Attendance issues

[Stu]

Within my circle of friends, there are a good 13/14 villa fans amongst us, the majority of us have been going down the villa all our lives up until the last few years. We're now in our early 20's and the only thing that attracts us now are away days, does anyone else find it worrying that this could become a common occurrence within the younger fan ?

Are people just generally losing interest in the game ?

Not really, I'm in my early 30's and I prefer aways. I think most people do actually, and aways in the smoke in particular are always a top laugh.

[supertom]

Footballs just generally not as fun anymore. Less likeable characters and not so many standout players who can light up a game. 15-25 years ago most top flight clubs had at least one edge of your seat player. I mean a shite club like Southampton had Le Tiss for years. The better players seem largely reserved for the bigger clubs as it's more about money now. Players largely have to be superfit nowadays and like how a lot of youth set ups run here, they look for speed and strength ahead of technical ability perhaps. More and more finnicky rules mean games don't always flow as well as they did and there's less blood and thunder. With how much money is now at steak, lesser sides don't want to risk carrying more mercurial talents. You'd never really see a club like a lower-mid club like Sheff Wed circa 15 odd years ago having Carbone and Di Canio in the same side now for example. If they were top flight today they'd probably have 11 players who'd work hard every game, play a very simple game and lack that spark the above players might give you, but conversely they could both go missing one rainy away game and leave the team to get twonked 5-0.

Weird thing when I was watching the Norwich game was that on the dodgy pirate signal that was being piped into the Thai bar I was watching from, they announced that Efan Ekoku was on the commentary team. It brought a smile to my face. Not so much because he was a decent player by any stretch but he was from a better age of football IMO.

Players are getting even more rich and are just becoming even more distanced from the fans now. I used to like our players and other players. The villains like Jones, even Dimmock, were great in a pantomime sense. Now to be honest, most of the Prem players just come across as spoiled prima donnas. It's not really the case with all of them, and maybe isn't fair to generalise them all, but generally fans don't particularly have much fondness for most Prem stars now, even from their own team. Marketing and money has taken over the game.

If I count the amount of Villa players in the last 10 years who I've just not liked at all. It'd be far higher than the previous 10-15 before that. It's not just about success either. The naivity of youth is part of it too. In my younger days it never dawned on me that Dalian Atkinson was a lazy sod for example. But he was one of my favourite players.
Atmospheres aren't as good as they used to be. The new stadiums feel soulless compared to the ones replaced. I know a Goons far who hates the Emirates. I'd hate our ground if we built a new one too. VP all the way! But yeah, it's not just us, it's a general thing. Glory hunters and part time fans don't flock to our ground either, they go to the bigger London clubs, or Manchester. We don't get that brigade which brings in extra revenue but again you could argue adds nothing and perhaps even detracts from the stadiums atmos.

[Rioch is King]

The atmosphere in the ground was always a major thing for me at VP, if the crowd were up for it and together I'd want to go back and be part of it no matter what. I wonder if the passion would return if we went down... and came back up again? Not that you'd wish for that of course.

[eastie]

Apparently fish and chips at the Emirates costs £13.90. Someone on R5 on Saturday lunch time was attempting to justify prices charged by Arsenal in general as a reason for their fans' expectation levels.

I heard that too Lizz. They were saying that it is all fine and dandy to claim they are in transition again, but if you charge the highest prices in the league and pay one of the highest managers' salaries too then the fans have the right to caterwaul when they don't get success.

When you look at the revenue arsenal bring in and their huge gates its quite shameful that they haven't won a trophy in 7 years- they certainly have the money to compete but seem content with 4th place in the boardroom.

[JJ-AV]

Another thing about our attendances, we haven't had a bit of foreign flair since... what, JPA? And Carbone before that? And they were hardly consistent.

People scoff, and winning football is the major factor, but in my life time our better players have either tended to be centre halves or English (and for whatever reason not everyone takes to them - Young, Downing...)

I mean look at the way Carew united the crowd and got the atmosphere rocking.

[danlanza]

Apparently fish and chips at the Emirates costs £13.90. Someone on R5 on Saturday lunch time was attempting to justify prices charged by Arsenal in general as a reason for their fans' expectation levels.

I heard that too Lizz. They were saying that it is all fine and dandy to claim they are in transition again, but if you charge the highest prices in the league and pay one of the highest managers' salaries too then the fans have the right to caterwaul when they don't get success.

When you look at the revenue arsenal bring in and their huge gates its quite shameful that they haven't won a trophy in 7 years- they certainly have the money to compete but seem content with 4th place in the boardroom.

That is ridiculous for fish and chips 13.90, bloody hell, that's just shameful. Do you get a whole fresh salmon or what ?

[fbriai]

That is ridiculous for fish and chips 13.90, bloody hell, that's just shameful. Do you get a whole fresh salmon or what ?

Brilliant, Dan!

£13.90 is ridiculous. I'd be interested to know how many people actually pay it.

[danlanza]

That is ridiculous for fish and chips 13.90, bloody hell, that's just shameful. Do you get a whole fresh salmon or what ?

Brilliant, Dan!

£13.90 is ridiculous. I'd be interested to know how many people actually pay it.

I wouldn'tpay it that's for sure. It is just a blatant rip off. What profit margin do they work on at Arsenal i wonder ?

[Pat McMahon]

I was in a box with my employer for the first competitive game at the Emirates ( oh the heady optimism of MON and Olof's header) and I met the head of catering there.

IIRC it was an American company and the main man was proudly telling me about the quality of the grub, and cited the fact that the hot dog sausages were imported from Germany. Maybe they have a trout farm where they were planning to keep a trophy room?

[onje_villa]

Another thing about our attendances, we haven't had a bit of foreign flair since... what, JPA? And Carbone before that? And they were hardly consistent.

People scoff, and winning football is the major factor, but in my life time our better players have either tended to be centre halves or English (and for whatever reason not everyone takes to them - Young, Downing...)

I mean look at the way Carew united the crowd and got the atmosphere rocking.

Nail on the head for me.
Carbone's debut was fantastic and the games I got to see with Merson were just phenomenal. Seeing players with flair, that's what gets the crowds in and why shouldn't it be?
All this bollocks about only the result counting. I don't need Villa to win every game but I want to enjoy watching them play and have players I can look forward to seeing. In short, I'm paying 35 quid, I want some good football and entertainment.

And it's not like exciting football and results are mutually exclusive anyway.

[Walmley_Villa]

Fans love cult heroes and flair (mixed in with a team that gives '110%') - that attracts fans, not cheap pies or face painting.

[Witton Warrior]

We just go up the Villa - it's what we do - now my lad comes as well - we'll keep doing until we die - won't stop us moaning though!
The Premiership nearly drove me away but when I see Arsenal with all that cash can't win a raffle I just shifted my viewpoint to enjoying everything around the match (not the fooking "matchday experience" bollocks) and having a laugh at how shit we are.

[ez]

That is ridiculous for fish and chips 13.90, bloody hell, that's just shameful. Do you get a whole fresh salmon or what ?

Brilliant, Dan!

£13.90 is ridiculous. I'd be interested to know how many people actually pay it.

I wouldn'tpay it that's for sure. It is just a blatant rip off. What profit margin do they work on at Arsenal i wonder

Blimey. Can't be standard fish and chips like from a chippy. Got to be posh nosh that.

[richl]

I know for a fact a pie at old trafford cost us 2.75 and cost them 38p. Same as burnley, blackburn and liverpool.

[VILLA MOLE]

That is ridiculous for fish and chips 13.90, bloody hell, that's just shameful. Do you get a whole fresh salmon or what ?

Brilliant, Dan!

£13.90 is ridiculous. I'd be interested to know how many people actually pay it.

I wouldn'tpay it that's for sure. It is just a blatant rip off. What profit margin do they work on at Arsenal i wonder

Blimey. Can't be standard fish and chips like from a chippy. Got to be posh nosh that.

Chips in the shape of a tower with mushy pea puree i bet