When I was a teenager in the mid 90s, a group of us would go on the mini-bus around the Beazer Homes League and above. We were a genuinely lucky generation as we had a successful team and every couple of years would have a set of new grounds to attend through a promotion or cup run. Our group started out small and eventually grew to quite a size (most still follow Cheltenham today in some form or another).
I do smile at times when people mention the cost, quality of the football, facilities or lack of marketing as reasons why we aren't riding the crest of a wave at present. I genuinely believe there are three reasons why there isn't an outstanding atmosphere at the moment -
1 - Fan Boredom of Stability - The board have worked tirelessly to establish ourselves as a football league club. We should be delighting in their great work. Instead we moan because let's face it, people get bored with stability. Therefore, I believe we are a victim or our own success.
2 - lack of new fans The youngster's today have lots of options when it comes to spare time. I know people will argue that this is the case all over the country, but we are a wealthy town with a small fan base - two elements that don't bode well for attracting the type of teenage supporter we want. Let's face it, everything is new and exciting the first few years you do something. CTFC has a lot of loyal older fans or established ones that have become apathetic to everything. The balance of a younger group just isn't there.
3 - The players and way the lower leagues are going as a whole. When was the last time you looked at one of our players as a hero, or a cult figure? Someone you really looked forward to watching? I look at our squad and they try hard, but these are not people I talk of outside of the ground or the pub. The great players of the past are that, in the past. The lower league today is made up of kids, loans and mercenaries. I am not engaged to them nor excited by them.
I don't have any answers, because perhaps there aren't any. How happy you are with CTFC as a whole depends on individual expectations I suppose.
Christmas crunch
Moderators: Admin, Ralph, asl, Robin
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C.V
Good post Gavin your spot on the days of the terrace hero's has gone we all remember Eaton,Freeman,Banks etc etc.Used to love the non league days was far cheaper but wouldnt swap it for what we have now.Yes we have been spoiled our rise was fantastic and now the stabilty is hard to take l suppose we still want to see us up there at the sharp end.
I moan like hell but deep down its only because l know we still have more to give and l get frustrated when l watch a game l know we should be winning.
I moan like hell but deep down its only because l know we still have more to give and l get frustrated when l watch a game l know we should be winning.
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa
- Posts: 29812
- Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
And the person I go with always gets a beer before the game and at half timeTaz1985 wrote:There is a bar in the In2Print Robin.
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robinsrule
- Posts: 897
- Joined: 25 Nov 2010, 16:00
Agree with most of what's been said. As a football fan there is absolutely nothing better than seeing your team win away, but it seems that even that is happening less and less.
I too grew up watching Cheltenham play in the 'glory days' of the 90s, but even though the quality of football in the Beazer Homes League must have been pretty poor, I look back on it through rose-tinted glasses.
If you win a match 2-1 but score both goals in the first five minutes people only take away the negatives of 85 minutes of dross. Nobody remembers how bad we were at Rushden for 89 minutes, or how bad Man U were for 89 minutes against Bayern in the CL final, they only remember the result. It's all about perceptions, and the general perception is that we are a poor team playing poor football. Taking into account both our league and stable financial position we are in a better state than 70% of football clubs but all we do is moan. I know we all want to see nice football, but if we were playing well but yet found ourselves in the same league position would crowds be any higher? The net result would be the same.
The problem is that, as in all businesses, keeping loyal customers is much easier than finding new ones. The crowds have been slowly dwindling but these people - your friends, my friends - will not come back to Whaddon Road until we have a sustained period of good form, if ever. Even then it might not happen, as last season proved. I don't know the solution either, but for those of us still here to start enjoying ourselves more the style of play has to play. I really do not understand how and why a professional football should not be able to resist the temptation to hoof the ball rather than pass it along the floor.
BTW, even though these issues do seem to affect us more than most clubs, it is by no means exclusive to Cheltenham. I was shocked when I saw that Mansfield only had 2800 for their home tie v Oldham.... The reward was a trip to Anfield, so I can only presume that as both teams had played Liverpool in the last couple of years the novelty had worn off.
I too grew up watching Cheltenham play in the 'glory days' of the 90s, but even though the quality of football in the Beazer Homes League must have been pretty poor, I look back on it through rose-tinted glasses.
If you win a match 2-1 but score both goals in the first five minutes people only take away the negatives of 85 minutes of dross. Nobody remembers how bad we were at Rushden for 89 minutes, or how bad Man U were for 89 minutes against Bayern in the CL final, they only remember the result. It's all about perceptions, and the general perception is that we are a poor team playing poor football. Taking into account both our league and stable financial position we are in a better state than 70% of football clubs but all we do is moan. I know we all want to see nice football, but if we were playing well but yet found ourselves in the same league position would crowds be any higher? The net result would be the same.
The problem is that, as in all businesses, keeping loyal customers is much easier than finding new ones. The crowds have been slowly dwindling but these people - your friends, my friends - will not come back to Whaddon Road until we have a sustained period of good form, if ever. Even then it might not happen, as last season proved. I don't know the solution either, but for those of us still here to start enjoying ourselves more the style of play has to play. I really do not understand how and why a professional football should not be able to resist the temptation to hoof the ball rather than pass it along the floor.
BTW, even though these issues do seem to affect us more than most clubs, it is by no means exclusive to Cheltenham. I was shocked when I saw that Mansfield only had 2800 for their home tie v Oldham.... The reward was a trip to Anfield, so I can only presume that as both teams had played Liverpool in the last couple of years the novelty had worn off.