https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkkqSl-rfh4 Just can't wait for the season to start for City but in the meantime there was something on twitter the other day about do England fans care any more. They certainly cared in this video. About 3 mins into this the crowd singing is amazing, and Frank Skinner doing some "dad dancing", everyone looks so happy. Just love it. Were any of you there??
Had a ticket but couldn't go. Went the Spain 1/4 final when Pearce scored in the 'pelanty' shoot out- the aftermatch celebrations in the ground when on for at least 30 mins when most of the crowd stayed behind to sing 'football's coming home' non stop.
I've been to a couple of World Cups and Euro's and the atmosphere has been great at all of them(a bit quiet in Japan, though that was probably down to the fact that you couldn't get a drink).
I was at the Spain match and we were singing that most of the match and for 10 minutes after the end, thats when they decided to play it just before kick off to rev up the players, nearly worked
Sadly you'll never get that again. Too corporate and expensive these days. Plus we need to have a team capable of reaching the semi-final of a major tournament on home soil. The ring of apathy would probably be empty until just after kick-off. The fans are a bit different these days and so are most of the players. I just don't think they would each respond to hearing that in the dressing room - some would, but others would no doubt be tweeting or instagraming with their headphones on. The nearest you would get would be the thousands that would travel to a Euro's or World Cup in Europe - like France 98 when we played Tunisia in Marseille in a massive bowl of a stadium. These days the host countries mostly build identikit new stadia and it's all a bit safe and sanitised, what it'll be like in Qatar is anyones guess. Probably erring on the 'old-skool' side with my view, but some of the magic is gone for me. On another note - i went to the first game at Wembley immediately after Diana died, wierd atmosphere that night. The 2 minute silence was so silent that it was like being stood in there on your own.
They played 'Wonderwall' by Oasis at about 2.30 and the atmosphere went from dead to rocking in 3 minutes.
However, on refelection, the atmosphere at Wembley for our game was amazing. So perhaps it's more a problem for the national team than club sides.
I remember going to see England play France and Croatia in Lisbon at Euro 2004. Those were a fantastic atmospheres. Was originally planning to go to both South Africa and Poland/Ukraine, but decided not to at last minute. ****ing glad I didn't go now...
It was so frustrating... I suppose my profile pic is a bit contradictory to my feelings that day towards that man... At least the Croatia game made up for it a bit.
Watching the Confederation Cup from Brazil, the crowds have an enthusiasm that we no longer have in Europe. That's despite the gentrification of the game that's going on there too. The old fan base are being phased out. A ticket for the Brazil-England friendly was 70 quid (then reduced to 57!) That's a lot of brass for your average Carioca (pls don't sprag on me to the police for using the nickname for a Brazilian). I can't imagine on what it would be like if England reached the WC semis again. I was lucky enough to be in Turin 1990 where I bought a ticket from a tout for 100 quid (face value about 120 - Cat A ticket), and the South African selling them had plenty more. There were only about 7,000 from England there that night and the krauts (pls don't sprag on me to the police for using the nickname for a German) must have had 30,000 because of Moynihan telling Italy/FIFA not to give us any more. We more than held our own for noise that night.
Just watched highlights of the Spain game and right at the end Nick Barmby was celebrating on the pitch, I wonder if he was down for the 5th penalty?
The demographic for the England fanbase has been deliberately socially engineered in the last 20 years to exclude the more boisterous elements and include the Watford types.
I watched that game in a bar in Vancouver with a bunch of Aussies, Kiwi's, South Africans, Canadians (who all had English heritage) and Croatians. It was pretty mad in there. Probably the last time we were any good imo.
Hardly. They're either in prison, grown up, died of old age or banned from any football games due to their propensity for violence. What the hell is a "Watford" type? I'll let the lads know who always show their Hull City AFC flag at every game you think they're too Northern or something for future games. The reason for the lack of atmosphere at England games is down to the lack of success. That said, I really don't think the atmosphere is actually all that bad at most games.
[video=youtube;E0OCRrvMBpA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0OCRrvMBpA[/video] Our country needs more like him, bring players like this through the youth systems and we will regain our pride in supporting our country again. Nobody wants to go and watch a load of over paid players who see playing for there country as an inconvenience.
England fans will always travel in their numbers- Portugal Euros 2004, Germany WC in 2006, France 98, Japan 2002 and I can't see Brazil being much different if we get there. The next Euros in France will be class. I'm hoping just to go over there if we qualify. Not too bothered if I don't get a ticket for a match. The atmosphere in the centres would be enough to witness. Wish i'd been old enough to go to the WC in Germany in 2006.
I'm definitely going to Euro 2016 in France if we qualify. I always wished I had been old enough to go to the 1998 World Cup. (I was only 3 and ould hardly remember it at the time, but looking back at highlights, it looked brilliant)
As crappy an U-21 manager as he's been, I agree player mentality wise. Ironically that last person I ever saw who played with as much pride as Pearce was Beckham. Whatever else people think about him, you can't deny that shirt and that badge meant the whole world to him. Id happily take a team of players with his passion.
