[NSC] Anything But Football

[Madafwo]

I had the realisation this morning that I pretty much post on NSC about anything but football, now I'm sure that doesn't come as a surprise to some about their own posting habits but for me it was. It was the Albion that brought me here but it's the community that keeps me here.

I've been going through a lot of things recently and even just reading stuff, not even posting had got me through a lot. Sunday night/Monday morning was possibly one of the worst times of my life, I was searching for an outlet, someone to talk to but couldn't find anything or anyone at that time of the day so I popped on here, I thought about starting a thread but in the end I just read a few posts and along with a couple of other things I managed to drift off to sleep at 0500.

So this is just a post to say thank you @Bozza, and the rest of the admin team, even you @Guinness Boy despite previous run ins about the railway, and the community as a whole for making this such a welcoming place for me.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I had the realisation this morning that I pretty much post on NSC about anything but football, now I'm sure that doesn't come as a surprise to some about their own posting habits but for me it was. It was the Albion that brought me here but it's the community that keeps me here.

I've been going through a lot of things recently and even just reading stuff, not even posting had got me though a lot. Sunday night/Monday morning was possibly one of the worst times of my life, I was searching for an outlet, someone to talk to buy couldn't find anything or anyone at that time of the day so I popped on here, I thought about starting a thread but in the end I just read a few posts and along with a couple of other things I managed to drift off to sleep at 0500.

So this is just a post to say thank you @Bozza, and the rest of the admin team, even you @Guinness Boy despite previous run ins about the railway, and the community as a whole for making this such a welcoming place for me.

Sorry to hear you're having such a bad time. I hope things get better for you.

I think we were discussing the railway strikes pre-Covid but can't be sure. If so a couple of things have changed for me. Firstly I no longer commute, whereas I used to have 2 hours each way, so delays would stress me out due to either missing work or family time. I now work from home most of the time or travel long distances (I'm typing this from a work trip to Japan).

Secondly meeting and talking to a rather (im)famous Brighton fan who works for the railways. Talking and listening made me realise that quite a lot of my assumptions were wrong and that there were things going on I had no idea about. Sometimes it's good to educate yourself and admit you were wrong and I suspect my previous posts were made more in annoyance than with the benefit of all the facts, or, at least, the other side of the story over a pint.

 

[Bozza]

Thank you for the post, and you pretty much summarise NSC for me too.

It's been a constant for nearly 30 years now, and I can't imagine my life without it.

Someone wrote me a very long email a week or two ago, detailing how NSC was dying and would soon no longer exist without radical reform, as we're a group of old men, with little influx of the new blood required to keep things fresh.

The email displayed a stunning misunderstanding of what this community is about.

Frankly, I'm as surprised as anyone that NSC has survived as long as it has. I thought its purpose would have been consumed by a social media giant long before now, but as long as it serves the kind of purpose you describe, I'll do my best to keep the lights on and ensure it's here for those who need it.

 

[Flounce]

Thank you for the post, and you pretty much summarise NSC for me too.

It's been a constant for nearly 30 years now, and I can't imagine my life without it.

Someone wrote me a very long email a week or two ago, detailing how NSC was dying and would soon no longer exist without radical reform, as we're a group of old men, with little influx of the new blood required to keep things fresh.

The email displayed a stunning misunderstanding of what this community is about.

Frankly, I'm as surprised as anyone that NSC has survived as long as it has. I thought its purpose would have been consumed by a social media giant long before now, but as long as it serves the kind of purpose you describe, I'll do my best to keep the lights on and ensure it's here for those who need it.

Please don’t sell out to a Petro State

 

[Hotchilidog]

I would say as an old man myself. I am glad this is a space we can converse as the rest of the social media world continues apace leaving the likes of myself behind.

Whilst this site can be very frustrating at times, it can also be tremendous fun and on occasion very helpful and supportive. It's also I space where I am fortunate enough to know many of the contributors IRL, some whom are not actually old men, and for good or ill this is our online community.

 

[Eeyore]

Thank you for the post, and you pretty much summarise NSC for me too.

It's been a constant for nearly 30 years now, and I can't imagine my life without it.

Someone wrote me a very long email a week or two ago, detailing how NSC was dying and would soon no longer exist without radical reform, as we're a group of old men, with little influx of the new blood required to keep things fresh.

The email displayed a stunning misunderstanding of what this community is about.

Frankly, I'm as surprised as anyone that NSC has survived as long as it has. I thought its purpose would have been consumed by a social media giant long before now, but as long as it serves the kind of purpose you describe, I'll do my best to keep the lights on and ensure it's here for those who need it.

NSC lasts for as long as it lasts. And, for me, right now it seems to be the best version of itself.

As it has grown older it seems to have become a forum of wider topics and issues. Much for the better. So many have received help and support.

To use the words of our former leader 'It is what it is'. And as a person who is racing towards the old man buffers without the breaks on, I love it.

 

[essbee1]

I feel a little sorry for people who are on FB, X and others of that ilk all the time, because there you get a lot of unknown
dick-heads posting. At least on NSC I know who the dick-heads are!

(That was a joke btw.)

 

[Eeyore]

I feel a little sorry for people who are on FB, X and others of that ilk all the time, because there you get a lot of unknown
dick-heads posting. At least on NSC I know who the dick-heads are!

(That was a joke btw.)

There is much truth in what you say.

The Facebook pages are not navigable for anyone who likes general discussion without mindless confrontation. Even as a forum, NSC can be a bit of an outlier in that respect. There are, however, some other good forums even if they don't delve into support for the more personal aspects of life. Fulham, I seem to remember, had a very decent population of users.

But the thing to note here is that NSC has developed in a very organic way which has for the most part been a positive experience. After all, it is the users who define the direction of the forum. It may be largely older folk (I'm not sure what the average age is but I would suggest mid-50s) but younger folk become older folk (as we have) and thus it continues.

I don't know what the content of the email to Bozza was. I'm intrigued and wonder if the original sender would like it published in an anonymous way for folk to digest. I'm sure if I sat down and thought about it I could make suggestions for how NSC could build on what it has. But the demographic and the dynamic is organic. I'm not sure that needs any kind of engineering. NSC will stand or fall on its own natural development and right now it I feel it is at its best station.

 

[Brovion]

...

Someone wrote me a very long email a week or two ago, detailing how NSC was dying and would soon no longer exist without radical reform, as we're a group of old men, with little influx of the new blood required to keep things fresh.

The email displayed a stunning misunderstanding of what this community is about.

...

Indeed. And also: so what if it is just old people? In the mental health tsunami that seems to have engulfed the UK NSC is like an on-line version of 'Men's Sheds'.

And this thread is the exact opposite of the usual summer 'NSC as topic' thread which is usually more "NSC isn't what it was"

 

[The Rattler]

Please don’t sell out to a Petro State

Please don’t sell out to a Petro State

*unless the proceeds go to NSC Patrons?

 

[Whoislloydy]

Someone wrote me a very long email a week or two ago, detailing how NSC was dying and would soon no longer exist without radical reform, as we're a group of old men, with little influx of the new blood required to keep things fresh.

We need NSC shorts to keep the youth engaged

 

[rigton70]

Thank you for the post, and you pretty much summarise NSC for me too.

It's been a constant for nearly 30 years now, and I can't imagine my life without it.

Someone wrote me a very long email a week or two ago, detailing how NSC was dying and would soon no longer exist without radical reform, as we're a group of old men, with little influx of the new blood required to keep things fresh.

The email displayed a stunning misunderstanding of what this community is about.

Frankly, I'm as surprised as anyone that NSC has survived as long as it has. I thought its purpose would have been consumed by a social media giant long before now, but as long as it serves the kind of purpose you describe, I'll do my best to keep the lights on and ensure it's here for those who need it.

Fu"k me nearly 30 years. I remember the old board when i joined, i can't believe it's been so long. I need more holidays.

 

[Weststander]

The best football forum by far, possibly the best social media site. Always years ahead of its time, I recall emphatic discussions on mental health, at a time when Sunderland’s forum was busy victim blaming the kid abused by convicted Adam Johnson. World’s apart. People have turned to nsc for help and found it, even if privately.

 

[The Clamp]

Hope you’re feeling better or on the way. It’s a great community here.

I MUST re-do my patronage. It’s worth every penny. Sorry Bozza. I’m on it. Been a tough year so far.

And yeah, I rarely post about football either. I just find football chat a bit dull. Sorry. But I support the club and I love NSC. So here we are.

 

[Madafwo]

Sorry to hear you're having such a bad time. I hope things get better for you.

I think we were discussing the railway strikes pre-Covid but can't be sure. If so a couple of things have changed for me. Firstly I no longer commute, whereas I used to have 2 hours each way, so delays would stress me out due to either missing work or family time. I now work from home most of the time or travel long distances (I'm typing this from a work trip to Japan).

Secondly meeting and talking to a rather (im)famous Brighton fan who works for the railways. Talking and listening made me realise that quite a lot of my assumptions were wrong and that there were things going on I had no idea about. Sometimes it's good to educate yourself and admit you were wrong and I suspect my previous posts were made more in annoyance than with the benefit of all the facts, or, at least, the other side of the story over a pint.

I think it was pre and post Covid, there had been a number of strikes, some of which I was involved in.

It's water under the bridge. I understand the frustration, to put it mildly, that disruption to the work life balance can cause.

Funny you should bring up Covid too, I remember the positive news only thread and that is pretty much what got me through that horrible time. I, like so many, really struggled through it, but that thread and this place in general really helped.

 

[jackalbion]

I think it was pre and post Covid, there had been a number of strikes, some of which I was involved in.

It's water under the bridge. I understand the frustration, to put it mildly, that disruption to the work life balance can cause.

Funny you should bring up Covid too, I remember the positive news only thread and that is pretty much what got me through that horrible time. I, like so many, really struggled through it, but that thread and this place in general really helped.

Don't worry, I'm making a militant RMT member out of @Guinness Boy one day at a time!

 

[Ali_rrr]

There is much truth in what you say.

The Facebook pages are not navigable for anyone who likes general discussion without mindless confrontation. Even as a forum, NSC can be a bit of an outlier in that respect. There are, however, some other good forums even if they don't delve into support for the more personal aspects of life. Fulham, I seem to remember, had a very decent population of users.

But the thing to note here is that NSC has developed in a very organic way which has for the most part been a positive experience. After all, it is the users who define the direction of the forum. It may be largely older folk (I'm not sure what the average age is but I would suggest mid-50s) but younger folk become older folk (as we have) and thus it continues.

I don't know what the content of the email to Bozza was. I'm intrigued and wonder if the original sender would like it published in an anonymous way for folk to digest. I'm sure if I sat down and thought about it I could make suggestions for how NSC could build on what it has. But the demographic and the dynamic is organic. I'm not sure that needs any kind of engineering. NSC will stand or fall on its own natural development and right now it I feel it is at its best station.

I agree with this. I stopped using Twitter last year as the discussions on there were just unhealthy. Facebook is full of nutters. The Subreddit is full of Americans pretending they're from Brighton or younger people who have no idea about pre-Amex times.

NSC is a great forum where even as a younger member, I've met one of my closest friends through here. It's allowed me to properly stay connected to The Albion since moving abroad in a way that you can't get elsewhere.

 

[Madafwo]

Don't worry, I'm making a militant RMT member out of @Guinness Boy one day at a time!

Good work, comrade.

 

[Chicken Run]

Don't worry, I'm making a militant RMT member out of @Guinness Boy one day at a time!

It took 2 days then

 

[chickens]

We need NSC shorts to keep the youth engaged