Stadiums are better,players are fitter,faster and more skillfull you've got 24/7 access to your club you can watch any amount of football you want whenever you and all from the comfort of your front room! But the halcyon days of drafty stadiums,heavy pitches,heavy players if your team got to a cup final you got to see them on tv other than that it was once a week 3pm on a Saturday.....but what was better the glossy sharp football of this generation or the sheer hard graft of yesteryear?
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We need to bring terraces back. Safe standing needs to happen.
Supported Spurs since 1990, so it’s hard to comment on the football experience outside of that timeframe.
In terms of the quality of football, it’s clearly much better. Beyond that, some of the charm seems to have disappeared. The European tournaments have been butchered, the FA Cup devalued, the World Cup is usually a dull collective of disinterested teams, and money is dominating things more than ever. Prices are ridiculous, the media have agendas, agents and player power looms large, and there’s a general sterility about the sport.
I used to have so much passion for football, but the season when Chelsea won the CL and the Sheik Mansour team won the league felt like the death of the sport, and personally I’ve never really recovered from that. Something in me broke that night. I punched a wall, bought some cigarettes (having given up for months), and sat alone in a nearby park chain smoking and shaking my head.
I still love Spurs and watch us as much as possible, but in general I find football a fruitless experience these days. An FA Cup win would go a long way towards reigniting some enthusiasm.
In terms of the quality of football, it’s clearly much better. Beyond that, some of the charm seems to have disappeared. The European tournaments have been butchered, the FA Cup devalued, the World Cup is usually a dull collective of disinterested teams, and money is dominating things more than ever. Prices are ridiculous, the media have agendas, agents and player power looms large, and there’s a general sterility about the sport.
I used to have so much passion for football, but the season when Chelsea won the CL and the Sheik Mansour team won the league felt like the death of the sport, and personally I’ve never really recovered from that. Something in me broke that night. I punched a wall, bought some cigarettes (having given up for months), and sat alone in a nearby park chain smoking and shaking my head.
I still love Spurs and watch us as much as possible, but in general I find football a fruitless experience these days. An FA Cup win would go a long way towards reigniting some enthusiasm.
Cheer up. VAR is going to sort all this out.
I'd swap what we have now for the 70s,80s and even the 90s experience: I was born in 1990 and even I find it all so plastic and sterile now. As supporters we are effectively throwing money at some millionaires to run around and kick a ball. I accept this but for that money I want to be able to enjoy myself at the game aswell or I might aswell watch it on tv. The stadiums have gone down the shitter. Weirdly one of the best games I've been too this season was West Ham in the cup. All of us standing where we wanted, sneaking beer to our seats and generally having a laugh.
I wasn't the piss chucker, honest...
Players from the 60s 70s and 80s were every bit as good as the players of today. The big difference is the pitches balls and boots. With regard to fitness I would say that the medical side of things is far superior now to what it was then. A bad knee injury then and your career was over. Now there is not much they can't fix. Does anybody really believe that a Pele or Puskas a John White or a St John couldn't play today.? Great players would always have been great players. My first games watching Liverpool in 1960 I pay 5p in the boys pen. 5 fucking pence. I see Roma want to charge Liverpool supporters 75 pound for 1 game. That is the main difference now. Football was the working mans game because he could afford to go a couple of times a week have a few beers and even take his kids with him. If you want to go now and take your kids you need to take out a bank loan.
I went to Kennilworth Road to watch Luton v Crewe last weekend. As you'd expect from a League 2 game (notwithstanding Luton's likely promotion), there wasn't much quality on display. But there was something quite magical about the place.
It's a small ground located in a residential area (you enter the west stand through turnstiles set in a row of terraced houses) seemingly constructed from cardboard and corrugated steel roofing, all glued together by decomposing cigarette butts and hotdogs. The seats are so cramped, it's virtually impossible for anyone over the age of 5 to sit without destroying their kneecaps, which probably explains why the stewards allow everyone to stand. Despite all this, or maybe because of it, the atmosphere those 9,000 fans generated was wonderful.
Players like Hoddle, Cruyff, Gullit, Van Basten, Zico, Platini, etc were a lot better than most of today's current crop. They would certainly rival Messi & Ronaldo.
The football played today is almost a different sport compared to football played in say 70's or 80's (the 70's being first era of watching football, so wrong of me to make comparisons prior). But with few exceptions (Keegan, Dalglesh) most were no fitter than the average bloke that liked to run 10km 3 times a week today.
Micky Quinn was the Harry Kane equivalent of his day, I rest my case.........lol
This era of footballer was more accustomed to necking 10 pints of beer with his Chicken Biryani as his pre-match meal, many of them partial to a packet of fags too.
For the fans the excitement was arguably better than today, but I could be blinkered by two things here, I'm a Spurs fan so I went to a few Cup finals in this era and I was a young man then too, you know optimistic world all ahead of me etc.. I'm far more cynical today as I was then, what I read in the press I never challenged as wrong or click bait. But there were certain things that were much better in terms of the experience of watching football and that was standing and specifically on a terrace. This is important in that I could turn up on match day and pay on at the turnstile, I didn't have to have an ST, I didn't have to acquire a ticket days in advance and it was totally affordable even as a kid. It's also barring in mind that for probably the first 5yrs of taking myself to a game I genuinely saw no more than fleeting glimpses of the players, there was always someone bigger standing in front of me and despite getting into the ground two hours before kick off just so I could get to a barrier or get a spot where I could rest my heels on the step behind me, by the time KO came around I was surrounded by geezers on all sides blocking my the view, but whilst annoying it never spoilt the day.
Also and this may be my imagination, but I don't recall melters, I've seen us get battered so many times and back in the day no one lost their shit, it was a shrug of the shoulder and see you next week. There was disappointment and discussion but also no scapegoating of players, no vitriol. If you lost a Semi-Final or Cup Final you stayed to clap your side off the pitch, many actually staying to applaud the winning team!! "There's only one Danny Thomas". As I type this now, I think this is what I hate most about today and what I loved most about yesterday. I can't stand the melts, I can't stand the new football fan who isn't linked to the club through family or locality (I'm expressly calling out those who melt here, not those who support from far away and are don't melt). I will add though, living most of my life in North London with mates supporting either Spurs or Woolwich was/is special and whilst I have mates who support Spurs from the Home Counties there is something that is different, the intensity of living every waking minute inside the furnace of football fandom was fucking brilliant, when every teacher, shop keeper, dustman, roadsweeperl, market stall trader whoever had their allegiance. Now with social media that has gone, it's become faceless and irrelevant. Sorry if this makes me a snob but just speaking from the heart.
TDLR: The football is simply brilliant today, played at a far superior tempo and intensity. But the support isn't "support" today, it's just fandom and the match day experience (whether you are at the game or not) is worse because of it.
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The football played today is almost a different sport compared to football played in say 70's or 80's (the 70's being first era of watching football, so wrong of me to make comparisons prior). But with few exceptions (Keegan, Dalglesh) most were no fitter than the average bloke that liked to run 10km 3 times a week today.
Micky Quinn was the Harry Kane equivalent of his day, I rest my case.........lol
This era of footballer was more accustomed to necking 10 pints of beer with his Chicken Biryani as his pre-match meal, many of them partial to a packet of fags too.
For the fans the excitement was arguably better than today, but I could be blinkered by two things here, I'm a Spurs fan so I went to a few Cup finals in this era and I was a young man then too, you know optimistic world all ahead of me etc.. I'm far more cynical today as I was then, what I read in the press I never challenged as wrong or click bait. But there were certain things that were much better in terms of the experience of watching football and that was standing and specifically on a terrace. This is important in that I could turn up on match day and pay on at the turnstile, I didn't have to have an ST, I didn't have to acquire a ticket days in advance and it was totally affordable even as a kid. It's also barring in mind that for probably the first 5yrs of taking myself to a game I genuinely saw no more than fleeting glimpses of the players, there was always someone bigger standing in front of me and despite getting into the ground two hours before kick off just so I could get to a barrier or get a spot where I could rest my heels on the step behind me, by the time KO came around I was surrounded by geezers on all sides blocking my the view, but whilst annoying it never spoilt the day.
Also and this may be my imagination, but I don't recall melters, I've seen us get battered so many times and back in the day no one lost their shit, it was a shrug of the shoulder and see you next week. There was disappointment and discussion but also no scapegoating of players, no vitriol. If you lost a Semi-Final or Cup Final you stayed to clap your side off the pitch, many actually staying to applaud the winning team!! "There's only one Danny Thomas". As I type this now, I think this is what I hate most about today and what I loved most about yesterday. I can't stand the melts, I can't stand the new football fan who isn't linked to the club through family or locality (I'm expressly calling out those who melt here, not those who support from far away and are don't melt). I will add though, living most of my life in North London with mates supporting either Spurs or Woolwich was/is special and whilst I have mates who support Spurs from the Home Counties there is something that is different, the intensity of living every waking minute inside the furnace of football fandom was fucking brilliant, when every teacher, shop keeper, dustman, roadsweeperl, market stall trader whoever had their allegiance. Now with social media that has gone, it's become faceless and irrelevant. Sorry if this makes me a snob but just speaking from the heart.
TDLR: The football is simply brilliant today, played at a far superior tempo and intensity. But the support isn't "support" today, it's just fandom and the match day experience (whether you are at the game or not) is worse because of it.
Very well put. I can agree with a lot of what you said. Success now brings a lot of hangers on. I actually worked with a bloke who was a Chelsea supporter but couldn't distinguish between Drogba and Gudjohnson . I am serious
It's really hard to quantify. I think there have always been supporters of their clubs without the full knowledge of the players they are watching, the guy I'm sat next too has barely missed a home game in 60yrs but he's constantly asking me who's that? and referring to his programme looking for the name of Number 8. But for me the words that you hardly ever hear any more is "unlucky" when a pass is missed, or a shot missed. It's met with a volley of abuse and derision. I can't stand this. I don't know if it's because less and less people watching today have never kicked a football, if they did they might be reminded of the fact that it's actual a difficult thing to do.
Obviously the standard has improved, and fitness, but the fans are shittier and way more wanky.....I prefer hooligans to twitter warriors, and I mean that.
Grounds are "better", atmospheres worse....remember Paxton when it was terraced.
Pitches are better, diving is through the roof, refs are par but its a no contact sport now.
Players have zero personality...all generic polished interviews..I miss the likes of:
"Ahm now away to av me soot MESHARD......EEEEHHH!!"
Grounds are "better", atmospheres worse....remember Paxton when it was terraced.
Pitches are better, diving is through the roof, refs are par but its a no contact sport now.
Players have zero personality...all generic polished interviews..I miss the likes of:
"Ahm now away to av me soot MESHARD......EEEEHHH!!"
On the park - other then getting a bit softer, yes it is
off the park / fan experience - not a fucking chance
off the park / fan experience - not a fucking chance
It really hit home to me one afternoon at the Lane, watching Adebayor strolling round the pitch for us I just thought wtf am I doing grafting my arse off so I can afford my 900quid season ticket.
Always be a Yid obviously, but will never pay the prices they have now, I remember the days you could rock up at the ticket office and tell them where you wanted your season ticket!
It's a treat now to go to a match, and that's a tragedy
Always be a Yid obviously, but will never pay the prices they have now, I remember the days you could rock up at the ticket office and tell them where you wanted your season ticket!
It's a treat now to go to a match, and that's a tragedy
The football played today is almost a different sport compared to football played in say 70's or 80's (the 70's being first era of watching football, so wrong of me to make comparisons prior). But with few exceptions (Keegan, Dalglesh) most were no fitter than the average bloke that liked to run 10km 3 times a week today.
Micky Quinn was the Harry Kane equivalent of his day, I rest my case.........lol
This era of footballer was more accustomed to necking 10 pints of beer with his Chicken Biryani as his pre-match meal, many of them partial to a packet of fags too.
For the fans the excitement was arguably better than today, but I could be blinkered by two things here, I'm a Spurs fan so I went to a few Cup finals in this era and I was a young man then too, you know optimistic world all ahead of me etc.. I'm far more cynical today as I was then, what I read in the press I never challenged as wrong or click bait. But there were certain things that were much better in terms of the experience of watching football and that was standing and specifically on a terrace. This is important in that I could turn up on match day and pay on at the turnstile, I didn't have to have an ST, I didn't have to acquire a ticket days in advance and it was totally affordable even as a kid. It's also barring in mind that for probably the first 5yrs of taking myself to a game I genuinely saw no more than fleeting glimpses of the players, there was always someone bigger standing in front of me and despite getting into the ground two hours before kick off just so I could get to a barrier or get a spot where I could rest my heels on the step behind me, by the time KO came around I was surrounded by geezers on all sides blocking my the view, but whilst annoying it never spoilt the day.
Also and this may be my imagination, but I don't recall melters, I've seen us get battered so many times and back in the day no one lost their shit, it was a shrug of the shoulder and see you next week. There was disappointment and discussion but also no scapegoating of players, no vitriol. If you lost a Semi-Final or Cup Final you stayed to clap your side off the pitch, many actually staying to applaud the winning team!! "There's only one Danny Thomas". As I type this now, I think this is what I hate most about today and what I loved most about yesterday. I can't stand the melts, I can't stand the new football fan who isn't linked to the club through family or locality (I'm expressly calling out those who melt here, not those who support from far away and are don't melt). I will add though, living most of my life in North London with mates supporting either Spurs or Woolwich was/is special and whilst I have mates who support Spurs from the Home Counties there is something that is different, the intensity of living every waking minute inside the furnace of football fandom was fucking brilliant, when every teacher, shop keeper, dustman, roadsweeperl, market stall trader whoever had their allegiance. Now with social media that has gone, it's become faceless and irrelevant. Sorry if this makes me a snob but just speaking from the heart.
TDLR: The football is simply brilliant today, played at a far superior tempo and intensity. But the support isn't "support" today, it's just fandom and the match day experience (whether you are at the game or not) is worse because of it.
Quite possibly the best post I ever read on this forum!!
Imagine Jimmy greaves and george best having the advantages of playing in the modern game. Fitness, nutrition and better pitches with no centre half trying to cripple them every game.
Great post.The football played today is almost a different sport compared to football played in say 70's or 80's (the 70's being first era of watching football, so wrong of me to make comparisons prior). But with few exceptions (Keegan, Dalglesh) most were no fitter than the average bloke that liked to run 10km 3 times a week today.
Micky Quinn was the Harry Kane equivalent of his day, I rest my case.........lol
This era of footballer was more accustomed to necking 10 pints of beer with his Chicken Biryani as his pre-match meal, many of them partial to a packet of fags too.
For the fans the excitement was arguably better than today, but I could be blinkered by two things here, I'm a Spurs fan so I went to a few Cup finals in this era and I was a young man then too, you know optimistic world all ahead of me etc.. I'm far more cynical today as I was then, what I read in the press I never challenged as wrong or click bait. But there were certain things that were much better in terms of the experience of watching football and that was standing and specifically on a terrace. This is important in that I could turn up on match day and pay on at the turnstile, I didn't have to have an ST, I didn't have to acquire a ticket days in advance and it was totally affordable even as a kid. It's also barring in mind that for probably the first 5yrs of taking myself to a game I genuinely saw no more than fleeting glimpses of the players, there was always someone bigger standing in front of me and despite getting into the ground two hours before kick off just so I could get to a barrier or get a spot where I could rest my heels on the step behind me, by the time KO came around I was surrounded by geezers on all sides blocking my the view, but whilst annoying it never spoilt the day.
Also and this may be my imagination, but I don't recall melters, I've seen us get battered so many times and back in the day no one lost their shit, it was a shrug of the shoulder and see you next week. There was disappointment and discussion but also no scapegoating of players, no vitriol. If you lost a Semi-Final or Cup Final you stayed to clap your side off the pitch, many actually staying to applaud the winning team!! "There's only one Danny Thomas". As I type this now, I think this is what I hate most about today and what I loved most about yesterday. I can't stand the melts, I can't stand the new football fan who isn't linked to the club through family or locality (I'm expressly calling out those who melt here, not those who support from far away and are don't melt). I will add though, living most of my life in North London with mates supporting either Spurs or Woolwich was/is special and whilst I have mates who support Spurs from the Home Counties there is something that is different, the intensity of living every waking minute inside the furnace of football fandom was fucking brilliant, when every teacher, shop keeper, dustman, roadsweeperl, market stall trader whoever had their allegiance. Now with social media that has gone, it's become faceless and irrelevant. Sorry if this makes me a snob but just speaking from the heart.
TDLR: The football is simply brilliant today, played at a far superior tempo and intensity. But the support isn't "support" today, it's just fandom and the match day experience (whether you are at the game or not) is worse because of it.
Who would be the Danny Thomas equivalent in this Spurs team? And would we still sing his name if he missed a pen in the FA Cup final?
I think every club has their core support, though, which is still made up of proper supporters and is best reflected in the away following. Our core support is made up of people who love the club to bits and a lot of them are the same people who were there in the 70s, 80s, 90s anyway.
Whilst I can't disagree with that in total, Spurs fans have walked out on mass on the 80 min mark in too many games I care to remember, especially those games at Wembley. There is now pressure to remain when thousands leave the stands early, when we lost the FA Cup semi-final 5-1 vs Chelsea, I was the only person within 20 rows of me, determined to sit it out I felt defiant, then I got an overwhelming sensation that I could be filmed, the twat sat on his tod, looking depressed screened live around the World and turned into an internet meme, so I legend it, couldn't get out of the place fast enough.
Unfortunately no-one will get that song after a missed pen, Ade was crucified for missing his, no song started when Kane missed his at Liverpool. Those days are long gone I'm afraid, the intent will be there from many fans, just they are the minority now, the vast majority are already filing down Wembley way.