Falling out of love with football.

[Bellend Sebastian]

17 years on from this article (including wonderfully cutting quote from John Salako) and most of it still holds true, I think.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/football/2005/sep/02/sport.blueprintforabetterfootball

 

 

It didn't take many of my 25 years as an ST holder to realise that most of the time football is just there, with the dreariness occasionally punctured by periods of gnashing of teeth and those cherished bits where expectations are exceeded and I think we've been spoiled with the latter overall.

 

Loved the Premier League win and the FA Cup whilst nowhere near on the same level was great, but knowing we'll never have that level of excitement ever again is another factor that makes it a bit harder to care as much as I once did

 

[FoxesFan#1]

First time poster, but long time supporter of the club with 25 years being a season ticket holder.

 

I live an hour away and last season found less time to come back to our games so to keep in with football I went to a few non-league games at Brackley.  The afternoons out at that club have been great fun, relaxed and how football should be.

 

I was at the Man Utd game and apart from seeing a great friend of mine and his Dad, I really disliked the whole experience of the match now.

 

The lack of community feel to the club is so sad.  
 

The terrible sanitisation of us as human beings with those horrible pre-match announcements that sounded like the ones on the tube was so unneeded. I’m very well behaved but do not want those patronising messages.

 

The music being blared out was just awful and let’s say no more about the light show!

 

It’s actually sad to see the PL circus now with players that could not care about their fellow fan.

 

I love football but not this version sadly.

Edited 3 September 2022 by FoxesFan#1

[Foxdiamond]

At 66 I think you can get a bit jaded and increased feelings of all the nonsense attached to the Premier league. In the first 30 years of following Leicester we won no major honours so to win the 3 majors in domestic football since has completed it somewhat.  Will always love the club in whatever division we are in. 

[Warks_Mackem]

I’ve felt this way for years and not just because of the downward spiral of my club.

 

My dad used to tell me stories about how charismatic men like Brian Clough could take over a provincial club and guide them from obscurity to the very pinnacle of the game.

 

The “Big six” have destroyed football as a competitive sport in this country. It’s an absolute travesty.

[SemperEadem]

Only go for UFS and all the good stuff that comes with that.

[Corky]

Yes, getting less enthusiastic about it all really. And, as has been said, going for longer than the current poor spell. Kick off times being moved constantly, ridiculous hype and a scenario where a man spending north of £200 million on players "hasn't been backed". 

 

Enjoying non-league a lot more. Honestly, if I had my time again that is the football I'd back and watch.

[Fox92]

No.

I love football and always will.

 

Still get the same buzz on a match day. 

Edited 3 September 2022 by Fox92

[iancognito]

I get the sentiment and in a way this season is the payback for the Super League getting cancelled. There's clearly a cartel at the top of the game - away from the EPL itself - that is making it's own rules. They don't want fair play, they don't want a level playing field, they want it all for themselves. If they aren't having their private little league, they'll rope off the top 6 and essentially make it their own domain. The 5th placed finishes were all the more frustrating because we could have stuck one in the eye to them all again, to overturn the cartel.

 

VAR doesn't bother me because the decisions were shit pre-VAR and the fact the same incompetent officials run VAR means they're still shit afterwards. Again, it should be privately operated by ex-pros or managers to get rid of the ridiculous refusal to overturn mistakes. I hate the phrase "if he'd given it, they wouldn't have overturned it". THAT@S THE F#####G IDEA of VAR you clowns!

Football as we knew it slipped away long ago and 2016 was special because it gave so many clubs hope of what might be. But if we're honest, that day in May 7 years ago will be the last great day in football. They've taken the ball away and the rest of us don't get to join in anymore.

[Izzy]

14 minutes ago, iancognito said:

 

VAR doesn't bother me because the decisions were shit pre-VAR and the fact the same incompetent officials run VAR means they're still shit afterwards. Again, it should be privately operated by ex-pros or managers to get rid of the ridiculous refusal to overturn mistakes. I hate the phrase "if he'd given it, they wouldn't have overturned it". THAT@S THE F#####G IDEA of VAR you clowns!
 

The biggest issue with VAR for me is when you score, everyone's instinct is to go nuts and celebrate. Then they review it and disallow the goal and all that euphoria is for nothing.

 

When you listen to match day on radio 5/Talksport they go round the grounds and describe a goal then have to go back two minutes later to explain it's been ruled out. Takes a lot of the spontaneity and joy out of it for me.

 

[Lewis's Junior]

Agree with things like the big 6 dominance and 'innovations' like VAR. But we've done some stupid things that massively detract from the experience of going to the match:

1. Kill the atmosphere with absurdly loud music right up to kick off
2. Goal music - why? The most joyous, natural sound from a football match, and play some shite over it.
3. Clappers - certainly for as long as they stayed, about 3 years too long
4. Light shows / fireworks / general American sports crap imports

I could almost put up with all the Sky shite whilst going to the match remained as passionate and emotional as always. But it's sucking the life out of that now too. 

[Stinkenzo]

In Only Fools they plod along all their life dreaming to become millionaires and when they finally do, it's not what they imagined. This isn't too dissimilar to a football club of our size (just anyone outside the top 6 basically). There isn't a football fan of any club out there that doesn't want their club to be the best in the world. Of course the majority know that will never happen, but it doesn't stop you from hoping and dreaming. We've obviously always been a decent sized club but our climb to the top over recent years has been fairly brisk and not so much a steady elevation. Realistically, unless something changes drastically in football in terms of finances then 7th, maybe even 8th with Newcastle's money, might be the best we can aim for. Meaning we've already somewhat peaked, but it's too early to say we're already on a descent back to lower mid-table or worse. We should be grateful we took our once in a lifetime opportunity and became champions of England. 

 

Moral is the fun in the process is making your way to the top. Once you're there, it's like.... now what? 

[tickler28]

4 hours ago, weller54 said:

Anyone else feeling the same? It's not because we are where we are either! This feeling has been sneaking up on me for the past few years.

Watching players being paid obscene amounts of money during a time when so many people are struggling to heat their homes/feed their kids.

Watching the corrupt ffp 'system' protect the elite 6 to the detriment of all the other PL teams.

Watching blatant, corrupt refereeing/VAR decisions always benefitting the 'top' sides.

Football as I knew and loved is vanishing before my eyes.

Perhaps I'd be more interested if Leicester were playing back in the championship or even league 1, away from what has become a crooked and boring PL.

Exactly the same

[sm1]

Definitely get that feeling more and more. Like others, I detest the loud music, the ticketing situation and the clappers (thankfully gone now). Over the summer my 17 year old was constantly looking at the transfer market, who we could potentially get and who was going where. I literally couldn't care less and when Fofana left, it didn't bother me, because I new he would leave once it became apparent Chelsea wanted him.

[Guest StevieLynex]

4 hours ago, Adrian said:

I'm a fan of the NFL which like it or loathe it is a very successful entitiy. 32 teams and all of them have a genuine chance at glory. If only 2 or 3 teams could purchase all the elite players the model would not work

I think that the franchise system is how our football may go in future. People will get tired of the same one, two or three teams winning the PL. in our case, they can create an East Midlands franchise out of us, Derby and Forest

[whoareyaaa]

It's the corruption and the referring decisions which both go hand in hand and that protection the so called 'top 6' which makes it unfair and shit.

 

Corruption is ruining top flight football along with bad refs who are in on it or have no backbone to make the right decision. 

[Sunbury Fox]

4 hours ago, weller54 said:

But don't you think we're just 'making up the numbers' in the PL?.....The elite/entitled big 6 are never ever going to allow what happened in 2016 to happen again! Basically, a club like ours is now just a feeder club for those teams... where's the joy in that?

The whole Fofana saga has really made me question what's the point. We can challenge the big teams, finish above them in the league, even win trophies, but as soon as one of those big teams comes calling for one of our stars off they go every time. How can we ever consistently challenge the Greedy 6 whilst this is the case? The same happened to Southampton before us. You can have a little run of success but then you're soon put back in your place. 

[SheppyFox]

Too many pansy players from pansy abroad leagues have diluted the game to a point where it’s just diving, cheating and rolling around screaming/crying. I’ve lost interest. I remember as a kid the British used to mock the foreign game in the champions league and international contests and their blatant cheating/weak play pretend style of football, now we’re just the same. 

Edited 3 September 2022 by SheppyFox

[Lambert09]

I think what’s most sad about it all is that we are responsible in a way. 

 

After we won the league it was decided that this shouldn’t be happening. Ever since, little by little changes have been made to make it harder for small clubs to achieve anything. 

 

I didn’t see it posted on here but i saw an article saying that transfer budgets were going to be based on revenue as well. which is just disgusting, nothing to do with keeping clubs financially safe and all about making sure the big clubs have an advantage. 

 

it’s still amazing to think we did it, but my view back then was that if a club was run the right way something like that was always possible, despite being an almost impossible task. These days I genuinely think if a club got close you’d be seeing VAR go against them every week. 

Edited 3 September 2022 by Lambert09

[weller54]

6 minutes ago, Sunbury Fox said:

The whole Fofana saga has really made me question what's the point. We can challenge the big teams, finish above them in the league, even win trophies, but as soon as one of those big teams comes calling for one of our stars off they go every time. How can we ever consistently challenge the Greedy 6 whilst this is the case? The same happened to Southampton before us. You can have a little run of success but then you're soon put back in your place. 

Exactly this.

I also fear that the huge investment which we made in the training centre will come back to bite us sometime down the line!...

Perhaps by just trying to become one of 'the elite' it will bring upon our demise?..

Lets be honest our owners wealth cannot be compared with the likes of Manchester City, United, Newcastle etc!!..

Have we invested beyond our means?

[SheppyFox]

2 minutes ago, Lambert09 said:

I think what’s most sad about it all is that we are responsible in a way. 

 

After we won the league it was decided that this shouldn’t be happening. Ever since, little by little changes have been made to make it harder for small clubs to achieve anything. 

 

I didn’t see it posted on here but i saw an article saying that transfer budgets were going to be based on revenue as well. which is just disgusting, nothing to do with keeping clubs financially safe and all about making sure the big clubs have an advantage. 

 

it’s still amazing to think we did it, but my view back then was that if a club was run the right way something like that was always possible, despite being an almost impossible task. These days I genuinely think if a club got close you’d be seeing VAR go against them every week. 

Yes I agree, they’ve taken working class entertainment and killed it. Common theme really across many walks of life.

[Bordersfox]

This thread has inevitably descended into 'things were better in my day when we wore flat caps ate gravel, went down pit for 18 hours, watched real men play real football and then had a good old fight after the match and ten pints of bitter'.

 

The football we watch today in the Premier League is generally of a very high standard.   Pansy foreigners have improved the quality of our league immeasurably.   Simulation is an issue but we are seeing moves to reduce it.  Plenty of British players are terrible divers.  If they have been influenced in that by foreign players then what does that say about the good old British bulldog character?  Oh mummy he dived so I'll dive as well.  What nonsense.  

 

The big club domination has been ongoing for decades.  The idea it is somehow worse now doesn't hold water.  Our winning of the league was a freak.  Our squad value that season was estimated at around £54m and I'm sure our wages were pretty low overall so FFP etc are surely irrelevant to that discussion.   We have no idea if another freak season will see another smaller club, built on a small budget win the league in the future.  Unlikely but then so was 5000-1.  

 

Jesus Christ football is far from perfect but the revisionism, doom and gloom rubbish on here is laughable.  

Edited 3 September 2022 by Bordersfox

[iancognito]

2 hours ago, Izzy said:

The biggest issue with VAR for me is when you score, everyone's instinct is to go nuts and celebrate. Then they review it and disallow the goal and all that euphoria is for nothing.

 

When you listen to match day on radio 5/Talksport they go round the grounds and describe a goal then have to go back two minutes later to explain it's been ruled out. Takes a lot of the spontaneity and joy out of it for me.

 

Yeah I dont get as put out by that because there's been plenty of times I've gone nuts after a goal, looked up and there's a lino's flag aloft in the air or whatever. But again that's as much to do with the official in charge. They take 8 or 9 looks at an incident from all sorts of meaningless angles before giving a decision. The guys on tv or radio can see it within 2 takes.VAR shouldn't be doing offsides just penalty box and red card incidents.

[NewEnglandFox]

My enthusiasm comes and goes. Sometimes it's too much time on here, listening to podcasts, and browsing the footy web between games sometimes I will go months without listening to Radio Leicester or whatever Gab Marciotti's doing as a Monday/Thursday podcast. Good results help of course.

 

Summer is usually a great detox for me. But since we'd started like garbage I'm not surprised for the massive pessimism as there has been very little to cheer for in the last month.

 

Also when things go bad some people like to complain about everything. If we've taken 12 from 15 or whatever I don't think there would be as many complaints about transfers, tv subscriptions, wages, etc.

[grobyfox1990]

Be class when we get a new manager win a few games and all the self pitying, lamenting threads disappear 

[iancognito]

7 minutes ago, Bordersfox said:

This thread has inevitably descended into 'things were better in my day when we wore flat caps ate gravel, went down pit for 18 hours, watched real men play real football and then had a good old fight after the match and ten pints of bitter'.

 

The football we watch today in the Premier League is generally of a very high standard.   Pansy foreigners have improved the quality of our league immeasurably.   Simulation is an issue but we are seeing moves to reduce it.  Plenty of British players are terrible divers.  If they have been influenced in that by foreign players then what does that say about the good old British bulldog character?  Oh mummy he dived so I'll dive as well.  What nonsense.  

 

The big club domination has been ongoing for decades.  The idea it is somehow worse now doesn't hold water.  Our winning of the league was a freak.  Our squad value that season was estimated at around £54m and I'm sure our wages were pretty low overall so FFP etc are surely irrelevant to that discussion.   We have no idea if another freak season will see another smaller club, built on a small budget win the league in the future.  Unlikely but then so was 5000-1.  

 

Jesus Christ football is far from perfect but the revisionism, doom and gloom rubbish on here is laughable.  

Your hyperbole and exaggeration aren't helping your case.

 

If you look it's clearly not all old men whingeing, it's genuine complaints about disillusionment with the game and certainly not limited to our club. Big clubs haven't always dominated the game. In the Premier League era ourselves and Blackburn are standouts of smaller clubs that broke the cartel at the top. 2 clubs in 30 years. Go back through the decades - Everton, Leeds, Forest, Derby, Ipswich, Villa and others all got involved with the title race and European competitions. The dominance now is far worse and we know from the Super League shenanigans there's a level of organisation behind it too. Look around you at the next game, see how many people seem to be enjoying the booming music and pyrotechnics. We don't need it, we've never needed it, it's there to subdue people and dilute the genuine atmosphere from building. I've moaned about players names not being sung before kick off but I see the Union FS POV - there's no chance to do so, the music and silly announcements are turned up to 11. Football is supposed to be an escape, a place to meet up with mates and be entertained for 90 minutes but it's just a business product these days.