Against Modern Football

[Silasgoldeen]

Just across West London at Craven Cottage the difference is stark. Fulham charge KIDS £80 for the bigger matches and the cheapest adult tickets for the visit of top clubs is £160.

Poor research. £160 is the most expensive tickets in the new Riverside Stand, which they always seem to struggle to sale, but tickets potentially can be bought in other parts of the ground for £67, and in the family zone Adults are charged £35 and kids £24, they probably sell out to members quickly though.

I've just found an old email where I paid £439 for a season ticket in the Riverside Stand. That was only 2012/13, so basically paying £22 a game, which is basically where we are here. That's only 12 years ago. In 23/24 the cheapest Riverside was £1250 (admittedly it's a whole new stand). You can get some seats for about £500 though to be fair, which is surprising. Hmm. That's not too bad to be honest.

[hepcat]

I'm not sure the cost of football has gone up as much as some think, once inflation is taken into account. However, the PL has definitely limited ticket access which in turns has fuelled TV demand. Non league offers a product that's reminiscent of times past, and a (mostly) more honest brand of football.

Inflation is misleading. There comes a point where something simply costs more than your willing to pay. Going to a football game today costs infinitely more when you consider what your day out cost years ago. I Used to buy a McD's or something, travel to the game,get in buy a programme for a lot less % of your disposable than it is today.and I could easily afford to go to every game. Even with adult concessions a game (if you buy a burger/travel etc) takes up the best part of £40 to£50 -more if you buy a round! I would imagine clubs revenues are dropping with the gate made up of season ticket holders/concessions-which is why (in the Spoirts Franchise PL anyway) they're getting rid of concessions and reducing the number of season tickets to make way for more "full price" tourists. A lot of people think thre cost of going is more than they're willing to pay-inflation or not.

[Lightwater Shot]

To return to the original topic ....
Many people of my generation hold a belief that "things were better in my day", especially in relation to football. The only thing you can say for sure is that "things were different in my day". If a 16-year-old were to time-travel back to when I was 16, they probably wouldn't consider it as "better". Some of my memories from this time:

• Being crushed against barriers

• the only live game on TV was the FA cup final

• being urinated on by Leicester City fans

• spending 2 weeks in hospital after trying to save my scarf from being taken by Tottenham fans

• No food inside stadiums

• Only one sub

• mud-bath pitches

I'm not saying that the modern game with VAR, 5 subs, fixation on formation is better or worse - it's different and there are things you can enjoy about it, but maybe not so much of you are stuck in "the good old days"

[hepcat]

To return to the original topic ....
Many people of my generation hold a belief that "things were better in my day", especially in relation to football. The only thing you can say for sure is that "things were different in my day". If a 16-year-old were to time-travel back to when I was 16, they probably wouldn't consider it as "better". Some of my memories from this time:

• Being crushed against barriers

• the only live game on TV was the FA cup final

• being urinated on by Leicester City fans

• spending 2 weeks in hospital after trying to save my scarf from being taken by Tottenham fans

• No food inside stadiums

• Only one sub

• mud-bath pitches

I'm not saying that the modern game with VAR, 5 subs, fixation on formation is better or worse - it's different and there are things you can enjoy about it, but maybe not so much of you are stuck in "the good old days"

I like to quote the left leaning American writer Richard Ford basically looking at whats happening he said "We all wanted /fought/protested for a better world. How on earth did we end up in the one we've got now?". Its the same with football. Nobody romanticises about anything you list, we wanted that to end and to get more enjoyment by just going to a game. How on earth did we end up with what we've got now ?

[Silasgoldeen]

To return to the original topic ....
Many people of my generation hold a belief that "things were better in my day", especially in relation to football. The only thing you can say for sure is that "things were different in my day". If a 16-year-old were to time-travel back to when I was 16, they probably wouldn't consider it as "better". Some of my memories from this time:

• Being crushed against barriers

• the only live game on TV was the FA cup final

• being urinated on by Leicester City fans

• spending 2 weeks in hospital after trying to save my scarf from being taken by Tottenham fans

• No food inside stadiums

• Only one sub

• mud-bath pitches

I'm not saying that the modern game with VAR, 5 subs, fixation on formation is better or worse - it's different and there are things you can enjoy about it, but maybe not so much of you are stuck in "the good old days"

I like to quote the left leaning American writer Richard Ford basically looking at whats happening he said "We all wanted /fought/protested for a better world. How on earth did we end up in the one we've got now?". Its the same with football. Nobody romanticises about anything you list, we wanted that to end and to get more enjoyment by just going to a game. How on earth did we end up with what we've got now ?

Well there was probably a sweetspot in the 90s and 00s when you could still get to games at a decent price and people weren't twats to each other. Then the Americans noticed the global potential and here we are.

PS where did he say that? I've read all the Frank Bascombe books, liked them.

[Roger D]

To return to the original topic ....
Many people of my generation hold a belief that "things were better in my day", especially in relation to football. The only thing you can say for sure is that "things were different in my day". If a 16-year-old were to time-travel back to when I was 16, they probably wouldn't consider it as "better". Some of my memories from this time:

• Being crushed against barriers

• the only live game on TV was the FA cup final

• being urinated on by Leicester City fans

• spending 2 weeks in hospital after trying to save my scarf from being taken by Tottenham fans

• No food inside stadiums

• Only one sub

• mud-bath pitches

I'm not saying that the modern game with VAR, 5 subs, fixation on formation is better or worse - it's different and there are things you can enjoy about it, but maybe not so much of you are stuck in "the good old days"

As a teenage Wolves fan in the 80's I get most for that. But I'd go back to one or two subs any day. More simply allows rich clubs to pile players up. By the time you hit step five it's insane. We have step seven clubs folding due to a lack of player and step five / six players spending most /.all of the match on the bench.

If you can make good money, good luck. Too many players are wasting their playing years for nothing and the wealthy clubs are laughing.

Imagine the standard of football at the likes of Shots if Premier down was two subs? I don't blame the players but the system is rotten.

[hepcat]

To return to the original topic ....
Many people of my generation hold a belief that "things were better in my day", especially in relation to football. The only thing you can say for sure is that "things were different in my day". If a 16-year-old were to time-travel back to when I was 16, they probably wouldn't consider it as "better". Some of my memories from this time:

• Being crushed against barriers

• the only live game on TV was the FA cup final

• being urinated on by Leicester City fans

• spending 2 weeks in hospital after trying to save my scarf from being taken by Tottenham fans

• No food inside stadiums

• Only one sub

• mud-bath pitches

I'm not saying that the modern game with VAR, 5 subs, fixation on formation is better or worse - it's different and there are things you can enjoy about it, but maybe not so much of you are stuck in "the good old days"

I like to quote the left leaning American writer Richard Ford basically looking at whats happening he said "We all wanted /fought/protested for a better world. How on earth did we end up in the one we've got now?". Its the same with football. Nobody romanticises about anything you list, we wanted that to end and to get more enjoyment by just going to a game. How on earth did we end up with what we've got now ?

Well there was probably a sweetspot in the 90s and 00s when you could still get to games at a decent price and people weren't twats to each other. Then the Americans noticed the global potential and here we are.

PS where did he say that? I've read all the Frank Bascombe books, liked them.

In "Be Mine" the last Frank Bascombe book. He also comtemplates on the useless jobs that didn't exist until the 90's in the health service. As with everything American, we seem to follow suit! "Sportswriter" "Independence Day" were excellent, "Lie of the Land" was probably where the Bascombe books should have ended,though he did "Let me be Frank with You" and "Be Mine" -good,but not the impact of "Sportswriter" and "Independence Day" . A great American writer none the less.

[Aldershot]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... 272pe5154o

[Rba]

There's only one team in Fulham.

[Peter macdonald]

There's only one team in Fulham.

Morning Bruce, indeed Fulham are a good side these days, beat the champions recently

[Silasgoldeen]

I like to quote the left leaning American writer Richard Ford basically looking at whats happening he said "We all wanted /fought/protested for a better world. How on earth did we end up in the one we've got now?". Its the same with football. Nobody romanticises about anything you list, we wanted that to end and to get more enjoyment by just going to a game. How on earth did we end up with what we've got now ?

Well there was probably a sweetspot in the 90s and 00s when you could still get to games at a decent price and people weren't twats to each other. Then the Americans noticed the global potential and here we are.

PS where did he say that? I've read all the Frank Bascombe books, liked them.

In "Be Mine" the last Frank Bascombe book. He also comtemplates on the useless jobs that didn't exist until the 90's in the health service. As with everything American, we seem to follow suit! "Sportswriter" "Independence Day" were excellent, "Lie of the Land" was probably where the Bascombe books should have ended,though he did "Let me be Frank with You" and "Be Mine" -good,but not the impact of "Sportswriter" and "Independence Day" . A great American writer none the less.

alright I haven't read all of them. Thanks!

[Rba]

There's only one team in Fulham.

Morning Bruce, indeed Fulham are a good side these days, beat the champions recently

And lose to blue scousers.

[GetShotDownunder]

We have a suffering Man U fan at work and EPL chatter at times dominates other sports.
My reply to what football interests me was my local club and sometimes local lower semi-pro football as a neutral and a non league club overseas.

The consensus I got was the A-league is boring, to which I was diplomatic and said yes well I guess we have no promotion or relegation.... but do you have an EPL club? No I follow Aldershot Town.... that's weird... again trying to be diplomatic the money in the EPL and the big 4 or 6 or whatever is a bit much for me.... More quizzical looks... I start reminiscing about live football, my younger self actually standing and having a few beers at the football, hitting the town on away trips etc.

[Giles]

Think we saw a glimpse of modern football today, all that terrible music before the game & then after when all I wanted to hear was the shots fans in full voice, if you’re going to play songs do your homework, Tom hark would have lifted the roof but we got…. Well actually I don’t know what it was. Amazing to see the shots at Wembley but think the atmosphere got a bit lost, maybe it was just where I was sat though up in the top tier

[Fuggletim]

We have a suffering Man U fan at work and EPL chatter at times dominates other sports.
My reply to what football interests me was my local club and sometimes local lower semi-pro football as a neutral and a non league club overseas.

The consensus I got was the A-league is boring, to which I was diplomatic and said yes well I guess we have no promotion or relegation.... but do you have an EPL club? No I follow Aldershot Town.... that's weird... again trying to be diplomatic the money in the EPL and the big 4 or 6 or whatever is a bit much for me.... More quizzical looks... I start reminiscing about live football, my younger self actually standing and having a few beers at the football, hitting the town on away trips etc.

I was stopped in Pitt St in Sydney a few months ago whilst wearing a Shots shirt with the exclamation: “Aldershot Town? Don’t see many of them shirts here!” The bloke shook hands and walked off!