Enthusiasm

[stjohnson]

Just wondered what peoples general enthusiasm is in terms of going to watch games?

Im in my mid 30s and i live in Bristol so home games are like away games for me, i have 2 saints supporting mates who i travel with.

Generally over the years we will do anywhere between 10-20 games a season , however with kids and work commitments it becomes harder and harder. I have always justified going in the past as like any other fan i enjoy going and its a good day out.

However this season is different my two mates have lost interest we have only been to two games we lost them both, and i find myself really struggling to get the enthusiasm to go.

Now iv supported through thick and thin in the past and have no qualms about losing if we have given it a good go, however what i have found pretty much all of this season and a lot of last season is that we are so negative as a team. Are we actually trying to win games? We have players on upwards of 50k a week who look like they cant be arsed.

Theres such a lack of confidence in front of goal , just wondered whether there is a plan as the club seems to have gone a bit stale.

Be interesting to hear whether any of you guys are in similar situations regarding going to games

 

[fatletiss]

Each to their own of course, but I'm drawn to Saints. They're my team. I don't like it when we're poor or not doing well, but it never stops me wanting to go.

I have hardly been this season having had a ST for a few seasons, for family commitments, but when someone said "good season to miss," I said, "No chance! I want to be there singing and encouraging them." I still have a ST but my Dad uses it.

I'm probably ill, but the disease has got me.

Ps. I travel from Northampton.

 

[Beddy]

Being a Saints fan can be very frustrating..........I can understand why it is becoming a drag for you. I have over the years become very diisillusioned at times but have never considered following another team. For various reasons when we were at the dell, I happened to be home from the forces but just couldn’t get in which was very frustrating. Sadly no longer a season ticket holder as I now have to travel abroad so much to see family and business commitments. I can guarantee though where ever I am the first thing I look for is Saints result followed of course with discussions on here. Mate family comes first........until the youngsters are old enough then maybe new supporters? Therefore new commitment..........?

 

[Bill Hill]

For me there are 2 problems at the moment. 1 we know where we are going to finish before a ball is kicked (8 to 12 ish). That means cups are vital and we went straight out at home to wolves.
2. That leaves style of football. If we aren't going to win anything or achieve anything we have to entertain. That has been so poor for about 9 months now.
The combination of both is the problem.
It personally doesn't impact how I feel about saints i love my club and always will. But these are tough times in a very different way to the more obvious battles of the past.

 

[Dark Lord SFC]

For me there are 2 problems at the moment. 1 we know where we are going to finish before a ball is kicked (8 to 12 ish). That means cups are vital and we went straight out at home to wolves.
2. That leaves style of football. If we aren't going to win anything or achieve anything we have to entertain. That has been so poor for about 9 months now.
The combination of both is the problem.
It personally doesn't impact how I feel about saints i love my club and always will. But these are tough times in a very different way to the more obvious battles of the past.

Excellent post, I am a long range fan, living near Cannock in Staffordshire so have a 350mile+ journey so it really is a full day out and will cost £100+ to come to game. I used to travel with three others from up here but two now have found women more exciting than going to games so only choose games against the Big Boys if not on TV and my best mate and wing man is moving to Cornwall for some reason.
So the entertainment aspect is important and so is the atmosphere at SMS. I stand at the back of the Kibgsland/Northam corner (somewhere behind FLT) and the apathy spreading throughout the supporters is very apparent. Without the atmosphere you might as well stay at home and watch it TV.
I will be travelling down at least once a month as like FLT said, it's a drug and I need my fix but at the moment the "trips" aren't much fun

 

[stjohnson]

Yes i would never support another team still watch every game on the telly, my kids are 5 and 3 took my 5 year old to leicester game last season and she loved it. Im sure if i lived in southampton id drag myself to the games but as stated in one of the posts above its £100 plus day and when the atmosphere and football is so poor it does make it hard. That said i remember the branfoot/poortvleit years

 

[The Ides of March]

Each to their own of course, but I'm drawn to Saints. They're my team. I don't like it when we're poor or not doing well, but it never stops me wanting to go.

I have hardly been this season having had a ST for a few seasons, for family commitments, but when someone said "good season to miss," I said, "No chance! I want to be there singing and encouraging them." I still have a ST but my Dad uses it.

I'm probably ill, but the disease has got me.

Ps. I travel from Northampton.

You don't have to travel from Northampton to see the Saints. You have them on your doorstep!! Like the football team they are rather indifferent at the moment.

 

[The Ides of March]

Yes i would never support another team still watch every game on the telly, my kids are 5 and 3 took my 5 year old to leicester game last season and she loved it. Im sure if i lived in southampton id drag myself to the games but as stated in one of the posts above its £100 plus day and when the atmosphere and football is so poor it does make it hard. That said i remember the branfoot/poortvleit years

When Saints are doing poorl I switch my allegiance to ......... Real Madrid!! Oops, they are doing poorly so time to change my allegiance again. Valencia, because I would never support Barcelona unless they play someone like Chelsea or Manchester United or Liverpool. As Arsenal and Tottenham are incapable of beating Barca, it would be a waste of time hoping.

It's an analogy that I am using. You have a pub that you really like, but when the pub starts serving up lousy beer, the service is indifferent and the pricing rather expensive then I look for another pub to enjoy.

PS: I do not go to that many pubs or bars.

 

[Archers Road]

I've seen us far worse than this, and not that long ago either. No need to go back to the Branfoot era - how about losing 3-1 at home to Watford in the Championship after missing not 1 but 2 penalties?

During the 35 years I've lived in London, circumstances have often stopped me travelling down to games. But not the standard of football. We're Saints, not Arsenal or Man Utd. I've known since 1974 that supporting us consists mostly of disappointment.

 

[sotonsaint]

I'd rather be fighting for our lives in the drop zone than finish 14th than watch the lads play with no passion and only pass sideways for 90 mins.

These are dull times and it's hard to get motivated when we already know we are playing for next to nothing this season, can you really justify going to watch the boys every weekend basically knowing it's going to be a boring 1-1 draw etc? Not really.

 

[fran-MLs little camera]

I go to far fewer games now...the first reason is just personal and has nothing to do with the quality of the team....my heart races and hurts if I worry. Now I think about it....I might feel better if Saints scored 3 early goals The other reason is that I like 3 o'clock Saturday matches....now you see my dilemma. If it's televised....why buy a ticket for a match at an inconvenient time. Still can't watch them on the TV either....dodgy ticker again. However, I buy a membership (so I feel like a supporter) and come to a few matches a season.

 

[Beddy]

I go to far fewer games now...the first reason is just personal and has nothing to do with the quality of the team....my heart races and hurts if I worry. Now I think about it....I might feel better if Saints scored 3 early goals The other reason is that I like 3 o'clock Saturday matches....now you see my dilemma. If it's televised....why buy a ticket for a match at an inconvenient time. Still can't watch them on the TV either....dodgy ticker again. However, I buy a membership (so I feel like a supporter) and come to a few matches a season.

.........and we’re glad to have you when we can..........no I’d better rephrase that.........we are glad when you do come to the game.

 

[Bill Hill]

I've seen us far worse than this, and not that long ago either. No need to go back to the Branfoot era - how about losing 3-1 at home to Watford in the Championship after missing not 1 but 2 penalties?

During the 35 years I've lived in London, circumstances have often stopped me travelling down to games. But not the standard of football. We're Saints, not Arsenal or Man Utd. I've known since 1974 that supporting us consists mostly of disappointment.

I don't think anyone is denying things have been worse. It's the current level of tedium that is the issue.

 

[Saintmagic]

It's the Premier League and what happens when you are in it and not one of the big teams, in the group of 9/10 other teams. Some seasons we will occasionally flirt with the top 6, occasionally flirt with relegation, but more often than not the season will effectively be over as soon as we are out of the FA Cup and we will finish somewhere between 7th-16th. This will happen until eventually we have a bad season and go down. It has happened to numerous teams before us and will more than likely happen to us as well.

 

[Bill Hill]

It's the Premier League and what happens when you are in it and not one of the big teams, in the group of 9/10 other teams. Some seasons we will occasionally flirt with the top 6, occasionally flirt with relegation, but more often than not the season will effectively be over as soon as we are out of the FA Cup and we will finish somewhere between 7th-16th. This will happen until eventually we have a bad season and go down. It has happened to numerous teams before us and will more than likely happen to us as well.

Indeed, but tedium is not just about success it is about how you play.

 

[SAINTDON13]

Over sixty years supporting the Saints, a bit late to change now! It has always been a roller coaster ride, nothing surprises me much these days, I take the rough with the smooth, the best day of my life was in May 1976, wouldn't mind a repeat before I croak!
As is obvious from my posts I always look for the good things and excuses or reasons for the bad, without getting over emotional, but do go OTT at negativism, I see no point in it and in my opinion it does more harm than good. I may not agree with what you say, but would always fight for your right to say what you feel. I would sometimes try to agree with what you say, but then we could both end up being wrong?
If we win I am ecstatic (no matter how good or bad the performance), if we draw I feel glad we didn't lose, if we lose I get depressed for a while, then I get over it, and move on looking for the next win.

 

[thereisonlyoneno7]

but do go OTT at negativism, I see no point in it and in my opinion it does more harm than good. I may not agree with what you say, but would always fight for your right to say what you feel. I would sometimes try to agree with what you say, but then we could both end up being wrong?

^^This

Why be negative about the footie. There is Sooooooooooo much more in life to get you down and be negative about. Saints are important to me and piss me off when we lose or play crap, but it is after all, just football. I have so many things in my life that give me joy, so the occasional (ok it is getting frequent now) crap football is just the yin to my yang.

However, as @SAINTDON13 says we should definitely say what we feel and have an opinion. There usually is no right or wrong, just differences of opinion. An opinion is the idea of a forum.

Have I lost my enthusiasm? It is different to when I was in my 20s, but I haven't lost it. Just life gets in the way sometimes and football is now my escapism for the good and bad in my world.

 

[hotbovril]

As a resident of Glasgow, my season ticket had to go when I stopped commuting from there to Watford every week. That said, the current tripe we are serving up is seriously testing my enthusiasm to watch at all.*

*Of course it isn't but it's tremendously frustrating to watch something so simple get screwed up quite so badly.

 

[Ian Thumwood]

For me there are 2 problems at the moment. 1 we know where we are going to finish before a ball is kicked (8 to 12 ish). That means cups are vital and we went straight out at home to wolves.
2. That leaves style of football. If we aren't going to win anything or achieve anything we have to entertain. That has been so poor for about 9 months now.
The combination of both is the problem.
It personally doesn't impact how I feel about saints i love my club and always will. But these are tough times in a very different way to the more obvious battles of the past.

I think Bill's post raises an important issue and that is that the Premier League it too predictable Most people picking a potential line up of the finishing positions are likely to get things right to a degree and this is why it was so important for Leicester to upturn the apple cart a few seasons back. At the moment, the 8th-12th league position is not an unrealistic prediction for Saints and I think if you add the notion that Man City will run away with the title and that Palace, Bournemouth and Swansea are most likely yo get relegated, there is very little about the top flight in 2017/18 that looks surprising. For a neutral, the failure of Everton and continued under-achievement of Liverpool are the most exciting things after seeing Spurs invest in English talent.

Personally, Saturday afternoon is about football. I don't get excited about watching Saints as it is just something that you feel compelled to do when they are at home. Similarly, I will go to watch a non-league game when we are away just because I feel compelled to watch a football match every Saturday. Part of the appeal is that it is a ritual. There are particular matches I look forward to such as the preliminary FA cup ties in August and the 3rd round proper in January when I always hope we draw a team from 1sr or 2nd Division just so that I can see someone different from the Premier League .

 

[fatletiss]

As a resident of Glasgow, my season ticket had to go when I stopped commuting from there to Watford every week. That said, the current tripe we are serving up is seriously testing my enthusiasm to watch at all.*

*Of course it isn't but it's tremendously frustrating to watch something so simple get screwed up quite so badly.

Just leaving Glasgow now....