Our away support 20 years on whats happened

I was thinking in my head earlier about away days of old and Colchester away came into my head 1992 as it was a Friday night around Feb/March time. We beat colchester 2-4 and we took thousands there to see us if my memory serves me top the old 4th division. We were only getting around 6,000 at home and yet took 3,000 on a 6 hour bus ride. The passion and joy and elation at us achieving that position in the league was immense, there was a mini pitch invasion and I had never seen scenes like it.

Turn the clock forward nearly 20 years and we have another friday night away game and were taking around 600. Now the crowds we get are around 16,000 each game higher yet our away support has gone backwards. It all seems very disproportionate. Why is this what do fans think for the reasons. Some may argue cost but lets remember it was all relative then I was prob on around 8,200 or something but on more now obviously. Is it the passion the heart of the joy us fans felt then has diminished and the modern era fan having only known say post DJ era are used to FA cup runs, riding high in the league and now its "just another game" is it the rebrand ? are many fans who would have travelled saying feck it and maybe reframing from travelling. Are the fans banned from the old days, Be interesting to see our views on this as whichever way we look at it you could argue despite being a more successfull and bigger club our away support is going backwards.

It is not cheap these days. Thats the main factor.

Same happened to most clubs I'd imagine, most were goin for a ruck back in the day. Now that football hooliganism is dead u see less n less lads going

I was thinking in my head earlier about away days of old and Colchester away came into my head 1992 as it was a Friday night around Feb/March time. We beat colchester 2-4 and we took thousands there to see us if my memory serves me top the old 4th division. We were only getting around 6,000 at home and yet took 3,000 on a 6 hour bus ride. The passion and joy and elation at us achieving that position in the league was immense, there was a mini pitch invasion and I had never seen scenes like it.

Turn the clock forward nearly 20 years and we have another friday night away game and were taking around 600. Now the crowds we get are around 16,000 each game higher yet our away support has gone backwards. It all seems very disproportionate. Why is this what do fans think for the reasons. Some may argue cost but lets remember it was all relative then I was prob on around 8,200 or something but on more now obviously. Is it the passion the heart of the joy us fans felt then has diminished and the modern era fan having only known say post DJ era are used to FA cup runs, riding high in the league and now its "just another game" is it the rebrand ? are many fans who would have travelled saying feck it and maybe reframing from travelling. Are the fans banned from the old days, Be interesting to see our views on this as whichever way we look at it you could argue despite being a more successfull and bigger club our away support is going backwards.

20 years ago how much was travel and tickets?????????????,compare them to what it costs to go now,truth is football is getting to expensive its gone from a working mans game to the prawn sandwich munchers

I was thinking in my head earlier about away days of old and Colchester away came into my head 1992 as it was a Friday night around Feb/March time. We beat colchester 2-4 and we took thousands there to see us if my memory serves me top the old 4th division. We were only getting around 6,000 at home and yet took 3,000 on a 6 hour bus ride. The passion and joy and elation at us achieving that position in the league was immense, there was a mini pitch invasion and I had never seen scenes like it.

Turn the clock forward nearly 20 years and we have another friday night away game and were taking around 600. Now the crowds we get are around 16,000 each game higher yet our away support has gone backwards. It all seems very disproportionate. Why is this what do fans think for the reasons. Some may argue cost but lets remember it was all relative then I was prob on around 8,200 or something but on more now obviously. Is it the passion the heart of the joy us fans felt then has diminished and the modern era fan having only known say post DJ era are used to FA cup runs, riding high in the league and now its "just another game" is it the rebrand ? are many fans who would have travelled saying feck it and maybe reframing from travelling. Are the fans banned from the old days, Be interesting to see our views on this as whichever way we look at it you could argue despite being a more successfull and bigger club our away support is going backwards.

20 years ago how much was travel and tickets?????????????,compare them to what it costs to go now,truth is football is getting to expensive its gone from a working mans game to the prawn sandwich munchers

i gave up because of hassle and from what i have seen on the occasions i have gone away its only changed a bit!

I was thinking in my head earlier about away days of old and Colchester away came into my head 1992 as it was a Friday night around Feb/March time. We beat colchester 2-4 and we took thousands there to see us if my memory serves me top the old 4th division. We were only getting around 6,000 at home and yet took 3,000 on a 6 hour bus ride. The passion and joy and elation at us achieving that position in the league was immense, there was a mini pitch invasion and I had never seen scenes like it.

Turn the clock forward nearly 20 years and we have another friday night away game and were taking around 600. Now the crowds we get are around 16,000 each game higher yet our away support has gone backwards. It all seems very disproportionate. Why is this what do fans think for the reasons. Some may argue cost but lets remember it was all relative then I was prob on around 8,200 or something but on more now obviously. Is it the passion the heart of the joy us fans felt then has diminished and the modern era fan having only known say post DJ era are used to FA cup runs, riding high in the league and now its "just another game" is it the rebrand ? are many fans who would have travelled saying feck it and maybe reframing from travelling. Are the fans banned from the old days, Be interesting to see our views on this as whichever way we look at it you could argue despite being a more successfull and bigger club our away support is going backwards.

At the moment were 16th with our away support and Top of the League.

After Blackburn away ours will be about 950 for Top of the league and top for for most of the season so far.
None of them are in the Top 2.
Wednesday lost 6 in row and look like going down, Forest and Leeds struggling big time.

Even tiny Watford have nearly caught us up.
Peterborough away support average 700


Years ago we were known for our brilliant away support. What has happened?

Years ago we were the envy of the lower divisions, Northampton away Rochdale away Colchester away etc 1,500 would travel, Newcastle away on a Friday night 3,000 City fans, now look

spin it as much as you want to, there's very little/no trouble any more, that's why hundreds, maybe even thousands from the Valleys don't travel away these days.

It's expensive but that does not stop the likes of Manchester CIty, Tottenham, Newcastle, Leicester and Southampton fans travelling in huge numbers.

I personally think our away support has declined this season because we have seen it all before. We are not going up and down leagues like we previously have in the past, we have been in the Championship for several seasons now and when you weigh up the fact you have done the trip before, the cost, the aggro from the local stewards/police not making it an enjoyable day out, plus the fact the Blackburn game is on TV, I fully understand why we are only taking around 600 and our support has diminished over the years. Also, I prefer visiting the smaller grounds with character and atmosphere where you're closer to the pitch and can have more banter with the opposing players/fans, the smaller grounds are also usually a cheaper day out.

It's also approaching christmas and everyone is having to budget wisely, so if you're financially struggling, why waste money travelling to Blackburn when you can watch it on TV for free and put the money aside for another trip? I could also mention the more and more immigrants invading our country and taking jobs away from the locals, which is obviously another factor in us taking less away support. More and more fans are struggling to earn and South Wales is a very poor area at the moment financially. Unfortunately, times have changed and although I'm sure just as many fans would love to travel away now to 20 years ago, it is no longer possible for everyone.

Same happened to most clubs I'd imagine, most were goin for a ruck back in the day. Now that football hooliganism is dead u see less n less lads going

I think you spot on there mate, it's a different ball game now, the buzz of possible trouble would provide the adrenalin that so may craved, the football was often incidental, and a good few of my mates would travel to every game with us and only occasionally even enter the ground, and then never until the end ogf the game.

It is sterile, it is safe, and it definitely is different, being a lot older and possibly wiser now, it suits me and like many others I have grown up through the "old days" seen it and survived it, but I and the times have moved on, those banging their heads against the wall craving for the old days, are going to simply get sore heads.

Ask the lads involved in the Chelsea debacle, how long the buzz lasted, and did the spell in jail for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time, make that initial buzz worthwhile.

It will never come back lads, the occasional scrap yes, but you can have that on a stag night or a boys weekend, but the weekly organised set to is long gone.

It's expensive but that does not stop the likes of Manchester CIty, Tottenham, Newcastle, Leicester and Southampton fans travelling in huge numbers.

Agreed, but if you look at the make up and type of fan that now travels, they are totally different to what's gone by.
Spurs and the like would bring two thousand fans and you wouldn't see an away shirt, nowadays, eighty % of those travelling would be wearing one.

it wasnt all about money in them days. i think they were earning the same money as a factory manager?we all know money has ruined the game. and i think people are turning there backs on the game, people dont have that disposable income no more

A large percentage of our fans in the past were certainly "lads" looking for trouble - probably more percentage wise than any other club bar Millwall so that's a big factor.

I do think our legendary away followings in the past have been exaggerated though.

Yes, we could take huge numbers on our day (as we still can) but I remember being in followings ofabout 80 at Chester, 100 at York etc.

There were no figures for away followings in those days but WTBF fanzine used to estimate them so would be interesting if anyone had some back copies to have a look.

I also think our fans are just bored going to the same grounds year after year. When there's a new one we get good support eg 1500 to Bolton for a Fri night Sky game.

i think in days gone by, we took a good following to where you would expect trouble,and a ok following where you could walk around the town. because you were cardiff city,

We have gained and lost fans. a lot of the old guard cant be bothered because the buzz has gone.
a lot of people went away for the buzz of bumping into like minded.

I know some who would miss a whole match on the prowl and some who would be out either side of the game.

The buzz, atmosphere has gone. the lads will never be how it was but the buzz might one day along with a decent atmosphere

some great posts in response to my thread, I think it's safe to say the game and away culture has changed and for many fans who thrived on the edge of an away day,transit mass travel those days are gone. but what great memories no bubble games,flooding towns with lads,strolling around,we were Cardiff city and we literally did what we want as the song goes.

20 years ago I started work after university and I was on a basic of £12k per year plus commission.

I'm sure Standard Liege away cost about £30 including the ticket !!

Kids these days are still starting on £12k per year but the same trip would cost about £200.

There was more money about back then, we are deep in an economic recession with no light at the end of the tunnel.

Tv and internet mean that if your not there you can still see it. The world has changed as have priorities

I blame the rebrand

Wales isn't an affluent area, the cost of football has risen and wages haven't.

It's 3.80/4.00 a pint, Tickets £25 upwards plus travel.

Ridiculous kick off times, same places last few years and over zealous Policing.

and before the Leeds idiot starts mouthing off our distances to closest teams are:

45 miles Bristol
115 miles Birmingham
120 miles Wolverhampton
153 miles Watford

Leeds for example:

Huddersfield 20 miles
Barnsley 25 miles
Sheffield 37 miles
Burnley 39 Miles
Hull 60 miles

Its not money.

Man Utd have a huge hardcore of away supporters that just wont set foot in Old Trafford
because the atmosphere is shit.

We have loads that hate the new ground, but amongst that lot, many are banned, so when
one lad cant go to an away game, it usually spirals. Add to that... no town wants Cardiff
City supporters wandering around freely and the coppers are all over it like a rash. f**k me,
two of us in Derby last week, sat in a dead quiet pub talking to Derby fans, coppers walked
in and gave us the third degree. How did you get here, where's your mates, where are you
parked. f*cking shitebags

Wales isn't an affluent area, the cost of football has risen and wages haven't.

It's 3.80/4.00 a pint, Tickets £25 upwards plus travel.

Ridiculous kick off times, same places last few years and over zealous Policing.

and before the Leeds idiot starts mouthing off our distances to closest teams are:

45 miles Bristol
115 miles Birmingham
120 miles Wolverhampton
153 miles Watford

Leeds for example:

Huddersfield 20 miles
Barnsley 25 miles
Sheffield 37 miles
Burnley 39 Miles
Hull 60 miles

Blackburn and Bolton are probably about 40/45 miles to Leeds as well.
Blackpool 60miles
Derby, Nottinghham, Leicester 75 miles

So they have 11 games within approx 1 hours drive, compared to our one game.

i dont really think its just down to money either, we just had a lot of lads who always went away, the hassle/bans/police got so bad that now they dont bother, simple as that. Like people say we are top of the league, 15 or so years ago we were in the dungeon battling for top stop with brentford. We took 5 or 6000 there didnt we around xmas? 2 leagues higher and with far greater home support we can muster about 10% of that this friday.......In another 10 years we be playing the jacks without segregation all holding hands and singing rugby songs.......

A large percentage of our fans in the past were certainly "lads" looking for trouble - probably more percentage wise than any other club bar Millwall so that's a big factor.

I do think our legendary away followings in the past have been exaggerated though.

Yes, we could take huge numbers on our day (as we still can) but I remember being in followings ofabout 80 at Chester, 100 at York etc.

There were no figures for away followings in those days but WTBF fanzine used to estimate them so would be interesting if anyone had some back copies to have a look.

This^

The op said we took thousands to Colchester on that Friday night in the old 4th when realistically it was probably around the 1,000 mark. The rising costs and banning orders all mentioned above have played a part but the constant bubble trips and RV points over the years has changed the face of it all. Cardiff fans were their own worst enemy in this, and now it's impossible to take a coach without it being authorised by the police. The days of arranging private coaches like lots of towns and villages used to are long gone. Add to that pre championship days you could just turn up and pay at the majority of grounds - now everyone have to be vetted

I still enjoy going away and on the other hand taking 8-900 to Derby on a Tuesday night a month before Christmas I thought was impressive - but the buzz has died for many. A couple of years going to Old Trafford, WHL and Goodison will change all that

Good point City Gent - everyone buying a ticket for City away has to be a member or season ticket holder. How many other teams have that.

Just remembered an away trip at the Vetch in about 1986. Cave ben more than 800 City there in 6,600 crowd. Good old days??? And we lost 2-0. Anyone else go to that one? It was my first ever away game. Mental. City fighting each other and evil atmosphere.