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young woody 12:34 Wed Mar 20
Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

Having watched the Harry thing over the last few days made me think is football actually more enjoyable now.

All the players are mega fit and in my option the standard is better than if ever was.

However is it more enjoyable to watch now than it was before pre Premier league? (I’m not talking about standing up and all that) I mean is that standard actually better?

Unfortunately i was to young to watch football before the prem but I’m not one of these people who think football didn’t exist pre 92.

collyrob 12:36 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

Fuck sake woody, don’t set them off.

Long Lost 12:37 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

Loads of 70’s Big Match episodes on BT. It was chaotic, a lot less sanitised. Kids running on the pitch at the end of each game. Proper drop kicks indirect free kicks for obstruction including in the penalty area. Pitches that were fucked from Nov to March Loads more fun.

Bernie 12:39 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

For me today's football is boring and there's lots of things in the game that annoy me, cheating, ludicrous wages, teams not playing any strikers or at best just one.

The very early days of the premier league we're brilliant.

I'm too young really to comment on anything before

BRANDED 12:43 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

The football on the pitch as a skill is probably much better. However, all sporting event are experiences and the experience of most sporting events is more sanctities and corporate, much like the rest of life.
However, lower leagues might well offer a taste of that experience so maybe it’s only the top leagues that have gone this way.

pulhampete 12:48 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

Today's players are fitter and allowed to use their skills more.
The art of a tackling has been ruled out of the game. A good, full blooded but fair tackle was a thing of beauty.

Some of the unfair ones were also a joy to watch!

Side of Ham 12:50 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

The football is definitely of a better standard so much so it notices badly when your team is not performing much quicker to your average joe which makes supporters far more fickle understandably. The money in the game makes you far more bitter too and less endeared to the players. I was pointing out to a mate that what is miss is that when you played teams in the eighties they always had their equivalent of your best players and it felt more like two cities/towns clubs and its population up against each other hence the rivalry was far more ferocious.

AnotherDay_SameShit 12:51 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

Didn't you start a similar thread last week? Boring.

penners28 12:53 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

The standard has gone up, but the whole experience is now shit.

HTH

collyrob 12:55 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

The standard of skill and technique is miles ahead now, no doubt about it.

A load of pissed up sloggers kicking lumps out of each other might have been enjoyable to watch but the quality of football was poor.

Grumpster 12:58 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

Both versions have their good points I'm sure, but as I grew up on the game as it was, that is the version I enjoyed more.

Hardly ever watch games on TV nowadays, where as I used to watch all of them, albeit there clearly wasn't a game on every day like there is now and that's one of the worst points, as football is a 3pm on a Saturday past time yet rarely is that the case anymore and it makes arranging away games a nightmare.

The players aren't more skilful nowadays either, it's just that tackling has become a capital punishment offence and has virtually been outlawed, so it just makes them look more skilful.

I'm a dinosaur, but loved it when there was more bite on and off the pitch than here is now and I literally can't get my head around all of the cheating cunts. I even turn off West Ham games the second there's a dive.

Mainly it's the players though, as it's hard to like 99% of the modern footballer cunts, as they're nothing like the blokes who support them. Didn't used to be like that.

eusebiovic 12:59 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

I think that players are fitter and more professional these days in general but the best players back then would still be the best now - I do think that overtraining can kill off the natural off the cuff talent which seems less obvious these days - players now are technically very good but there is something joyless and less romantic about the whole thing.

It's the lack of freedom that gets me - the joy of not having to plan weeks in advance to get a ticket and just rocking up at the gate at short notice.

Which is why lower league football still has that charm...I don't think it's coincidence non league football attendances have been upwards for quite a few seasons now.

Troy McClure 1:01 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

It certainly wasn't as cynical as today's shit.

Only have the think about last Saturday with Huddersfield players going down one after the other to disrupt any flow to our game. "Game management" I suppose they call it nowadays and it's fucking horrible.

Cheezey Bell-End 1:18 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

I don't miss the constant backpassing. That rule has definitely improved things.

Any Old Iron 1:47 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

In the 60's, 70's and 80's watching football was a much more visceral experience but also a bloody good laugh.
I used to say that win lose or draw, games at the Boleyn would give me a laugh at some point. The terrace humour, intended or unintended, was brilliant and made some turgid games worth going for.
I don't go as often as I'd like to these days but that side of it seems to have gone. The match day is all too sterile now, but at least as a club we've resisted the urge to go with post-goal music or placcy clappers, thank fuck.

Cheezey Bell-End 1:53 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

About 20 years ago there used to be this really smelly guy who always sat in the East upper. I don't miss him.

Sven Roeder 1:59 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

In the period 1974 to 1980 Man Utd, Spurs and Chelsea were all relegated and West Ham won 2 FA Cups
SURELY that was more enjoyable

Northern Sold 2:05 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

Prem Football I find now is sanitised... and frankly boring... game I enjoyed more anything recently?? The Brum v Villa game... abso loved it... I don't give a fuck that a FOOTBALL player is fitter... that they can run non stop for 90 mins... I see players nowadays that cannot pass a ball over 10 yards... Oh they can run though... I give you that... the main reason why it was better BACK IN THE DAY... the players AND the fans cared... now it seems it's corporate day out more than anything.... not for me... but then again i'm an old fucking Dinosaur... Growl

BRANDED 2:06 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

Surely attending games is all about the whole experience? The playing of the football was only one part of it even if it was the central part.

Alwaysaniron 2:09 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

"Back in the day"

We're missing a few 'bro's' and a couple of innit's.

scott_d 2:35 Wed Mar 20
Re: Was football back in the day more enjoyable than it is now?

I do miss the days when players were allowed to have a bit of personality and character. Everything is so drilled and each point is so valuable that teams and players are tasked with playing a certain way to suit a managers specific system or style. It leaves little room for a bit of flair.

For all Harry Redknapps flaws, it was easily my most enjoyable time as a West Ham fan because he did like to try and play entertaining football and bring in the odd maverick like Di Canio. I'm not sure this managerial style would work in todays premier league and worse of all, there are no players like Di Canio, Catona etc in the Premier League.

For me, I preferred the old days around the 90's but I can't change that so I'm just happy that I was around for some of it.

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