Booing our players

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

as loyal football supporters, we have to be as one with the players and do everything we can to get behind them. Our loyalty is constant and absolute.

Now that's irony, or I'm a former Dutch marine.

Personally speaking, the day I'm as one with the trolley is the day I hit myself over the head with an irony bar. Or more likely I head over the bar.

 

[Uncle Buck]

These are some serious comments but they sum up where I feel you end up going wrong.

You are making out that football is an entertainment product like any others, watching a film, going to the circus, or having a meal (to use the example of your faithful echo, the fanzine genius). And that we imbibe all these products as "consumers".

Don't you think being a football supporters is much more than that? To reduce us to consumers of entertainment products is wrong.

As supporters we have a far greater loyalty and attachment to the team and the players than that. We are not going to disappear the week after if they serve up a bad performance. We are not going to disappear up the road if another football club puts on a better entertainment "product" and we think, as detached consumers, we might get a better entertainment "experience" there.

I'm afraid Bucky your philosophy of watching football is not a million miles away from the stereotype of the Prawn sandwich ManU fan who only cares about his own self-gratification.

On the contrary, as loyal football supporters, we have to be as one with the players and do everything we can to get behind them. Our loyalty is constant and absolute.

WE ARE NOT CONSUMERS - WE ARE SUPPORTERS.

In fact these days we are both consumers and supporters. Clubs know they potentially have a cash cow of an existing customer base, in that many will put up with any old shite that is served up and still come back for more. Other than the water companies, there are not many other industries that can treat their customer bases like that and get away with it. The clubs know this and with a slick marketing strategy they can milk this base like very few others.

It is worth noting that you get your loyal ones that will never waver whatever you do, but like any customer piss certain ones off and they will not comeback. How many fans have we lost because they will not go to Withdean? More than you realise. OK with the limited capacity at Withdean you can replace them, but without these people you will struggle to break even at the new ground. So somehow you have to keep these consumers happy.

You will lose some because your product is not up to scratch. The crowds under Lloyd were low, partly because of some of the rubbish served up, partly because there were better facilites not that far in London.

I am sorry but you have to view your supporters as consumers as all football clubs are business and the balance sheet has to add up. The is a percentage of these consumers that are the most loyal anywhere as emotion is involved.

 

[Albion Dan]

What a GREAT intellectual response LI. Well done.


Homophobe.

Morris the person most starting to look like an utter tit round here is you mate.

Like a sad GEEKY kid in a playground ganging up with his mate whos having an argument.

In fact this entire thread is full of fuckwits, embarssing reading from start to finish.

 

[London Irish]

Now that's irony, or I'm a former Dutch marine.

Personally speaking, the day I'm as one with the trolley is the day I hit myself over the head with an irony bar. Or more likely I head over the bar.

Well, dear old Big Mac is trying his best to be nice to us.

When we applauded the players at Hull at the end of the game (that thing that some people seem to want to say never happened) - I was watching Big Mac to see if he'd follow the other players over across the half-way line towards us and join in with the rest of the applauding players.

It took him a while - but he eventually did it and he was the last Albion player left on the pitch applauding the fans

 

[Uncle Buck]

In fact this entire thread is full of fuckwits

Glad you could join us, am sure you will feel at home...

 

[fatboy]

I was watching Big Mac to see if he'd follow the other players over across the half-way line towards us and join in with the rest of the applauding players.

It took him a while - but he eventually did it and he was the last Albion player left on the pitch applauding the fans

Did it take him that long to manage to get one of his hands to hit the other one?

 

[Albion Dan]

Glad you could join us, am sure you will feel at home...

Strictly a flying visit, not my scene all this infant school "I hang around with Gangsters" or lets throw infantile insilts at eveyone lark.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Did it take him that long to manage to get one of his hands to hit the other one?

He fell over his wheels.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Strictly a flying visit, not my scene all this infant school "I hang around with Gangsters" or lets throw infantile insilts at eveyone lark.

Fair enough.

 

[Dandyman]

Morris the person most starting to look like an utter tit round here is you mate.

Like a sad GEEKY kid in a playground ganging up with his mate whos having an argument.

In fact this entire thread is full of fuckwits, embarssing reading from start to finish.

Then again it could be a boring Monday night and people are having a bit of banter, innit.

 

[fatboy]

Then again it could be a boring Monday night and people are having a bit of banter, innit.

Might go and watch Southend v Southampton.

Has television reached you up north yet?

 

[Dandyman]

Might go and watch Southend v Southampton.

Has television reached you up north yet?

I understand the butler has one. I far more enjoy parlour games with the scullery maid.

 

[London Irish]

In fact these days we are both consumers and supporters. Clubs know they potentially have a cash cow of an existing customer base, in that many will put up with any old shite that is served up and still come back for more. Other than the water companies, there are not many other industries that can treat their customer bases like that and get away with it. The clubs know this and with a slick marketing strategy they can milk this base like very few others.

It is worth noting that you get your loyal ones that will never waver whatever you do, but like any customer piss certain ones off and they will not comeback. How many fans have we lost because they will not go to Withdean? More than you realise. OK with the limited capacity at Withdean you can replace them, but without these people you will struggle to break even at the new ground. So somehow you have to keep these consumers happy.

You will lose some because your product is not up to scratch. The crowds under Lloyd were low, partly because of some of the rubbish served up, partly because there were better facilites not that far in London.

I am sorry but you have to view your supporters as consumers as all football clubs are business and the balance sheet has to add up. The is a percentage of these consumers that are the most loyal anywhere as emotion is involved.

That's a civilised response and it is good you acknowledge a clear philosphical disagreement between us honestly. Much more interesting than "a war"

As I have stated, I fundamentally disagree with the idea that football fans are consumers. I would get very little joy following the Albion if it was for the quality of the football and that was my sole "consumer" criteria.

What fascinates and draws me in is the tremendous history and community of the club that the current generation of players are just a mere speck in the ocean of.

What ties me to the club, bizarrely enough, is as much the failures of the club as its successes. The club almost becomes like a part of your family, the cousin who has his up and downs but you are never going to stop loving regardless of how badly he behaves. The little struggles of the players I empathise and sympathise with, I don't judge harshly like as if they were nothing to do with me. Their hurt is my hurt, their pain, my pain.

Real passion and fulfillment is generated once you give yourself to a club and accept that you are going to be there for life, no matter how well or how badly they do.

 

[London Irish]

Morris the person most starting to look like an utter tit round here is you mate.

Like a sad GEEKY kid in a playground ganging up with his mate whos having an argument.

In fact this entire thread is full of fuckwits, embarssing reading from start to finish.

That's the best slaying of MORRIS for some time I feel

He won't mind, he just loves it when he gets a mention

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

ANYWAY ......

I reckon most pro footballers (or any top athletes for that matter) have to have a mental strength that will be able to shut out negatives (booing/insults/late tackles/air-shots/whatever/etc.) - some will be better at it than others but they simply must not let the negagtive vibes get to them - and the good ones won't.

Whether Trolley can, I don't know. But being a pro sports person demands a level of mental toughness that most of us cannot easily relate to (unless we are, or have been, pro sports people)

 

[Yorkie]

What fascinates and draws me in is the tremendous history and community of the club that the current generation of players are just a mere speck in the ocean of.

What ties me to the club, bizarrely enough, is as much the failures of the club as its successes. The club almost becomes like a part of your family, the cousin who has his up and downs but you are never going to stop loving regardless of how badly he behaves. The little struggles of the players I empathise and sympathise with, I don't judge harshly like as if they were nothing to do with me. Their hurt is my hurt, their pain, my pain.

Real passion and fulfillment is generated once you give yourself to a club and accept that you are going to be there for life, no matter how well or how badly they do.

That sums up my feelings about the club.
It is part of my life and my returning from exile as well.

I couldn't boo a player if I tried. If I feel they haven't played well, then I don't applaud at all and simply walk away in silence.

For the record I thought we were very unlucky in the second half and were the better side for that period.

 

[Seagull Pete]

Its so easy to boo Oatway, Dodd, Butters, Chippy, and Mcghees bad selection! Time to move forward. We need young blood at the back, not fat old worn out has beens!!

 

[Uncle C]

ANYWAY ......

I reckon most pro footballers (or any top athletes for that matter) have to have a mental strength that will be able to shut out negatives (booing/insults/late tackles/air-shots/whatever/etc.) - some will be better at it than others but they simply must not let the negagtive vibes get to them - and the good ones won't.

Whether Trolley can, I don't know. But being a pro sports person demands a level of mental toughness that most of us cannot easily relate to (unless we are, or have been, pro sports people)

Footballers represent the same spread of human frailties as the rest of us. Being good with your feet doesn't guarantee the prerequisite mental attitude.
Some will have the mental toughness you talk of but most of those will be in the Premiership. Other will be susceptible to sustained criticism, particularly the youngsters like Leon and CKR.
As proof of this frailty its not rare to see footballers who mess up big time mentally - George Best, Justin Fashanu, Jimmy Greaves, Stan Collimore, Gazza etc etc etc

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Macammon is not the first player to be booed and he wont be the last im afraid to say. Maybe we have been spoilt in recent years with some half decent players and a relatively successful team. Unlike the crap we had at Gillingham or at the Goldstone in the twilight years. The list is endless Bernie Gallacher, Paul Sturgess, Mahoney Johnson, Les Briley...

If you dont like people booing players (and I always used to boo Farrington because he was shit) then either don't listen or start up a chant to try and drown them out.

In the words of Quo: You pays your money you takes your choice.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

It was ok to boo Paul Kitson though I seem to remember.