Cheltenham Town Survivors Group

[Shade]

Hi everyone, my name is Shade, and I'm a Cheltenham Town fan. It all started about 15-20 years ago - I can't remember exactly. It didn't take long for me to get hooked as the highs were great, but I realised after a while that the lows just really grind you down. I've had a few bad trips over the years, but today was probably one of the worst lows. It drives me to drink. It's bad for my health, but I'm an addict.

Please feel free to share with the group. Together we can get through the hard times and look forward to better times.

[confused.com]

It is insidious! It lures you in to feeling comfortable by feeding you on oldham, Burnley WBA, just to get you hooked. Then come the cold turkey of tamworth, Dover and now Maidstone. To make sure you are trapped, the drop the street price. Just have to learn that no matther how cheap, FA means only one thing

[Henry The Dog]

Hi Shade, Like you I've had highs and lows it's addictive and do you know what's worse I've dragged my kids into my addiction. Players come and go but I still turn up every week. Today I turned up again with hope only to be let down. Halfway through I wanted to walk out but I stayed. I blame the Echo for getting me into this addiction with their match reports when I was a child.
At the final whistle I'm ashamed to say I walked round the ground and joined the queue for tickets against our vegan rivals, I wanted to say stuff the players I don't need them but my addiction is too strong. Maybe the Government should insist on a health warning on the back of tickets or maybe ban advertising.

[Malabus]

Listen to RCS...he will lift your spirits.

[asl]

I can stop going whenever I want to. [Sniff] I just gotta bit of a cold, today.

[Daveangel]

Hi shade. Thanks for sharing. My names is Ben2 and I’m also a cheltenham town fan. I really appreciated what you said and it chimes a lot with me.

I became a fan in 1984/5. But to be honest I think I was a fan before I was born. You see - here’s the really difficult bit - my dad is a fan. And so was his dad. It’s hard to know when the fandom began. But I take full responsibility for being a fan, I don’t pass the buck.

For me it started with a few games - yes, times were good. We won, I was up, I went home happy. But all too quickly I got hooked. Disappointment led to disappointment.

Worst of all I hate to say it but I think my own offspring are hooked. I say: ‘son, football is a series of disappointments interspersed with the odd bit of hope’. But he knows better as I thought I did. He’s lost in the slough of despair.

Next week will be better. Next week we’ll win. We’ll all be millionaires by Christmas.

(At least i never tried the evil that is ‘Gloster city’)

Well stop moaning then.

If you had you'd really understand what suffering is!

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Listen to RCS...he will lift your spirits.

£20/gramme special offer for CTFC season holders. See me at the bar in the Green Man on 25th.

[Shade]

Thanks for sharing, everyone. Knowing you're not alone whilst staring into the pit of despair that is a free weekend in December when, without the excuse of the footy being on you may get dragged Christmas shopping, is a great comfort to us all, I'm sure. Admitting you've got a problem may not be half the battle but at least we can all be miserable together in the knowledge that when we get those highs we can ride them together. I hope to see none of you here next week but the thread is always open for those in need.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

A pleasure Shade. You only keep what you have by giving it away, JFT, etc.