Against Modern Football (AMF) is a grassroots subculture of football fans who are against the direction in which the sport is moving and disagree with growing commercialisation across the game. AMF has its roots in continental Europe and stands opposed to the trend of clubs prioritising profit over supporter interests. Similar to many groundhoppers Football Culture Club has reported on, fans involved with AMF have become disillusioned with the elite game, feeling as though they’re treated merely as a customer of a business rather than a valued supporter of a community-based football club.
WHO IS IT?
Against Modern Football is not any one organisation but rather a wider fan movement characterised by a number of values adopted by different supporters’ groups across the world. A famous example is a group of Manchester United fans who came together to establish their own club, FC United of Manchester, in response to the Glazer family’s £800m buyout of the Old Trafford club. FC United sought to “change the way that football is owned and run, putting supporters at the heart of everything”, and this emphasis on supporter engagement is typical of AMF devotees everywhere.
WHAT DOES IT STAND FOR?
As mentioned, the main gripe of those involved in the Against Modern Football subculture is to do with money. The increased commercialisation of the sport brought about by multi-million pound TV deals and clubs being bankrolled by wealthy states has led to the average punter often being priced out the game. Match tickets for top-level English clubs are now often hundreds of pounds, and merchandise also seems to be getting more expensive with every passing year. Those involved with AMF would argue that football being a working man’s sport is a thing of the past, at the elite level at least, and are often seen putting on “Twenty’s Plenty” campaigns in relation to ticket prices.
Furthermore, Against Modern Football campaigns for increased supporter engagement – particularly through fan ownership models. To continue using Manchester United as an example, their fans take umbrage at the fact the Glazers are distant owners and do not seem to take fans’ views into consideration. Campaigns against the Glazers’ stewardship of the club have been ongoing for years as many fans aim to “get their club back”. Wealthy owners are merely custodians of the fans’ club and many supporters feel as though their value is undermined. Football is, after all, nothing without fans.
SAFE STANDING
Traditionally, most fans in the UK watched football standing up on old-style terraces. That was until the Hillsborough disaster and subsequent Taylor inquiry which required major clubs to develop all-seater stadiums during the 1990s. Nowadays, numerous campaigns, not limited to those involved with AMF, have pushed for safe standing to be introduced at top-level clubs to allow spectators the choice of sitting or standing. Safe standing comes in many guises, the most popular of which is the type of rail seating present at Celtic Park and Signal Iduna Park, for example. Rail seats incorporate each seat within a robust metal frame that forms a waist-high rail for those in the row behind. The seats can fold down to allow the spectator to sit but also compactly fold away to maximise standing room and ensure safety. Successful trials in England led to safe standing being permitted in sections of grounds that passed strict safety checks from this season, and many traditionalists are happy with the step forward.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Standing at football is generally conducive to a better atmosphere. Ultras sections, whether in safe standing areas or normal seats, stand up throughout the whole match so it seems sensible to ensure they’re as safe as possible. Without getting too deep into the psychology of it all, standing at a game makes you feel more involved. Fans are more likely to participate in chants and cheer their team onto victory than they would from a seated position, so it’s within the clubs’ best interests to allow standing. More generally, though, many fans just enjoy the nostalgia of going to the game and standing with their pals for 90 minutes. The days of old-school concrete terraces with a couple of barriers dotted around here and there are gone, but safe standing is a great alternative which allows fans the choice of viewing whilst keeping within modern safety regulations. It’s really a no-brainer.
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