Your Support is Fucking Shite

Apologies for the obscenity there, maybe "f*****g" would be better, or even "flipping" would be better? What about "shite"? Is that bad? Maybe "your support is rather poor" would be better?

Maybe that's the way that football is heading these days? There has been a rumble going on since the Greens were promoted into League One [as is], that the support of the Green Army is more plastic soldiers than SAS. The days of freedom on the terraces have gone, along with the terraces. Once word out of place and you're out of the place. Stand up for more than 10 seconds and you'll be standing up in the local cop shop emptying your pockets. Moan about poor play and get shushed, cheer and get tutted at. Play a bugle, beat a drum and it'll be inserted into a rather painful place.

Football supporters are an ecclectic bunch and that, like life, makes the world go round. Get rid of everyone you don't agree with and you'll be alone, but hey that makes you a better supporter than they ever were. Someone who comes along every game, has paid money, travelled a distance and moans is not seen as a supporter. Football has always been entertainment, but now it is success lead entertainment - no sucess means no entertainment. And no entertainment means people feel agrieved and want to vent their frustrations. Catch 22, players want the crowd to do their bit, the crowd want the players (who are being paid to play from their ticket after all) to do theirs. But then again when has shouting "Have you ever seen your dick?" at a fat away supporter, encouraging your own team?

Is the changing face of football at the real root of the problems? The Thatcherism dislike of the game that got out of control because men couldn't feel the game was complete until they'd kicked at least 3 opposition supporters' heads in? Or because the police were too arrogant in their handling of games to cause the death of supporters in front of the world's cameras? Or because the clubs were more concerned about profits than their own income and let the grounds get into a deplorable state and forget those that funded them? (That last one sounds familiar.) Some of the changes have been good - why should people be fearful when watching a ball game? But can we go too far the other way? Will singing songs be banned because it will upset the away fans? Will all games be forced to end 0-0 because winning is bad and unfair?

But while supporters fight amongst themselves, we forget what we have in common.
The love of one football team.