First day back at work having got back last night from Glasgow. Great trip, great mates and a great occasion. However, here's my take on the subject of this thread.
The farcical collection process has fuck all to do with points whores, the club could give less that 2 shits about that issue. Anyone who believes this bullshit needs to give their heads a wobble.
No, its about CONTROL.
Its about keeping the supporters off the piss for a couple of hours, then just hoping they then wander off to the ground suitably "sobered" by the collection experience. Its about treating us like cattle, not human beings. Its about control of names, numbers, addresses and behaviour.
The "independent" traveller is being squeezed out and forced onto buses or Club Sponsors planes. They don't want us in foreign Cities for days on end with little or no supervision. They want us in and out, preferably same day. They don't want the likes of us working class supporters spoiling the "experience" for Johnny Corporate and his band of hangers on. They don't want regular Joe swigging lager and singing slightly offensive songs to the locals, they want Champagne Charlie quaffing Pimms with sponsors and the UEFA family.
It's all about changing the demographic of our European travelling support. A few of us old farts being pissed off with Lisa Eaton et al and piss wet through, is just collateral damage, and a price worth paying to sanitise the mob.
This will be coming to a Premier League away match near you soon my friends, absolutely guaranteed.
It's shameful that our working class game is now the day trip of choice for free loaders, toffs and hooray fucking Henries. As for European aways, I've now had my fill. After many years of enjoyment, thats it. They win. I give up.
But I'll be there at Spuds. Drinking my pint, eating a rancid pie, singing my heart out for MY club. If you're going, take a look around you, take a look at the new faces, the blazers and accents. The I-Phone in hand tweeters, the guy next to you who would probably have been a mate of yours last season, but the tickets gone elsewhere this year. Enjoy it, because within a couple of years, it will be a thing of the past and you'll be watching it in the pub, just like many other previous away day match going Blues.
Fucking sickens me.
