• We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies from this website. Read more here

The Modernisation Of Football

HarryECFC

Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2011
Messages
869
Hello,

Personally I am fully against the modernisation of football, its becoming less about the fans and more about the business.

Football with out fans is essentially nothing and we are being ruled out of our game through extortionate pricing and modern all seated stadiums creating little to no atmosphere.

What are your thoughts about the direction football is heading in?
 

Grecian_Jay

Very well known Exeweb poster
Joined
Oct 24, 2009
Messages
12,125
Location
Hanging up the boots.
Supply and demand Harold. Whilst people are willing to pay for cr@p then it own't change. If more people voted with their feet (I love a good boycott), then it may change.

It's the same as moaning about fuel prices, unless people stop driving as much as poss then it won't change.

Too many people love to moan but then just accept what they are moaning about.
 

HarryECFC

Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2011
Messages
869
The real fans are being pushed out though. Take a club like Manchester united. If the true fans didn't show up then the plastic day-trippers will be going.
 

Jason H

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 1, 2004
Messages
36,827
Location
Hounslow, Middlesex
Supply and demand Harold. Whilst people are willing to pay for cr@p then it own't change. If more people voted with their feet (I love a good boycott), then it may change.

It's the same as moaning about fuel prices, unless people stop driving as much as poss then it won't change.

Too many people love to moan but then just accept what they are moaning about.
Agreed - on the fuel prices thing that's why I envisage a prolonged boycott of one company (e.g. BP) to force them into action rather than the lame-brained 24 hour boycott of all filling stations that was tried a couple of years back - duh, people would just fill up the day before and the day after...

PED suggests prices would have to go up considerably before people boycotted.
 

HarryECFC

Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2011
Messages
869
Im doing an in-voluntary boycott of all insurance companies, Mainly down to the fact I can't afford to pay £2,500 to insure a one litre car.
 

AlanDevlin

Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2011
Messages
933
Location
#HeavenInDevon
Like it or not.....money talks in the modern game...

Player's agents have done a fantastic job for their clients in raising pay, and transfer demands for their clients.... but somewhere the money has to come into the business to pay for it.

Early in the 60s the first £100k transfer went through, and that doubled to £200k (Martin Peters) in 1970.... by 1981 Trevor Francis cost £1m, and so its gone on until now Bale is the worlds most expensive player at £85million.... I don't think the £ in your pocket in 1961 would need £8,500 to replace it today...

Likewise, health and safety requirements in grounds has become much more stringent since Hillsborough and Heysel, and again, that all has to be paid for.

At the end of the game ECFC operate in, the purse strings are always going to be tight - dwindling gates and no windfall monies from cup games are severely denting the amount of financial leeway the club is operating under, and you only have to look at the number of winding up orders, administrations and the odd extinction to see how hard the current club structure is finding the game at lower league levels.

We don't have an Abramhovic or the Glazers to rely on with access to considerable wealth and international business contacts... but the problems are no less for them: Those guys have made their money from business, and have to run the clubs as businesses in most cases.

Like it or not Harry, it's a business... and the fans are the customers.
 

Bittners a Legend

Active member
Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Messages
4,749
I think you need to define what you mean by the modernisation. I would say it has brought positives as well as negatives although I agree that the pricing in the lower tiers is ridiculous and partly a consequence of the money at the top of the end game filtering down into lower league players pockets only. Aston Villa are pushing pretty hard for safe standing at Villa Park...it will be interesting to see if they succeed and what the reaction of other big clubs might be in terms of something similar.
 

Grecian Max

Very well known Exeweb poster
Joined
May 6, 2005
Messages
17,512
Location
Exeter
I think you need to define what you mean by the modernisation. I would say it has brought positives as well as negatives although I agree that the pricing in the lower tiers is ridiculous and partly a consequence of the money at the top of the end game filtering down into lower league players pockets only. Aston Villa are pushing pretty hard for safe standing at Villa Park...it will be interesting to see if they succeed and what the reaction of other big clubs might be in terms of something similar.
http://www.fsf.org.uk/latest-news/view/fans-at-arsenal-and-villa-say-yes-to-safe-standing

I live in hope that bringing standing back will see a bit of terrace culture returning.
 

Jason H

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 1, 2004
Messages
36,827
Location
Hounslow, Middlesex
But how do you define "terrace culture"?
 

Grecian Max

Very well known Exeweb poster
Joined
May 6, 2005
Messages
17,512
Location
Exeter
But how do you define "terrace culture"?
Young(ish) lads going to see their local team every other week with their mates, standing in the same place making a bit of noise and having the space to do so without stupid H&S retrictions. This section of football fans have been largely priced out in the top league... we're very lucky to have the BB. Not fat blokes in replicas sitting quietly eating their £7 burger in a soulless bowl. A change in legislation so that we can have standing again in the top 2 leagues could potentially see a big change in fan culture in England, as long as the prices are decent. It's very evident in Bundesliga grounds how many young people there are and how the social aspect is much bigger there with large groups going together which isn't always possible at the top clubs with allocated seating etc.
 
Last edited:
Top