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Post by stokemark on Jan 27, 2019 21:29:23 GMT
I live down south and get to about 10 homes and 10 always a season
I am envious of those who live locally and can attend every game - the whole going to the match is something I've loved for 40 Years and wish I could go to every game.
I know it's been Toss recently but what is there better to do on a Saturday afternoon ?
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Post by stokeykez on Jan 27, 2019 21:37:30 GMT
If stoke were a restaurant which you have always attended and never gone anywhere else then over the course of the last 3 years has been in a steady decline constantly disappointing and the staff clearly have no pride in the business or give a shit about you the customer, would you sign up to go there for another 12 months...there will be so many who say not a chance and shove it up your arse.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2019 21:49:38 GMT
If stoke were a restaurant which you have always attended and never gone anywhere else then over the course of the last 3 years has been in a steady decline constantly disappointing and the staff clearly have no pride in the business or give a shit about you the customer, would you sign up to go there for another 12 months...there will be so many who say not a chance and shove it up your arse. Analogies like this don't work when it comes to a football club, it is unique to any other business you may or may not choose to spend your money with. You don't get to just move your allegiance to another team, it's not like going to Pizza Express because Pizza Hut has gone to the dogs. Ultimately the product on the pitch isn't good enough at the moment, but I refuse to believe it's not for the lack of trying from the hierarchy despite some seriously ropey decisions of late. So ultimately it comes down to whether you want to stick with supporting the team in the stadium or not. People have many reasons for not going and I certainly make no judgement but lets not make out that the club is a Coventry, Blackpool, or Notts County. It's a poor period within our recent history, and only time will tell if we improve over the next couple of seasons.....
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Post by clintonbaptiste on Jan 27, 2019 21:52:22 GMT
I’ve really not enjoyed match days for a number of seasons now. When the bus arrives at the pub all of me wants to stay put. I won’t be renewing. I have felt exactly the same mate, it's not necessarily all Stokes doing either, there's so much I hate about modern football.
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Post by TheBra1n on Jan 27, 2019 22:00:18 GMT
this season is the first time ive been able to afford one since we got promoted, i couldnt afford one for the whole of the premier league years i dont care if we are premier league or sunday league, this is my club rain or shine, if i can afford it i will always have a season ticket, ALWAYS
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Post by baystokie on Jan 27, 2019 22:25:15 GMT
Yesterday was the first time I have genuinely considered not renewing I was looking forward to seeing the new manager and the new team ethic and it looked liked fuck all had changed. Next few games will decide whether I renew or not You honestly thought that a new manager (ANY new manager) could achieve something without having the chance to change the playing staff? Until that happens (in maybe a couple/three windows), it's going to be more like arranging the chairs on the Titanic - and he still has to plug the hole in the waterline!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2019 23:36:22 GMT
I live down south and get to about 10 homes and 10 always a season I am envious of those who live locally and can attend every game - the whole going to the match is something I've loved for 40 Years and wish I could go to every game. I know it's been Toss recently but what is there better to do on a Saturday afternoon ? I've been watching Stoke for 56 years. If I had been watching them for, say, 25 years. I would have said keep going through thick and thin, but after Saturday's lacklustre display, one of too many in the last 3 years, I realised I was just going through habit. I have fallen out of love with my beloved Stoke City. Would this have happened if the football was good? Probably not. Is poor football the only reason? No it is a combination of things. Friends who have stopped going, friends who are no longer with us, old age. The main reason is the attitude of modern professional footballers. And the modern game in general. And me not having a great deal of time left to waste, watching dispassionate and work shy footballers. What else to do on a Saturday afternoon? Well the game fishing season starts in March. until then I will have a couple of hours ride on my bike, Saturday PM. Get back just in time for the results. Another thought struck me on Saturday, what would it be like now if we had lost to Leeds.
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Post by danceswithclams on Jan 27, 2019 23:39:28 GMT
I know it's been Toss recently but what is there better to do on a Saturday afternoon ? Go the pub, spend time with loved ones, play golf, do some overtime, get bang into gabba techno, build a to-scale replica of the Burj Khalifa entirely out of Cadbury's chocolate fingers, develop an opiate dependancy...the list is endless.
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Post by meirparkpotter on Jan 27, 2019 23:56:14 GMT
Since 2015, we've lost more games than we've won... Them first 5 years in the Prem were glorious!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2019 0:04:38 GMT
this season is the first time ive been able to afford one since we got promoted, i couldnt afford one for the whole of the premier league years i dont care if we are premier league or sunday league, this is my club rain or shine, if i can afford it i will always have a season ticket, ALWAYS I do agree and I will always do the same. But I can sympathise. I’ve been there when we were lower than we are now but I don’t remember there ever being such a disconnect between the fans and the players and even when we were rubbish I don’t remember ever seeing such a blatant lack of effort. I guess you always look back through rose tinted glasses but I don’t remember ever coming away from games feeling so let down and embarrassed so consistently.
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Post by 3putts on Jan 28, 2019 4:25:56 GMT
I will renew as I am a scfc supporter come rain or shine. besides us s/t holders have been well looked after by the club in the last 10 years so I think we should show some loyalty. fuck me if I was going to desert the club after a few bad spells I would have done it yonks ago. what some of you internet warriors don't understand is that us s/t holders live and breathe stoke city we go to matches,buy the shirts,wake up supporting stoke go to sleep supporting stoke.i may be a sad cunt but that is what I do and will allways do until my demise.
common sense will tell you that s/t sales will fall because that's what happens historically when you are not in the top div, crowds have held up this year but I expect a drop off 10-20% the only thing that will change that is if we go on a winning streak.
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Post by starkiller on Jan 28, 2019 4:51:59 GMT
I think this is the problem with modern football in general, especially those who have tasted the premier league.
We're certainly not the first club and supporters to suffer this.
Average players on huge contracts, that cannot be shifted and who already made for life so have no incentive to even care.
If only the same rules of employment were applied to football as any other job then this wouldn't be the case.
Footballers have been taking the piss for too long.
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Post by 11wilkosinateam on Jan 28, 2019 5:31:01 GMT
Yesterday was the first time I have genuinely considered not renewing I was looking forward to seeing the new manager and the new team ethic and it looked liked fuck all had changed. Next few games will decide whether I renew or not You honestly thought that a new manager (ANY new manager) could achieve something without having the chance to change the playing staff? Until that happens (in maybe a couple/three windows), it's going to be more like arranging the chairs on the Titanic - and he still has to plug the hole in the waterline! I thought they would look like they were trying and I thought they would be able to string 4-5 passes together yes.
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Post by stokeykez on Jan 28, 2019 7:15:51 GMT
If stoke were a restaurant which you have always attended and never gone anywhere else then over the course of the last 3 years has been in a steady decline constantly disappointing and the staff clearly have no pride in the business or give a shit about you the customer, would you sign up to go there for another 12 months...there will be so many who say not a chance and shove it up your arse. Analogies like this don't work when it comes to a football club, it is unique to any other business you may or may not choose to spend your money with. You don't get to just move your allegiance to another team, it's not like going to Pizza Express because Pizza Hut has gone to the dogs. Ultimately the product on the pitch isn't good enough at the moment, but I refuse to believe it's not for the lack of trying from the hierarchy despite some seriously ropey decisions of late. So ultimately it comes down to whether you want to stick with supporting the team in the stadium or not. People have many reasons for not going and I certainly make no judgement but lets not make out that the club is a Coventry, Blackpool, or Notts County. It's a poor period within our recent history, and only time will tell if we improve over the next couple of seasons..... I know, I'm still trying to rationalise the demise over the last few years. Sorry for the analogy but at 90 minutes it seems like I'm the only sad bastard that is still sat at the table whilst the others have complained, fucked off and vowed never to come back. the fans have no staying power, that's the shame, glory hunters in a way. When the going gets tough the stadium empties, it gets my goat everytime because that's when they need us most. Yes you can argue that why should you stay with the bollocks they serve up but the fight has gone out of our fans and that is the reason I will be renewing because I'm not one who jumps ship.
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Post by mickey4137 on Jan 28, 2019 7:30:49 GMT
I’ve really not enjoyed match days for a number of seasons now. When the bus arrives at the pub all of me wants to stay put. I won’t be renewing. Sounds like you're a fair weather fan.
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Post by Goonie on Jan 28, 2019 7:32:19 GMT
I think the club are in for a major shock. I expect season ticket renewals to drop from around 20,000 to 12,000. People are sick of these players pinching huge wages. Mark my words these players and recruitment team are killing our club. I doubt it. Peter Coates doesn’t think there’s anything wrong so that can’t be right...... Its interesting the PC, John and Denise are such huge tax payers and earners from a highly successful gambling business I wonder if Denise applied the same managerial recruitment policy where Bet365 would be? It's that ruthlessness that's missing from SCFC
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2019 8:16:26 GMT
Analogies like this don't work when it comes to a football club, it is unique to any other business you may or may not choose to spend your money with. You don't get to just move your allegiance to another team, it's not like going to Pizza Express because Pizza Hut has gone to the dogs. Ultimately the product on the pitch isn't good enough at the moment, but I refuse to believe it's not for the lack of trying from the hierarchy despite some seriously ropey decisions of late. So ultimately it comes down to whether you want to stick with supporting the team in the stadium or not. People have many reasons for not going and I certainly make no judgement but lets not make out that the club is a Coventry, Blackpool, or Notts County. It's a poor period within our recent history, and only time will tell if we improve over the next couple of seasons..... I know, I'm still trying to rationalise the demise over the last few years. Sorry for the analogy but at 90 minutes it seems like I'm the only sad bastard that is still sat at the table whilst the others have complained, fucked off and vowed never to come back. the fans have no staying power, that's the shame, glory hunters in a way. When the going gets tough the stadium empties, it gets my goat everytime because that's when they need us most. Yes you can argue that why should you stay with the bollocks they serve up but the fight has gone out of our fans and that is the reason I will be renewing because I'm not one who jumps ship. No need to apologise. But the emotional pull is what makes it unique and that’s hard to walk away from especially if a match day is a time to meet up with friends, family etc.
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Post by Mr_DaftBurger on Jan 28, 2019 8:28:12 GMT
If stoke were a restaurant which you have always attended and never gone anywhere else then over the course of the last 3 years has been in a steady decline constantly disappointing and the staff clearly have no pride in the business or give a shit about you the customer, would you sign up to go there for another 12 months...there will be so many who say not a chance and shove it up your arse. Do you think Gordon Ramsay could help?
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Post by Absolution on Jan 28, 2019 9:07:07 GMT
I’ve really not enjoyed match days for a number of seasons now. When the bus arrives at the pub all of me wants to stay put. I won’t be renewing. Sounds like you're a fair weather fan. Sounds utterly sensible to me. If you don't enjoy something, why do it?
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Post by shrewsburypotter on Jan 28, 2019 9:25:17 GMT
I’ve really not enjoyed match days for a number of seasons now. When the bus arrives at the pub all of me wants to stay put. I won’t be renewing. I have felt exactly the same mate, it's not necessarily all Stokes doing either, there's so much I hate about modern football. Clearly it isn't just me then as I agree. I have been falling out of love with football for several seasons as a result of the non contact game that is plied in the Prem. Cant stand the cheating, play acting and time wasting and the top 6 bias of the so called elite referees. It even came to the point where Stoke had to fit in with the same standards to compete. I was disappointed with relegation but part of me expected at least to enjoy the Championship which was heralded as competitive and entertaining and I hoped I would see some old school football without the millionaire prima donnas. How wrong could I be. This season I have seen some of the worst play acting, downright cheating, gamesmanship and time wasting ever. The standard of the championship is woeful with few exceptions. Its competitive because the standard is so low that any one stands a chance if they put a run together. We look terrible but realistically do Leeds and Norwich look that good. Not really in my view. Wolves prospered because they bought themselves out of the championship with some very creative accounting to sidestep the fair play rules and they have invested properly and wisely and will continue to prosper while they continue to invest (invest of course means funnel hundreds of millions in to just survive - hasn't done Fulham much good mind!
The Leeds game was a blast from the past in match day experience terms but we got returned well and truly to earth on Saturday and normal service resumed. Before any one starts labelling me JCL I have been supporting Stoke for over 55 years and went to my first game aged 8. My patience with the way our club is run is running thin as it is with some of the players we have recruited and unless things improve sadly after all these years I will be one of those who will be finding something else to do on Saturday afternoons. I will not be renewing on early bird and will not be falling for any message from Coates or his chronies telling me to look forward to an exciting next season where all the lessons of the past have been learnt a la last year. How gullible was I ?
Jones has a really difficult job on his hands and I do not envy him and much as I would like to get behind him I think I am on the verge of being unable to do so - makes me very sad indeed after all these years
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Post by callas12 on Jan 28, 2019 9:46:24 GMT
Supporting your team is about being there through the bad times aswell as the good. You win as a team you lose as a team.. Like someone's alluded to already, if your a true fan your football team isn't comparable to anything else like going to a restaurant!!
When a season starts it's a fact your going to get winners & losers. You get good teams who win most weeks & poor teams who lose mosr weeks with a few teams slap bang in between the two (where we are right now!).. Is it only the teams who are winning & near the top who deserve to have their fans turning up to support them? If anything it's the teams lower down who would be more dependent.
When you've been poor for so long & the good times do eventually come along it makes them times even better.. In life you've got to have experienced the low points to value & treasure the good times.. & that's what being a Stoke fans all about, everythings definitely character building..
I've been to the dreary Oxford Utd & Wycombe away days so then really did get to appreciate the trips to Chelsea & Man Utd when they eventually first came along.
I always think that winning the Autoglass Trophy meant more to Stokies in 92 than it would of done any Man U or Chelsea fan winning just another FA Cup that year! We sing it in gest at away games but thats also coz it meant so much & was a day to live long in the memory of those who were there.. Just as our trip to Valencia was an experience to behold, irrespective of the result.. That trip for Stokies would have meant more than it would of for Man U fans who'd of just been on another European away trip.. Stoke fans didn't just take over that city for them few days, we took over their stadium & what a sight to behold that was!
But now we've fallen on harder times again do I think, nah not going to renew again now, no-way. I'm not for one moment saying I'm happy watching what I'm watching at the moment, nor happy with our sudden fall from grace & the errors that have been made along the way. & I do agree that football has changed alot & not necessarily for the better..
But the good times will come again, no one knows when, hopefully not to far away or along as we had to wait last time but it's still football & it's still our club.
We'll be here alot longer than any player or manager ever will & it's the fans who are the true fabric of a club..
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Post by jonparkinsgut on Jan 28, 2019 9:48:24 GMT
Not sure if I'll renew or not, if I don't it will be a protest against the moronic stewardship of the club that has dragged us into this downward spiral. The worst of it is we're stuck with most of these gutless players on lunatic contracts for the next 2-3 years at least, I hate to think where we'll be then.
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Post by philb on Jan 28, 2019 10:07:25 GMT
The last 2 1/2 seasons I’ve debated whether to renew or not. The football’s been awful and boring for the best part of those 2 1/2 years and I’ve constantly worried about being able to justify spending £400+ of my hard earned money on something I’ve not enjoyed for that amount of time. I said last season I probably wouldn’t renew but did so I still might in the end. Apart from the Leeds game this season and the Arsenal game at the start of last season, I can’t remeber when I left the Bet365 with a smile on my face, and to me that’s what it’s all about- ENTERTAINMENT. I don’t think I’m a fair weather fan as I’ve had a season ticket for 15 years and watched nearly every home game since I was 8 (49 now nearly) i just guess i’ve slowly fallen out of love with the club in a way. I know some will say footballs different, but if you don’t enjoy something anymore then why keep doing it.
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Post by stiggerstackle on Jan 28, 2019 10:29:32 GMT
The last 2 1/2 seasons I’ve debated whether to renew or not. The football’s been awful and boring for the best part of those 2 1/2 years and I’ve constantly worried about being able to justify spending £400+ of my hard earned money on something I’ve not enjoyed for that amount of time. I said last season I probably wouldn’t renew but did so I still might in the end. Apart from the Leeds game this season and the Arsenal game at the start of last season, I can’t remeber when I left the Bet365 with a smile on my face, and to me that’s what it’s all about- ENTERTAINMENT. I don’t think I’m a fair weather fan as I’ve had a season ticket for 15 years and watched nearly every home game since I was 8 (49 now nearly) i just guess i’ve slowly fallen out of love with the club in a way. I know some will say footballs different, but if you don’t enjoy something anymore then why keep doing it. I agree, and 'falling out of love' with Stoke is probably the best analogy. I'll renew my ST's but I'll be selective in the games I attend, if I get a better offer I'll take it, until the erstwhile love of my life gets her act together and starts to seduce me again. In the meantime I'll just put a bit of distance between us, maybe not return her calls for a while. Bitch.
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Post by Seymour Beaver on Jan 28, 2019 10:44:17 GMT
Unless you genuinely can’t afford it then I can’t see why you wouldn’t renew. We’ve had a bad few years but we’ve just appointed a young manager who needs time to implement his philosophy and change the playing staff. Because there's more to life than football. If you're enjoying something you'll find the time. If you're not then there are plenty of other more fulfilling things to do. I've done 51 years of Stoke and had a season ticket for the last 30 of those. But this year will be a real test of faith.
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Post by yardstick on Jan 28, 2019 10:53:59 GMT
I'm not renewing. I've been travelling up from South Oxfordshire with my 12 and 10 year olds since they were tiny and they just don't want to come anymore. I had throw my 12 year old in the car on saturday, he wanted to go out with his mates and I apologised to him on the long drive home for wasting his day. He sat there at 1-0 with about 20 minutes left and asked me "how many do Preston have to score before we can leave early?".
The sad state of it is, I was his age in 1991 and going to the Vic every other Saturday meant everything to me. It was magical, even if we were in Division 2 (league 1), it didn't matter.
The enjoyment and enthusiasm has just been sucked out of the whole matchday experience after 3 years of shite. It started 2 years before we got relegated for me. Even when we win, it's rarely enjoyable (barring the Leeds game).
The scary thing for me is that when we went to Reading away (15 minutes from me on the train), I looked at their stadium with about 12,000 there with the atmosphere of a funeral and thought that will be us soon. I don't want to abandon the team but forcing my kids to come up and sit in a car for 6 hours to watching 78 minutes of shite is borderline child abuse
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Post by stiggerstackle on Jan 28, 2019 11:08:03 GMT
I'm not renewing. I've been travelling up from South Oxfordshire with my 12 and 10 year olds since they were tiny and they just don't want to come anymore. I had throw my 12 year old in the car on saturday, he wanted to go out with his mates and I apologised to him on the long drive home for wasting his day. He sat there at 1-0 with about 20 minutes left and asked me "how many do Preston have to score before we can leave early?". The sad state of it is, I was his age in 1991 and going to the Vic every other Saturday meant everything to me. It was magical, even if we were in Division 2 (league 1), it didn't matter. The enjoyment and enthusiasm has just been sucked out of the whole matchday experience after 3 years of shite. It started 2 years before we got relegated for me. Even when we win, it's rarely enjoyable (barring the Leeds game). The scary thing for me is that when we went to Reading away (15 minutes from me on the train), I looked at their stadium with about 12,000 there with the atmosphere of a funeral and thought that will be us soon. I don't want to abandon the team but forcing my kids to come up and sit in a car for 6 hours to watching 78 minutes of shite is borderline child abuse Mate, that post is my worst nightmare and I totally get you. My boys are 4 and 5 (yes I know, prob too young) and I got them tickets when they suddenly became available following relegation (it's been dead man's shoes around me for years) in the hope of getting them into it, just like I was back at the Vic as a kid. It's just not happening, the 'events' on the pitch don't in any way, shape or form hold their attention, and the whole atmosphere is just a load of pissed-off middle aged men ranting at the moon. There's no excitement, no passion, nothing to make people who aren't already invested want to come back. I'm not going to take them again this year and hope next season they'll be a bit more up for it - on Saturday I was told 'no thanks Dad, I'll stay home and play with my Lego'. Don't blame him frankly. When I was a kid I woke up thinking about Stoke, went to bed thinking about Stoke and in-between went to watch Stoke. The current shit-show we have been suffering for the last few years is going to lose us a generation of new supporters, and will exacerbate the drop-off in the older guard who can't be arsed anymore and find better things to do. It's only going with my old man that is keeping me interested this year.
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Post by Rick Grimes on Jan 28, 2019 11:33:54 GMT
Unless you genuinely can’t afford it then I can’t see why you wouldn’t renew. We’ve had a bad few years but we’ve just appointed a young manager who needs time to implement his philosophy and change the playing staff. Because there's more to life than football. If you're enjoying something you'll find the time. If you're not then there are plenty of other more fulfilling things to do. I've done 51 years of Stoke and had a season ticket for the last 30 of those. But this year will be a real test of faith. As with anything in life though you have to go through bad times in order to truly appreciate the good times. We’ve just appointed a young manager who has a reputation for being successful and producing good football.
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Post by scfcno1fan on Jan 28, 2019 11:39:43 GMT
50/50 for me.
I’m moving further north and spending £600 on season tickets and the rest is a tough decision to make.
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Post by Seymour Beaver on Jan 28, 2019 12:40:42 GMT
Because there's more to life than football. If you're enjoying something you'll find the time. If you're not then there are plenty of other more fulfilling things to do. I've done 51 years of Stoke and had a season ticket for the last 30 of those. But this year will be a real test of faith. As with anything in life though you have to go through bad times in order to truly appreciate the good times. We’ve just appointed a young manager who has a reputation for being successful and producing good football. Yes - and I've done the bad times - The Butler Street Stand roof, Blyth Spartans, Bill Asprey, Alan Ball, Springfield Park, 0-7 at home to Brum, Chris Kamara and most of the rest in living memory. Whether it's football that has changed - or me - or a bit of both - but I can honestly say that never have I felt as disengaged as I do now.
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