Sterile, money has taken over and too many clubs' traditions/identities have died. There's a lot of disillusioned football fans nowadays
I still enjoy watching Barnsley but my enjoyment of watching football in general has diminished significantly over the last decade. I'd say my loss of interest is very much down to the way the game has changed since the creation of the premier league. I really enjoyed watching England at the world cup, probably for the first time since 1990 but I don't know how much of this can be attributed to John Stones and the likability of Gareth Southgate.
Yes England was brilliant to watch at the World Cup. Like you said it was great to see stones playing and doing so well and Gareth Southgate who is one of the most likeable men around leading us to success. Also the buzz that it gave the whole country was amazing.
It’s much less enjoyable these days. Too much money on nothing players vho think they’re it, too many managers getting sacked after a season so nothing gets built long term. Vatching the PL 10 years ago vas fascinating as you had the greatest United side, Chelsea’s best ever side. Liverpool and Arsenal vere also in Europe’s top 5 club sides. Gerrard, Torres, Ronaldo, Rooney, Lampard, Drogba, Wan Persie all in the league. Nowadays you’ve got Pogba dabbing vith the Vorld Cup. Makes me sick.
The footballs better to watch now as all the top 6 are brilliant to watch except Man Utd so it’s better from an enjoyment point of view but quality wise our teams don’t defend as well. I’d imagine football might go through a bit of a bleak period once Messi & Ronaldo finish for good which might be an advantage for our sides. In terms of Barnsley I’m probably less interested now than I was 10 years ago despite still having a season ticket. It used to upset me if I had to miss a home game for a holiday or other event but now I’m not that fussed. I know it’s been done to death but January 2017 killed some of my enthusiasm & I don’t blame anyone who stopped going after that.
A lot of older fans were put off when Hirst left. Talked to a few who got 'the bug' when Clarke came and then stopped going after DH got sold. Same old BFC..
Enjoyment is way down. I used to religiously watch most TV matches. Now I get fed up easily. I think the person who used the world sterile has nailed it. I do hold out some hope. Watching that kid Jadon Sancho walk away from the richest club in the world to go to Dortmund because he'd rather play football than remain little more than another hoarded asset at city. So refreshing to see a European teenager who actually loves the game more than money. He's the exception not the rule though.
If we're talking enthusiasm for BFC my worst time was after relegation from the Premier League. I felt that I'd seen us achieve pretty much everything it was possible for a club of our size could aspire to. We could try getting back there but it was highly unlikely and I felt like I'd seen the ultimate and what would follow would be second best. That being said I didn't really enjoy being up there that much. I despise the PL and everything it stands for. Turns out there were still huge highs (in my opinion) to come. The Hourihane team was sublime. To see us sweep teams aside for 6 months. Win two finals and see Hammil's magic was unforgettable. As for Jan 2017. It was sad. But inevitable. For 130 years we've had to sell our best players due to sheer, unavoidable economic necessity. If we hadn't been sold to the current owners that would have remained the case. Just maybe the high water mark of just being in the top division is now repeatable and exceedable. As for football in general...I don't care how technically brilliant the players are...there's no enjoyment in watching a league where most clubs cant compete and you know that the top sides are going to win by three or four clear goals most games. I'd rather watch a competitive non league game.
A lot less. Rarely watch our national team. Not seen MOTD for years. Usually watch Super Sunday, but never the Monday night or mid week games. A lot of football players I wouldn't recognise if I saw them in the street. Not much interest in clubs in our own league. For example last weekend I only knew Stefan Payne in our opponents squad.
I'd say my interest in watching my home team has grown the last few years, with a slight dip from Jan 2017 for a year. General football, I don't even bother watching now. Haven't watched MOTD for a good 5 years, haven't watched a world cup since 2006. Its not football anymore. It's acting. Players are technically better or their ironed pristine pitches, but there is zero honesty, and the higher you go, the worse it gets. That's not sport in my world.
I’m sure I’ll come round again, I was really down after we lost Hassell, Foster, Steele & rebuilt with a whole new squad but new heroes emerged, I loved Scowen & Hourihane in the middle, Hammill on the wing & having a Barnsley lad in Roberts at the back & Barnsley lads managing & owning us. There’s a few players I like in the current squad but I just feel like all of them will leave at the first opportunity, now I know we’ve always sold our best players but before it was one or two talented young players in the side with plenty of experienced players who you expected to be around for many years now it feels like the whole team could be sold at the minute
I only watch Barnsley, as football is no longer on accessible TV any more. I've no interest in the Premier League whatsoever, and my only interest in the Championship is because I hope we will get back in it next season. I love watching Barnsley, we're having a brilliant season, albeit in the 3rd division, and I'm really enjoying it so far. I realise that we'll sell our best players over and over again, that's the only way we can survive at division 2 level due to the way football finances work. I can't see the point in moaning about that, as it won't change and it's the same at all other clubs outside the top 4 or 5 in the Premier League. As far as the national team are concerned, in the World Cup I did at least get to know when and who they were playing. Normally, I don't have a clue that they are playing until somebody puts the result on here. Usually accompanied by a post along the lines of "Well, that's 90 minutes of my life I'll never get back". No interest at all. Zilch.
I think we've reached the stage where there's two types of football supporter. The actual ones and the virtual ones who live in the Sky bubble. When I was growing up I could name pretty much every team in the entire football league, tell you their colours, where they played and a rough idea of their standing in the game as a whole. I was talking briefly to a bloke the other day. I knew he was a "Sky" fan. I told him I was on my way to the footy. You could see the interest spark in his eyes and he asked me who I supported. When I said Barnsley you could see him instantly glaze over. It just clearly wasn't relevant to him. I'm sure these people can quote you chapter and verse on Klopp, Mourinho etc because it's what they're force fed on Sky Sports News 15 hours a day. Outside of that they have no clue.
#LoveBarnsleyHateFootball Hardly ever watch Champions League or Premier League these days. Just not interested. That said, it might be because the older I get the grumpier I get.
I felt like giving up going when Butterfield, Vaz Te and Drinkwater left. That midfield was brilliant and it just felt like back to square one after. Thing is I keep catching that bloody bug though
