@owlstalk Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 #SWFC Fan and Star columnist Laura Jones puts forward a discussion here about the practicality and expense of following your football team. And I bet she's not the only one in this position too “Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose an all-consuming football team… ” No one ever talks about the practicalities of being a football supporter. It takes planning, additional finance and motivation to keep doing it. It’s especially hard if like me; you no longer live in the city where your beloved team reside, you have to travel with a two-year-old, and you have a full-time job to fit in somewhere. https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-wednesday/when-life-becomes-more-important-than-football-sheffield-wednesday-fan-s-column-1-9137696?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter Owlstalk Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mkowl Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 I can empathise having been a medium distance fan (260 mile 4 hour round trip) for the last 21 years now. That started as a single bloke, progressed to marriage, then 2 kids and running a business. It has been a juggling act at times but I have always had the benefit of the long suffering Mrs MK who not only tolerated me sodding off for hours but me then moaning about how rubbish we were on my return. If you are doing this solo with a young kid using public transport then yep even I would think twice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdmfournil Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 I can't see the problem with travelling on match day, I would hazard a guess that is what 95% of people do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReginaldD Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 1 minute ago, mkowl said: I can empathise having been a medium distance fan (260 mile 4 hour round trip) for the last 21 years now. That started as a single bloke, progressed to marriage, then 2 kids and running a business. It has been a juggling act at times but I have always had the benefit of the long suffering Mrs MK who not only tolerated me sodding off for hours but me then moaning about how rubbish we were on my return. If you are doing this solo with a young kid using public transport then yep even I would think twice That's some dedication pal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OWLERTON GHOST Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 Nearest commute to Hillsborough length of a footie pitch ... That was up til 1981 Since then 200 mile round trip It's expensive yes .. But isn't everything ? The Journey back is "reflection time"........ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mkowl Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 3 minutes ago, ReginaldD said: That's some dedication pal. Some would call it dedication others would say insanity. A fine dividing line. I suspect there are others that travel further and have done for longer. I suspect there are some that do that and go to the away games as well. So it is re-assuring that there are bigger idiots out there The fact my parents live in Sheffield means a trip always has a double side to it which justifies it really Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@owlstalk Posted April 27, 2018 Author Share Posted April 27, 2018 10 minutes ago, bdmfournil said: I can't see the problem with travelling on match day, I would hazard a guess that is what 95% of people do. It's not just about the travel for her though. It's a number of things Owlstalk Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@owlstalk Posted April 27, 2018 Author Share Posted April 27, 2018 PS Can someone from the USA tell me how the fans follow their teams there? Is there a big away following given you've pretty much gotta fly or drive hundreds or thousands of miles to away games? Owlstalk Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mkowl Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 6 minutes ago, OWLERTON GHOST said: The Journey back is "reflection time"........ It's when that reflection is from a traffic cone as you are sat on the M1 at 00.20 on a Wednesday morning after an insipid 1-0 defeat realising it's still 30 minutes to get home and you have an early start for work and that rain is turning to snow you may just question your life choices Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mkowl Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 5 minutes ago, @owlstalk said: PS Can someone from the USA tell me how the fans follow their teams there? Is there a big away following given you've pretty much gotta fly or drive hundreds or thousands of miles to away games? Not the US but in Spain they show the away fans and there is about 70 fans. You suspect most of those have re-located nearby It's why we take decent away followings on a Tuesday night in London. I reckon half the fans there live within 40 miles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@owlstalk Posted April 27, 2018 Author Share Posted April 27, 2018 Just now, mkowl said: Not the US but in Spain they show the away fans and there is about 70 fans. You suspect most of those have re-located nearby It's why we take decent away followings on a Tuesday night in London. I reckon half the fans there live within 40 miles Yeah I'm sure you're correct on that one Owlstalk Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewookieisdown Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 Wow. I'm amazed she even considers it. When I lived in London in the 90s w/o kids I wouldn't have done more than half and dozen games per year. When we had young kids, even having moved to the Derbyshire Dales, I hardly ever went. That's real dedication from her. Not in itself a good thing or a bad thing. Follwing Wednesday is a hobby but I wouldn't in the end class it as a really important part of my life. We all have different takes on just how much it matters. On the London games in midweek I reckon most people there are the diaspora. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamworthowl Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 35 minutes ago, OWLERTON GHOST said: The Journey back is "reflection time"........ The nearest I've come to giving up on Wednesday, or more accurately, giving up on watching Wednesday live, was after a series of late night trips down the M1 and its road works after another dire performance from Alan Irvine's team. Peterborough and Yeovil are standout memories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdmfournil Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 I do a 200 mile round trip with my lad every home match on the train, if you get organised with railcards and booking reasonably in advance its not too bad. 1 1/2 hours if we get the best train and £20 each. I couldn't contemplate driving every week though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torres Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 All that, yet some “fans” from Sheffield can’t be bothered to do a 20 minute trip - unless we are winning of course Or if we are going to Wembley-then they love a good trip to London Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@owlstalk Posted April 27, 2018 Author Share Posted April 27, 2018 Just now, torres said: All that, yet some “fans” from Sheffield can’t be bothered to do a 20 minute trip - unless we are winning of course Or if we are going to Wembley-then they love a good trip to London It's their choice mate. They might have issues affording it and can only really afford the occasional game. Rather than criticise those fans, they are the exact fans that everyone should be promoting the club to, encouraging, welcoming and being positive to. The ones that go week in week out regardless will always be there. The ones that pick and choose and are selective is where the potential of this football club lies. Owlstalk Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torres Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 19 minutes ago, @owlstalk said: It's their choice mate. They might have issues affording it and can only really afford the occasional game. Rather than criticise those fans, they are the exact fans that everyone should be promoting the club to, encouraging, welcoming and being positive to. The ones that go week in week out regardless will always be there. The ones that pick and choose and are selective is where the potential of this football club lies. I’ve come to realise the pick and chose ones (play offs, promotion games, finals) will always be that £20 for Bolton this season - couldn’t be bothered to go then I fully understand what your saying - how can we get these going more often - they need to stand up when the opportunity is there and change the policy of the man that matters If you can afford £200 on a trip to Wembley............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@owlstalk Posted April 27, 2018 Author Share Posted April 27, 2018 6 minutes ago, torres said: £20 for Bolton this season - couldn’t be bothered to go then That's like saying you can't understand why people don't go to Cineworld to watch a screening of Condorman because tickets are just a quid each. 8 minutes ago, torres said: If you can afford £200 on a trip to Wembley............. But again you're misunderstanding the whole motivating factors behind someone being selective or picking and choosing when they want to/can afford to go. Some fans just won't ever be someone that goes to every single game. Look at when we were last in the Premier League with Di Canio, Waddle, Hirst and Sheridan etc - was Hillsborough sold out every single game? Owlstalk Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HalewoodOwl Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 I never don't want to go to a game, but rarely can due to a combination of personal circumstances. This season has been particularly bad as it's the first for fifteen years that I haven't been at all. Each time I think I might make it then get upset when I realise I can't which lasts until kick off when I tune into RS. So I never blame anyone for not going, just envy the and admire the ones who do 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coopswfc76 Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 She needs to keep going so that little lad doesn't end up supporting either a London team with his mates or one of the media darlings always on TV. Surely we have other London Owls she can car share to matches with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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