, he makes me, a fan, feel wanted and of some importance. Quinn is my connection with my club and Bruce also seems like one of us, the players, sadly not. If football is to have any hope of remaining the working mans game some sort of connection must be kept and to me Quinn for us, Coats at Stoke and Whealan at Wigan offer that connection. What connection do City or Chelsea have with their players or owners? Rightly or wrongly I get the impression that the working men who follow these teams are being pushed further and further away from their club, they are merely cash cows. I started by saying how an advantage of age is being able to look back and remember, maybe a disadvantage is looking back with a fading memory that gives a false view point, who knows.
very insightful read, especially for a young guy like me! My dream is to meet Mr Quinn one day (he might miss me though, I'm very short..), hope he stays on for as long as possible. Some players look approachable, Baby Jet maybe? I've read that Gordon isn't very friendly. But they're only human, some people (me, for example) don't like people at all, and some people are happy to mingle with strangers. They're still out of touch with reality, though, and you could say the same about clubs like QPR! No turning back, unfortunately.
Good article Syd;I have similar background to you and they were hard but enjoyable times.When the big money came into the game is when things started to change-not all bad. a great game aand we all look forward to our regular 90 minute fix. Players were respected but they were treated rather shabbily at times;I've a very good friend who was a hard working pro and I remember him telling me that he came off the pitch on a Saturday and was told that he had been sold and would be expected at his new club on Monday.Many years after he retired his son was a semi pro and because of the pressures for the club to achieve League status he was on £500pw over 20 years ago-how many working men had that sort of money? This is where it started to drift away from the working man and players now have too much power these days and seem to do as they please when they want a move.
Great read Syd, remember meeting Alec Rae on a couple of times once in a pub in Glasgow and he was very approachable, canny lad to talk to and willing to have a chat. For all their money I would hope that if you met some of the lads away from the ground that they might be approachable certainly agree with you about Quinny and Bruce, but maybe they come from a different age as well.
Quinn was the same when he was a player Ballin, would neve ever say no and he always made you feel special. I have spoken to him many times, not a mate mind and I doubt he would know me from Adam but he has that ability to make you feel good. I'm posting the photo of him and Scatty Moo, taken last season and a typical Quinn photo. I think my player for fans would be Anton, always last in and late, always stops and askes the steward the time then off he goes to sign autographs, sue he gets a bollocking every game for being late. please log in to view this image
Syd, I've also read elsewhere that Anton's great with the fans, probably why Anton4Captain wanted his babies??? Quinn's made some mistakes (Sbragia!) but he appears to be such an honest bloke that there's not a shadow of doubt that he does everything with the best interests of the club at heart. Nice photo too! Will have one someday as well!
Great read Syd. talking of approachability, a few years ago I was sitting in a Belfast pub talking footie with a group of local blokes. It was the year Northern Ireland beat England 1-0 so they were all in a jovial mood. Anyway, I went for a ****e & when I came back another fellow had joined the company, 50's, huge like John Wayne, massive ****ing hands. This man looked very intimidating. His face looked familiar however but I just couldn't put a name to it. I kept glancing at him and eventually his eyes caught mine, "you alright mate" in his sandpaper accent. I explained that he looked familiar but couldn't place him, "jaysus wept fella, I'm Pat Jennings man!" After that we went on to have what can only be described as a ****ing cracking night & what a smashing bloke he is. Canny pool player an arl. My claim to fame, playing pool with Pat Jennings!
I know what you mean about working mans game and the disconnect between the modern player and fans. Unfortuinately the current 'celebrity' culture and stupid wages only means this gulf will keep widening. Which is why I maintain Niall Quinn is our greatest asset. He is a fan, as well as an ex-player and chairman, and really gets what the club means to supporters and the local area. I was on the same flight as him and his family coming back from Dublin early July 1998. When we were waiting for our baggage to be unloaded I got chatting to him. He was returning for pre-season training. It was after the dreadful Charlton play off final and the memory was still horribly close to my heart (still is if I'm honest). I told him that it had taken me weeks to get over the disappointment of the play-off final but had been proud of the effort and commitment of the team on the day. I said to tell Mickey Gray that no one blamed him for his penalty miss and asked what his thoughts were for the coming season. He said that all the players were devastated for themselves and the supporters that day. That the whole team had made a pact to make up for it by ensuring they won the league next time. And that he would do everything in his power to make it happen. He signed an autograph for me, got his (many large) suitcases, baby buggy etc. and went off to join his family. No airs and graces, no minders or helpers. He was just a normal person, every bit as approachable and just as nice as everyone tells you he is. The rest is history. Obviously that was the season we managed to get 105 points and promotion and I believe Niall Quinn scored 18 goals on the way. I have always taken a little of the credit for that!!
It was only Easyjet! The Quinn family did sit right at the front, but they had two small children so had no special treatment as far as I could see. I had been in Dublin for the weekend celebrating my birthday. Meeting him put the icing on the cake for me. I really don't think we will see the like of Quinn again in the modern game. Most players are mercenaries who don't have a clue what the life of an average fan is like. I know our lads (and most footballers to be fair) spend some time visiting schools and hospitals etc. but an hour here and there isn't enough. I would love to see every player spend a day, even 2 or 3 times a year, shadowing a supporter at work. Imagine them working at Nissan, in a call centre, emptying bins etc. Maybe then they would understand why football means so much to supporters. In times past most players came from the humble backgrounds you describe, and stood on the terraces themselves as youngsters. Now the academy system takes them so young they don't have time to become proper 'fans'. Think about players like Brian Clough and Jackie Milburn, Sir Bobby Robson amongst many others. They were just normal lads who knew they were blessed with an amazing talent but also knew, as human beings, they were no better than anyone else. Blimey, better stop! I think I have caught your rose tinted glasses disease. Sign of getting old(er) maybe.
Great article and I totally agree. I support Aberdeen and am thankful that I have a club that has its feet firmly on the ground. Would I prefer if a mega rich buyer came in and bought us success? No. I'd much prefer a level playing field where transfer fees and wages were on more of an equal footing and a team of honest footballers won trophies for the club rather than their bank balances.
