When football dies

[Bob Mash]

I'd probably get to a few Halesowen Town games for the same reason as minesahartington. Nearest club to me other than the Baggies. Four cracking pubs within a five minute walk of the ground. 

[dog]

I get more pleasure watching Sunday morning pub football these days. Never thought that would happen

[angieram]

I'd finish my 92/72 - or 52 or however many are left by then!

Then I'd go back to my first love Ofton Town. 

[Gaspode]

I don't think football will die - but my interest in it might.....really getting disillusioned with the whole football world at the moment.

[Spanish]

1 minute ago, Gaspode said:

I don't think football will die - but my interest in it might.....really getting disillusioned with the whole football world at the moment.

Not the best bunch to ask at the moment, if we were brentford maybe a different view?

[TimRam]

1 hour ago, Monty said:

It won’t die but it needs restructuring 

It’s been 30 years since the PL was formed and in that time only seven clubs have won it. Two of those were Leicester and Blackburn and the latter is unlikely to repeat it

 

100m for 1 player. The Premiership summed up really. Problem is a lot of young people just getting into football want to support the 'winners' and see instant success so it's never ending circle. My nephew said he felt like an "outcast" where football was concerned at school as almost everyone else supported the 'big six' and constantly questioned why he followed Derby.

Edited August 16, 2021 by TimRam

[Ted McMinn Football Genius]

1 hour ago, ossieram said:

I said in 1984 that if Derby go to the wall I'd never go to another match, nothing has changed for me. 

100% the same here @ossieram DCFC or nothing

[Crewton]

I'd probably go to a few non-league games of teams in Derbyshire, combine it with a few beers in good pubs with any like-minded mates, but I'd never "support" another team.

[Angry Ram]

Non-league.. The future 

[Trom50]

Probably go and watch Belper or Matlock, decent pint and an excellent pie ! 

[richinspain]

29 minutes ago, i-Ram said:

Hopefully the Forum would continue in some form. I feel a lot closer to, and care more for, this community than I do the club at the moment.

[B4ev6is]

23 minutes ago, TimRam said:

100m for 1 player. The Premiership summed up really. Problem is a lot of young people just getting into football want to support the 'winners' and see instant success so it's never ending circle. My nephew said he felt like an "outcast" where football was concerned at school as almost everyone else supported the 'big six' and constantly questioned why he followed Derby.

Tell your nathrew he is being loyal to his club Derby county and that is all what matters.

[De22Ram]

Im not sure, i hope some day in the near future the fans take back the game from the greedy rich owners and tv companies who only care about making money and dont care about the fans! 
 

Look what happened with this super league! Fans have a lot of power, shame the momentum from that has seemed to disappear! I was hoping it would kick on, to percentage of fan ownership, ticket prices, kick off times, etc, etc!
 

Its the same as capitalism, the consumer has the power! If everyone stopped buying from a company it would go bust, no matter how big, powerful and rich they are! Footballs similar! (Not completely the same due to the passion and not switching clubs like you would a supermarket but you get my drift) If the fans stopped going the clubs and even tv companies would have to listen! The premier league and the championship do well abroad on tv because of the the fans! Take them away and the atmosphere dies, the "product" is much weaker!

[Bianoic]

Really interesting question made by the initial poster.

Im a football fan first and a Rams fan second. I follow the Rams because I love football, not the other way round.

I thought this weekends matches were fantastically entertaining

But I also am becoming incredibly frustrated about how one sided things have become in favour of the larger clubs. For example, the way they can just pick off smaller clubs best academy players is absolutely scandalous. Money is just dominating everything it seems which is just horrible.

I agree with the comments that say there will always be a Derby County, even if it had to become a phoenix club. There are far too many fans, lots of very long standing, for that not to happen.

Our second team is Notts County and we go a few times a season. Nice club, nice people, nice ground . No sizeable minority of complete drunken foul mouthed cretins threatening to ruin your enjoyment. And its nice to support a team but not be bothered at all if they lose !! Its a completely different game at that level too, in some ways far less stressful and more enjoyable.

So as well as continuing to support the Rams in whatever guise they were, I would also follow my non league club more .

[De22Ram]

P.s- with the way social media can connect people all over the world with campaigns etc i hope on day ill wale up to headline saying all uk football fans are campagning for x,y and z and until this happens no fans will buy any ticket, shirts, merchandise!

[May Contain Nuts]

48 minutes ago, angieram said:

Then I'd go back to my first love Ofton Town. 

I can see the appeal.

Watch Ofton Town and feel happy, or watch DCFC and feel Often Down.

[ketteringram]

1 hour ago, jimbo jones said:

Professional football? Yes. Outside of Derby County I've largely lost interest anyway. Go watch Belper Town if I need a football fix.

I could go and watch Kettering Town. I'm happy enough to watch any game without actually being bothered who wins. Yes, I know it's not the same. But even that is £15 a go.

[Steve Buckley’s Dog]

56 minutes ago, dog said:

I get more pleasure watching Sunday morning pub football these days. Never thought that would happen

Do you go with one man?

[ImARam2]

This is a very good article and argument.

As many have mentioned, Derby County is their one and only club, at the moment, but what if the money completely runs out - some say its already done that, and Derby go out of existence, like Bury?

Would there be sufficient local interest, from wealthy people or business to get them operating again, and climb back into the Football League, or would they forever lanquish in the non-league divisions?

Would that level of football attract the youngsters to follow their local professional/city club, or will they just support a Premier League team, or give up following and/or playing football altogether? 

I've follow the Rams for 50 years, and I go to about six away matches a season (I pick & choose not too far), however, if I don't travel away, I go down to either Belper Town or Mickleover FC to watch some very competitive games of football, without some of the cynicism of the higher professional divisions, and you get a good pint of beer in the local pubs.

Football came out of the Victorian age for the working classes, and was and always been based on the local team, that's why once a fan, you remain with that club all your life, wherever you are in the world.

[strawhillram]

3 hours ago, seths-cap said:

Sorry if this sounds completely miserable. I’ve being thinking about where football will be in 10 years time? The ever growing gap between the premier league and the rest of us, at what point will the bubble burst and teams just start disappearing, being unable to afford to compete or even operate? 
 

Rather then drag out some long winded depressing paragraph I’ll simply ask you this, should Derby cease to exist and there be two leagues left in English football, your nearest local club being someone like Leicester ruddy city, do you give up on football?

Football is almost dead. I  have just about given up. 
it’s not what it once was. too commercialised and it’s all about the elitist few.