Agree 100% carra. This 'decline' has been happening for years now. First went the terraces for seating, now new grounds are designed around how many executive boxes they can get in.

The 'prawn sandwich' brigade are taking over.
At most grounds in the PL you will find large groups of tourists experiencing a day out at a ground.
I was at Luton airport late last night on a pick up and there was some sort of rep meeting about 20 eastern european looking men who were wearing Liverpool colours. Presumably fom what the 'rep' was saying they were just over for the match tonight. Don't think they'll just be watching from the pub.

Prices are hiked up to keep in line with a posh entertainment company shown globally, rather than needed to run a football club.

Tbh , we can't really say we never say it coming, what with players getting paid large sums per week, agents creaming money from the game and the new breeed of chairman who supports a business rather than a football club.

Agree with the article totally.

I'm sick of seeing wa*nker hatted tourists looking round in wonder at the kop, does me @#$%& in. Sing ya basstads, sing or f*uck off.

Irish Liverpool FC Fan. I try to get over as much as I can to Liverpool with my sons. I don't wish to detract from the fact that Liverpool inhabitants should not find themselves excluded from Anfield. I've been told by numerous people in Liverpool that they used to have a season ticket, but not anymore. In fact it's something I find very sad. Believe me I am equally frustrated at the lack of singing at matches from some fans. I was also disgusted to find that some Arsenal fans from Ireland were being taken to Anfield by their Liverpool supporting friends to sit among the Liverpool fans 2 weeks ago. Why they would want to dilute the atmosphere by letting more away fans into the ground than their quota, when so many Liverpool fans couldn't get tickets is beyond me. Supporting Liverpool FC is more than a pastime, hobbie, or source of entertainment, it is a way of life. The teams results should influence your mood, the prospect of a match should be distracting and you should not be allowed back into the ground unless you are leaving with a clearly hoarse voice.

I'll be watching at the pub wearing my colours and drinking with my mates. I couldn't get a ticket either. My sons and I are also on the 50-60,000 waiting list for season tickets. It also costs a small fortune buying all the merchandise and kits for my sons, but it's worth it. Though I'll be sitting in Derry, I'll have a hoarse voice leaving my local which will be playing, deafening loadly YNWA whatever the score.

No I wasn't born in Liverpool. Am I a tourist when I come to Liverpool? Perhaps that's the perception. Am I a passionate Liverpool Fan - yes! Are my sons passionate fans? - Yes. Do I dream of them playing for Liverpool - yes.
The club needs to get this new stadium completed so more Liverpool Fans can all get to the matches, not just to increase revenue.

Eugene mate im not tryin to av a pop at oots its more the corporate side that gets me down.This was a workin class heritage my lad is blocked from his rightful place because the corporate world finds it fashionable to watch footie now.There has always been lads from Ireland at the match your not driving up the price ,nobs in suits are.As i said he couldnt afford a season ticket anyway ,come the new stadium a place must be set aside for pensioners ,kids ,low income families at a reasonable price.Iknow for a fact SOS will be pushing for this type of thing.Im a proud scouser but there always a welcome for kopites were ever their from YNWA

Love that article carra, great read.

Eugene, I know it sometimes looks like an OOT debate is about to break out, but it's more about quality of support than where you come from.

I know many OOT fans and their dedication to Liverpool is second to none, whether they get to Anfield every other Saturday or not. But there are many who seem to get tickets from all over England who are just there to see the KOP strut their stuff on a European night, you obviously are not one of those.

There used to be a lady on the official site called Cyn who lived in Singapore and I defy anyone to be as much a supporter and fan as Cyn, she put many to shame.

She was in her early 50's then and had followed the Reds from a young girl but had never stepped foot in Anfield, although she went to see them whenever they, or any part of, were in that area of the world.

When the Doc had his health problems out there she went to the hospital every day, leaving cards and flowers and getting updates to keep everyone on the offal up to date. Her archives of Reds writers was outstanding and she could post a story within seconds of someone asking a question. She was invaluable to the official site up until they started messing around with the opening hours, and for me Cyn will always be one of the very best of Reds.

Bit long winded but I'm sure you know what I'm saying. Yes, I would very, vey much like to see young local Reds get more tickets, but not at the expense of a real fan, no matter where they are from. The tourists on a day out though..........no, no, no....

An excelent & passionate article carra mate, Footie has changed for the worse, espec at Liverpool. It was the boys pen where you learned your trade ta be with the big boys on the Kop. Which now is gone, if you didn't come off the Kop soaking wet & bruised & aching all over then it was a miricle when it was terracing, it was hell but my god it was
a beutifull place ta be.

Now you can sit down on the Kop put ya feet up & take loads of piccies, whats going on...?. I had a 17 year gap of going to Anfield, & it scared me when I returned. The amount of suits I saw & japanese etc. I believe the heart was ripped out with the seats & pay on the gate along with the pricing.

Aswell as Sly sports & coperates,have made clubs turn there backs on the working class, it's all about mega bucks.

Like whats been said, the new generation should be coming to take over the traditions like carras son & all the local kids. but it's the ones now that want to see the Anfield experience for themselves but not take part. just ta say I was there.

SOS & RTK will not cure the prob, but it will go a long way ta keep it all together.

great post by the way Eugene.

Very good article.

Why aren´t young people as interested in actually going to the game?

Although having a sing song in a pub is cheaper you obviosuly don´t get THAT feeling.

However, how much would a teenager spend in the pub whilst watching a game? 20 quid? 30 quid at most? Bit cheaper than a match ticket (or a lot cheaper if you live in the South - eg. average Chelsea ticket price is around 48 quid). Surely the "saving" isn´t enough to justify not being there?

I´m not actually so sure cost is such a factor either. Ok, we can all come out with "I remember when it was 65p to get in the Shed End..." type stories but what was the average wage then? It may even be CHEAPER nowadays than before (not sure - haven´t calaculated it but I bet its nowhere near the difference many think it is).

Facilites are better in general - no more standing in 3 inches of pee to have a pee up some piece of corrugated iron, no more burger served up by some sweaty type with black fingernails - and the contents of the burger were questionable (but we didn´t care - we were hungry!).

The ONLY real major difference is standing. Out of this world to be on the terrace, shoulder to shoulder with your mates, a great sing song, the rush when your team scored, even hugging a complete stranger.....the passion and togetherness generated was something special.

Bringing back standing is the only way in my view. The young will NEVER begin to understand the feeling of being at the match that older ones to describe if they don´t actually experience it themselves - once they can experience it THAT feeling will beat what the TV companies can serve up to them (and it is a pretty comprehensive and complete menu of live football nowadays - the like of which we never had in our day).

The Taylor report didn´t actually legislate that standing couldn´t be allowed but unfortunately the government don´t seem to be anywhere nearer changing their position on this issue than they were 19 years ago.

German football is a good example of how atmosphere and attendance of the young can be helped by standing - we need to point out this example to government if we want to get OUR football back again and show the young that there is a lot lot more to be experienced at the ground than in the pub drinking fizzy lager or cold bitter - they can do that if they want before and after the game.



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“It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it" P Kenyon.

Think us old farrts are united on this issue, footie did used ta be a lot cheaper, we didn't have kids or big bills & footie used ta be a way of life & letting your hair down.

No we didn't have the facilities as today, but we enjoyed it all the same. standing with your mates, eating horse burgers.

Lot of the old generation take there kids, if they can afford it that is. With all the cost of living & paying through the nose for tickets for two maybe three tickets.

And it don't stop there, food, proeys the kids want there clubs memrobelia etc. The clubs see it as a lucrative buiseness now, they pay players stupid money & someones got ta pay for it.


The goverment or the fa won't change anything, the clubs will lose too much money, the seats, excecutive boxes bring in lovely cash for there high style of living & filthy rich star players.

They have forgotten about us proper working class fans, old & new.

What can we do to change our game, & get our lost generation back, all fans of every club stand together & boycott the money grabbers where it hurts.

Otherwise Dickie as you said the youngsters will never know what we experienced.

Why aren´t young people as interested in actually going to the game?

Although having a sing song in a pub is cheaper you obviosuly don´t get THAT feeling.



Young people are interested though, as carra said his lad doesn't go because he can't get a ticket.


However, how much would a teenager spend in the pub whilst watching a game? 20 quid? 30 quid at most? Bit cheaper than a match ticket (or a lot cheaper if you live in the South - eg. average Chelsea ticket price is around 48 quid). Surely the "saving" isn´t enough to justify not being there?

Liverpool have a 60,000 waiting list so it has nothing to do with price and the average wage is also higher in the South.
Cheapest ticket is £32.00. Your cheapest are £35.00. In fact, so hard did you find it to sell some of your CL tickets you reduced them to £25.00.

The ironic thing is seating was brought in whilst the government and FA tried to make football more family orientated. How wrong were they?

Not many young people could afford a season ticket in my day but we could pay at the gate when we had it. Getting individual tickets at Anfield is a nightmare and is a marathon on the phone, Its become the done thing now with many local fans to meet up in the pubs across the city to watch the games .We all hope the problem will be addressed with the larger new stadium.Question is if the owners can fill it with fans paying top dollar from were ever will they pay attention to the local fans.Its in their long term intrest to do so but will they ?

Thats why we filled them survey forms in at the begining of the season. So they do know the prob, but like carra said will they listen & do something about it.

Forgive me for the intrusion, in my defence my other half is a loyal Red always has been.

What an excellent read and I agree totaly, it's the same with most clubs unfortunately. They are being run as a big business now out for profit only.
It is such a shame and there seems no way back.I can only feel sad for all the youngsters who cannot afford the tickets to todays matches.

Your welcome,

It doest just stop at our club, it's all over the country. So really it affects all clubs fans in the prem more so.

Quote:

Reds

Liverpool have a 60,000 waiting list so it has nothing to do with price and the average wage is also higher in the South.
Cheapest ticket is £32.00. Your cheapest are £35.00. In fact, so hard did you find it to sell some of your CL tickets you reduced them to £25.00.

Cheap cheap bitter shot from you as usual Kate - full of bile and bitterness.

The prices for some "not so important" CL games and Cup games is an inititive to get more youngsters with prices they can afford - you should be applauding it not using it as a stick to knock us with.

We also have a very long waiting list for season tickets Kate - I think it´s around 40,000. We have season tickets restricted to 25,000 approx with the rest being delegated to members - of which there are 60,000 odd!

The reason Rosenborg was such a poor attendance was because people simply can´t afford to go to every game and at that perticular time there had been a run of aways togther I think - put it this way - pockets were hit badly,

Be honest, if you lot had to pay 48 quyid a ticket there would be mass protests (just wait and see once whatever sugar daddy takes you over and the prices are hiked up).

And you really shouldn´t stones in glass houses Kate - dont´you lot hold thr record for the lowest attendance in a European Cup game in England? Much lower than our Rosenborg one anyway...




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“It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it" P Kenyon.

I don't have bile or bitterness at any other club least of all a plastic club who buy trophies.

You couldn't even sell out a charity shield match ffs, where were your 40,000 then?

ERR Dixon last week Goodison your club provided free tickets n transport for all its fans. Pity you failed to take your full allocation .Same ground semi-final league cup your end was empty ,pathetic.