Originally posted by ursus arctos
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Originally posted by ursus arctos View PostIt isn't really a satellite town either, because it has been around since the first millennium and has always had its own distinct identity and business/industrial base (can you tell that I've had this conversation with Offenbachers?).
I think of it more as Brooklyn to Manhattan or Oakland to San Francisco. Seven hundred years ago, one could have said Southwark to London, but that hasn't worked for quite a while. Maybe Rotherham to Sheffield?
Eintracht terrace chant as they spring up and down: "Wer nicht hupft ist Offenbacher - hupf! hupf!" (doesn't scan well or sound at all good in translation - "Whoever's not hopping is an Offenbacher - hop! hop!")
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In Bristol it certainly used to be the case that people would watch both - probably up until the 70s. BCFC reaching the First Division in 1976 probably heralded the end of this type of support as the rivalry became more intense, hooliganism was on the rise etc etc. Easier away travel as well, those who would watch the 'other' team on their off weekends were more likely to travel away to watch their preferred side etc.
These days, such behaviour is pretty rare and seen as being peculiar to say the least. It's no exaggeration to say that the two clubs' supporters detest each other, even after 20 years in separate divisions, to an extent that surprises people from outside the region. Perhaps because of the relative lack of success leading to the only bragging rights being superiority over the neighbours (or in our case a deep yearning to be on a par once again with a club who have enjoyed the patronage of a billionaire which would seem to have put them on a different planet to ourselves). Either way, support for both seems to be reserved for those Bristolians who affect to want the best for their city's clubs but don't seem to want to commit to watching either of them - these being the same people who put forward suggestions for a merger or ground share that would be unanimously opposed by anyone with even a slight loyalty to either side. The only person I've seen publicly supporting both teams is city mayor Marvin Rees and I know for a stone cold fact that he favours Rovers but has to keep up appearances of neutrality!
As I've said, I'm one of the more moderate types who'd rather just ignore everything the red side ever do than obsess over them but it's hard to even keep that up when over my lifetime their fans have burned down the main stand at Twerton Park when we lodged there, attacked the AG away end on derby day from both the rear and straight across the pitch and their recent business model appears to involve attempting to strangle the life out of Rovers with questionable transfer dealings, provocative social media posts and some pretty shameless marketing campaigns across 'our' areas of the city. Of course it takes two to tango but I do feel that their transgressions make loathing them pretty much obligatory even for the more passive sorts like me.
So no, the demographic that would lend support to both sides is pretty small and not seen as relatable by anybody in the wider support base of either side
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Originally posted by ad hoc View PostMy sense in Sheffield is that the only people who would go to both Wednesday and United games are those in "mixed marriages" , but they certainly wouldn't support both. Apart from anything else going to both of the league clubs would be a huge financial commitment, significantly greater than that in Germany, I imagine. However i think quite a lot of people do go to their first team and one of the non-league sides (like Sheffield FC).
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Originally posted by ursus arctos View PostExcellent post
The depth of the antipathy has always struck me as surprising
I think that more than explains the stubborn determination of our fans to hold on to what we have. We may be shit but our continued existence spites them and for many, that is enough
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In the early 80s Bristol Rovers played some home games at Ashton Gate, before they went on their long tour of Avon, looking for a home. I remember (around 81-82) some Gas fans being interviewed on local TV, and one saying he wouldn't go because "Eastville's Eastville and Ashton's Ashton". You couldn't fault his accuracy there.
Of course Eastville isn't Eastville any more, which is OK by me as it had one of the worst away ends I've ever been in. There was a short stretch of motorway above it, within throwing distance. Instead of the standard hooligan practice of chucking things over a terrace fence, they could try it from a moving car. Fortunately Exeter's modest support allowed for social distancing and evasive action.
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Originally posted by tee rex View PostIn the early 80s Bristol Rovers played some home games at Ashton Gate, before they went on their long tour of Avon, looking for a home. I remember (around 81-82) some Gas fans being interviewed on local TV, and one saying he wouldn't go because "Eastville's Eastville and Ashton's Ashton". You couldn't fault his accuracy there.
Of course Eastville isn't Eastville any more, which is OK by me as it had one of the worst away ends I've ever been in. There was a short stretch of motorway above it, within throwing distance. Instead of the standard hooligan practice of chucking things over a terrace fence, they could try it from a moving car. Fortunately Exeter's modest support allowed for social distancing and evasive action.
When BCFC went out of business in 1982 we actually made a cheeky bid for AG, Eastville having been owned by the greyhound racing company since WWII. The resurrection of a new club put a stop to that and when we nearly hit the buffers ourselves in 1986 and the dog racers wanted to up our rent, a move to AG was considered untenable and it was off to Bath we went for a decade before the professionalisation of rugby union led Bristol RFC to look for additional income and we came home
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It's the smallest venue by a distance but yeah, too small. Iceland's two games there are sold out, which suggests they'll be well supported, as with the mens team. Probably too late (and Man City too rich and touchy) to switch to one of the dozens of nearish grounds with more than double the capacity.
Kick off times feel a bit late- too many 8pm starts for me, Clive.
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Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir might not be winning to many local friends by describing the ground Manchester City Women's team play at as a training ground. The broader point she is making is very much correct (including indirectly that the Manchester City Women's team deserve better and more support).
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In 2017 the smallest capacity stadium was 10,500, and all matches were played at all seater stadiums. In 2005 all the matches were played in larger venues than the Academy Stadium.
For this euros, one set of games are played at a training ground, and another is at a rugby league stadium*. Both stadiums will be necessarily half-empty cos UEFA only allows seating. Given the growth in women's football over the last five years, it is ridiculous and disrespectful to play matches at a stadium
* they're also WSL home grounds, but that's part of the problem isn't it?
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According to both Wiki and the FA website the capacities for Leigh and the Academy Stadium are 12,000 and 7,000 respectively. Anyone know why they've been reduced so much assuming the BBC's information is correct?
The big issue with Leigh from my experience is getting away after a game. There were at a guess 2-3,000 max present when I went (for a somewhat more competitive Man United v Liverpool game than last night's) but the car park was gridlocked and we ended up doing our weekly shop at the Morrisons with whose car park it shares an entrance and exit and having a coffee and a cake in the cafe there in the time it took the car parked next to ours to finally escape.
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