Stickied League 2 Away Support Thread 2023/24

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Some particularly bad memories of that massive open stand. Shudder-inducing stuff.

I have to go back this season , it should hopefully help me process that day and the memory of it better{shudder}

 

[Indian Dan]

Some particularly bad memories of that massive open stand. Shudder-inducing stuff.

Yeah. That’s where you shuffled off ‘down below’.

Come back stronger, though.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Plenty do tbf. It's worked out great for us.

Nice place to reset when your club desperately needs it*






* Please note the above can only be said once you get back promoted into the EFL#stained

 

[Son of Cod]

We're probably amongst the better of the Southern away followings, but not likely to finish top of this particular table. Hard to when you've got the allocations that are offered in the midlands/yorkshire regions. The only away in the south east (arguable it even is to be fair, it's more midlands) that offers 3k+ is MK, whereas the more Northern lot have Bradford, Notts, Doncaster and even Accrington who more or less give teams whatever they want. Our local aways are at some of the smaller grounds around in Crawley, Sutton and Wimbledon, so of course our average is likely to be lower than those who have local games with double that availability.

A fairer way of working out an away 'table' would be on a head to head basis. Obviously again there'd be room for debate with midweek games etc skewing travelling numbers, but it's overall a fairer way of doing it. I remember back in the days I used to get a programme they had the numbers of travelling fans at our games so it was easy to check, and we went a full season taking more to opposition grounds than that club's equivalent support at ours. I don't think we'll be too far off that this year either, we've posted some impressive numbers already.

There's definitely an element of Northern bias in this division for sure, but worth pointing that the North is a big place and there plenty of longish trips for some of us (certainly in the case of us, Tranmere and Wrexham) when visiting other Northern clubs too.

I guess my point is that the Southern clubs rarely travel well up North. In the last two and a bit seasons I can think of 9 away trips down South in all comps in which we've taken 1000+ or just shy of and then a couple of 700/800 midweekers and that's just us, there'll be examples of Bradford and Mansfield doing that too I'd have thought. Just seems like Southerners taking big numbers up North is much rarer.

I do get what you're saying about the averages too though, it's much harder for the Southern teams to top that table based on the distances alone.

Pompey and Plymouth are good shouts to be fair, had forgotten about them. I reckon Luton and Bristol Rovers probably had decent cracks at it too.

 

[joethegill]

There's definitely an element of Northern bias in this division for sure, but worth pointing that the North is a big place and there plenty of longish trips for some of us (certainly in the case of us, Tranmere and Wrexham) when visiting other Northern clubs too.

I guess my point is that the Southern clubs rarely travel well up North. In the last two and a bit seasons I can think of 9 away trips down South in all comps in which we've taken 1000+ or just shy of and then a couple of 700/800 midweekers and that's just us, there'll be examples of Bradford and Mansfield doing that too I'd have thought. Just seems like Southerners taking big numbers up North is much rarer.

I do get what you're saying about the averages too though, it's much harder for the Southern teams to top that table based on the distances alone.

Pompey and Plymouth are good shouts to be fair, had forgotten about them. I reckon Luton and Bristol Rovers probably had decent cracks at it too.

In fairness I'd say Grimsby are a bit of an outlier in having excellent away support without having a load of games on your doorstep like some others. It depends what you'd consider as coming down south as well - if it's just London then with all due respect it's a pretty easy place to get to regardless of where you are in the country as long as you can find your way to a train station. I know you had a couple of cracking followings in the cup last season on the south coast as well which was impressive. Oddly despite how easy it is to get to London, a lot of away followings don't seem to be able to go that extra half hour on the high speed to get to Gillingham, we very rarely get anyone turn up with a decent away following.

 

[Son of Cod]

In fairness I'd say Grimsby are a bit of an outlier in having excellent away support without having a load of games on your doorstep like some others. It depends what you'd consider as coming down south as well - if it's just London then with all due respect it's a pretty easy place to get to regardless of where you are in the country as long as you can find your way to a train station. I know you had a couple of cracking followings in the cup last season on the south coast as well which was impressive. Oddly despite how easy it is to get to London, a lot of away followings don't seem to be able to go that extra half hour on the high speed to get to Gillingham, we very rarely get anyone turn up with a decent away following.

Yeah to be fair when I say down South most of those ones are London or just North of (Southampton, Brighton, Luton, Orient, Wimbledon, Woking, Barnet, Maidenhead and Borehamwood). I do wonder if a factor in the lack of good followings to Gillingham is the cost when you're on public transport? It's not a cheap line for thag extra little bit. Will be interesting to see how many we bring to you this season, glad it's on a Saturday this season.

 

[EricSabin]

There's definitely an element of Northern bias in this division for sure, but worth pointing that the North is a big place and there plenty of longish trips for some of us (certainly in the case of us, Tranmere and Wrexham) when visiting other Northern clubs too.

I guess my point is that the Southern clubs rarely travel well up North. In the last two and a bit seasons I can think of 9 away trips down South in all comps in which we've taken 1000+ or just shy of and then a couple of 700/800 midweekers and that's just us, there'll be examples of Bradford and Mansfield doing that too I'd have thought. Just seems like Southerners taking big numbers up North is much rarer.

I do get what you're saying about the averages too though, it's much harder for the Southern teams to top that table based on the distances alone.

Pompey and Plymouth are good shouts to be fair, had forgotten about them. I reckon Luton and Bristol Rovers probably had decent cracks at it too.

It’s uphill to be fair

 

[GTFCfish]

Plymouth always go well

I rank Plymouth as one of the top away supports in the Country, huge numbers everywhere when going well and big numbers still when doing shite given the distances they have to travel.
Always had a bit of a soft spot for them.

 

[Indian Dan]

Very well run club. Something to aspire to.

 

[immariner]

There's definitely an element of Northern bias in this division for sure, but worth pointing that the North is a big place and there plenty of longish trips for some of us (certainly in the case of us, Tranmere and Wrexham) when visiting other Northern clubs too.

I guess my point is that the Southern clubs rarely travel well up North. In the last two and a bit seasons I can think of 9 away trips down South in all comps in which we've taken 1000+ or just shy of and then a couple of 700/800 midweekers and that's just us, there'll be examples of Bradford and Mansfield doing that too I'd have thought. Just seems like Southerners taking big numbers up North is much rarer.

I do get what you're saying about the averages too though, it's much harder for the Southern teams to top that table based on the distances alone.

Pompey and Plymouth are good shouts to be fair, had forgotten about them. I reckon Luton and Bristol Rovers probably had decent cracks at it too.

It has to be noted that there will be a fair few more northern exiles in the south than the other way round. I wouldn't be surprised if less than half of our support travelled from Lincs for southern away gamea

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Big clubs have fans everywhere. Top, middle and bottom of the country.

I strongly suspect immariner is right far more Northern exiles in the south, I'm one of them, rather than the other way around. Like footballers many of us follow the money and/or the heart.

 

[Conker]

I rank Plymouth as one of the top away supports in the Country, huge numbers everywhere when going well and big numbers still when doing shite given the distances they have to travel.
Always had a bit of a soft spot for them.

Plymouth are brilliant, some other mentioned are too, but SoC is right about that cluster in and around London.

 

[Gladders]

To be fair of you live in and around London why would you ever want to leave, it has everything you ever need.

Successive governments have allowed the north (well anything outside the south east) to be come so run down they only thing it has going for it is cheap housing, and decent football teams.

 

[Conker]

Speak for yourself, I couldn’t think of owt worse.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Obviously it's different strokes for different folks and many make judgements without actually living for a considerable time in both but

I've done both now and although I love where I am from, grew up and spent most of my life and have many fond memories. But as an adult for me it's not even close mainly due to the reason Gladders rightly mentioned. The inequality is very stark.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

I was a student in London, four year course, fine while I had a reason to be there but not for me at all and left soon as I was done. Not like I had the money or time to do much of the cultural stuff and am a country boy at heart, prefer my hills and valleys.

 

[F!RTHY]

Don’t wish to turn this into a North-South divide slanging match, but I’d absolutely hate to live down south.

Give me cheap houses and decent football teams over what the South apparently has to offer.

I travel down to the South-East regularly with work and other commitments - it just isn’t for me.

 

[Indian Dan]

The South isn’t just London and the South-East

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

A very common mistake.

If I was a student and likely poor London would be one of the last places I would choose. I don't blame you wanting to get out. Plenty of country for a country boy in the South.

For me it's best in you late 20s to mid 30s because it has so much to offer for that demographic. When you then get too old for the hustle and bustle or have a young family that gladly eats up a lot of your time it's time to hit the surrounding counties which are frankly just lovely and great for middle age.

 

[BarraMatt]

I spend the odd couple of days in the Greater London area for work now and again and last time I was there I had a glance at Rightmove. I know house prices are a lot higher in that area but I was astounded at the price of a seemingly standard two up, two down.

 

[Indian Dan]

I worked in London for a short while.

I sat next Arthur Mullard on the tube once! Highlight!

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

I spend the odd couple of days in the Greater London area for work now and again and last time I was there I had a glance at Rightmove. I know house prices are a lot higher in that area but I was astounded at the price of a seemingly standard two up, two down.

It's crazy and takes quite a while for it to sink in but tbh the salaries are also in a different stratosphere for many so the house prices simply reflect that.

My old small 2 bed semi in Nottingham would be worth comfortably 3 times the price I got where I lived in South West London.

 

[Posh Harry]

To be fair of you live in and around London why would you ever want to leave, it has everything you ever need.

Successive governments have allowed the north (well anything outside the south east) to be come so run down they only thing it has going for it is cheap housing, and decent football teams.

Couldn’t agree more about London

Well, as long as you bought a house in the 1980s

 

[The Jovial Forester]

A very common mistake.

If I was a student and likely poor London would be one of the last places I would choose. I don't blame you wanting to get out. Plenty of country for a country boy in the South.

For me it's best in you late 20s to mid 30s because it has so much to offer for that demographic. When you then get too old for the hustle and bustle or have a young family that gladly eats up a lot of your time it's time to hit the surrounding counties which are frankly just lovely and great for middle age.

I was in my mid to late twenties as it goes, left school at sixteen and worked for a good decade before going to university as a mature stude.

 

[F!RTHY]

The South isn’t just London and the South-East

The South is anything below Birmingham, for me.

Shudder.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

The South is anything below Birmingham, for me.

Shudder.

Please tell us all that you live in or close to Bradford saying that

 

[GTFCfish]

What all this talk about decent northern football teams, all of our teams are shite.

 

[Alfie]

The South isn’t just London and the South-East

Some years ago I was told that the centre of cross from each corner of the English mainland would be Swindon.
So is Swindon Town FC a Midland club, a Southern club or a West Country club?

 

[Indian Dan]

Just crap

 

[Pilot_Phonic]

I remember being in Telford and every now and then, Swindon and Oxford results would come up on Midlands today.