I've have been going to away games since 1960, currently my wife and I go to approximately five or six games a season. This season we've done Watford, M K Dons and Norwich and plan Swansea and Leicester later in the season and may be Stoke. Our away trips normally involve meeting up with old friends spread around the country who have Southampton roots. We are all in our mid 60s and enjoy our meetings, it gets us through the winter and is a joy even when we lose, but truly celebratory when we win. Gradually health issues are/will make these occasions more awkward. Away fans stand up, soon not all of us will be able to stand for nearly 2 hours without physical repercussions. Given that we buy seats in 'all seater stadiums' it would seem reasonable that we could sit and see the game. The culture is that away fans stand which is discriminatory when it comes to 'fans of a certain age'. How can this be right?
I admit I am a fan of standing at away games - it adds to the atmosphere and experience for me. But I would be happy to sit down if clubs bothered to enforce the rules.
I am 46 and was delighted to be able to sit down at the Norwich game for large chunks of the game. I just got lucky that a lot of the people in front of me sat down and Ings a clear view of the pitch. I think they should offer the first few rows to those who don't want to stand. Even at my young age the knees ache like bugger at away games.
Everyone should be sat down at home and away from home as far as I'm concerned. Or they should give the certain rows to people that want to sit and make it clear that it is strictly seated only.
Like tiggermaster I have many friends across the country and so for the few away games I attend I sit in the home section. It is getting more difficult now we are in the PL as most of my old mates support lower league clubs. I have been to the occasional away game in the same section as our fans but have found that a real struggle.
My Dad is 84. Last season it was getting to be a real problem for him getting to his feet when we scored. Hasn't been such an issue this winter.
I personally prefer to stand but have sympathies for older people who don't but then have to. Less of an issue in the lower leagues with 'unreserved seating' where all the people who want to stand can make their way towards back while others can sit in front few rows. There is a very simple solution to this in my mind though - Time to bring in safe standing, give people a choice
I've been banging on about people standing for ages. In particular when someone has the regular moan about people leaving early. You watch any game on TV and you can see old ladies and kids struggling to see the match. It is far more annoying to me and yet no-one seems to give a hoot. What is required, of course, is a bit of common sense and someone at the FA to take the bold step of introducing safe standing areas. Surely if people are standing anyway, it must be possible to sort something out. Then those that want to properly sit can be allowed to do so......just like it always was. Having said that I confess to being a bit of a yo yo at times either at the prospect of something exciting about to happen or to shout abuse at the ref
I wanted to give that post a smilie emoji and a sad emoji for your Dad. Good on him still going at 84. (is he one of Godders' mates?)
When I go, to SMS, I try to get a seat in the Kingsland centre. I don't have any problems with stander uppers, there, but I did have to tell/ask some lads to sit down when we went to the Millennium Stadium, not because I am a party pooper, but because of a long standing bout of sciatica preventing me from standing for too long. It's not just an age thing that those standing need to be aware of. I was only 52 then, so no one would know at a glance that I wasn't able to stand for long periods.
I took my partners son who was 7 at the time to Cardiff. We were sat at the back and he couldn't see. We asked the stewards if we could be moved and they were very helpful and moved us to the front row. I agree they should at least have an area where sitting is enforced.
