I always leave early but always stay until after the 90.I am not making excuses but after leaving home at mid day for a 3 o'clock kick off, it's a long old day. A friend of mine( Sunderland lad) is travelling up from Southhamton for the Coventy game and we will be staying to the very end and will clock the difference in time for getting home as I do feel guilty and think it looks bad when televised . Even though I think it happens at a lot of grounds.
Making Kier Hardy Way and Queens Rd into a dual carridgeway and then having a flyover at the bottom of Stoney Lane straight over to the a1231 would help. The could open Southwick Rd to westbound traffic as well and have that as an exit road. The road network around the stadium is pretty **** tbh. We stay until after the final whistle to clap the lads off and then walk up to the Aldi next to the Italian Kitchen and it's pretty much rammed all along Thompson Rd as well. Not sure what the club can do about it though as it's more of a Local Authority issue
I believe you have explained one of the many reasons for early leavers. Your age probably for you, but I'm sure a few others, like myself a canny few seasons ago, could even have been under O'Neill, it became a chore for me going to the game... the Football was dire, the love for the club was stretched. I never left early, but I believe others will have found the football less appealing over the past few seasons and started to leave early. Hopefully the entertaining football we are currently watching will encourage some to change back to staying to the end. Hhhaaa'wwwwaaaaayyyyyy the lads.
Yes I think the football at the moment helps and I will attempt to hang back ( after missing the goal after Leeds) I do wonder if it will have any effect on the players but the players at the moment are not easly put off. I am not sure when the habit of going early started.Perhaps when I was younger and had to catch the Economic to South Shields from Roker Park.
I obviously don't get to many games living where I do, but when I'm back in the NE and get to games it does amaze how many people start leaving with 10 minutes still to go. I always assumed that it was an attempt to beat the traffic. Leaving the SOL isn't the easiest, but I'd rather stay and get home later rather than miss anything...surely that's the point of going in the 1st place.
We used to some times get the Eco to the match, but never back . . . . we used to walk from Roker Park to the bus stop at the abattoir and thumb a lift (and we (3 of us) nearly always got one)
Those where the days eh! I remember walking back from the Mecca to Shields after a night out in Sunderland after watching some great bands. Great memories with pre drinks before hand in the Borough of all places>
Fair points mate. I’ve never lived near Sunderland so look at all this differently. Currently a Saturday match means, like you, I’m setting off in the morning and back late evening. When I ran the coach, from Mansfield, there'd be forty lads on board and we'd occasionally have some who wanted to 'beat the traffic'. But I've never wanted to be constantly 'clock watching' especially if it was like the Leeds game when we have a chance. I didn't want everyone having to run back to the coach, in some daft panic, just to save 30 minutes. My opinion is that, if you're an exile' you're virtually investing the whole day ... ... so little difference arriving home at 8pm or 8.30. At the moment some of the best parts of the matches are when the players and supporters celebrate together after the match ... Wilson's antics alone are worth an extra five minutes It's noticeable that very few leave before the end at away games ... ... the 'bonding' after the final whistle is a powerful thing imo.
Very slow on Saturday getting back to the A19. My brother reckons the police can override the traffic lights on that roundabout as they did for the Boro match and he got home a good 20 minutes earlier that day. He lives in Middlesbrough.
All salient points mate - especially about the bonding. With respect, passionate and strong opinions are great but I'd argue that they can stifle debate. For a good discussion around this topic I think that people need to have room to share views and experiences without being made to feel they are in the wrong.
Agreed, debate is good. Son of Baxter also said it started at Roker for him, some reason became a habit. We need to help fellow fans break this early leavers habit... I once said beer is the answer to everything
Would be great having beer in the stands if we as British football fans were mature enough. Don’t fancy having my clothes ruined by some little twat throwing his pint in the air because Trai Hume wiped someone out
Agreed. I do sometimes try to make my way towards the south stand to get out quicker (when I had my season card) but stewards are a pain in the arse. ‘You have to leave” I got told by one fat twat. I said “I want to watch the end of the game” , “well you’ve left your seat”. “I’ll sit in this empty one” “that’s not your seat”. So I went to make my way back and he called extra security!! I’m 5’6 and about 12 stone ffs!!
At Roker Park a few of us used to leave the Fulwell early -then run around to the Roker end and taunt the away fans if there were any In those days the big gates were opened well before the final whistle went.
I watch the full 90 or Sky recording of all of our games the day after, and in my opinion, early leavers are a terrible sight and must impact the players. Having said that, leaving early is a personal choice and nothing to do with me, unless it spoils my enjoyment and I need to ask people to move on so I can continue to watch the game. My wife and I drive from Northumberland every home game and win lose or draw we stay to applaud the team off the pitch. We also take the opportunity to catch up with family and friends who have their seats around us. We use the Park and Ride and leave the car at Enterprise Park. By the time we get out of the ground we are always near the end of a massive queue for the bus, but the good thing is that when we eventually get to the car, the traffic is reasonably light onto the A19 and the Tyne Tunnel so we still get home at a decent time. I like a drink as much as anyone but because I drive to the game, I wait until I am home before partaking in my second favourite hobby
Coming up to the Coventry game, wont leave until the 86th. ( jokes, will stay for the game, first time in about 10 years that a trip to Durham has coincided with the Sunderland game.) I see both sides here, yes it looks bad that fans leave before the end of the game, but they do have valid reasons to do,
