How supporters became the new villains of modern football.

[spring hall convert]

Via Danny Baker's twitter, apols if fixtures.

http://www.thedaisycutter.co.uk/2014/11/how-supporters-became-the-new-villains-of-modern-football/

 

[TomandJerry]

Interesting read

 

[Creaky]

Some on this board would do well to inwardly digest that article - especially -

The next time a club’s fanbase receives criticism for not filling its ground and jumping about wildly at a ludicrously-paid striker going through the motions please refrain from joining in. Stymie your every instinct to ‘bantz’ a rival. Instead consider the source. A manager with a motivational agenda. A deluded player living in a fantasy world. An ex-player pathetically trying to gain a reputation for straight-shooting. A media thoroughly bored of the old narrative. And overall a depressing reversion to assumed type that somehow the supporters are always to blame.

 

[Soul Finger]

Very well said indeed.

 

[tinycowboy]

Depressing, but spot on.

 

[Hampster Gull]

Very true

 

[vegster]

Can't argue with much of it. Trouble is, unless there is mass walkouts or boycotts the clubs will keep up the financial squeeze as they have a captive audience.

 

[Chicken Runner61]

What about this from a club that is all about their supporters and the city's residents

http://www.theguardian.com/football...anfield-liverpool-david-conn?CMP=share_btn_tw

 

[The Merry Prankster]

Excellent article.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Really good, saw it a few times on my twitter feed last night.

 

[crabface]

Very good article and well written. Pretty much hits the nail on the head.

 

[Blackadder]

Agree with every word of that, except the line "Once upon a time football was the working man’s game ".

I still reckon the majority of people that go to games are working.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

Can't argue with much of it. Trouble is, unless there is mass walkouts or boycotts the clubs will keep up the financial squeeze as they have a captive audience.

BUT THAT'S WHAT HE'S SAYING, TO MANY PEOPLE PREPARED TO BE MUGGED OFF
regards
DR

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

Agree with every word of that, except the line "Once upon a time football was the working man’s game ".

I still reckon the majority of people that go to games are working.

stupid comment
regards
DR

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Top rant. Football is surely living on borrowed time as a bloated cash-cow.

 

[Brighton Mod]

Over rated players on over inflated money
Over rated overseas players on over inflated money
Over rated injuries to over inflated players
Over rated fatique to over rated players
Over rated excuses for for lack of effort or skill
Over rated managers on over inflated money
Over rated pundits on over inflated money
Over rated television on over inflated money
Over rated brands on over inflated money
Over rated politicians associating with football clubs on over inflated money
Over rated association with history by over rated game of football
Over rated pies pies sold at over rated prices
Over rated analysis by over rated pundits

The whole thing is just over rated, from brand managed, media seeking sportmen, who aren't that good, through to the those who pass comment sat behind a desk with a window onto the field of play. They're all having a laugh and its all self fulfilling, the game that some of us watched twenty, thirty, forty or fifty years ago has gone and will never return. Who are the heroes now, where are the human stories, its all choreagraphed, screen written and when we see the reaction of a genuine manager or real piece of sportsmanship some question why it happened.
We're all guilty of funding this binfest, so what is the answer?

 

[Mellotron]

Over rated players on over inflated money
Over rated overseas players on over inflated money
Over rated injuries to over inflated players
Over rated fatique to over rated players
Over rated excuses for for lack of effort or skill
Over rated managers on over inflated money
Over rated pundits on over inflated money
Over rated television on over inflated money
Over rated brands on over inflated money
Over rated politicians associating with football clubs on over inflated money
Over rated association with history by over rated game of football
Over rated pies pies sold at over rated prices
Over rated analysis by over rated pundits

The whole thing is just over rated, from brand managed, media seeking sportmen, who aren't that good, through to the those who pass comment sat behind a desk with a window onto the field of play. They're all having a laugh and its all self fulfilling, the game that some of us watched twenty, thirty, forty or fifty years ago has gone and will never return. Who are the heroes now, where are the human stories, its all choreagraphed, screen written and when we see the reaction of a genuine manager or real piece of sportsmanship some question why it happened.
We're all guilty of funding this binfest, so what is the answer?

Don't know what you mean by over rated. Players are paid "the going rate". Thus, they are rated. That is how Capitalism works.

Also, I'm sorry but football pre-1990s was mostly UTTERLY SHITHOUSE and HILARIOUS compared to modern athletes.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Over rated players on over inflated money
Over rated overseas players on over inflated money
Over rated injuries to over inflated players
Over rated fatique to over rated players
Over rated excuses for for lack of effort or skill
Over rated managers on over inflated money
Over rated pundits on over inflated money
Over rated television on over inflated money
Over rated brands on over inflated money
Over rated politicians associating with football clubs on over inflated money
Over rated association with history by over rated game of football
Over rated pies pies sold at over rated prices
Over rated analysis by over rated pundits

The whole thing is just over rated, from brand managed, media seeking sportmen, who aren't that good, through to the those who pass comment sat behind a desk with a window onto the field of play. They're all having a laugh and its all self fulfilling, the game that some of us watched twenty, thirty, forty or fifty years ago has gone and will never return. Who are the heroes now, where are the human stories, its all choreagraphed, screen written and when we see the reaction of a genuine manager or real piece of sportsmanship some question why it happened.
We're all guilty of funding this binfest, so what is the answer?

The answer is not to go. The answer really is a mass boycott, games, tv the lot. It will never happen though, precisely because of the tradition that's preceded the current pastiche.

Example. My son sees me watching football at home and going to "the football" with my mates. His school friends do too with their dads. Eventually they play in the playground, join a club and pester us dads to take them to a game. However much we liked going with our mates to get away from the kids we're secretly delighted. Even more so when they still want to go back after a defeat, when the songs are as important as the goals. They don't see that we paid more than my house is worth for CoG or that Wayne Rooney gets a house every week, fit or not, good or not. They can't imagine a quarter of a million pounds let alone what getting that every week would get you. They see a pantomime. They get to boo, they get to cheer, there are good guys and baddies and they get to play one of the goodies. Then, aged 8, they ask you to take them to an away game and you get tickets for Charlton, still one of the good guys with a traditional ground and a kids for a quid offer that extends to the away end. And that's it. They're hooked just like you.

They can't remember Peter Ward or terraces or fighting or awful Wednesday night games against Bury. They can't remember paying sod all to stand on a milk crate or later playing a fraction of their paper round money to stand where they like. Bunking the train to an away game. Is that even possible now in an era where you can get fined for going home on the "wrong" train because it's the one most of your mates are on.

Football is becoming less of a social game. Football is all about money. Yet the alternative is sitting around the same four walls for another weekend quietly hating yourself.

They've got us by the short and curlies, the b******s.

 

[cyberleech]

Another example of how clubs can treat their supporters from this Barney Ronay article:
http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/dec/13/manchester-united-fans-roma-violence-2007

Be careful with off message banners:
"As for the woman who went to see her football team in the Eternal City and took a beating from the local police, ... when United did eventually get in contact, it was not in the circumstances you might imagine. In 2010, during protests about the club’s ownership, she lifted one of those banners that were popular at the time, saying “Love United, Hate Glazer”. She was thrown out and the club allege she was “disorderly”. Carly has been banned from Old Trafford for life."

 

[Guinness Boy]

Also, I'm sorry but football pre-1990s was mostly UTTERLY SHITHOUSE and HILARIOUS compared to modern athletes.

Only just seen your reply as it was posted just before mine. I presume you are talking about the game rather that the whole shebang. Yes the standard was worse but nowhere near as poor as you state. Actually I've posted on here before on a thread that had the Ipswich playoff-reacher highlights from 1991 on how POOR that game was. Basically just kick and rush. However there was plenty of good football around in the 80s, that's when I got 'hooked'. The Brazil team from 1982 World Cup played some of the best football I have ever seen. That all-conquering Liverpool team played some fantastic football at times. They did it with tiny squads, one substitute, awful pitches, dreadful rules (allowed back passes, two points for a win), much less harsh refereeing, heavier balls that bent less and often under a hail of coins, cans and bog roll. And those players lived in nice semis with wives called Debbie and ate steak and chips.

The whole shebang meanwhile was DIFFERENT. Not worse. Not better. DIFFERENT. Cheaper, more accessible, more social. Dangerous (sometimes fatally), flawed, smelly and wretched. What it wasn't - in any way - was this awful stage managed plastic guff we have to put up with now.