fanakapan Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 I first began watching football in 1986, the year of the Challenger disaster, Andy and Fergie's wedding and the year we went down under to win the Ashes. It was also the year I watched my first full game, Liverpool v Everton - The FA Cup Final, later that year I marvelled at Maradona's skills (and fist) single handedly (touche) winning the Argies the world cup in Mexico. Gary Lineker was my new hero, along with Neville Southall and Peter Shilton (with me being a goalie). In November of that year after a great deal of whigeing and mithering I convinced my owd fella to take me to my first live game, Latics v Palace, we won 1-0 and from then on I was hooked. Over the years I have seen pretty much everything, Promotion, Relegation (twice), A cup final, Semi-Finals, Giant Killings (for and against), managers come and go, in short the sublime, the good, the bad, the ridiculous and downright crap! In 1992 Sky's revolution dawned and for me it is clear to see that this bloodless coup has seen the slow death of the game I love. On the plus side we have shiny new grounds and some of the best foreign players in the world gracing our shores. The football League is more competitive than ever, yet many of the players have forgotten just what a great and noble game football is. Nowadays the players want everything at once and are only in the game for fame and money. Very few, play for the grassroots love of the game. This psyche is even dripfeeding its way down into kids football. Everything the so called 'superstars' do is copied by youngsters including abusing referees, questioning every decison and a lack of respect for their opponents. More worryingly is the big time attitude of if i'm not good enough for United, Chelsea etc.. i'm quitting and believe me this happens on a massive scale. Park football is dying a slow lingering death in our town and all over the country as SKY deliberately schedules lunchtime games to coincide with traditional kick off times. In fact our national team just couldn't be arsed in putting in the necessary effort to qualify from a very average group. Money is king in football and sooner or later the whole damn house of cards will come crashing down. What i'm getting at is the fact even third rate players have the attitude that they are too good to actually go and play for teams lower down the leagues. they are content to earn their money for very little application. If we cannot improve the product on the pitch for the real fans lower down the leagues, then why the hell do we bother? We all need something to aspire to, a right to cling on to dreams of promotion or one day it will all fall into place. At the moment despite the possible realisation of shiny new grounds if players don't want to be part of that what hope do we or other small clubs have? I'm feeling very disillusioned tonight, perhaps even weary of having my hopes dashed time and time again. Every time you think this club is going places circumstances transpire to make it take three steps back. I bleed blue and will cheer myself hoarse tomorrow as I do every week but the club I identify myself with is slowly losing its attraction, a team of new players EVERY season is not what I want to see. I want progress to be built on. Sadly making do, is not enough for me anymore. In 2003 my club nearly died, in 2008 on the field in terms of League position we are no better off. In fact if you go back to January 1998 we are no better. As usual many will reply with go and support United etc... well I'd rather stop watching football altogether. Its not just Latics and our continued footballing stagnation that grates its the state of the game in general that feeds my disillusionment. Over the last couple of years I have further established my love of cricket and Rugby League, two sports where the players give their all for the LOVE of the game, not so they can drive flash cars, or hang out with young girls who put out at the first sign of a £50 note. Football for me is in a coma and this summer i'm going to have a lot of thinking to do as to whether I pull the plug completely, as someone who lives for the game i'm gutted to say that......... You my friend are spot on. Been like that with me for a few years. Consolation for me is that we are not in the Euros. A prima donna free summer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanakapan Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 I agree with a lot of what you have said, especially the bit about the kids. I go to watch my nephew, he's 7 years old and the way some of the coaches and parents behave makes me very sad, they are pushing the kids too hard, telling them to dive, telling them to push other players, screaming their heads off at them when they do something wrong and how rubbish they are if they loose. It doesn't paint a very nice picture for the future of football. I will always go and watch latics though, sometimes its out of habbit than anything else though, but then something always happens to re-ignite my enthusiasm like at Leeds a few weeks ago. The game is changing, not really for the better in my opinion but unnfortunately us the fans can't do anything about it. Its all money now and i wouldnt be surprised that within the next couple of years a league club will go out of business which will be the start of a very slippery slope which will see quite a few clubs follow I bet most of these "parents" are plastic reds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holden24 Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 I first began watching football in 1986, the year of the Challenger disaster, Andy and Fergie's wedding and the year we went down under to win the Ashes. It was also the year I watched my first full game, Liverpool v Everton - The FA Cup Final, later that year I marvelled at Maradona's skills (and fist) single handedly (touche) winning the Argies the world cup in Mexico. Gary Lineker was my new hero, along with Neville Southall and Peter Shilton (with me being a goalie). In November of that year after a great deal of whigeing and mithering I convinced my owd fella to take me to my first live game, Latics v Palace, we won 1-0 and from then on I was hooked. Over the years I have seen pretty much everything, Promotion, Relegation (twice), A cup final, Semi-Finals, Giant Killings (for and against), managers come and go, in short the sublime, the good, the bad, the ridiculous and downright crap! In 1992 Sky's revolution dawned and for me it is clear to see that this bloodless coup has seen the slow death of the game I love. On the plus side we have shiny new grounds and some of the best foreign players in the world gracing our shores. The football League is more competitive than ever, yet many of the players have forgotten just what a great and noble game football is. Nowadays the players want everything at once and are only in the game for fame and money. Very few, play for the grassroots love of the game. This psyche is even dripfeeding its way down into kids football. Everything the so called 'superstars' do is copied by youngsters including abusing referees, questioning every decison and a lack of respect for their opponents. More worryingly is the big time attitude of if i'm not good enough for United, Chelsea etc.. i'm quitting and believe me this happens on a massive scale. Park football is dying a slow lingering death in our town and all over the country as SKY deliberately schedules lunchtime games to coincide with traditional kick off times. In fact our national team just couldn't be arsed in putting in the necessary effort to qualify from a very average group. Money is king in football and sooner or later the whole damn house of cards will come crashing down. What i'm getting at is the fact even third rate players have the attitude that they are too good to actually go and play for teams lower down the leagues. they are content to earn their money for very little application. If we cannot improve the product on the pitch for the real fans lower down the leagues, then why the hell do we bother? We all need something to aspire to, a right to cling on to dreams of promotion or one day it will all fall into place. At the moment despite the possible realisation of shiny new grounds if players don't want to be part of that what hope do we or other small clubs have? I'm feeling very disillusioned tonight, perhaps even weary of having my hopes dashed time and time again. Every time you think this club is going places circumstances transpire to make it take three steps back. I bleed blue and will cheer myself hoarse tomorrow as I do every week but the club I identify myself with is slowly losing its attraction, a team of new players EVERY season is not what I want to see. I want progress to be built on. Sadly making do, is not enough for me anymore. In 2003 my club nearly died, in 2008 on the field in terms of League position we are no better off. In fact if you go back to January 1998 we are no better. As usual many will reply with go and support United etc... well I'd rather stop watching football altogether. Its not just Latics and our continued footballing stagnation that grates its the state of the game in general that feeds my disillusionment. Over the last couple of years I have further established my love of cricket and Rugby League, two sports where the players give their all for the LOVE of the game, not so they can drive flash cars, or hang out with young girls who put out at the first sign of a £50 note. Football for me is in a coma and this summer i'm going to have a lot of thinking to do as to whether I pull the plug completely, as someone who lives for the game i'm gutted to say that......... I think sometimes things can be overstated. How many times did Joe Royle have to sell his best players in the early Eighties? Unfortunetly football is a business and i dont like it as much as the next man but i enjoy watching latics and i feel boredom for the manure. No debate needed. If youre a believer you dont need to explain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingofdikebab Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 (edited) I find it hard sometimes..... I am about as far from a modern football as possible... I dont live in Oldham any more....but I am OLDHAM.... Not matter what happenes I will always be OLDHAM...and by being apart of oldham i am a LATIC!!! Forever..... Football has been ruined by money and idiots....but no matter what happen I will always be a latic.....I love Oldham and I love latic.....I have fallen out with both over the yars but when push comes to shove,.....I love my town and i love my club....no matterwhat outside elements do....cut me and i bleeed blue.... That dosent say I dont hate the way football has beeen ruined by greeed and the "modern fan"....scum...but my roots are oldham...and by that route my roots are latics.... Hate football...love oldham athletic....mad but understandable i feel.... Great way to summarise how much this club means to a lot of people. More than a club to us all. It's a large part of our life. Emotion takes over me at times when I watch the club that I have supported for 25 years. The feeling of despair in 1987 (thousands of fans cried with Tommy), yard dogs at Walsall the season after, the cup runs, getting locked out at Southampton, getting locked in the crematorium at Leeds, beating City (on numerous occasions , beating Utd, Eyrseys goal v Plymouth, relegation twice, Beckford at Bolton/Ritchie v Barnsley................magnificent memories. The only way I can sum up my feelings for Latics is when we were playing Bradford at home under Ronnie and needed a win to stay up. MK Dons were at home against Tranmere and scored a late goal to win as Bradford were hammering our goal. My wife heard about the MK Dons goal and tapped me on the arm 'Sweetheart, I am really sorry ...........................MK Dons have scored' She delivered that line the way I would have expected her to tell me she had been having an affair with my best mate for the last 5 years. The club is cemented in a lot of peoples hearts and whilst we might be fewer in numbers than many I maintain that we are the most passionate supporters in the country. Sure we have a moan from time to time. That's because we care. Hopefully today will be another memorable game which will live forever in the memory. KOTK Edited January 26, 2008 by Kingofdikebab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 I first began watching football in 1986, the year of the Challenger disaster, Andy and Fergie's wedding and the year we went down under to win the Ashes. It was also the year I watched my first full game, Liverpool v Everton - The FA Cup Final, later that year I marvelled at Maradona's skills (and fist) single handedly (touche) winning the Argies the world cup in Mexico. Gary Lineker was my new hero, along with Neville Southall and Peter Shilton (with me being a goalie). In November of that year after a great deal of whigeing and mithering I convinced my owd fella to take me to my first live game, Latics v Palace, we won 1-0 and from then on I was hooked. Over the years I have seen pretty much everything, Promotion, Relegation (twice), A cup final, Semi-Finals, Giant Killings (for and against), managers come and go, in short the sublime, the good, the bad, the ridiculous and downright crap! In 1992 Sky's revolution dawned and for me it is clear to see that this bloodless coup has seen the slow death of the game I love. On the plus side we have shiny new grounds and some of the best foreign players in the world gracing our shores. The football League is more competitive than ever, yet many of the players have forgotten just what a great and noble game football is. Nowadays the players want everything at once and are only in the game for fame and money. Very few, play for the grassroots love of the game. This psyche is even dripfeeding its way down into kids football. Everything the so called 'superstars' do is copied by youngsters including abusing referees, questioning every decison and a lack of respect for their opponents. More worryingly is the big time attitude of if i'm not good enough for United, Chelsea etc.. i'm quitting and believe me this happens on a massive scale. Park football is dying a slow lingering death in our town and all over the country as SKY deliberately schedules lunchtime games to coincide with traditional kick off times. In fact our national team just couldn't be arsed in putting in the necessary effort to qualify from a very average group. Money is king in football and sooner or later the whole damn house of cards will come crashing down. What i'm getting at is the fact even third rate players have the attitude that they are too good to actually go and play for teams lower down the leagues. they are content to earn their money for very little application. If we cannot improve the product on the pitch for the real fans lower down the leagues, then why the hell do we bother? We all need something to aspire to, a right to cling on to dreams of promotion or one day it will all fall into place. At the moment despite the possible realisation of shiny new grounds if players don't want to be part of that what hope do we or other small clubs have? I'm feeling very disillusioned tonight, perhaps even weary of having my hopes dashed time and time again. Every time you think this club is going places circumstances transpire to make it take three steps back. I bleed blue and will cheer myself hoarse tomorrow as I do every week but the club I identify myself with is slowly losing its attraction, a team of new players EVERY season is not what I want to see. I want progress to be built on. Sadly making do, is not enough for me anymore. In 2003 my club nearly died, in 2008 on the field in terms of League position we are no better off. In fact if you go back to January 1998 we are no better. As usual many will reply with go and support United etc... well I'd rather stop watching football altogether. Its not just Latics and our continued footballing stagnation that grates its the state of the game in general that feeds my disillusionment. Over the last couple of years I have further established my love of cricket and Rugby League, two sports where the players give their all for the LOVE of the game, not so they can drive flash cars, or hang out with young girls who put out at the first sign of a £50 note. Football for me is in a coma and this summer i'm going to have a lot of thinking to do as to whether I pull the plug completely, as someone who lives for the game i'm gutted to say that......... For God's sake cheer up man. What's up with ya? You've got everyone depressed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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