Should fans ever leave a match early? It’s the classic post-match pub chat subject.
Celtic cruised past us 2-0 at Tannadice last week. And plenty of Dundee United fans made for the exits before full-time, getting well away up the road before the Celtic support jammed up the surrounding streets.
Quite right. Leaving early is a big part of the fan experience.
It can lead to funny moments. It’s also a valuable part of fans’ expression.
Yet some folk want us all to sit in our seats for the allotted 90, regardless.
Teams that are flying, putting in hard graft and pulling off moments of magic don’t need fans to pressure other fans into staying for the final whistle.
We’ll stay to applaud them off the park because they are doing their best for themselves, for us and for the club.
All kinds of reasons for fans leaving early
Against Celtic, Dundee United had no chemistry as a team, and totally failed to make a mark against the Glasgow juggernaut.
We’ve been dire all season, conceding a meteor shower of goals on our way to winning a beleaguering five out of a possible 23 matches in the league.
Was ayewis a risk waking up at 5am to watch United fae New Zealand
2-0 doon, so am noo amusin masel by trying tae spot pals in the crowd insteid. Nae sign o @billykayscot yet… pic.twitter.com/9Uq9Lx00Yl
— Alistair Heather (@Historic_Ally) January 29, 2023
In fact, United have been pretty dire for coming on a decade.
Yet we still have some of the best and most committed fans in Scotland.
You see that in the sell outs of allocations for away games.
You see that in our record season tickets sold this year.
And you see that week in week out at games all around the country.
Fans leave early for all sorts of reasons.
One is to register discontent.
Leaving early, or not turning up at all, is one of the ways supporters can let the players and highheidyins in a club know what they are feeling.
If United were putting up a fight, many more folk would’ve stayed.
We wernae.So fans went away up the road early.
This sends the club a quiet message: this isnae good enough.
St Johnstone fans chose not to leave early but instead turn up late for their home game against Dundee United recently.
Same message, but perhaps slightly louder.
At Kilmarnock on Wednesday night, we saw fans sending a louder message.
A big ASHGAR OUT banner was hung in the away end, as many fans turned their anger at the club’s director of football in another accentuation of the building disaffection.
Pints and petty nonsense: the upside of fans leaving early
Fans leaving early has also given me some of my most enjoyable moments at games.
Me and two pals were away in Dumfries when United were in the championship.
Within less than half an hour, United were 2-0 down and toiling badly.
Our new centre-half was a total bomb scare and the Doonhamers were rampant.
We’d had a few bevvies already, and one of our trio – let’s call him ‘Greg’ to protect his identity – had seen enough.
“That’s f****** S**** United,” he shouted, then stormed off, letting his seat snap up behind him.
“I’ll get the train up the road, see yous later,” he shouted to us.
Five minutes go by, and he texts us: “nae trains for four hours. Security won’t let me back in the stadium.”
So ‘Greg’ had to stand outside a ground he’d paid full entry price for as United lost a further two goals, before me and my other mate joined him for a pint.
Good times.
The shoe was tightly tied on the other foot and giving a kicking to a Hibs-supporting pal when we horsed them at Easter Road.
As the green and white hoards fumed for the exits, I was straight onto WhatsApp.
“That you away pal?,” I texted, along with a selfie of me looking smug in front of a half-depleted stand.
You just cannae beat that sort of petty nonsense.
It’s all about choice
The “real fans don’t leave until full time” diktat you often hear has consequences too.
Folk with mobility issues – a bad knee, a humphy back, arthritis – might leave a bit early from fear of being knocked over in the post-match scrum for the exits.
We shouldn’t try and shame them for doing so.
I’m glad they are there in the first place.
I would’ve loved to stay til the end of the game, but I had to leave early because I was becoming ill due to the constant drumming from the Celtic fans.
FYI, these drums are banned at Tannadice, but police advice is if away fans get them in to leave them alone
— Jay Rattray (@MsJayTeeR) February 1, 2023
A long-time United supporter in his 60s was following the team at a game up at Glebe Park in Brechin.
It was absolutely freezing.
A clear night sky wicked the heat fae the very marrow of the man, and to add to the misery, United were losing to the part-time Angus side.
“Wait a minute,” my pal thought. “I don’t need to be here. I can just go home.”
That was maybe six years ago, and he’s never been back since.
The freedom to leave early, or to skip a few games here and there when the team are as bad as they are, is a healthy way to stay supportive – of United and other clubs – without breaking your spirit over the long haul.
Let’s remember: football is for fun, and you’re free to support in your own way.
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