We need to talk about... our away support

[Fifth Column]

No doubt I'll get grief for this but here goes... I don't attend a lot of home matches as the atmosphere is dire most weeks.  I go to 80% of away matches. Have been going about 40 years now.  Over the last couple of years I find our away support has started to go the way of our home support. In the past we could get battered by the big clubs and we'd largely continue to out sing them even when we were ####.  Yes I know that wasn't the case in every match but in most matches it was.

Now at away matches unless we're winning we often don't make much noise at all. I never cared that much about winning or losing that match - it was about having a laugh and taking the ####.  Trying to get people singing when we're behind... usually me and my (adult) kids with me and a couple of others.  This is not an "I'm better than you" message.  I just find it sad that even away crowds are losing our edge and energy.  And I know that most other clubs are no better and often worse.  Is it just PL in 2024? Is it because we've often terrible to watch? Am I just a miserable old c###?

[Dick Shaftsbury]

it's no surprise seeing as the investment to go to football these days is quite large. 

In the early 90s if you paid a tenner to get in you didn't really care if we were losing 2 nil, you still had a good time with your mates. These days you've spent £150+ to go to whatever away game, you're going to be fucking annoyed if whats being served up on the pitch is total shit. 

Football as we knew it is dead and its an irretrievable situation that will only get worse. 

[smartypants]

It’s definitely deteriorated over the last 20 years but who’s hasn’t. I guess It’s more noticeable with us as we have previously been one of the best. The whole experience is sadly very different now and the few recent European games were a nice change for me. I’d say only 1 or 2 a season are memorable nowadays. I was at spurs and was actually shocked at how much of a tourist attraction that place had become, day tripping Far Eastern couples seemed to outnumber the locals. I suppose the only positive I could draw from the day was that it’s not just us.

[side effect]

I go one further. Since 2000 I have totally fallen out of love with the club. They mean nothing to me these days.
200 away games
300 home.
Cremonese
Jokerit
Heerenveen
Metz
Osijek.

But as already mentioned its good to me up.

 

[Come On You Irons]

I have noticed this too from watching on TV, as I don't really do away games (long time some season ticket holder).

I reckon a lot of supporters have simply had enough of the club under Sullivan and the fact we make zero real progress towards competing for top 8 positions season in, season out and closing the gap to the big London clubs Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.

Decades of under achievement, unambitious ownership, the sell out from our proper home and a media that looks down upon and belittles us takes its toll as you get older I suppose.

[Fifth Column]

Pub Bigot yes away at Liverpool last year was silent both home and away.  Was so poor.

[Pub Bigot]

The away support in terms of noise is terrible. I can't think of too many games where the away end has been bouncing, outside of Derby in the cup a few years back or Leicester, the final game before the Prague final. 

I remember last season, early away at Liverpool and for periods the whole ground was like a morgue. 

I'm losing interest, but go as my mates do because I live 250 miles away from them and football is the excuse to meet up. 

 

[Gary Strodders shank]

A lot of the old school are now too old or to pissed off to attend.
A lot of the humour has been eroded partly due to the sanitisation of the game and what you can and cant say anymore for fear of getting nicked.

The majority of fans nowadays both home and away are also too busy checking their social media or football bets to really get any kind of atmosphere going
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It's the same at other sporting events also as they become more and more commercialised.

Cheltenham races in march is now full of pissed up and in a lot of cases coked up young bellends in peaky blinders caps spunking there  money up the wall because they no fuck all about racing.

The singing of football songs at blue ribband  race meetings Is  also fucking cringeworthy to say the least.

A lot of the genuine racing fans have been priced out and 
put of by these twats and there knobish behaviour.

There is also a fair chance when going racing these days of bumping into the PM and his Mrs / carer on yet another freebie so another reason to stay away.



 

[simons]

Young lad next to me on Saturday was wankered. Back and forward to the bogs to take gear no doubt, and looked like he would have started a fight with his mates by the end of the game. I don’t go to many away games now, and it looks like I’m not missing much. Europe away was good fun, but it’ll be a long while before that happens again.

[Adsiron]

I went to Florida for the pre-season kick around with Palace and Wolves. It's years since I used to regularly go to away games and it was more of a holiday atmosphere with a lot of families there but West Ham fans outnumbered Palace or Wolves by big numbers. The only way to improve away support is go yourself...

[Ladysmith]

I think this could be written about any away support.

Taking a severe beating never helps but I think a lot has to do the way modern football has been going.

[Council Scum]

Our support in general has got worse over the last 20 years, beer throwing simpletons who, by and large think that shouting "irons" over and over again on the way to the ground or on a train is the height of being a supporter.  

[Leavemyarcelona]

Away support is shit nowadays, same boring chants. Not many of the old faces bother anymore

[Monsieur merde de cheval]

Old school have been priced out or had enough.
still a hardcore , but it diminishes as each season passes.
You used to able to buy tickets for away games, even the big ones,on general sale .
and you recognised a lot of faces even if you didn't know them ( the nod).
Now? ...nah .I ponced a ticket for yesterday by chance, wish I hadn't bothered, I didn't recognise anything or anyone, quite sad really.

 

[Takashi Miike]

the football is joyless, has been for multiple years so I'm not surprised even the away fans are bored with it