Wayne Rooney

Totally agree Tegan especially as ticket prices are now beyond the financial reach of lots of people who were the original fans. I think it's down to Sky throwing the money around. And, transfer fees are bigger this season too.

When I was a teenager I used to babysit the children of Derby County players. We lived in a nice, but not special area, of Derby and there were lots of players living in the same suburban area.

We don't go to football matches these days, either. A lot of people I know don't buy season tickets any more. Sadly, I never went to The Baseball Ground but I understand that workers used to leave the railway works and cross the road to the ground every Saturday. The S.O. [who actually supports Forest] used to travel over from Nottingham to see The Rams if Forest were playing away. It was writing a something about football when she was at uni that got my daughter into teaching; she gave a serious talk and then used a Harry Enfield sketch to illustrate it...the whole room were in hysterics and she realised how easy it was to make a subject fun and interesting. I'll see if I can dig it out .

It's ludicrous that they are paid that sort of money, just for being skilled at kicking a ball around!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4CXY6TVBMc

Love that sketch Tegan

DH and DS1 are Forest Season Ticket holders and quite often go to away games. In fact only DD1 and I are not avid Forest Supporters. DD2 ran the local Forest supporters group when she lived in Harrow.

I only went to the Baseball ground once, when Derby played Man United. George Best was playing

But, on the original topic - I agree with henetha

The thing is...footballers are not going to turn down the wages on offer....it's the fans, those that can still afford to go to matches, who pay!

Pete, Pete, what are you doing here ?

I saw some customers in the bar , but they said they were leaving as there was no-one to serve them.

We used to have a season ticket for Newcastle United but, whenever I went [which wasn't all that often] I always seemed to be supporting the other side. Once I actually favoured Man U [I'd never seen them play before] because, as the S.O. pointed out, 'every game they play is like a cup final because they are the team that everyone wants to beat', and another time they played the team I supported when I was a teenager, The Baggies. I'd love to have seen George Best play . Have you seen the wonderful statue of Cloughie at Pride Park, kitty? Pete; d'you think George Best was the turning point when footballers became more than just sportspeople?

Yes he was the turning point Tegan......I've always been a United fan and was watching Best Law and Charlton when football was for the working class people! Baggies...we had some good matches against them over the years!

I drive past Cloughie and Peter Taylor sometimes on my way to DD's Tegan but the one in Nottingham of Cloughie on his own is better.

I bought DH a bronze of the same statue which he worships keeps in his study!! And of course I often drive along Brian Clough Way on my way too and from DD1's.

Now that sounds like a good present for the S.O. [always difficult to buy presents for]. We were flying back from Cyprus when we heard the news of his death. They broke the mould when he went. We stood and froze at a Burton Albion match years ago when they were doing well in the F.A. Cup. Cloughie was there supporting Nigel I believe. Game kept going into extra time and we were perished .

Yes..Cloughie was a one-off alright! His record as a player and manager would be hard to beat. Loved it when he cuffed those fans on the pitch!!

I didn't know about that, Pete. The thing is, he viewed football as a skill; keeping the ball on the ground; using the grass etc. I'd love to fall back in love with football. I'll never forget when Michael Owen first burst onto the scene all those years ago and we had an england team that I felt proud of .

I think most football fans have given up on England...full of promise but never deliver the goods when it matters.

Then when you see Rooney spitting his dummy out it does make people look at football in a negative way...and I don't blame them in this case.

I'll still be rooting for them next year in Brazil though.

(Where's the flag gone?)

Is it still on for next year? I thought there were problems?? Yes; I'll still be going through the agony, Notso even if I pretend to myself that I won't. Thing is, unlike some fans and pundits I never expect us to win, I just want us to do well and, above all play good clean football.

Tegan, if you are stuck for a Forest orientated present try looking for a website called something like 'United Colours of Football'. The artist does really tasteful small paintings of various football grounds. We've bought loads of Forest ones and one Liverpool one (foreign son in law - he can't help it!! ).

I'm still lurking kittylester go softly on LFC.