I'm falling out of love with football....

[Frankie Burrows Cap]

On the OP, for me it’s not football generally but the Swans have been drab for years now. After 40 years I binned off my season ticket a few years ago. Covid was partly responsible for getting me out of the habit but I stopped enjoying it. It was mostly the fact that we’d done everything I grew up wishing we’d do but always seemed out of reach. Win promotion to the Prem. Thrive in the prem. Win a cup. Have a run in Europe. It was amazing but then it ended. Even if we do all that again it’ll never be the same. We’re now just one of those clubs. We used to be different.

But I still love football. The Wales game last night objectively awful but I enjoyed every minute. Yesterday morning I watched an u15s game in Trallwn. Great game, kids giving their all. Ended in a 2-2 draw and went to penalties. Today I’ll probably watch an under 21s game in Swansea Bay Sports Park. They’re always entertaining. Football isn’t the issue, it’s mostly the Swans.

And apart from all that, the Ashes start on Friday. Sport rules.

Agree with this (although haven’t reached the stage of giving up the season ticket, it’s been close).

I still love sport as much as ever but with ‘old age’ and life priorities it impacts my mood far less than it used to. Still get frustrated in the moment and for 24hours after but the days of still being pissed off with decisions/games weeks and months later are long gone for me.

Although as I’m saying that I don’t think I’ll get over Northampton and John bloody Frain

 

[Frankie Burrows Cap]

Money has unfortunately done what money always does and created a beast that will never be the same again to long time football fans. However it will continue to flourish as those that have the money (sponsors) continue to want to be associated with it but the old phrase of "be nice to those you meet on the way up as you will need them on the way down" is true - to an extent Swansea City forgot that in the latter years of the Premier League and now struggle to get the people they alienated back.

There is little joy in watching players (and we have quite a few of them) rolling around in agony at the slightest touch or slamming their hands on the pitch when a decision goes their way (and we have some of these too) - the game at times can be a laughing stock and it will become more distant for us as we are just a matter of a season or two away from games being played abroad - make no mistake it will happen

The best thing for me that could happen is all the self entitled clubs fuck off and form their European super league and the game becomes more about football than money elsewhere. It's a dream though...

I struggle to get the motivation to get to the stadium these days. As others have said Covid forced myself to do other things on a Saturday but also if there is something else on a matchday then I do that now instead as it's just not important enough to go to every game. And there are always alternative ways to watch it

I’ve thought that for a while - that they should have let the Super League happen. Have it as a franchise league and play round the world. Let it succeed or fail but let everyone else getting back to be community based ‘sustainable’ clubs.

Won’t happen as you say but if nothing else I’d be interested to see how it played out.

 

[Ringwood]

There is still a novelty for the younger generation to go to games with mates and take that train journey to London to watch the Swans especially a new ground.

I've been lucky enough to go to 150+ grounds and drive a lot in my business. So when a Saturday comes, do I want to spend hours on the M6 again going to a ground ive been many times or take a train costing a fortune with numerous changes from the south coast.

Maybe us older generation have been spoilt with the highs of Division 1. Europe and the Premier League and the victories over Petty and FL survival.

Maybe I need to motivate myself more and accept the vanilla football is here to stay.

 

[3swan]

There is still a novelty for the younger generation to go to games with mates and take that train journey to London to watch the Swans especially a new ground.

I've been lucky enough to go to 150+ grounds and drive a lot in my business. So when a Saturday comes, do I want to spend hours on the M6 again going to a ground ive been many times or take a train costing a fortune with numerous changes from the south coast.

Maybe us older generation have been spoilt with the highs of Division 1. Europe and the Premier League and the victories over Petty and FL survival.

Maybe I need to motivate myself more and accept the vanilla football is here to stay.

"Maybe us older generation" That made me smile, then again it has been a few years.

" been spoilt with the highs of Division 1. Europe and the Premier League and the victories over Petty and FL survival."

It's been a varied time supporting the Swans and even the "low" times had it's highs.

 

[monmouth]

"Maybe us older generation" That made me smile, then again it has been a few years.

" been spoilt with the highs of Division 1. Europe and the Premier League and the victories over Petty and FL survival."

It's been a varied time supporting the Swans and even the "low" times had it's highs.

We have seen the best and worst of the Swans and Welsh rugby in our lifetime, arguably Welsh football too, although I missed 1958 by one year.

I have seen things with the Swans that were genuinely beyond my wildest dreams, and that'll do me when it comes to keeping score. We've seen it all - twice!

 

[swansvalleyjack]

I have seen things with the Swans that were genuinely beyond my wildest dreams, and that'll do me when it comes to keeping score. We've seen it all - twice!

Yes, for a lot of us, that's right. I saw the Toshack rise, then the Martinez etc ride. Tbh, if I could see us in winning/attractive mode from Div 4 ( old), I'd take it now over the drudgery in the Championship.

 

[3swan]

We have seen the best and worst of the Swans and Welsh rugby in our lifetime, arguably Welsh football too, although I missed 1958 by one year.

I have seen things with the Swans that were genuinely beyond my wildest dreams, and that'll do me when it comes to keeping score. We've seen it all - twice!

Yes at Preston with my dad.

Wembley with my sons

 

[Ringwood]

Yes at Preston with my dad.

Wembley with my sons

You did Preston with your Dad and I did Preston with my younger brother

 

[3swan]

You did Preston with your Dad and I did Preston with my younger brother

Just think we could have been next to each other at Preston but didn't meet until Yeovil all those years later

 

[Ringwood]

Just think we could have been next to each other at Preston but didn't meet until Yeovil all those years later

I think if you and your Dad was on the terrace behind the goal no doubt especially when we LJ scored the whole crowd spun round

 

[3swan]

I think if you and your Dad was on the terrace behind the goal no doubt especially when we LJ scored the whole crowd spun round

Yes about halfway back on the edge of the penalty area to the left of the goal.
That reminded me that after the third goal my dad picked up someone's car keys off the terrace.
Remember Port Vale

 

[Ringwood]

Yes about halfway back on the edge of the penalty area to the left of the goal.
That reminded me that after the third goal my dad picked up someone's car keys off the terrace.
Remember Port Vale

I was behind the goal on the right in ear shot of the Blackburn fans who had a small terrace that day

Yes I'm still scarred by lost car keys

 

[swansvalleyjack]

Ditto spot for me. Loved taking the piss out of those Blackburn fans

 

[Dillwyn the Dog]

Can't speak for rugby as I have zero interest, but certainly in football I blame the obsession with stats.

Stats can sometimes be useful, and of course they should be leveraged wherever possible to get an advantage, but they are also responsible for sucking the joy out of the game imo.

"Don't shoot from there, you'll only have an 11.7% chance of scoring"

"Don't dribble on the outside, only 7.46% of dribbles like that result in a goalscoring chance"

"Don't run into that space, it'll leave a gap, get back into position"

Etc etc etc yawn.

We need more coaches like Klopp in the game, who set their teams up to play full pelt, take risks and score goals, not to play slow, safe and win possession battles. Which is what too many teams do these days.

Players these days are almost forbidden to think for themselves, do things off the cuff . Brilliant individuals , (mavericks if you like) change games. Trundle was one such player.

 

[Dillwyn the Dog]

Vip, is that the same Vip who scored a brace against Norwich and looking for a hatrick then got subbed off? And his thanks for his two much needed goals against Norwich was to be subbed to the bench for a dream match against Man City?
Christ no wonder Sheehan got sacked.

Sheehan wouldn’t know man management if it slapped him in the face with a wet herring. So glad we have sacked him