[Albion] How can we toughen up as a fanbase?

[Goldstone Rapper]

I appreciate this is a subjective perspective but to me it seemed that our supporters were not mentally ready to deal with going 1-0 down at home against Palace. Despite all the chatter and thoughts in the build up to the game, we seemed mentally unprepared for it and it took the wind out of our sails.

Perhaps as a consequence this is why so many people left. They just couldn't bear to be there in that situation. How can we develop the mental resilience to stay strong as a fanbase, and let all the taunts from the Palace end wash over us rather than get to us?

 

[middletoenail]

Probably a good time for you to take a break from this forum and use this time on your wonderful website.

 

[Driver8]

Perhaps if the team toughened up the fans would follow? Pretty much two seasons since we came from behind to win now.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

I appreciate this is a subjective perspective but to me it seemed that our supporters were not mentally ready to deal with going 1-0 down at home against Palace. Despite all the chatter and thoughts in the build up to the game, we seemed mentally unprepared for it and it took the wind out of our sails.

Perhaps as a consequence this is why so many people left. They just couldn't bear to be there in that situation. How can we develop the mental resilience to stay strong as a fanbase, and let all the taunts from the Palace end wash over us rather than get to us?

So watching two seasons when we have not come back from going behind to win hasn't mentally prepared us. Problem is Ive been conditioned to believe that the manager is not capable of making changes to the team to change the outcome. Apparently something to do with ceilings/roof, not tactical deficiencies.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Probably a good time for you to take a break from this forum and use this time on your wonderful website.

Thanks! Probably a good idea. Much more productive. Although I'm still intrigued to find out what others think about the question...

 

[Pat McCrotch]

Perhaps if the team toughened up the fans would follow? Pretty much two seasons since we came from behind to win now.

Is the correct answer.

 

[Seagull1989]

I agree! It felt like we already knew we had lost when they scored.

We needed a Burnleyesque atmosphere when we went 1 down singing great escape. But everyone went quiet. We used to thrive being up against it. Famous for pulling through in the face of adversity.

 

[Hotchilidog]

I agree! It felt like we already knew we had lost when they scored.

We needed a Burnleyesque atmosphere when we went 1 down singing great escape. But everyone went quiet. We used to thrive being up against it. Famous for pulling through in the face of adversity.

I kind of agree with the OP, and in fairness was probably as guilty as any of have stuffing knocked out of them when Zaha opened the scoring. It's not too much of a surprise as for pretty much most of this season (our highest finish for decades FFS!) our fan base has done nothing but get itself worked up into frenzy about absolutely everything. Running out of pies is a DISGRACE, having to queue for 30minutes to get away from the ground is a DISGRACE, the atmosphere is a DISGRACE, the fans who haven't been watching as long as me are a DISGRACE, players are a DISGRACE one week and HEROES the next, the manager is DISGRACE, and so on and so forth.

Sum up the some of the fanbase in three words this season for me it is MOAN, MOAN, MOAN. I realise that is not everyone but the mixture of negativity, and entitlement to success has been quite infuriating this season when there has been so much to enjoy. In two years we have gone from being a League One side to an established top half of the Championship with genuine aspirations of promotion to the Premiership. We get the pleasure of going to the best ground in the division by a country mile every other week, we get proper beer, decent pies and a comfy seat. All that and some of the most skilful players seen at the Albion in a very long time indeed. The team still has some growing to do, both technically and mentally, but we have had our first taste of the big time and I'm sure it won't be our last.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

The team wins sometimes, after going behind.

That would sort it.

 

[martin tyler]

In all honesty we have learn to sing for the whole 90 minutes like we used to win lose or draw. Problem with success is it breeds contempt and disappointment when things go wrong.
On the flip side teams of old although may not of had the quality went right till the end of 90 minutes and there was always that chance of a recovery. To not come from behind to win a game in 2 years seems to suggest the team lacks a stomach for a scrap when required.

 

[MattBackHome]

In movies, the only way of toughening up is a MONTAGE. Can we get 30k people to re-enact the steps scene in Rocky? That would fix things.

 

[Wilko 1901]

I kind of agree with the OP, and in fairness was probably as guilty as any of have stuffing knocked out of them when Zaha opened the scoring. It's not too much of a surprise as for pretty much most of this season (our highest finish for decades FFS!) our fan base has done nothing but get itself worked up into frenzy about absolutely everything. Running out of pies is a DISGRACE, having to queue for 30minutes to get away from the ground is a DISGRACE, the atmosphere is a DISGRACE, the fans who haven't been watching as long as me are a DISGRACE, players are a DISGRACE one week and HEROES the next, the manager is DISGRACE, and so on and so forth.

Sum up the some of the fanbase in three words this season for me it is MOAN, MOAN, MOAN. I realise that is not everyone but the mixture of negativity, and entitlement to success has been quite infuriating this season when there has been so much to enjoy. In two years we have gone from being a League One side to an established top half of the Championship with genuine aspirations of promotion to the Premiership. We get the pleasure of going to the best ground in the division by a country mile every other week, we get proper beer, decent pies and a comfy seat. All that and some of the most skilful players seen at the Albion in a very long time indeed. The team still has some growing to do, both technically and mentally, but we have had our first taste of the big time and I'm sure it won't be our last.

 

[Billy the Fish]

Everyone knew on Monday that the game was up once they scored. As a crowd we put EVERYTHING into the first half, for me the atmosphere dropped after half tiam when, as usual, most of the crowd were still getting back to their seats.

You can't compre Monday night to normal games, it was a one-off that will never be repeated.

 

[El Sid]

Perhaps if the team toughened up the fans would follow? Pretty much two seasons since we came from behind to win now.

Agree with that. I thought the immediate response from the crowd to going 1 down on Monday was positive but then I suspect the players must have been affected by the thought that once they go behind they never win. My feeling is that there may be an on-field leadership issue.

A season in the PL might toughen up a few fans though.....

 

[Billy the Fish]

Thinking about the OP's original question, it's been said before many times but I really think some of the posters on NSC need to be less insecure. If we want to become a big club we need to get used to the manager and players being touted in the media. We need to get used to the odd bit of controvesy. None of that happened at The withdean because we were small time, nobody else cared.

If Gus or one of the players doesn't suck up to the fans - get over it, do you support BHAFC because you love it and love football, or do you just want to lap up some praise for going on a few marches and driving a few hundred miles to watch us play shit? It should be the former, but for many it feels like they're more concerned with the latter.

 

[Dorset Seagull]

Without deeper analysis I am not sure whether its true or not but I suspect when teams go a goal down the manager makes a personnel or tactical change to chase the game. Does Gus do that enough?

 

[Seagulltonian]

No clackers would've have helped. Just good ole plain getting behind the team. Great escape defintely. I even think the noise the clackers were generating at some points of the game were too much for our players to take

When i saw that Norwich had them on Saturday, I really though that this was a crap idea. And i got the piss ripped out of me by Palace fans on the train home more for the bloody clackers than the result

 

[sydney]

we have a lot of supporters in their 60's.....they can't sing for long and they get cold easily.

 

[Mowgli37]

I kind of agree with the OP, and in fairness was probably as guilty as any of have stuffing knocked out of them when Zaha opened the scoring. It's not too much of a surprise as for pretty much most of this season (our highest finish for decades FFS!) our fan base has done nothing but get itself worked up into frenzy about absolutely everything. Running out of pies is a DISGRACE, having to queue for 30minutes to get away from the ground is a DISGRACE, the atmosphere is a DISGRACE, the fans who haven't been watching as long as me are a DISGRACE, players are a DISGRACE one week and HEROES the next, the manager is DISGRACE, and so on and so forth.

Sum up the some of the fanbase in three words this season for me it is MOAN, MOAN, MOAN. I realise that is not everyone but the mixture of negativity, and entitlement to success has been quite infuriating this season when there has been so much to enjoy. In two years we have gone from being a League One side to an established top half of the Championship with genuine aspirations of promotion to the Premiership. We get the pleasure of going to the best ground in the division by a country mile every other week, we get proper beer, decent pies and a comfy seat. All that and some of the most skilful players seen at the Albion in a very long time indeed. The team still has some growing to do, both technically and mentally, but we have had our first taste of the big time and I'm sure it won't be our last.

Agree totally with this

 

[browneggsandham]

A few of us tried to get this going in WSU but no one reciprocated