| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters 12:09 - Aug 1 with 5410 views | runningman75 |
Just back from a mini break in Barcelona and of course had to visit the Nou Camp. From entering the tour priced at 25 Euros it appears every opportunity is used to try and get people to spend money. This was from trying to sell extortionate photos to tours through refreshments and club shop. People are treated as consumers and obviously far away from the model of supporters. Obviously the more successful the team the less respect they appear to have for fans. Following the tour I reflected on supporting QPR. As a club they are still attached to the community with the match being stage for Grenfell Tower.
I will also laugh at the guy who spent 100 Euros on a shirt to have Neymar JR put on it when the player moves to PSG. | | | |  |
| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 09:24 - Aug 2 with 1316 views | Hunterhoop |
"That glorious fortnight under Magilton" could be the title of his autobiography! Or alternatively the title of some god awful fiction about a cringey love story involving Magilton, in a similar but more raunchy vein to those "Striker" books. | | | |
| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 09:36 - Aug 2 with 1297 views | DejR_vu |
It's going to get harder and harder for clubs to attract younger fans. The current generation have / are growing up in an era where they expect, and get, instant gratification. 15 years ago, if you didn't know something you had to take the time and effort to go and look it up, now you Google it and have an answer in 10 seconds. If you missed something on the tv you had to wait for it to be shown again, now you just watch it on catch-up. You used to have to be in front of a tv to watch tv, now you can watch it on your phone on the train.
These kids don't have the patience to support a football team. If they turn up once and don't get what they want, they won't go back. If they like what they see and go back a second time and it's a crap game they won't go back again. | |
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| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 09:49 - Aug 2 with 1283 views | Tonto |
especially at the price of tickets...
I used to pay a couple of quid to go in the children's entrance to stand on the Paddock. It was my paper round money. These days with a dedicated seat at £35, its hardly enticing. | |
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| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 10:08 - Aug 2 with 1261 views | Antti_Heinola |
yes, sorry, i didn't really mean to include you in the Barca-loving brigade, I know that's not you.
but I don't think this division has ever been about anything other than rewarding attritional football. The lower leagues have always been like that, with a few exceptions. | |
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| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 10:14 - Aug 2 with 1247 views | Antti_Heinola |
yes and no. people have been predicting the demise of young fans for decades, but the only time it really fell away was in the 'glory' years of the 70s and 80s when it was dangerous to go (or at least perceived as so by many people).
Kids will always love football, there are more families and kids than ever at football now. Kids now still enjoy going to matches, but where they differ is not being so interested in watching full games on TV. They love watching and learning skills on Youtube, playing Fifa, and watching highlights or compilations.
Price will be a huge factor though. | |
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| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 10:26 - Aug 2 with 1221 views | hoof_hearted |
We all opine piously but the reality is that we all watch those matches on sky - including a fair few of the dull and meaningless group stages of the Champions League (otherwise we wouldn't know how dull they are to moan about them). In fact we watch more televised football than live football even though most of us are regular attenders. The only illogical thing we do is pay money for the chore of attending live matches. | | | |
| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 10:35 - Aug 2 with 1215 views | TheChef |
And for that reason I would be surprised/amazed if our 4 year old and 1 year old actually ended up supporting QPR, despite my best intentions! | |
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| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 11:02 - Aug 2 with 1185 views | Antti_Heinola |
mine won't have a choice. i won't be taking him anywhere else! | |
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| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 11:03 - Aug 2 with 1185 views | DejR_vu |
Maybe lots of families, but that's parents taking their children. I don't think there are many 16-25's. When they have the choice/freedom they do other things. I've been taking my 16 year old since he was 7, he's lost interest. My 13 year old only goes because it's time together, he doesn't enjoy the football. I'm sure he will stop in a year or two. | |
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| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 11:13 - Aug 2 with 1159 views | paulparker |
Young kids maybe who go with their dads or mums but you never see groups of about 10/15 teenage lads going to football together anymore ,
when I was 13 there would be loads of us going , we could get in for a fiver and stand behind the goal that's where the game has died , maybe bringing back standing or lowering prices is the answer but the game has changed for your average fan , its an expensive day and teenage lads and 20 something's would rather spend their hard earned on more than watching championship football | |
| And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot
That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles
Brian Moore
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| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 11:21 - Aug 2 with 1145 views | Northernr |
Yeh I did a piece on this last year I'll dig it out. Think it ended with a suggestion we should change the lower loft back to a terrace though and ditch the 'family stand' which was a typical 'need a conclusion to this in a hurry' solution.
Even ten years ago when I was at uni we had Sheff Utd, Sheff Wed, Barnsley, Chesterfield, Rotherham, Leeds and four rugby league clubs all offering student discounts and all within striking distance on the (cheap) local trains but persuading any of the usual collection of Arsenal, Man Utd, West Ham etc teenagers I hung around with to actually go to a game at any of them just brought really blank looks as if the idea was absolutely preposterous. Actually go to the game? Go and watch it you mean? At the ground?
Edit - here's the piece, ironically previewing Reading at home
https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/44062/chickens-egg
This post has been edited by an administrator | | | |
| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 11:57 - Aug 2 with 1105 views | paulparker |
Also the TV coverage is a problem when I was a lad you were lucky to see one game live a month on the box and even then it was always Liverpool , Motd & the big match only had 3 games worth of highlights on a Saturday night if you wanted to see any of these clubs and players you had to go to the game , to go into school on a Monday and say you went to football the weekend was a right of passage , now kids couldn't give a rats , these kids can watch and support who ever has the best players on tv and if they get bored of that they can watch messi or Ronaldo in the Spanish league again you only saw these players at world cups years ago now you can be them on the PlayStation
the top of football is a cash making cow which will never die the rich will continue to get richer and go off to join a European super league with no relegation , us over 40 something's plus who remember the game from the70's & 80s are just like ex addicts who sometimes need a fix and who are trying to recreate the buzz from their first hit ,
well just like them its never going to be the same the game we once knew and loved has long gone | |
| And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot
That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles
Brian Moore
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| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 12:15 - Aug 2 with 1086 views | Antti_Heinola |
yep think that's all very fair.
I used to get in for a fiver too, behind the loft, great days.
will be interesting in 10 or 20 years time to see whether gates do crash because of this issue. | |
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| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 12:19 - Aug 2 with 1080 views | Antti_Heinola |
yeah but i also think that's an age thing.
You've brought something like this up before, and it's instructive to look at the terrible gates you used to get at England games, for example. Less than 20,000 sometimes. And people go on about the 70s, when obviously we had a great side, but the England team was a bit of a joke, despite the talent available.
I remember a teacher I had in the 90s saying he loved going to Leeds in the 60s, standing on the terraces, singing his heart out. but he grew out of it, other interests took over. everyone thinks the music and the sport and, well, everything, when they were 14-30 was the best and it's all gone to sh!t since.
People slam the club for gates now, but I went to games in the Prem in the early 90s when we got 11,000. | |
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| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 12:32 - Aug 2 with 1059 views | TacticalR |
I agree it would much more logical for the fans to be paid to attend (with meal and travel expenses reimbursed) as they are film extras/artistes in the football stadiums/TV studios. No doubt those guys from ArsenalFanTV will be on large appearance fees. | |
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| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 12:59 - Aug 2 with 1036 views | paulparker |
that's a fair comment , when I was going in the 80s the only time HQ sold out was for Man utd , Liverpool, arsenal spurs and west ham even Chelsea only got about 15k the only time I can remember it being packed out against them was the Milk cup game in 86 , in them days football was going through a slump no tv deal , hooligans etc
but it was still the people game, you could still go with mates and have change ,you could still turn up on the day last minute and not get stung for a "walk up fee " or "booking fee" and you could relate to the players
im not saying we lived through a golden age of football then because it wasn't we had a lot of boring games but the crowd and the spectacle felt reel , it was raw and had passion , derby games were mental hometown players vs hometown players now look you have city vs utd in LA it doesn't mean fcuk all now
im still QPR daft at 40 plus years of age I still watch football but its not the same the game is about millionaire players who will cheat to win games for billionaire owners who want money out of TV companies that rule the roost , the last decent world cup was 98 because that now has become to corporate
the old argument used to be without the fans the game is nothing , well that not true anymore tv
I give it another 20 years and you will have Apple I phone vs Red bull in the world super series league with million pound a week players to boot | |
| And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot
That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles
Brian Moore
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| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 13:37 - Aug 2 with 998 views | Antti_Heinola |
yeah agree.
seating has played a big part. For every game I used to be in at 1.30pm. Almost by myself. Then the Loft would be full at 2.30. So all anyone could do was sing. The atmosphere would build that way. That doesn't happen now, of course. | |
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| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 14:01 - Aug 2 with 975 views | paulparker |
you sound like my old man Antti , he would get in the ground early doors just to see the players warm up and spot the opposition danger men | |
| And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot
That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles
Brian Moore
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| Football fans as consumers rather than supporters on 16:29 - Aug 2 with 922 views | TacticalR |
@Antti_Heinola 'People slam the club for gates now, but I went to games in the Prem in the early 90s when we got 11,000.'
Don't forget the time when it was just morgantwin on his own in the Loft. | |
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