- Nov 8, 2004
- 12,599
- 15,012
Now, I'm not picking up on this post and its content specifically. I'm just using it as a framework for my thoughts. I think that you're saying its good thing.
This whole concept of women/kids/casuals being a negative thing for the atmosphere and "our" game. What we're talking about is just that 70s/80s hooligan thing, aren't we? A period of genuinely negative and regressive culture in the game, that resulted in a series of disasters, and English teams being banned from European football. A culture that still hangs over our heads today.
Now how many people on this site started going to Spurs as kids? Taken with their families to the game back in the 50s and 60s? How was a football match then? Why, it was a friendly community thing, wasn't it? A time before replica shirts, and tribalism... when everyone went along to just enjoy a good football match, catch up etc. Good clean fun.
If you ask me we're getting back to that. kids want to go see their heroes, so their mum's are taking them. I've got all sorts sat around me at matches now, instead of grumpy old gits moaning at everything like they did in the old shelf. There's an old guy with his son in front of me, who's been going since the 60s. I've got an Indian chap to my left, and another bloke my age with his two lads. There's a scattering of Korean fans, couples, whole families... and they all sing or chat or whatever, and just watch and enjoy the game.
It's far better than seeing grown men, screaming obscenities, red in their spittle flecked faces; seats getting ripped up and fighting in the street... which is the 70s and 80s scene.
As Bill Nicholson said himself, when he saw the hooliganism in Rotterdam, "What have they done to my game?"
I'm going to digress, and pick out Bradford City as an example. Valley Parade sits on the side of a hill, and is in the middle of long terraced streets. In the 60s and 70s these became heavily populated with multicultural families, Bradford being one of the most culturally diverse cities in the country. Pakistani, Indian, African, Chinese etc kids all grew up on those streets, playing football and staring up at that stadium looming over them up the hill. And every other Saturday, hoards of white football hooligans would swarm up their streets and trash them, urinate up the walls of homes, and shout at anyone who dared venture outside their doors to "go home" and call them pakis/wogs/niggers and other vile stuff. So even though those kids wanted to play football, they couldn't go see it.
Thankfully those awful days of hooliganism has gone, and football is inclusive now. Those kids now take their families to the Valley.
As for us, and the frustrated old man moan in the OP, I hear plenty of noise from that South stand, its volume when the songs roll out is immense, no matter the game. No one is stopping those who want to sing, from singing. And no one should ever stop anyone from going to watch a game they enjoy. Football is universal, its why its the most popular sport in the world. Anyone can play it, and anyone can watch it.
Brilliant post, loved it
Strange that i hadn’t really thought of football pre hooliganism (a bit like football pre premier league!!) and the effect it’s had on me and the way it must have clouded my judgement all these years
But thinking of those flat cap days and the old pictures and footage there would have been 99% men and boys at the ground and that makes for a hugely different atmosphere