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Post by Dirt Dogg on Aug 22, 2022 9:28:27 GMT
I’m sure I saw another report that said non-league/lower League attendances had risen in the past season?
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Post by playtowin on Aug 22, 2022 9:29:10 GMT
There are multi layers on the who do you support question.
1) is it your closest football team to watch ? Or is it the highest level of football in your easy to travel area ?
2) is the club you follow a family thing ? You may live in cardiff but support rovers because your parents and grandparents followed Rovers. You might also for the same reasons live on winterstoke rd but not follow BCFC1982LTD.
3) family had no interest in football so you followed a club you saw on tv.
4) as above but followed the same team as a friend.
5) you have moved and now follow a team you can actually watch without breaking the bank travelling. That could be you moved from Lincoln to Bristol and whilst still following your home town club have adopted a new local team whom you watch.
6) You follow a successful club who win most of their matches. This gives you a feel good factor. You also rarely get ribbed for your team losing as they dont often. Which may be good if you are a little fragile.
7) You can wear your teams shirt around your town/school/workplace without the fear of somebody attacking you . Especially in a 2 team town. A rovers shirt might get more negative reactions than a Man city one being worn on a night out in Bristol.
8) other reasons.
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Post by Tilly's Thighs on Aug 22, 2022 9:34:48 GMT
I’m sure I saw another report that said non-league/lower League attendances had risen in the past season? I think they have. Bath City had over 1,000 at Twerton Park on Saturday.
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Post by 2nd May 1990 on Aug 22, 2022 11:00:30 GMT
Went to see York City on Saturday in the conference. The match was woeful but 3.5K York fans there in a modern stadium with good facilities, but ultimately very soulless.. Fair play to them, their crowds haven’t dropped off since getting relegated out of the league. Last time I was at a York game was when we won 4-1 in our penultimate game of the league 2 promotion season in 2015/16. That was the last ever league game at Bootham Crescent. That was a proper ground in the heart of York with a much better atmosphere. When we leave the Mem, for all that it is vital to our existence, we will lose a big part of our club unless we really nail the new stadium design.
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Post by BrightonGas on Aug 22, 2022 11:30:23 GMT
You should always follow your local team. For example someone who lives in Chippenham should follow Chippenham Town and stay well away from Rovers. Hard to slag off the club on a thread like this so he's not going to see it!
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Post by copster on Aug 22, 2022 11:39:06 GMT
My thoughts…
My lad supports the Gas but also Spurs (same as his Dad) and without doubt if the two ever meet we will be cheering on the Gas!!
However compare the two experiences both as a fan and as a parent! I am at the point where I am uncomfortable taking a 12 year old to the Mem tbh. It’s just not a great family experience - toilets, limited seating, etc etc. We still go but no longer season ticket holders.
Compare that day out to one at the Spurs stadium….
Whilst I appreciate the two clubs are light years apart the need for a stadium that is fit for families to visit is imperative if the next generation of fans are going to be captured.
My lad was plays for Mangotsfield right in Gas heartland and there are more C*ty shirts at training than Gas :-(
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Post by legas on Aug 22, 2022 11:44:51 GMT
My kids were born in Leicester but support Rovers. Bloody glory hunters!
To be fair, you see mainly Leicester shirts up here and they’re very much united before their club, but I guess not so surprising when you have a prem team in a one club city.
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Post by Kingswood Polak on Aug 22, 2022 14:53:23 GMT
Only support Rovers, have absolutely no interest in the beast that is the prem. i do try to watch Poland if we are talking international football, my dad took all of us to both Bristol teams home games and we all chose the gas. It was a no brainier as there was no atmosphere at AG and their food was crap and that’s important, to a young kid
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Post by Tilly's Thighs on Aug 22, 2022 14:56:47 GMT
Only support Rovers, have absolutely no interest in the beast that is the prem. i do try to watch Poland if we are talking international football, my dad took all of us to both Bristol teams home games and we all chose the gas. It was a no brainier as there was no atmosphere at AG and their food was tak and that’s important, to a young kid Similar experience, my Uncle used to take me to AG, and my Dad to Rovers (if Bath City were away). I found the atmosphere at Rovers to be better, just something friendlier about it, so that was my choice when I was old enough to vote with my feet.
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Post by Kingswood Polak on Aug 22, 2022 15:01:02 GMT
Only support Rovers, have absolutely no interest in the beast that is the prem. i do try to watch Poland if we are talking international football, my dad took all of us to both Bristol teams home games and we all chose the gas. It was a no brainier as there was no atmosphere at AG and their food was tak and that’s important, to a young kid Similar experience, my Uncle used to take me to AG, and my Dad to Rovers (if Bath City were away). I found the atmosphere at Rovers to be better, just something friendlier about it, so that was my choice when I was old enough to vote with my feet. Always loved the gallows humour at Eastville. Was not there at AG. I still gravitate to those older than i
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Post by alftimebovril on Aug 22, 2022 15:08:55 GMT
Absolutely no way I could support my local team (I was born and raised in Ashton)
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Post by singupgas on Aug 22, 2022 15:44:08 GMT
My thoughts… My lad supports the Gas but also Spurs (same as his Dad) and without doubt if the two ever meet we will be cheering on the Gas!! However compare the two experiences both as a fan and as a parent! I am at the point where I am uncomfortable taking a 12 year old to the Mem tbh. It’s just not a great family experience - toilets, limited seating, etc etc. We still go but no longer season ticket holders. Compare that day out to one at the Spurs stadium…. Whilst I appreciate the two clubs are light years apart the need for a stadium that is fit for families to visit is imperative if the next generation of fans are going to be captured. My lad was plays for Mangotsfield right in Gas heartland and there are more C*ty shirts at training than Gas :-( My family also Gas and Spurs and you have summed it up perfectly. Whilst I watch every home game, if Rovers are aways and Spurs are home I will try to get tickets for Spurs. Watching Spurs, as an experience, football obviously of a better standard more often, but chance to go to a world class stadium, all seater, bars and food at every turn, club shop is ridiculous. During the game the sound stays within the stadium so no loss of atmosphere. The big clubs in English/Scottish football are just more attractive, so whilst it would great if everyone supported their local club, if a kid gets a chance to go watch Premier football at a impressive ground, coming to the Mem can be difficult to capture their interest. We could do this to death, but the Gas need a new Stadium not to just compete but attract future generations.
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Post by eastville1966 on Aug 22, 2022 15:50:20 GMT
Just to add my twopennyworth - I was born in Downend, lived in Hillfields for 20 years and my grandparents lived in Eastville - my grandmother had family who played for Rovers in the 1920s and 1950s, so Bristol Rovers had to be my club. I did occasionally pop over to Cossham Street to see Mangotsfield in the days of Doug Hillard and Harold Jarman, when they were in the Western League. Since moving to Somerset in the early 1980s I still attend most/all home matches and around 10-12 away matches each season. My other 'local' team is Weston-super-Mare where I visit a few times a season. No interest whatsoever in Premier League and can't remember the last 'live' Premiership match I watched.
I have passed my philosophy down to my youngest son who attends most matches with me. The family tradition is in safe hands. Sad to see so many Premiership shirts being brazenly worn by the local youth these days.
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Post by aghast on Aug 22, 2022 16:29:19 GMT
You should always follow your local team. For example someone who lives in Chippenham should follow Chippenham Town and stay well away from Rovers. I'm only a Rovers fan because of my dad who happens to have grown up in Chippenham. 😇 Imo, there should be a genuine connection to a club, be that family, locality or whatever. Merely following a club because of TV coverage or marketing (shirts and other merchandise) is not sufficient really. It's a difficult one there. I live near Chippenham and see the odd Rovers, City and Swindon shirts. Are they glory hunters who should be supporting Chippenham Town? Of course they might be day trippers taking in the Chipp'num retail and entertainment experience, but I doubt that somehow. I suppose I should support Mangotsfield United, as the closest 'proper' club to me when growing up.
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Post by Baxtinho on Aug 22, 2022 17:02:42 GMT
Since I haven't been going to watch Rovers I've been going to Weston and loving it.
£12 to get in, it's quiet enough to take my daughter without worrying about being being squashed, I can have a couple of pints on the sidelines, and this season watch Ruben Reid take the water.
I had the chance to watch Everton vs Man U last season but it was £50+ - and I don't think I'd enjoy it 4.5 times more than standing behind the goal at Weston.
To each their own of course, and I get why kids play fifa and watch tiktoks of Mbappe etc and want to wear their shirts, but I know what kit I want my daughter to ask me for.
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Post by bs10er on Aug 22, 2022 18:04:31 GMT
Went to see York City on Saturday in the conference. The match was woeful but 3.5K York fans there in a modern stadium with good facilities, but ultimately very soulless.. Fair play to them, their crowds haven’t dropped off since getting relegated out of the league. Last time I was at a York game was when we won 4-1 in our penultimate game of the league 2 promotion season in 2015/16. That was the last ever league game at Bootham Crescent. That was a proper ground in the heart of York with a much better atmosphere. When we leave the Mem, for all that it is vital to our existence, we will lose a big part of our club unless we really nail the new stadium design. Was at that game,I can tell you the ladies toilets were a real disgrace!
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Post by gulfofaden on Aug 22, 2022 19:19:54 GMT
My thoughts… My lad supports the Gas but also Spurs (same as his Dad) and without doubt if the two ever meet we will be cheering on the Gas!! However compare the two experiences both as a fan and as a parent! I am at the point where I am uncomfortable taking a 12 year old to the Mem tbh. It’s just not a great family experience - toilets, limited seating, etc etc. We still go but no longer season ticket holders. Compare that day out to one at the Spurs stadium…. Whilst I appreciate the two clubs are light years apart the need for a stadium that is fit for families to visit is imperative if the next generation of fans are going to be captured. My lad was plays for Mangotsfield right in Gas heartland and there are more C*ty shirts at training than Gas :-( You’ve slightly failed by pretending to support a prem team as well. When I was a kid, my dad and others had a bunker mentality that modern stadium clubs were lame and for middle class kids, whereas we sung our hearts out and it was ONLY generally proper fans, and we stuck with them no matter what. By introducing a premier league club you’ve kind of given another option rather than sticking with the “them and us” mentality, the peasantry V the landed gentry. You may have a compelling reason to support Tottenham but if you don’t, I’m mildly disappointed in you. The 2nd commandment of a Gashead is “Thou shall have no other clubs before me” The fourth is “Thou shall not worship any plastic prem clubs” Repent your sins as soon as you can.
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Post by stuart1974 on Aug 22, 2022 19:51:24 GMT
I'm only a Rovers fan because of my dad who happens to have grown up in Chippenham. 😇 Imo, there should be a genuine connection to a club, be that family, locality or whatever. Merely following a club because of TV coverage or marketing (shirts and other merchandise) is not sufficient really. It's a difficult one there. I live near Chippenham and see the odd Rovers, City and Swindon shirts. Are they glory hunters who should be supporting Chippenham Town? Of course they might be day trippers taking in the Chipp'num retail and entertainment experience, but I doubt that somehow. I suppose I should support Mangotsfield United, as the closest 'proper' club to me when growing up. My dad said to me many years ago that being in Chippenham you'd support Rovers, City or Swindon, although First Division big teams were also in the mix. This was back in the 60s so maybe things haven't really changed as much as we think. Certainly when I was at school the big names outnumbered those who genuinely supported either Rovers or City, although they'd nominally support one or the other their true aligence was to Liverpool, Everton, Manchester United, etc.
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Post by Kingswood Polak on Aug 23, 2022 9:53:09 GMT
Interesting to hear where a fair few live. Seems we have a few either in or near Chippenham. There are still a lot, a hell of a lot of Rovers in Kingswood but many stopped being actively interested after Eastville and Twerton. I was encouraged in seeing a fair few start to come back, after our double promotion but the majority of the revivalists stopped going and i kind of understand why
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Post by rusho'gas on Aug 23, 2022 10:13:16 GMT
Always has been and always will be. Go to every office / works canteen and listen to "we this, we that, you were good this weekend" etc. All crowing about supporting big clubs and never going to a game.
Peer pressure. My boy went to his first game (Tranmere away) at 11 months old. When he was 10 he asked me to buy him an Arsenal shirt and when I said no, but I'll take you down Trashton and buy you one of their shirts he got the picture, have pride in your local team, whatever that team is.
Let them swan around in their glory shirts with loose affiliation to these clubs, feel pity that they have nothing but ownership of a shirt and associated products. Jurgen Klopp incontinence pads any one..........
Supporting a team is a life choice, we may be a very small minority in the grand scheme of it within the football pyramid but my god, am I proud to call myself a gashead !!!!!
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