The Sorry State Of Local Football

[BristolCity1992]

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Support not football even

This is more me having a rant than anything else..... So sorry in advance.

Don't what it is like in your towns and city's but am I the only one that is fed up of seeing Premier kit after Premier kit everywhere and hardly any local kits?

For example today I saw loads of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool even a Barcelona shirt in my work place, I did not see a single City or Rovers shirt maybe just a coincidence?

Not really, as the day before when I was in Weston I inquired at a sports shop if they knew where I could get a Weston shirt, he just laughed and walked away. I did not even really want one, just seeing if they knew where I could get one if I wanted one unfortunately the tit probably didn't even know Weston had a football team.

Then as I'm walking through the same shopping center I hear some kid shout out City till I die. I turn round to smile at him... The ****ers in a West Ham top. City till I die my ass mate. Still he was young he has time to learn.

I know it doesn't help that City's tickets are so expensive 23 quid for the opening game and adults cant afford to take their children along but something needs to be done to get more kids away from Sunday football in front of the TV and following a local team.

When I did finally see a Rovers shirt at work last week I felt like running up and kissing the kid, even though it is Rovers I would rather see him in that than the latest Newcastle kit bought from JJB that week.

Real football supporters are a dieing breed of people, we will always be there in our throngs but as our clubs continue rising ticket prices and sky continue plugging us with live football every hour of the day we are going to continue losing our identity's.

Football has already gone from working class to middle class it wont be long until it is for upper class toffs and we are left wondering where it all went wrong most probably watching the Manchester United game with my son who is sat in his nice new home kit claiming to be the best Man Utd fan in the world, and there is nothing that I can do to change it.

Or is it just me that thinks like this?

Rant over.

[Guest]

You don't have to display your "colours" on the outside, infact I only wear a shirt sometimes even to a match.My colour is in the blood RED and b.c.f.c.

Its the colour of my heart and soul and the thing that is going to drag me back to the Gate on Saturday, dispite my groans and moans about smoking, prices East End etc;

These Manure shirts etc are just a fashion statement and worn by people/ children who mostly have or will never get within a hundred miles of Manures ground but can be quickly changed to a City shirt on big days i.e.Mill Stad ETC;

Let them get on with it who cares; WE ARE THE ONE AND ONLY CITY

[Tunley Legend]

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Support not football even

This is more me having a rant than anything else..... So sorry in advance.

Don't what it is like in your towns and city's but am I the only one that is fed up of seeing Premier kit after Premier kit everywhere and hardly any local kits?

For example today I saw loads of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool even a Barcelona shirt in my work place, I did not see a single City or Rovers shirt maybe just a coincidence?

Not really, as the day before when I was in Weston I inquired at a sports shop if they knew where I could get a Weston shirt, he just laughed and walked away. I did not even really want one, just seeing if they knew where I could get one if I wanted one unfortunately the tit probably didn't even know Weston had a football team.

Then as I'm walking through the same shopping center I hear some kid shout out City till I die. I turn round to smile at him... The ****ers in a West Ham top. City till I die my ass mate. Still he was young he has time to learn.

I know it doesn't help that City's tickets are so expensive 23 quid for the opening game and adults cant afford to take their children along but something needs to be done to get more kids away from Sunday football in front of the TV and following a local team.

When I did finally see a Rovers shirt at work last week I felt like running up and kissing the kid, even though it is Rovers I would rather see him in that than the latest Newcastle kit bought from JJB that week.

Real football supporters are a dieing breed of people, we will always be there in our throngs but as our clubs continue rising ticket prices and sky continue plugging us with live football every hour of the day we are going to continue losing our identity's.

Football has already gone from working class to middle class it wont be long until it is for upper class toffs and we are left wondering where it all went wrong most probably watching the Manchester United game with my son who is sat in his nice new home kit claiming to be the best Man Utd fan in the world, and there is nothing that I can do to change it.

Or is it just me that thinks like this?

Rant over.

There is no excuse for your son to be a typical Bristolian Man Utd fan who sneers at local teams. My four year old doesn't go to the games yet as he prefers playing football to watching it and couldn't take in a 90 minute game but I take him to watch the Academy lads for as long as he is interested (usually 45 minutes) and have just bought him his first full City kit which he absolutely loves. He says it makes him feel like a real footballer. He is going to grow up City through and through. When your son is old enough (finances permitting), get him down the gate. Most kids who experience real live football at a youngish age will continue to follow their local teams regardless of any leaning to Chelsea, Man Utd etc.

[Seend Red]

I know it doesn't help that City's tickets are so expensive 23 quid for the opening game and adults cant afford to take their children along but something needs to be done to get more kids away from Sunday football in front of the TV and following a local team.

Only promotion will see this trend change, gererally speaking it isnt cool to be seen in a City/Rovers shirt as they obviously don't have the best players and don't play in the best league, it's all about assosciation to success, so until we are successful I'm afriad little will change.

[Barrs Court Red]

How can we expect local people to support local teams, when the local teams make little effort in courting their support.

There are so many factors to add on top, like ticket prices, transport availability, match day experience and value for money.

[Flaxbourton Red]

I understand the original poster's anger. We can do something about it though, point out people's mistakes in buying their kids a shirt that has got nothing to do with the west country, perhaps Santa will have a bumper year handing out red and white puma football shirts. I think youngsters would be more impressed with the new shirt than that awfull TFG effort.

[sdc1978]

Where do you work that lots of people are wearing football shirts?

[mercury]

I understand the original poster's anger. We can do something about it though, point out people's mistakes in buying their kids a shirt that has got nothing to do with the west country, perhaps Santa will have a bumper year handing out red and white puma football shirts. I think youngsters would be more impressed with the new shirt than that awfull TFG effort.

Perhaps when they stop ripping us off on the cost of the shirts you might see more people wearing them. My 12 year son, bought a city away shirt for on saturday out of his birthday money, for some reason he is too big for the 'youth' size shirt, no he's not a porker, he just happens to be tall for his age, so he had to buy an adult 'small' size. The cost? £40!!!!!!!! And there lies the crux of the matter, he can go to JJB and get a Liverpool/Arsenal or whoever shirt for well under £30.

Make the shirt more affordable, and more people would buy one.

[bartolona]

I take my kids to the open day to meet all the players, get autographs and have their photo with them. They all support City. My youngest is 18 months and this was his 2nd open day, he'll grow up supporting City because he wont know any different. I think they call it brain washing.

[The Batman]

i agree with what your saying about the lack of interest in local teams, but there is sooooo much attention on the Premiership and Spanish footy on Sky Sports that people, in essence, become the dreaded "GLORY HUNTER". And these shirts are only just slightly more expensive than our shirts.

although i contradict myself because i'm wearing a Barcelona shirt at the moment, (I'm at work, if you want to wear football shirts at work then work for a Students Union) but that's only because they've always been my favourite foreign team.

[Red Cloud]

As SITA's wife I have asked lots of kiddies wearing premiereship team shirts why they do not support their local team, whether it be us or the others. The reply I get is that it's the team they've always supported but can't tell me why (actually GOING to Old Trafford or Anfield are not on their agenda). On a trip to Kent a few weeks ago, I asked a lad who his local league team were. He said he supported Man U ('boring' said I) but didn't know WHO his league team (It was Gills). These days, many kids only seem to know about the Premiereship and that can be put down to Sky Sports who only give a damn about the 'big' teams even if they don't even play in the UK and JJB who only sell Premiereship shirts because they make a big profit on them. I don't think these kids are footie fans in the proper sense and some wouldn't dream of actually going to watch a football match because they're just bandwaggoners, in it only for the glory of following the 'right' team, and to be seen wearing the 'right' shirts like other kids will only wear the 'right' trainers.

[cidercity]

My two daughters only have two shirts each, one being England and the other City.

They are not at all interested in the premiership and my eldest has just got her first season ticket and she cannot wait for it to start.

My point being that i think if your parents or parent are passionate about something the the kids will normally follow suit.

By the way they wear either shirt with great pride.

[Stoke_Gifford_Red]

I use to 'support' Manure in the late nineties when most kids supported them, but in about 98, when I was still in Primary School I suddenly changed to saying I supported Bristol City. I reckon several people were probs like me, but due to parents refusing to allow them to get a shirt for one of the big teams and also being taken along to City (or Rovers) they changed their opinion. Interestingly I know two people, one who supported Manchester United (and actually went to games) and this season got their first season ticket at Rovers and he is 18. My other mate has a ST at the Gate having previously had a ST at Chelsea for a few seasons, but he feels now he has to buy an adult ticket and pay for it himself it is way to expensive.

[everreddy]

"Real football supporters are a dieing breed of people, we will always be there in our throngs"

...not sure if I'll be there in my thongs...!!!

[Jay]

The simple fact is that many people are attracted to success. If Man Utd were to drop out of the Premiership (& we can all hope!), then their take-up of new/young 'fans' outside of the Manchester area is likely to diminish. I too resent seeing people walking around Bristol wearing tops that belong to Premiership sides, especially kids.

Maybe there is a bigger issue here. Is the Club doing as much as it can to encourage local support from an early age? I come from a family of City fans & ever since 1982, I've never even considered another team. However, what about those that are undecided? I love living in Bristol, I'm proud of my roots & I love my club. BCFC can be a brand too if it's marketed well - they need to appeal to the younger generation more than they do. Arguably, if we were in the Premiership, attracting the youngsters would be an easier task. Also, when we do finally get there, maybe we'll see fans from places like Yeovil or Swindon moaning about kids wearing City tops around their town?! One can dream.....

Love him or hate him, Mr. Sexton seems to be doing a good job at a commercial level but it would still seem that us humble working class fans are either being over-looked or cast aside (I refer you to the Premier Seating issues). In my opinion, there needs to be more appeal at a personal level - the club needs to show what it can do. Results play a part of course but they (BCFC) can not be dependent on results alone.

I was chatting with a mate the other day who suggested that the club offer a 'Shirt Amnesty': Offer people the chance to bring in their old premiership tops & get a discount off a new BCFC shirt. On the face of it, I quite like the idea.

I also struggle with the concept of supporting more than one team, but I guess that's for another thread....

[Reg Hill]

I agree absolutely about the pervasive effects of the Premiership, particularly on younger people. It is clearly fashionable amongst the young to sport a Chelsea/ManU/Liverpool etc shirt. But that doesn't make them football supporters of that team, or even of football in the general sense. And haven't I read somewhere that attendances in the Football League are rising? Clubs outside the top flight are far better supported in England than elsewhere, and I'm not sure the facts back up the claim that "local" (as opposed to to multi national) football is in any sense declining.

Also agree with posters advocating brainwashing of offspring by constant subjection to Ashton Gate treatment. In my case I had 50% success. It turns out the other 50% doesn't have a brain and can often be seen wearing Chelsea shirt.

[nester]

I agree absolutely about the pervasive effects of the Premiership, particularly on younger people. It is clearly fashionable amongst the young to sport a Chelsea/ManU/Liverpool etc shirt. But that doesn't make them football supporters of that team, or even of football in the general sense. And haven't I read somewhere that attendances in the Football League are rising? Clubs outside the top flight are far better supported in England than elsewhere, and I'm not sure the facts back up the claim that "local" (as opposed to to multi national) football is in any sense declining.

Also agree with posters advocating brainwashing of offspring by constant subjection to Ashton Gate treatment. In my case I had 50% success. It turns out the other 50% doesn't have a brain and can often be seen wearing Chelsea shirt.

I have to take issue with your facts there Reg. The best support in terms of the average gate size of the top division across Europe, is in the German bundesliga. The average gate there is 40,000. They do this on the back of low cost per ticket. (I think they also have terracing there as well).

[icegas]

Doesn't some of it have to do with the safety factor as well?

I agree that many people in bristol- who don't follow rovers or city, do look down upon us as if we're 'stupid' for supporting our "not so good" local football clubs.But surely the lack of safety of walking around our city streets in a gas/city shirt is one of the reasons why we see such a lack of bristol teams colours around.

I've known many people that are diehard city/rovers fans that won't wear there teams shirts around bristol in the fear of being attacked.Sadly this is a dangerous world that we live in and there are some idiots out there, that want to give someone a hiding just because there wearing the wrong coloured shirt.

[i remember dickie rooks]

When I was younger, the only live matches on television were the FA Cup final and England internationals. If you wanted to see a live match, then you actually had to go (strange concept nowadays). Therefore, you didn't mind paying and you went to your local club. This was usually the one supported by your Dad.

When live matches started on ITV, there was a lot of discussion about the effect on attendances, so ITV wanted to show teams that were guaranteed a large crowd, so that this argument wouldn't lead to them being critizised. The first live match featured Nottingham Forest for this reason.

It then became an option for parent's to let their kiddy watch live football for free, instead of paying to take them to their local club.

The kids began to associate with the players they saw on the telly, and Man Utd, Liverpool etc became 'their' team. It was a local team to them, because they were watching them in their front room and knew no difference.

Taking this into the present day, we can watch Premiership, Champions League etc. And let's be honest, when you finally get little Jimmy to go to Ashton Gate, he's not going to be impressed with Bradley Orr's whoosh ball after watching Ronaldinho, so he doesn't want to go again.

The only option is to do what I did. I didn't let my daughter watch any football until she was old enough to go down the gate. I bought her a City top and picked a LDV game we were likely to win.

One 4-2 win later, she was hooked, and has no interest in any Premiership club but knows all the City squad.

[Reg Hill]

I have to take issue with your facts there Reg. The best support in terms of the average gate size of the top division across Europe, is in the German bundesliga. The average gate there is 40,000. They do this on the back of low cost per ticket. (I think they also have terracing there as well).

Not doubting Bundesliga attendances, but my point was about crowds outside the top division. In no other major European country do some third tier clubs regularly attract over 10K. Although if Juventus get relegated again I suppose that might change

[Antman]

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Football has already gone from working class to middle class it wont be long until it is for upper class toffs and we are left wondering where it all went wrong most probably watching the Manchester United game with my son who is sat in his nice new home kit claiming to be the best Man Utd fan in the world, and there is nothing that I can do to change it.

The argument that football belongs to a 'working class' is in itself as dated as the the class system.

Society has changed and the majority of 'working class' people that signed up to Thatchers Britain abandoned the idea that they were actually 'working class' long ago.

We don't have a manufacturing industrial base any longer, we don't have clearly defined roles and social levels. We no longer have an expectancy that you cannot achieve because you are 'working class'

This countries economy is largely based on service work. Individuals feel they can make it (often at the expense of their neighbour, if thats what it takes) there is little or no structure to our lives and whereas football represented a traditional outlet to be watched on a Saturday, we can't define free time as easily anymore.

How's this happened? we've all subscribed to it.

There is something you can do to change it, don't buy mass produced fodder, don't subscribe to the Sky led football as franchise model. don't let Tesco take 1 pound in every 8 spent in the UK. (true fact)

You shop at Tesco, but do you mourn the loss of local shops? It's all part of the same thing.

Buy your veg locally, buy your food locally,**** it, grow your own!! get an allotment.

it may cost a bit more and may be more of a pain, but thats the only way. The more people who do it will affect the overall. Along the way the bigger corporations will see the shift and try and disguise themselves to hijack any popular momentum,but know your enemy and be ready.

smash your telly & Throw your mobiles in the river

go read books in the library

get an allotment

go by bike

stand for your local elections

do it yourself

buying the T shirt isn't the answer

Consumerism is a failed choice

rise up and free your mind...POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

thank you.

[Flaxbourton Red]

Perhaps when they stop ripping us off on the cost of the shirts you might see more people wearing them. My 12 year son, bought a city away shirt for on saturday out of his birthday money, for some reason he is too big for the 'youth' size shirt, no he's not a porker, he just happens to be tall for his age, so he had to buy an adult 'small' size. The cost? £40!!!!!!!! And there lies the crux of the matter, he can go to JJB and get a Liverpool/Arsenal or whoever shirt for well under £30.

Make the shirt more affordable, and more people would buy one.

I know they might seem expensive, but i don't think the club is ripping us off. If you go in to any clubshop around our division you will see the same 40 pound mark per adult shirt.

The reason JJB can sell cheaper "glory team" club shirts is that they use economies of scale by buying in bulk. if the club could buy in similar quantaties, they would also be able to flex the same buying power and drive down the cost to the consumer and compete with JJB.

I've known many people that are diehard rovers fans that won't wear there shirt

thank god for that

[Maesknoll Red]

My two daughters only have two shirts each, one being England and the other City.

They are not at all interested in the premiership and my eldest has just got her first season ticket and she cannot wait for it to start.

My point being that i think if your parents or parent are passionate about something the the kids will normally follow suit.

By the way they wear either shirt with great pride.

Are you sure, I thought all kids rebelled against their parents - although football does seem to be a major exception.

[Roger Red Hat]

[quote name='icegas' date='Aug 2 2006, 12:52 PM' post='591606'

I've known many people that are diehard rovers fans

[RED4LIFE]

Doesn't some of it have to do with the safety factor as well?

I agree that many people in bristol- who don't follow rovers or city, do look down upon us as if we're 'stupid' for supporting our "not so good" local football clubs.But surely the lack of safety of walking around our city streets in a gas/city shirt is one of the reasons why we see such a lack of bristol teams colours around.

I've known many people that are diehard city/rovers fans that won't wear there teams shirts around bristol in the fear of being attacked.Sadly this is a dangerous world that we live in and there are some idiots out there, that want to give someone a hiding just because there wearing the wrong coloured shirt.

This may be the first (and hopefully only) time I agree fully with a gashead.

I know of a few people that have been attacked because of the colour of the shirt they wear.

Back in the Hoolie days of the 80's/90's I have been walking back to town after a game and saw a friend that was wearing a rovers top, and had to tell him to either take it off or get the hell out of here, as a load of city 'fans' were on the way. He did leave just in time, as it kicked right off in the same spot about 10 mins later (it was St Nicholas Market).

[redneck]

Give City their due, for many years now they have adopted the "Quid a kid" policy, this is a great way to get youngsters to attend a live game when they may otherwise not. It is these sorts of schemes that go a long way to securing a fan base of the future. In my day it was the schoolboy enclosure in front of the Dolman stand, weren't the schools given so many tickets each week and then gave them out to whoever wanted them, are there still similar schemes like this in existence? I'm doubting it.

[Stoke_Gifford_Red]

Today I had a similar problem when just outside Eastville Tesco's my mate in a Rovers shirt (who I must admit I get on well with, as he is one of the few people in my year who didn't support Chelsea etc) was abused by a couple of locals, one who was wearing the AIG Manure shirt who started taking the mickey out of him for wearing such a shirt. He said at least he is a proper fan and goes to games, and this other person said that he was also a proper fan as he watches all of Manure's big games on TV (after also admitting he had never seen them live) and that he gets the home and away shirt every season. He then mentioned that he had seen a Manure player lift the Chapions League Trophy, something my mate would never see a Rovers player do. As we left as well my mate asked this 'Manure' fan about what he felt about the new shirt being modelled on the one worn by the busby Babes, and this 'fan' didn't know what he meant, and still didn't know when he said teh words Munich Air Disaster.

[Red`s Ashtonic Lustpit]

The argument that football belongs to a 'working class' is in itself as dated as the the class system.

Society has changed and the majority of 'working class' people that signed up to Thatchers Britain abandoned the idea that they were actually 'working class' long ago.

We don't have a manufacturing industrial base any longer, we don't have clearly defined roles and social levels. We no longer have an expectancy that you cannot achieve because you are 'working class'

This countries economy is largely based on service work. Individuals feel they can make it (often at the expense of their neighbour, if thats what it takes) there is little or no structure to our lives and whereas football represented a traditional outlet to be watched on a Saturday, we can't define free time as easily anymore.

How's this happened? we've all subscribed to it.

There is something you can do to change it, don't buy mass produced fodder, don't subscribe to the Sky led football as franchise model. don't let Tesco take 1 pound in every 8 spent in the UK. (true fact)

You shop at Tesco, but do you mourn the loss of local shops? It's all part of the same thing.

Buy your veg locally, buy your food locally,**** it, grow your own!! get an allotment.

it may cost a bit more and may be more of a pain, but thats the only way. The more people who do it will affect the overall. Along the way the bigger corporations will see the shift and try and disguise themselves to hijack any popular momentum,but know your enemy and be ready.

smash your telly & Throw your mobiles in the river

Bloody hear, hear, comrade.

Apart from computer, eh, otherwise this forum would be screwed.

Also, tax aviation fuel!

go read books in the library

get an allotment

go by bike

stand for your local elections

do it yourself

buying the T shirt isn't the answer

Consumerism is a failed choice

rise up and free your mind...POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

thank you.

HEAR, HEAR (Apart from PCs of course).

I work in Oldbury, West Midlands, and practically everybody there supports WBA (we are about 1.5 miles from Hawthorns), with a sprinkling of Wolves and Villa fans. Of course there is one Bristol City fan (muggins).

We live near Burton-on Trent, but my son and daughter both support the City, they just don`t know it yet! Inculcate a sense of reddishness at an early age, and let them have no truck with Premiership muppetry.

[cider11]

At my school theres lots of the so called 'fans' of the likes or Man utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, liverpool. a lot of them have never seen them live in the stadium. For non school uniform days, there will be like 100's of the big 4 teams, then there'll be me in my City shirt, and i take pride in showing my team off to the rest of the school, knowing that i've probably seen them more than what the people wearing all the prem side shirts have seen them play.

Now in 6th form there is a slowly growing league 1 fan base, with myself a city fan, and two mates 1 of which is blackpool and the other bournemouth.

There are a few peterborugh fans as thats the local league side, but there more like a 2nd side as they cant normally get tickets to go and watch there main team (prem cling on side)

Whenever i go somewhere, like the cricket at lords and trent bridge this year, and every year i go to the test match, i wear my city shirt, and as you walk past people there all looking at the badge to work out who it is. Even when i go down town i wear it out just to show there are more teams than just the man utd's and chelseas you see there.

I'm almost tempted aswell to wear my city shirt out to peterborough on saturday (cant afford the £40 train fare + match ticket and food to watch city unfortunatly, so go watch my local team for £15 (including train fare) instead as i've missed the footy season so much) and see the blue few get a pasting hopefully, and give them a chant of phillips sent the gas down.

[BristolCity1992]

Today I had a similar problem when just outside Eastville Tesco's my mate in a Rovers shirt (who I must admit I get on well with, as he is one of the few people in my year who didn't support Chelsea etc) was abused by a couple of locals, one who was wearing the AIG Manure shirt who started taking the mickey out of him for wearing such a shirt. He said at least he is a proper fan and goes to games, and this other person said that he was also a proper fan as he watches all of Manure's big games on TV (after also admitting he had never seen them live) and that he gets the home and away shirt every season. He then mentioned that he had seen a Manure player lift the Chapions League Trophy, something my mate would never see a Rovers player do. As we left as well my mate asked this 'Manure' fan about what he felt about the new shirt being modelled on the one worn by the busby Babes, and this 'fan' didn't know what he meant, and still didn't know when he said teh words Munich Air Disaster.

Yeah that just about sums it up really. Some people just have no idea.

Thanks for the comments guys, it has been a good read and helped me think of my next rant as well.

BTW I work in a supermarket thats how I see so many kits.