What's annoying me today

Which forest fans? The ones in Ireland who liked what cloughie did, and came over here every other week. Or the ones who liked that we were one of the biggest clubs at the time, and didn't get involved much beyond the glory hunting? Or the ones with a connection to Nottingham, that regularly go. Or the ones that have the same roots, but don't?

Then there is the difference between a fan "yeah, I like them. Where do they play?", and a supporter ( contribute on an ongoing basis emotional and/or financial support ).

The notion that all fans are equal is a clear nonsense. But clubs value all potential revenue productive units, and will market to them equally without prejudice, and without being publicly disparaging. Because wonga. The tourist that spends a season tickets worth of cash in one match day package is of equal financial value to the club as a local season ticket who brings a flask and sandwiches. But football as we know it is dead the day that tourists are all there is. Football as we ( think we) know it relies on local fans turning out of work early on a Saturday, to watch a match. Everything else is a change that depends on other things than those that bound clubs and supporters together in the first place.

You can be a dedicated supporter, go to every game, but still be a retard who smells. It doesn't make you a better, more sought after, human being. It's a lot smarter to swan in once a season for a pre-match buffet and chat with a legends host, watch in nice padded seats in air conditioned comfort, and have the club tell you that you are equally as good a fan. But it aint proper football.

The more successful a club that you are for longer, the more disconnected and plastic the fanbase will be. ... and the more income and success the club will generate. But it aint proper football.

It's not a particular badge of honor to be plastic free. It just means that you've probably been crap for ages. The modern game is all about financial turnover from it's global income streams. The communities that birthed the clubs, nourished them, created their identities, and the success of the pyramid and the very game itself are no longer the most important component of a modern turnover centric club. But it aint proper football.

Being a certain grade of fan isn't a competitive achievement. It's a very double edged sword. You are the worlds biggest sad sack, who follows your shit no mark club all over the place to see it get it's arse handed to it on a platter, without a hint of success, or even playing decent football. Ever.

Congratulations, you are the best fan.

Personally I've been happy to be the worst fan for many years now. Which I think puts the modern game in a more appropriate place. ...But it aint proper football.

Anyway, to answer your question. It's not about forest fans. Fans in the traditional sense are dinosaurs. They are being smothered to death. It's just that most of them don't notice that they are being starved of oxygen. The vast majority of fans are now allocated proportionately to the most financially successful clubs. A large portion are allocated to the most successful FIFA player brands. Legacy fan version 1.0 have been deprecated. The fucking idiots still think it's football, rather than the sports marketing arm of a string of international crime conglomerates.

Manure fans are the most obvious example of the modern fan. Attached to the biggest brand, the biggest club, in world football. Unfortunately with actual football something a bit like crystals pale arse, albeit referee assisted to boost the numbers. Feeling like they've been sold a pup, and constantly whining about how they deserve better, because they are man united. Right.

Forest fans are exactly the same. We just get fewer of them year on year, and it will take them longer to flush legacy fan 1.0 away.

For a hundred years of football history, that made it the game that it was, football teams were primarily linked with the communities from which they sprung. Modern football clubs are largely globally owned, and connected primarily to their finances.

I do not recognise my football club now, as the football club that I connected with.

Of course people seeking money and influence will always exploit elements of society. You only need to look at where this country is now. That doesn't change the fact that football clubs and the football pyramid, is radically different to the game when I chose to invest in it. As it is now, I wouldn't.

Sure...but now you have almost all clubs not being for, or connected, to local communities (at least in the 'ship). Rather than having your club, and look at Real Madrid over there. It's now a complete shower of shit, and look at Luton over there.

As a for example....all of the major UK media channels led with champions league games last night. No brits were involved. A key game at the head of the top flight of the football league was a footnote. That is globalisation, and not being connected to local clubs. That is not what used to happen. It's a process delivery that persuades 'people' that the 'big' games are the european league games. I don't feel that. I am primarily interested in how my community club does against it's league rivals. On a broadly level playing field. I have a curiosity about how the best of those do against the best of other countries leagues...but not as a more 'important' league played in preference to local competition. I could not give a fuck how seventh in the top flight of england does against a string of european club equivalents of moldova. It is very much not important to me at at all. But money.

Now of course you are entirely at liberty to feel differently to me...but for me it has tipped over into the things that I am actually interested in about it no longer being true/real/tangible.

For me the FA cup, and what it represents in the development of the game, and meritocratic opportunity it provides for community clubs to pit themselves against other community clubs, is hugely important. Except it isn't, because it's been intentionally trashed. I'm not massively interested in what a large greek bloke does to shine the largest possible spotlight on himself by breaking the rules and throwing his weight around, while having a revolving trapdoor of players and managers. It's just not what interests me about football. At. All.