After my many years of support (70+), I was thrilled, excited and really looking forward to filling in the gaps of those grounds I’ve not yet attended with my beloved Bees. Promotion was the ultimate, the realisation that we had reached The Premiership still hasn’t really sunk in, I still pinch myself when The Bees Badge hovers above Gary Lineker’s head.
But I will not be attending any more away games, definitely whilst we are in the Premiership (long may we stay there).
The reality has been starkly different to the expectation.
- Travelling is a constant challenge, with uncertain kick off days and times, uncertain train availability and concern as to who might be ‘your fellow passenger’ en route!
- Ridiculously expensive ‘cheap’ hotel costs for midweek overnight stays.
- Nobody sits down – at 77, I am unable to stand for 2+ hours. The offer of a seat at the front is generous and is ok at upper levels but not when at pitch level. What a dreadful view that is.
- Some BFC away supporter behaviour in and around a venue is appalling, the language, the aggression, the taunting is so sad, call me an old fogie, but football has regressed to the behaviour level of the70’s, probably a descriptor of life, but still very disappointing and very unenjoyable.
Other football related issues, not necessarily just at away matches, that haven’t helped are
- The blatant unpunished cheating by so called professional football players, another example costing us the game at Leicester. Whilst they get away with it, score winning goals as result, their cheating not highlighted by tv and with the authorities turn a blind eye, what hope is there?
- The greed in football (not visible at the Bees though) is disgraceful.
- I don’t do social media, but from what is reported, it sounds sickening.
No apologies for my ‘rant’. Could it just stir a few thoughts about the future of “the beautiful game”, which to me looks very, very bleak for decent folk.
David Hylton