I've missed a handful of home games since the late 90s and I've never experienced an atmosphere as shit and quiet as we have produced over the last 5 years.
I find it a chore to even attend some games at the moment. It's loyalty that keeps me going. We have lost that many games at home the last couple of years that when a friend of mine said to me "nobody worries about coming here anymore" I said "they do, fucking me for a start" because watching this team has been THAT daunting at home.
I have always been a loud supporter, singing songs and appealing for every decision just on the off chance we get the throw or the free kick we don't deserve but these days I can't muster it.
We have had one of the best squads in the league every season since we have been back down and they have majorly underperformed every time. It's nothing to do with their ability because they occasionally show its there, they are quite simply shithouses. It is their lack of desire that has affected my singing voice.
Another aspect in my opinion is the decade we had a decade in the prem. A lot changes in that time, plenty of people die and plenty change from being fit and able to go to being past it. The same cycle of life has seen that support replenished with a generation of supporters who had only ever seen the prem. I know a couple of lads in their early twenties and their first two away games were the two Wembley trips under TP. My first away day was Wrexham. I earned that Wembley trip and felt like I'd pushed us there every step of the way if that makes sense.
A spoilt generation of stoke fan basically formed.
Those same lads have often made comments to me suggesting that Crouch and walters were hopeless and I just think they have never lived in the real football world. When you've grown up anywhere between the years of John gayle and Riki Dadason I thought I'd won the lottery even with Akinbiyi nevermind crouch and super jon - watching Crouch and Walters was like a footballing privilege to me. The point being a large portion of the crowd think they are too good for this league and are not used to players this shit so they can't be arsed to get behind them.
For me I would happily swap this entire squad for some 100% effort players who are proud to represent the club.
Another interesting point a friend made to me recently when I asked them why they had stopped attending the match. He explained to me that he had been addicted to going stoke for 30 years and I can confirm that he truly was, but now that he felt he has seen the best that the club could ever reasonably achieve it has taken all the buzz away for him. He feels like he has maxed out so to speak.
All his dreams were completed with top flight football, cup finals, European tours, record breaking signings. He basically feels like he's completed it mate.
I don't know if many people feel the same way as him but I sort of get it.