Xhaka not happy with the early leavers

[DonaldDownTheWing]

Quite possibly, yes.

The club have set up a sub-group of supporters to meet semi-regularly to talk about atmosphere and ways of improving it, which I'm a part of (anyone can attend btw - there are others in this thread who also go to these meetings), and a big feature of the last two meetings have been the rapid decline in atmosphere at games, early leavers etc. David Bruce, Ghisolfi, Chris Waters etc all attend these meetings so it's very much in the mind's eye of people of influence at the club that there's a problem which needs to be nipped in the bud.

Fundamentally, I think anyone excusing the fact people leave early, when it's being pointed out that this is a genuine problem that is now affecting the performances on the pitch, is part of the problem.

We are supporters. Our job is to support, unless there's a valid reason to not support them. In the past, when we had people at the club who took it for granted and showed it no respect, there was valid reason to vote with your feet. This team, this manager, this owner, etc etc can not be placed in that category. That alone is why we should be calling it out for what it is.

On Saturday we were one goal down with 83 minutes gone and there were lines of people streaming out down the stairs.

I tried to picture myself as one of the players witnessing that. Is that going to inspire you to push even harder to get a goal back, or is it going to demoralise you, knowing the people who are supposed to be there to offer support are giving up?

This is really very simple to me. You are not being a supporter if you turn your back on the team when there's a game still going on and, crucially, we're still in it!


There are images of fans piling out of the ground early on Getty images, with the captions noting that this was while the game was still going on. It's embarrassing.

It’s far worse now than it was in L1. A large number of the people leaving early are the ones who jacked in going to the match and only came back once we were promoted.

Why anyone is surprised that they don’t behave like supporters and just leave when the team isn’t doing well is hardly surprising.

 

[wigwams]

I take it the traffic is miraculously so much worse getting away from the ground now than it was earlier in the season.

Or against the mags 3-0 down and it was still packed. Because those that fuck off know damn well how shit it looks.

Who gives a fuck if it takes an hr to get home or 45 if you leave early. Don’t know why it’s even mentioned. You’re at the match and you get home whenever you do.

Stay til the end no matter what. It really does help

 

[Cack Stottie]

I can tell you now that the atmosphere will not improve.

The reason being that the fans, sub-groups, whatever you want to call them, who act as representatives of the fans and talk to the club; are all the same kind of people. They're all people who are bothered about things such as the bogs not being big enough, the paths outside the ground being dangerous, the pies in the ground not being good enough and loads of other daft shite.

If you want the atmosphere to improve then working class male football fans are gonna have to be represented when talking to the club, and in the ground you're gonna have to leave them to be what others consider to be a bit of a nuisance instead of slavvering on about how they're trying to kill everyone through putting a toe in the aisle and second hand smoke.

Tell Granit Xhaka from me at your meeting: the authorities in this country have sanitised the shite out of football, they have created a situation whereby a football ground is now full of consumers who treat it as being an entertainment, no different to being at the Oxford Cambridge boat race, in fact it's probably more rowdy there. If Granit wants the atmosphere to improve, tell him to start using his influence in the club and spreading the word that the working class lads need to be accommodated, one step at a time, first off: turn a blind eye to the lads having a tab in the bogs.

I've been to tonnes of these meetings down the years and this is the first group I've ever sat as a part of where I feel like the club are genuinely interested in taking ideas on board. Loads of stuff that has been suggested has happened. Get yourself along to the next one, they're productive.

 

[hairynaker]

We're decimated by injuries man

We had Isidor and if he didnt fancy him, give one of the young midfielders a chance.

If they are that flakey that they'll leave with anywhere around 15mins left including the injury time, then maybe going to a football game isn't for them.

They have put their money in though, that's something at least. The game can change at any moment, which it has frequently this season, so its not worth leaving but people have obviously felt they have seen enough.

I think if we asked the people who left early what would make them stay longer, the majority would say play better. Rightly or wrongly. Make subs sooner, go for it, we are getting beat, change something.

 

[Cack Stottie]

It’s far worse now than it was in L1. A large number of the people leaving early are the ones who jacked in going to the match and only came back once we were promoted.

Why anyone is surprised that they don’t behave like supporters and just leave when the team isn’t doing well is hardly surprising.

I suppose that's why it's right to call this stuff out if you see it.

I don't think anyone is particularly surprised. I think that this is probably the first time where people calling it out are justified in doing so, because there is absolutely no reason why you wouldn't and shouldn't get behind the club and these players.

That definitely hasn't been the case in the past. I've left games early during the Coleman and Moyes seasons because there was genuinely reasons to turn your back on them. We were trying to send a message to Ellis Short so he'd fuck off, so voting with our feet made absolutely perfect sense.

There isn't a single justification for it happening now.

 

[dred73]

It’s far worse now than it was in L1. A large number of the people leaving early are the ones who jacked in going to the match and only came back once we were promoted.

Why anyone is surprised that they don’t behave like supporters and just leave when the team isn’t doing well is hardly surprising.

Don't normally disagree with your points, but where I stand at the back of the South Stand it's same ones leaving early as they did in the championship and league one.
Never bothered me then, and does not bother me now.

 

[wigwams]

You must be logged on to see media items

- not just us…..

It’s everywhere. Absolutely mind boggling behaviour. I genuinely think loads of them are hen pecked blokes that are expected to be in by a certain time.

 

[chriswallace85]

I can tell you now that the atmosphere will not improve.

The reason being that the fans, sub-groups, whatever you want to call them, who act as representatives of the fans and talk to the club; are all the same kind of people. They're all people who are bothered about things such as the bogs not being big enough, the paths outside the ground being dangerous, the pies in the ground not being good enough and loads of other daft shite.

If you want the atmosphere to improve then working class male football fans are gonna have to be represented when talking to the club, and in the ground you're gonna have to leave them to be what others consider to be a bit of a nuisance instead of slavvering on about how they're trying to kill everyone through putting a toe in the aisle and second hand smoke.

Tell Granit Xhaka from me at your meeting: the authorities in this country have sanitised the shite out of football, they have created a situation whereby a football ground is now full of consumers who treat it as being an entertainment, no different to being at the Oxford Cambridge boat race, in fact it's probably more rowdy there. If Granit wants the atmosphere to improve, tell him to start using his influence in the club and spreading the word that the working class lads need to be accommodated, one step at a time, first off: turn a blind eye to the lads having a tab in the bogs.

I think he should say smoking's for absolute meffs, and anyone caught having a drag in the bogs should be forcibly removed from the premises.

 

[VenisonsMullet]

I can tell you now that the atmosphere will not improve.

The reason being that the fans, sub-groups, whatever you want to call them, who act as representatives of the fans and talk to the club; are all the same kind of people. They're all people who are bothered about things such as the bogs not being big enough, the paths outside the ground being dangerous, the pies in the ground not being good enough and loads of other daft shite.

If you want the atmosphere to improve then working class male football fans are gonna have to be represented when talking to the club, and in the ground you're gonna have to leave them to be what others consider to be a bit of a nuisance instead of slavvering on about how they're trying to kill everyone through putting a toe in the aisle and second hand smoke.

Tell Granit Xhaka from me at your meeting: the authorities in this country have sanitised the shite out of football, they have created a situation whereby a football ground is now full of consumers who treat it as being an entertainment, no different to being at the Oxford Cambridge boat race, in fact it's probably more rowdy there. If Granit wants the atmosphere to improve, tell him to start using his influence in the club and spreading the word that the working class lads need to be accommodated, one step at a time, first off: turn a blind eye to the lads having a tab in the bogs.

I've read some drivel on here before, but this.....

 

[dred73]

It’s everywhere. Absolutely mind boggling behaviour. I genuinely think loads of them are hen pecked blokes that are expected to be in by a certain time.

Not like us ex miners and shipyard workers who stayed till full time at Roker Park.

 

[DonaldDownTheWing]

I suppose that's why it's right to call this stuff out if you see it.

I don't think anyone is particularly surprised. I think that this is probably the first time where people calling it out are justified in doing so, because there is absolutely no reason why you wouldn't and shouldn't get behind the club and these players.

That definitely hasn't been the case in the past. I've left games early during the Coleman and Moyes seasons because there was genuinely reasons to turn your back on them. We were trying to send a message to Ellis Short so he'd fuck off, so voting with our feet made absolutely perfect sense.

There isn't a single justification for it happening now.

There’s not a justification for you, but there clearly is for others. I’ve also heard you talk on the podcast about missing kick-off because you were stood having a pint on the concourse, and that’s certainly more recent than Coleman & Moyes.

If the club want to improve the situation, they’re going to have to understand the reasons behind it and then address them, or work with those leaving early to encourage them to stay.

Just slagging these people off and calling them shit fans isn’t going to solve anything.

I’ve made the suggestion earlier in the thread of keeping the main exits locked until the final whistle. People can leave but only if they scan their season ticket and go through a turnstile. That will then give the club a list of people who they can target any research or potential sanctions if it’s every single week at.

Don't normally disagree with your points, but where I stand at the back of the South Stand it's same ones leaving early as they did in the championship and league one.
Never bothered me then, and does not bother me now.

Ah I’m not saying it’s only the new fans, but certainly a large % of early leavers weren’t there in L1.

 

[RTGAdmin]

He had a right go at Dan Ballard in the first half. Not sure what that was about.

He was obviously in a bad mood from the start, having a go at everyone and seemed to let several of the Brighton players wind him up. Obviously booked for dissent and he was definitely distracted from his football and more interested in having a go at Brighton players several times during the match.

When a key player like him loses his focus its bad news for us and with Le Fee missing much of our creativity seemed to be coming from Ballard and Alderete !

 

[Cack Stottie]

There’s not a justification for you, but there clearly is for others. I’ve also heard you talk on the podcast about missing kick-off because you were stood having a pint on the concourse, and that’s certainly more recent than Coleman & Moyes.

If the club want to improve the situation, they’re going to have to understand the reasons behind it and then address them, or work with those leaving early to encourage them to stay.

Just slagging these people off and calling them shit fans isn’t going to solve anything.

I’ve made the suggestion earlier in the thread of keeping the main exits locked until the final whistle. People can leave but only if they scan their season ticket and go through a turnstile. That will then give the club a list of people who they can target any research or potential sanctions if it’s every single week at.

As soon as I've realised the game has kicked off I've launched my pint in the bin and run back to the stands because I've not realised the game has started

It's actually pretty difficult to tell when a game has kicked back off - I suggested to the club having some sort of messaging on the screens in the concourse warning people that the players were coming back out or something could be useful.

 

[Locke's SAFC]

I've been to tonnes of these meetings down the years and this is the first group I've ever sat as a part of where I feel like the club are genuinely interested in taking ideas on board. Loads of stuff that has been suggested has happened. Get yourself along to the next one, they're productive.

My first idea for the club is this: you need to decide what's more important, the health and safety "progressive" type people who dominant fans groups with their "we're all gonna die" approach to a few lads misbehaving a bit, or an atmosphere.

If it's the former, then it's your choice but don't waste your time even talking about atmosphere because it won't change. What you'll continue to get is people sat down clapping "Red and White Army" for 5 seconds two or three times a match.

The club, and many of the fans, cannot have it both ways. The fans who are represented at talks with the club are not the fans who are going to generate the atmosphere and keep it going. In fact, they are the fans who are gonna act as a barrier to atmosphere by focusing on health and safety type issues that eventually stop the lads from being lads.

If I go along, do you reckon the club will entertain that?

 

[Roker Scoreboard]

Don't normally disagree with your points, but where I stand at the back of the South Stand it's same ones leaving early as they did in the championship and league one.
Never bothered me then, and does not bother me now.

Seeing the ground nearly half empty in a PL game, does that not annoy you at all? It's a shite look from a PR point of view and now being noticed evidentially by the players?

 

[Cack Stottie]

The fans who are represented at talks with the club are not the fans who are going to generate the atmosphere and keep it going. In fact, they are the fans who are gonna act as a barrier to atmosphere by focusing on health and safety type issues that eventually stop the lads from being lads.

That simply isn't true. You're making an assumption based on... well, nowt really.

The club's new safety officer (who also attends these meetings) is a massive lads fan and that's had a huge bearing on the relaxation of certain areas of security around the ground this season (migration of fans to the Roker End, the placement of the away fans, etc).

But get yourself there and find out for yourself - it's honestly really productive. David Bruce is probably the leading voice at the club for improving things, he's very good and gets stuff done.

 

[DonaldDownTheWing]

As soon as I've realised the game has kicked off I've launched my pint in the bin and run back to the stands because I've not realised the game has started

It's actually pretty difficult to tell when a game has kicked back off - I suggested to the club having some sort of messaging on the screens in the concourse warning people that the players were coming back out or something could be useful.

Maybe that’s why they played WMS at the start of the second half?

I think a holistic approach has to be taken and there’s not one single measure the club can implement which will solve it all.

Queueing times at the bar mean people go down early before HT, and come back up late. Traffic issues mean people want to get away quick. Public transport is really poor.

Home performances have dropped off recently, we’re safe from relegation and we won’t be getting into Europe, so some may take the view that we’re not really playing for much now.

Like I say, there’s loads of reasons people may use to justify it to themselves and whether those of us who stay till 90 minutes like it or not, the early leavers won’t stop just because they get slagged off on a forum they don’t even know exists.

 

[VenisonsMullet]

As soon as I've realised the game has kicked off I've launched my pint in the bin and run back to the stands because I've not realised the game has started

It's actually pretty difficult to tell when a game has kicked back off - I suggested to the club having some sort of messaging on the screens in the concourse warning people that the players were coming back out or something could be useful.

Maybe just check the time on your watch/phone

Queueing times at the bar mean people go down early before HT, and come back up late.

Imagine not being able to go 45 mins without a pint man.....

 

[sadsack01]

It’s far worse now than it was in L1. A large number of the people leaving early are the ones who jacked in going to the match and only came back once we were promoted.

Why anyone is surprised that they don’t behave like supporters and just leave when the team isn’t doing well is hardly surprising.

I've been saying this exact same thing to my mates for the past few weeks.

These are Premier League supporters, not Sunderland supporters. Its the same lot who ditched going when we got relegated from the PL.
Of course, we had early leavers when things weren't going well but nowhere what it is now.

I know some people need to leave for whatever reasons but I cant get my head around being only 1-0 down and having no reason to leave other than its not great to watch. Anything can happen and often has this season in those last 10-15 minutes.

 

[The soap powder]

f***ing hell

I know it wasn’t great but cmon

We’ve a large squad but really limited quality players

The keeper, reinildo, Mukiele and le fee are all starts and massive misses

They are the only players we have, along with xhaka, who came with substantial known quality

The rest were largely speculative

Got a massive break after the mags

Win 3 or 7 with forest spurs and wolves thrown in there, we could break 50 points

I’m not a massive fan of our style of play but I can see we’re short of players and we don’t have any wingers so also gonna be short creatively

Yeah I agree with all of that but we still sat on Sunday and changed nothing she has were 1-0 done and we created zero chances so the players still have to bake a look at themselves alongside the coach