Putting aside your views on Lids, last night made me think about the state of football and where the game in this country is heading.
Now I am a 28 year old guy, so what I enjoy at a game maybe different from a lot of others, but just listen to my point.
In my 20 odd years watching PNE I have feel I have seen it all, playing at shite grounds like Southend on a Tuesday night, fighting to stay up at Exeter on Easter Monday in 1993, playing at fallen giants of the modern game like Lids, Sheff Wed and Forest and also of course at the new ground, plastic fan arena's like Reading. Now if I am honest, the games I love the most are the ones played at traditional footballing arenas, like St Andrews (Brum), The Hawthorns (WBA) and more recently Bellend Rd (Lids). These can provide real atmosphere, real if you like, imtimidation and fear. The noise at the Brum play offs in 2001 was the loudest I heard for many a year, the same when we drew 2-2 with Wolves in August 2004, it was deafening after they made it 2-1 to get back into the game. These are the types of games I want to watch North End in. Yes I am looking forward to my trip to Southend next weekend and the memories of travelling the length and breadth of the country with my old man and brother to watch North End at some hell hole will always stay with me. However, I for one, would much rather go to Elland Rd then the Madjeski Stadium, The Hawthorns as opposed to Carrow Rd and this is why in a weird perverse way it wouldn't bother me if Lids did stay up.
Now I am a 28 year old guy, so what I enjoy at a game maybe different from a lot of others, but just listen to my point.
In my 20 odd years watching PNE I have feel I have seen it all, playing at shite grounds like Southend on a Tuesday night, fighting to stay up at Exeter on Easter Monday in 1993, playing at fallen giants of the modern game like Lids, Sheff Wed and Forest and also of course at the new ground, plastic fan arena's like Reading. Now if I am honest, the games I love the most are the ones played at traditional footballing arenas, like St Andrews (Brum), The Hawthorns (WBA) and more recently Bellend Rd (Lids). These can provide real atmosphere, real if you like, imtimidation and fear. The noise at the Brum play offs in 2001 was the loudest I heard for many a year, the same when we drew 2-2 with Wolves in August 2004, it was deafening after they made it 2-1 to get back into the game. These are the types of games I want to watch North End in. Yes I am looking forward to my trip to Southend next weekend and the memories of travelling the length and breadth of the country with my old man and brother to watch North End at some hell hole will always stay with me. However, I for one, would much rather go to Elland Rd then the Madjeski Stadium, The Hawthorns as opposed to Carrow Rd and this is why in a weird perverse way it wouldn't bother me if Lids did stay up.