The New Game vs. The Traditional Game

I’LL start off with a disclaimer: In no way, shape or form do I condone the use of alcohol as a suitable source of inspiration - especially to any of my younger readers below the age of 18 - but in this case, I think it has been highly influential, and even now the next morning, the idea has stuck with me, and is the latest in my current series of ‘Problems with football’.

This week’s idea has quite a lot to do with the fans though, and the passion, love and excitement for The Beautiful Game.

I remember times when football meant something to people, about five or six years ago and beyond, when stadiums were charged up with pride, chants, and cheers for the players on the pitch, no matter what the circumstances.

Before I moved to University, I regularly went to watch Stoke as a season ticket holder (I still am, but don’t get to as many games..), but even when we conceded goals and went down, there was always a roar to get the team going as they trudged back towards the halfway line, heads hanging, because we supported the team through the good and the bad. 

My most potent memory will always be the carnival atmosphere we created at Arsenal in May 2009, it was the end of our first season in the Premier League, a marvellous achievement given that some bookmakers paid out on bets saying we would be relegated after a 3-1 loss at Bolton on the opening day.

In all fairness, the closing day wasn’t much better as we were 4-1 down at half time, but it didn’t stop us and we carried on regardless; “5-4, we’re gonna win 5-4”, and other chants mounting praise on the season’s heroes, notably Ricardo Fuller.

Not to mention our ventures into the Europa League, which sold out every home game, where we P6, W4, D1, L1. Now that was an atmosphere, and the travelling supporters were just as good!

Stoke City vs. Hajduk Split, UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round, 28 July, 2011

But that was long ago.. VERY long ago…

Stoke City vs. Leicester City, FA Cup 3rd Round, January 4, 2014: a half full stadium was very disappointing...

Move to January 4, 2014, and we have Championship leaders Leicester City in the third round of the FA Cup at home, a match that was played in front of just 16,844; more than 10,000 below capacity, and a quarter of which were away fans. A stark contrast to that day in May 2008...

Move forward again to last weekend, and just 700 made the trip down to Stamford Bridge. Okay the match was on TV, and okay it’s Chelsea away so we’re likely to lose, and okay it’s Sunday afternoon, and okay it’s another away game after trips to Newcastle, Tottenham and Palace since Boxing day, and a trip up to Sunderland on Tuesday.

But for a team that has always been renowned for our strong support, with most away games having the capacity of fans, that was a poor effort, and in this season where a lot has changed and is changing, support is more crucial than ever, yet fans find it more acceptable to jump to criticisms before actually getting behind their team and going to games.

There is an argument that clubs are not doing enough to make our national sport - a working-man’s game - accessible to the masses with high ticket prices to fund the lavish lifestyles of players and transfer fees, and that is a massive issue with the hierarchies. In fairness I have to praise Manchester City at this point, who have some of the cheapest season tickets in the league; perhaps other clubs need to look into it. 

Such high prices force fans to demand more from the team, so instead of getting behind them when they are doing bad, their argument becomes ‘we’re paying all this money for you to not be bothered or not perform this week’, and very quickly, support becomes negative, and players are alienated. And so they have the right to criticise, but it is a predicament that football has bought upon itself; the money has increased demand and expectation levels, so fans become critics, managers get sacked, there is a negative atmosphere, and clubs become a mess.

Now the person I was talking - or he may say ‘ranting’ - to about this last night is a Blackburn Rovers fan, and it is fair to say they have had their fair share of problems recently with managers, owners, fans rebelling, relegation, and even protesting chickens! 

But in his opinion, if it has done anything it has bought the fans back together as a support base for the team, and over the last couple of months he says the support has slowly become hopeful and united again, supporting a club they love.

And this brings me even further down the football ladder into the EvoStik Premier Division, and the breakaway club FC United of Manchester.

Formed in 2005 by a group of supporters, the club has gone from strength to strength, and I can honestly say I am privileged to have been able to report on them this season, and look forward to what could be the rest of a promotion campaign. But what is it, you may ask, that I find so special about them?

Your answer: everything really. From the support to the hierarchy, FC are a very well run club and to me it represents a true face of English football: Saturday. 3:00pm. 

Attendances are regularly high, and the club have 1,112 season ticket holders. In addition to that, with tickets priced at £8 for adults, £5 for concessions, and £2 for under-18s, it is an affordable and enjoyable day out; you can’t even get a programme at a lot of clubs for £2!!

But that is true supporter passion right there, and why are they so free to give that? Because they aren’t paying in excess of £600 for a season ticket, they are getting good football, they are allowed to stand at matches, they are involved with the club so it is in their interest to follow and support, and most crucially; it is accessible to all, and traditional.

To some - mainly the prawn sandwich brigade and the players and the TV companies - money has improved the game, and in some ways it has; health and safety, clubs can afford to bring the best talent from across the world in so generally the style of football is a lot better, which fans do appreciate, but all this investment has come at a cost, and that is we have lost the traditions of The Beautiful Game, leaving it to the lower divisions to keep that going.

Don’t get me wrong, where there is demand there will always be supply; that’s a basic in business, but maybe that’s what Premier League football - and indeed some Championship football - has become; a business, and as such fans have become consumers who demand rather than fans who love.

So when I’m older and on a Saturday afternoon contemplating what to do with my 4-year-old son, I’ll take him to a proper football match; he can watch the bigger teams on Super Sunday if he really wants, or even on Terrific Thursday if that’s where TV companies and clubs want to take their power and spending, and desperation to be on television.. But he will be a proper fan, someone who loves the game for what it is, not what it’s not.