Why doesn't the Albion's history make us better supporters today?

[Billy the Fish]

I'm convinced that some people get an endorphin rush when they are moaning. It needs a study.

I think this is as close to the truth as we're going to get.

I've seen quite a few posts recently from some of those who were making a fuss in pre-season trying to say they were right all along. The crux of their argument seems to be "Tony Bloom and Paul Barber have got it wrong, therefore we are going to abuse them". They now feel vindicated because we're having a crap season and see it as licence to gripe, whinge moan and abuse on here.

I really don't understand that attitude, and whether it's caused by not being able to see the bigger picture or a simple lack of intelligence I'm not sure. Anyone with half a brain should be able to work out that Tony Bloom won't get everything right all of the time, that is just the nature of football. There's no blueprint for success and no secret formula that will work forever - the owners and managers have to steer the ship on instinct as best they can.

It's possible to think of it in numbers. There's 72 clubs in the football league trying to do the same thing, 3 of them will win the league and another 5 will win automatic promotion. 12 will go into the playoffs so that's 20 clubs who's fans will most likely think they had either a good or acceptable season. The other 52 ended up nowhere or relegated which means nowhere or relegated is the most likely outcome of a season every single season you support a football club and that will never change. It is also reflected in history. ***

As a football fan why would I get angry on a message board and start abusing the management when we end up at the most likely outcome? Which brings us back to post I've quoted - some people just want to moan at someone and if it wasn't football it would probably be their wife, colleagues, family and god knows what else. In fact it probably is!

Football is a game of fine margins and it probably won't take much to turn this season around, whether that's sacking the manager or giving Sami time to change things I'm not sure - and neither are Tony Bloom and Paul Barber, they will just have to take an educated guess and hope they get it right.

I see my role as a fan is to enjoy the ride, back the team and if they do happen to get it wrong accept that they didn't do it on purpose and tried their best.




*** Before people begin pedantically picking this apart I realise I haven't included every variable and I'm kind of ignoring the relationship between expectation of fans and playing budget at the club which adds a heavy weighting as to whether a season was perceived as good, I simply want to make a point rather than do a GCSE maths project.

 

[Kevlar]

yes football fans are a bunch of moaners .
but it is very obvious why there are more moans this season
it comes down to the line
watching us play at a consistently higher level than ever before
well ever before was the last three seasons

 

[GreersElbow]

Despite all that, there's fans that still think we should be spending more and more....

 

[GT49er]

I would suggest that a large proportion of the current moaners didn't experience our recent history! I'm not having a go at the JCLs, just stating fact. They only know good times!

Yep, I remember the thrill of getting promoted for the first time in 1958. Too stuck on unremitting success, that must be me!

 

[Acker79]

Because our history also includes spending a couple seasons in the top division and an FA cup final run and a Charity shield victory?
Because keeping your fears/disappointments behind a wall of denial, then expressing relief as an arrogant 'told you so' dance actually doesn't necessarily make you a better supporter than those who let their fears/disappointment be known
Because what defines "better supporters" is open to interpretation?
Because most of the people accused of thinking we automatically deserve to win are people who actually look at our squad and think they are good enough to get better results than they are getting so are disappointed when we don't achieve what they feel we are capable of rather than simply deserving a victory? (What sort of supporter are you to think that what we've achieved is in line with the quality of our squad, do you think our players are no good? Surely you should be a better supporter than that?)
Because the post-archer era of our club is nearly old enough to vote, which means most of our fans in their early twenties or younger were probably not really conscious of football or the albion in proper way while the struggles were ongoing?
Because we've been playing in brighton for almost 16 years, which again makes people in their early 20s not really experienced of the time before then so their fandom untouched by those experiences?
Because you're basing your assessment of the satisfaction of our fanbase on only the vocal negative ones, rather than the quietly contented?
Because the current set up isn't defined or directly affected by the events at the club prior to 2008? Our losses aren't because Archer tried to screw us, our wins aren't because Dick Knight saved us. They are down to the here and now?
Because, and I really, really hate the girlfriend analogies used in football debates, but it's akin to accepting a really unhealthy relationship with your current girlfriend because despite the stress and unhappiness, despite the arguments, the occasional selfishness, she is at least faithful to you, unlike that ex girlfriend who cheated on you when you were a teenager?

I imagine there are more explanations why celebrating/defending a combination of poor results, poor performances, expensive matchday experiences at a time when the economy is not at its strongest all because the chairman before the last chairman before our current chairman tried to screw us and we almost went non-league/bust 17 years ago doesn't necessarily make you a "better supporter" than those who look at a run of 11 games without a win and a point outside the relegation zone to a division that would put a lot of financial hardship on this club and think "I'm not happy with the current state of things".

 

[RexCathedra]

Sadly, I think that too many hanker for the excitement of the bad old days, a "'will we exist next week? let's fight 'em' mentality" that seems to have morphed into let's find something, anything to get agitated about.

It was a lot of people's Spitfire summer. Things don't seem as clear-cut, or a critical, now.

 

[Murray 17]

Nobody is saying we have a divine right to be in the top flight, and the last 3 seasons have been our most successful for over 20 years.
However, we appear to be going backwards at the moment, and those fine margins mentioned earlier in this thread could mean that we end up in a relegation battle. People are rightly concerned.

 

[c0lz]

Because now we have the tools but lack any craftsman.

 

[Cappers]

Fickle

 

[chaileyjem]

I would suggest that a large proportion of the current moaners didn't experience our recent history! I'm not having a go at the JCLs, just stating fact. They only know good times!

Ha ! Yet the users on NSC seemingly most frustrated, in some cases furious, with the current set up of players, the "pre-tendance", tactics, manager, backroom staff , the price of a pint and the queues for the train though are those that have supported the club for years and posted on here for years.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Ha ! Yet the users on NSC seemingly most frustrated, in some cases furious, with the current set up of players, the "pre-tendance", tactics, manager, backroom staff , the price of a pint and the queues for the train though are those that have supported the club for years and posted on here for years.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

What was our average attendance over the two years at Gillingham? Genuine question but I can tell you for a fact that 10,000 didn't undertake that ******* of a journey week in week out to fully appreciate what we have now

Ask him how many times he went to the Withdean...

 

[Del Fenner]

Superb OP. What short memories most football fans have.

 

[Bombadier Botty]

Superb OP. What short memories most football fans have.

Derek!!

 

[boik]

yes football fans are a bunch of moaners .
but it is very obvious why there are more moans this season
it comes down to the line
watching us play at a consistently higher level than ever before
well ever before was the last three seasons

I love reading your posts. They look like they should be haiku, except there's too many syllables.

 

[Del Fenner]

Derek!!

Botster, dear chap!