What does it mean to be a supporter?

[dano]

in older days, to support the team meant backing them through thick and thin. all we asked for, in return for our emotional energy and financial outlay, was the team, from the owner down to the staff, all gave 100% effort to pay us back.

now, the owner only cares about the profit, and finishing in the CL.
the players don't seem to expend their energy and spend time walking through the match
the manager, well, we've all said what needs to be said, cares about his salary and Stan more than the supporters
the new fans at the stadium, a nice day out so they can tell their co-workers on Monday they took in a game.

question, if the owner, manager and players don't seem to give a damn about even trying for winning the top slot, is the old-fashioned notion of supporting the team out dated?

[augie]

I have supported The Arsenal for 40+ years which is way before mr 30 years but still shit, or before the slimy yank c.unt ever heard about our club (but around the time that he married into huge wealth and became a kept man ). Owners, managers and players will all come and go, but the important constant is the club and that is where my love lies. I have never, and will never, go along with the notion that I am supposed to support a manager OR player just because they wear our crest on their chest - if I feel an individual is doing their very best to make our club successful, and is continually putting the club before his own selfish needs, then I will support that person with absolute conviction.

[rodders999]

How long before one of the gestapo is on saying that if this turns into a Wenger bashing thread it's gonna get merged

[Topside Northbank]

The landscape has changed supported the club for over 40 years myself and the gap year on year between the club and supporters has grown ever larger.Sure we have had way shittier teams than the current one but the modern football club not just ours treats supporters poorly.Full stadiums are good for the advert that is the modern PL beamed all over the world.Our stadium is a souless tourist attraction for the modern 'fan.'

The cost of going has skyrocketed as has it has done so has the demographic of the match going fan.Many like myself have stopped going and won't return for many reasons and not just financial ones.Players come and go just as managers do,no one stays at the club forever.TV and money have become the new gods of dictating football and arranging going to any game for people not in 9-5 Monday to Friday jobs is a roll of the dice,it has become more trouble than it's worth.For me I no longer live in the UK and I stopped going regularly since the move to the bowl,last game I went to was in 2013....no idea if I will go again to be honest,maybe sometime in the future,maybe not

I will always follow the club because it has been such a big part of my life but I see it for what it is.Loyalty in modern football is dead,money talks fair enough,but not for me anymore.

I am also a lifelong boxing fan there was a promoter that many of my vintage may remember called Mickey Duff he once came out with a line that could be well used about football now and in the future.

'if you want loyalty,buy a dog'.....

[DB10GOONER]

If this turns into a Wenger bashing thread it's gonna get merged.










We have no problem if you want to turn it into a Rodders bashing thread though...

[Andrew]

Doesn't Rodders do his own bashing?

[REB]

Doesn't Rodders do his own bashing?

even andrew with 31 posts knows rodders is a wanker

[augie]

I would love to see the football world implode financially, and have the arse fall out of the professional game - for starters it would quickly rid the world of these new "investors"/owners which are draining money from the game, and maybe the clubs will start to appreciate the financial commitment the fans show to their clubs. It would also be a very rude awakening to the players who would then have a level of accountability to the fans that they have never had before in their pampered lives

Btw is Kirsty Gallagher getting any action lately ? I'm watching her here on ssn at the mo, and fantasizing about doing weird and wonderful things to/with her

[OneBardGooner]

If this turns into a Wenger bashing thread it's gonna get merged.












We have no problem if you want to turn it into a Rodders bashing thread though...

Rodder's Rodder's You're a Cun.T

Rodder's You're a Cun.T

[Leyton Gooner]

To answer the original question


Being a supporter means wanting the best for your club. And that is...

WENGER OUT

Fuck the Gestapo

[StuartL]

in older days, to support the team meant backing them through thick and thin. all we asked for, in return for our emotional energy and financial outlay, was the team, from the owner down to the staff, all gave 100% effort to pay us back.

now, the owner only cares about the profit, and finishing in the CL.
the players don't seem to expend their energy and spend time walking through the match
the manager, well, we've all said what needs to be said, cares about his salary and Stan more than the supporters
the new fans at the stadium, a nice day out so they can tell their co-workers on Monday they took in a game.

question, if the owner, manager and players don't seem to give a damn about even trying for winning the top slot, is the old-fashioned notion of supporting the team out dated?

It is outdated in today's technological world.

It used to be that actually going to the games, urging your team on in the face of adversity was the meaning of being a fan, now our global fan base means you can follow us from ompa-loompa land if you choose to. ( not aimed at anyone in particular ) and that's fine, we were happy with the coaches from Scandinavia turning up in the 80's when we were shite.

Nowadays, the club have actively targeted the more affluent, who sit in silence, who spend money on stupidly priced drinks and snacks and will purchase 3 New kits a season.

For some it's now become some kind of bragging on social media about going to the match, rather than a sense of belonging, togetherness, Gooners one and all that I can recall in my day of being an Arsenal addict, Home ,Away and Europe.

Don't think those days will ever return.

[OneBardGooner]

in older days, to support the team meant backing them through thick and thin. all we asked for, in return for our emotional energy and financial outlay, was the team, from the owner down to the staff, all gave 100% effort to pay us back.

now, the owner only cares about the profit, and finishing in the CL.
the players don't seem to expend their energy and spend time walking through the match
the manager, well, we've all said what needs to be said, cares about his salary and Stan more than the supporters
the new fans at the stadium, a nice day out so they can tell their co-workers on Monday they took in a game.

question, if the owner, manager and players don't seem to give a damn about even trying for winning the top slot, is the old-fashioned notion of supporting the team out dated?

It is outdated in today's technological world.

It used to be that actually going to the games, urging your team on in the face of adversity was the meaning of being a fan, now our global fan base means you can follow us from ompa-loompa land if you choose to. ( not aimed at anyone in particular ) and that's fine, we were happy with the coaches from Scandinavia turning up in the 80's when we were shite.

Nowadays, the club have actively targeted the more affluent, who sit in silence, who spend money on stupidly priced drinks and snacks and will purchase 3 New kits a season.

For some it's now become some kind of bragging on social media about going to the match, rather than a sense of belonging, togetherness, Gooners one and all that I can recall in my day of being an Arsenal addict, Home ,Away and Europe.

Don't think those days will ever return.

Wow! We actually agree on something. !

[GoonerMuzz]

Wind, rain, snow, playing shit, playing great, no matter where in the world it was the feeling of getting yourself to the game no matter what the conditions or the team was like it made you passionate about a bunch of people and a badge and some crap songs it made you feel part of something no matter who you were

Nowadays its money money money, i feel further from the players, the manager and the club than ever in 35 years and its all because of Sky and the money they've pumped into things, i feel a lot less passionate than i did in the 80's and 90's and for once i can't really blame AW as he is just a symptom of the worst parts of modern football

[augie]

in older days, to support the team meant backing them through thick and thin. all we asked for, in return for our emotional energy and financial outlay, was the team, from the owner down to the staff, all gave 100% effort to pay us back.

now, the owner only cares about the profit, and finishing in the CL.
the players don't seem to expend their energy and spend time walking through the match
the manager, well, we've all said what needs to be said, cares about his salary and Stan more than the supporters
the new fans at the stadium, a nice day out so they can tell their co-workers on Monday they took in a game.

question, if the owner, manager and players don't seem to give a damn about even trying for winning the top slot, is the old-fashioned notion of supporting the team out dated?

It is outdated in today's technological world.

It used to be that actually going to the games, urging your team on in the face of adversity was the meaning of being a fan, now our global fan base means you can follow us from ompa-loompa land if you choose to. ( not aimed at anyone in particular ) and that's fine, we were happy with the coaches from Scandinavia turning up in the 80's when we were shite.

Nowadays, the club have actively targeted the more affluent, who sit in silence, who spend money on stupidly priced drinks and snacks and will purchase 3 New kits a season.

For some it's now become some kind of bragging on social media about going to the match, rather than a sense of belonging, togetherness, Gooners one and all that I can recall in my day of being an Arsenal addict, Home ,Away and Europe.

Don't think those days will ever return.

Personally I find that comment very disrespectful - gene wilder aint dead that long, and here you go making derogatory remarks about his staff who are still mourning his death

[rodders999]

Customer you mean, no such thing as supporter anymore.