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Modern football fans.

Posted: 21 Jan 2026, 22:26
by wils
Two stories. Both in the Telegraph. Modern football is a bit shit isn't it?

This is the thing about our stadium. Its not great as we all know. But these two stadiums, one regarded as the best modern football stadium in the world and the other  an old skool stadium, yet they are both having the same problems we are having.

It's modern fans. Not the stadiums.


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Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 08 Feb 2026, 12:32
by XKhammer
Mike Oxsaw" wrote: 08 Feb 2026, 09:11 I used to be old skool, now I'm just old* - not even "modern", even though I've got shit-loads of disposable income and nothing I wish to spend it on, which, I understand, is exactly the type of customer fan the board want at the ground.


* - other 100% natural alternatives are available to those man enough to choose them.
Thought you did all your dosh on ladyboys 

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 08 Feb 2026, 09:11
by Mike Oxsaw
I used to be old skool, now I'm just old* - not even "modern", even though I've got shit-loads of disposable income and nothing I wish to spend it on, which, I understand, is exactly the type of customer fan the board want at the ground.


* - other 100% natural alternatives are available to those man enough to choose them.

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 08 Feb 2026, 07:36
by Tomshardware
Lato wrote: 07 Feb 2026, 14:03
yngwies Cat 

Yep always happened didn't it.......some lanky cnut would always stand in front of you!
In the 60's my old man and his cousin would take a box to stand on.  

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 08 Feb 2026, 00:20
by Monsieur merde de cheval
wils wrote: 21 Jan 2026, 22:26 Two stories. Both in the Telegraph. Modern football is a bit shit isn't it?

This is the thing about our stadium. Its not great as we all know. But these two stadiums, one regarded as the best modern football stadium in the world and the other  an old skool stadium, yet they are both having the same problems we are having.

It's modern fans. Not the stadiums.



Screenshot 2026-01-21 at 22.22.23.pngScreenshot 2026-01-21 at 22.23.01.png
It's the blatant erasure of working class old school aligned with the shiny new soulless stadiums .
The Stadium of light is no Roker Park for instance..
Football now is all very liberal  middle class...like everything else .

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 08 Feb 2026, 00:13
by Monsieur merde de cheval
wils wrote: 21 Jan 2026, 22:26 Two stories. Both in the Telegraph. Modern football is a bit shit isn't it?

This is the thing about our stadium. Its not great as we all know. But these two stadiums, one regarded as the best modern football stadium in the world and the other  an old skool stadium, yet they are both having the same problems we are having.

It's modern fans. Not the stadiums.



Screenshot 2026-01-21 at 22.22.23.pngScreenshot 2026-01-21 at 22.23.01.png
Newcastle united
Aston villa 
Tottenham Hotspur 
No more words required

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 08 Feb 2026, 00:04
by Monsieur merde de cheval
Lato wrote: 07 Feb 2026, 14:03
yngwies Cat 

Yep always happened didn't it.......some lanky cnut would always stand in front of you!
A right hand marker .

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 07 Feb 2026, 14:03
by Lato
yngwies Cat 

Yep always happened didn't it.......some lanky cnut would always stand in front of you!

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 07 Feb 2026, 13:57
by Fauxstralian
All seater stadiums & £50+ a ticket
30 plus years ago it was say £6 a ticket & lots of working class 20 somethings 
30 years later it’s the same people … 50 somethings worrying about their dodgy knees climbing up to sit down 

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 07 Feb 2026, 13:51
by yngwies Cat
Definitely right Lato.

The singing was even better if it was London derby or the macs and such like.

We would there early on the North bank, get our spot and just before kick off, some tall bloke would stand in front of my brother.

Haply  times 

Our gaff is to big and disjointed   and the music way to loud.

 

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 07 Feb 2026, 13:26
by Lato
Back in the good old days at Upton Park pre all seater you had to get there early to get a good spot.Hence fans took up their spot earlier on the terraces after a quick pint and a cold pie. Consequently the chanting and s singing started well before the match starting, generating a better atmosphere.

Have I got this right........or am l looking through my claret and blue tinted glasses from the 70's and 80's trying to convince myself it was better in the good old days?

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 07 Feb 2026, 12:40
by eusebiovic
If it wasn't for the disastrous, ill thought out and piecemeal redevelopment of The Boleyn then we wouldn't have ended up at the toilet bowl. 

There was loads of space to do a much better job but the disaster for our club was Terry Brown taking over when he did. 

The bloke just didn't have the know-how, tools and resources to do a better job than how it ended up panning out.

Maybe Jack Petchey would've been a much better bet 🙄

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 07 Feb 2026, 10:48
by Percy Dalton
honky cat" wrote: 07 Feb 2026, 08:28 It looked like Leeds was rocking last night.

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You can't knock the passion their fans show home and away.
Something that's sadly lacking at the cesspit 

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 07 Feb 2026, 08:28
by honky cat
It looked like Leeds was rocking last night.

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Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 28 Jan 2026, 09:36
by BRANDED
Outside the ground its fine. Theres a mixture of most stuff. Inside it depends where you are. Im in a good place. Atmosphere is good when we play well or mostly when we’re winning. Rare recently. 
Boleyn was shit at times in the past when we were shit. 
I prefer not being in a mile long wueue for the tube after a game. 

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 28 Jan 2026, 09:03
by Russ of the BML
Massive Attack" wrote: 27 Jan 2026, 13:09 The experience of going to the Boleyn Ground at Upton Park with all it's familiarities of it all definitely is compared to now. The place on a matchday had a real buzz and excitement about it all. These says it feels more like a chore.
That's probably more to do with you though, 

I have been taking my daughter more this season. If he go Hackney Wick its a lovely atmosphere. If we go bars near ground still buzzing. If we go in the concourse area, she wants to go where the DJ is, and the Dorito's stand to get food - She loves it. People are singing and its a good atmosphere. 

I mean, its not what we grew up with, and, yes, some days I feel that chore about it but I have been going since 86-87, so I have to breath a new air and see it from a new angle. It is what it is. 

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 27 Jan 2026, 18:10
by kylay
I'd also argue it's modern football grounds. if it's anything like the trend here in the states, they are moving the boxes closer and closer to the field and putting in more of them. While it's always been the case that closer seats cost more, you also have "club seating" that costs quite a bit more relatively speaking for those good seats. This has the tendency of pushing the more working class (read passionate fans) towards the outer edges if not out of the ground altogether. The farther apart those fans are, the harder it is to create an atmosphere. 

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 27 Jan 2026, 13:09
by Massive Attack
The experience of going to the Boleyn Ground at Upton Park with all it's familiarities of it all definitely is compared to now. The place on a matchday had a real buzz and excitement about it all. These says it feels more like a chore.

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 27 Jan 2026, 12:43
by Swiss.
yeah the atmosphere at UP was so amazing in the last years...yeah right 

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 27 Jan 2026, 12:26
by BRANDED
Clubs that keep a small stadium and have a full season ticket allowance will always have thousands or tens of thousands on waiting lists and touts etc. 

I understand the need for a great stadium like Spurs but if you still fill it full of cunts it's a great stadium full of cunts. 

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 27 Jan 2026, 11:12
by Massive Attack
wils wrote: 27 Jan 2026, 10:29 Another team sold their soul?



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It can be levelled at pretty much all Clubs that do it for the bunce. 

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 27 Jan 2026, 10:51
by Russ of the BML
I think there's also a change in habits around drinking and eating for young people. I know a few 18 year olds that like a booze, but I also know alot who don't drink regularly, eat healthy food and are very health and body aware. Probably alot to do with social media. Football doesn't fit into that area of living. 

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 27 Jan 2026, 10:29
by wils
Another team sold their soul?


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Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 24 Jan 2026, 17:23
by Mike Oxsaw
eusebiovic wrote: 24 Jan 2026, 10:58
smartypants wrote: 23 Jan 2026, 09:23 I’ve got to the point where i actually get pleasure out of seeing empty seats (not just at West Ham). Maybe it’s because it’s a sign that the modernisation is failing. The the lack of tribalism is a big part of it for the reasons already said and that’s not coming back, chances are it will get worse. We all know the old school fans they wanted rid of are the ones that made english football the spectical it once was and now we’re left with souless atmospheres all over the country, even away days don't feel the same any more. Be hilarious if the whole thing collapsed. 
VAR has been the very obvious nail in the coffin when it comes to partisan atmosphere in the grounds. 

The F.A Cup doesn't have VAR up until the 5th round and the vibe has been noticeably better. 

As per usual in their own unique, fucking gutless invertebrate way instead of declaring the whole FA Cup competition VAR free they take the cowards way out and hedge their bets because they want the biggest clubs in the later rounds not to suffer any undue embarrassment.

Over the years we've suffered plenty of those but I wouldn't change a thing - the F.A have the evidence staring them in the face but don't want to act on it because it's another fat contact for somebody at the expense of everyone else's enjoyment.
That's about it today with professional football - administrators & parasites line their nests, fans can go fuck themselves.

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 24 Jan 2026, 10:58
by eusebiovic
smartypants wrote: 23 Jan 2026, 09:23 I’ve got to the point where i actually get pleasure out of seeing empty seats (not just at West Ham). Maybe it’s because it’s a sign that the modernisation is failing. The the lack of tribalism is a big part of it for the reasons already said and that’s not coming back, chances are it will get worse. We all know the old school fans they wanted rid of are the ones that made english football the spectical it once was and now we’re left with souless atmospheres all over the country, even away days don't feel the same any more. Be hilarious if the whole thing collapsed. 
VAR has been the very obvious nail in the coffin when it comes to partisan atmosphere in the grounds. 

The F.A Cup doesn't have VAR up until the 5th round and the vibe has been noticeably better. 

As per usual in their own unique, fucking gutless invertebrate way instead of declaring the whole FA Cup competition VAR free they take the cowards way out and hedge their bets because they want the biggest clubs in the later rounds not to suffer any undue embarrassment.

Over the years we've suffered plenty of those but I wouldn't change a thing - the F.A have the evidence staring them in the face but don't want to act on it because it's another fat contact for somebody at the expense of everyone else's enjoyment.

Re: Modern football fans.

Posted: 24 Jan 2026, 10:10
by Mr Anon
And while we're all sitting quietly in souless bowls eating popcorn, FIFA's president making out this week like we're all still mindlessly rioting