Normally I'm an optimist

I really hope we can at least make a fight of the season, because so many fans I talk to are losing interest.

 

Pretty much sums up my feelings. You mostly post sensible thoughts, to which I nearly always agree. It is rare for you to be over the top, or down in the dumps, but everyone has a breaking point.

I spent August in Barnsley to celebrate my 60th birthday with my family. I got to attend four games, including the opener against Fulham. Maybe the high point of the season for me will be that I was in attendance for what may be the only win of the season.

As with you, I will carry on with my support. I'll be up early every Saturday to catch the game at 07:00 PST (or earlier with all our lunchtime kickoffs), and my usual complaints about the audio, video or sync issues with iFollow.

Onward and upwards!

 

Very well worded, I sat at Preston yesterday wondering why I’d bothered and how it could be improved. Last season was so enjoyable, home and away, and this season just feels so joyless, really can’t see it improving anytime soon.

 

Can we just say that currently you are pessimistically optimistic?

 

Yeah couldn't agree more but it's taken some years to feel this way - but i still love the buzz when we do win.

 

But isn't that what it's about? When we are doing well it's great, when we aren't, it's not.

Yet we support them either way.

 

J goes to about 95% of all game so from memory. If she’s saying it’s bad and asking why she’s bothering then somethings not right.

everyone has a differing threshold before they say enough. At some point they’ll hit that wall.

Spending £50 upwards before you’ve even got through a turnstile knowing you’ll be seeing the team getting hammered tends to bring that wall a bit closer.

 

The real big question is WHY? Why, have the Board sold most of the Family silver and replaced it it would seem with Fool's gold-why did they think in a thousand years that this gamble would work-and most importantly, why did they not listen and act on the sensible rationale of mixing in some experience with our gutsy, enthusiastic and very fit players who do work so very hard to achieve the win. It is like replacing responsible and mature parents with their 5 year old siblings to coach them in life's skills. This is not a dig at anybody but please BOD bring in some experienced players to help our squad move forward, or back, as the playing situation demands. Otherwise I think we are on a ticket back south.

 

But that's my point - nobody was stopping going last season, because we were winning.

The much maligned club strategy didn't deter folks last season, because we were winning.

I was appalled at our defending yesterday afternoon but couldn't really fault the effort on show. And it's the first time in a long while that I've seen us so comfortably beaten. But I've seen much worse in my lifetime and probably will do again. We are Barnsley.

I get that every person might react differently and I was unlucky enough to be sat near those chaps who film themselves whilst the match is ongoing so moved across the rows to escape their outbursts. So I know some were really angry and booing and abusing, arguing with our players.

 

Flat track bullies in League One. Whipping boys in the Championship. Owners are content with that. Turn a few more players over. Fans will be happy one season in two. Happy days!

 

The big problem for me is not how poor we are at the moment - we are Barnsley and we have all seen us be ***** plenty of times in the past.

It's not even that our current woes are self inflicted - the board, in its various incarnations, have balls up before, and we have recovered.

It's more to do with the thought that the aims of the board to make a few bob each time the next player shows improvement and becomes saleable at a profit seems to make the whole business of supporting the club seem pointless. We support them because we strive and hope for sporting success on the pitch. We hope the club is run properly because that just helps to be successful in a sporting capacity. But we don't turn out in all weathers because the sale of the next player for several millions is driving us on. And because it appears that the boards primary goals are different to the supporters, we know that if we go down, find another good coach who can mould the next generation of decent lads into a promotion winning side, we will be in the same position again in a year or two's time. So what's the point?

 

Alas, such is football.
Success and failure. The two great imposters.

 

It did initially. Its been putting folk off for a few years since its implimentation.

I know loads who have never missed a game who had ****** off last season because the way things were going. Seeing the games as a chore.

They only came back due to the feel good factor caused thru last season.

That feel good factor has been destroyed inside 2 months.

Regardless these people and others still support the club they are getting to the point of going to something they struggke to enjoy anymore.

Its hard work knowing you are going to spend 50 quid upwards to watch a team essentially get relegated before halloween.

 

My thoughts exactly. I enjoy the build up, I enjoy the pre-match pint, I enjoy discussing the line-up, I enjoy going to the ground and catching up with folks I've sat near for years, most of whom I don't even know their name. Win, lose or draw I've had an afternoon out with family. Winning beers taste good, but losing beers are ok too.