Losing the love for the Albion

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I just like going to football and seeing me mates. Sometimes it feels like shit, sometimes its just pure magic. Just want to see what's round the next corner, just want to see what happens next. And something ALWAYS happens next. That's why we love it.

 

[Adders1]

So there I was, 16 years old and the fixtures have just been released, games such as Darlington away, Wycombe away, Brentford away and the real biggun away to Orient will be my future for the next 9 months, dreams of Pompey or Palace in the cup were also possible, what more could you want....it was going to be a hell of a season and I'd go anywhere to watch us. High points of fun away travel knowing we were going to watch div 3 comedy football with tea bars and £2 burgers, terracing and affordable entrances, we were the 'BIG' fish in the smallest of ponds, outsinging and out partying our opponants and on very rare occasions out playing them, these were the days where football was fun, grounds were old, tatty and the experience was hardly smooth and slick, Brighton were shit and I loved every minute of it but as with anything in life, I dreamed like so many others for more, I dreamed of once having a ground as beautiful as what was then the 'Alfred Mcalpine stadium', I cant say I ever thought it would happen............

13 years and the dream has been realized and if I'm honest, I loved it for about 6 months but now the club that I loved, the club that I would have walked 70 miles to watch instead of jumping on a double decker bus to go to, the club which I wanted so so so badly to succeed is just that to me now, a club, a business, a modern day money making machine that gets large numbers through the door, but somewhere within that change over, somewhere in all the quick success and 20,000+ new or returning fans that have emerged, something has dramatically changed and the 'Amex effect' isn't what I dreamed, isn't what I for-saw for my special club and I'm not sure how much longer I'll be part of it. Lets be realistic, it needed to change...I'm fully aware of that, I'm certainly not one of those who wanted us to always be the big fish in the lower leagues but it appears to me, the higher up you go, the more plastic it becomes, the more expensive it becomes and the more theatre like it becomes and that isn't the game or experience that I grew up loving, I had my fix of what the higher level was like from other fans on the trains coming back from the games and also on MOTD if I could get back from Darlington in time!

The most hilarious thing is, we lord it over teams like Palace with their run down ground with wooden seats, a drum and a tacky old school feel about it, but theres something 50x more real about that experience than the same dreary songs being belted out by the amex faithfull as they run up the exit stairs on 80 minutes and head for their train after adding nothing to the day and escaping without being noticed. I know we're very lucky, we have a wonderful chairman who has invested heavily into a wonderful arena to watch football and I may sound it but im most certainly not ungrateful in the slightest, it's just not working out for me personally and I was as avid as they come. Maybe its an age thing or maybe it's modern day football at the higher level in all seater staduims but as I've said, this isn't the great club & game it once was.

I met a pompey fan the other day, I said to him "Bet your gutted about another relegation" "No he replied, why would I be, I get to visit grounds I've never been to, take thousends away and take over small shit hole towns and basically get back to the game I fell in love with" I walked away thinking, my god he's so right.

It's all well and good moaning about the club/ground/expiereince but what can be done, what would make this more appealing, as I cant be alone in this feeling?

For me, terracing would bring a bit of banter back, bring fans closer together and make it more of a laugh to go to football, somewhere along this journey I've stopped laughing at the albion home games, I don't really look forward to them, that usually still thankfully occurs at away games which haven't lost the full edge and the future for me will proberly be just away games as home games just don't do it for me.

Slate me, ban me or ignore me, it's my view but I'll always follow the albion as they once were everything to me, maybe it's healthy that they just aren't what they used to be.

good points there mate, but I think your disdain comes from the corporatization of higher tier football in England, which is caused by the income from Sky and the rest of them - suddenly football is about the mass market, and not the fans like yourself. it's not the clubs fault, it's the money men who try to make the football experience as comfortable as possible for the punters, Albion have had to change to prevent losing the next generation of supporters to Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal

 

[n1 gull]

I just like going to football and seeing me mates. Sometimes it feels like shit, sometimes its just pure magic. Just want to see what's round the next corner, just want to see what happens next. And something ALWAYS happens next. That's why we love it.

I totally agree. Going to football is not just about the football. Beers in the Battle of Trafalger, banter on train, then it used to be slag off Gus's team selection, pie, more beer, the home to family. If it was a good win try to stay awake for Football league show. I hope they sort this shit out soon, but whatever happens I'm always looking forward to going to the football

 

[n1 gull]

I just like going to football and seeing me mates. Sometimes it feels like shit, sometimes its just pure magic. Just want to see what's round the next corner, just want to see what happens next. And something ALWAYS happens next. That's why we love it.

I totally agree. Going to football is not just about the football. Beers in the Battle of Trafalger, banter on train, then it used to be slag off Gus's team selection, pie, more beer, then home to family. If it was a good win try to stay awake for Football league show. I hope they sort this shit out soon, but whatever happens I'm always looking forward to going to the football

 

[Notters]

,infuture I will purchase a ticket only when I feel I will receive satisfaction,its good to feel that once again I am in control of when I attend a match.

Unfortunately for you, football isn't predictable like that. Which is why we all love it.

 

[MICK PATCHAM]

JUST A QUOTE FROM MAO TSE-TUNG ItS is better to have a great leap forward and loved then lost than to have never love at all


I hope that helps

that wasnt a quote from that communist moron

 

[Hamilton]

infuture I will purchase a ticket only when I feel I will receive satisfaction...

Excellent. Can you post a list of those games here for us all?

Also, this week's lottery numbers?

 

[chez]

Must admit I agree totally with the OP. I haven't fallen out of love with the Albion but I 100% agree that watching Brighton 15 years ago was so much more what football is all about than what it is now.

Nobody can say that the actual football was better back then but I felt a lot closer to the team than I do now.

 

[portlock seagull]

Must admit I agree totally with the OP. I haven't fallen out of love with the Albion but I 100% agree that watching Brighton 15 years ago was so much more what football is all about than what it is now.

Nobody can say that the actual football was better back then but I felt a lot closer to the team than I do now.

Especially Kuipers?

 

[portlock seagull]

Must admit I agree totally with the OP. I haven't fallen out of love with the Albion but I 100% agree that watching Brighton 15 years ago was so much more what football is all about than what it is now.

Nobody can say that the actual football was better back then but I felt a lot closer to the team than I do now.

Especially Kuipers?

 

[chez]

Especially Kuipers?

Grrrrrrrrrrr, I never thought I'd have to see that persons name on here again. I might have to flounce!!!!! )

 

[sartorelli]

Albion Rovers Football Club .

 

[DJ NOBO]

Thing is it's inevitable your relationship with football and the club changes as you get older. When I was 13, the Albion was everything to me and I lived for those games at the goldstone, especially 1990/1 season. Pretty much all that mattered to me was the albion.
I still like going to the amex and love the club, but I wouldn't expect to feel the same as i did back then.
To the OP - you were 16, now you're 29. Maybe you've just got other things in your life now. That's not the club's fault.

 

[Gullys Cats]

So there I was, 16 years old and the fixtures have just been released, games such as Darlington away, Wycombe away, Brentford away and the real biggun away to Orient will be my future for the next 9 months, dreams of Pompey or Palace in the cup were also possible, what more could you want....it was going to be a hell of a season and I'd go anywhere to watch us. High points of fun away travel knowing we were going to watch div 3 comedy football with tea bars and £2 burgers, terracing and affordable entrances, we were the 'BIG' fish in the smallest of ponds, outsinging and out partying our opponants and on very rare occasions out playing them, these were the days where football was fun, grounds were old, tatty and the experience was hardly smooth and slick, Brighton were shit and I loved every minute of it but as with anything in life, I dreamed like so many others for more, I dreamed of once having a ground as beautiful as what was then the 'Alfred Mcalpine stadium', I cant say I ever thought it would happen............

13 years and the dream has been realized and if I'm honest, I loved it for about 6 months but now the club that I loved, the club that I would have walked 70 miles to watch instead of jumping on a double decker bus to go to, the club which I wanted so so so badly to succeed is just that to me now, a club, a business, a modern day money making machine that gets large numbers through the door, but somewhere within that change over, somewhere in all the quick success and 20,000+ new or returning fans that have emerged, something has dramatically changed and the 'Amex effect' isn't what I dreamed, isn't what I for-saw for my special club and I'm not sure how much longer I'll be part of it. Lets be realistic, it needed to change...I'm fully aware of that, I'm certainly not one of those who wanted us to always be the big fish in the lower leagues but it appears to me, the higher up you go, the more plastic it becomes, the more expensive it becomes and the more theatre like it becomes and that isn't the game or experience that I grew up loving, I had my fix of what the higher level was like from other fans on the trains coming back from the games and also on MOTD if I could get back from Darlington in time!

The most hilarious thing is, we lord it over teams like Palace with their run down ground with wooden seats, a drum and a tacky old school feel about it, but theres something 50x more real about that experience than the same dreary songs being belted out by the amex faithfull as they run up the exit stairs on 80 minutes and head for their train after adding nothing to the day and escaping without being noticed. I know we're very lucky, we have a wonderful chairman who has invested heavily into a wonderful arena to watch football and I may sound it but im most certainly not ungrateful in the slightest, it's just not working out for me personally and I was as avid as they come. Maybe its an age thing or maybe it's modern day football at the higher level in all seater staduims but as I've said, this isn't the great club & game it once was.

I met a pompey fan the other day, I said to him "Bet your gutted about another relegation" "No he replied, why would I be, I get to visit grounds I've never been to, take thousends away and take over small shit hole towns and basically get back to the game I fell in love with" I walked away thinking, my god he's so right.

It's all well and good moaning about the club/ground/expiereince but what can be done, what would make this more appealing, as I cant be alone in this feeling?

For me, terracing would bring a bit of banter back, bring fans closer together and make it more of a laugh to go to football, somewhere along this journey I've stopped laughing at the albion home games, I don't really look forward to them, that usually still thankfully occurs at away games which haven't lost the full edge and the future for me will proberly be just away games as home games just don't do it for me.

Slate me, ban me or ignore me, it's my view but I'll always follow the albion as they once were everything to me, maybe it's healthy that they just aren't what they used to be.

Don't be so ungrateful, through thick and thin, these are the good times, enjoy them!

 

[Hugh'sDad]

Bye. Dont need fans like that anyway

What sort of fans do 'we' need then - do say.

 

[Chief Wiggum]

Good thread this. Personally the Amex experience has helped me fall back in love with the Albion. A die hard in the 70s, then with work, marriage, kids and going abroad in the mid 80's I physically lost touch with the club but always followed the results. As the Amex was built I watched with growing excitement. Pure nostalgia encouraged me to make contact one of my old mates from those Goldstone terraces who I had lost touch with over the years (Isn't the internet great?). I now live in France but we decided to buy season tickets last year and renewed this this year. I only missed three home games last season. Cost me a fortune in travel, but now I look forward to every home game. Planning which pubs to meet in with my oppo, arguing over whos round it is, taking the piss out of each other, getting to know the odd characters sitting around us and the banter that has developed. Drinking in the East Stand Brasserie after the match where i havé met some gréât people who have become friends. Even sleeping on the bench at Stansted waiting for the early flight can be fun. Poles and Romanians at 6 am can be great company too! My wife thinks I am nuts but I love it. Long may it continue.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Thing is it's inevitable your relationship with football and the club changes as you get older. When I was 13, the Albion was everything to me and I lived for those games at the goldstone, especially 1990/1 season. Pretty much all that mattered to me was the albion.
I still like going to the amex and love the club, but I wouldn't expect to feel the same as i did back then.
To the OP - you were 16, now you're 29. Maybe you've just got other things in your life now. That's not the club's fault.

This 100%

 

[topbanana36]

You must be completely deluded if you think home games are shit, if you can remember Withdean which maybe you can't you would realise how lucky we are to have the Amex.

Perhaps you would rather see Hawkins and Dixon as opposed to Orlandi or Lopez

Don't believe he said that. take over small shit hole towns and basically get back to the game I fell in love with".

 

[father_and_son]

Hmmm... started going at 16... that was 13 years ago... Fact is mate that you've grown up, you're 30 in the next twelve months (or your maths is sh*t) and what was important at 16 isn't important now - wow, that's never happened to anyone else before!!

Fact is, if you were a 16yo football fan now, you'd feel the same joy going to see the modern game as you did then. The game moves on, the venues change, but the tribal feeling is the same for everyone when they are young. But at 30, 40, 50, etc everyone goes through the "nostalgia" thing, where everything from the past is so much better than it is now.

IT'S NOT!! The only thing that has really changed is YOU!