Went to my 1st England game today.
Even though the result was a good one for the english the were many reasons why I didn't enjoy the experience.
The main one being the fact that I bought the cheapest ticket ticket, which was £30 expecting it to be on the bottom tier, when it was actually on the highest tier. Now I absolutley hate watching football on the 3rd tier of a stadium. I've only done it three times, once at Old Trafford, once at the Valley and once at Ashburton Grove and felt uncomfortable on all 3 occasions. Its even worse in modern stadiums because there are no posts, so it's just this vast open space from a great height.
What's even more weird is that I'm not scared of heights, I've never been scared of flying, I've worked on the top floor of Canary Wharf on the day of 9/11 and earlier today went on the London eye for the first time today and wasn't even remotely ill. The trouble with the top tiers at modern football grounds is that they are not just high but steep. As the cheapest tickets are on the highest tier, that was also where the majority of the noise and clapping was, this is the last thing you want when you are hanging at how many tens of feet up.
The trouble is also that I had a few beers yesterday night and was carrying a bit of a hang over, so wasn't in the best state. Things were so bad I honestly thought I was going to pass out. I ended up missing two of the goals. I spent most of the 1st half watching from where the stewards stand, who were kind of jobsworthy and worried about me obstructing the doorway. I missed the 3rd goal as I was in the first aid room. The stewards agreed to move me to an empty seat that was still on the 3rd tier but at the bottom so without that horrid steepness.
Another big problem with England is the wankers who support them. As the cliche goes it is a minority, the vast majority aren't, but they are an all too visable and audiable minority. On the way to my seat I got some fat wanker with an anger managment problem having a go at us, because as I was going past said excuse me on several times but missed out saying excuse me to him personally.
There was also a protest group on Wembley way on the Palestine issue, with placards baring 'give apartheid the red card', to which many 'highly articulate' England fans gave wanker signs and chanted 'Israel'. Amazing that when these people are so willing to show that they are England's greatest patriot, they're showing they're great ignorance of their own history and that Israel is a state that was born from a campaign of zionist terrorism that included the bombing of our colonial headquarters at the King David hotel, killing several Brits in the process.
There were also too many chants of 'No Surrender to the IRA', so obviously not showing much of an ability to keep up with current affairs, as the troubles in Northern Ireland seemed to have thawed out altogether that even Ian Paisley doesn't chant that shit anymore.
They weren't even chavs in their entirety, you had people with middle class accent you half expect to be watching the rugger instead.
I'm old enough to remember when football crowds were far less pleasant then they are today, football crowds have always had wankers. But there's wankers and there's England's wankers. At least most clubs least pleasant chants and songs are football related, half of England's wankers are singing an undying unquestioning love for a German family or referring to wars on terrorism of yesteryear.
The Ingerlund Experience
what you have to remember is that most of these brainless pricks were probably the same ones who were in Landsdowne road throwing seats and whatever else they could on the crowd below (back in the 90s this was) - they bring shame on this country and give us the reputation that we are all mindless thugs.
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Cus Geezer
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http://pressesc.com/news/1329/05092007/ ... ball-match
And it turns out the protest group on Wembley Way were actually Jews protesting against Israel.
Makes the chants of 'Israel' look even more stupid.
And it turns out the protest group on Wembley Way were actually Jews protesting against Israel.
Makes the chants of 'Israel' look even more stupid.
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charliegeorgewhocanhitem
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I know exactly what you mean about twatching from the top tier of a modern stadium, had that experience in Cardiff a few times and as somebody who does'nt like heights anyway I did'nt find it all that pleasant 
Fortunately, on each occaision I was suitably "tranquilised" with a few pre match drinkies. Oh bugger!! I'm back on the subject of booze again 
I've only been upstairs at the new ground once on the first day just to have a look and I'm bloody glad my season ticket's in the front section, it's like watching the game from a bloody helicopter up there. Back in the old days there were even a few terraces that seemed really high, notably the Kop at Hillsbrough, the old South Bank at Wolves and Villa's Holte End, I always ventured towards the front half when I was on those terraces
Fortunately, on each occaision I was suitably "tranquilised" with a few pre match drinkies. Oh bugger!! I'm back on the subject of booze again I've only been upstairs at the new ground once on the first day just to have a look and I'm bloody glad my season ticket's in the front section, it's like watching the game from a bloody helicopter up there. Back in the old days there were even a few terraces that seemed really high, notably the Kop at Hillsbrough, the old South Bank at Wolves and Villa's Holte End, I always ventured towards the front half when I was on those terraces -
IbleedRED&WHITE
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Cus Geezer
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I know I'm back on an old bugbear here again re: modern all seater stadiums, but why was old Wembley with its 100,000 capacity with thousands of people a few metres above pitch level unsafe and uncomfortable?
And yet New Wembley with 90,000 capacity with a few thousand hanging 100 feet above pitch level at a steep angle the height of comfort and safety?
And let's not even go into Wembley's period inbetween with it's benches, having to stand on that to view Adams' goal against Spurs in 1993.
As for a few pre-match beers, well UEFA have banned alcohol before England games so that was off the agenda and I was suffering from the beers the night before, which had contributed to my condition.
And from what I've heard at least an hour and a half to get to the station. I went off on a detour to find a toilet and went in a place called 'Moore Spice' which is a pub cum Indian restaurant (which looked nice but I bet bloody expensive!), when having got to Wembley Park I was told by the policeman that I had to join the back of the queue all the way back up Wembley Way, so I jumped on the first bus and hoped to find the nearest station. Sadly I ended up in Hendon!
And yet New Wembley with 90,000 capacity with a few thousand hanging 100 feet above pitch level at a steep angle the height of comfort and safety?
And let's not even go into Wembley's period inbetween with it's benches, having to stand on that to view Adams' goal against Spurs in 1993.
As for a few pre-match beers, well UEFA have banned alcohol before England games so that was off the agenda and I was suffering from the beers the night before, which had contributed to my condition.
And from what I've heard at least an hour and a half to get to the station. I went off on a detour to find a toilet and went in a place called 'Moore Spice' which is a pub cum Indian restaurant (which looked nice but I bet bloody expensive!), when having got to Wembley Park I was told by the policeman that I had to join the back of the queue all the way back up Wembley Way, so I jumped on the first bus and hoped to find the nearest station. Sadly I ended up in Hendon!
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All_Arsenal_1886
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I went England v Germany a few weeks ago although i was glad that i went to have the experiance, i choose not to go to yesterday's game so i gave the ticket to a mate, also i have/had a ticket for Russia on wednesday night but have decided not to go so my older step-brother has it now.
Like i said i was glad i did the Wembley thing but it really didn't make me think *i can't wait to go again* also i thought England was shit against Germany so that was another factor in my reasons for not being in a rush to get back there.
hopefully will be there in Febuary or May to see the Arsenal instead
Like i said i was glad i did the Wembley thing but it really didn't make me think *i can't wait to go again* also i thought England was shit against Germany so that was another factor in my reasons for not being in a rush to get back there.
hopefully will be there in Febuary or May to see the Arsenal instead
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Cus Geezer
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It was actually my 2nd. I went to the Conference play off final in May, where I was on the lower tier, that was a much better experience even though the football on view was of an inferior level. Sadly those tickets yetsreday would have been £52.Cus
Was this your first trip to Wembley? Sounds like a pile pf poo for a day out!
It sucks because it's the opposite of Arsenal where the cheapest £32 tickets are on the lower tier. The ones buying the cheapest tickets are also the fans with the most oomph in them too, so the noise and singing and clapping is coming from them, those paying £52 are the quieter fan.
Surely it's much better for safety and all round atmosphere for it to be the other way around, but who cares about that, when all the disingenuous noises subside the real developments in stadia design have been motivated by cash not safety, comfort or atmosphere.
He is a total one, i'm glad i booed him & BentleyIbleedRED&WHITE wrote:A few things i noticed from yesterdays game...
Cashley Hole still has a shit final ball - wanker!
How many people left before the final whistle! Glad to see its not just down at the grove we seem to have that problem!
The transport is shit over there
Took me about half an hour to get from wembley to wembley park yesterday
Glad in a way i'm not going Wednesday
The ammount of seats over there yesterday that weren't being used was amazing, the tickets are too much money over there with burgers, hot dogs etc at £4 & a shitty programme at £6 each but i get one of them so i can complete my collection each week
There wasn't as much singing yesterday but alot of booing towards the away fans when they were singing which i didn't like, but i love singing my heart of god save the queen. thats my buzz now when i go to England matches (this being my 3rd going to Brazil & Geramny as well)
I much prefer the seats at the Emirates i must say
I actually quite like sitting in the top tier when I watch Sydney FC play over here at Sydney Football Stadium...
You can see better the layout of the teams, the spaces, passes etc. in my opinion. Saying that, sitting lower also has its advantages as for atmosphere etc., and I have sat there and quite like it too.
Actually, when I sit at the top of Sydney Football Stadium its possible to have 50 seats to yourself, the tickets just don't sell...
...oh and the disadvantage is you get the wind coming right off the coast at night...I made the mistake twice of sitting there wearing only my Arsenal jersey....
You can see better the layout of the teams, the spaces, passes etc. in my opinion. Saying that, sitting lower also has its advantages as for atmosphere etc., and I have sat there and quite like it too.
Actually, when I sit at the top of Sydney Football Stadium its possible to have 50 seats to yourself, the tickets just don't sell...
...oh and the disadvantage is you get the wind coming right off the coast at night...I made the mistake twice of sitting there wearing only my Arsenal jersey....
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Cus Geezer
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It surely cannot be a good thing to have so many empty seats close to the pitch either, lack of noise and it doesn't look good on the telly.The ammount of seats over there yesterday that weren't being used was amazing, the tickets are too much money
Why can't the FA think this shit out for themselves?
