Neville Kneville said:
tolmie's hairdoo said:
I seriously think it's more to do with a generational,economy thing.
There is so much more to do for today's children/teenagers etc.
I'm in my late 30s now and City was pretty much all there was to do, it was relatively affordable to do the Kippax for £3 quid, even in the late 80s- mid 90s.
You went with your mates, it was you and your team against the world. There was a sense of tribalism, the edge needed to create an atmosphere in the first place.
The new generation of fan now has so much more disposable income, if it's not the cinema, it's gaming, gigs, whatever.
And those without such an income, are priced out altogether.
Football is now for the middle classes and above who convince themselves they are still working class, whatever the hell that meant in the first place.
The best atmospheres are still created by tension, fear, desperation or hate.
It was cheap, as you say, but also possible to just decide in the morning that you wanted to go to a game, go & queue up & get in. Loads of times I ended up going with a group of people who only decided to go because I was talking about the game before I went & they got an urge to see it , so came along.
I know loads of blues even now who were there regularly when we were shit but don't have memberships etc & haven't had since those days. They would all go to quite a few games if it wasn't for all the pissing about. They don't even know where to start, so just don't bother trying.
Agree entirely about a match-day walk-up.
My dad is of an age now where he has gone from a match day devotee, every week, to making an informed choice about the following.
He doesn't use the internet. He wouldn't know where to start in terms on memberships, having the dosh in the first place.
Coupled with he hates Saturday night and late Sunday kicks-off, where it is just easier for him to pop across the road and spend a tenner on two or three pints.
I find myself doing all the leg work and paying for it, just to make sure he gets to go.
He took me as a little boy, every week with my brothers.
One of my brothers doesn't get to go now because of work and family commitments, absolutely blue daft.
On the odd occasion he does get his shifts in enough advance, poor sod is sat at home left watching on internet, TV or listening to radio.
Just doesn't have that option of turning up last minute. I know absolutely loads of people I have grown up with who, for whatever reason, the motivation is not as strong.
And I think the lack of success down the years has ensured we don't actually have that many 'kids to take our place' at present.
A hard core of 30k come rain or shine, getting older, getting poorer by the year!
