Do you watch Notts to be entertained?

[WarsopPie]

Since the post 25 points from 30 dip, I have seen more posters working the argument that watching Notts is not entertaining. Clearly, entertainment is a totally subjective construct and different things constitute entertainment, that is a given.

How many posters watch Notts to be entertained?

Personally, I watch Notts because it is Notts and entertainment is a bit of a byproduct. If Notts are playing, at whatever level, I am going. I have never decided to not go because I was not entertained the previous week or do not think I will be entertained.

I have seen teams, players and managers so many levels below what we currently have.

This is also not intended to be any sort of gatekeeping exercise, I am genuinely interested to see how high on peoples list of wants entertainment is.

I watch Notts every week because it?s something I have done for the past 43 years.
I watch them to win I don?t care how they want to do it just as long as they win.
But you can?t say that passing backwards and sideways constantly while struggling to register a shot on target in some games is entertaining.

[Pie-eyed&legless]

This: - if you want to attract new fans and get bums on seats then you need entertaining football with plenty of goals after all, isn?t the game of football all about scoring goals!! - playing sloppy unattractive 0-0?s won?t bring in new fans so as the fan base gets older, the gate gets lower.

[upthemaggies]

Is a high scoring game in which Notts showboat and easily beat somebody like Bromley, Harrogate or Accrington more entertaining than going up against a club like Portsmouth, Bolton or Charlton with the game on knife edge for 90 minutes, tension in the air, Notts struggling to get any rhythm going but then manage to scramble in an injury time winner. I'd take the latter every time, far far far more rewarding and satisfying.

[jacobncfc]

I would say I watch Notts to win, and that trumps entertainment value. But if you arent quite meeting expectations results wise, youll get a lot more leeway if the way its happening is fun and enjoyable to watch.

[MarcusCole]

To me it is not just about the entertainment, although that is an important thing and everything else feeds from it.

To me football is about the atmosphere in the ground, the way the players play gets the fans emotionally involved which then feeds back to the players, the who thing builds up and when everything is going well the atmosphere is overwhelming. What we have at the moment is very sterile. There is nothing on the pitch to build up the fans so all we get are a few attempts at a chant every so often. We get the same players trying to get the crown going with arm gestures and the team goes back to passing the ball around at the back. The negativity of the play is feeding the negativity of the fans which feeds back to the players.

If anything going to the matches seems to suck the life out of everything.

[countygump]

I would say I watch Notts to win, and that trumps entertainment value. But if you arent quite meeting expectations results wise, youll get a lot more leeway if the way its happening is fun and enjoyable to watch.

This^^^

Winning is paramount, if it's entertaining, that's a bonus. At the minute, especially in home matches, we're getting neither. Which is the main reason the atmosphere is so flat.

[marky]

Is a high scoring game in which Notts showboat and easily beat somebody like Bromley, Harrogate or Accrington more entertaining than going up against a club like Portsmouth, Bolton or Charlton with the game on knife edge for 90 minutes, tension in the air, Notts struggling to get any rhythm going but then manage to scramble in an injury time winner. I'd take the latter every time, far far far more rewarding and satisfying.

The atmosphere would be a hell of a lot better against Portsmouth or Bolton than against Bromley or Harrogate.

[the_anticlough]

Some points on the subject of entertaining football

1. Posts on this thread set up a false choice, you can support the team AND want to be entertained

2. Some of the people saying they don't need entertaining football would be the first moan when they see a bad game

3. Playing to score goals and watching skilful players who can do stuff the fans can only dream of are the reasons you follow football

4. Part of entertainment is following a true sporting, competition that isn't decided before a ball is kicked. I gave up on top level club football because of that

5. Generations coming through won't put up with low levels of entertainment. They have too many other options. The health of the club and the game in general depends on the younger generations getting on board and staying there. There's no future in returning to the Gudjon, Charlie Mac or Curle/Derry eras. You might still get 4-5,000 old guys in the stands but that's selfish and a slow death. It was LW's approach that built up the fanbase again.

[Boomerangpie]

Some points on the subject of entertaining football

1. Posts on this thread set up a false choice, you can support the team AND want to be entertained

2. Some of the people saying they don't need entertaining football would be the first moan when they see a bad game

3. Playing to score goals and watching skilful players who can do stuff the fans can only dream of are the reasons you follow football

4. Part of entertainment is following a true sporting, competition that isn't decided before a ball is kicked. I gave up on top level club football because of that

5. Generations coming through won't put up with low levels of entertainment. They have too many other options. The health of the club and the game in general depends on the younger generations getting on board and staying there. There's no future in returning to the Gudjon, Charlie Mac or Curle/Derry eras. You might still get 4-5,000 old guys in the stands but that's selfish and a slow death. It was LW's approach that built up the fanbase again.

What a superb set of comments.

For me one thing is guaranteed in football, regardless of the style the club adopt, your team will be in form and effective at times and out of from and inefficient at other times. Naturally all football fans want as much of the former as possible.

So with the above variance and contrast inevitable the question I ask myself is what style do I want to see when effective and ineffective and I choose the style we have adopted since the owners bought the club. It is personally preference but for me it isn?t even close. This maybe because we benefited from being in Non League football but Notts fans have seen us score a hell of a lot of goals in recent times and play some lovely stuff at times (more often than not)

[Mark_Ross]

Well, I suppose it depends on what you mean by "entertained", because we've probably all got different thoughts on this.

Ultimately though, the simple answer is no.
(If we got absolutely thrashed by a fantastically talented, uniquely skilful side - would you be happy to have been provided with so much "entertainment"?)

For me, the reasons I go to watch Notts in order of priority are:
1. A strange love for the football club, being at the ground /match, everything about it, really.
(It's a bit like a tribal ritual or a religious ceremony.)
2. Hoping for a win with its accompanying feeling of euphoria.
3. Goals scored by Notts!
4. A generally good game of football - what I'd call an "entertaining" game.