I can't understand early leavers (13/6)

Post by **gooner.ed** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:34 am

http://www.onlinegooner.com/exclusive/index.php?id=650

Usual thread starterâ€¦ Reading at home was a 12.45 kick off. So if people had to be somewhere that meant they could not stay til the end do you think theyâ€™d have come if it had kicked off at 3pm? There is an element of justification for those that have long journeys to leave midweek evening matches a couple of minutes before the final whistle. But at weekends, I just donâ€™t get it.

Mind you, it works in my favour. For the last few minutes of matches I can go right to the front of the upper tier to watch the rest of the game (my season ticket is up at the back) from a brilliant view by taking up one of the vacated seats. Seen plenty of late goals last season doing just that! The people sitting near me at the back probably think I'm an early leaver too!

Post by **SPUDMASHER** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:57 am

I agree with most of what is written except for the last bit:-

The pricks can have a refund if they like, thereâ€™s plenty of people like me who would be willing to take their place.

Unfortunately the truth of the matter is that there are plenty of people like them willing to take their place too.

DavrosG · Post by **DavrosG** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:05 pm

Try buying a red membership - then you can go to a fair amount of home games and shut your moaning up.

I cant believe this article even got published, clearly hes been trying real hard to go to a game since we moved to the emirates, what about the CCup game that went on general sale, didnt even need a membership for that one!

I do go often and I dont leave before the end, if people want to leave early let them leave early its their choice, they probably werent contributing much to the atmosphere anyway!

And as for that reading game I wouldnt blame ppl for leaving early, how annoying were those LG Clappers - lets not have them again!

EC3 · Post by **EC3** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:20 pm

Agree with Davros, i get fed up reading about these so called supporters who hardly ever go but yet feel they can critise people who actuall DO go to games.

If you want tickets you can get hold of them, become a member etc

Juan · Post by **Juan** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:51 pm

Davros/EC3 - I think you're a bit wide of the mark here.

I accept that there are ways to get tickets, but Red Membership isn't all that great. It's usually the really expensive seats which haven't sold, and as far as getting a ticket on Red Membership for a Sp*rs/ManUre/Chavski - well forget it. (Thank god for my Silver - I really do feel for the Reds.)

Secondly, surely the point of the article is not about the number of games you attend, but the duration of your attendence. I'm really fecked off watching people scurrying for the exits with 10, 20 possibly more left to play. What signal does that send to the lads? We've given up on you and want to get home 5 mins earlier. It's a disgrace!

Seeing as Premier League games are beamed all around the world with all the empty seats, we run the risk of becoming an international laughing stock. While the early leavers probably don't contribute much to the atmosphere - I'm sure they do a bit more than an empty seat.

Finally the sense of 'if they want to go let them go'. OK it's a free country, but why do we have to passively accept this? When people start leaving early near me, I usually make a point that the game is still being played. Very occasionally some people have returned to their seats, most just look really embarrassed, and if they decide they don't want to come back 'cos of that cheeky fucker...well good riddance.

rocky7 · Post by **rocky7** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 2:30 pm

Agreed with everything this guy said. People leaving 10mins before the end are a disgrace, along with the people that leave 5-7 minutes before half time just so they can get a hot dog for that matter.

Post by **REB** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 8:01 pm

what a stupid article,, guy doesnt even go to games,, yes we dont like seeing people leave early but for fucks sake theres plenty of tickets on sale for nearly every game on this site and become a member for more games,, then when you dont get tickets you can complain about people leaving

jimmyw247 · Post by **jimmyw247** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:52 pm

I go to every game i can. I live in Dorset and have been a Gooner for 25 years thanks to my Islington Old Man. I get there before the game and I damn well make make sure i sing my heart out during the game and stay until the (bitter?) end. It takes me well over 2 hours to travel in each direction but I do it because Arsenal is in my blood - fairweather is not a term that exists in my life. I refuse to leave early and I don't care about tube crowds, I pay my money to see MY team. I have no empathy for early leavers. If you live local, get a later tube. If you live far away make a day or a weekend of it. Its that simple - I do & I am far from loaded but The Arsenal mean that much to me. If you cannot be bothered to support your team for the full 90 minutes then don't bother turning up. There are THOUSANDS of fans that would happily take your place. Be a Gooner for the full 90 or fuck off. In my eyes it is that simple.

rocky7 · Post by **rocky7** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 1:03 am

rebel gooner wrote:what a stupid article,, guy doesnt even go to games,,

So how many games a season do you have to go to before you can start making valid points?

Don't mean it in any bad way but yea, some good points well made imo.

DavrosG · Post by **DavrosG** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 9:35 am

My point wasnt that you shouldnt comment given the number of games you attend it was more the fact this guy was rattling on about how he could NEVER get tickets and he isnt even a red member its a bit rich.

As for red memberships yeah sure you cant get tickets for the big games although from next season 1500 will be reserved for red members, you can get tickets for most league matches, on my red membership I went to 10 (league) home games last season, plus got away tickets to the hell holes of the north!

I dont agree with leaving early I just think the guy writing this article should go and buy a red membership!

NBN · Post by **NBN** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 1:43 pm

Why the fuck wouldn't you leave early at game like Reading? The game was won after half and hour and any chance of the winning league was long gone. I left with probably 20 mins to go and don't consider myself a 'prick' or undeserved of a ticket seeing that i follow the arsenal home and away, week in week out while you go to 2 games a season. I would personaly much prefer to get back in the pub sooner rather than sitting in a morgue of a ground watching a meaningless game surrounded by numpties. Now if it was 1-1 against the **** then that is a different story.

NBN · Post by **NBN** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 1:47 pm

P.S. I cannot believe the word Y*** has been star'd out. Political correctness on a football board, what a load of bollocks. R.I.P. The Gooner.

Cus Geezer · Post by **Cus Geezer** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 7:21 pm

Whenever I go to a game I always leave ten minutes before the final whistle and I don't care what you say I have a damn good reason for doing so, which I will go into great detail.

Well you see the thing is.........

(sorry gotta rush off somewhere, but I can assure you that I am 100% passionate about the online gooner and am as committed a poster as anyone here)

Post by **QuartzGooner** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 1:16 am

It is wrong to tar all early leavers with same brush.

I do not leave early, but if someone brings a young kid, it is either leave early to avoid the crowds, or wait behind a long time. Not always easy with a kid who needs to get home.

Once I left early, after 25 minutes of a game, I got an emergency phone call and had to deal with a situation. Is that wrong? No.

Cus Geezer · Post by **Cus Geezer** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 1:46 am

QuartzGooner wrote:It is wrong to tar all early leavers with same brush.

I do not leave early, but if someone brings a young kid, it is either leave early to avoid the crowds, or wait behind a long time. Not always easy with a kid who needs to get home.

Once I left early, after 25 minutes of a game, I got an emergency phone call and had to deal with a situation. Is that wrong? No.

I've been to games as a young kid, I've taken young kids I've never had to leave early.

Of course it's not wrong for people to leave early in the case of an emergency but look at the numbers of early leavers, they can't all be emergencies.

Early leavers, along with those who feel the need to go to burger bar during the game ruin the watching for others who have to keep getting up and down and blocking the view.