Goodbye Premiership Football

[Lancashire]

I have gradually lost interest in the Premiership football. I was once a passionate Manchester United supporter and I attended to Manchester United games and even last year I never missed a game. The greed and the business side of the Premiership has pulled me away from it. Premiership teams are being taken over by foreign businessmen who have no interest in the game itself but instead choose to BUY success. To me that's not the football I love. I love football that brings success from the roots of the youth system. Remember Beckham, Scholes, Giggs and Butt? We don't get them anymore although they're lurking about somewhere.
Don't get me wrong I still watch Man United and I'll try not to miss a match but I don't have that same passion for Premiership football anymore. I have opted for non-league football where the youth system matters, where the tickets are cheap, the travelling is next to nothing.
I follow my local non-league club, as you can see by my name, AFC Fylde who just last year were known as "Kirkham & Wesham FC." They won the FA Vase at Wembley at the end of last season and are currently top of the North-West Counties Premier League being favourites to be promoted to the Unibond League. The football is not amateur. It can be one-touch football. The majority of the team played or had trials at Blackpool FC, Preston North End and Morcambe.

Tickets
Manchester United
Adult £40-£45
Child £20

AFC Fylde
Adult £5
Over 65s £3
Children £2
Under-8s free

Travelling
Manchester United
Train £12.90
Metrolink £4.00

AFC Fylde
Car approx. 80p petrol
(Away games £10 for club coach to the game and back)

Can you blame me? ^) And there's one other thing that non-league football has over Premiership football.. most of the non-league stadiums have clubhouses inside the ground where you can go and have a pint of beer at half time for normal price of a beer!

[Zero]

Hmm...theres quite a handful of Manchester United Fans here you know. I despise them of course, being a Crystal Palace armchair fan! lol

[Spider Pig]

You have absoloutley made the correct decision :D

Now your supporting a worthwhile team!


It costs me around 100 quid to see a Liverpool match, inc. tickets and travel, thats if im splitting the petrol with someone.

I went to OT recently, to watch them play against Middlesbrough (my local town) and its a fantastic stadium but the prices are getting rediculous for most top teams, but they can afford it as most the fans are from London, and most local ones don't even go to the games lol :p

[incredible]

Yes the Giggs, the Beckhams and the Scholes was a fun time for Manchester United and for the fans. I have to agree with you on that mate.

But unfortunately as much as we hate to admit, it's a business at the end of the day. Shareholders like huge profits and to increase revenue and maximise profits you need to be competitive. The money is in Europe (champions league), in order to be able to seriousily compete at that level, you need the Ronaldos and Henrys.

This may also be the cause of Englands poor performances over the years, seen as the premiership top teams are full of foreign players. It's really hard for the English players to get in the first teams. Especially the young lads who are trying to get in, most likely end up in the first, second devisions. It's a similar story for the England cricket team, where county level cricket is dominated by foreighn players.

[Lancashire]

You have absoloutley made the correct decision :D

Now your supporting a worthwhile team!


It costs me around 100 quid to see a Liverpool match, inc. tickets and travel, thats if im splitting the petrol with someone.

I went to OT recently, to watch them play against Middlesbrough (my local town) and its a fantastic stadium but the prices are getting rediculous for most top teams, but they can afford it as most the fans are from London, and most local ones don't even go to the games lol :p

Exactly. The prices are sickening. These are multimillionaire clubs yet they still pump up the ticket prices and merchandise. Did you know that Liverpool FC fans have set up a non-league team who aim to climb the football pyramid. Benitez has spoke of his support for them. They are called AFC Liverpool who are currently top of the North-West Counties League 1st division. They look set to be promoted in their 1st ever season just as we did. Again the tickets are only £5 and a great and cheap day out if you wish to take your kids. You find a few hundred supporters that follow Liverpool FC too.

I know alot of you may not be interested in non-league football but I'm just stating the comparisons. There is just as much, if not more passion in non-league football than there is in Premiership football. It's great to watch your teams attempt to climb the pyramid and enter the football league. For me I come back from an AFC Fylde match as satisfied as I used to when attending to Manchester United games and yet I still manage to have plenty of cash left over in my pocket.

[Lancashire]

Yes the Giggs, the Beckhams and the Scholes was a fun time for Manchester United and for the fans. I have to agree with you on that mate.

But unfortunately as much as we hate to admit, it's a business at the end of the day. Shareholders like huge profits and to increase revenue and maximise profits you need to be competitive. The money is in Europe (champions league), in order to be able to seriousily compete at that level, you need the Ronaldos and Henrys.

This may also be the cause of Englands poor performances over the years, seen as the premiership top teams are full of foreign players. It's really hard for the English players to get in the first teams. Especially the young lads who are trying to get in, most likely end up in the first, second devisions. It's a similar story for the England cricket team, where county level cricket is dominated by foreighn players.

Which makes it a totally different game in the non-league. The majority of the players are English and half of our current squad were with us in 1999 so there is also loyalty further down the table.

What team do you support anyway? :)

[Guji-Ji]

I used to be on a footie forum where most of were non-premiership fans and the banter was great! I wanted to be one of them lol.. My local team Leyton Orient(Go on you Os! lol) I'd love to get a season ticket someday.. They doin shite this season though.. :(

[incredible]

Which makes it a totally different game in the non-league. The majority of the players are English and half of our current squad were with us in 1999 so there is also loyalty further down the table.

What team do you support anyway? :)

Macnhester United....sorry mate :D lol

[Lancashire]

Macnhester United....sorry mate :D lol

Sorry lol? There's nothing wrong with Manchester United apart from the fact that they rip the fans off :P I still wish them all the best!

[Scrooge]

i completely agree with u, i havent been to a united game since last year, when they played chelski at home nd the ticket prices have shot up, but we live in a capitalist society, its all about the money.


since abrahomavic bought chelski, football has changed, theres more drama off the pitch then on.

all these foreign business men coming over, wanna make big money and where better than the premiership, global market, bare money. even teams in the 1st division are slowly being bought out, i.e. QPR, Derby county and rumours of charlton athletic being bought.

some foreign businessmen i.e. the billionaires, they just spendin loose change to feed an intterest, (man city, chelsea)

i watch my local team, burton albion, and even though its not the same flair and skill of premiership football, its good to watch grass root football, even watching the local sunday team (real medina lol) is fantastic, atmosphere and banter is all good.

football was good when it was aimed at the middle class working man, but with all these foreign powers and money being invested its been pushed towards the corporate prawn sandwich brigade. bastards.

never the less, i still love manchester united.

[Spider Pig]

Yeah I know about AFC Liverpool, its good that the club are supporting football in its rootes, maybe in a few years it will be Liverpool vs Liverpool for the premiership title decider lolol :p

[Lancashire]

Yeah I know about AFC Liverpool, its good that the club are supporting football in its rootes, maybe in a few years it will be Liverpool vs Liverpool for the premiership title decider lolol :p

Yeah lol... we can all dream! More like Manchester United v FC United in the Premiership title decider!