After Tuesday night’s quite remarkable Capital One Cup game between Reading and Arsenal (Marouanne Chamakh scoring twice! And one was a chip!) Sky’s cameras caught a couple of Arsenal fans leaving the Madejski stadium at half time, disgusted at their team’s first half display in which Arsenal conceded four goals. Yes, how silly they must have felt listening to the game on the way home.
It has always puzzled me why some football fans choose to leave games early. It somewhat belittles their actual status as fans. If you are a true supporter of your team, you are expected to follow through thick and thin, the good and the bad and all that bollocks. Also, considering that you have paid for that ticket then it makes even less sense to leave early.
Being an Arsenal fan, I have been lucky enough to attend the Emirates Stadium to watch my beloved Gunners play. On quite a few occasions I have noticed fans leaving early, sometimes fifteen minutes in advance of the final whistle. I wonder to myself what it actually is that they need to attend to that makes them leave before the 90 minutes is complete. Beat the rush for the tube? Put the dinner on? They have a hot date? I don’t know.
What I do know is that when you pay for a ticket to watch the football team you support play competetively then it is usually in your best interests to give them your full attention and singing voice for an hour an a half.
I remember going to a game towards the end of 2010 season against Wolves. We were still in the title race (barely) and it was imperative that we picked up the three points. It was 0-0 heading into the last five minutes and, I’m not exaggerating, half the stadium had emptied. It was embarrassing that so many fellow Gooners gave up hope so easily. Nicklas Bendtner scored the winner in the 93rd minute and it was great, as all last minute winners are, and I laughed at the foolishness of those who left. A lot like many Arsenal fans did last night, probably.
Maybe this reveals more about the ever changing face of football. Fans are less passionate perhaps? Not bothered about football anymore? Things are what they used to be on the terraces, fans don’t sing anymore and someones tweeting or facebooking more than they are actually watching the game.
Regardless, my advice is simple: always stay until the final whistle has been blown. More often than not, the faith that you put in your team will be fully justified and believe you and me there is no better feeling than that.
