Who knows why? The fact that they didn't attend does not mean they are not fans. What next? If you leave before the final hooter you're only half a fan? You simply cannot claim to understand or appreciate people's love of or appreciation of a team on the basis that they may or may not attend certain games. Sadly life is much more complicated than that. Don't worry about it, though. Stick to the shallow end. Some times they bring out inflatables and shiny toys for you to play with.

At a cost of...?
What time is the return train...?
Will it entail overnight accommodation?
What if the time you finish work is not negotiable?
Can I be assured of being back at work for 8.45am the next day?

And that's before we start prying into more personal reasons why people might not be able to attend.

I simply don't understand why people who are not fanatical want to be considered as such.

Why not just admit that they like Rugby League and occasionally follow Wigan? Why do they need to be called a 'fan'?

Man Utd claim to have 25,000,000 'fans' - 95% have never seen them or can ever hope to see them. Claiming that you 'love' a team that you never watch reminds me of the poor souls who go on the Jeremy Kyle show who claim that they love their children and will do anything to prove it - short of actually getting a job, giving up drugs, talking to their ex partner etc etc. You can't claim to 'love' a team if you can't be bothered to go to the most important game of the season.

I see from your address that you live in Sussex. I'm guessing that you're an expat, in which case this isn't really aimed at you. I'm really getting at those who live within an hour of the ground who can't be bothered to go. So don't be so defensive.

Looks like the attendance police are out in force...

What about a fan/supporter/person who hasn't been to a game all season but they went last night because it was the playoffs?

How do they rank on your superfan-o-meter?

Last night wasn't our biggest game of the season either. It was always the next game win or lose last night.

Being a fan also isn't going to every match. Its having an affiliation to a certain team/sportsperson which makes you want them to win every match/competition they play in.

Your team is your team whether you go to every game or just whenever you can make it for whatever reason.

Ranking somebody off how many games they go to or don't go to is childish and ridiculous.

Another thread derailment - what the heck has the attendance got to do with the awful tv editing last night.

We're not talking about cost, we're talking about a fan justifying not turning up because they couldn't get to the ground on time, while I pointed out that it's possible to get from the other end of the country in a couple of hours.

Some people look for reasons to attend and some look for reasons to not attend.

I watched whilst in Albafuria and put it down to a dodgy Portuguese satellite.

It was pretty poor, but had the benefit of making every tackle look like a bone cruncher. Defenders were covering 5 yards in milliseconds.

cant knock our line speed after watching last night.


PS - i know i just admired watching on the telly. Unfortunately my lilo was not quite up to traversing the bay of Biscay. I will try harder next time in order to achieve the much vaunted Cat B fan

I take it by your logic then I'm not allowed to be a fan or post my opinion on these boards then?

It was pretty unwatchable mixing really- could have been a footy fella standing in. To be honest, I thought the whole production was crap. Sad really, Sky have nailed it all season.

It may "only" be 2:15 on the train from Euston, but that's just not how it works. I work in Victoria, supposing I left work on the dot of 5pm (

I don't know when the last time that actually happened) it'll take me 30 minutes to get to Euston (and that's if I'm lucky and can physically get on the first tube that turns up which is 50/50 at best) - so I'd get to Euston at around 5:30, which, more likely than not means I'll of missed the 17:30 to Wigan, which leaves me the option of the 17:43 (which gets to wigan at 20:37) the 17:57 (20:00) or 18:30 (20:25) - aka I'm missing the match. So my choices are either leave work early (not gonna happen) or not go - based on trains alone.

That's before I look into return journey (which would be potentially more important than the journey there), financial implications, potential delays on trains, politics of the office for me leaving early or anything else.

Regards
The typical london worker.