The fans who make a sharp exit
By Gary McDaniel:
Whilst at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon I was amazed to see that phenomenon of fans leaving a game early is still as popular as ever. There were some even exiting at half time. They said it was too cold.
With the game finely poised at 1-1 many Gers fans felt it was time to head for the exits with ten minutes remaining on the clock. I can slightly accept this notion when your team is comfortably leading, which doesn't happen a lot at Ibrox. To be heading home though when your team could possibly grab a late winner just bamboozles me. I even seen empty seats at both the Etihad and Emirates stadiums when both games were reaching a nail biting conclusion. Would these same people ask to leave the airlines of the sponsors of their respective stadias ten minutes before landing? "Yes can you please let me off here as it will be quicker for me to get home and avoid the crowds at baggage reclaim." In fact Ryanair might catch wind of this proposal and go with it.
As a fan there has to be no better feeling than celebrating a late winner or equalizer in a big match. The relief it brings especially when the ball nestles in the net when there are seconds remaining.
Whilst at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon I was amazed to see that phenomenon of fans leaving a game early is still as popular as ever. There were some even exiting at half time. They said it was too cold.
With the game finely poised at 1-1 many Gers fans felt it was time to head for the exits with ten minutes remaining on the clock. I can slightly accept this notion when your team is comfortably leading, which doesn't happen a lot at Ibrox. To be heading home though when your team could possibly grab a late winner just bamboozles me. I even seen empty seats at both the Etihad and Emirates stadiums when both games were reaching a nail biting conclusion. Would these same people ask to leave the airlines of the sponsors of their respective stadias ten minutes before landing? "Yes can you please let me off here as it will be quicker for me to get home and avoid the crowds at baggage reclaim." In fact Ryanair might catch wind of this proposal and go with it.
As a fan there has to be no better feeling than celebrating a late winner or equalizer in a big match. The relief it brings especially when the ball nestles in the net when there are seconds remaining.
Many fans that leave early seem to be clairvoyant as they know the outcome of the match when they leave their seats with a quarter of the match to play. They say they'll catch the end in the pub. Why not just go to the pub in the first place then?
The other big rush is to get away and beat the crowds and traffic, which maybe the only victory they witness. What's the big hurry to get home for anyway? Is your home serving up the January sales? Are things so desperate that Saturday night TV is more appealing. Is that haste to get home just because you want to watch Wipeout or that irritant John Barrowman invade your TV screen? If it is, you shouldn't be allowed out in the first place.
Maybe football reporters, camera men and commentators should just give up as well with five minutes remaining in a top of the table clash. You could picture it. The cameras switch off and you hear Martin Tyler say to Ray Wilkins, "You're no Andy Gray. I'm away home." Just as well Ron Atkinson isn't a co-commentator anymore, as when the screen goes blank, it would be a nervous moment if that were to happen during a African Nations Cup match.
I wonder if these people carry on with this theme while attending other sporting events?
While at the likes of the Grand National, do they decide that when the field are two fences from the finish they've seen enough and are leaving to catch the early bus home?
Do they flick over the channel just as Usain Bolt bursts out of the blocks in the 100 metres final at the Olympics?
Could it possibly be that these same individuals do not know the actual ending to some famous movies because they couldn't be bothered to stay to the end? Like in Jaws do they think Richard Dreyfuss was killed? That Bruce Willis was alive in the Sixth Sense. Or how about they are unaware that Verbal Kint was Keyser Soze in The Usual Suspects. Did they stand up in the cinema hall and leave when Kevin Spacey hands himself into the police in Se7en thinking good picture I'm glad they got him?
They'll also be that annoying work colleague who constantly asks the boss if they can nip off early to miss the rush hour. That's why the motorways of this land are getting clogged up earlier year after year. Come 3pm the M8 is like a car park now. "Oh I need to get home early to put my casserole on. My in-laws are visiting." Eat microwave food like the rest of us ya selfish.............
I also wonder if these same people follow this practice while making love to their partner? Just as it's about to reach it's climax. He jumps off and cries, "Sorry love got to go don't want to get caught by those temporary traffic lights on the High Street."
I suppose I should respect these hardy souls as they have the strength to go out and support their team on a regular basis in the first place. You get the impression though that each week they find themselves coming to the same conclusion. This games pish.....
This post is finishing early. Got a Beef Stew in the oven.
Comments
Hate fans who take the moral high ground about stuff like this. It's like the "oh you don't sing enough" fans or the "how many away games have you been to this season" fans.
If you pay your money you can stay for as long as you want to, staying for an extra 10 minutes doesn't make you a better person or a better fan, the same way that singing louder or going to away friendlies in Germany doesn't make you a better fan.
Subway Loyal might be a bit smaller if fans were actually being entertained rather than stuttering and stammering against an Aberdeen team that should be dispatched with ease.
Had enough of "my dog is blacker than your dog" fans.... get yourself to France!
what about a dig at the club the managment and the players, us fans buy are tickets and are free to enter the stadium when we want and leave the stadium when we want, you have no right to tell a fellow fan when to enter or leave next you will be telling fellow fans when they have to sit or stand when to sing and when not to sing
if a fan leaves early its there choice and the club does'nt lose anything for it as the fan paid full price for there seat
me staying to the final whistle WILL not make players play better same as me singing the sash, derry walls, penny arcade etc wont make the players play any better
if them players cannot perform with a few empty seats or without a outstanding atmosphere then them layers should take a long hard look at themselfs as they still get there full wages as come the next match us fans spend more of are hard earned money for a seat yet again
I travel 200 + round journey to see the match so have pretty mutch allocated the bulk of the day the the game... and I just want to see it to the end , is there anytrhing wrong with that?
Bill
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