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Post by superjw on Jan 2, 2023 22:44:56 GMT
Was an avid season ticket holder with my dad when I was younger, first started watching regularly after our promotion to the championship and that day in Cardiff. Watched every home match without fail through the days 12k gates were decent.
I've seen some terrible football on display as well as some fantastic stuff especially from our first couple of seasons in the prem. My heart yearns for the "bear pit" Britannia and how intimidating we used to be - I've never experienced an atmosphere like those days and would challenge any club at the time. It was fantastic to witness our transformation and I followed Stoke at every turn. I remember getting home from the games and couldn't wait for match of the day to watch again.
Thats now all changed, since our prem demise I no longer go to games, mostly driven by family commitments and work but the football on offer has never brought me back, it's even worse that I hardly ever watch Stoke when they are on TV. The spark in me is barely there now, I'm down to waiting for the Google notification at the end of the game to tell me the result. When I see a loss I just roll my eyes and carry on with my day.
I'm no where near the fan I used to be and it's sad to admit. But I haven't the heart for it anymore.
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Post by swampySCFC on Jan 2, 2023 22:46:38 GMT
Thats me too....
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Post by Rednwhitenblue on Jan 2, 2023 22:54:14 GMT
Being an England and Stoke fan feels like living under a curse!
It would be easier being a Scottish Mansfield Town follower. You know neither of them is ever going to amount to anything or win anything significant so there's no real hope or expectation. You just enjoy the football and the occasional minor success like a League Two promotion or qualification for a tournament finals.
But both Stoke and England have had quality players many times. Players who really should've won some silverware much more frequently than they actually have. There's hope, and a little expectation as a result, that maybe this year will be our year. And yet, time and time again, they let you down. They fail. Over and over.
I realise that following sporting sides is an irrational, emotional commitment that doesn't really bear too much proper thinking about. But we all like to think we make decisions with at least some consideration of the facts. And I think that's really why so many of us are increasingly reluctant to give anywhere near as much time, money and support to England and Stoke. I know I am. They just don't deserve it.
I also think that's why I'm more interested in the cricket these days. I feel that both domestically and internationally my sides provide ups and downs, successes and failures, World Cup wins and county championships instead of the unrelenting shit that you get from Stoke and England in football. It's just so much more enjoyable ffs!
Part of me has huge admiration for those who keep following Stoke out of loyalty, faith, pride, whatever it is, and part of me questions the stupidity of it. I get the camaraderie, the ale and the days out, and maybe that's what it's all about more and more for many people, but as far as football is concerned the club just doesn't deserve it.
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Post by swampySCFC on Jan 2, 2023 22:59:49 GMT
Only got to look at the top 10. we must be fucking shit to be nowhere near it with our apparent resources
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Post by stantheman on Jan 3, 2023 1:02:58 GMT
For my 14th Birthday, I got a season ticket for the 84/85 season! 🙈 The only way that could be worse would be if you were 14 this year. Probably true. As a 14 year old, going to the Vic was such an adventure. A friend of mine took her 12 year old Son to his 1st ever football match a couple of months ago. It was Stoke v Birmingham, we lost, the atmosphere was terrible and he really didn't enjoy the day. A work colleague of hers is a Vale fan, so tickets were produced for a Vale home game which the lad and his Mum attended. Carol Shanahan got wind of this being his 1st Vale match, and he was given a shirt, a goodie bag and some free tickets. Guess where he's pestering his Mum to go every home game....
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Post by mrteddysalad on Jan 3, 2023 1:49:17 GMT
I'd say no mate. We have been a lot worse than this in my Stoke supporting life as a football team. Difference is, back then, I was in my late teens and going to Stoke was much more than just watching the football, in fact the football was a side show and a reason to meet up with mates and fellow like minded folk and go on an all day piss up with a purpose. Roll forward to today, and now that those days are over and if I go to the match it is literally a couple of pints then the game, the football on show is a lot more relevant, so that's why, in my opinion, people think that it's worse these days, when we have been a far worse football team than this before. SCFC is Vincent Vega’s gun and we’re all Marvin’s face
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Post by hwrpotter on Jan 3, 2023 9:06:46 GMT
Being a young lad still in my early 20s I got very lucky in that my early days of supporting stoke were the 2 seasons leading up to promotion. Me and my ode man had season tickets for 10 years and it always felt it was worth the 4hr round trip watching us put up a fight against the big hitters of the world.
I didn’t have a season ticket from 2018 until last season due to being at uni but last season and this season in particular has been a proper chore to drag myself from Lincolnshire to go to games week in week out. My only other Lincolnshire supporting stoke mate has already lost interest in making the journey and I don’t blame him. The experience of a match day matches the quality on the pitch. Boring, uninspiring and a lack of effort to make it any better.
I know some of the old guard on here might look at a younger lad like me and say ‘you’ve never been through the tough times’ and I get that that’s true to an extent. But when it’s costing me a small fortune going home and away watching the most uninspiring shite offered up to us, and with no sign from anyone within the club of moving forward, I just think what the point is.
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Post by wuzza on Jan 3, 2023 9:44:46 GMT
Over the years I’ve always found Nick Hancock to be very eloquent in expressing the mood of the club / supporter base and that little piece on the Sentinel site today does the job very succinctly for me. It’s all well and good doing the City Till I Die bit and mocking the loyalty of those of us who are completely dispirited as a few have done on this thread but there has to be at least the tiniest bit of hope or expectation to latch on to but at the moment I’m darned if I can find it. .......and now comes an FA Cup tie with Hartlepool 😱
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Post by Staffsoatcake on Jan 3, 2023 10:15:13 GMT
I haven't felt this low, football wise, since we lost to Chester in Div 1,more or less ending our promotion hopes.
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