Stickied League 2 Away Support Thread 2024/25

[E10rifle]

25 of the Queen's finest pound sterling to stand on a concrete away terrace at Sutton

You missed “basically flat” in your description. Wouldn’t advise sitting in the stand either - it’s miles from the pitch and the supporting pillars are dreadful.

 

[MadJohn]

That re-election bollocks has in part caused the divide. Clubs like boston, altrincham, Kettering Worcester, woking etc could have all been easily as big as or bigger than crewe, scunthorpe, Rochdale, hartlepool etc had promotion been on merit, not on where you were based and rigged by backhanders and chairman voting their mates in

People on those places ended up going to their local 92 club as games actually meant something rather than the non league system back then which had zero coverage so teams like those i mentioned missed out on generations of potential fans who now still struggle to go to their local side.

The gap will slowly close over time as more 'non league' clubs make it up to the efl but even today, especially with away numbers, that divide is still there. Chester, Darlington and Herefords phoenix clubs alongside York will likely have the 4 highest home and away gates in a typical season in conference north

The re-election system encouraged mediocrity and stopped actual progressive clubs from moving to the next level

It didn't help that the non-league scene lacked any clear hierarchical structure prior to 1980, so there was often no obvious non-league "champion". I think one of the seasons when we were up for re-election there were 18 non-league teams on the ballot paper. Once the Alliance Premier League was formed things became a lot clearer, and indeed it wasn't long before this clarity led to promotion replacing election. It was too late for Altrincham of course, who were one of the league's great "if only" stories. They lost the 1980 election to Rochdale by a single vote, a heartbreak that was compounded by the news that two clubs who might have changed things didn't get to vote. The Luton chairman got stuck in traffic, and his Grimsby counterpart either waited in the wrong room or enjoyed the hospitality too much, depending on what you care to believe.

 

[JaredSUFC]

25 of the Queen's finest pound sterling to stand on a concrete away terrace at Sutton

Have we raised the prices then? It’s been £25 for the seats, £20 for the terrace all season.

In fact that’s the prices the Vale website gives

https://www.port-vale.co.uk/news/2021/september/ticket-and-travel-details--sutton-united-a/

 

[JaredSUFC]

I'd been told £25 and took it to mean everywhere. I think you'll be up there with Swindon as the dearest in the league.

Are you expecting our game to be segregated? I'd read something about that on the ground guide websites when you came up.

£25 is the adult seating price only. Although I would say £20 to stand is also a bit of a ripoff, although I’ve paid £19 at both Exeter and FGR this season, and that was pre-booked. Paying on the day was more expensive at both grounds. There’s no extra cost for buying on a match day at Sutton I believe

All games at this level are segregated, are they not? Before this season we tried to avoid segregation as much as possible, but it’s a permanent thing now, like at all grounds

 

[Sestonpoolie]

That re-election bollocks has in part caused the divide. Clubs like boston, altrincham, Kettering Worcester, woking etc could have all been easily as big as or bigger than crewe, scunthorpe, Rochdale, hartlepool etc had promotion been on merit, not on where you were based and rigged by backhanders and chairman voting their mates in

Oh the irony of this paragraph.
Squeeky clean Boston,eh.

 

[MadJohn]

To be fair, the Boston Utd of the 1970s was a very strong non-league outfit, champions of the NPL in 73, 74, 77 and 78, all before the formation of the APL/Conference. They never got even remotely close to getting elected to the League, with just two votes in total across six election campaigns. By contrast, we got 36 votes in 1964 alone, despite that being our fifth straight season of finishing in the bottom two! Since WW2 there seems to have been some bias towards southern-based teams (making it all the more surprising that we survived!), and while Boston isn't exactly northern it is often considered a bit of an outpost.

We lost a fair few northern clubs in the last quarter century of re-election. We had Peterborough coming in at Gateshead's expense, Oxford for Accrington (resigned/folded), Cambridge for Bradford PA, Hereford for Barrow, Wimbledon for Workington. The only northern club to join in that time was Wigan, and even then they replaced another northern club in Southport. Wigan had actually finished comfortably runners-up to Boston.

 

[Josh Butler]

It didn't help that the non-league scene lacked any clear hierarchical structure prior to 1980, so there was often no obvious non-league "champion". I think one of the seasons when we were up for re-election there were 18 non-league teams on the ballot paper. Once the Alliance Premier League was formed things became a lot clearer, and indeed it wasn't long before this clarity led to promotion replacing election. It was too late for Altrincham of course, who were one of the league's great "if only" stories. They lost the 1980 election to Rochdale by a single vote, a heartbreak that was compounded by the news that two clubs who might have changed things didn't get to vote. The Luton chairman got stuck in traffic, and his Grimsby counterpart either waited in the wrong room or enjoyed the hospitality too much, depending on what you care to believe.

Yeah they looked certain to replace Rochdale it seemed. Non leaghebdid have a champion of champions Cup between the npl and spl winners but I guess the idea of putting the winner up for election as the non league champion never happened.
Think at Boston, we got 2 votes in all our election campaigns combined despite winning 4 NPL titles in 7 years or something and getting to the fa Cup R3 twice in the 70s. Split ballots and our location (by then we'd lost our direct rail line to london) really meant we stood no hope

 

[northstandexile]

All you need to know his here

http://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=3506

 

[Valeite]

1,300 home fans - dreadful.
Looks like many have gone back to Old Trafford again.
Meanwhile Stockport had nearly 8,000 for their non League game v Wrexham.
That's the difference between a proper traditional club and a bank-rolled amateur outfit.
Bring back the re-election system.

A system you were very familiar with.

 

[GTFCfish]

£25 is the adult seating price only. Although I would say £20 to stand is also a bit of a ripoff, although I’ve paid £19 at both Exeter and FGR this season, and that was pre-booked. Paying on the day was more expensive at both grounds. There’s no extra cost for buying on a match day at Sutton I believe

All games at this level are segregated, are they not? Before this season we tried to avoid segregation as much as possible, but it’s a permanent thing now, like at all grounds

Personally I’d happily pay more for standing than sitting, standing at away games is one best experiences a football fan can get, much better than sitting down IMO although I get why people with mobility issues would choose to sit down of course.

 

[GTFCfish]

That re-election bollocks has in part caused the divide. Clubs like boston, altrincham, Kettering Worcester, woking etc could have all been easily as big as or bigger than crewe, scunthorpe, Rochdale, hartlepool etc had promotion been on merit, not on where you were based and rigged by backhanders and chairman voting their mates in

People on those places ended up going to their local 92 club as games actually meant something rather than the non league system back then which had zero coverage so teams like those i mentioned missed out on generations of potential fans who now still struggle to go to their local side.

The gap will slowly close over time as more 'non league' clubs make it up to the efl but even today, especially with away numbers, that divide is still there. Chester, Darlington and Herefords phoenix clubs alongside York will likely have the 4 highest home and away gates in a typical season in conference north

The re-election system encouraged mediocrity and stopped actual progressive clubs from moving to the next level

I have news for you, all 5 of those mentioned are already bigger than Scunthorpe.

 

[denzel ecfc]

£25 is the adult seating price only. Although I would say £20 to stand is also a bit of a ripoff, although I’ve paid £19 at both Exeter and FGR this season, and that was pre-booked. Paying on the day was more expensive at both grounds. There’s no extra cost for buying on a match day at Sutton I believe

All games at this level are segregated, are they not? Before this season we tried to avoid segregation as much as possible, but it’s a permanent thing now, like at all grounds

Be grateful you have the choice. Cant remember the last time I paid less than £20 at an all seated ground

 

[Andy Proctor]

Sutton need get a bigger away end. 500 might be OK for most clubs in this division but if they want progress to league one and play teams like Portsmouth Bolton ect then they need allocate more than that.

 

[The Terminator]

The fuel problems may see a few numbers drop this weekend, I know a few of our fans who can't go to Port Vale now due to fuel shortages!

 

[kieran_vale]

The fuel problems may see a few numbers drop this weekend, I know a few of our fans who can't go to Port Vale now due to fuel shortages!

Think it’s to be expected unfortunately given the circumstances. Shame as both teams are doing well at the moment but more than understandable.

Think the only ones that won’t be affected will be Dale at Bradford and Swindon at Rovers as they are both relatively short journeys.

 

[Salvador]

Think it’s to be expected unfortunately given the circumstances. Shame as both teams are doing well at the moment but more than understandable.

Think the only ones that won’t be affected will be Dale at Bradford and Swindon at Rovers as they are both relatively short journeys.

Tbf I’d imagine it’ll have a knock on effect on all fixtures this weekend. Late decision if I could go or not. But I was going to drive tomorrow at and decided on the train. Similar price for train and parking than for petrol for me (I don’t live in Rochdale).

 

[Salvador]

Be grateful you have the choice. Cant remember the last time I paid less than £20 at an all seated ground

Me neither, but I’m sure I’m not alone thinking match tickets are too pricey. I include my club on that aaway tickets mirror our most expensive tickets at £22. Too much to attract a floating fan IMO.
I hate to give Salford kudos but paid £15 for a ticket there. That price seems right at this level.

I say that as someone who has and will pa the £20+ at the likes of Mansfield, Swindon, Hartlepool(you still well expensive?), Sutton this season

 

[denzel ecfc]

370 Saddlers fans in the Matt Taylor Derby

 

[The Jovial Forester]

114 Rovers at Brunton Park.

 

[MadJohn]

Hartlepool(you still well expensive?)

£20 adult, £14 concession, £5 under 16

 

[JaredSUFC]

244 Sutton fans at Northampton in a total crowd of 4,789

 

[MadJohn]

398 Hangers in Herts

 

[Roger Stone]

98 poor fuckers from Scunthorpe

 

[Salvador]

£20 adult, £14 concession, £5 under 16

Normal then. I’m sure about 6/7 years ago it was £25+

 

[northstandexile]

744 Dale at valley parade
190 barrow at Mansfield
177 Harrogate at oldham
105 Crawley at Tranmere

Missing
Swindon at Bristol
Salford at Colchester
Orient at Vale

 

[RLC]

Corrected figure of 564 Tranmere fans at Scunthorpe the other week (from our programme).

 

[Buxton Vale]

I think that the O's away support was announced as 317

 

[Bottega Don]

Our first sub 100 away following for years in the league, club has hit rock bottom and yet there still seems to be further for us to fall.

 

[Mighty Mornflake]

Our first sub 100 away following for years in the league, club has hit rock bottom and yet there still seems to be further for us to fall.

There sure is - you've not hit the National League yet.

 

[Soup Ladle]

398 Hangers in Herts

Great turnout bearing in mind everyone had to walk there