When Did The Game Go To 85 Mins?

Why have games been reduced to 85 minutes?

Life was good at 4.45 on Saturday. There was 5 minutes of the game left. Ellis is no longer. Villa were 2 goals up and both goals were scored by Villa supporting youngsters who have come through the ranks. We had just heard that the dildo salesmen from Small Heath were losing at dirty Leeds and we were going to remain unbeaten this season.

Including Sunderland last season that is now four home wins on the trot. I moistened the old voicebox and thought lets have a good old sing to get the boys to the end of the game and show our support for what they have achieved under Martin O’Neill. I looked around the stadium and a third of it was empty??????? What is that all about???

Now I know we all have different rituals, but mine is to go to the Adventurers for a couple of pre match beers. Walk up to the game and get in about 5 minutes before kick off. Watch ALL of the game. Applaud (if it has been earned) the players from the pitch. Go back to the pub and get Saturday night on the roll.

Surely the most important part of the game is the last five minutes?

Last season 9 or 10 goals were scored in this period. Why would any supporter not want to watch all the game and then celebrate a victory and applaud the players off at the end??? Those in the Witton Lane Stand seem most at fault, and because fans have to walk down to pitch level to exit, it looks horrendous. I have three solutions.

1. put up the prices by 5% to take into account the 5% of the game that fans are in effect turning their backs on.
2. Lock all the exits (apart from emergency ones) until the final whistle.
3. A direct appeal from M’ON to ask all fans to stay until the final whistle and make the last five minutes the most vocally supportive of the entire game.

Are any visitors to this site guilty of the crime? Can you explain why you would leave early? Avoiding traffic or being first in the pub are not valid reasons either.

By voiceoftheholte