The 3 best & worst off-field things associated with football

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,816]

Apart from the game itself and winning and losing games, what are the three best and worst things associated with football? Mine are:

Best:

1. The sound of the siren

2. The sound of a large crowd at the ground, especially at the MCG

3. Conversations about football all around town 

Worst:

1. The inconsistent starting times for games on Thursday, Friday and Saturday

2. Music after goals

3. Swearing by supporters at the football (not because I'm a prude, but it shows so little imagination. The Oxford dictionary states that there are over 170,000 words in the English language. We should use more of them.)

What are yours?

[AzzKikA 2,371]

Worst:

Commentators

S-lobbo on every night

Collingwoods supporter base

 

Best:

The pride on Monday morning walking into the office after a win.

Reading about the way we dismantled a team on the weekend all week.

Watching the interstate games at home with my 2 year old.

[daisycutter 29,619]

the 3 worst things off field would all be linked to jordan de goey

[layzie 33,862]

Really like the answers so far so I'm going to try and add to them:

Best:

1. That moment when the final siren goes and hearing our song play after a really close game at the G that could have gone either way. That mixture of euphoria and relief just can't be beat.

2. Walking to the G and seeing others also heading in. Maybe getting the odd comment from a fellow fan or opposition, it's what makes this town tick.

3. The mix of people from all ages and demographics who attend the footy and the community aspect that brings everyone together. One of the rare attractions that you could see your boss or your 5 y.o nephew at.

Worst:

1. Thursday Night games. A couple a year are ok but it generally doesn't float my boat.

2. TV issues. I generally admire the way the game is covered but not having access to down the ground video footage is frustrating in this day and age. Also not always getting the best possible picture quality for score reviews.

3. Crowd violence at the footy. In contrast to my number 3 above, I absolutely loathe drunken and idiotic fights that break out in the crowd when there are people of all ages and families around. It's really disgusting to me. 

Edited March 14, 2023 by layzie

[roy11 3,858]

Best

1. The Happy Walk home from the G after a Win

2. Final Siren in a close win

3. The banter in the group message (could go in either category tbh aha)

 

Worst

1. Collingwood Fans

2. Carlton Fans

3. Essendon Fans

Nah replace the last 2 with the price of Cider at the MCG and the sad walk home from a loss being chirped at by Randoms

[Smokey 4,389]

The good:

1. When "all the goals" is uploaded after a dominant win 

2. Walking to the G' on my way to the members on a crisp Saturday afternoon after a few beers

3. The wide range of emotions I go through during every single game we play 

The bad:

1. Living in Canberra with a young family, hardly being able to put my MCC membership to good use 

2. Commentators in general, particularly how the legendary dry wit of the likes of Cometti has mostly just been replaced with yelling 

3. Footy media in general, especially how they tend to cross the line between reporting on relevant footy issues and delving too deep into players personal lives 

[Little Goffy 14,580]

1. The walk to and from the MCG, with the pinnacle being a sunset walk along the river back towards the CBD in full dramatic silhouette.

2. That, at least in Victoria, football has given everyone a little additional thing to comment on for just a moment past 'How are we today?' which actually gives us all an open-ended, expandable small talk that can lead to many other interesting conversations.

3. Subtle variations in crowd noise, being alert to the mood changes even in the quieter moments - the difference between the settling-in noises common early in the third quarter, to the tense anticipation murmurs during a stop in play late in a close game (which are these days too often overwhelmed by musak) - and then the satisfaction of having a shared the experience with people who I know well enough to understand how they are feeling about it.

I guess for me all these things are about the shared moment.

 

[dl4e 5,851]

Good.

Taste of cold beer after a MFC victory.

Looking at filth supporters after we beat them. ( Hasn't been enough oh that lately )

Something to [censored] about to make us feel better.

Worst.

The filth

Geelong

Gill McGlachlan

[Bitter but optimistic 22,242]

I'll just add my worst.

The price of beer, I believe is going up again. 

A very moderate intake of say one pregame and one per quarter would leave a $50 plus hole in The Manor's coffers.

[Heart Beats True 1,241]

Another bad: no reserves game before the main game. Miss not seeing the young guns play before the main event. It created a level of excitement and anticipation of what’s ahead.

[AzzKikA 2,371]

4 minutes ago, Heart Beats True said:

Another bad: no reserves game before the main game. Miss not seeing the young guns play before the main event. It created a level of excitement and anticipation of what’s ahead.

Can never understand why they got rid of this.

[Fritta and Turner 4,435]

Best

The happy, friendly nature of the crowd before the game.

The roar at the first bounce.

Eating a pie at the footy.

Worst

Booing a former player who was delisted

Reserved seat sections that are empty

Richmond station after the game

 

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,816]

33 minutes ago, AzzKikA said:

Can never understand why they got rid of this.

One reason given was that because the grounds often have two or three games per weekend, there was a concern that having a reserves game as well might be too much wear and tear for the turf.

[daisycutter 29,619]

43 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

I'll just add my worst.

The price of beer, I believe is going up again. 

A very moderate intake of say one pregame and one per quarter would leave a $50 plus hole in The Manor's coffers.

uncle i'm old enough to remember when any self respecting supporter took their own esky to the footy

been downhill ever since

[BDA 22,758]

Best: Belting out Grand Old Flag after a win

Worst: Can't decide between BT and Mark Robinson

[D4Life 2,476]

15 minutes ago, BDA said:

Best: Belting out Grand Old Flag after a win

Worst: Can't decide between BT and Mark Robinson

BT is the worst!

 

[Bitter but optimistic 22,242]

26 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

uncle i'm old enough to remember when any self respecting supporter took their own esky to the footy

been downhill ever since

Indeed dc - the good old days!

Who can forget a day at the footy (or moreso a day at the cricket) with a few mates and an esky roughly the size of a ute's tub.

[Deebauched 1,220]

19 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

uncle i'm old enough to remember when any self respecting supporter took their own esky to the footy

been downhill ever since

Gee, you must be getting on.lol

I can remember as far back as about 1973. Pretty sure all beer cans were sold in kiosks behind the standing room areas  You could also buy Winfield red and blue cigarettes packs. Probably didnt happen but wouldnt be surprised if gunja was available at some kiosks especially at Windy Hill. I went there a few times. You could smell it. Cops on duty did nothing of course. 

Taking eskys with grog to the footy must have gone by early seventies. I dont recall it. Sounds great!

Tricky Gil would hate it.

[daisycutter 29,619]

27 minutes ago, Deebauched said:

Gee, you must be getting on.lol

I can remember as far back as about 1973. Pretty sure all beer cans were sold in kiosks behind the standing room areas  You could also buy Winfield red and blue cigarettes packs. Probably didnt happen but wouldnt be surprised if gunja was available at some kiosks especially at Windy Hill. I went there a few times. You could smell it. Cops on duty did nothing of course. 

Taking eskys with grog to the footy must have gone by early seventies. I dont recall it. Sounds great!

Tricky Gil would hate it.

 

[In Harmes Way 7,795]

The best:

sitting with my old man and my boy. Three generations of varying levels of angst

[gOLLy 401]

Pride round.

Not having a Twilight GF

Some other Woke round

Not having a home base in the MCG precinct.

Men playing women's sport. Protect women's sport.

[gOLLy 401]

The Good. 

3 generation being 26 year members through the hard and good times

When we make the Olympic stand shake

MFC functions

[Deemania since 56 6,658]

2 hours ago, Deebauched said:

Gee, you must be getting on.lol

I can remember as far back as about 1973. Pretty sure all beer cans were sold in kiosks behind the standing room areas  You could also buy Winfield red and blue cigarettes packs. Probably didnt happen but wouldnt be surprised if gunja was available at some kiosks especially at Windy Hill. I went there a few times. You could smell it. Cops on duty did nothing of course. 

Taking eskys with grog to the footy must have gone by early seventies. I dont recall it. Sounds great!

Tricky Gil would hate it.

At the cricket, Bay 13 before 'modernisation', it was an esky each (ie: slab each with your own ice supply) and a few to start and finish the day at the 'Cricketers...' before and after the game. Usually, two packs of Marlboros per day were required, and home-made salad rolls aplenty. We contained ourselves, as we had to get back into the ground with the same regimen the next day - Stackie might get his ton, y'see. 

[monoccular 17,432]

3 hours ago, D4Life said:

BT is the worst!

 

Mmmm .....  Derwaaaayn? Kellie Underwood?

[Ollie fan 3,421]

Good:

The pies are a lot better than 40 years ago.

So are the toilets.

Enjoying Melbourne wins much more frequently than for the last 40+ years.

 

Bad:

Much as we love Robbo, “entertainment” at quarter time.

The half time summary that you can never hear but which tells you only the obvious anyway.

Grand Final halftime entertainment.