Fans leaving on 85 mins

[Smug in Boots]

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,

I don't think they do

People don't have to leave five minutes early in reality, they choose to.

If there's a 15 minute delay, for a floodlight failure, all those people don't leave with 20 minutes to go.

I think it's from when they were young drivers and had to 'get in front' of the traffic ...

... I honestly think some see 'beating the traffic' as a victory and getting one over on people they've 'left behind'. I can imagine them sitting, in their armchair, with a nice cup of tea, watching shyte telly and thinking 'I bet some of those idiots still haven't got home' chortle chortle chortle.

 

[Essayyeffcee]

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.

As said by others, you've raised very good points and I would probably agree with you on them, however, if there's a group of lads on a minibus buzzing after a result like the ones we've had lately, you're not in a hurry to get home (at least I wouldn't be!) but if you're driving or getting a train home, I suppose there's a reason for leaving early. I know, I've stopped back until the final whistle with the grandson with him whinging that we're winning 3-0 so the games over why are we staying, then trying to quickly get to train station to see if we can catch the train home can be a bit of a pain in the backside and leaving that little bit earlier to make sure you get the right train would be worth it - I say this from experience as we rushed to the station and jumped on a train to Middlesbrough only to find that it didn't stop in Hartlepool but Thornaby!

 

[Essayyeffcee]

I noticed that, seemed to fly home after Boro. Could be good idea to do regularly

I noticed that the police blocked off some of the entries onto the roundabout on the A1231 to get the traffic away and it was brilliant to get out onto the A19 rather than the stop start you usually get

 

[Son of Baxter]

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.

fair point regarding the clock watching and just realized how much I do it and its a pain,especially when there is only a goal in it.

 

[WorkyTicketFTM]

I don't think they do

People don't have to leave five minutes early in reality, they choose to.

If there's a 15 minute delay, for a floodlight failure, all those people don't leave with 20 minutes to go.

I think it's from when they were young drivers and had to 'get in front' of the traffic ...

... I honestly think some see 'beating the traffic' as a victory and getting one over on people they've 'left behind'. I can imagine them sitting, in their armchair, with a nice cup of tea, watching shyte telly and thinking 'I bet some of those idiots still haven't got home' chortle chortle chortle.

Could be that some just attend out of necessity or old habits and want to get there as close to kick off and away sharp too. I only say this because on the odd occasion I have to drive and get there late there’s thousands of people walking into the stadium still. I’m guessing if you’re turning up 5 minutes before kick off you probably aren’t hanging around after!

Personally I really don’t like taking the car, especially if we aren’t having a quick pint before the match - for said reasons above. I enjoy going to the match and want to make a day of it, I don’t enjoy going out on “nights out” anymore and the match fills that void. Nothing better than jumping in the bath on a Saturday morning with a cold can, having a look at the days football and knocking a few bets up beforehand but I bet loads of fans who do the opposite think I’m a right weirdo for doing that!

 

[LD19SAFC]

I still can’t believe how many care about what others do

 

[Lucky19672]

I'm usually there for the final whistle, but if I've got reason to be away early I'll leave when needed.

It's not the be all and end all.

 

[Smug in Boots]

I still can’t believe how many care about what others do

I don't care what they do unless they stand in front of me while inching towards the exits ...

... just f*ck off and beat the traffic, treat yourself.

 

[Mackem74]

Neither reason makes a scrap of sense to me mate.

We only had one Saturday 3pm kick off in October.

Are people really so desperate for an extra pint on that particular day.

And what is so important that they absolutely must be home at 5.30 rather than 6pm ...

... they're either unable to have a pint for the rest of the month, alcoholics or terrified to be away from the wife too long. Or perhaps there's a Bake Off episode they're desperate to watch and they can't work out how to record

The match is only 90 minutes long, deliberately missing five or ten minutes is just weird imo.

Genuinely have never left a game early and don't understand how anyone could if game in balance.

 

[Smug in Boots]

Genuinely have never left a game early and don't understand how anyone could if game in balance.

It’s not ‘Sunderland til I die’ …

… it’s ‘Sunderland til I want to shuffle along blocking people’s view and killing the atmosphere’.

I know this will annoy some people but I bet this won’t happen at QPR on Saturday …

… is that because those going are better supporters and know the effect it would have on our players?

 

[TeamOfTalents]

Don't get it. When I'm up north I travel from Shields, never left early. Don't mind getting back for just about 5.45/6. Plenty time to get ready and go out for a beer. Weird behaviour. Yes I know there will be a few exceptions, but not the numbers leaving early.

 

[Milton Nunez's Thong]

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.

On occasion my old man took me in through the gates to catch the last 5 minutes of a match. Saved buying a ticket, cheapskate

 

[LD19SAFC]

Do people still stay until the very end even when we’ve been awful and getting stuffed by 3 or 4?

 

[Oliver's Army]

Do people still stay until the very end even when we’ve been awful and getting stuffed by 3 or 4?

Don't know. Can't remember the last time that happened tbh.

 

[Smug in Boots]

Do people still stay until the very end even when we’ve been awful and getting stuffed by 3 or 4?

If we're losing 4-0 with five minutes to go there's no chance of making a noise and encouraging the team to pull things back and get a result. If we're losing 2-1 and pushing, with minutes to go, the crowd is important imo ...

... I guess it depends on whether you think the support makes a difference, the players say it does.

If you believe your support is totally irrelevant there's no point in going, you may as well just get a bigger telly. If it's genuinely so important that you really must leave early you shouldn't risk going anyway ... you wouldn't want to die of thirst from missing your 6 o'clock cup of tea.

 

[TeamOfTalents]

Do people still stay until the very end even when we’ve been awful and getting stuffed by 3 or 4?

Yes. It's not fun but it's a matter of principle

 

[TopCat.]

Do people still stay until the very end even when we’ve been awful and getting stuffed by 3 or 4?

For the most part, yes. I’ve been going to games for nearly 40 years (first one was Man Utd at RP in Dec 84) and I’ve left 3 games early:
0-3 v Villa when Coleman was manager. Left at HT in disgust
0-6 v Bolton in Johnson’s last game.
1-5 v Stoke. Sheer frustration at the ****e in front of me

other than that, stayed to the end (sometimes the bitter end) in every other game regardless of the score. Seen some amazing moments like the Leeds equaliser, many late winners under Keane and Neil. Heartbreak like the Benteke winner when Moyes was in charge or the disallowed goal v Burton. It’s part of being a supporter rather than a fan I guess. No queue of traffic will stop me applauding those lads off the pitch, especially this season.

Seems as though every one of the early leavers has a deeply personal and intricate reason for justifying why they leave early. Convenient.

 

[Son of Baxter]

I can understand people being annoyed if people are needed to stand whilst people shuffle past. I am next to the end so try not to disturb people . Fortunately no one seems to leave before me but it is annoying when people are late at the start of the match and at half time but can understand it may be due to slow service or queuing at the toilets.

 

[RedNWhite4Life]

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

Beer in the stands would be great but you just know you would come home drenched in booze every week for one reason or another. There's far too many scroats around who think they are funny or hard by throwing a pint in the air or in the direction of an opposing player. It's simply a waste of a good drink in my opinion.

I've been to games in Italy and been able to sit there drinking beer with no issues but in England we seem to have this scroaty culture around throwing beer.

 

[Brainy Dose]

On occasion my old man took me in through the gates to catch the last 5 minutes of a match. Saved buying a ticket, cheapskate

Used to be able to do that after the second half had started at Roker.