| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday 11:54 - Mar 24 with 2226 views | bluelagos |
Went to the England Brazil game last night, and thoroughly unimpressed in lots of ways. From "arrival times" on the tickets (when did that become a thing?) to watching some DJ set that was basically pumping out high beat music more often heard in a school kids disco, the whole thing was completely sanitised.
Forget the football - sometimes games are cr*p, anyone who sat through footie at Portman Rd before Kieran's arrival knows that. It was the complete change of experience from watching England to what felt more like an Taylor Swift concert. Of course families, women and kids should be welcome but yesterday it was like a "What the f has happened to footie?" wake up call.
The average fan was so uncommitted that the leave early brigade were in the majority. No doubt all the usual bollox will apply about wanting to miss the traffic / tube queues etc. but if that's an issue why go in the first place ffs? Not even a school night.
At FT the ground was genuinely less than half full. So many had left early that I walked to the tube and straight onto the platform - 40 odd thousand already well on their way home not bothered enough to stay to the end.
I started to follow England home and away decades ago (Went to Italia 90, Euro 96 etc) so am well aware that England has always attracted a very nasty minority who we are well rid off (The "No surrender" crew) but surely when you attracting the type of people who hold up mobile phones with their lights on to make a spectacle, rather than watch the actual game then it's all gone a whole long way too far.
Think that's me done for Wembley tbh (unless the Towen get there) - an utterly soulless experience when I'd sooner have watched it in a pub. Attending a game like England v Brazil should be a wonderful experience, think it's the 3rd time have done so at Wembley and last night showed just how utterly sh1t the modern football experience can be when you take all the passion out of it and turn it into a music/light show.
Really hope it's not the future for club footie.
[Post edited 24 Mar 11:56]
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| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 13:07 - Mar 24 with 2000 views | Swansea_Blue |
That does sound pretty grim. I’ve never understood the leave early thing. We’ve had some great last gasp moments in games over the years (and some not so great - *cough* Cardiff). Even in a friendly or with a heavy defeat, I’d be right pissed off if I missed a worldie in the last minute. As you say, if you’re not interested why bother going in the first place? Football’s about all the emotions - excitement, joy, nerves, tension, frustration, disappointment and yes, even boredom. |  |
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| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 13:38 - Mar 24 with 1909 views | J2BLUE |
I think it's impossible to feel the same way about an England friendly as it is about Town. When thinking of the peak level of football we all think of a big game at Portman Road where we really, really care. For an England friendly i've always imagined it to be interchangeable with a trip to the theatre or cinema. You go for something to do. If England lose a friendly, who cares? The whole experience must be massively watered down from a proper meaningful game in a big tournament. |  |
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| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 14:30 - Mar 24 with 1778 views | mylittletown |
There was a very good article in the Guardian last week, about the unstoppable growth of the plastic fan.
The thrust of the argument, with which I disagree, was that football has to go that way, so stop trying to fight it, and that without the plastic fan revenues, big clubs will not be able to keep growing (which would be fine by me.) |  | | |
| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 16:30 - Mar 24 with 1522 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
Sorry to hear your day went downhill so quickly after such an enjoyable start! |  |
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| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 16:32 - Mar 24 with 1524 views | stonojnr |
As sanitised as it sounds, it's miles better than the experience at Wembley for the last Euros, where everyone turned up at the same time last minute and complained about the queues, we didn't actually as we went in before the rush so luckily missed it.
But the very clear and obvious substance of non legal origin taking going on in the toilets, which led to some "fans" so out of theirs heads they were either super aggressive challenging anyone to a fight, or near comatose, I'd imagine some of them awoke the next day with no recollection of the game, and probably most of the proceeding 24hrs, at least the early leavers can say they remember the game they watched
England won the game I went to even though it was dull as dishwater of a game and there were still (see substance abuse earlier) some England "fans" who got so bored started fighting each other, tearing down each others flags and basically being see you next Tuesdays because they could
As the stewards who were little more than kids were hopelessly out of their depth faced with that kind of stuff and the police weren't in numbers in the stadium.
And that doubled up on the way back to the tube station, where the hyper aggressive mob then started threatening to punch them or anyone else nearby for daring to stop them at the hold points, at which point most of the stewards view was, we ain't being paid to cope with this so let a free for all happen, which resulted in a crowd crush developing until the police turned up and started arresting the really hyper mouthy aggressive ones.
None of what happened at that final was in anyway shape or form a surprise to me after that, and if the FA have managed to turn that around, even if the experience is lacking how I remember it back in the day 20-30years ago being just a proper football match, then I'm for it as I vowed after the Euros never to go to an England home game again. |  | | |
| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 16:37 - Mar 24 with 1480 views | Kropotkin123 |
Best place to watch an England game has always been a rowdy pub.
It may be just me, but I've always thought friendlies were marketed at families. So that it has gone more in that direction is little surprise. |  |
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| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 16:37 - Mar 24 with 1483 views | rickw |
I went to several England matches a few years ago and found the support there to be more people going for the experience rather than die hard fans, but I guess that's just what it is, England matches are too infrequent for people to be that obsessed.
The second time I went after the match fans got held back from entering the tube station at Wembley as it was overcrowded, the last train to Ipswich was 11pm and I made it by about 20 seconds, after that I left as others you mentioned did a couple of minutes before the end as the alternative would be to miss it and pay hundreds for a taxi? |  |
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| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 17:02 - Mar 24 with 1419 views | J2BLUE |
What went wrong after you texted me 'Finally away from that utter bellend. Now I can enjoy myself'? | |
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| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 17:57 - Mar 24 with 1269 views | MK1 |
I went yesterday. Took my Grandson (7 years old).
Thought the atmosphere was really poor. The Brazilians were having a great time from kick off, but the home fans were just flat. The game itself was pretty unimpressive and of low quality, but like you say, this can happen, but we really were poor.
Like yourself, surprised how early some left. Most around us were on their way home after 80 mins. Crazy. On our way home, my Grandson said he didn't want to go to watch England again, he much prefers watching Ipswich. Works for me. |  | | |
| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 18:16 - Mar 24 with 1203 views | Swansea_Blue |
| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 17:02 - Mar 24 by J2BLUE |
What went wrong after you texted me 'Finally away from that utter bellend. Now I can enjoy myself'? |
That was a bit harsh on MK1’s grandson. Only 7 years old too. Typical Lagos eh? 🙄 | |
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| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 18:57 - Mar 24 with 1107 views | Pendejo |
Maybe, just maybe, the early leavers didn't fancy leaving at the same as the snorty boys?
Last went to an England game in Nov 2013 when a Sanchez inspired Chile won 2-0, took youngest make offspring (aged 11) when trying to get him into football (unsuccessful). So forgettable an experience.
Before that it was pre WC90. When the group I was with almost got into it with some Naaaridge. But at least the atmosphere was great as far as I can remember. |  |
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| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 19:20 - Mar 24 with 1043 views | bluelagos |
| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 16:32 - Mar 24 by stonojnr |
As sanitised as it sounds, it's miles better than the experience at Wembley for the last Euros, where everyone turned up at the same time last minute and complained about the queues, we didn't actually as we went in before the rush so luckily missed it.
But the very clear and obvious substance of non legal origin taking going on in the toilets, which led to some "fans" so out of theirs heads they were either super aggressive challenging anyone to a fight, or near comatose, I'd imagine some of them awoke the next day with no recollection of the game, and probably most of the proceeding 24hrs, at least the early leavers can say they remember the game they watched
England won the game I went to even though it was dull as dishwater of a game and there were still (see substance abuse earlier) some England "fans" who got so bored started fighting each other, tearing down each others flags and basically being see you next Tuesdays because they could
As the stewards who were little more than kids were hopelessly out of their depth faced with that kind of stuff and the police weren't in numbers in the stadium.
And that doubled up on the way back to the tube station, where the hyper aggressive mob then started threatening to punch them or anyone else nearby for daring to stop them at the hold points, at which point most of the stewards view was, we ain't being paid to cope with this so let a free for all happen, which resulted in a crowd crush developing until the police turned up and started arresting the really hyper mouthy aggressive ones.
None of what happened at that final was in anyway shape or form a surprise to me after that, and if the FA have managed to turn that around, even if the experience is lacking how I remember it back in the day 20-30years ago being just a proper football match, then I'm for it as I vowed after the Euros never to go to an England home game again. |
Accept everything you say, and clearly at the last Euros things went horribly wrong at times.
But surely there has to be a medium ground, where we keep the atmosphere and excitement without the lawlessness and coke fuelled aggression. | |
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| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 19:23 - Mar 24 with 1033 views | bluelagos |
| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 16:37 - Mar 24 by rickw |
I went to several England matches a few years ago and found the support there to be more people going for the experience rather than die hard fans, but I guess that's just what it is, England matches are too infrequent for people to be that obsessed.
The second time I went after the match fans got held back from entering the tube station at Wembley as it was overcrowded, the last train to Ipswich was 11pm and I made it by about 20 seconds, after that I left as others you mentioned did a couple of minutes before the end as the alternative would be to miss it and pay hundreds for a taxi? |
The people taking selfies on the approaches to Wembley summed it up. More interested in posting their pics onto social media than anything else. 15 mins to go, got the photos, experienced the occasion, can go home happy...
Give me a town match any day. | |
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| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 19:25 - Mar 24 with 1028 views | bluelagos |
| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 17:57 - Mar 24 by MK1 |
I went yesterday. Took my Grandson (7 years old).
Thought the atmosphere was really poor. The Brazilians were having a great time from kick off, but the home fans were just flat. The game itself was pretty unimpressive and of low quality, but like you say, this can happen, but we really were poor.
Like yourself, surprised how early some left. Most around us were on their way home after 80 mins. Crazy. On our way home, my Grandson said he didn't want to go to watch England again, he much prefers watching Ipswich. Works for me. |
Your grandson seems like a sensible lad. Real shame as I always found any trips to Wembley utterly captivating in my early years.
How far it had fallen in that respect. | |
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| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 19:32 - Mar 24 with 990 views | bluelagos |
| Got some bad nostalgia yesterday on 18:57 - Mar 24 by Pendejo |
Maybe, just maybe, the early leavers didn't fancy leaving at the same as the snorty boys?
Last went to an England game in Nov 2013 when a Sanchez inspired Chile won 2-0, took youngest make offspring (aged 11) when trying to get him into football (unsuccessful). So forgettable an experience.
Before that it was pre WC90. When the group I was with almost got into it with some Naaaridge. But at least the atmosphere was great as far as I can remember. |
I wasn't in the cheap seats so can only comment on my surrounds, but coke heads were nowhere to be seen. Same on the tubes to/from the game. (Which is good obs)
The Brazilian fans did far more to make it an enjoyable experience which says something about how gentrified the crowd was yesterday. It felt like a whole stadium full of middle class families, who in themselves are fine, but when that's 95% of the fans it really feels...well just very very dull tbh | |
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