Football vs Rugby as a spectator
Discussion
Lifelong Arsenal fan....not a season ticket holder, and don't get as much as I should anymore.
Miss Highbury something rotten, especially the mid- late eighties.
Anyhow, 56 yrs old and up untill a couple of weeks ago, never been to a Rugby game, but meaning to for several years.
Got a ticket to The final at Twickers (shazaam) Sarries vs Exeter Chiefs.
Great crowd, great game, great Chiefs chant.... friendly as you like, good ale on sale fan zone Carpark and beer allowed back to your seat.
And there in lays the problem...... Up and down like a bloody yo yo......must have had to stand up 20 times during the game to let people past for a piss or beer run.
What a nuisance.
Half time was just like the Arse, Rush for beer and a lash......but it was going on all during the game.
Is that normal or just cos it was the final ?
Had a great day and all, but was perplexed by the jack in the box routine.
Would go again......maybe Sarries as they are closest, but a bit of an Exeter fan just for the chant.
Judging by the day, seems football is viewed far more 'intensely.........tho maybe it'd be the same if were allowed beer in our seats.
Opinions .
Miss Highbury something rotten, especially the mid- late eighties.
Anyhow, 56 yrs old and up untill a couple of weeks ago, never been to a Rugby game, but meaning to for several years.
Got a ticket to The final at Twickers (shazaam) Sarries vs Exeter Chiefs.
Great crowd, great game, great Chiefs chant.... friendly as you like, good ale on sale fan zone Carpark and beer allowed back to your seat.
And there in lays the problem...... Up and down like a bloody yo yo......must have had to stand up 20 times during the game to let people past for a piss or beer run.
What a nuisance.
Half time was just like the Arse, Rush for beer and a lash......but it was going on all during the game.
Is that normal or just cos it was the final ?
Had a great day and all, but was perplexed by the jack in the box routine.
Would go again......maybe Sarries as they are closest, but a bit of an Exeter fan just for the chant.
Judging by the day, seems football is viewed far more 'intensely.........tho maybe it'd be the same if were allowed beer in our seats.
Opinions .
I watch London Irish occasionally at the Madejski Stadium, very different atmosphere to the football (far fewer people due to the Exiles not doing so well these days!) but a good laugh.
Enjoy a beer in my seat chatting to,an opposition fan and not feeling the need to kill them, a shame that atmosphere will never exist at football. Twickenham is probably a bad example for all the jack in a box activity because it’s a big day out for all the non-handlers who can’t take their beer!
Enjoy a beer in my seat chatting to,an opposition fan and not feeling the need to kill them, a shame that atmosphere will never exist at football. Twickenham is probably a bad example for all the jack in a box activity because it’s a big day out for all the non-handlers who can’t take their beer!
The taking beer back to the seat and then going out to the toilet is a recurring complaint at Twickenham, much less so at Premiership club grounds.
What is the answer? I don't know - unless they stop spectators drinking inside the ground.
If you check the seating plan very carefully, you can find the odd very short row of seats at the front of a tier. Or buy a seat at the far end of a row, up against a wall, or barrier.
What is the answer? I don't know - unless they stop spectators drinking inside the ground.
If you check the seating plan very carefully, you can find the odd very short row of seats at the front of a tier. Or buy a seat at the far end of a row, up against a wall, or barrier.
irocfan said:
I must admit I don't understand the whole Jack in the box routine either - happens at gigs too.
They get up to go out to buy a beer. You have to stand up to allow them out.They come back with the beer. Ditto.
They go out to go to the loo. Ditto.
They come back from the loo. Ditto.
And repeat.
My old boss - also a gooner (I’m Spurs) seems dto think the best thing about going to Twickenham was being able to drink a beer in your seat.
I’d tend to share that view with him, but only because I find that the atmosphere only ever seems to get to 80%. Though maybe that’s because at the Principality it’s usually 120% when England are visiting.....
I’ve never had an issue at football and rather like the fact there’s no jack in the box.
If you want to avoid jack in the box but get to watch rugby, then rugby league is good for that. Can drink at the seats but it doesn’t seem to be the main event (unlike the way it feels it is for some people at big rugby union games). Solved!
I’d tend to share that view with him, but only because I find that the atmosphere only ever seems to get to 80%. Though maybe that’s because at the Principality it’s usually 120% when England are visiting.....
I’ve never had an issue at football and rather like the fact there’s no jack in the box.
If you want to avoid jack in the box but get to watch rugby, then rugby league is good for that. Can drink at the seats but it doesn’t seem to be the main event (unlike the way it feels it is for some people at big rugby union games). Solved!
OMITN said:
My old boss - also a gooner (I’m Spurs) seems dto think the best thing about going to Twickenham was being able to drink a beer in your seat.
I’d tend to share that view with him, but only because I find that the atmosphere only ever seems to get to 80%. Though maybe that’s because at the Principality it’s usually 120% when England are visiting.....
I’ve never had an issue at football and rather like the fact there’s no jack in the box.
If you want to avoid jack in the box but get to watch rugby, then rugby league is good for that. Can drink at the seats but it doesn’t seem to be the main event (unlike the way it feels it is for some people at big rugby union games). Solved!
Twickenham is much worse than club grounds.I’d tend to share that view with him, but only because I find that the atmosphere only ever seems to get to 80%. Though maybe that’s because at the Principality it’s usually 120% when England are visiting.....
I’ve never had an issue at football and rather like the fact there’s no jack in the box.
If you want to avoid jack in the box but get to watch rugby, then rugby league is good for that. Can drink at the seats but it doesn’t seem to be the main event (unlike the way it feels it is for some people at big rugby union games). Solved!
But the big disadvantage with rugby league is, well, rugby league.
I used to be paid to sit there and watch it, and I still couldn't stand it.
The Mad Monk said:
Twickenham is much worse than club grounds.
But the big disadvantage with rugby league is, well, rugby league.
I used to be paid to sit there and watch it, and I still couldn't stand it.
Haha! This wasn’t meant to turn into one of those rugby threads (I thoroughly enjoy both codes). But the big disadvantage with rugby league is, well, rugby league.
I used to be paid to sit there and watch it, and I still couldn't stand it.
I don’t think I’ve been to top level club union since I was a kid so happy to know that Twickenham is an anomaly..!
The first rugby union game I ever saw was at Morpeth, where my granddaughter's side were entertaining a team from a nearby town. Being only youngsters, pre-teenagers, they were playing on a pitch laid out sideways on a full size pitch. The side lines were marked out by a series of little plastic cones. There was some room for interpretation in this arrangement.
At one point, one of the opposition players was running close to the line and may well have put a foot out of play. The home side all raised their hands and shouted at the referee, who happened to be their trainer.
Without hesitation he called out, "cut out the appealing, this isn't football!"
This is a sport I could grow to like, I thought.
At one point, one of the opposition players was running close to the line and may well have put a foot out of play. The home side all raised their hands and shouted at the referee, who happened to be their trainer.
Without hesitation he called out, "cut out the appealing, this isn't football!"
This is a sport I could grow to like, I thought.
Personally, if i go to watch a sport - I go to WATCH a sport. Although I like a beer, I don't get the big deal about being able to drink at the same time. The game (whether that's football you follow or 'wrong-shaped-ball' ) should be the main event. Great to have a beer in the pub after debating the injustice of the wrongly awarded penalty or how we got away with the victory, but all that getting up and down mid-game would really annoy me.
Also, contrary to popular belief in the rugger fraternity, us footy fans aren't all after beating up the opposition fans (unfortunately the minority who do get all the press).
Also, contrary to popular belief in the rugger fraternity, us footy fans aren't all after beating up the opposition fans (unfortunately the minority who do get all the press).
Solitude said:
"London"......... Irish,.........playing in ..........Reading.....
You couldn't make it up !!
They’ve been in Reading for two decades. It was the nearest large capacity stadium that they could make use of close to London (which is only 30 mins away by train) where they could play Premiership rugby. Moving to a ground share with Brentford at their new stadium from 2020. Not really an issue ... it’s been a great arrangement for all concerned. Reading also has a large Irish community. You couldn't make it up !!
48k said:
PurpleTurtle said:
Enjoy a beer in my seat chatting to,an opposition fan and not feeling the need to kill them, a shame that atmosphere will never exist at football.
Yes because every football supporter wants to kill the opposition supporters don't they. 
I’ve been going to both for 30 years. If you can show me one major incident of crowd trouble at any major rugby game I’d be interested to see it. Meanwhile the majority of football games in the UK require a significant Police presence.
It is also illegal to drink alcohol pitch side at football, but not at rugby - in the case of the example I gave, those games can span two days on the same weekend, I’ve even sat in the same seat for both, but one of them I’m not allowed a beer at because of the actions of football hooligans that have gone before.
PurpleTurtle said:
48k said:
PurpleTurtle said:
Enjoy a beer in my seat chatting to,an opposition fan and not feeling the need to kill them, a shame that atmosphere will never exist at football.
Yes because every football supporter wants to kill the opposition supporters don't they. I’ve been going to both for 30 years. If you can show me one major incident of crowd trouble at any major rugby game I’d be interested to see it. Meanwhile the majority of football games in the UK require a significant Police presence.
It is also illegal to drink alcohol pitch side at football, but not at rugby - in the case of the example I gave, those games can span two days on the same weekend, I’ve even sat in the same seat for both, but one of them I’m not allowed a beer at because of the actions of football hooligans that have gone before.
The "jack in the box" situation at rugby is getting worse - I can see a time when they ban alcohol pitchside at rugby too. Seems to particularly be a problem at the big games. I loved this quote about the Welsh stadium "Rugby journalist Graham Thomas has recently spoken out about the drinking culture within the stadium after a fan threw a pint of beer into the press area, damaging a fellow reporter’s laptop. He describes the stadium as “the world’s biggest Wetherspoons.” "
Can we please compare football fans and their actions with fans of indoor bowls instead of rugby for a change. Football is not rugby nor is it indoor bowls but the comparison is constantly bought about in this holier-than-thou dig at football and it's fans. Yes, football has it's issues but they are issues the fans have to accept preferably without other sports putting their ten penneth in as to how their sport is better than yours ( except we never hear the indoor bowls fans ranting how they can go to a bowls match in compete safety).
PurpleTurtle said:
Enjoy a beer in my seat chatting to,an opposition fan and not feeling the need to kill them, a shame that atmosphere will never exist at football.
Twickenham is probably a bad example for all the jack in a box activity because it’s a big day out for all the non-handlers who can’t take their beer!
Just a perfect example of why I prefer going to rugby.Twickenham is probably a bad example for all the jack in a box activity because it’s a big day out for all the non-handlers who can’t take their beer!
monty999 said:
Can we please compare football fans and their actions with fans of indoor bowls instead of rugby for a change. Football is not rugby nor is it indoor bowls but the comparison is constantly bought about in this holier-than-thou dig at football and it's fans. Yes, football has it's issues but they are issues the fans have to accept preferably without other sports putting their ten penneth in as to how their sport is better than yours ( except we never hear the indoor bowls fans ranting how they can go to a bowls match in compete safety).
They are the two biggest team sports in the UK (and in many other countries) by participation and average attendance.The only people who get upset by the comparison are football fans.
There's something telling in that.
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