17Jul

Footballers and fans used to be together

by Neil S

Share:

With the pre-season matches starting, what is a sensible price to be expected to pay to attend?

If people want to watch what is a training session being charged £10 or above then fine, but for me it would not harm the clubs to let kids in for free and charge, if they have to, adults a fiver. This may drag more fans in, and given the summer we are having or not as the case may be it may take people’s minds off what is so far a dreadful summer.

It is not as if Borehamwood or Wealdstone against Watford are going to be a sell out. Watford are sending a second eleven to St Albans and they are charging £10. Given the recession how can they justify that?

Pre-season games should be used as a link between fans and the so called precious players. Let the players sign the kids autograph books, pose for photo’s with them. At Watford we are lucky to have had players brought to the club with that mentality, but sadly a lot of players think they are now “Celebrities” and mixing with the common playing public fills some of them with horror.

Don’t get me wrong, I have had the misfortune of coming across a few at Watford but in general it is thankfully only a few. Years ago after a game at Vicarage Road against Spurs, Garry Mabbutt, the then Tottenham captain proved why everyone in football has nothing but good things to say about him. He was funny, signed autographs for everyone that wanted one, and chatted away. This was an England International and respected player of a top side, so how come he had time and respect for fans? Most of which was Watford fans.

Nowadays as we know they hide away in their mock Tudor houses, tweeting their latest thing for fans to buy and like sheep they do. Players such as Mabbutt or our own Luther Blissett have long gone as the link between fans and players have pretty much gone, still you can go and pay a mini fortune at a friendly game and hope they look up from their baby Bentley’s long enough for them to recognise you.

Posted by Watford fan Neil Stevenson

Follow Neil on Twitter at @Neil_WFC