The Rolling Footbal Thread: Season 2026/27

[DuncinToffee]

New season, new thread

All things football ⚽

@MustTryHarderAndHarder I know 2 of them and they are definitely not touts.
I think some others might do the admin for supporters clubs, and according to Twitter there have been a fair few from the loyalty pot and apparently a 6 year old boy got dragged into it because his mother manages his account?

We can't even fill the stadium for some games and he wants to build a 100k seater stadium. Don't doubt we'd fill it for big games, but a Carabou Cup tie against someone from League 2? Not a chance.

People can't afford it. Games have been categorised. We have ballots now for members in the games against the likes of City, Liverpool, Arsenal and they can be about £98 each with no extras... A ST seat would be half that or more for the same game. It's getting scandalous TBH.

Well if people can't afford it and the stadiums are half empty then he will have no choice but to lower ticket prices.

Ratcliff just doesn't care about supporters at all.

Do you think there will be protests about the STs?

Andy Burnham and whoever becomes Greater Manchester Mayor should intervene with the aid of the football regulator. Strict conditions for any new stadium on ticket prices for say the first 20 years.

Ending rip offs of fans, be they sport, music or any other entertainment could be one of the Prime Minister's actions to reduce the cost of living.

Yes, but I think the problem is that Manchester needs a new stadium as much, if not more than Man U do.

I can't see Burnham or the new mayor laying down the law but I could be wrong.

We've protested for more than 20 years, it's done bugger all.

The only time there was a "successful" protest really was during COVID times when fans managed to get the Liverpool game postponed. But there were numerous protests up and down the country over the proposed European Super League.

I believe the main supporters groups have come together to fight the ST bans, so maybe it'll be the spark that unites fans. The trouble is there's so much discord within the fan base. I think for United, more than most, there's such a need to prove you're worthy of supporting the team that it's all been too much about one-up-man-ship, and proper unity has been impossible.

We don't need a new stadium. It's mostly the away fans that get wet when it rains anyway 😂

Do you know, I've had bugger all about the candidates for the Mayoral elections. Do they not send stuff out anymore? No idea who I'm voting for at all.

We could do with Burnham priortising signing a right back for us instead of running the country 😉

What do you mean that you have to prove that you are worthy of supporting the team?

How do you prove that?

Be a season ticket holder for 20 squillion years, never miss a live match ever, quote every fact about every player dead or alive.

Absolutely gutted with have sold Welbeck and the Chelsea of all people

And welcome @mtobrokeme

Can I join please? Sunderland ST holder 😃

Welcome!

Welcome.

I'm an Arsenal supporter but my son in law is a Sunderland supporter.

I saw something on twitter about a 6yo fan (may not be exactly ) who has lost their ST.

I hate what this has become!!

Don't think there are any other Sunderland fans here but lots of Arsenal fans that will give you Xhaka love!!

I am surprised to see Eddie Howe has left Newcastle.

Latest welcome

IAmKerplunk - Leicester City, Chelsea women
Manename - Newcastle
mtobrokeme - Sheffield Wednesday
RSS1618 - Sunderland

Crikey, that makes it 9 out of 20 Prem clubs that start this season with a new manager.

I wonder if the prospect of losing Guimaraes as well as Tonali and Gordon in the same transfer window was the final straw for Howe?

I’m not. I’m gutted but not surprised. It’s a measure of the man that he’s walked away without being sacked. I fear it means something very very rotten at the heart of our club though. Fire sale of all of our best players, manager walking, club captain being handed a golden opportunity to leave now, might as well give up tbh. I’d hoped this was over when we got rid of Ashley but it seems like maybe we’re just in for more of the same. And now we join the manager merry go round. Because I’m unconvinced a relative unknown German child is what we need to lead us out of this period of clusterfuck.

I’m absolutely gutted. Thanks for everything Eddie.

Gladbach converted an area of their South stand lower tier from seated (av price around €30) so standing (avec private around €16) at the request of fans. So sure it has increased the capacity by about 2,000 (so now up to 56,000) but have also capped (since forever) the number of season tickets at 30,000. Between 4 and 7 thousand go to away fans and i guess about 1,000 for corporate stuff.

So sure they should earn a bit more but not massive amounts

I’m not surprised- he has been a brilliant manager for us but with all the players going I wouldn’t want to stay if I was him.
Financial fair play really hits us in being able to improve the squad and will be same for others around our level so the big clubs likely to remain dominant

Chelsea doesn't seem hindered by any of their breaches.

Man City, tumbleweed

Also absolutely gutted about Eddie 😢
He’s been brilliant for us and if we hasn’t sold some of our best players and relentlessly criticised him online it could have been different. Not just the owners to blame here.
I suspect more players will leave now and we’ll have to rebuild yet again.
It’s rarely easy supporting the Toon but today is a sad day.

Just seen that UEFA are going to boycott the WC.

At last.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c5y67zrrdddo

Good!