Each year we renew our passes hoping for the best that we will be in the top four and winning the Grand Final. Each year our hopes are dashed and the boys can't seem to win at home no matter who is the coach. Adam Pearson has done his very best to bring us what we want, to no avail because the odds are stacked against him from injuries to Covid to the dreaded SMC. He needs more support he says but he has no chance with what we are having to put up with. We arrive at the filthy, dirty stadium covered in bird pooh and rat droppings behind the seats; we have to take our own surface wipes to wipe the seats because they haven't been cleaned before the turnstiles are opened. A poor teenage boy is sent with one bucket of water to clean hundreds of seats while spectators file into the stadium and he does his best to clean by spreading the dirt from one seat to the next. To add insult to injury we can no longer take our flask of tea or coffee to drink when it is cold, as being a pensioner we might use it as a weapon, so instead we have to climb or descend the stairs to join a queue and purchase a drink, no doubt at exorbitant prices. In addition we can no longer take a soft drink with us instead - oh but we are allowed a small bottle of water as long a we don't dare to take a sip out of it before entering the turnstiles! Food hasn't been mentioned yet but no doubt we won't be allowed to take our own sandwiches next. I'm all for good security but come on folks let's have a bit of common sense! I love my club and sing loud and proud "FC till I Die" but I was hoping that wouldn't be any time soon though, the SMC are doing their best to make that happen.

So, you decide folks am I faithful or foolish to renew my season pass for 2022?

.... best if you complain to the SMC.

Same rules apply to City.

Choice is yours. Every individual is different. For me I would say Faithful

The rules on drinks aren't really enforced. I walked in with a reusable water bottle larger than 500ml and nobody batted an eyelid.

Hipflask, I take it you remember going to boulevard to watch the boys . Dodging the pee at back of the threepenny stand. Queuing at burger van etc
Invariably we’d get beat at home too.

Personally I’ve never had the need to buy anything at the Boulevard or KC/MKM.In my youth, I ate and drank what was required and attended the game and continued drinking afterwards and went home for a meal. Away days were similar but generally had a meal out. If you can’t plan similar you have a problem. Don’t buy at the concessions at MKM, the club gets nowt plus it’s exorbitant. I sit in the East stand and unfortunately there’s a guy of older years who can’t sit for more than 15 minutes without going for a pee, he should deffo drink less prior to a game
I’m a diehard.

Thanks for the replies. I would complain to the SMC if I thought it would do any good but I know it wouldn't make the slightest difference. I know the same rules apply to City fans and I'm surprised I seem to be the only one that's bothered about the situation. I guess the enforcement of the rules depends on the steward you get as they don't all seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet! Perhaps it depends whether you look as if you can be easily intimidated? I do remember the Boulevard days but only just as I was a young teenager then, stood on Bunkers Hill and passed through the Threepenny stand at half time to meet my mate at the opposite end for the second half - happy days but oh so very different, progress isn't always better!

Keep going! But do agree the stadium isn't welcoming. There was a handwritten 'Away tickets' sign stuck on the Away Bar door, really welcoming and organised for Away fans who have driven a couple of hours to be there. They seem to make it difficult to hand over some cash and enter.

I wouldsnt worry too much about the new rules, they'll probs clampdown now as its a start of a new football season, but most of the stewards are about 16 and understandably just want an easy shift.

Another random moan but can they turn the prematch music down! Can hardly hear the person next to you speak, no wonder there isn't an atmosphere.

The PA in the South West corner was unlistenable. Was like being back at Boulevard.

They used to play the The Nolan Sisters, ‘I’m in the Mood for Dancing’, every week at the Boulevard in the late 70’s/early 80’s.

And the ritual burning of a Dobbins scarf. I didn’t see that on the list of prohibited items last week.
I presume it’s still allowed then?

Lol , I’d forgot about that. The rugby songs
I do miss. I cringe about the go get your …
There’s So many classic songs we could sing
About the referees whistle ( swearing ban)
Red red robin … shoot the B was
another classic I enjoyed.
Shame to say it but the shrinking fan base together with the Sl owners are strangling the life out of rugby league.

Nothing much to do on a Sunday in those days, other than rugby. Simpler times in many ways, and more enjoyable rugby wise.
Got a load of competition nowadays for our money and attention.

If you state that your drink and food is part of your specific requirement then they cannot stop you as this is discrimination, a speicific criminial offence.
They can't ask you what that is as this in itself is discrimnation, just as it would be to ask you if you have been jabbed as a concessiuon to entry. They cannot ask nor demand, you self declare and they have to by law accept that that is the case. They cannot ask you for details as this breaches several laws. If they refuse entry, take SMC to the cleaners.

As for the rest, currently it just comes across as been a none pleasant experience, why would people want to spend their hard earned on something that is a negative before you even get to the match itself?
Out of loyalty to the club, maybe, but right now lots of folk are seeing it as entertainment and VfM, not just because we might have been following/supporting the club for x years and we need to keep going/putting money toward the club.
people have been seeing spending the money elsewhere, whether as individuals or with their kids elsewhere, and that is their choice based on how they see things.
If any one person or family decide not to follow the club for whatever their reason we should never question or slander that decision.

right now there's a whoe host of reasons to spend your money elsewhere, and the club/RL need to understand that why that is, see what they do in terms of making it difficult or unappealing to those people, as to why they are wanting to go elsewhere to be entertained.
Even in these uncertain times there's still more on offer than there was back in the 70s/80s, and we see how the economy is absolutely FUBAR and what is happening in our own country and abroad, that some people simply see going to a sporting event as a luxury, one they either can't afford or simply see other things as time better spent or better value for money.

to rebuild a fan base things need to change, and fast.
I'm not sure the club or RL as a whole has it within itself to grasp the changes needed or bring about those changes even if they can formulate them.
AP needs to either find a wad of mney to invest long term, to put in place the coaching staff that we need to undo the damage done by the previous regime, and get through these tough times, consider how to overcome the anchor of SMC, or, we find ourselves never competing for silverware excepeting a random CC win, or worse.

The sport as a whole, like so much in society is on its and it feels like last chance saloon to move the sport forward. AP doesn't, and never has had the cash, finding other investors is a huge issue.
Maybe what's needed is a share issue of some sort to generate the funds to drag ourselves upwards