Going to football on your own

[sufcintheprem]

Saturday was a bit weird for me. My first ever home game on my own. i'd tried the usual suspects and after none of them were available and none of the secondaries responded, I relied on the parents. They then pulled out at the last minute and I was left to sit on my todd.

Very unusual to be honest. You see something really good or (unfortunately more frequently) really bad and want to turn round and talk about it with your pal. Fortunately for me, I had a couple of decent chaps either side who didn't seem to mind my occasional misguided ramblings as long as I shut up for the rest of the game.

Oddly, though, in my 20 minute queue for tickets, it seemed there were quite a lot of people getting singles so I guess quite a lot of people do go to the game on their own.

What's SZ's view on going to the game on your own?

 

[AmericanShrimper]

yeah, I've wondered about that myself, never really been a fan of going solo, but considering it to see as many matches as possible...

 

[Ron Manager]

Footie has always been a communal thing for me, right from my first game with my Uncle at 7 years old it's always been something you do with other people.

However I think I'd still go even if I had no-one to go with - you'd just make new friends I suppose.

 

[Sandbach Shrimper]

I don't mind it, at the end of the day you're there to watch a football match not socialise. I don't do it much though.

 

[Ron Manager]

Quote[/b] (shrimpboy @ Aug. 07 2005,20:58)]at the end of the day you're there to watch a football match not socialise

I disagree - socialising is exactly what you're there to do. The banter with those around you and the shared experience with friends and family is to me what it's all about.

If watching Southend United was just a case of going to the ground, sitting on your own and watching the game intently with no interaction with those around you it would - for me - be a very dull experience and I don't think I'd bther.

 

[Sandbach Shrimper]

Fair point but I think sometimes you can socialise even if you do go on your own, especially at away games where you see the same familiar faces.

 

[Ron Manager]

Quote[/b] (shrimpboy @ Aug. 07 2005,21:05)]Fair point but I think sometimes you can socialise even if you do go on your own, especially at away games where you see the same familiar faces.

Exactly - to the point where you don't end up going alone because those familiar faces become friends. So many of my best mates are just that purely from supporting Southend, that's the whole joy of it.

 

[McNasty]

I have met some lovely people watching SUFC -- even to the extent 10 of went to Greece for a holiday last year ! Being a seaso helps cos there a gang of about 20 of us all sitting near each other and we all hug when we score.

 

[Ron Manager]

Quote[/b] (mcnasty @ Aug. 07 2005,21:13)]I have met some lovely people watching SUFC -- even to the extent 10 of went to Greece for a holiday last year ! Being a seaso helps cos there a gang of about 20 of us all sitting near each other and we all hug when we score.

Of course - as one of the people who sits near McNasty - there are always disadvantages from meeting people at football..........

 

[The General]

Definetly a social thing. Always good to have a argument halfway through the match about something trivial ...

 

[Kris]

Interesting topic. I nearly always go to games on my own, actually, though I think I'm a fairly rare breed in that I've never lived in Southend - I support the Blues through my dad, who grew up in Rayleigh - so therefore I don't know any fellow Blues fans. My dad now lives in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, so going with him to Roots Hall isn't an option - I think the last game he saw was the LDV final defeat to Blackpool. He decided against going to the LDV final and the play-off final last season because he thought he would jinx us. The two of us are planning to go to Walsall next week, though.

I actually quite enjoy going to matches on my own, in a strange way. I live in Watford so I always consider a trip to Roots Hall a day out - and as long as the M25 is clear, it's quite an easy and pleasant journey. It's always rotten on the way home if we've lost, though, especially with Radio 5 Live repeating the result.

That said, I'm always up for a chat with fellow fans so if you spot a man in his late 20s with floppy light brown hair and blue eyes on his own in the South Upper (usually block H) then feel free to say hello.

 

[Beefy]

I started going to games on my own when I was at university a couple of years back, including the five hour round trip. I thought it would be pretty weird going on my own but I actually quite enjoy it. I tend to actually watch the match a bit instead of chatting about cricket and wrestling.....

Nowadays I tend to go to about half the games on my own and the other half obviously with other people.

 

[Yellow Army]

Went to Chester City on my jack, but got talking to people around me, now i see em every away game i go to, and speak when they come to Roots Hall.

Also Grimsby game a bloke was on his own and our Coach broke down, and he was lucky as there was one place left in our cab, and we offered it to him as he was on his own, there were only 2 cabs that got to the game on time, one of which was ours, so sometimes it pays to be on your own. lol
See him around aswell, we all spoke about the game in the cab from lincoln to grimsby, shame bout the result it bought lol

 

[hexagon_sun]

I go on my own most weeks - no problem with that at all. In some ways I enjoy it more than when a friend or family member joins me.

 

[shrimper4life]

Was in da same position as you sufcintheprem. 2 of my m8s were playin cricket and another claimed he had coursewrk even tho we are in da hols so i asked sum otha m8s and they were on hols so i got my cousin instead

 

[shrimper4life]

Quote[/b] (Steve_Clubshop @ Aug. 07 2005,22:37)]Went to Chester City on my jack, but got talking to people around me, now i see em every away game i go to, and speak when they come to Roots Hall.

Also Grimsby game a bloke was on his own and our Coach broke down, and he was lucky as there was one place left in our cab, and we offered it to him as he was on his own, there were only 2 cabs that got to the game on time, one of which was ours, so sometimes it pays to be on your own. lol
See him around aswell, we all spoke about the game in the cab from lincoln to grimsby, shame bout the result it bought lol

Must hav been my cab and ur cab dat got 2 da game on time. cos evry1 else stayed on da coach

 

[Bob Cratchitt]

Quote[/b] (shrimper4life @ Aug. 07 2005,23:40)]Must hav been my cab and ur cab dat got 2 da game on time. cos evry1 else stayed on da coach

No text talk guys, after all we do not charge you per character so use the whole lot, and you do have a qwerty keyboard which has every character you need for the English language.

 

[shrimper4life]

Is it part of the rules?? Its just quicker and easier

 

[Guest]

I'm also about half and half - sometimes I go with friends, other times on my own. When with friends I tend to spend more time yakking and less on watching the game, so I think that's a happy medium. I'm also a Shrimper who's never lived in Southend so the amount of people I can go with are strictly limited...

 

[Beefy]

Its also a pain in the arse for the rest of us.

EDIT - text speak, that is.