h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

1. When did you last go to a match on Saturday afternoon? Only 21 out of my team's 58 matches were on Saturday last season
2. Why only one step? Either call all the other headings a step or don't call the first item Step One
3. Please STOP assuming that all fans of the big 4 are glory hunters - I live 15 minutes walk from Arsenal's new ground and consider myself VERY fortunate to be able to support my local team and have done so for nearly 25 years. They even moved closer to my home when they built the new stadium
Just acknowledge that some of us have tolerated absolute C**P in the past (Arsenal were not that fabulous in the 70s, Man U were relegated in 1974, the 70s and 80s were not generally very good for Chelski and Liverpool have not lived up to the heady days of the 70s and 80s when they were either the winner or runner up in the league almost every season)
4. Getting a ticket - tickets for the league matches go on sale for some clubs 2 months in advance
5. Re standing v sitting. Maybe you should point out that IF you are in a seated area you are not allowed to stand up! If you did not ever stand up you would miss all the goals and attempts but to stand up for the whole match is asking for trouble because the stewards MUST try to get you to sit down and can have you ejected for refusing

Nice article otherwise

I'll bear all this in mind, cheers - do you mind if I c&p it into the PR thread so I've got it all in one place?. Quick answers to those that need them though:

1. When did you last go to a match on Saturday afternoon? Only 21 out of my team's 58 matches were on Saturday last season

>All our league matches, except for two moved for TV, three for policing and two that had been postponed were played at 3pm, Saturday. I'm fairly sure if you took all the 92 league clubs in England, 72 of them would have a similar experience. I tried not to put a Premier League bias on it. I'll work in a footnote though.

2. Why only one step? Either call all the other headings a step or don't call the first item Step One

>Because I'm a moron! I'll change that!

3. Please STOP assuming that all fans of the big 4 are glory hunters - I live 15 minutes walk from Arsenal's new ground and consider myself VERY fortunate to be able to support my local team...

>So you'd come under local, family and friends under the choosing the team part then?
I'm not saying all Big 4 fans are glory hunters, I'm just saying nearly all glory hunters follow the Big 4. There's a subtle difference, but if you think it could do with a footnote, I'll add it.

4. Getting a ticket - tickets for the league matches go on sale for some clubs 2 months in advance

>I'll change that.

5. Re standing v sitting. Maybe you should point out that IF you are in a seated area you are not allowed to stand up! If you did not ever stand up you would miss all the goals and attempts but to stand up for the whole match is asking for trouble because the stewards MUST try to get you to sit down and can have you ejected for refusing

>I'll work that in too!

Nice article otherwise

>Why thankyou!

It just occurred to me that I have one more point - you COULD explain a little bit about what it is that makes being a supporter of a footy team so special i.e. (as with watching any sporting team that you might support)
What I love most is that it is one of the very few areas in my life where I go to see something I care passionately about but I have got NO IDEA whether I am going to come away singing or crying because the results can so often go totally against expected form. That and the 'terrace humour' - the new chants and off the cuff comments have to be witnessed to be believed

Excellent point! I'll have a think about that and see if I can slot it in tomorrow.

Alternatively, that'd make a great post column - asking h2g2's sports fans who they support, why, and why they love going so much -stuff like that.

Don't think we've ever actually spoken before? Sorry about the nightmare that your team is in that could be laid at the door of one of our ex-players? That 15 points business was a bit of a killer too

Hey, it's more fun than being a one of those boring "finish 16th every year" sides - at least it's exciting!

Besides, we'll win the league this year.

That is true (in both cases)

Has Mr Bates still got his fingers in your finances? Got a good manager anyway, I reckon that McAllister is one of the best prospects as a manager from his generation of players - won some trophies but not enough to make him blase about the whole thing and he really knows what it takes!

Bates has apparently lost track of who owns Elland Road, so he's got something in our finances alright.