Modern Football

[CallumG6]

Modern football has become a victim of capitalism like most other things in society.

 

Clubs are investment vehicles that require a return on the financial input by your Todd Boehly’s of the world, with PSR brought in to protect those investments.

 

Top 6 is a closed shop, and we’re not invited. 

[Elbel1]

1 hour ago, bobbydazzla said:

PSR

VAR

Refs with mics

Jumbo LED’s

Flashing stadium lights

Flame throwers  

xG

Social media transfer wankers

False 9’s 

Double pivots 

Trademark goal celebrations 

Players lying down behind the wall

Music after goals 

Half time player interviews 

Players covering their mouths when they speak 

Squad numbers above 30 

Ref picking the ball off the plinth 

One club ex-players commentating on their own teams 

Socks with holes in 

Punters filming the game on their phone 

 

Hate the fucking lot of it 

 

It’s just meant to be 22 players on a field trying to stick a ball in a net 

 

 

 

 

Is too early to vote for post of the year? 

[toon25]

21 minutes ago, OpenC said:

 

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is worth considering before you abandon all hope

 

https://www.northernfootballleague.org/

Thank you for this mate 

[The Prophet]

It's fucking shite.

[OpenC]

28 minutes ago, toon25 said:

Thank you for this mate 

 

It worked for me Northern Premier League if you want something a bit higher standard but the great thing about the northern league is it's easy enough to go home and away, even if you live near furthest north Alnwick

 

 

Edited August 25, 2025 by OpenC

[Nine]

2 hours ago, Mike said:

Games gone. It's sports entertainment. Only saving grace is us having enough money to get eventually booked into a title run.

This is literally the best description we could ask for 

[Doctor Zaius]

It ain't what it used to be

[Dr.Spaceman]

3 minutes ago, Doctor Zaius said:

It ain't what it used to be

 

It's him isn't it

 

[On the Grid]

When we play like we did today...pure passion and heart, St James rocking I still have hope that the game i love is still alive...

 

Compare that to the City plastics videoing Spurs goals and shit like that... that makes me question it.

 

Its a quandary and a good topic of discussion

[Moose]

11 minutes ago, Doctor Zaius said:

It ain't what it used to be

[Wallsendmag]

Yeah it's shite. I paid a daft amount of money to be there today but that's probably me done for the season now.

 

Tbf it was a privilege tonight mind. Probably attended 700/800 games at SJP and atmosphere wise that was right up there with the best.

[jack j]

 

 

 

[NEEJ]

10 hours ago, bobbydazzla said:

PSR

VAR

Refs with mics

Jumbo LED’s

Flashing stadium lights

Flame throwers  

xG

Social media transfer wankers

False 9’s 

Double pivots 

Trademark goal celebrations 

Players lying down behind the wall

Music after goals 

Half time player interviews 

Players covering their mouths when they speak 

Squad numbers above 30 

Ref picking the ball off the plinth 

One club ex-players commentating on their own teams 

Socks with holes in 

Punters filming the game on their phone 

 

Hate the fucking lot of it 

 

It’s just meant to be 22 players on a field trying to stick a ball in a net 

 

 

 

 

Pretty much the perfect list, but it's missing Chris Sutton. 

[Elbel1]

Back when he was playing, John Terry became to embody everything that was wrong with the game at that time. 

Narcissism, entitlement, friendly media coverage, egotism and greed. 

Currently Liverpool football club have taken that up a notch. 

Greed, entitlement, avarice, lack of self awareness and bullying fail to cover the scale of their selfishness. 

Coupled with the sycophantic media coverage they enjoy, they are beginning to sound like the Tory Party over the last decade. 

I the 90s I disliked Man Utd but there was always a gruding respect there for them. 

Nothing but absolute contempt for Liverpool at the moment and I can't see me offering any forgiveness to them for a long time. 

[Nucasol]

Just now, Elbel1 said:

Back when he was playing, John Terry became to embody everything that was wrong with the game at that time. 

Narcissism, entitlement, friendly media coverage, egotism and greed. 

Currently Liverpool football club have taken that up a notch. 

Greed, entitlement, avarice, lack of self awareness and bullying fail to cover the scale of their selfishness. 

Coupled with the sycophantic media coverage they enjoy, they are beginning to sound like the Tory Party over the last decade. 

I the 90s I disliked Man Utd but there was always a gruding respect there for them. 

Nothing but absolute contempt for Liverpool at the moment and I can't see me offering any forgiveness to them for a long time. 

“Because Liverpool = it means more.“

 

They’re beyond contempt. A myth constantly pandered to by the media they’ve infiltrated across all platforms. 
 

Whoever called them Livrael has it spot on. The footballing equivalent of the Israeli state.

[kingxlnc]

33 minutes ago, NEEJ said:

Pretty much the perfect list, but it's missing Chris Sutton. 

And Troy Deeney

[jemo96]

All the non Sky 6 should just spend like fuck, what’s gonna happen suspend the league? Sends a message. 
Probably not the answer but would be funny… get it up ya’s!!

[Lush Vlad]

I don’t enjoy football as much as I used to and it doesn’t feel quite so life or death, as it did for me growing up. 36 now. 
 

But I don’t get up for games anywhere near as much as I used to when I had an ST for a couple of seasons and then a member for a good bit after that. I also used to do loads of aways with a mate and his family who I’ve been going with since I was 16. All since the away ticket changes came in. It’s just not worth the risk. 
 

So I feel a bit disconnected from NUFC, the city and the people. Even though this group of players and manager are the best I’ve seen in my lifetime. 
 

Modern football just feels off. I can’t think of the right word for it?! Clinical, cold, dead, detached? Something like that.
 

From how overly complex and tactical it has become. The way mavericks are getting coached out the game. The physicality is being taken out bit by bit every year. 
 

Right through to PSR and eye watering amounts of money and wages. All whilst everyone else in the country gets poorer and can barely afford to go or buy their kids one of the many £100 kits that come out every season.  
 

Maybe I’m just getting old and everyone likes to romanticise the past and how their era was better. But excluding the reign of King Cabbageheed, when I refused to go. I’ve never felt less enthused about going to games as I have at the start of this season.
 

Which is mental considering how good we are and that we finally won a trophy. 
 

EDIT - oh and VAR. How the fuck did I forget VAR. Probably my biggest gripe with it all. Utter, utter shite and has ruined the game. 

 

 

Edited August 26, 2025 by Lush Vlad

[Holmesy]

1 minute ago, Lush Vlad said:

I don’t enjoy football as much as I used to and it doesn’t feel quite so life or death, as it did for me growing up. 36 now. 
 

But I don’t get up for games anywhere near as much as I used to when I had an ST for a couple of seasons and then a member for a good bit after that. I also used to do loads of aways with a mate and his family who I’ve been going with since I was 16. Since the away ticket changes came in. Not worth the risk. 
 

So I feel a bit disconnected from NUFC, the city and the people. Even though this group of players and manager are the best I’ve seen in my lifetime. 
 

Modern football just feels off. I can’t think of the right word for it?! Clinical, cold, dead, detached? Something like that.
 

From how overly complex and tactical it has become. The way mavericks are getting coached out the game. The physicality is being taken out bit by bit every year. 
 

Right through to PSR and eye watering amounts of money and wages. All whilst everyone else in the country gets poorer and can barely afford to go or buy their kids one of the many £100 kits that come out every season.  
 

Maybe I’m just getting old and everyone likes to romanticise the past and how their era was better. But excluding the reign of King Cabbageheed, when I refused to go. I’ve never felt less enthused about going to games as I have at the start of this season.
 

Which is mental considering how good we are and that we finally won a trophy. 

I think there's always an element of romaniticsm when it comes to football - i speak to my 75 year old stepdad and he waxes lyrical about teams in the 70s, and then you watch it and it's shite.
But, the clinical, business nature of football now has made it stale and not very exciting. All of the mavericks that used to light up the game have gone. It's all based on data, POMO and running stats now. There's nothing more exciting than a player doing something completely genius/unexpected like he's playing in the park, and then banging it in from 25 yards but those players don't fit into the modern footballing ethos, so it is far less entertaining. 
As with all entertainment industries, you don't prove how entertaining it is through stats. You judge it by your eyes, ears and nervous system, and there's absolutely no doubt that football is not as enjoyable as it used to be. And no amount of refcam is going to change that. 
You don't go and watch a film and come out saying 'statistically, that film was very good. The structure was excellent and it fit the pattern of what a good film should be'. You come out going 'that was amazing' or 'that was shite (as in the case of 28 years later)'. And football now compared to what it used to be, when players had more freedom to express themselves, is just shitter.
I blame Sam Allardyce.

[Andy]

Red Cam was nearly it for me last night like. Nowt like a Simon Hooper waddle to give you motion sickness, fucking shite idea. 

[mouldy_uk]

1 minute ago, Andy said:

Red Cam was nearly it for me last night like. Nowt like a Simon Hooper waddle to give you motion sickness, fucking shite idea. 

You must have been paying a premium for a Hooper Red cam 

 

[Mahoneys Tache]

1 hour ago, NEEJ said:

Pretty much the perfect list, but it's missing Chris Sutton. 

And ‘optics.’ Fucking optics. Since when did football discussions sound like a fucking t💩ry spin doctor? 

[Moose]

Ref cam is absolutely horrible. Who the fuck thought that was a good idea?! I feel like we can't stop our ever quickening slide to the bottom of the slope where the PL will end up like the NFL. We can't be too far away from cheerleaders, halftime shows and time outs

[Dandy Man]

I agree with pretty much everything in this thread. I've become completely disillusioned with most of the top flight football. While I still watch our games, I'm not particularly bothered if I miss one these days, and I have basically zero interest in watching other Premier League matches, a big contrast to when I used to watch anything and everything. Now I follow the League of Ireland more closely than anything else. I've had a Galway United season ticket for the past few years. The quality is obviously miles off, but, and I know this sounds like cliched football hipster nonsense, at least it feels like real football. There's something authentic that's been totally lost at the top level in the big leagues.

[Mahoneys Tache]

I was pretty much checked out by 2016 after supporting Newcastle since 1974 when I watched the FA cup final snafu with my dad and grandad. 
life threatening burns from bovril in plastic cups, the gallowgate piss pots, bad pies, racism etc I don’t miss one bit but this ‘product’ is fucking dire now. 
however, as much as I thought I’d lost interest, I hadn’t. 

 

 

Edited August 26, 2025 by Mahoneys Tache