Why I stopped going.

[side effect]

After 300 home and 200 away games the Manny fiasco was enough and the excuse to stop supporting this club

I had a front row seat West Upper 70 seats away from south bank and I wasn't willing to pay £650 for a season ticket with a club that for those prices were just happy for top ten.

With a taste of Europe via inter toto cup I wanted Europe every season so I quietly just left the club and took up train spotting.

Or the long term meds messed me up

 

[WHU(Exeter)]

Stopped when all-seating was introduced, then changed my mind a season after and started again.

Move to the London Stadium, not the place itself, just that with the change with ticketing policies, couldn’t get away tickets anymore and always preferred the away trips.

things changing as well, last away trip was at Newcastle away, and a fair amount in the away seemed to be more glued to their phones than watching the game. Not criticising and it’s their prerogative and times and generations change, but it’s just not for me.

[Takashi Miike]

self obsession is a better description

[Vexed]

Why I stopped going?

Work & my career. Simple as that.

Think I finally stopped going in about 1981 when I gave my season ticket to my younger brother. He was a Man U fan so let it lapse after that.

My job moved to out by Edgware and I followed it a little later, buying a house and living in Radlett.

Work quickly became a 7-days-a-week task and I needed to seem keen to gain promotion, so, 7-days-a-week it was. The huge wads of (overtime) cash helped, too.

And all because...a bunch of cunts in the City wanted to phone the New York Stock Exchange every afternoon and trade pork bellies & Florida orange juice.


 

Michael. That is one of the most boring stories ever told and nobody fucking cares.

Why do you lack that self awareness? What's wrong with you? Is there a name for this problem? 

​​​​​​Jesus fuck. 

[Bungo]

Apart from anything happening on the pitch, I actually find the schlep to and from Stratford station puts me off going as much as anything else. It's probably no further than my previous walk at UP from Newham General, but somehow that was less irritating (or perhaps it was because I was younger?) Walking through real streets and being able to pop into a shop on the way somehow made it more acceptable too.

Tried driving and parking at Stratford International but that's not much better. Really should try the DLR/Pudding Mill Lane route but always forget!

Anyway, I find the walk and the stop/go numpties irritate me as much as anything else these days. Probably go to no more than 3 or 4 games a season now.

[only1billybonds]

I only get to a handful of games per season now and every year it takes a bigger effort to motivate myself to carry on. Not sure I'll bother after this season. It's a £150 (minimum) day out and it's a long day on account of where I live. Mainly though, my grandkids are at that age where they want to spend more time with us and they are more important to me than anything else.

[F 129 Row66]

Stopped going after last season for several reasons:

1.. I used to struggle to get up the 120 odd stairs due to worsening arthritis.
2.  I was told I could apply for a lower seat if I renew early as it was a first come first server situation. I could not do this as they delayed the sacking of David Moyes and I did not want to endure another season of Moyesball.
3. Moyesball (see above).Sometimes I would be sitting there completely disinterested in the game, our ceding possession, inability to play out of defence and the low block.only created anxiety rather than the enjoyment of the game that you should expect. In the game v Newcastle last year we played like this and eventually went a goal down. Before and after that long period of negative play, we were the much better team, but only drew a game we should have won easily.
4. My son, who used to go with me, was losing interest and only attended the big games, so I would be going on my own unless I could find anyone free.
5. They closed the car park at Snaresbrook station. This was the final straw.




 

[F 129 Row66]

 

[Mike Oxsaw]

Why I stopped going?

Work & my career. Simple as that.

Think I finally stopped going in about 1981 when I gave my season ticket to my younger brother. He was a Man U fan so let it lapse after that.

My job moved to out by Edgware and I followed it a little later, buying a house and living in Radlett.

Work quickly became a 7-days-a-week task and I needed to seem keen to gain promotion, so, 7-days-a-week it was. The huge wads of (overtime) cash helped, too.

And all because...a bunch of cunts in the City wanted to phone the New York Stock Exchange every afternoon and trade pork bellies & Florida orange juice.



 

Was your younger brother named Bob.,?
​​​​​​AKA   BoB
partial to a banana

He was known as "Horse Arse" around Romford & Dagenham on account of him being so productive.

[Monsieur merde de cheval]

Why I stopped going?

Work & my career. Simple as that.

Think I finally stopped going in about 1981 when I gave my season ticket to my younger brother. He was a Man U fan so let it lapse after that.

My job moved to out by Edgware and I followed it a little later, buying a house and living in Radlett.

Work quickly became a 7-days-a-week task and I needed to seem keen to gain promotion, so, 7-days-a-week it was. The huge wads of (overtime) cash helped, too.

And all because...a bunch of cunts in the City wanted to phone the New York Stock Exchange every afternoon and trade pork bellies & Florida orange juice.


 

Was your younger brother named Bob.,?
​​​​​​AKA   BoB
partial to a banana

[Mike Oxsaw]

Why I stopped going?

Work & my career. Simple as that.

Think I finally stopped going in about 1981 when I gave my season ticket to my younger brother. He was a Man U fan so let it lapse after that.

My job moved to out by Edgware and I followed it a little later, buying a house and living in Radlett.

Work quickly became a 7-days-a-week task and I needed to seem keen to gain promotion, so, 7-days-a-week it was. The huge wads of (overtime) cash helped, too.

And all because...a bunch of cunts in the City wanted to phone the New York Stock Exchange every afternoon and trade pork bellies & Florida orange juice.

 

[Monsieur merde de cheval]

My fav ever atmosphere was Coventry in 81 and how did the club reward its loyal fan base. They seated the west lower and the atmosphere went. Another club would have put 4k seats by extending the South bank and putting seats on a second tier but no they lower capacity on our return to the top flight.

It was only the fans and away travel that kept me going.

Thanks for your replies.

Same feeling  for everyone I think mate.
81 Cov goes under the radar doesn't it.

[Monsieur merde de cheval]

Probably in a minority but I like the new stadium. Yes, there are things I miss about the Boleyn, like being so close to the pitch, Ken's cafe etc but the new stadium if fine. Had to move with the times and having a new, huge stadium is part of that. The pubs in the area are fine and the atmosphere is ok, plus, only being one stop along on the train for me is a bonus. Don't like the overpriced food and bars at the stadium but easier enough to get some more reasonably priced food and drinks at the many pubs in the area. Also a real bastard getting to the station afterward and not like I can sit out the rush in a pub for a bit, either.

Fair enough ..hairy muff
​​​​

[Swiss.]

tha atmosphere is poor... but that's all seater stadiums for you not necessarily because of the ground, let's face it all seat Upton park was awful atmosphere wise a lot of the time

This. The idea that all-seater Upton park was jumping every game seems to have got established in myth somewhere. Many a game in that era of Upton Park were dull and the atmosphere lifeless. The romance and aura that ground acquired over the years never has and never will be matched by the LS. But many of the problems people moan about now at the LS were present there. Yes they are worse now but that would also be the case if we had stayed. And you would still be reading posts here and elsewhere that "Upton Park just isn't the same as it used be", "football nowadays!" etc etc

Exactly Wils. Atmosphere was pretty shit at the Boleyn in the last years. The atmosphere at the  OS in the Sevillia 2nd leg was pretty electric. 

[Mike Oxsaw]

..."a real bastard getting to the station afterwards"...

Would that be down to the "world class transport links" we have at the O/S?

[side effect]

Probably in a minority but I like the new stadium. Yes, there are things I miss about the Boleyn, like being so close to the pitch, Ken's cafe etc but the new stadium if fine. Had to move with the times and having a new, huge stadium is part of that. The pubs in the area are fine and the atmosphere is ok, plus, only being one stop along on the train for me is a bonus. Don't like the overpriced food and bars at the stadium but easier enough to get some more reasonably priced food and drinks at the many pubs in the area. Also a real bastard getting to the station afterward and not like I can sit out the rush in a pub for a bit, either.

Same here. It was embarrassing was Upton Park where sellouts were 24k etc. Credit to the fans for creating the atmosphere they did.

But like Arsenal they smash the stadium to compete with bigger boys so I expect better.

Call me entitled but the game is a out winning trophies not surviving.

[One Sunny Day]

Probably in a minority but I like the new stadium. Yes, there are things I miss about the Boleyn, like being so close to the pitch, Ken's cafe etc but the new stadium if fine. Had to move with the times and having a new, huge stadium is part of that. The pubs in the area are fine and the atmosphere is ok, plus, only being one stop along on the train for me is a bonus. Don't like the overpriced food and bars at the stadium but easier enough to get some more reasonably priced food and drinks at the many pubs in the area. Also a real bastard getting to the station afterward and not like I can sit out the rush in a pub for a bit, either.

[side effect]

My fav ever atmosphere was Coventry in 81 and how did the club reward its loyal fan base. They seated the west lower and the atmosphere went. Another club would have put 4k seats by extending the South bank and putting seats on a second tier but no they lower capacity on our return to the top flight.

It was only the fans and away travel that kept me going.

Thanks for your replies.

[greenie1]

Some look at times gone by with rose tinted glasses, but I do feel that football (in general and referring to atmosphere and the experience) went downhill when it went all seater. Granted, there were quite a few games in the old second division, standing there in the wet and cold, watching a 0-0 draw, but it was a reasonable price to watch, you could pay at the turnstile and none of this having to apply for membership or paying months in advance for a ticket.
Standing on the terraces had its good moments and I am so glad that I got to experience that. 

Have yet to experience the new stadium. I hear so many complaints about it that I would rather spend my money on other things. 
 

[Manuel]

Virgil put out a great, passionate rate on C&B yesterday about the state of the club and where it is today etc, just makes discussing the January window completely futile when looking at the bigger picture. I'm going to my first game next month since April 2016 and 'day out' aside I'm not looking forward to it at all. A sad state of affairs.

[Ged]

I gave up because I didn't want to move to Stratford. I'd read all the stuff about the designer advocating for the alternative design as this design would not be appropriate, but that w*nkspangle Sebastian Coe was adamant that there had to be an olympic legacy in his image and likeness.  It was so obvious that so many of the seats were going to end up so far from the pitch...

I went over when we played Anderlecht and the only thing that was better was the toilets. I do miss it some days, but not as much as I thought I would.

[Takashi Miike]

we never sat down in the BML, even when that parasite Brown threatened the fans we carried on

[cholo]

I stopped going regularly when they knocked the south bank down, I was always against all seater stadiums and I was right, football should be watched standing up.

Even the Boleyn was never the same.

Been to the new gaff a few times and I'm not a fan although I'll no doubt go again done time to catch up with my brother and a few old mates.

I'll sound like a right old cսnt but I'm glad I got to experience the good times.

[Manuel]

As said earlier there are various reasons, for me I moved overseas, but I had stopped going as regular as I use to prior to that. My memory is a big foggy but I seem to recall late 90's touch a few people I know just packed it in, it seemed to go 'out of fashion' going to West Ham, but now there seems to be more people than ever going. I see stuff on FB with bods going over there, but back when I don't even recall them being that interested, let alone going. The shithole has attracted a new raft of fans I believe, not just tourists?

[wils]

tha atmosphere is poor... but that's all seater stadiums for you not necessarily because of the ground, let's face it all seat Upton park was awful atmosphere wise a lot of the time

This. The idea that all-seater Upton park was jumping every game seems to have got established in myth somewhere. Many a game in that era of Upton Park were dull and the atmosphere lifeless. The romance and aura that ground acquired over the years never has and never will be matched by the LS. But many of the problems people moan about now at the LS were present there. Yes they are worse now but that would also be the case if we had stayed. And you would still be reading posts here and elsewhere that "Upton Park just isn't the same as it used be", "football nowadays!" etc etc

[Jericho]

1972 to 2016 done the hard yards in the away days as well when you were constantly looking over your shoulder 
Packed up my season ticket after the 2016 last season at Upton Park.

Been to the bowl 3 times since the move, sadly,  its not for me, nothing can ever replace that walk out of the tube station down Green Street towards the ground.

As we get older, other things become priority in life, I still have the memories of the good old days, and You Tube is a great way of reliving those times