Bolton Wanderers midfielder Karl Henry says he wouldn't want to play for Sunderland because of the home fans. Henry scored Bolton's third goal on Tuesday night as the Championship's bottom side earned a 3-3 draw at the Stadium of Light. The result led to the sacking of Black Cats boss Simon Grayson just minutes after the final whistle as Sunderland equalled an English record of 19 home games without a win. And Henry, who has also played for Wolves, says the 'toxic atmosphere' created by fans at the Stadium of Light is partly to blame. “Every time I go to Sunderland think the same thing – it’s a toxic atmosphere for the home team,” he told The Bolton News. “I wouldn’t want to be a player here with those fans. "Obviously they have got high expectations, and there are a lot of clubs who feel they should be in the Premier League, but unfortunately only 20 teams can. The league tables don’t lie. “It’s an atmosphere that doesn’t help the home team and it’s something we say as the visitors to try and use against them. You can get fans on their back.”
i'm a little torn on this subject. On one hand, if a fan pays his money, he is entitled to speak his mind if he feels he is not getting value. Also, if the player want a better atmosphere to play in.......Start winning....that just might help. I always run the parallel with going to a restaurant......if you go to your favourite restaurant and the menu gets worse and the food quality starts to decline, I would simply not go there any more. Same for football, if its crap, don't go. why pay money with the sole intention of booing. I wouldn't get on the players back personally, but I do understand how passions spill over sometimes.
I honestly could never compare going to a restaurant with following the football club that is a part of my heart and soul..
Completely counter-productive that atmosphere. We want a side to play well - yet the first mistake in a game sees them booed. I have massive amount of respect for Adam Matthews after the other night's game - looked so nervous the other week and the fans got on his back - how will that make him play better (when we have no-one to cover his place) but was far more composed on Tuesday despite the fans being on his back. Grayson must have had something to do with that surely. He gave the ball away a couple of times but he didn;t hide (like he had previously) If a ****e midfielder like Karl Henry noticed the toxic atmosphere you can guarantee our players did!
Been saying this for a while. The confidence in the ground shatters like glass and is often after the first mis hit pass or missed tackle. You don't see it at other grounds. People moan at mistakes, yes, but the atmosphere isn't the same. I don't see how anyone can carry out their work to the best of their abilities when thousands of people are watching and waiting to tell them how **** they are.
It’s true, we do criticise our players when they are consistently awful yet on the other hand, only a few years ago, we were selling out 48,000 each week with PR. Then, these pages were full of people complaining about fans in front standing up and the pies at half time. Just give us something to cheer about.
The Stadium of Light is a miserable place with a horrible atmosphere, and is counter-productive. However, given our home record over the last 5 or 6 years, I think it is fully understandable. The flip side of this is that this can be flipped - the crowd can become the 12th man. However, the owner takes our custom for granted, and doesn't care what we think
Exactly you pay your money, go to the match to support the team not abuse and moan or whinge from the word go . Yes at times you do groan and complain but still yell and support and encourage the team - imo
Food analogy is a bit off mind if a restaurant meal is bad it doesn't get abused and ridiculed - underperforming professional players tend to when they make a mistake or error and its often a constant barrage of abuse - imo Some people think that's their right to constantly moan - I don't agree
Still many fans staunchly defend the home support with the usual crap. These surely are the fans which are the problem, as plenty can see the problem so I can't see them being at fault.
When Allardyce had that place bouncing, we literally cheered the lads to that 3-2 win over Chelsea. Confidence is more than half the battle. If we give them a place to play with a good atmosphere and plenty of encouragement, the results will naturally follow. I've always thought this.
Agreed. We don't have the stomach to stand in the face of adversity anymore than the players do. We can set the example which would help the team do the same any time we want. The players in the meantime have to play 11 players and their own crowd. We've always held the key to kick start us into improvement imo. But we're more interested in Press Conference comments than we are talking tactics, twitter is full of PC criticism, not a sniff of anything tactically constructive, cause they don't have the answers anymore than the managers who come in. But they want an opinion, it's a matter of totally misdirected pride so they formulate their focus around the Press Conference even in the run up to the game. I said this during the Bolton game as my timeline was still getting flooded with comments about Steele in the ****ing press conference half way through the second half. We don't just **** it up for ourselves in the stadium, we **** it up in the run up to games and the days after with pure online poison. Of course the Players read twitter, half of them have accounts, and I'd sure as hell would have an alias account. Anyone saying the old we need something to cheer about first and all that ****e completely miss the point of being a fan. Those who walk away fair do, it the none damaging way to make a point but the gob ****es have such an influence on our own downfall. But we've got Roker Report ringleading the nastiness, it's a **** house of 'fan'-zine
Well its a win win situation then cause i wouldnt want him to play for us either... Hes shyte and always has been. The only decent thing hes done in his career is give Joey Barton a rough time.
Fans moaning at the game are the problem - debate after is different imo. Moaning abusive fans =toxic atmosphere
I'm not on about debate afterwards, goes without saying that's fine as it's not poison is it? I'm talking about targeting players and their families with abuse on social media after. Like Ian Watmore for example. That is poison.
It’s one thing coping with pressure, it’s another trying to handle absolute dread. The players must dread being at home, it’s ****ing grim anyone who says otherwise doesn’t go to games. It starts quiet, and even when we start Sharp it gets nervy if we don’t score. This leads to whistles and groans and around the half hour mark we concede. We need a first 5 minutes goal to get the stadium onside and that happens rarely, even if we did get in front would the support be there. I repeat this as well, with the reduced crowds we should absolutely close the home sections of the upper tier and move these fans into the lower bowl, even that would at least generate some atmosphere. It would also save the club money on staffing and lighting up there it’s bizarre nobody at the club has looked at this. Leeds and I believe Sheff Wed did this when they went into League One, Close segments, save on costs and get fans sat together. It’s sparse as **** as it stands and every little will help.
Seen this around twitter loads and there's always 'premier' concourse fannies going on about how long they've had that seat for years and why should they move. Ffs, do one one thing for your team without pissing on and moaning.
