I don't have a problem with them except they have to realise that being among home support in half and half scarves is one thing, celebrating an away goal while grinning and clapping and filming it is another. Maybe lump them all together in a section of that often part empty family stand?
Strangely after years of going all around the country following us when we were mainly rubbish on the field, my love for going to a game is dying as we are at our most successful period in our history and playing beautiful football. Very hard to define why but it is mainly a lot of niggling little things combined with me becoming a grumpy old man lol.
The packed erratic often not fit for purpose transport system to and from the game. Kick off time changes for tv or this Europa league nonsense as per Sunday. The rising cost year on year and the ludicrous price I would have to pay if I gave up my season ticket and went on a selective match basis. The queuing to hold my arms up and be wanded like some prisoner. Being told I can't fetch a drink or sandwich in, but if I am hungry or thirsty can queue forever, to be charged extortionate prices for a rubbish product, by a poor inadequately underpaid kid. Being told I am a valued customer who matters, then manhandled like a thug if I fall foul of one of the ever increasing petty rules no one knows a thing about until you break one, as I did trying to go back and collect something I had left under my seat on Sunday.
When paying to attend something that is supposed to be an enjoyable experience starts becoming anything but you question why you are still doing it. You then see you are on live tv and put your ticket on the exchange for the odd game. This then stretches to more games as you realise you didn't miss going at all and while you would have been queuing getting jostled in the rain for slow packed transport, you are sat comfortably at home watching replays of the action, analysis and interviews with players and managers you would usually have missed. Finally renewal time comes around and you are torn once again, continue or not? The former normally wins but for how long?
The problem for football clubs is once the die hard grumpy old dinosaurs have finally been driven away and replaced with smiley happy tourists, what happens when the success and beautiful football starts to wane? What happens when they pay for not one but six or more games like the Wolves defeat? When the met fails or is cancelled due to engineering works and they stagger bedraggled in the rain back to their hotel, after getting lost twice on the way? We all know the answer to that one, they look for the next happy smiley big thing to latch onto, as the Eagles song "New kid in town, I don't want to hear it" booms over the tannoy in the now half empty stadium they don't call home anymore. Have a nice day, your support is important to us!
