Attending Football Matches

[staffslad]

Did anyone attend football matches when they were growing up?

I started going to my local non-league team's home fixtures when I was 12 or so. At that time, I think the ground was mostly or possibly all standing. The ground was about a 30 minute walk away, so I would start off at 1.30pm on a saturday to get a good position and almost always buy a programme and take a look around the club shop. There was also a club bar that was open until match time, though I was too young for that. At half-time, there was a burger van, fish and chips van, and in warmer weather an ice cream van. It was almost traditional to buy a burger or bag of chips during the interval, and that would warm you up a bit in the cold weather. There would be mid-week matches, but as they wouldn't end until 9.45pm, I would only go if I didn't have school next morning. I went to occasional away games, maybe 6 or so per season. If the away game was local, I would catch a bus, but for longer trips, there was a coach from the ground. The standard of football, as you might expect, wasn't very high, but I had some very enjoyable times and got to know men who had been going there for decades. Female fans were few and far between back then, and banter between fans and aimed at players and officials was robust, though good-natured. I attended games for 3 or 4 years, then more sporadically for a further couple of years after that.

[zabadak]

Re: Attending Football Matches

Exeter City home games in the late 70s/early 80s - happy times!

[George 1978]

Re: Attending Football Matches

My brother in law had a Nottingham Forest season ticket in the early 1990s around the time when Brian Clough retired and things were changing very fast at the club (Stan Collymore take a bow); and he (my brother in law) mostly went to home matches, although he went up the M1 to a Sheffield Wednesday one once - he won a ticket for a Boxing Day match around five years ago and took my niece along with him.

I suppose that watching them on television doesn't count of course...

[Twocky61]

Re: Attending Football Matches

I've never really been into football but I did go to PNE with a mate early seventies

Nowadays the gate prices & season tickets are a total rip off

Also the footballers are payed far too much for just kicking a ball around

Because of that I now boycott football matches except local grass routes with kids playing better than these so called professionals

Why is it a footballer is payed thousands a week when a nurse or police officer or firefighter etc recieve only a fraction of what footballers get payed?

[Caitlyn]

Re: Attending Football Matches

I am an avid Arsenal supporter, one thing my father gave me (the gift to appreciate good football) anyone who becomes friends or can see my profile gets an eyeful of me in my shirt... Very proud. I attended matches regularly in the mid 90s with my Dad, back then it was Highbury for home with the odd away match. We would get on the train here in Cambridge and head into London for a breakfast and then a walk around the ground and then the match. Following Arsenal through the nineties was a good experience with the Champions league games at Wembley. Sometimes we would go into London early and see some sights before heading to the ground.

Having two kids is tough but we still watch the football and me and dad do still go to the odd game at the new stadium but we have also started going to watch our local team in Cambridge United. Which is a bit different but good fun. When my children are old enough I do intend taking them to football if they wish. However, I do feel it is a bit different today just feel the sole has been taken out of today's sport, maybe it's just me. I will also be honest, being a girl going to a male dominated past time was fun and I never felt threatened, there is always a great camaraderie with a football crowed whether you are a female or a male everyone felt equal.

[George 1978]

Re: Attending Football Matches

Back in April 1989 I was staying for Sunday lunch with a neighbour, and I found out that a friend of my neighbour's actually attended the infamous Hillsborough match of Nottingham Forest v Liverpool and thankfully he survived it completely unharmed, but it was shocking and alarming to think in hindsight that he was there at the time. Apart from the 96 people who lost their lives on that day, it's a pity that (as a Nottingham person writing this) that only Liverpool gets mentioned in news bulletins and Nottingham Forest hardly ever gets mentioned.

The fact that they played on neutral ground (Hillsborough is Sheffield Wednesday's home ground, isn't it?), it does make me annoyed a little bit - I thought that the objective of a football match was so that both teams are seen as impartial from an outsider's (usually the media's) perspective. I know that the Nottingham Evening Post had a huge front page the following Monday. I would just like to see a bit more impartibility when it comes to things like this.

[Richard1978]

Re: Attending Football Matches

Why is it a footballer is payed thousands a week when a nurse or police officer or firefighter etc recieve only a fraction of what footballers get payed?

That old chestnut! - People are far more likely want to see a fotoball match & would you pay more tax to have the other paid better?

[George 1978]

Re: Attending Football Matches

Why is it a footballer is payed thousands a week when a nurse or police officer or firefighter etc recieve only a fraction of what footballers get paid?

Adding on to Richard's answer above, I believe that it is a fact sadly that having a glamorous occupation obviously means more money. I would rather have those people who do good for their community such as doctors, teachers, police officers, and even council workers who pick up crisp packets off the pavement every day - including those people who save lives to have a pay rise rather than some soap opera actor, entertainer, or dare I say it - a footballer. Those everyday people are more deserving of MBEs and other awards in the Queen's birthday and New Year's honors' list than some millionaire footballer.

Is the FA, FIFA or UEFA the equivalent of a footballer's Trade Union? One never hears rich people doing a "Scargill" and going on strike - or at least we don't seem to notice it when it does happen. I am not a trade unionist as such, but I would put teachers, doctors, police officers and council workers a lot higher on the list of importance of people who serve society in general than a talented footballer.

And at the end of the day, these overpaid sportsmen often entice thousands of people to watch them kick a leather sphere full of hot air for two sessions of 45 minutes on a Saturday afternoon. Mind you, football clubs are also part of local communities, but not as much as the occupations that I have just mentioned.

[zabadak]

Re: Attending Football Matches

Currently planning to go to Chelsea's next home game, against Cardiff - should be a nice, friendly atmosphere!

[George 1978]

Re: Attending Football Matches

I was wondering how many die-hard football fans would go in order to travel to away matches - for example, if Newcastle United and Plymouth Argyle were in the same division and an away match to a football fan in Tyneside was on the cards - would there be so many Geordie people would travel the best part of 500 miles and travel halfway around the country to Plymouth or whether it would be? I always assume that they are in football anorak territory when they do that.

I am often like that when certain theatres are showing performances of something that I want to see on my birthday - if I find that one has a musical that I want to see on 30th August, then I book the hotel and coach tickets right away.

[zabadak]

Re: Attending Football Matches

I cannot afford to go to away matches. I will be at the Bridge of Dreams to see my Brave Blue Boys try to repeat their midweek success against the Red Horde...

[80sChav]

Re: Attending Football Matches

I was wondering how many die-hard football fans would go in order to travel to away matches - for example, if Newcastle United and Plymouth Argyle were in the same division and an away match to a football fan in Tyneside was on the cards - would there be so many Geordie people would travel the best part of 500 miles and travel halfway around the country to Plymouth or whether it would be? I always assume that they are in football anorak territory when they do that.

I am often like that when certain theatres are showing performances of something that I want to see on my birthday - if I find that one has a musical that I want to see on 30th August, then I book the hotel and coach tickets right away.

If i had the Money I would do this George - no doubts at all mate. I have often thought and wandered about this in America, now they are finaly building a structured Leauge with the East Coast Teams - where far more Citys and Towns exist following dans to San Fransico etc or the Mid West etc

Going ack to the original question - yes I did goa nd see my beloved Home Team (that only a few people on here know who they are) so for reasons of not telling my location if people want to know - they shall have to PM Me

Not much did I see them in the 80s or 90s - well not until the later 90s. As has been said by me elswhere here my obiding Football Memory, for all the saddest reasons is the Hillsborough Disaster - one day before my 12th Birthday in April 1989

80sChav

[branny]

Re: Attending Football Matches

My first game was Man City v Leeds, Good Friday 1977. My Dad took me. Unfortunately he was a rugby fan so this game and an England u21 game were the only ones he took me to. A family friend took me to the first game of the following season v Leicester and that was it until 1987. I found out that a lad i worked with was a blue and used to go so i started going home and away with him until the mid 90s when he moved to Leeds. I also follow
my rugby team Salford home and away too. Rising costs, quality family time and work meant something had to give so it was the football. I still get to the odd game but am the true definition of an armchair supporter these days. I still follow Salford home and away though.

[Caitlyn]

Re: Attending Football Matches

I was wondering how many die-hard football fans would go in order to travel to away matches - for example, if Newcastle United and Plymouth Argyle were in the same division and an away match to a football fan in Tyneside was on the cards - would there be so many Geordie people would travel the best part of 500 miles and travel halfway around the country to Plymouth or whether it would be? I always assume that they are in football anorak territory when they do that.

I am often like that when certain theatres are showing performances of something that I want to see on my birthday - if I find that one has a musical that I want to see on 30th August, then I book the hotel and coach tickets right away.

If I could find a baby sitter then yes defo. However, When they come of age we may all go together but I feel they will follow Chelsea, I hope not but I wouldn't mind the U's or even the Posh. But as anyone knows not both.

[zabadak]

Re: Attending Football Matches

I cannot afford to go to away matches. I will be at the Bridge of Dreams to see my Brave Blue Boys try to repeat their midweek success against the Red Horde...

A creditable 1-1 draw is not a bad result against a team who had won all their previous league matches but we were winning till quite late on! It also didn't help that their equaliser was a wonder goal by a former Blue, Daniel Sturridge!