I shall continue to go to home games and no doubt renew my season ticket for next year, but I shall not go to any more away games this season because this team doesn't deserve my support.
If you consider what I said patronising that is up to you, but it was no meant to be I can assure you.
Fair enough - but have you continued to enjoy going to games this season? I've left nearly all of them angry and/or disappointed. I can't see why I'd continue to go and the fact that it might send a message to the owners that they can't as easily ignore as all the Twitter ranting, is a big plus too. If Gino and dux see 8000 empty seats per game, perhaps they will feel obliged to break the Omerta that has been the code of the club's leadership for several years now.
Firstly, if by me giving up our tickets it means that you and your family can get there, then I'm more than happy in this outcome. Personally, I've just found the whole recent premier league expirience really strange and almost unpalatable. The first couple of years was great as we at first survived and then seemed (on the surface at least) to thrive . . But there was always this underlying feeling as the commercialisation grew and grew and the atmosphere became more and more diluted by day trippers (no problem with football tourist's by the way!) arrived, that was this all it was cracked up to be. Perhaps it's just modern football or perhaps at 38 I'm starting get nostalgic and reminiscing those fuzzy memories of going with my old man as a kid, and it being our club regardless of what crap was being served up on the pitch! I think, for me certainly, I don't like the way modern football is going, the sheer greed of it, the lack of feeling and the way the league and clubs in general pay lip service to the fans . . But in truth we know they just see us as a commodity (if ever this was proved it was by Project Restart). We're surrounded by this in every day life, I mean I work in sales for a for profit organisation so I'm as much a part of it as everyone else . . But that doesn't mean that as a Fan I should enjoy feeling as looked down upon as an annoyance or seen simply as cash cow as I currently do - particularly when it is my free time I'm giving up. Ironically it has been taking my eldest to the games that has reaffirmed this, it should be about the football expirience, and that father son time - and for me the Premier league is rapidly destroying that in its quest for more ££££. I have a number of friends my age who all have season tickets at various clubs and it feels the views are echoed, and have been amplified since lockdown. I got called a plastic by some 17 year old the other day, which sums up the way football is going. But as mentioned to him that doesn't mean my support for Watford stops - it just means that my support in being there and forking out £100's a month of my own money is.
It looked like the SEJ was a third empty at kick off anyway. So I doubt not attending once paid has any impact on the owner at all. It’s madness that the only way to get a season ticket for the empty seats next to me is to join a five year waiting list. True about social media rants. If you want the management of the club to change the way it does things I think only three scenarios will see that (1) The club goes bust and the receiver sells to a new owner (2) Gino gets such a massive takeover offer he decides the profit is too much to turn down, sells and invests the money in another club (3) the one no one should want - a personal tragedy sees the club up for sale.
Plus we are more than half way through the season so you would only get at most 50% back. Perhaps they should offer it - call peoples bluff with say a £25 admin fee to process each season ticket refund?
I feel that I can do more to undermine Fuxbury by going to games and upsetting those around me with my foul-mouthed rants and general gloomy demeanour
Well I was coming at it from the angle of them accepting their mistakes and admitting it has not been value for money - and therefore refunding the whole thing out of goodwill. Not refunding just the games to come if you choose not to attend. Will add, I am not actually suggesting this is something I would expect. Just playing around with an idea I know they wouldn’t accept.
Please do keep us updated re the DD, @HampshireHorn84 - I’m considering following suit if you’re successful.
I expect the club either challenges you by pointing out that the contract (buying the season ticket) cannot unilaterally be terminated. They may ask for payment or take you to the small claims court or record the fact of non payment on one of those services that impact your credit rating Or they won’t go after the money, they will write to ask why DD has been cancelled. And they may take a step like deleting your Fan ID account.
If they didn’t refund fans for the 8-0 travesty at City, there is no such thing as goodwill at the club. Unless they’re sucking up to Lineker on Twitter.
Ok, I have tickets for away games, and will start by not travelling to Old Trafford on Saturday. Perhaps if all those with tickets for Saturday did the same - it really would make the national news?
If everyone transferred their season tickets to Mogi Bayat, I dare say they’d find the cash to buy them back.
Strawman. If you don't go to an away game, no, it won't make the national news. If 1/4 of home fans stay away from matches it will at least get the attention of the club.
I think it’s home games where this would really be felt. An empty away end would just be a story of poor travelling fans.
As a former sponsor of the Community Trust, I get regular updates (and requests) on match day hospitality. Last night’s debacle would’ve set you back £345 per person for a bite to eat and a few drinks (only up to kick off) in The Gallery restaurant- and it was sold out. When the mighty Leeds visit in a few weeks that’s Cat A and will be £450 per person. I wonder if they’ll take notice when they aren’t filling these tables up? Unfortunately though, it will just mean good people - the hard working staff, most of who don’t support Watford, just happy to be employed, who will lose their jobs But, it’s the “fans” that are the problem! Entitled bunch that we are
Unfortunately, those will lose their jobs once we go down and nobody from Acme insurance Group wants to take their clients to watch Watford Vs Millwall for £500 a head.
The Leicester game should be boycotted. We'll be down by then and the whole thing will be pointless anyway. If the club make the players do a lap of honour, it will show just how little they understand things. There will still be people with sycophantic signs like "Kalu can I have your shirt" though.
Written on cardboard in felt pen,like the one the tennis committee hastily tied to the club gates saying "members only" ? Right next to the nice laminated sign with tennis club logo that said " private members club,no parking for non members"?! Similar to the committee member demanding £8 per hour from the county for hire of three courts for two hours at £7.50 per hour,the standard county rate. Only to back down,when it was pointed out by Hertfordshire LTA that they would go elsewhere AND that the county had given the club a 5k grant for the dome that no one uses unless it's peeing down with rain. Sports clubs in this country,they just don't understand do they, whatever blasted sport? Hopeless.
But everyone knows the away match fan(atic)s are the ones that get noticed most. As there is such limited availability and normally over demand, it makes a true statement. Not attending a 3pm Saturday fixture at Old Trafford I think would be more of a story than poorly attended match at Vicarage Road. But it’s just my opinion.
50% of 3,000 away ticket holders refuse to go? I think it might get noticed more than 4,500 home fans don’t turn up.
Sorry, I thought you were being sarcastic. I misinterpreted your tone, perhaps. The issue is, going to away games is more of an active choice. A huge swathe of home fans have already paid up for the season, but given up any hope of enjoying it. My view is they should make that apparent by staying away. That money is gone. I don't see how you persuade 3000 of the more fanatical fans to pay for expensive away tickets, then not attend, just to make a point, though I admit it would be quite stark. It's just not happening though.
True, my first under 16 season ticket in Mike Keens last season cost £6 or £7 - outrageous as the team was full of old no hope mercenaries like Arthur Horsfield, Andy Rankin and Dennis Bond. Only Keith Mercer kept the season alive.
As a ST holder for more than 40 years, I can say I have rarely been more furious at a Watford team than I was last night, so no I haven't enjoyed much of this season, particularly at home. However I also know that the turnover of players means that in time a team I like more will take the field representing Watford and I shall be there to enjoy it. However, many more showings like last night could make me reconsider the rest of this season. To me it was far worse than just the many poor performances we've already endured. It wasn't the scoreline or the hapless defending that so concerned Hodgson, but the complete lack of belief from almost all the players that they could come back from 2-1 down, to the extent that they didn't even try to.
That’s why I suggested this Saturdays fixture. Money spent a real gesture that fans want change. Literally complaining with their own money in their own pockets. Even though an away ticket to Old Trafford is £5 cheaper than buying a home ticket at Vicarage Road. As you say though all these ideas of boycotts are fantasy unless you have a way of communicating, persuading and organising a boycott. So all the talk here about boycotts won’t have any effect in terms of regime change. So I might s we’ll go then and witness another poor display. That’s being a supporter I suppose.
Oh, I can't let you include poor, old Andy Rankin in that list. He stayed with the club all the way down from Div 2 to Div 4 and was eventually rewarded under GT by still being there for the rise back up to Div 2. Plus he was an excellent goalie.
Presumably "the lap of honour" is a thank you to the fans for their support rather than a lap of honour ?
I assume this is a wind-up? Edit: just seen Willis' post. I'd add that Rankin pulled off one of the most amazing saves I've seen ( at OT.)
I won't stop going. I hate what football has become (not just Watford). I heard yesterday that Mbappe might get a £1m a week salary as he is a free transfer! I've been going since 1979/80 and my son goes now as well. I've seen us in far worse positions than this and still carried on. I support Watford FC, not Gino, the players or any other individual and will continue to do this probably for the rest of my life. We will have ups and downs like we always have. I don't blame the team especially (god knows what the matchday thread says but I won't be reading it) as they are not good enough but that's not their fault. We can blame Pozzo and he has to take a portion of the blame but affordability is the main issue, we simply cannot afford to keep up with the rest of the teams in this league. If you want to boycott, fine, it's a personal opinion but I won't be and will be at the match on Saturday and will be at Accrington at home in League 2 in a few years if it all goes Pete Tong.
It is easier to do this than it's ever been with social media but it would take a lot of work and time
