The Football Team and this Football Board...

[monmouth]

Good post, Monny, and I agree with a lot of what you've said. But I've been supporting this club since my dad first took me when I was 9 in 1965 and I still get a buzz watching the Swans winning. I was on the edge of my seat watching yesterday's match online, and was biting my nails when the stream went down on 86 minutes and I had to stare at Flash Scores, expecting to see 'Big Chance' flash up next to Blackburn at any minute. The win made my evening.
I keep my season ticket going although I obviously don't get over for many games, and seeing the team live is always a treat for me. I'm coming over in the first week on December to attend the Huddersfield game, and I've booked flights to attend the away game at Hull in February. Fortunately I've got a mate there who will put me up. Always a joy to be on the road with the Jack Army.
I'm a realist and know there's no chance of us returning to the Prem whilst we are owned by the money grabbing, player selling Yanks and their poodle Swans Trust. But for the time being my expectations extend to staying in the Championship and an occasional cup run.
Maybe I'll be lucky and see a positive change in ownership in my lifetime, followed by a surge up the table. I'll be buying a raffle ticket for El Gordo in December plus the occasional Euro Millions draw, so who knows, maybe the next owner will be me .....

I was like that during the game too M, and thinking about it, it is a nice feeling all evening and until next game when we win (it’s the losses I can ignore ) and I’ll probably take in a few games in the new year on old git’s rate, but I’m no longer tied to it or obsessed by it. If something else comes up when we’re playing now I might go, whereas before, no chance. The continuous hamster wheel of sport sucks the life out of you if you’re not careful. Look at Man City. Win the treble - fans happy for a few weeks, now they re back into it and will ‘fail’ and be miserable if they can’t do it again, and again, and again. It gets to be pointless and self defeating if it’s all about winning trophies or getting promoted. It’s better to just take every game as an isolated event, forget leagues, although I’ve never quite managed that, or at least not since my dad also first took me in 1970 or 71, when it was simply about that game. I don’t think I even knew there were leagues then just wanted to beat Port Vale (we didn’t, but I didn’t care afterwards …’when’s the next game dad’). Sadly, he didn’t really like the football so I suspect he was already regretting things…

 

[MrSwerve]

That's a fair point, I don't look at other club's forums so have no idea how busy they are compared to us.

I wonder if most other clubs at this level have 1 main forum or are they split like us across multiple sites? Still, even if you add us and the other main forum's matchday threads together, we still only have just over 300 posts total.

Most of the forums of Championship/PL clubs are absolutely heaving. The 'split' between FansNetwork and Planet Swans kind of ruined the community unfortunately.

 

[K23]

I've mentioned it on here before once or twice when this topic raises its head but my brother and his lad live in Swansea and are both ST holders and a very big part of the attraction of going to a game these days for me is meeting up with them on a regular basis because I can't think of anyone else who's company I enjoy more. Pre-pandemic, I used to go to most midweek home games too but a 210 mile round trip and getting into bed after midnight is not great when you're in your 70s so I stick with the Saturday 3pm games. It's extremely unlikely but if my brother and his family moved away from Swansea somewhere too far away to make travelling to home games a regular thing (like Pego!), I don't think I'd find the motivation to go very often. Promotion might change the landscape though.

 

[PSumbler]

Yup, I'd wager most of the posters here have been around through various iterations of Planet Swans.

If we took every poster's age and worked out the average, I think it would be comfortably over 50. Forums like this are not where younger fans go to talk about their football team.

I'm only 23

 

[PSumbler]

Not for me. We were mostly shite (I accept it’s all relative, not truly shite but the same thing applies to earlier incarnations of shite) in Jacketts last season and losing a fair bit until Martinez rocked up. Even when we were going nowhere that year I still did the 160 mile round trip Saturdays and Tuesdays (even turning down well paid work to do so). Now I just can’t be arsed and I know why. I’ve seen it all. Twice. The top and the bottom.

Yeah it’d be nice to get to the PL again, but I really couldn’t care if we don’t. We would be like Sheffield if we did in the foreseeable future. Nor would I be devastated that much if we re relegated although I do really hope we aren’t. Everything would be a repeat. I’ve been blessed in my lifetime to see the best ever of the Swans and of Wales rugby. And cursed to see the worst of both. It simply will never be matched. The ownership change and the Trust incompetence put out the remaining embers of any fervour. I still passionately and desperately want us to win and play well when we are in action, but afterwards I never give it much of a thought. Certainly doesn’t affect my weekend like it used to. Why would it? I can’t control it. I’ve grown out of it.

I think that sums up my feeling largely.

Add to that the fact that (despite any mistakes made in the lead up to the sale) it engulfed my life for a few years for the benefit of the right result as was the members wishes. And was given away so easily to take the organisation away knowing now that so many members I got to know over the years are now former members. I found an old email the other day around DB attendance from someone still on the Trust board, they were pleading with the Trust "officers" to allow someone and their son into the DB at an away game. It was quite pitiful to read as it was a "reward" for the work done. You know the work you volunteered for!

Football all round for me now is not the same - I don't watch half the matches on these days and when they are on they are in the background rather than being watched.

Anyway, to answer the original OP question then Yes.

 

[PSumbler]

Most of the forums of Championship/PL clubs are absolutely heaving. The 'split' between FansNetwork and Planet Swans kind of ruined the community unfortunately.

I'm not sure I fully agree. Had it not been for deciding to move on from fansnetwork in lockdown there would be no planet swans (many may think that is a good thing)

The forum part of the site was already quiet at that stage and, frankly, I had lost interest in the website. Lockdown gave me some more time and the chance to see if I could regenerate some of that interest. Not sure whether it worked or not but more than 3 years later we are still here and with a 22 year legacy now behind the site. :lol: :lol:

As they say in places where its never said you can generate new traffic by telling your friends

All of the Championship forums have got gradually quieter over the years certainly when I look at some of the ones that I shared a space with way back in the days of Rivals.net. Even that Blackburn forum used to be much busier.

As has been said the younger generation will largely use other mediums to discuss more.

Or maybe you're right, who knows :lol: :lol:

 

[Swanjaxs]

Results used to determine my mood for several hours after a game, they don't anymore, and haven't for some time.

 

[3swan]

Yup, I'd wager most of the posters here have been around through various iterations of Planet Swans.

If we took every poster's age and worked out the average, I think it would be comfortably over 50. Forums like this are not where younger fans go to talk about their football team.

Does being in the second or fifth childhood count

 

[MrSwerve]

I'm not sure I fully agree. Had it not been for deciding to move on from fansnetwork in lockdown there would be no planet swans (many may think that is a good thing)

The forum part of the site was already quiet at that stage and, frankly, I had lost interest in the website. Lockdown gave me some more time and the chance to see if I could regenerate some of that interest. Not sure whether it worked or not but more than 3 years later we are still here and with a 22 year legacy now behind the site. :lol: :lol:

As they say in places where its never said you can generate new traffic by telling your friends

All of the Championship forums have got gradually quieter over the years certainly when I look at some of the ones that I shared a space with way back in the days of Rivals.net. Even that Blackburn forum used to be much busier.

As has been said the younger generation will largely use other mediums to discuss more.

Or maybe you're right, who knows :lol: :lol:

Oh I don't blame you for doing what you needed to keep PS going Phil - and I'll always be here posting as long as it exists...I was never personally a fan of the Fansnetwork platform to be honest, this forum software is far superior.

I can't remember exactly when the split happened but it semi-coincided with the PL relegation also, so I think it was a mixture of our International fanbase dropping off, together with the split of long term fans being spread across both boards. It's just never felt as busy here as it was before - even before the PL era.

Except when J123 posts about receipts. I love classic threads like that.

 

[Itchysphincter]

Personally I think we’re getting better and there are reasons to be positive. The last few seasons have sucked the enthusiasm out of me a bit but I reckon we’re on to a good thing now, just need to be patient and stop expectations running wild.

 

[cadleigh]

Personally I think we’re getting better and there are reasons to be positive. The last few seasons have sucked the enthusiasm out of me a bit but I reckon we’re on to a good thing now, just need to be patient and stop expectations running wild.

Agree 100%

Martin's brand of football left me cold - apart from the derby matches I really couldn't summon up any enthusiasm.

This season has been a complete change for me - for the first time since lockdown, I think, I've been experiencing the familiar old emotional roller-coaster every match day. It's become a pleasure rather than a duty following the Swans again.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

I confess to reading more on this Board rather than posting.....but is it me or is the interest in the Team on here just, well ...indifferent or uninterested.

I know we won yesterday, but after the Watford game, and the last few years, it feels we've had the joy sucked out of us.

Unfortunately I don't really look forward to games much anymore, I just turn up out of loyalty and duty.

Anyone else feel the same ?

Since the Yanks took over in 2016, I've gradually lost interest more and more. I still watch the games (mostly online) but it's not the same as it was before they came in. Perversely, I used to even enjoy the truly shit days more than I do now, by that I mean the 90s and most of the 00s. As crap as the football was, it still felt like it was our club. There was fun to be had.

Now, it just feels like the club is a rich men's plaything. They don't care, they're 0000s of miles away, we're just a sore on their backside. That's how it feels to me anyway.

The real shame of course is that we don't have a Trust worthy of the name anymore, so if we do slip down the divisions again they won't be in a position to buy the club back and start over.

Pretty depressing really - but then if you speak to Birmingham, West Brom, Derby or Reading supporters and probably several other clubs, they'll tell you a similar story. It's just modern football unfortunately - not very likeable, a bit plastic, a bit soulless.

 

[Cinio Dydd Sul]

Maybe I'm some sort of sadist but I still long for Saturdays all week.....

 

[Proper Jack]

This Forum has all the attributes to kick on. A first step would be to ditch (or upskill) Moderators for Facilitators:

Encourage and drive more challenging grown up debate and deeper discussion, contribute subject matter expertise and actively lead discussions, challenge the shouty irrational types to be rational….(and plenty more stuff besides).

Where the Forum becomes the next best place to being down the Club bar. Where swearing and feisty banter is actually ok, within reason. Just like in real life.

There are a few obvious candidates for that job….

 

[waynekerr55]

Since the Yanks took over in 2016, I've gradually lost interest more and more. I still watch the games (mostly online) but it's not the same as it was before they came in. Perversely, I used to even enjoy the truly s**t days more than I do now, by that I mean the 90s and most of the 00s. As crap as the football was, it still felt like it was our club. There was fun to be had.

Now, it just feels like the club is a rich men's plaything. They don't care, they're 0000s of miles away, we're just a sore on their backside. That's how it feels to me anyway.

The real shame of course is that we don't have a Trust worthy of the name anymore, so if we do slip down the divisions again they won't be in a position to buy the club back and start over.

Pretty depressing really - but then if you speak to Birmingham, West Brom, Derby or Reading supporters and probably several other clubs, they'll tell you a similar story. It's just modern football unfortunately - not very likeable, a bit plastic, a bit soulless.

I'm the same. It's not the selling of the club that got me, it's the way they did it and the fact there are still plenty of patsys willing to defend them to this day. I think last Feb with the Trust was also something that I feel let down by.

I quite enjoy going to watch the Southern Premier league games local to me. I will try and take in a couple of away games this year.