I have always loved going to away matches. Now every match is an away match ! , but real away games stick in your memory for a long time. The people who went to Stafford at Christmas will remember getting freezing cold and that glorious last minute winner from Big John.
Away fans are special. They have made a big effort to get up early and travel across the country to support their team. I think in a crowd, an away fan is worth 2 if not 3 home fans when it comes to the noise that they can make.
Does it really matter if people follow away, I mean the club doesn’t get any money from away gate ? . I think its vital when it comes to supporting your club. Imagine the scenario. You have been training all week, you travel 3 or 4 hours up the motorway and you are supported there by 20 fans. Now make that 120 fans, do you feel really up for it now ? How does 250 make you feel ?. I have the utmost respect for the 20 that travel the country, but those extra numbers have to make a difference, get that extra 10 per cent from the players. Liam commented about the Stafford following, and in his latest TV video, he mentions the power of the away supporters again.
Not all are in a position to go to games, but if you are, take it, you will love it . Chant, sing, make a row for 2 hours, and it will help relieve your stress. On Feb 23rd we have a chance to have a great away day with the Fleet at Burton Albion in the FA Trophy Quarter Finals. The lure of Wembley stadium is getting so close now,.
I would like to bring an idea to your attention, possibly one for the overseas members in particular.
I know many times it has been put to you, would you like to donate to help this or that, and some people might be fed up of hearing the request. In reality, only the training kit purchase was followed through to raise a large amount of money in a matter of hours.
In Principle, would you support the idea of either MYFC or members directly subsidising the away travel cost of Fleet fans ?. By this I mean a donation to the Fleet Trust towards the cost of running the away travel and hopefully as the travel costs to a fan are lower, more would travel to watch the Fleet.
At a typical game at the moment, it might cost £20 for a fan to travel to a game in their mini bus which holds 16 . They can get a 32 seat bus. The cost of a coach would be in the region of £850.
I can hear the arguments that we should do this for home games, and I agree 100 per cent. Dom has done great work on this and it will happen one day if Setanta and the like stop messing him about by moving game times and dates.
Away games are special, they are occasions in their own right.
I had hoped that something could have been done in time for the Burton cup game, but I would just like to get the idea in members minds that it is something that the new MYFC board could look at, and I hope in time it will be recognised as a useful help towards supporting The Fleet and making us successful.
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