Fans turning to lower league football

moomba said:
I go to Alty a bit, and went to Stockport against Bolton last week.

Enjoy a bit of non-league/lower league. Would definitely go to Alty more if City wasn't an option.
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What's it like if they score? do you celebrate? is there emotion ?
 
TheGhost said:
They really struggled on and off the pitch got relegated on the last day of the season at York away. I was there
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This really made me laugh

Dexter Morgan said:
I hope someone at the club are reading these comments. City have you jumping through hoops just to get yourself in the Etihad
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Maybe someone with more clout than me could share it with the club? The site Admin here must have a contact?
 
I grew up in Grimsby and moved to Manchester in the 80's, when I saw City v Grimsby at Maine Road and carried on supporting City as my "Manchester" team. Funds then didn't allow me to travel to Grimsby home games every week, but I could watch City at home. And they were equally shite/good as Grimsby around that time. This graduated to a season ticket and a son who's blue through and through.

I now go to all the Grimsby away games I can this side of the country; it's a different experience and keeps me connected to my old home town, though I've lived here 3 times as long as I lived in Grimsby.

Harrogate away for me tomorrow!

It's a bit like enjoying theatre and being happy to watch big names at the National or even the Royal Exchange, then popping along to a bit of Am-Dram at your local church hall. Both are theatre, both are enjoyable, but they offer different experiences.
 
Resurrection Joe... said:
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.
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This begs the question "where were you when we were shit?"
 
No interest from me.
Outside of city, I find football pretty boring.
Even something like palace v brentford would bore me to death so I'd have no chance of watching lower leagues.
 
MarcIsTired1986 said:
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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It’s not City.
 
MarcIsTired1986 said:
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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I can safely say I do not want city relegated . Also feck Stockport.
 
Only ever been 1 club for me since 1964 and I would never follow or support another team apart from MANCHESTER CITY because we are MASSIVE and even if we wasn’t I would still support them.
 
Gave up my season card a couple of seasons ago. Only watch City on streams now.
Season ticket holder at Cymru North club for £50 a season and enjoying games much more than I have for some years.
I'll always be a Manchester City fan, but there's no way I'd go back to having a season ticket at City now. It's simply not the same club any more.
 
My eldest daughter’s boyfriend and his mum and dad are season ticket holders at Crewe Alex and I occasionally tag along for free if one of them can’t make it. I’ve actually been to a fair few games over the last couple of years including the play off final at Wembley against Crawley. It’s how football should be no fancy shit, wank tannoys, no tourists (apart from me) and shit football. When I go to Wales I go and watch Porthmadog FC and that is fucking old school Saturday football but reminds me of Sunday league football and it’s absolutely brilliant.
 
Lavinda Past said:
Gave up my season card a couple of seasons ago. Only watch City on streams now.
Season ticket holder at Cymru North club for £50 a season and enjoying games much more than I have for some years.
I'll always be a Manchester City fan, but there's no way I'd go back to having a season ticket at City now. It's simply not the same club any more.
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When I emigrated in 2011, a friend (when I was living just outside of Boston) asked me to go to see New England Revolution. I refused for the first 9 months as felt I’d be cheating on City and also didn’t want to get emotionally attached to another club and I was still watching City on the TV.
I gave in after 9 months on the promise it was a great day out with the tail gate party before and after.
Now this did make the day go very well. Lots of drinking and food on the grill and daft games like corn hole etc but it was a good day out slightly ruined by 90 mins of poor quality (Conference standard at the most) football. Or soccer!
I carried on going maybe every other game for 3 years until I moved to Tampa.
Was there 8 years and saw the Tampa Bay Rowdies once. They were a league below the Revolution so it would be like watching Chorley or Curzon Ashton. The Rowdies play in St Petersburg, a good 40 -45 mins away and I just couldn’t be arsed……
 
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