Quote Originally Posted by Bluebirdman Of Alcathays View Post
There's not one encapsulating reason; probably everything said in this thread is relevant. South Wales has been a glory hunting area for as long as I can remember. Look at Newport - a town bigger than Norwich but relatively few are interested in County.

I still think the rebrand has been underestimated in all this. It changed the perception of the club for many; Tan said the opinions of 25% of 'customers' were irrelevant, a number that would've included fans from the dungeon days.

There was a tweet the other day that said an adult ticket in 1980 was £1.30 and allowing for inflation the same ticket should now cost £5.12. But the cheapest ticket today is £18, and most of the time it isn't worth it.

Which brings me to the thing that's usually overlooked in these discussions - football is generally rubbish. No amount of 'loyalty' and 'passion' and marketing can change the fact that deep down we want something for that (minimum) £18, especially as we're all customers now.

There's a good podcast out called Quickly Kevin, about '90s football. They had the comedian James Acaster on the other week talking about how he used to follow Man U but the narrative ended in '99 with the treble. That was the end of the movie for him, then he gave it up. They also quoted Jack Dee who said he used to like football but stopped because he realised 'it just never ends'. Football can be such an omnipresent and dreary routine and it's always there. And yet we're told more and more that it's vital and important.

I didn't go last year but even observing from afar it was interminable. What kind of narrative is that? 46 games and most of that time wished away and waiting for next year. Why are we told the next game is vital when there are 6 months of the season still to play? The storyline we once viewed as the greatest story ever told has become Eastenders (although Home and Away might be more apt).

I've been to a couple of DVP games this year and I went to Devon to see a friendly because that's my kind of narrative now. The churning Championship is not. Neither is the Premier League cabal.

Perhaps this is unique to me or I'm a miserable middle aged man and that one day the bug will come back. But for now the narrative, laden with routine, hack marketing, the over-riding impression we're being sold a pup, the cultivated image of the club and the overall football landscape is not worth the time and money. Maybe we all know football is generally rubbish and sometimes circumstances combine to mine that into daylight.

I get that about football never ending. I’ve seen Cardiff go through all the leagues and yes although the Premier league one was tainted I still saw Cardiff up there.

Maybe as I’m slightly older and going through a mid life assessment thinking what is my long term plan That I’m just not as arsed about football as I was .

I still enjoy it but a case in example was last week watching Ireland get thrashed in that play off. 15 years ago I’d have been devastated and replaying that for weeks in my head and getting wound up by my mates. Now I was disappointed but realised there’s other campaigns and that’s that.

Last time I was truly disappointed and couldn’t talk about defeat and was gutted was the Blackpool play off final defeat in 2010. It was all set up that day and that lingered.

Now as was said it comes around again and it just isn’t as important as it was for me lately. More of an excuse to catch up with mates and to be honest o haven’t been been as much as I enjoy watching my local rugby club .