Hi guys hope all is well

I am a university student doing a piece about football and how it has changed over the years for better or for worse. I was wondering if any of you guys have any opinions on the matter and would be interested in answering a few questions and give your opinion on the current state of the game.

Many thanks , Up the Chels, Lewis

Getting rid of the terraces and having seating changed the fans experience a lot it lessened the home experience as fans were often dispersed so the traditional football songs took longer to take off or did not happen at all.

Couldnt agree more. Do you have any socials so i can ask you a few more questions ?

On 16/03/2025 at 14:37, Lewis Pettman said:

Hi guys hope all is well

I am a university student doing a piece about football and how it has changed over the years for better or for worse. I was wondering if any of you guys have any opinions on the matter and would be interested in answering a few questions and give your opinion on the current state of the game.

Many thanks , Up the Chels, Lewis

The traditional Saturday 3pm KO is mostly a thing of the past. Plus you can no longer spontaneously decide to go with a bunch of mates to a game because you can no longer just turn up and pay at the turnstile. Youngsters can't go as a group and stand together on the terraces anymore . You always had enough money to go to football,it was always affordable. Loads more . Good luck with your project.

The cost of attending top level matches has drastically risen.

The cost of replica tops and their frequency of change. I fully accept nobody forces you to buy one. That’s why ‘retro tops’ are often preferred and have become so popular.

The playing surfaces have changed out of recognition.

Eddie Mac and groundsman George Anstiss on the Bridge pitch Feb 1977!

The legendary muddy Baseball Ground .

Edited March 21, 20251 yr by erskblue

Bit of a contrast!

On 20/03/2025 at 18:35, The Rising Sun said:

The traditional Saturday 3pm KO is mostly a thing of the past. Plus you can no longer spontaneously decide to go with a bunch of mates to a game because you can no longer just turn up and pay at the turnstile. Youngsters can't go as a group and stand together on the terraces anymore . You always had enough money to go to football,it was always affordable. Loads more . Good luck with your project.

Good point about match times changing.

One of my relatives worked in the PO and could just make the home match on a Saturday as they worked 6 days a week.

I remember Sunday matches coming in which was ok yet when it changed to Monday and midweek thought it was going too far.

I never got to the North East then as often on a Monday or Wednesday though made Grimsby away in the FA Cup due to taking a day off work and a mate driving.

On 16/03/2025 at 19:32, Lewis Pettman said:

Couldnt agree more. Do you have any socials so i can ask you a few more questions ?

Not me, health is an issue I had a head injury and other injuries and became sensitive to Smart Tech and other things so don't socialise that often and then kids and the economy trying to make enough money to get out of renting was hard.

Another aspect was a number liked heavy drinking and the 'law of unintended consequences' started to arise.

I recall going to a pub near Victoria station pre-match and we were stopped because one was wearing football colours and another lost his cool, 'We've been coming here for effing 20 years' and now you say we cannot come in wearing a football shirt?'

I held him back yet it was close to being very voilent as the two foreign doorman were very large and strong looking, and less than a minute later a police riot came around the corner.

That was one of a number of close shaves, and what-if moments.