What does it mean to be a Swindon fan?

[AndyWells]

Bloody hell, the stuff that passes for Higher Education these days.

This is only one step up from doing a degree in "What I did on my Holidays".

Haha! A masters degree at that. It's human geography and social and cultural identity. Football is a big part of popular culture and society today and in many people's opinions is as relevant and influential as religion, ethnic groups and other subcultures.

[TheDukeOfBanbury]

I have been to every Swindon v Pox match since 1975 home and away and not witnessed any problems in the TE.

The smoke bomb incident game was the only time Pox turned up in numbers and they certainly helped re-arrange the stand that night.
Of course their is always trouble usually outside of the ground.
Over the years I have heard so many stories from both sets of fans it's a load of old bollocks if you ask me.
Portsmouth, Millwall and Cardiff were always worse.

Give Pox the respect though they are our main rivals, not City or Rovers.
The 2 games I am looking forward to this season.
Sadly I reckon their hatred of us is certainly stronger than ours is to them. Maybe we need this Derby to remind us all again. Can't get why so many Swindon see the Bristol Clubs as our rivals.

Just don't want to see us lose at the CG against the Scum never have done up to now.
I am sure they will be in the mix though come May next year.

[Spencer_White]

You may like to read this little gem from the Oxford forum. Contains some first hand experiences at the C*unty ground from fans of both clubs -

http://yellowsforum.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=3032#ixzz1RFj36Dlo

This is why the Pox rarely sell out at the CG, they put off their own fans by incessantly wanking over the trouble.

Funny seeing Pox fans dress Hatred up as passion. Complete wankers.

[ronnie21]

I have been to every Swindon v Pox match since 1975 home and away and not witnessed any problems in the TE.

The smoke bomb incident game was the only time Pox turned up in numbers and they certainly helped re-arrange the stand that night.
Of course their is always trouble usually outside of the ground.
Over the years I have heard so many stories from both sets of fans it's a load of old bollocks if you ask me.
Portsmouth, Millwall and Cardiff were always worse.

Give Pox the respect though they are our main rivals, not City or Rovers.
The 2 games I am looking forward to this season.
Sadly I reckon their hatred of us is certainly stronger than ours is to them. Maybe we need this Derby to remind us all again. Can't get why so many Swindon see the Bristol Clubs as our rivals.

Just don't want to see us lose at the CG against the Scum never have done up to now.
I am sure they will be in the mix though come May next year.

Tradition DofB, my many years of following Town were formed with Shitty as the main enemy, let us not forget Oxford were still Southern League in those days aka Headington!  Reading were also seen as an enemy as well.  Oh the days, getting the stopping train to Reading for the match, Town fans would get on at places like Uffington and Wantage Road before the train ran fast from Didcot to Reading - seem to remember a long walk to Elm Park in those days!

[AndyWells]

Yes everyone in the central blocks still stands. The atmosphere is garbage now though. A few half hearted songs here and there. Last season's horror show didn't help matters but in truth it's been poor for a few seasons now. Even in 09/10 the support was poor considering how well we were doing.

Any idea why you reckon this may be? Use to be quite decent when I went a few years back now. Do you think people just aren't as passionate or is it a different type of crowd to 10 years ago? I can assure you though it's a better atmosphere to the games I've been going to in Swansea. Liberty is an awful ground. Far too big for the crowds they get and never any decent atmosphere going on. Even when Cardiff come to town.

[Batch]

Was at Hendra in my first year mate but now in Private accommodation doing my Ma. Good uni and very decent night life.

Good stuff, lived in Brynmill myself after the first year at Hendra. The Mumbles mile must be gone now though, was in a rapid decline when I left in 95 (jesus that's gone quickly) with only about 12 pubs left (plus Cinderellas).
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Back OT. The Vetch had a small but dedicated following, I guess moving to the Liberty killed that then.

Swindon - My memory may be playing tricks, but there was a season where the similar pricing of seats meant that a lot of people left the Town End for the main stands. Due to taking my young lad I've never gone back. I wonder if there are a fair few that this also applies to. The atmosphere was on the down before that though. I can't remember the last time at home I've hear a chant so loud your ear drums vibrate.

[Dave]

Funny seeing Pox fans dress Hatred up as passion. Complete wankers.

I don't. "Hating" a whole town because of football rivalry is somewhat daft.

[Spencer_White]

Any idea why you reckon this may be? Use to be quite decent when I went a few years back now. Do you think people just aren't as passionate or is it a different type of crowd to 10 years ago? I can assure you though it's a better atmosphere to the games I've been going to in Swansea. Liberty is an awful ground. Far too big for the crowds they get and never any decent atmosphere going on. Even when Cardiff come to town.

Seems to be that younger groups became more dominant, and they cannot keep time with their chants. Some of them seem to speed them up deliberately because they cant be bothered to chant for more than about 30 seconds.

Over stewarding of fans is also a problem.

[Peter Venkman]

I have been to every Swindon v Pox match since 1975 home and away and not witnessed any problems in the TE.

The smoke bomb incident game was the only time Pox turned up in numbers and they certainly helped re-arrange the stand that night.
Of course their is always trouble usually outside of the ground.
Over the years I have heard so many stories from both sets of fans it's a load of old bollocks if you ask me.
Portsmouth, Millwall and Cardiff were always worse.

Give Pox the respect though they are our main rivals, not City or Rovers.
The 2 games I am looking forward to this season.
Sadly I reckon their hatred of us is certainly stronger than ours is to them. Maybe we need this Derby to remind us all again. Can't get why so many Swindon see the Bristol Clubs as our rivals.

Just don't want to see us lose at the CG against the Scum never have done up to now.
I am sure they will be in the mix though come May next year.

I went to every home game from 1976 till 1999 in the Town End and that included all the games against the Pox since 1976 and they have never had anyone in the TE. Loads of trouble outside the ground but not that I remember at all inside the ground.

As Mr Banbury says Millwall, Pompey, Cardiff were the worst but witha  few smaller teams trying their luck also such as Dagenham, Stockport, Wovers and Boremuff but they were all a tiny amount of fans trying it on, probably less than 20, only the first 3 teams ever brought any numbers inside the ground.

Of all of those Pompey always seemed the worst back in the 70's with the 'Wall coming to a fore in the 80's.

But never Pox in our end.

[AndyWells]

Good stuff, lived in Brynmill myself after the first year at Hendra. The Mumbles mile must be gone now though, was in a rapid decline when I left in 95 (jesus that's gone quickly) with only about 12 pubs left (plus Cinderellas).

Yeah Mumbles miles is dead now. Did a couple in my first year but now there are a handful of pubs left, if that. Everyone sticks to Wind st or Kingsway now. I'm living in Brynmill now mate. Opposite the Rhyddings pub. Perfect location!

[Amir]

A lot will depend on where you are brought up as well, West Wiltshire will definately give you more of a loathing for the slave traders.

On the point of them having a more intense hatred of us, it's a bit like the rivalry between England and Scotland.  Sure, we don't like them, but from their side their inadequacy in comparison to us winds them up further.

[Costanza]

A lot will depend on where you are brought up as well, West Wiltshire will definately give you more of a loathing for the slave traders.

Agreed. There were far more City (and Rovers) fans in Westbury, Trowbridge and Warminster... I knew two Oxford fans but they supported Spurs when it was more convenient for them.

[Iffy's Onion Bhaji]

Any idea why you reckon this may be? Use to be quite decent when I went a few years back now. Do you think people just aren't as passionate or is it a different type of crowd to 10 years ago? I can assure you though it's a better atmosphere to the games I've been going to in Swansea. Liberty is an awful ground. Far too big for the crowds they get and never any decent atmosphere going on. Even when Cardiff come to town.

I personally think it's down to mostly a sign of the times. The new generation of football goers are now families. It's quite common that you'll see mums dads and their children at football these days. Of course there is nothing wrong with that but it's hardly ideal to join in a chant that could be rude or offensive infront of your son or daughter is it? For me that's one factor. With the TE it's the cheapest ticket so it's bound to atrract the family goers to an extent although more so to the left hand side of the stand.

When you look at our attendances in recent years they have increased. This is probably the genre of people that the attendances have increased with therefore it's less of an outright hardcore following and the season ticket deals a few years back saw some people move to different stands so the general TE area where the noise is created suffered as a consequence.

The final factor for me is probably the most obvious one. The football itself. Let's face it the football has been shite for sometime now. Bar the season before last there hasn't been much to shout about since 03/04. People lose interest at games quickly and it becomes a library when there's no entertainment. Last season was a real painful one to watch.

[Batch]

I don't. "Hating" a whole town because of football rivalry is somewhat daft.

I do, therefore I'm daft. I hope the Oxford boat sinks every boat race. Never watched Morse. I always wanted Tim Henman to lose. And fuck Supergrass while we are at it.

They only thing I like about Oxford is Timmy Mallet. True he's a cunt, but that's good because he's one of yours.

[AndyWells]

Seems to be that younger groups became more dominant, and they cannot keep time with their chants. Some of them seem to speed them up deliberately because they cant be bothered to chant for more than about 30 seconds.

Over stewarding of fans is also a problem.

I think over stewarding is a key aspect in every ground in the country from what I've found out. It seems the clubs/FA want everyone sat in their seats and watching the games rather than getting up and showing a bit of passion and emotion.