' Leeds trust on us and our ground!!! '

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Saturday I went to the Cardiff City Stadium for the first time. As a man who values principles, be it in life in general and football in particular, I have always refused to attend games at Cardiff’s new stadium (or any other ground for that matter) where a travel/ticket “bubble” system is/was in place. Therefore, I was looking forward to a trip to Cardiff, the chance to drink in a few decent real ale pubs I haven’t seen since 2006 and also meet up with the Trusts' Cardiff City equivalents.

Upon arrival at the Cardiff City Stadium the first thing I noticed was something was missing, some important aspect of the culture of the football day experience seemed to have been removed from the scene, it took me a few minutes to realise what it was, there was no programme sellers. There were people who might have passed for programme sellers selling those lottery tickets football clubs disguise as fund-raising opportunities but no sign of programmes. Now call me a footballing train-spotter if you want but I like to take home an indication I attended a game and whilst the content of programmes across the country can be eclectic for an average £3 I’m always happy to get one. It took a chat with a member of Cardiff City’s Trust to understand what the situation was: all the programme seller had been sacked by the Tan administration and replaced by booth’s inside the stadium. The only other place you can purchase a programme is at the Supporters Club area (built into the stadium just down from a much smaller Trust 'cupboard'). For me that felt an attack on a well-respected tradition of sorting out your programme in advance of the use of a turnstile.

Making my way towards the away end you note that it is not possible to walk around the outside of the stadium to it, instead you are forced to go back to the road and then enter a more brutalist caged area (not quite as bad as Millwall but in that ball-park), again this suggested to me an alien understanding of fan culture but we seem to have got used to it these days. Inside I was greeted by a steward keen to direct me to the toilets, different i thought. Instead I went straight to a booth and guess what? Yes! I purchased a programme!

The “below stairs” area of the away section reminds me of all those modern stadiums where no-one considers it important whether the piping or electrics are showing and nothing tells you it’s a football stadium other than the advertising for the food and drink products on sale (and even then you could think it was a low rent bowling alley you were at given the need for the staff to look like a poor variant of American diner staff). At least the toilets weren’t small but I couldn’t help thinking how when it comes to modern stadiums only Brighton have thought through the spectator experience fully and given the same amount of consideration to the away end as the home stands.

Once I made my seat (firstly reflecting on the similarities with Reading and Coventry’s grounds) I noted the intrinsically awkward contrast between the blue seats of the original build of the stadium and the red-seated recent addition high to our left. This awkwardness was replicated in the small dots of red in a sea of blue. If colours of supporters garb is the indication then the abomination that was the imposition of the red kit has yet to garner favour with anyone over 7 years old.

As the game progressed, notwithstanding the result, I noted an atmosphere from the home end that was stilted until the first Cardiff goal. Even as our end rubbed their noses in the consequences of the Tan regime it was almost as if the home supporters knew they had no answer to the taunts (and certainly didn’t have the Leeds United irony laced response mechanism we have developed as a set of fans). I contrasted that with the noise I remember from the 1980’s at Ninian Park, it seemed to me I was experiencing directly something that I always feared was happening in some quarters, a disconnection between the corporate entities that operate in some football clubs and the supporters who were there before the money arrived and will be there afterwards. Unfortunately, it seemed to me that the corporate entity that is Cardiff City was winning and having “sold their soul” for one year of Premier League football the support was settling down for years of paying the price!

To be fair to Cardiff City they are not alone in this and also to be fair again, there are worse ownership situations than having a foreign based megalomaniac, but it is clear to me at least that Cardiff City are a manifestation of a cultural chasm that might never be closed, which I consider a shame, for them and for football. Still all in all I was glad to make the trip, if only to confirm my original principled absence was well founded. 

So basically he don't like buying his programmes from a booth

Mmmm and we were voted best away experience in premier ect ect! It just sounded like one of our disgruntled fans attacking tan again?

I always find it rather ridiculous when Leeds fans bang on about colour changes, when they've done it more than most.

So basically he don't like buying his programmes from a booth

Forced laughter

So basically he don't like buying his programmes from a booth

Forced laughter

It still laughter lol.

So basically he don't like buying his programmes from a booth

Forced laughter

It still laughter lol.

He describes the walk to our away end as "a brutalist caged area" akin to Millwall He couldn't buy a programme outside, but had no problem inside He compares our concourse not to another football stadium but to a bowling alley? The toilets are not big enough? Even the most balanced Leeds supporters seem to have huge chips on their shoulders.

A whole paragraph complaining about programmes not being sold outside the stadium, and easily managed to buy one inside the stadium. What a fussy b*stard.

Hahaha! I can't believe he made such a fuss about where he could pick up his programme.

I always find it rather ridiculous when Leeds fans bang on about colour changes, when they've done it more than most.

Irony response mechanism, I think he called it.

It was a fair article. Sad but true..Leeds are equally fucked as us.

http://lufctrust.squarespace.com/blog/2014/11/6/the-day-we-went-to-cardiff.html


Saturday I went to the Cardiff City Stadium for the first time. As a man who values principles, be it in life in general and football in particular, I have always refused to attend games at Cardiff’s new stadium (or any other ground for that matter) where a travel/ticket “bubble” system is/was in place. Therefore, I was looking forward to a trip to Cardiff, the chance to drink in a few decent real ale pubs I haven’t seen since 2006 and also meet up with the Trusts' Cardiff City equivalents.

Upon arrival at the Cardiff City Stadium the first thing I noticed was something was missing, some important aspect of the culture of the football day experience seemed to have been removed from the scene, it took me a few minutes to realise what it was, there was no programme sellers. There were people who might have passed for programme sellers selling those lottery tickets football clubs disguise as fund-raising opportunities but no sign of programmes. Now call me a footballing train-spotter if you want but I like to take home an indication I attended a game and whilst the content of programmes across the country can be eclectic for an average £3 I’m always happy to get one. It took a chat with a member of Cardiff City’s Trust to understand what the situation was: all the programme seller had been sacked by the Tan administration and replaced by booth’s inside the stadium. The only other place you can purchase a programme is at the Supporters Club area (built into the stadium just down from a much smaller Trust 'cupboard'). For me that felt an attack on a well-respected tradition of sorting out your programme in advance of the use of a turnstile.

Making my way towards the away end you note that it is not possible to walk around the outside of the stadium to it, instead you are forced to go back to the road and then enter a more brutalist caged area (not quite as bad as Millwall but in that ball-park), again this suggested to me an alien understanding of fan culture but we seem to have got used to it these days. Inside I was greeted by a steward keen to direct me to the toilets, different i thought. Instead I went straight to a booth and guess what? Yes! I purchased a programme!

The “below stairs” area of the away section reminds me of all those modern stadiums where no-one considers it important whether the piping or electrics are showing and nothing tells you it’s a football stadium other than the advertising for the food and drink products on sale (and even then you could think it was a low rent bowling alley you were at given the need for the staff to look like a poor variant of American diner staff). At least the toilets weren’t small but I couldn’t help thinking how when it comes to modern stadiums only Brighton have thought through the spectator experience fully and given the same amount of consideration to the away end as the home stands.

Once I made my seat (firstly reflecting on the similarities with Reading and Coventry’s grounds) I noted the intrinsically awkward contrast between the blue seats of the original build of the stadium and the red-seated recent addition high to our left. This awkwardness was replicated in the small dots of red in a sea of blue. If colours of supporters garb is the indication then the abomination that was the imposition of the red kit has yet to garner favour with anyone over 7 years old.

As the game progressed, notwithstanding the result, I noted an atmosphere from the home end that was stilted until the first Cardiff goal. Even as our end rubbed their noses in the consequences of the Tan regime it was almost as if the home supporters knew they had no answer to the taunts (and certainly didn’t have the Leeds United irony laced response mechanism we have developed as a set of fans). I contrasted that with the noise I remember from the 1980’s at Ninian Park, it seemed to me I was experiencing directly something that I always feared was happening in some quarters, a disconnection between the corporate entities that operate in some football clubs and the supporters who were there before the money arrived and will be there afterwards. Unfortunately, it seemed to me that the corporate entity that is Cardiff City was winning and having “sold their soul” for one year of Premier League football the support was settling down for years of paying the price!

To be fair to Cardiff City they are not alone in this and also to be fair again, there are worse ownership situations than having a foreign based megalomaniac, but it is clear to me at least that Cardiff City are a manifestation of a cultural chasm that might never be closed, which I consider a shame, for them and for football. Still all in all I was glad to make the trip, if only to confirm my original principled absence was well founded. 

I actually like your article mate. It chimes with my thoughts on where football is going now its a rich man's game. Corporate hijacking of a working man's sport. I've been to many new grounds and had pretty much the same experience as you. I've yet to come across any ground in this country with anything like an atmosphere. If you really want atmosphere you need to get away from these plastic shores. I've tried the Premier experience and was sadly disappointed

I just pity the poor bloke who had to sit next to him on the bus on the way home having to listen to the boring self-righteous old-cunts cheese & onion crisp-breathed waffle. I imagine that he likes to re-read his 'Trust' articles whilst smugly polishing his 'Trust' pin badge before wanking over his extensive and meticulously catalogued collection of 'association football programmes' which are all individually wrapped in clear-plastic 'Trust' wallets as to avoid potential damage from oxidation.

I think it's pretty obvious that he was airing the gripes brought to his attention by our own Trust, i.e the detail regarding programme sellers being sacked by big bad Tan or the Trust being housed in a broom cupboard. It's a petty the Trusts didn't grow some balls and come up with some significant plans of direct action instead of fiddling about

He also mentioned the red stand to his "left" ??

He must have been in the wrong ground!

funny - no mention of the bastards who ruined the minutes silence either.

Dirty Leeds, always have been, always will be.

I find his rantings a bit ironic really, last time i went to Leeds we were charged Premiership prices and also they had bolshy stewards who were only too ready to chuck you out for the audacity of standing while watching the game, didn't seem to register with them that all the home ends were standing. Hope he never comes back as i'm sure i will not lose sleep if i never go to Leeds again, which i won't.

I thought second half the atmosphere was decent, best that we have had all season!

Would like to hear Leeds do any better in their half empty stadium

Love beating those bastards though, hopefully take another 3 points up there too.

funny - no mention of the bastards who ruined the minutes silence either.

Dirty Leeds, always have been, always will be.

Spot on. We even had one spitting at kids in the family stand & the coward wouldn't even look me in the eye when I had a go at him. They'll never change. Scum.

funny - no mention of the bastards who ruined the minutes silence either.

Dirty Leeds, always have been, always will be.

Spot on. We even had one spitting at kids in the family stand & the coward wouldn't even look me in the eye when I had a go at him. They'll never change. Scum.

Probably blame the pies for that as well

What an absolute appalling article.. Funny tho and forgive me if I'm wrong but how was this guy in the away end see the contrast of new red seats high to his left..? That's funny I'm sure it would be high to your right..?

Pretty poor from a supporters club trust member if u ask me and should b surely more obserant

Normally I like to read other fans experiences at our ground, and take the praise/criticism, but that is a piss poor article.

wonder how hes gonna enjoy visiting leaugue 1's elite next year!!!