If we lose the next game due to an error by Yoshida, I guarantee that it won't be mentioned for weeks.
... and now the problems begin. The instructions for the doll say, "Place half the pins in the top half at the front of the doll. Take the other half and place them in the back of the doll. Then place remaining pins in the eye of the doll."
Not sure why this is even an issue, i go to plenty of games some i stay till well after the final whistle others i leave early as i have other plans that evening, I'm getting the impression that some think if a fan can't be in there seat from the first whistle to the last then they have committed some almighty crime against the team. At the end of the day every one has their own life to leave if that means leaving the game early as you have other plans on the same day then so be it.
Allow me to get away from this cyber-bullying of poor old Beddy (bless; personally I tend to agree with him 110%) and back to the original theme of this thread. Leaving early raises all sorts of questions about the relationship between "supporters" and the team. Others have mentioned leaving a film or a theatrical performance. I recall staying in the bar when Ballet Rambert were doing their thing back in the 70's at Sadlers Wells. And then just after moving to North West we went to see a group of Liverpool artists talking about their work. Pretentious ****e in a scouse accent did it for me, and I was on my 4th pint in the pub next door (and discussing the merits of that young Tommy Smith) by the time my wife and our friends joined me. BUT, I see this as different. I go cinema or the theatre to be entertained and maybe intellectually stimulated. I go to the football to see Saints, and to support them. I like the modern habit of teams applauding their fans, and have never left a ground without being there to applaud back. No, there is an exception - Sheffield United last year when I stayed until the end but couldn't bring myself to look at the team - they'd let us down, and we were as hurt as jilted lovers! Often the walk-out is a throwing in of the towel. Liverpool away the other week was a great example. Sadio scored and the Anfield Road emptied. The fans were saying to their team that they had no faith in them to snatch a late winner. I have often wondered if this conveys itself to the players, but I understand that level of disappointment. The other mass walk out is with 5 minutes to go and the team leading 3-0 after a great performance. I understand this one less. I have travelled to Southampton by train a number of times and have experienced the shall-I-make-a-dash-for-the-17.05 moment, but always resist. The walk with other fans of both teams is one of the match day experiences for me. Even less analagous with the cinema/theatre experience this one. Getting the take of, say, Burnley fans on the performance of our players has no equivalent.
Ditto. My son and I moved from our seats as injury time was played, so that we were on the steps when the whistle went. We waited for the whistle and then turned our backs and trudged up the few steps to the exit. Jilted as you say.
I think that a lot is down to the demographics of our fan base, we aren't noted for being the loudest rabble rouser type audience, I note a lot around me are of an older persuasion, with all the usual problems, i.e. the dash to the loo e.t.c. They also take longer to manage the steps. Their support of the team tends to be be silent admiration with applause where it is deserved, they are not the type of person that is going to sing continuous renditions of OWTS. Another problem of course is the state of the acoustics, they are simply dire, the tannoy is a waste of time as you cannot understand a word that is said, chanting is deadened, it must be something to do with the Stadium design. The Chapel end is predominantly full of parental types and their offspring, if they leave early it is probably child orientated. As for the rest they have no excuses for leaving early, win or lose, you must serve your full sentence! I only left before the end of a game once, 3rd January 1976, we were going out of the FA Cup to Aston Villa, it was a game where we never looked like scoring, not from the lack of trying, so I lost heart, made my way to the exit along with a lot more disillusioned supporters, suddenly there was a roar and I nearly got crushed as they all turned around to go back in, Hugh Fisher had scored an equaliser,,,,,,,,,,,,, the rest is history, I never left early again, lesson learned.
I did once (I'm amazed anyone has ever got to the end of an ENO production). It provoked silent outrage.
Love your Hughie Fisher story, which ages you, but are you at the same matches as me? I'm a seriously old bugger which might explain why I notice a wide age range among our fans. And blimey, mate, if you think the stadium is quiet because of the age profile then they must be bringing in commodes at Anfield and Old Trafford. As a sort of adopted scouser, I was ashamed of the silence on my last three visits to Anfield
I would guess that factors such as the rise in car ownership since the eighties allied with the number of drivers who drive everywhere no matter the distance (or lack of) as well as people's perceived value of their own time as well as people's perceived value of money has a lot to do with this. Maybe also a rise in families going rather than going with mates. Didn't see that many (if any) leaving in the eighties at Lincoln or The Dell. Nearly every game part of the enjoyment was waiting for the whistle and applauding the team whilst commencing the slow mooch to the steps then the exits and then the roads away from the ground. Once out of the ground still quite slowly moving but the conversation on the goods and the bads, the injustices whether perceived or real, the offsides that were, the offsides that weren't etc was all part and parcel of the experience to be then followed by a final pint in one of the locals, watching the videprinter on the the TV at the end of Grandstand, buy some crabsticks from the fishmonger that would arrive in the pub at about 5-15 and if in a really good mood a beer or 2 more whilst watching Dad's Army. Then off home with whoever was driving or on the bus etc. I guess it could also be attributed to the distances travelled by the fans in terms of newer grounds not being located in the centre of towns / cities as they used to be where they were surrounded by pubs in all directions and much easier to get to from by local buses. Also in terms of the way that fans are travelling from much further afield these days. Not as much as Saints of course but how many of Liverpool's crowd are from Liverpool? At the end of the day we aren't selling out so it isn't as if someone who wants to enjoy the pre, during and after experience is missing out.
I don't have a view one way or another,you pay your money etc.however when someone or worse a group walk down the steps and something happens on the pitch and they decide to stop right in my way then I get very animated--tossers!
That's the most annoying part Roy. I pay my money yet can miss snippets of the last 5 minutes because of the thousands who leave early. It's rude and I would bet in the majority of cases, unnecessary.
I tend to stay till the final whistle, but if one thing could tempt me to leave early, it would be the ability to walk in a smoke free zone. Why do smokers think it is ok to light up, in congested areas (the pedestrian railway bridge and subways around St Mary's), when people are shoulder to shoulder and ambling along at the pace of the slowest, with their cigarette held at head height?
And my guess is that is why 90% leave early. A further 5% are generally going to Central to get on an advanced rate train and a further 5% fall into the other category. Live and let live I know but this one really aggravates me. Funny how people's concern about the traffic seems to heighten when we're not winning/let in a goal towards the end of the match .
. - it affects the atmosphere. - the team play until the final whistle and are dependent on the atmosphere we create. - on your way out you block the views of fans who want to stay until the end. And of course if you're seated, you have to get up to let them pass you. - the players don't just hear the exit of fans (less people creating positive noise and distracts those who remain to watch the game), they see it. Disappointed that you're one of them SaintKitch.
Simple explanation the game is full of sterile modern day glory hunting clones. Do i have a seat, is it heated, do i have a roof to protect me, don't smoke near me, don't use swear words, don't drink alcohol at your seats, be prepared to pay through the nose for crap catering, let's get a camera at every angle to make sure supporters clap in tune, let's get camera's at every angle focusing on the pitch and make it more like F1 precision performance. We can't play when it's a mud bath, let's go astro, we can't play when it's snowing, it's too cold and the wrong type of snow, we can't play when it's a torrential down pour we might get wet. In fact let's just stay at home and watch on SKY or BT, the era of plastics. Let's bring back the wicked witch of the west to continue the social cleansing Oh nearly forgot....why do fans leave early...because there nothing more these days than a CUSTOMER!
Hello brb. Nice to see you pitching in. How are the Gills going this season [I haven't looked].? Back in the days when supporters were actually called customers [by Rupert Lowe, no less] I sat a couple of seats away from a bloke with a mobile phone during a League Cup match. Frankly, I'm not sure why he turned up [it was a pretty good match, Dexter Blackstock scored a hat-trick and Anders Svensson was subbed because he couldn't do a thing right, IIRC], beating the opposition [could have been Colchester] 3-2. This guy came 20 minutes late, getting everybody up off their seats. Then he proceeded to flick through his texts for the next 10 minutes or was texting away. Then with 10 minutes to go he made his way to the concourses and didn't come back until 20 mins into the second half. He then left with 15 minutes to go. The bloke next to me asked him, why did you bother coming? after the final cheerio. He hurrumphed and carried on. That event has always stuck in my memory.
