This is bizarre

Outside the ground. Less than 90 mins to ko.

It’s dead. Flat.

Nobody here.

Got parked much easier and closer on ponty rd at a similar time as I normally would for any mid week league game.

I know it’s still early and there’s been a lot of apathy generally but I honestly thought there’d be at least some buzz around the place.

It is honestly very weird.

 

Lull before the storm....

 

Getting there for 6 is tough for a lot of people to be fair

 

Yep, we set off earlier. Parked up thinking the Dove would be wall-to-wall Bolton fans, but it's really quiet. Even got a seat! Fair few mounted police at East Dene so assume they're all in there.

 

Not even had tea yet. We’ve got into the habit of turning up a few minutes before the game starts. Which is a shame.

 

Turnstiles in ponty didn't open till 6.20. Goalkeepers out warming up, but lights not on yet. Quite dark!

 

I guess people normally do from your post but I can’t help but wonder why anyone would be there an hour and half before the match?

 

I used to go early to games just to gage the pre match atmosphere, sadly it’s now like the moon

 

Doesn’t surprise me at all given the negativity that’s surrounded the club for weeks. The atmosphere at Oakwell has been poor all season and we’re going into the playoffs in relegation form without a manager.

I’m usually positive, but I feel quite numb towards it all. I’m hoping for something different but fearing more of the same.

 

There was a fair few in the mount at half fourish.

 

Don't know about anyone else but you were at the game before I was home from work. I've never been at an evening kick-off game at 10 past 6 in my life, having watched us for over 45 years and I don't find it in the slightest bit weird that no one else was there.

 

You might find it weird but it’s night and day to what it was against Bolton this time last year.

There were less people, cars and atmosphere here than there would have been for a Tuesday game v Colchester or someone like that around the ground.

Fifteen minutes out, it’s barely better now.

 

This is something I used to hear many times in the ground.

Loads of fans in the pub
Loads of fans parking up on side streets
Some under the stand
some in seats
Etc

Spreading them out plenty of places may be dead.

Time to measure it is 5 minutes into the game. And no earlier

Come on tarn

 

Just seen the stands, there's thousands there, are you claiming there aren't?

 

It's an evening game with an earlier than usual kick-off. Many probably don't even realise it's not at 7:45 but not sure why you're trying to make anything out of it when a lot of people likely don't even finish work until 5pm then have to get home, changed, have some food and then go to the ground.

 

No. There are also a lot more empty seats than there were in the playoff game last season.

Are you claiming there aren’t?

Not sure what your issue is but you seem to like digging at my posts. No matter what the subject.

Given you don’t seem to support from anywhere but your armchair these days I’m not sure how you’re so well positioned to judge.

 

Been a few times this season with friends and family. We all agreed the toxicity that we had to endure at Oakwell, the lack of humanity as any of us know it, the anger and expletives, is not what we want in our lives. Toxicity that you have constantly encouraged throughout the season. Calling for the manager's head at half time, when we've gone on to win the game, even attempting to belittle our support on play-off night. So no, I don't care for what you have to write. Not at all. You've helped ensure what brought us all together for almost half a century is no longer part of our lives.

Keep it up next season, I'm sure you can do the same for others.