By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions. We in turn value your personal details in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
Sparked by the poster on the post-Millwall thread who made some allusion to the self-evident superiority of the live experience, and since I have little choice as an Irish R than to watch my club via online media and/or TV, I was interested to solicit the views of fellow fans. Someone said here that you get 'nothing' from watching on a stream, which struck me as rather ridiculously extreme at the time (and I'm sure the likes of Andy Sinton for one would have something to say about it), and I certainly don't think so. If that were the case, rather obviously, these legal/illegal platforms wouldn't be sprouting up here, there and everywhere, and nor would the likes of Match of the Day or Sky be in business (which many of us might think would be a good thing).
Although the point that at a live game you usually see the entire spectacle (apart from e.g. in our School End corner seats!) is rather strong, I actually enjoy watching streamed/TV coverage, as I think what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts in terms of close-ups of the important action, replays, and (good) commentaries. Re the Leicester game, interestingly, while just about everyone who was there was apparently struggling to see through the murk, the stream I watched actually gave pretty clear reception (maybe the cameras have a fog-filtering mechanism someone 'teccy' might know about), so I was laughing (even though I wasn't laughing). On top of which, I certainly didn't feel (doubly) cheated - by the weather and the line-up - in the way I would have as a paying customer!
It's intriguing to compare this with, say, watching live theatre vs cinematic presentations/ beambacks of drama. In the first, while you get to choose where you tilt your head and literally 'breathe in' the whole experience, that certainly didn't stop theatre-makers (who often tell us how vital live audiences are) making shows during Covid that were broadcast without them. Again, being able to e.g. scrutinise actors' faces on screen can actually give you insights into the performances most seats won't afford (as well as not having to deal with idiots who can't switch off their phones or make more noise with their f*cking peanuts than the actors).
In football, the crowd feels, I think, more intrinsic to the action, so if you're not part of that, you might have the feeling of missing out in a certain way by not being with your 'tribe', but, as I say, these things are no more black and white than people are (and writing on LfW for some time certainly brings home to me how we Rs are like any other human tribe, i.e. composed of one or two people you might quite like to have a drink with, and quite a lot you wouldn't). A bad seat in a crap ground, for instance, can curtail the live game experience massively, in just the same way as being stuck up in the gods at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin (or behind a group of chattery Chinese tourists) might make you wish you'd watched it on DVD.
What do others think?
*Edit - I know there are noisy eaters in cinemas too *
Not knocking anyone who can't go (for whatever reason) and are able to watch, at least one can do that. Back in the day (add Harry Enfield accent) you had two choices, go or can't go.
IMO being at the game gives you a totally different (and better) experience than watching on TV/streams etc. I wouldn't say you get 'nothing' from the TV viewing but I don't feel it's the same.
Two examples... I recently went with the kids to the NYD Watford home game, we were right behind the goal (you can see my daughters pink goalie shirt) at the lower school end. You really get a brutal sense of the physical side of things and the sheer speed the game is played at. On tv it looks positively pedestrian.
When we got back into the PL in 2011 and we played Man U at home, it was the first time I'd seen Rooney in the flesh. Now, he has/had his critics but my god his athleticism was immense. Again, never got that from watching PL or England games on TV.
So, yes, I would take post match comments from someone who's been at the game more closely than someone who watched it on TV whether they were watching next to the ground or anywhere else in the world. Again, that's not detracting from those TV watchers having an opinion, just that for the reasons explained being at the game gives, IMO, a better experience of it.
3
Live footie vs streams/TV on 12:10 - Feb 3 with 1756 views
Havnt been away for about 2 years so watch on a stream.
Yes there is nothing like being there IMHO
Positives from being there Build up/travelling to the stadium Atmosphere you can here the players even their grunts & groans My seat mates Pre post match activities in a Rangers filled pub, restaurant etc Enjoying Clives torrents of abuse to refs and Keough types
Negatives Journey home after a defeat
Watching a live stream.
Positives Action replays of goals or major decisions(****) Loved Nick London , however Tyler Morris does a great job and has bought into the Rangers ethos. Andy Sinton, legend
Negatives ****Incessant replays of nothing moments plus close ups of players/managers whilst the game is going on.
Losing the stream and then being way behind actual game time.
Cost and time of travelling to an away game. I would be going alone so not much comradery for me although if money was no object and I could find someone to walk the dog then I would be there everytime
Another positive … if it’s a really boring end of season 0-0 or a game where we’re already being tonked 3 or 4 nil you can watch porn or listen to a random old tune on YouTube instead. I suppose you can do that at home as well but it’s not the same.
9
Live footie vs streams/TV on 15:59 - Feb 3 with 1406 views
Live footie vs streams/TV on 12:10 - Feb 3 by enfieldargh
ST in SAR so go to most home games.
Havnt been away for about 2 years so watch on a stream.
Yes there is nothing like being there IMHO
Positives from being there Build up/travelling to the stadium Atmosphere you can here the players even their grunts & groans My seat mates Pre post match activities in a Rangers filled pub, restaurant etc Enjoying Clives torrents of abuse to refs and Keough types
Negatives Journey home after a defeat
Watching a live stream.
Positives Action replays of goals or major decisions(****) Loved Nick London , however Tyler Morris does a great job and has bought into the Rangers ethos. Andy Sinton, legend
Negatives ****Incessant replays of nothing moments plus close ups of players/managers whilst the game is going on.
Losing the stream and then being way behind actual game time.
Cost and time of travelling to an away game. I would be going alone so not much comradery for me although if money was no object and I could find someone to walk the dog then I would be there everytime
It's pretty much the same for me, maybe one or two away games in a season.
I like to sit so going away is difficult as most tend to stand. I'm a similar size to most of our wide midfielders, so even if I stand, I can't see much.
Agree with your positives and negatives.
You can't see a lot of player movement off the ball on a stream and you don't have control of what you see.
1
Live footie vs streams/TV on 16:50 - Feb 3 with 1305 views
My wife can't see why I go to games when I could watch on stream ,Sky or QPR+ I'd like to show her the clip that someone had on their phone when Jimmy scored v Brum, with the phone shaking and the crowd going potty. Clive included it once. Anyone put it up and I'll save it.
1
Live footie vs streams/TV on 17:01 - Feb 3 with 1253 views
Live footie vs streams/TV on 15:59 - Feb 3 by francisbowles
It's pretty much the same for me, maybe one or two away games in a season.
I like to sit so going away is difficult as most tend to stand. I'm a similar size to most of our wide midfielders, so even if I stand, I can't see much.
Agree with your positives and negatives.
You can't see a lot of player movement off the ball on a stream and you don't have control of what you see.
"You can't see a lot of player movement off the ball on a stream".
That's what I miss on stream.
Juzzie - you mentioned Rooney in that game at HQ. I was lucky enough to be at that game. Rooney's intelligence was also amazing. He was two moves ahead of most players. I watched him for most of the game to see why he was moving where he was, why he was dropping deep, why he was sprinting wide, why he was blocking certain lines, taking certain positions. The answer was usually a couple of passes and five seconds away. But he was there first, nearly every time. I would have missed a lot of that watching on the box.
On the defensive side, watching on the box you don't see who's taking up good covering positions when we're up the field. Or who's the best at minding the house.
On the attacking side, you don't see how good the attackers are off the ball. One of our regular conversations on here is whether our attackers don't offer enough off the ball or whether they do and aren't fed. Watching on the box, I have no idea.
All in all, at least for me, I really miss being at the games. And I really feel that I miss a lot of the actual game by not being there.
It is, I suppose, why scouts go to watch players live.
Edit: The inevitable spell-check :)
[Post edited 3 Feb 17:06]
"The opposite of love, after all, is not hate, but indifference."
"It is, I suppose, why scouts go to watch players live." - Yup. Player comps. on youtube are all very well but is really zero gauge as to a players ability. I could make myself look a genius on youtube;
- takes 32 videos of attempting to hit top-bins - finally gets top bins, deletes 31 other videos
repeat when it comes to nutmegs, scissor kicks, panaka's, favellas, tortillas and all the other tricks.
splice together and ..... voila, sign me up Dave, sign me up.
ST in Upper Loft. The game is miles better than streaming every time. 95% of the time, it is what a player does off the ball that impacts a game. you can't see that on TV. I get more stressed watching at home than being in the ground.
2
Live footie vs streams/TV on 17:57 - Feb 3 with 1015 views
ST in Upper Loft. The game is miles better than streaming every time. 95% of the time, it is what a player does off the ball that impacts a game. you can't see that on TV. I get more stressed watching at home than being in the ground.
"I get more stressed watching at home than being in the ground"
Same here!!
0
Live footie vs streams/TV on 18:02 - Feb 3 with 1000 views
Live footie vs streams/TV on 16:50 - Feb 3 by colinallcars
My wife can't see why I go to games when I could watch on stream ,Sky or QPR+ I'd like to show her the clip that someone had on their phone when Jimmy scored v Brum, with the phone shaking and the crowd going potty. Clive included it once. Anyone put it up and I'll save it.
I believe you mean this one:
I live in Canada and can't get to matches very often. I go to Loftus Road when I can, for example this year I went to the open training session as my itinerary didn't match the home games.
I miss the fact on streams that you can't really see all of the players and get an idea of team shape, or how some one is doing throughout the game, but I enjoy the stream a lot. Except the 12:30pm kick-offs (4:30am for me).
1
Live footie vs streams/TV on 20:49 - Feb 3 with 754 views
I'd love to go to more live games, but Ajax play the majority of home games on a Sunday afternoon which is a horrible time for me. If you have a season ticket (long waiting list), it is affordable, but otherwise buying tickets on a game-by-game basis is insanely expensive. Pre-covid I paid close to 200 euro for 4 tickets, league game vs ADO Den Haag (who got relegated) also at the top of the stand, ie waaaaay far from the pitch. Total rip-off.
My neighbour has season tickets and occasionally he passes them on, but the Arena where Ajax plays is not my favourite. Stands are too far from the pitch, although the crowd is always up for it there.
Looking forward to my first ever QPR game home next week vs Derby. (I've seen us live once before, away at Newcastle)
3
Live footie vs streams/TV on 20:51 - Feb 3 with 729 views
Live footie vs streams/TV on 20:42 - Feb 3 by fraserc
I believe you mean this one:
I live in Canada and can't get to matches very often. I go to Loftus Road when I can, for example this year I went to the open training session as my itinerary didn't match the home games.
I miss the fact on streams that you can't really see all of the players and get an idea of team shape, or how some one is doing throughout the game, but I enjoy the stream a lot. Except the 12:30pm kick-offs (4:30am for me).
Thanks !
0
Live footie vs streams/TV on 20:55 - Feb 3 with 712 views
I am another that has no chance making it to Loftus Road or away grounds so I exclusively watch QPR on tv and for the most part enjoy the experience. The QPR broadcast not only features Sinton but the young kids voice gets so down when we are scored against. The positives always remain the same , no obstructions, get food anytime ,take a pi*s anytime and walk away and do something right after the broadcast when we lose to shake it off. Negatives is missing live action and fellow fans to discuss the result and no idea who is working hard away from the camera zone. But compared to the past decade trying to see us on dodgy wensites the new QPR production is top notch IMO. They do cut away pretty quickly after AS gives his summary but I just find the interviews on the website later . Oh did I mention weeknight games are no good over here its only 1.45pm .The 630am games I can handle
0
Live footie vs streams/TV on 01:18 - Feb 4 with 485 views
It's not about watching, it's about being..here, there, wherever. No offence to those who don't go(I don't go much either) - but this is my 'tribe' and I like to go native.
Whenever I read on here that Sam Field is not doing this or not as effective, I always feel that the poster is most likely watching a stream. As at the match you can see how effective he really is off the ball and the work he does
I go with my brother and his 2 boys, SA and to several way games, but slowly brother and I are missing more away games due to his age, 78 this year and me 70.
If I don't go especially to the home games, I'm sort of lost. I wander about the house or wherever, thinking I should be there, as if my not being there is somehow affecting our performance totally illogical
I don't go the pubs after now, the Charlotte on Askew Road was where we use to go after a game, and don't miss that as much
But I love going with my great nephews and now my grandson is going to a few games, feels like we are handing the mantle over to another generation
As for what I prefer, I will be there tonight, get home early hours of the morning, and if we had won, I still feel great.... if we lost I will tell my good lady..... that's me never again.... where she just walks away knowing full well till the next time.
2
Live footie vs streams/TV on 09:13 - Feb 4 with 255 views
The two experiences are very different but I'm glad streams exist as I don't go to many away games and now get to watch a load of them. And tonight I'm in two minds as to whether to go or not as work's very busy. So a stream is a good plan b.
As others have said, at the game you spot all sorts of additional things you just can't get on a stream. That's the main difference from a football perspective. Plus it's obviously such a social thing to do. And goal celebrations in the safe standing area are mental.
As another overseas viewer, the streams are generally pretty good. I'm not convinced about 15 seconds cut sways to see a manager prowling the tech area while the game continues in the background. Saying that, there is much more to watching live. The wider picture so you can see what players are doing off the ball, the elation when we score, the camaraderie among the fans. The banter with opposition. I've managed 1/2 games per season in the flesh and I'd rather do that. But even travelling from France it would be a costly exercise.
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one's lifetime." (Mark Twain)
Find me on twitter @derbyhoop and now on Bluesky
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
