Apologies for the team in this advert but it does sort of sum up the modern game quite nicely: please log in to view this image
It bugs me that some especially on Twitter, feel the need for comments such as 'ive just renewed my season ticket so i am no longer a part time supporter' What so those of that are not season ticket holders are then? I am a shift worker and would be vastly out of pocket buying a season ticket as i cannot make every home game, but why does this make me a part time supporter? I go as much as i can, buy shirts and whatever else takes my fancy, im glued to Twitter or the net whilst games are on that i cannot attend. I also have a general liking of football and FOLLOW teams in various leagues, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Tottenham....but i certainly do not consider myself a fan of these teams!
I really don't think having a season ticket means much,where I sit there is a mix of ST and non - some people choose not to have ST either due to work, finance or in the case of one lovely couple the fact that they just get too cold at the worst of the winter games (oh those Feburary night games!) but what unites us is the memories of games past, knowing the names of the players, actually watching the game and CAREING Roy
Nobody should feel paranoid about how 'few' games they may attend. If distance or financial reasons constrain you, it doesn't make you any less a fan. These reasons for not attending as many matches as you would like will always exist - and are (imho) perfectly acceptable. I am sure that these reasons, for some, also existed when we were in the Championship - yet we got substantially more 'customers' at our games. I keep asking - where are they ? I still feel the answer is that, because we are not so successful, these people cannot be bothered. These are the Glory Hunters referred to in this thread - not those who can only afford a few games - or are so far from Priestfield that the travel involved is prohibitive.
I pose a question... Scally has a three year dream to build a new stadium and be in the Premier League I assume soon after. So if financial reasons are a hurdle now, to which I duly agree. How will we fair as working class for cost if we achieve Scally's dream?
I was season ticket holder from season 1992/93 to season 2009/10, and I didn’t renew my season ticket not because of the relegation back to league 2 but because I was made redundant and now I work more weekends than I don’t. This season I got to 8 matches, which is about the best I can do now, but I don’t consider myself less of a supporter because of this. I am lucky I have witnessed the golden period in Gillingham history, 3 Wembley appearances, an FA Cup quarter Final at Stamford Bridge, a 5th round tie at Highbury, beating Bradford and Sheff Wed (both prem teams at the time) at home in the cup, being first on Match of the Day, Nicky Southall in the running for goal of the month. And having Rod Wallace and Tommy Johnson on our books, yes so they were injured alot but they were technically the best players to wear the shirt in my time. How many great games in the championship, did we see, it was fantastic and yes more people came, some may have been glory hunters, but that’s what success does for you and I am delighted when more people turn up because we are doing something right when that happens. I look at the teams we played in play off matches, Man City, Wigan and Stoke and look where they are now, and who manages Stoke? We have also played Swansea, Norwich and Southampton in recent years, and I can remember us relegating Cardiff back to league 2, we can be inspired by all these teams.
I hate the term 'glory hunter' as a whole. If you want to support Man Utdbecause they're a big brand and they win a lot, fair play to you...just ensure you stick with them through the thick and thin. Lots of people choose to support Man Utd because of who they are but if it were Gillingham in their place, the same would be said. Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City; all these teams will have picked up fans from their success and if we ever get anywhere close, even just competing in the same league as them, our fan base will grow. I don't envy it. It's hating on greatness. I marvel at what teams like United achieve and I admire it from afar...longing for the day we could be competing for something like that and bringing in 75K a game. Never going to happen, but a guy can dream!
Yes, clubs may pick up glory hunters on the back of a brand and success but there is nothing fair play about it as the millionaires and billionaires steal the working class game. While at the same time selling our soul. I have never longed for Premier League football and you will find there are many supporters that share that view. That soul has been stolen from the next generations as anyone born from the mid 80's probably will never understand this mentality or the hatred I feel for what has been bought and brought on the modern game. Because while glory hunters increase with success, supporters long for the days we once shared... http://supportersnotcustomers.com/2013/05/12/hednesford-town-vs-fc-united-of-manchester/ I love the final paragraph: One day, the Sky Sports and Premier League money train will derail, leaving many clubs to be reformed and built from the ground up. When this happens, the likes of FC United of Manchester, Chester, Darlington, Portsmouth and AFC Wimbledon will pave the way. The future of football is fan owned, and England is starting to realise it. Did I watch a single premier league game today on the final day. No, not one single moment. Do I share the fondness of Fergie's retirement, no, crying out loud, anyone would have thought the guy had died with the 24-48hr blanket news initially. It even knocked the Queens speech of its throne. While the raiding of petroleum offices received just 3 minute snippets initially in comparison. Still it acted as a side attraction from UKIP for David Cameron, even mentioning it in parliament - lol. The greatness of the brand, especially with a nothing Swansea game coming up, SKY had to keep their subscribers hooked somehow during the final games and that was achieved via Fergie time. Read papers like the Daily Malice, that have been beating the hell out of football supporters for ages, highlighting every skirmish, while applauded events such as the best end of season response at the Pirelli goes unmentioned. Yeah ok, that was lower league and we don't matter. Jimmy Hill for all his good intentions, has a lot to answer for in his quest for scrapping the maximum wage but in fairness even he could not have forseen the future. Listen to the supporters above in this thread I say, where they state as I do about the financial implications of supporting your club. Not being able to attend as many games as you may wish and that was at League Two level. So get to the Prem and that will have wider implications on those same supporters above, while we are replaced by yes, the glory hunters, unless we are financially fortunate enough. Let me ask how can a fourth place team make the Champions League, why does it not go to Wigan who actually won a trophy. Why does a place not go to the FA Cup winners, after all it is not really a CHAMPIONS league. Money and greed plain and simple. The FA and UEFA would rather go to their grave first than take something from the Elite. Time for a football revolution I say. One day this will all implode and I will be laughing my head off, even if from beyond my grave.
My definition of a glory hunter is someone who supports a team which they don't even live near or don't have any family connection to it. For example if you live in London and you support Manchester United you are a glory hunter. I think it is important that more people support their local team and can cope through the thick and thin, this is proper football that we see at Gillingham as it has not always been pretty and we are the real fans, the fans at Manchester United are plastic and I bet that as soon as they are not doing as well then they will swap to become either Chelsea or Manchester City fans. I think Portsmouth done very well with an advert which says ' Don't let your kids grow up thinking that football is a TV show' this is an advert for junior season tickets and I think that this is really good and I think they have touched on an important point, too many children grow and up and support other teams which are like 200 miles away, for example I am hoping a whole season as a season ticket holder will make my nephew grow as a Gills fan as he does support Liverpool as well and I don't like that as I like people to support 1 team and 1 team only. He don't have any link to the club and he supports them because of his Dad who does not support them for any family reason but I feel next season will be important as I think my nephew will become a proper Gills fan and hopefully he will dump the idea of being a Liverpool fan as he is only 11 at the moment and this is the important time for him to choose himself who he supports and the good thing is that he does want a Gills shirt so we are part of the way there. I just don't want him becoming a glory hunter 'if you can call supporting Liverpool a glory hunter'. Just noticed that point about Portsmouth have already been made, sorry brb have not been on here much lately and did not go onto the second page straight away.
I was in one of the biggest crowds, 20,000 plus against the Gunners in a League Cup replay in the 60's. A few years later I was in the smallest league crowd at Priestfield ever, about 1,700 under the woefull Basil Hayward's managership. Surely this is what being a supporter is all about! Fick & Fin ! (Incidentally, I could never work out why Basil Brush started to play Brian Yeo at wing half wearing the number 4 on his shirt. He amazingly failed to spot the goal scoring potential of a man who went on to become the club's joint top scorer ever! )
