Fans turning to lower league football

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MarcIsTired1986

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I don't really have a question, or a point to make here - just opening the topic for discussion really:

I'm a lifelong blue, as are all my Dad's side of the family (Mum's side are reds, but thankfully my Dad raised me football-wise). I'm originally from Stockport, so have a lot of friends and family still living there - I don't, I'm in Urmston now.

I have, however, seen a trend of people who have always supported Premier League teams turning their backs on their team and following a Lower League, and in some cases even Non-League, team instead. Not to say they don't support their PL team at all - but just seem to have more interest and passion in the lower league club they have chose - mostly, in my case, Stockport County. But I know some who have gone to Salford City, Oldham, Altrincham, and even West Didsbury & Chorlton. My Dad, Brother-in-Law and Nephew (all also lifelong City fans) have now got Season Tickets at Stockport, and when I asked my nephew about City's new away kit his exact words were, "I've not seen it - I'm getting County's though!"

Like I'm sure a lot of others are, I too have become a bit disillusioned with football at the very top - the amount of money involved is disgusting really (but that's a separate topic of conversation), the politics involved in ownership (poor Crystal Palace falling victim to this, just this summer), having to comply with various FFP/PSR rules, the constant changing of fixture dates and kick off times to suit the TV channels, the now infamous 115 charges etc. I just don't feel like I support a football club anymore - I feel like I support a business. The players lives are so far removed from the average fan that you just have no connection to them at all - whereas at County you can sometimes (not always, but reasonably often) meet and get photos with the players after the match.

Now, I'm not saying I'm going to go support County - I'm actually very disappointed that so many people I know have turned to them - but I can sort of see the appeal. 95% of the time your game kicks off at 3pm on a Saturday - your players are probably local-ish lads - they still earn good money but not hundreds of thousands of pounds a week - the new shirt doesn't cost £100. Part of me (a very small part) sort of hoped that the 115 charges would stick and we got dumped in the Vanarama North - then at least I can follow the lower league football without having to 'switch sides'.

I know this bleeds into the debate they were having on TalkSport a month or so ago, about whether you can support two teams - I don't think you can! I like Stockport, I hope they win - but I don't "support" them!

Just wondering what peoples thoughts are - is this a growing trend? Is the Premier League going to lose fans in its droves as people turn to a lower league club, and take their kids along with them (as with my nephew)? If so, will the Premier League step in and do something to bring them back? Are you seeing it happen too, or am I just friends with really un-loyal football fans? Are you/have you been tempted to go follow another club as well or instead of City?
 
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My last season ticket at City was the 100 point season. I had just split from my partner and my son was to young to take so would miss a lot of games.
I started watching Curzon ashton because it was around the corner from me and my son played in the youth team, this enabled to get him in for free and me for 3 quid.
The games felt like old times at maine road, there would be a few dads from the youth football, take beer out into the stand, no FFP/PSR!. Obviously still supported city (via the tv).
Moved to North Yorkshire and tried watching Darlington, it was OK but it's 17 quid to get in and I'm a curzon fan!
 
I won’t ever stop going to City now, health permitting, I’m too old. But I certainly see the attraction of league football. My wife has a Blackburn season ticket, and I go with her a few times a year when we aren’t playing. It is relaxing and enjoyable, no pressure, no USA style build up, no officious dickhead stewards, no tourists or away fans sat next to you etc. The football isn’t great, but obviously I have become spoilt in that regard. At the end of the day though, it isn’t City and I’m a blue.
 
Crewe Alex for me. Started going there last season and it's like going to football as it should be... about football, and maybe a pie.

No VAR, so it's faster and more natural. There's no carnival going to a concert feel, it's for supporters and because of that we get fans not tourists, and because of that there's passion in the crowd.

There's no feeling of being ripped off for as much money as they can make out of you while they treat us like a herd of animals.

No costly memberships just for the privilege of maybe being able to buy a ticket.
And certainly no "how much money can we make out of our customer-base" feeling.

Going to lower league clubs has more of a community feel to it, more of an all in it together feeling. Going to the Etihad (besides the football) leaves me cold and feeling like iv been a consumer rather than a fan they cherish.
 
I could never devote as much time, money and emotional energy to any other club. If City folded I'd watch the phoenix club that would inevitably appear, and if that didn't happen then I'd just see the occasional game to tick of new teams or grounds.
But think about it from the rainy Saturday perspective: If City kick-off at 3-00 then I'll be picked up at 1-30 and will face a 15 minute walk in the rain from where we park to the ground. And the same after the match. Would I do that to watch another team?
 
Milesvk said:
My last season ticket at City was the 100 point season. I had just split from my partner and my son was to young to take so would miss a lot of games.
I started watching Curzon ashton because it was around the corner from me and my son played in the youth team, this enabled to get him in for free and me for 3 quid.
The games felt like old times at maine road, there would be a few dads from the youth football, take beer out into the stand, no FFP/PSR!. Obviously still supported city (via the tv).
Moved to North Yorkshire and tried watching Darlington, it was OK but it's 17 quid to get in and I'm a curzon fan!
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This is a very similar story for me. My last season with a ticket at City was 2019, I then had kids and couldn't afford to keep it. I live up in Buxton now and both my lads play for the club and I coach my youngest lads team. They both get season tickets so I take them along to a few games a season, £15 for me is steep for non league in my opinion but as my lads are free it's not too bad. Meet up with some mates stood on the terraces and have a few pints whilst watching football that's a pretty decent standard. Bucko have just signed Sodje from City as well so I'm interested to see how he gets on in the first game of the season tomorrow.

I still love City and take my lads to a couple of games a season, mainly cup games as they are reasonably priced and I watch most games on the TV but I definitely feel a lot further away from the club than I used to be but I'm fine with that.
 
Gorton_Tubster said:
Crewe Alex for me. Started going there last season and it's like going to football as it should be... about football, and maybe a pie.

No VAR, so it's faster and more natural. There's no carnival going to a concert feel, it's for supporters and because of that we get fans not tourists, and because of that there's passion in the crowd.

There's no feeling of being ripped off for as much money as they can make out of you while they treat us like a herd of animals.

No costly memberships just for the privilege of maybe being able to buy a ticket.
And certainly no "how much money can we make out of our customer-base" feeling.

Going to lower league clubs has more of a community feel to it, more of an all in it together feeling. Going to the Etihad (besides the football) leaves me cold and feeling like iv been a consumer rather than a fan they cherish.
Click to expand...

Yeah I think this sums up how I feel (or should I say, felt) at City games.

I don't go anymore, and I don't even try - getting a ticket is too expensive and too much hard work with the Membership requirement (which is also an additional cost). I just watch on TV and can then switch it off and get on with my life when the game is over. The atmosphere at the stadium is dreadful really, and buying a ticket, a pie, a couple of pints, and a programme, can reach almost £100 for one game - ridiculous when you consider that you can get a season ticket at a club like Stockport for £250.

Like it or not, we're a tourist attraction now and the stadium isn't full of passionate City fans like it used to be - it's full of tourists, international students, and business men schmoozing!
 
Starting following Dorking Wanderers during COVID because of the YouTube channel that was doing the behind the scenes on them. Tried to keep up with their score each weekend.
 
I moved to Leeds 20 years ago and used to watch the local non league side Farsley Celtic. A new owner came in and they went on a run of getting promoted 4 times in 5 seasons and ended up in the National League Conference (5th tier in the Pyramid) and played and drew against MK Dons on TV in the 1st round of the FA Cup.

I was paying £8 a game and could get pie and peas for a couple of quid. When they got promoted to the Conference there were new ground regulations that had to be adhered to.

The pie hut was replaced by a burger van. But more importantly there was a minimum ticket price charge of £18 in the league, a £10 increase per game. I didn’t go to many home games that season.

Farsley were part time and most of the other clubs in the Conference were fully professional. Also 16 of the teams in the League were south of Luton whereas the league they were promoted from was regional and all Northern clubs.

They really struggled on and off the pitch got relegated on the last day of the season at York away. I was there.

That summer the club went bust.

A phoenix side was formed AFC Farsley and they worked their way up to a reasonable level. But over the last two seasons they are back in the financial mire, there’s issues with the land where the stadium is, and for some reason were playing some of their home games in Buxton Derbyshire, 65 miles and 2 hour 15 minutes away from West Leeds.

Life, watching City, having a family and a lack of spare time has got in the way of me going back to the Throstles Nest.

But if I gave up watching City I’d happily watch lower league football instead.
 
I'm a blue, I have blue blood. I can't change that. City are my local club. It's tribal for me...growing up on estates with half red, half blue. I couldn't get passionate about any other club...I'm not THAT bothered about football on the whole. It's City that I love.
If I'm not happy with my club, I'll be a blue blue.
Having said that..I can't afford to watch us live any more, but I wouldn't be arsed watching any other club.
 
An admission. I like ballet. Let me qualify that, I like watching very top end ballet, national companies, like the Moscow State ballet performing a classsic, Swan Lake, THe Nutcracker etc...im there, with the Mrs.
I have no interest in watching lardy local theatre companies with sweaty leotards stumbling around to a creaky backing track, barely able to get on their toes None whatsoever....at whatever cost.
 
TheGhost said:
I moved to Leeds 20 years ago and used to watch the local non league side Farsley Celtic. A new owner came in and they went on a run of getting promoted 4 times in 5 seasons and ended up in the National League Conference (5th tier in the Pyramid) and played and drew against MK Dons on TV in the 1st round of the FA Cup.

I was paying £8 a game and could get pie and peas for a couple of quid. When they got promoted to the Conference there were new ground regulations that had to be adhered to.

The pie hut was replaced by a burger van. But more importantly there was a minimum ticket price charge of £18 in the league, a £10 increase per game. I didn’t go to many home games that season.

Farsley were part time and most of the other clubs in the Conference were fully professional. Also 16 of the teams in the League were south of Luton whereas the league they were promoted from was regional and all Northern clubs.

They really struggled on and off the pitch got relegated on the last day of the season at York away. I was there.

That summer the club went bust.

A phoenix side was formed AFC Farsley and they worked their way up to a reasonable level. But over the last two seasons they are back in the financial mire, there’s issues with the land where the stadium is, and for some reason were playing some of their home games in Buxton Derbyshire, 65 miles and 2 hour 15 minutes away from West Leeds.

Life, watching City, having a family and a lack of spare time has got in the way of me going back to the Throstles Nest.

But if I gave up watching City I’d happily watch lower league football instead.
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That's a really good post and highlights just how much the game revolves around money. Club owners like the ones you've talked about at Farsley Celtic and at Salford City are possibly in it for the wrong reasons and allow their own egos to take over. A number of Salford City fans were happy as they were but then new owners means new colours, new club badge and things change. There's nothing wrong with some clubs just bobbing along where they are.
 
TheGhost said:
I moved to Leeds 20 years ago and used to watch the local non league side Farsley Celtic. A new owner came in and they went on a run of getting promoted 4 times in 5 seasons and ended up in the National League Conference (5th tier in the Pyramid) and played and drew against MK Dons on TV in the 1st round of the FA Cup.

I was paying £8 a game and could get pie and peas for a couple of quid. When they got promoted to the Conference there were new ground regulations that had to be adhered to.

The pie hut was replaced by a burger van. But more importantly there was a minimum ticket price charge of £18 in the league, a £10 increase per game. I didn’t go to many home games that season.

Farsley were part time and most of the other clubs in the Conference were fully professional. Also 16 of the teams in the League were south of Luton whereas the league they were promoted from was regional and all Northern clubs.

They really struggled on and off the pitch got relegated on the last day of the season at York away. I was there.

That summer the club went bust.

A phoenix side was formed AFC Farsley and they worked their way up to a reasonable level. But over the last two seasons they are back in the financial mire, there’s issues with the land where the stadium is, and for some reason were playing some of their home games in Buxton Derbyshire, 65 miles and 2 hour 15 minutes away from West Leeds.

Life, watching City, having a family and a lack of spare time has got in the way of me going back to the Throstles Nest.

But if I gave up watching City I’d happily watch lower league football instead.
Click to expand...
I bet there isn't a maximum ticket price in that league?
 
My wife is a Carlisle Utd fan, we now have season tickets, I have probably watched less City games live (TV) this last two seasons than in the previous 15 or so years.

The football has been atrocious and Carlisle have been relegated from L1 to the non league, so I call her the fucking jinx now.

Be lucky to have seen 10 wins in two seasons lol

@Milesvk they have just beaten your team in a friendly the other week
 
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