Has anyone else's "groups" of travelling mates for away games dropped off over the last few seasons.

The group I travelled with in mini buses, on trains etc has sadly been of very low attendance this season. I'm not knocking any of them, there are many reason's for it.

To such a point that I'm actually only planning on 3 (possible 4) more away games this season. Charlton, Norwich , Southampton and possibly Brentford (last match of the season).

This has nothing to do with the football we're playing, or the manager, but the (as I see it) lack of camaraderie, for going to , and more to the point coming back from a game.

I was only one of our usual group (reporter's excluded) who made the trip to Carlisle on Tuesday night while a couple of season's ago that trip would have seen us fill a mini bus. I know times are bad less disposable income , and Ok Carlisle this season was close to Christmas, which could have been a factor, but earlier games in the season have also been poorly attended , by my usual travelling mates.

So simple question , have other groups of fans seen a reduced level amongst the usual they travel with, if so what do you think is the reason, lack of cash, disillusioned with football we're playing, maybe the fact that Turner is in charge. What is it ????????

yep i used to fill a big bus up for most away games its usually a minibus now or a car most have stopped going because
of the football we playing but the cost is a factor aswel

Maybe you'll get more takers if you adopt the same attitude as the players and only do half the job. Offer them a lift there but don't bother with the return journey.

Three of us travelled to Huddersfield the other week. At least two didn't go because of money.

None of us are going to Leeds cos Bates is a greedy dwarfycunt.

Part of the problem is that we've been to most of the grounds we play now and they're all so similar and lacking in character that it's not worth the expense. Days out at Colchester, Yeovil, Brighton, Walsall are not only very expensive but they're often soul-less drab affairs that end in defeat. All of those grounds are these new type grounds where they've been located to take as much fun out of the matchday experience. I think Cardiff 2005 has a lot to answer for too.

Good point TPP, that's one of reason's I'm actually thinking of missing long trips, the I've been there done that, but if there were more going and the "craic" was there then I would probably change my mind and end up travelling.

I've been to York (pre season) MK Dons, Coventry, Stockport, Exeter, Swindon, Brighton, and Huddersfield so far this season.
I'll probably go to Southampton and Norwich just cos they're grounds I haven't been to.
Not going to Leeds for the same reason as Mr Ripper.
IF we get a tactically aware person in the dugout, and strengthen the side with a bit of quality, especially in midfield, I might regain my desire to go to away games.
At the moment even my enthusiasm for home games is receding.
I almost wish someone would drag me Xmas shopping
I did say almost.

kosherOY went to coventry, i dunno if he's said owt.

all of the factors mentioned in the above posts are legitimate reasons. Every club in the FL seems to go through a lull like this it seems. It's not that long ago Cardiff, Plymouth, Hull and Swansea etc were playing in front of similar home crowds to Pools, but a few years of progress has changed all that. At least a couple of seasons in the Championship would massively increase the club's profile and rekindle the fire amongst supporters, or even looking as though we can attack the top 6 places.
I wouldn't want us in the prem though!!!!!

I agree in principal my rotund ami but those places have hugely bigger populations that Hartlepool.

Scunthorpe and Burnley don't!!!!
Burnley are an exception to end all exceptions though, history and all that

Aye but you never mentioned Scunthorpe or Burnley. Are all those chemicals playing havoc with you memory?

what memory?

He mumbled something but his mouth was full of hairy pie. Didn't catch most of it. Summat to do with '....breathe through my ears.....'

We use to get the same lot every week. A guaranteed mini bus but not no more!

Its a tricky one , seems like alot of people would prefer to be winning and somewhere in the top third in league poo, rather than holding their own with frequent losses in league 1.
Mid to lowish 3rd tier is better than high 4th tier in my humble opinion, then I do remember the really bad old days.
It must pee of the young'uns but we are doing allright at the moment.

Although its not as much fun to see a loss.

Another Nottingham-based Poolie used to come to most aways with me, but he hasn't seen Pools for some time.

Until a couple of years ago you could guarantee a respectable away following from Poolies, particularly for London games (mainly cos of the number of exiles).

I have seen the support steadily drop away, and I too am guilty of skipping quite a few of the longer distance matches this season. The reasons for this I reckon are as follows:

1) The long run of winless away games under Wilson ground people down.

2) People being strapped for cash. Petrol particularly makes an away day a dear do nowadays.

3) This is the third season in a row when we haven't been chasing promotion.

4) Apart from the 'big' stadiums, we have played at most of the grounds on many occasions in the past. Even Elland Road is old hat now. The novelty of League One has definitely worn off.

5) I reckon there is a generational gap of Poolies who have traditionally travelled at the moment - give it a few years, and all the young 'uns who've come on board in the last few years will be able to afford to travel and the numbers will go back up again.

I'd add another point to that - HUFC do not gain anything by people attending away games as all finances are kept by the home club. You could argue that the support lifts the team - I don't think so, I've seen them win away to a handful of supporters and lose in front of a good following (on too many occaisions).

I'm hoping to get to the Norwich, Southampton and Charlton games. Will be nice to go to watch Pools play a few more clubs who were Premiership teams only a few seasons ago on their home patches. The only other two games I reckon I'll definitely go to are Tranmere (it's in the North) and Brentford (last game of the season). Other than that I think I'll play it by ear.



As a side issue I totally agree with that point. If the club is going to move forward we have to establish ourselves as a solid League 1 club.

I remember a time when I would do half the away game and maybe 10 - 15 of the home games. If I missed a cup game it was a tragedy. As PIN says, I haven't been to a game for a while and I've even reached the stage where I sometimes don't know the score until the following day. My issue isn't financial, its a lack of interest.

I can see were your coming from but , I don't think anyone actually doesn't go to an away game and uses the reason well Pools don't benefit from it.

I think it be more like if I go the wife and kids miss out, which before I get shot down in flames is a perfectly good reason.

Going back to Tuesday against Carlisle if i was to go back just a few years i would be waking up sort of knowing we had a game whether home or away. I'd probably been up a couple of hours on Tuesday when I suddenly remember we had a match. I don't know the reason, I,m just putting it down to been to most of the grounds in the division, apart from the obvious ones for this season.

Maybe, and I apologise for this beforehand, I'm just suffering from travel sickness since Jan 1st 2007 (Mansfield away) I've done 148 out of 150 (had to use Madjohn's site) competitive matches, 2 tours of Holland and one tour of Scotland, throw in the centenary competition and a lot of pre season friendlies, and I think that could well be a deciding factor.

Once more apologies for sounding as if that was bragging it not the intention, there are other's who probably beat that.

I just cant work out why I don't want to go to Southend, Yeovil Bristol etc, I mean when we drew 3-3 at Brighton earlier in the season I was sat watching football Saturday wishing I was there. I even took retirement so I could travel easier, not needing to get cover, doing shifts back in return, and now when I can do it when and as I want I seem to have lost the heart to do the long trips.

That just sounds like burn-out to me Mr Bob, and with a track record like that who can blame you??

I lived 120 miles down the road and had a season ticket and it was obviously easy for me to get to the away games living right in the middle of the country but I found when I had something that kept me from from going, I did sometimes feel a slight sense of relief as after a bit it becomes like work, and work isn't always fun.

Exactly how i feel mr i, my interest in pools has just got less and less every year, back in the day i would be at every home game and about 12-15 aways, a game at carlisle was a must!

I didn't even know we were playing on tuesday till 8 o'clock wednesday morning when i got on here.

Reading some of the above posta has prompted me to say............yep, that's just how I feel.
Here we are sat in league one for the third year running which, since the old third div north and south was abandoned, is the highest run the club has ever had, and yet we are losing interest.
I keep asking myself why that is.

I'm concurring with a lot that's been said in this thread.

I'm going to Orient in April (it's more of excuse for weekend on the pop in London than anything) but apart from that I have no desire to go another away game this season, everything is just flat. We started to drift under Wilson we then sacked him and Turner basically just quietly slipped into his seat and nothing has really changed. I think that is what has brought about this apathy, I remember runs were me and the lads I go with have been to 20 odd games in a row home and away, it wasn't a question of 'are we going' it was 'how are getting there'. For some reason it's just not the same anymore, I thought Carlisle on a freezing Tuesday night this week was a pretty depressing experience on and off the field. Everything just seems a bit stale.

Reading this thread a lot, to me anyway, don't attend simply due to apathy( no malicious intent meant there) as it may well be the case of that that is my reason for not attending away games( I will still attend home and even have a season ticket next season). Even die hard's like EAD seem to have a little of it. Wont comment on other's on this thread, can't put faces to user name's.

Maybe in couple games time, if we go on a run of wins it, well for me, the enthusiasm will return to what it was. Having said that I honestly don't believe it's the football or the results that have me in the current mood I'm in. Maybe Spender is right just "away day lag".

I'll be there tomorrow few beers in Mill and then shouting the boys on.

i,ll be doing 7 more away games this season got agree with everything said on this thread i,ll still go evey home game and renew season ticket cos i,d be lost on saturdays usually im buzzing on fridays before a game but lateley im just not bothered