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Attending Away Games: Arguments For and Against


exiledjag
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The purpose  of this thread to provide a platform for discussion and debate about attending or not attending Away Matches. We are all very angry about how things have turned out so far and rightly so! However comments about attending Away Matches have been spread over a number of threads and because of this the debate has become fragmented.  Given the number of comments about what individual fans are going to do or think should be done  the subject clearly deserved a dedicated thread. Hopefully such a thread will enable those who feel strongly about this subject to develop a well thought out and rational response with all views and issues fully aired! 

My own position is really quite simple:

1. I will attend as many home games as possible

2. I will not be attending Away Games but will donate the cost of the away gate money to PTFC. 

I do not consider this to be a boycott more a case of channelling much needed resources to the club I have loved and supported all my life. 

Cheers all. 

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Said before if I decide not to attend away games then I know I'll be open to losing a bit of interest in home games as well. For me watching Thistle is a weekly thing not fortnightly. Miss one home game and that could be four weeks without watching a game. That means three weekends where I've found something else to do. So why not make that a fourth, a fifth Thistleless weekend? 

As it is, not going to away games may not be much of a wrench. Watching football on artificial surfaces is a big turnoff with me and at last count seven out of the nine away grounds don't have grass. I believe our only two "allies" in Div 1 are Falkirk & East Fife. Not only are their pitches artificial they're two of the worst away days into the bargain. 

I take exiledjag's point about not "boycotting" away games as such and more being a personal choice that each of us can make. As for anything organised on that front I'll wait and see what happens with the various supporters buses. I don't travel on one myself but if they're not running I'd probably treat that action as the equivalent of a kind of picket line and not attend either.  

Anyway that's just my thoughts today. I fully suspect things will be different for better or worse (most likely the latter) whenever attended football restarts. 

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I very rarely go to away games. 

But I hold no grudges against the teams who have voted in self interest as I believe that is the way the system has been set up and it's completely understandable.

Fair play to those who want to channel money to Thistle though.

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I don’t tend to go to many away games so it’s a bit academic for me, but one thing that I haven’t seen mentioned much in this debate is the potential impact on the team. Players thrive on support. A boycott might engender a siege mentality in the team but it’s more likely it will not. Over time, it’d be harder for me to stay away if I felt my team needed me there to help out in my own wee way.

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I'm as angry as anyone but let's not cut off our noses here.

Some of my best Thistle memories are away from home, including a certain game at Parkhead in the early 90's.

Thistle's away support has always astounded me and in %age terms, I doubt many teams would take 50% of their home support upwards, to away games.

Just check out the video of the crowd when Damon Gray scored at Ibrox. I wish I'd been in among them that night.

Who wants to miss a catch up with their mates, a few beers and a bus trip to a different part of Scotland every second Saturday.

Don't let them win by taking away your enjoyment of following Thistle through thick and thin.

I've lived 350 miles away for the best part of my life and despite trying to support my local team, can just never get anywhere near to the feeling of going to a game up the road.

Rise above these complete idiots.

I mean, when have we ever felt supported and fairly treated by anyone in Scottish Football?  Let's not make out that this is something new.

 

Edited by CotterJag
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45 minutes ago, scotty said:

If the club want to do something, how about damanding a high number of complementary ticket and giving them to supporters' buses? The reciprocal numbers given to visiting clubs will surely have less impact on us.

They do that at Morton , any players not using their comps are balloted to supporters . It’s a good idea , starts a connection between the players/ club and the supporters .

 

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Support the team if you can. Don't hold grudges against other teams or fans. Let's see the extent of the mess and do what we can financially. If we were 9th we would have voted yes so forget the moral high ground route 

I might buy a season for the first time ever for example. 

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Who knows what the future holds. my instinct though is to continue to attend away games. There are few enough special days that to miss some of them due to a boycott seems to be punishing myself!  Add to that I think the team appreciate the away support, and in these troubled times everyone needs an escape from humdrum monotony of day to day. i find myself agreeing with the lady above - football is the ultimate habit forming thing - to remove part of the habit probably makes the other part harder to sustain.

 

 

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I don't think this will be an issue. I don't  think fans will be allowed into grounds this year. Stranraer chairman said they could not afford playing games behind closed doors. If there is a 20/21 season i think it will just be the premier league.

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Travel to away games but go to see the local Highland or lowland league team in that area, even the juniors depending on where we are playing.

Keeps the away day and the joy of seeing other grounds and teams play.  Not quite Thistle but it supports the buses and the local economy in other areas, it might even help these clubs keep a player who could end up signing for our rivals?

Just a thought as I often go to my local Highland League game as I can't watch Thistle as often as I used to.

 

I'm not necessarily advocating a boycott and I agree that Thistle would most likely have voted in self interest to end the season too, if we had been the one place higher.

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I understand and respect the approach of those who have decided to boycott away games next season (if and when they happen), and making an equivalent donation to PTFC is especially commendable.

Personally I intend to continue attending all away games to support the team, with my reasoning being similar to several of the posters above. In most of our successful campaigns, there have been vital away matches, often against close rivals, where the active encouragement of the Thistle support has clearly made a vital contribution to getting the team over the line for an essential draw or win.

I have no huge quarrel with the other teams involved, but equally I will not be providing them with any financial input other than the price of admission. No programmes, catering etc. Nevertheless I appreciate that other travelling supporters may make a different choice in that regard.

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8 minutes ago, partickthedog said:

I understand and respect the approach of those who have decided to boycott away games next season (if and when they happen), and making an equivalent donation to PTFC is especially commendable.

Personally I intend to continue attending all away games to support the team, with my reasoning being similar to several of the posters above. In most of our successful campaigns, there have been vital away matches, often against close rivals, where the active encouragement of the Thistle support has clearly made a vital contribution to getting the team over the line for an essential draw or win.

I have no huge quarrel with the other teams involved, but equally I will not be providing them with any financial input other than the price of admission. No programmes, catering etc. Nevertheless I appreciate that other travelling supporters may make a different choice in that regard.

Hi ptd hope you and the family are well. Your point about fans backing the team is one of the reasons i think playing games behind closed doors will not work. No fans, no atmosphere. I seen an interview with Amir Khan on tv this morning and he said boxing with no fans would be just like sparring. Of course playing games behind closed doors would cost much more than any money it might bring in.

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If the season goes ahead and supporters are admitted then away games should perhaps be a matter of choice. Bearing in mind we play 2 games away against each team then perhaps selective attendance at one away game against every side could be considered. It could even be considered in a rational rather than reactionary way?

Perhaps if we have an away game at say Montrose -purely as an example-in the weeks before Christmas, it could be avoided for financial or climactic reasons and the other game at Montrose could be chosen in preference?

Choice is important of course and people can make their own minds up before embarking on trips to some of the more interesting parts of the country.

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I’ll not be giving one penny to any other team in the division. They don’t deserve it. 
And in any case, I’m with others in thinking that there will be a few less clubs around when (if) the season starts. And I’ll be shedding no tears for them.

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I won't be going to any away games even if the covid-19 restrictions change to allow it. There has be a tangible reaction to such a ridiculous decision. I know the Thistle support isn't big enough to financially damage any other club however our away expenditure channelled back into our club would give us a financial advantage over most clubs in League 1, championship and bottom part of the Premiership. We would at least give our club the best chance of getting through this period.

In other threads at at other points in time we've asked the question of why Thistle aren't as successful as clubs of similar size and the most common answers are usually that we lack a killer instinct, aren't hard-nosed enough and would rather get brownie points for being 'woke' than 3 points on a Saturday.

If we're going to continue to level those criticisms of the management  at the club when we as fans sit by and choose not to act in the hope that we retain the moral high ground then we will continue to have a club that under performs, behaves like a cuddly toy and gets pushed around.

I love an away game as much as anyone but getting 3 points from the people who voted to relegate us won't repair the damage caused by their decision.

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This injustice was forced upon the smaller clubs by the SPFL.  We can't resign from the SPFL or you have no-one to play.  We need other clubs and they need us which is why I wouldn't want to see ANY other team go to the wall.  They are all part, for better or worse, of the rich tapestry and history of OUR football.

As the anger subsides we'll all go back to supporting our team and I hope that the current injustice galvanises us in a way that makes us stronger.  That is what will provide the strength, character and determination to put PTFC back where we belong.

Support the Jags, home and away (but send PTFC the money if you do choose not to attend away games), buy a new scarf to celebrate a new era.

The alternative is self pity and martyrdom.

 

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1 hour ago, AlgarveJag said:

This injustice was forced upon the smaller clubs by the SPFL.  We can't resign from the SPFL or you have no-one to play.  We need other clubs and they need us which is why I wouldn't want to see ANY other team go to the wall.  They are all part, for better or worse, of the rich tapestry and history of OUR football.

As the anger subsides we'll all go back to supporting our team and I hope that the current injustice galvanises us in a way that makes us stronger.  That is what will provide the strength, character and determination to put PTFC back where we belong.

Support the Jags, home and away (but send PTFC the money if you do choose not to attend away games), buy a new scarf to celebrate a new era.

The alternative is self pity and martyrdom.

Agree with the gist of this. There's maybe more than one or two clubs I'd like to see suffer big time but none outside of the OF I'd want to cease to exist. The fans of these clubs have chosen not to support either of the arse cheeks so that's a good enough reason in itself.

Re SJ's 2nd last paragraph. Maybe it should be the other way about. Those who attend the away games, particularly those games against the "naughty clubs" send money to PTFC as way of a penance? Buy extra 50/50s as an atonement.:)

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No surprise that the SPFL get away with larceny again.  But we must continue to fight against this injustice.

I have been following the Bad Friday debacle on different threads, and feel I must make a few comments on attending future away League games.  It seems to me that how we behave in life applies here. There are certain businesses I simply will not give cash to, because of the way they treat their customers and staff.  A certain budget airline comes to mind. Ditto a pub chain keen to expose both customers and staff to Covid 19 for financial gain. I will add a sportswear firm, although I accept that I'm now getting on a bit for that sort of thing.

I moved to the South of England in the 1980s, so I've not been to many games since.  Myself and my son were travelling up to Glasgow on Friday 13 March, to see family and attend the following day's Alloa game.  En route, my boy told me "Dad, all Scottish football cancelled".  Friday 13 indeed.....

I believe that a moral approach can be taken on attending away League games.  On Bad Friday, the Queen of the Farce chairman could not get his "There will be winners and losers" out quickly enough.  Judas McKinnon of Morton bleated about "The silent majority", parroting Doncaster's bleat about "80 percent in favour".  Clearly they studied their concept of "Democracy" at the Robert Mugabe School of Political Science....  There are others also.

I don't know when I will attend a game at Firhill again, probably not until 2021 at the earliest. But I'll be very careful to the away games I'll potentially attend, and that will only be honourable clubs in this debacle.  Few and far between.

This injustice will end up in Court, and I think that we should be part of any joint action, despite the cost.  I'll follow the potential League relegation battle in France carefully as they will be in the Court of Arbitration first, assuming the French League don't blink, and cancel relegation by league reconstruction.   Sound familiar? It could give us a potential Court precedent, and I did read our Senior and Junior Council Advice with interest.

I hope to see some of you in the future, but for now, take care, and lets keep up the good fight.  I have and will continue to keep financially supporting the Jags through what will be hard times ahead.

East Kent Jag.

ps I did apply to join the forum 8 weeks ago.  4 more to go!!

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I think we are all on the same page, more or less! It's about how best to support the club. 

I bought a season ticket fully aware we would very likely be playing in League 1. Many others did the same. Because of where I live away games are problematic for me as any location off the main routes adds time and expense! 

It suits me to travel to Firhill once a fortnight for home games and donate my away gate money to the club which I will do on a monthly basis. 

I fully appreciate the importance and impact on the team of a good away support so have no problem with that. 

However I will  draw a line (even for the future) at attending an away game to a club which has spoken out or deliberately acted against us for example,  Forfar, Ayr,  Dundee.   I  can't really complain about clubs who kept their opinions to themselves but voted/acted in their own interest - just hope we can beat them on the Park! 

 

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