The 50 worst things about modern football

SRFC90

Very good read I thought I'd share with you guys!

50. Technical areas

Did Bob Paisley need a technical area when Liverpool won three European Cups and six league titles? Did Alf Ramsey need a technical area when England won the World Cup? What’s so technical about a bit of grass and some white lines, anyway? Memo to all modern managers: Sit down and shut up.

49. Motorway service stations

You pop in to go to the toilet and five minutes later you’ve bought a full-English breakfast for £18.99 and joined the AA.


48. Transfer windows

Imagine if you could only do your shopping twice a year - once in January and then in June, July and August. What would happen? You’d have a fridge full of beer and you’d run out of toilet paper. It wouldn’t work in real life and it doesn’t work in football.

47. Squad numbers

Remember the days when the best player was No 10 and goalkeepers were No 1? Not any more. Thanks to someone at the Premier League watching an American football game, players can have any number they want. George Bowyer is Rochdale’s No 33, Ronaldinho is AC Milan’s No 80 and William Gallas is Arsenal’s No 10. Why?

46. Autobiographies

There comes a time in every player’s life when he decides – or his agent tells him – to write his life story. A couple of interviews with a ghostwriter later and hey presto we have 200 pages of guff and absolutely zero interest from the book-buying public. Wayne Rooney has already written two books. That’s one more than he’s read.

45. Craig Bellamy

He’s gobby, he’s played for 842 clubs, he’s covered in tattoos and he earns £90,000 a week. What’s not to like?

44. Undisclosed transfer fees

If you’re going to spend some of my hard-earned season ticket money on a player I’ve never heard of, I want to know how much he cost. I’m not interested in add-ons or projected fees. I just want a number. Any number will do.

43. Statistics

American obsession that is gradually weaving itself into the fabric of our national game. Do you care how many assists Wayne Rooney has this season? Do you care how many passes Steve Gerrard has completed in the final third? Do you care if Gareth Barry’s tackle win ratio has dropped off since Christmas? Thought not. There’s only one stat that matters. The score.

42. By mutual consent

Three of the most meaningless words in the English language. Either the manager resigned or he was sacked. Just tell us the truth, we can handle it.

41. Fans who complain when games are called off

Were little white things falling out of the sky when you walked to the car this morning? Was the pavement a bit slippery? If the answer to both these questions is yes, there’s a good chance the game’s going to be called off. It’s not the referee’s fault, it’s not the FA’s fault and it’s not the groundsman’s fault. Some things just weren’t meant to be.

40. Gloves

This is England, not Siberia. Your hands will warm up if you run around for five minutes.

39. The fat bloke in row P

Go to any football ground anywhere in England and there will be a fat bloke in your row who will a) arrive late b) talk rubbish c) leave five minutes before half time d) come back five minutes after the game has restarted e) talk rubbish f) leave five minutes before the game has finished.

38. The manager's programme column

“First off I’d like to say a big welcome to blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah we were robbed last week blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah the lads have been training brilliantly blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah get behind the lads today blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Enjoy the game.”

37. Formations

Yawn. 4-4-1-1, 4-3-2-1, 4-3-3, 4-1-4-1, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2, 4-2-1-3. Can’t we just knock it up to the big bloke and get the little bloke to bang it in?

36. Chelsea

The new Manchester United.

35. Sky Sports News

The television station that thinks John Carew’s ingrowing toenail responding to treatment is breaking news. Is Sky Sports News the greatest invention known to man or a drug more addictive than crack? We’ll be back after the break.

34. trainline.com

.

33. Added time

“The fourth official has indicated that there will be three minutes of added time”. So what? We got along just fine without a bloke in a tracksuit holding up a big No 3 at a quarter to five every Saturday.

32. Joey Barton

We don’t like to kick a man when he’s down, but he did, so here goes. Type “Joey Barton Scum” into google and you get 30,500 results.

31. Official statements

Did Robinho really say, “I am committed to helping Manchester City become the force the owners assured me they would become”? Maybe one of his agents typed it into his Blackberry. Robinho doesn’t know what “committed” or “assured” mean because he doesn’t speak English.

30. Match Of The Day

Used to be the best programme on TV. Now, it’s the best football highlights show on TV on Saturday nights.

29. Electronic pitchside advertising boards

Next time you go to Old Trafford make sure you take some sunglasses, otherwise you’ll be blinded by the light from the adverts on the TV screens wrapped around the pitch. A word of advice for the skinny latte-sipping Soho adman who came up with this idea: We can’t afford a new Audi. We’re here for the football and the beer.

28. Referee's assistants

They’re linesmen. End of.

27. Hi-tech dugouts

Minutes from Manchester United board meeting May 2007: Sir Alex Ferguson requested that the board sanction the removal of the plastic seats in the home and away dugouts at Old Trafford. The manager wants them replaced with leather racing car seats like the ones they have in Porsches and Ferraris. Sir Bobby said that was ridiculous. Sir Alex told Sir Bobby to shut up.

26. The fourth official

Pointless – like Luton Town until last Saturday.

25. Club shops

Empires of tat and greed that make your local Poundstretcher look like Harrods. The club shop at the Emirates Stadium has a special section for Arsenal presents for your dog. The Stamford Bridge megastore sells Chelsea Christmas crackers – £10.43 for a pack of six – and Manchester United have ventured into the toiletries market. Ever fancied washing your hair with Manchester United shampoo and conditioner? Now you can. For £9.99.

24. Media training

All Premier League players and managers are given media training to make sure that they never say anything remotely interesting when someone puts a microphone in front of them. Now you know why they’re taking one game at a time, why they didn’t see their captain punch one of his team-mates, why they haven’t thrown in the towel yet and why everything is going to be terrific.

23. Kaka

If he’s not interested in money why do AC Milan have to pay him £173,000 a week?

22. Let Me Entertain You

Atrocious Robbie Williams song that has ruined the build-up to every single football game in the world since it was released in 1998.

21. Points deductions

This is England, not Italy. Deducting points from teams because they failed to comply with the Football League’s insolvency rules or because they paid agents through a holding company has turned the bottom of League Two into a joke. Luton Town started the season on minus 30 points. The team at the bottom of the table should be the worst side in the league, not the club with the idiot accountant.

20. Official club websites

Good for getting directions to the ground, but not much else.

19. ITV

We haven’t forgotten about the ITV Digital disaster and your FA Cup coverage isn’t much to shout about either.

18. Opinions

We live in an “Everyone’s entitled to my opinion” kind of world and when it comes to football, everyone’s got one. Rafa’s God. Rafa’s an idiot. Becks is past it. No, he’s not. How can Kaka be worth £100 million? Yeh, but you’d pay £45 to see him play. Stevie G and Lamps can’t play together. But they’re the best we’ve got. Can’t we all just shut up and watch the game?

17. Brazil

The greatest team in the world have become football’s Harlem Globetrotters. Ronaldinho and Co have played only one friendly in Brazil in the past 2 ½ years. In the meantime they’ve put on a show in Oslo, Kuwait, Stockholm, London (four, about to be five, times), Basel, Gothenburg, Dortmund, Montpellier, Chicago, Boston, Dublin, Seattle and Boston. Ker-ching.

16. Internet message boards :rolleyes:

15. Tattoos

When we were kids only sailors and binmen had tattoos. Now, you can’t walk into a dressing-room without being blinded by Celtic crosses, barbed wire, angels, Chinese proverbs, the name of everyone’s kids, the name of everyone’s kids in Hebrew, the name of everyone’s wife, the name of everyone’s wife in Latin, a couple of Welsh dragons and Steve Sidwell’s marriage vows.

14. Superagents

How does an agent become a superagent? Make a few phone calls, get friendly with Roman Abramovich and buy a flat in Knightsbridge.

13. Injuries

“We’re down to the bare bones” and it’s not surprising considering that modern-day footballers are about as tough and durable as a Ming vase. Half of them can’t run without pulling a hamstring and the other half can’t tackle with breaking a metatarsal. What’s a hamstring anyway? And how come Bobby Moore never pulled one?

12. Manchester City

The new Chelsea.

11. Kick-off times

Football used to be played at three o’clock on a Saturday afternoon. Now it’s played when it suits Sky and Setanta.

10. Goal celebration music

Listen. Very. Carefully. We. Don’t. Want. To. Hear. I. Feel. Good. Chelsea. Dagger. Or. Song. Two. Every. Time. Someone. Scores. A. Goal. Got. That?

9. The FA Cup
When was the last time a milkman lifted the FA Cup? When was the last time a postman scored at Wembley? There’s nothing romantic about a competition which ends every year with a bloke who earns £100,000 a week lifting a trophy that he doesn’t really give a monkey’s about.

8. Takeovers

In the old days all you needed to support your local club was a scarf and rattle, but these days you need a degree in economics, an MBA and a subscription to the Financial Times. Come back all you butchers, car dealers, property developers and local boys made good – all is forgiven.

7. Wembley Stadium

The old Wembley Stadium had it all. Players dreamed of playing there and supporters dreamed of going there - even if the toilets smelled a bit funny. Then some bright spark at the FA thought it would be a good idea to knock down the most famous football stadium in the world and replace it with an £800 million concrete box and a pointless arch. Best stadium in the world? Thanks to Arsenal’s new ground, the new Wembley’s not even the best stadium in North London.

6. Radio phone-in shows

“The next caller is Gary from Guildford. What do you want to get off your chest, Gary?”

“Well, Alan. I think Rafa’s got to go. How can you leave Torres on the bench when you need three points? And as for that ref, he’s got to be the worst ref I’ve ever seen.”

“Were you at the game, Gary?”

“No.”

5. Rotation

You pay £50 for a ticket, you spend £10 on a pint of beer and a hotdog and you get to watch a kickabout between a bunch of kids no-one’s ever heard of. Thanks Arsene. Thanks Rafa. Thanks Alex. Nice to know you care.

4. New stadium

Where would you rather watch a game? Maine Road or the City of Manchester Stadium? The Baseball Ground or Pride Park? Highfield Road or The Ricoh Arena? The Dell or St Mary’s? Filbert Street or The Walkers Stadium? Nice prawn sandwiches, though.

3. The Champions League

What’s changed since the European Cup turned into the Champions League in 1992? Everything. If you won the European Cup, you were the best team in Europe. If you win the Champions League, you owe someone £700 million.

2. The Premier League
What’s changed since the Premier League broke away from the Football League in 1992? Everything. If you won the First Division title, you were the best team in England. If you win the Premier League, you owe someone £500 million.

1. Television

The monster that ate football.

Rich1691

LOL, most of it's true I mean Craig Bellamy:eek: He should be number 1:D

gustavo

Rich1691 wrote: »

LOL, most of it's true I mean Craig Bellamy:eek: He should be number 1:D

Cant see number 1 being reviled by too many here

Idu

No mention of WAGs or Pierre Van Hooijdonk: He left Celtic over a wage dispute towards the end of the 1996/1997 season, stating that the reputed £7,000 a week he was being offered might be "good enough for the homeless" to live on "but not for an international striker."

String

TV licenses

new kit every year. every half a year for manu

Theresalwaysone

I think that whole article is a load of bollox tbh.

CiaranC

Theresalwaysone wrote: »

I think that whole article is a load of bollox tbh.

Course you do.

Im eating a pack of Tayto reading a silly post by someone called 'Theresalwaysone'. Spoooky.

_blank_

6. Radio phone-in shows

“The next caller is Paddy from Portarlington. What do you want to get off your chest, Paddy?”

“Well, Alan. I think Rafa’s got to go. How can you leave Torres on the bench when you need three points? And as for that ref, he’s got to be the worst ref I’ve ever seen.”

“Were you at the game, Paddy?”

“No. But I went once when Souness was manager”

CiaranC

Those BBC five live phone ins with Irish plastics are horrendous. Its cringeworthy stuff.

Reganio 2

A load of tosh tbh.
1. Television

The monster that ate football.

Television and Sky made football (Especially in England) popular. Do you really think half the players that the premiership can attract would be there before Sky came along and threw money at them. Not a hope the likes of Torres, Robinho, Cristiano Ronaldo would want to play in the league if they were not gonna be seen by millions and paid the money they get.

stovelid

Reganio 2 wrote: »

Television and Sky made football (Especially in England) popular. .

Benedict XVI

What a load of B*ll*k

44. Undisclosed transfer fees

If you’re going to spend some of my hard-earned season ticket money on a player I’ve never heard of, I want to know how much he cost. I’m not interested in add-ons or projected fees. I just want a number. Any number will do.

The fee for Ian Rush's return to Liverpool from Jve was undisclosed, that was 1988 I think.

33. Added time

“The fourth official has indicated that there will be three minutes of added time”. So what? We got along just fine without a bloke in a tracksuit holding up a big No 3 at a quarter to five every Saturday.

It's a great idea, or does everyone prefer to go through the 1993 Man U v Wednesday game every so often (then there would be war on message boards and phone in shows)

4. New stadium

Where would you rather watch a game? Maine Road or the City of Manchester Stadium? The Baseball Ground or Pride Park? Highfield Road or The Ricoh Arena? The Dell or St Mary’s? Filbert Street or The Walkers Stadium? Nice prawn sandwiches, though.

Some old stadiums were s**te of the highest order, anyway the new ones will get old before long so no one will complain then.

I am surprised this guy has not complained about the back pass to the keeper being outlawed.

CiaranC

Reganio 2 wrote: »

A load of tosh tbh.
1. Television

The monster that ate football.

Television and Sky made football (Especially in England) popular.

wtf

Benedict XVI

CiaranC wrote: »

wtf

wtf nothing.

The advent of multiple live televised games each week has transformed English football.

I remember English football in the 80s

Small crowds, violent crowds, grounds that were crumbling.

With the coming of the Premier league and the large TV contract changed all that.

The game has become far more popular on England in the past 17 years and anyone who denies it either cannot grasp the concept of what popular means or has their head in the sand denying that TV,and Sky in particular, had anything to do with the improvements in English football over that period.

Oh, and by the way the origional complier of this list does not really give a whole lot of detail of how TV ate football, methinks he/she really does not believe that themselves.

Zebra3

Reganio 2 wrote: »

A load of tosh tbh.
1. Television

The monster that ate football.

Television and Sky made football (Especially in England) popular.

Gavin "shels"

Benedict XVI wrote: »

wtf nothing.

The advent of multiple live televised games each week has transformed English football.

I remember English football in the 80s

Small crowds, violent crowds, grounds that were crumbling.

With the coming of the Premier league and the large TV contract changed all that.

The game has become far more popular on England in the past 17 years and anyone who denies it either cannot grasp the concept of what popular means or has their head in the sand denying that TV,and Sky in particular, had anything to do with the improvements in English football over that period.

Oh, and by the way the origional complier of this list does not really give a whole lot of detail of how TV ate football, methinks he/she really does not believe that themselves.

Yes but with the introduction of Sky, etc... it's priced alot of the fans pre-Sky out of going to matches or possibly lack of tickets for them due to the popularity from around the world now and the high influx of daytrippers.

Also you mention that the attendences were low, well I've located avergae attendences for Everton FC from the 80's, the lowest was 19,343 and the highest was 32,935, yet in 1992 when Sky "took over" the EPL their attendences for that season was only an average of 19,504.

This video sums up what television has basically done to football in England http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0tkwqhXTc4

Hank Scorpio

1 word "Ronaldo"

More than 1 word

"Ronaldo is better than Messi"

:Cringes:

Benedict XVI

Gavin shels wrote: »

Yes but with the introduction of Sky, etc... it's priced alot of the fans pre-Sky out of going to matches or possibly lack of tickets for them due to the popularity from around the world now and the high influx of daytrippers.

Also you mention that the attendences were low, well I've located avergae attendences for Everton FC from the 80's, the lowest was 19,343 and the highest was 32,935, yet in 1992 when Sky "took over" the EPL their attendences for that season was only an average of 19,504.

This video sums up what television has basically done to football in England http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0tkwqhXTc4

I watched that video, oh Christ my heart bleeds.........

That's the problem with so called real fans, they're so stuck in the past it's sad.

invincibleirish

Gavin shels wrote: »

Yes but with the introduction of Sky, etc... it's priced alot of the fans pre-Sky out of going to matches or possibly lack of tickets for them due to the popularity from around the world now and the high influx of daytrippers.

Also you mention that the attendences were low, well I've located avergae attendences for Everton FC from the 80's, the lowest was 19,343 and the highest was 32,935, yet in 1992 when Sky "took over" the EPL their attendences for that season was only an average of 19,504.

This video sums up what television has basically done to football in England http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0tkwqhXTc4

Nice skewering of Stats there, a quick google reveals that in 92/93 Goodison was undergoing reconstruction and had a reduced capacity as a result. in 93/94 Evertons average attendence was 31k and has remained in the mid 30k range ever since.

http://www.toffeeweb.com/history/records/attendances.asp

Also a nice video as well but a musical eulogy featuring naffmeisters Cast isn't exactly proof conclusive of the malign influence of TV money is it? if anything the video is more reflective of the decline of traditional working class institutions like football as society, and not just football, embraced fully the consumerist society in which we now live.

Go around to Villa Park, Aston is a bit of a **** hole, deprived area the whole lot, lots of white flight took place there in the 2nd half of the 20th C. the real shame is that the area is now majority British Asian as opposed ot white working class but this isn't reflective in the Villa crowds:(.

YDMHSSB

load of bull to be honest, some valid ones but the list is ruined with some crazy ones.

dreamers75

Benedict XVI wrote: »

wtf nothing.

The advent of multiple live televised games each week has transformed English football.

I remember English football in the 80s

Small crowds, violent crowds, grounds that were crumbling.

With the coming of the Premier league and the large TV contract changed all that.

The game has become far more popular on England in the past 17 years and anyone who denies it either cannot grasp the concept of what popular means or has their head in the sand denying that TV,and Sky in particular, had anything to do with the improvements in English football over that period.

Oh, and by the way the origional complier of this list does not really give a whole lot of detail of how TV ate football, methinks he/she really does not believe that themselves.

Taylor report THEN TV changed football, in that order.

SectionF

Benedict XVI wrote: »

The advent of multiple live televised games each week has transformed English football.

Indeed it has.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF_uOgyBK1c

everdead.ie

Gavin shels wrote: »

This video sums up what television has basically done to football in England http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0tkwqhXTc4

I can't believe this video is actually critisisng the redevelopement of stadi. I'm not sure if many people know this but that happened because people died:eek: critising that is just a lil bit ......... oh never mind.

IvySlayer

I want to debate the Chelsea statement.

The new Manchester United. Pffffff.

Tell me, did Man Utd get its money from winning league after league or by a HUGE cash injection. You could say both, but in 1992 they certainly weren't super rich, they had a good manager and some good players. Then they won plenty more, more money, bigger sponsers, more supporters. They are mega rich now, but their success is not solely down to money. Unlike Chelsea.

OPENROAD

dreamers75 wrote: »

Taylor report THEN TV changed football, in that order.

For the better.

Hank Scorpio

chelsea always had the bones of a decent side , i supported them strongly in the hasselbaink gudjohnson era top4/5 side

Of course tho the cash made them serious title contenders and replaced there entire team(almost)

Once the cash hit and they transferred hasselbaink i stopped supporting them, didnt feel like a real club to me anymore!

OPENROAD

Gavin shels wrote: »

This video sums up what television has basically done to football in England http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0tkwqhXTc4

Whats the song in the video?

Helix

Gavin shels wrote: »

Yes but with the introduction of Sky, etc... it's priced alot of the fans pre-Sky out of going to matches or possibly lack of tickets for them due to the popularity from around the world now and the high influx of daytrippers.

Also you mention that the attendences were low, well I've located avergae attendences for Everton FC from the 80's, the lowest was 19,343 and the highest was 32,935, yet in 1992 when Sky "took over" the EPL their attendences for that season was only an average of 19,504.

This video sums up what television has basically done to football in England http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0tkwqhXTc4

has football gone up that much in the majority of grounds tho? i dont give a flying fcuk that chelsea charge £45+ per game

my villa season ticket worked out at €17 per match when i bought it, and now it would be €13 per match with the exchange rate changes

i agree with the terrace thing tho, they need to be brought back

Helix

OPENROAD wrote: »

Whats the song in the video?

cast - walkaway

OPENROAD

Helix wrote: »

has football gone up that much in the majority of grounds tho? i dont give a flying fcuk that chelsea charge £45+ per game

my villa season ticket worked out at €17 per match when i bought it, and now it would be €13 per match with the exchange rate changes

i agree with the terrace thing tho, they need to be brought back

Very good price, much more expensive at Arsenal.


I'm against bringing back terraces though.

Helix

why? theres a far better atmosphere if people are standing

the best atmosphere ive ever experienced at villa park has been when we've had stand ups for the whole match

if people are standing theyre shouting and singing, if theyre sitting the vast majority dont

Benedict XVI

Helix wrote: »

why? theres a far better atmosphere if people are standing

the best atmosphere ive ever experienced at villa park has been when we've had stand ups for the whole match

if people are standing theyre shouting and singing, if theyre sitting the vast majority dont

I agree that terraces have a better atmosphere than all seater and they are used in a modern and safe fashion in places like Germany, and closer to home in refurbished GAA grounds.

However I cannot see them returning to England anytime soon.

Clubs have spent 17 years getting rid of them and constructing new stands and new stadiums to cater for the all seater requirement.

It would be expensive and disruptive to now start ripping those seats up and modifying the surface they were stuck to to accommodate safe standing.

I am just watching the Man City v Newcastle game, I can hardly imagine a section of the brand new City of Manchester Stadium being ripped up to make way for a safe standing section.

Helix

why would it have to be compulsary?

give clubs the choice if they want to do it or not

Charlie

Mike Fcukin Ashley.

Benedict XVI

Helix wrote: »

why would it have to be compulsary?

give clubs the choice if they want to do it or not

So give me an example of a club who would go to safe standing ?

I admit that it could be considered as part of the plans by anyone building a new ground in the future.

Helix

Benedict XVI wrote: »

So give me an example of a club who would go to safe standing ?

I admit that it could be considered as part of the plans by anyone building a new ground in the future.

id be positive villa would in the north stand

youd also probably find a lot of clubs splitting one of the stands behind the goals into half seating and half terraced

Quint

Benedict XVI wrote: »

The fee for Ian Rush's return to Liverpool from Jve was undisclosed, that was 1988 I think.

It was £3m

Agreed about terraces. Germany is the best place to watch live football. Cheap prices, terraces, lots of goals, good food, beer at matches, biggest crowds.

OPENROAD

Helix wrote: »

why would it have to be compulsary?

give clubs the choice if they want to do it or not

Most clubs given the choice wouldn't go for it, for someone who might have stood on the terraces for years I can see how they might want them back, I stood on the old North Bank at Highbury once only back in 1991, was quite young and was initially sad to see terraces go but when I saw what it was replaced with, would hate to see clubs go back down that route again. Terraces were just like cages imo that would be hosed down after each match just like cages in a zoo. Don't think clubs will ever go down that route again and certainly not a pay at the gate option.

Carcharodon

I don't think its meant to be taken too serious, a bit tongue in cheek although No 16 could be higher:p

Helix

OPENROAD wrote: »

would hate to see clubs go back down that route again. Terraces were just like cages imo that would be hosed down after each match just like cages in a zoo. Don't think clubs will ever go down that route again and certainly not a pay at the gate option.

do you honestly think that 21st century terraces would be the same as terraces from the 1980s with overcrowding, dangerous fences and crushes up the front?

OPENROAD

Helix wrote: »

do you honestly think that 21st century terraces would be the same as terraces from the 1980s with overcrowding, dangerous fences and crushes up the front?

no,you wouldn't have fans caged in like animals, but dont think you will get premiership clubs going down that route.

Helix

OPENROAD wrote: »

no,you wouldn't have fans caged in like animals, but dont think you will get premiership clubs going down that route.

absolutely if they were reintroduced

i can only use villa as an example, but we're constantly in trouble with brum city council for standing at games. the club would absolutely jump at the chance to have a terraced area

itd only be part of the lower holte and part of the lower north id say, but itd save the threats of closing parts of the ground

why wouldnt a club half a lower stand behind a goal and make it terraced? premiership or not

nobodys talking about making the whole ground terraced, but only 2000-5000 capacity

CiaranC

Gavin shels wrote: »

Yes but with the introduction of Sky, etc... it's priced alot of the fans pre-Sky out of going to matches or possibly lack of tickets for them due to the popularity from around the world now and the high influx of daytrippers.

Also you mention that the attendences were low, well I've located avergae attendences for Everton FC from the 80's, the lowest was 19,343 and the highest was 32,935, yet in 1992 when Sky "took over" the EPL their attendences for that season was only an average of 19,504.

This video sums up what television has basically done to football in England http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0tkwqhXTc4

Great post and great video. God be with the days. Lets hope we can take football back.

Hey Plastic Paddy Daytripper, this video is made for you. Watch and learn.

LuckyLloyd

invincibleirish wrote: »

Nice skewering of Stats there, a quick google reveals that in 92/93 Goodison was undergoing reconstruction and had a reduced capacity as a result. in 93/94 Evertons average attendence was 31k and has remained in the mid 30k range ever since.

http://www.toffeeweb.com/history/records/attendances.asp

Also a nice video as well but a musical eulogy featuring naffmeisters Cast isn't exactly proof conclusive of the malign influence of TV money is it? if anything the video is more reflective of the decline of traditional working class institutions like football as society, and not just football, embraced fully the consumerist society in which we now live.

Go around to Villa Park, Aston is a bit of a **** hole, deprived area the whole lot, lots of white flight took place there in the 2nd half of the 20th C. the real shame is that the area is now majority British Asian as opposed ot white working class but this isn't reflective in the Villa crowds:(.

Bravo

Benedict XVI

SectionF wrote: »

Indeed it has.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF_uOgyBK1c

That's pure class,

Benedict XVI

CiaranC wrote: »

Great post and great video. God be with the days. Lets hope we can take football back.

Hey Plastic Paddy Daytripper, this video is made for you. Watch and learn.

It's a nostalgia trip and nothing else.

CiaranC - you are a Rovers fan aren't you ?

I know it's a hypothetical question cos Rovers are not moving from one 'home' to another, but would you prefer moving into your brand new ground in a few months or lets say still being at an untouched (since 1987) Milltown ?

Highsider

Without a shadow of a doubt Sky TV is the single worst thing to happen to football in the last 20 years. Hate everything that they stand for. Don't get me started on that Richard Keys fella :mad:

CiaranC

Benedict XVI wrote: »

It's a nostalgia trip and nothing else.

CiaranC - you are a Rovers fan aren't you ?

I know it's a hypothetical question cos Rovers are not moving from one 'home' to another, but would you prefer moving into your brand new ground in a few months or lets say still being at an untouched (since 1987) Milltown ?

Id rather be in Milltown. This move by football modernists almost killed Irelands most famous and most successful football club. If it wasnt for the fans, we'd just be a page in history.

Benedict XVI

CiaranC wrote: »

Id rather be in Milltown. This move by football modernists almost killed Irelands most famous and most successful football club. If it wasnt for the fans, we'd just be a page in history.

Yes but would you prefer to be in a Milltown that has not changed in 22 years ?

The video looks back to a time of terraces and old crumbling grounds, implying they are better than modern grounds.
I think it's a typical case of looking back and thinking things were better than they actually were.

CiaranC

I prefer the older grounds. Compare the Croke Park of today with the Dalymount of my (very) young days. No comparison.

In Croker you have twats in business suits telling you to sit down and stop singing, stop smoking, youre mates are somewhere a mile away so you cant meet up and generate an atmosphere.

Its sanitised rubbish. Any English grounds Ive been in are the same.

The barstoolers here dont get this article because they arent traditional football fans. Some of them seem to be outraged by some of the list. Maybe because they are number 1 on the list themselves.

Benedict XVI

Highsider wrote: »

Without a shadow of a doubt Sky TV is the single worst thing to happen to football in the last 20 years. Hate everything that they stand for. Don't get me started on that Richard Keys fella :mad:

So Highsider, from looking at your previous posts you seem to be a Liverpool fan

Now which would you prefer, to see Liverpool once a week which is about the average you see them these days or once a month* ?

The origional post stated that TV is the worst thing about the modern game, not Sky.
I hate Sky too but I do not dismiss what TV have done for the game. If any other broadcaster got the rights people would be giving out about them too.


*- Estimate based on 1 game per week on ITV pre Premiership days, rotating games between the top 4 clubs