How many fans lost?

[Deleted member 77198]

Can’t wait to go back. There is NOTHING better than going to watch the boys.

These last two Saturday 15:00 home games we’ve just had are the first times since Covid hit that I’ve really missed going to the footy.

In the initial lockdown I didn’t miss it one bit. Wasn’t arsed that I wasn’t going, wasn’t enjoying watching on tele (still not by the way!), wasn’t really arsed when we scored or conceded... didn’t feel like real football.

But in the last two weekends it’s been the ritual of heading out to the pub in the morning, catching the early game (harder now more and more pubs close the the Etihad have closed as you have to leave earlier to get to the ground from Town), the walk up to the stadium, getting to your seat, seeing the Boys In Blue playing beautiful football, belting out a few songs, celebrating goals (hard now with VAR taking the emotion away!), back to the pub, seeing the lads and having a good laugh away from the stresses of work/life, and a night out in Town... I’ve really missed that!

It’s shit that there are hardly any drinking holes around the stadium, the queues to get in are shit, the atmosphere can be hugely disappointing at times, the whole kids-theme-park match day bollocks is shit, and I hate what VAR has done to goals (it’s ruined the most magical thing about the sport)... but it’s still got the ritual of the whole day package that will still be there when we finally go back that will keep me going!

I can’t live a “normal” Saturday life all year round. It’s nice in the Summer months to get a break from it each season and enjoy a beer garden with no footy stress and constant morning clock watching to make sure we won’t be late to the stadium. But the brilliant freezing days in the Winter with the build-up to the game, the nerves and excitement of the game itself, and the laughs that will keep me going forever! Christmas is coming up, usually that’s my favourite time of year for the footy. Games on all the time, Christmas festivities before and after games with more people around Town and better atmospheres in the stadium. Think I’ll be having more of that missing feeling over the next month.