I ain't a fan of AVB and heard a large number of fans booing at half time and full time yesterday (even though we didn't lose!) so thought I'd chuck my 2 pence worth of thoughts into whether it was ok to boo or not. Firstly, I remember our terrible start to the 2006/7 season when we were 13th in late January ... plenty of frustration but no booing and we ended up 5th. I also remember that after winning the Carling cup in Feb 08 we won only 3 out of the final 15 matches that season and came 11th or 12th....no booing then. Then there was our terrible run last season...and still no booing. Then there was Paul Robinson who made horrific mistake after horrific mistake in his last season as our keeper and he was never booed. Nor was Gomes when he went through an awful run in the team. so it ain't like things haven't been frustrating in our very recent history. When we went through the 2 from 8 run before Harry joined our supporters were measured as being the second loudest just behind stoke...so during our worst EVER start to a season our support was outstanding. Secondly what does booing achieve? True it does express anger or frustration but what positives does it inspire? People pay their money so can choose to boo...I rarely get the chance to go due to the cost but I never leave early and never boo. It doesn't make me a better fan than those who do but nor does it mean that I am content or happy...I believe that staying to the end and making noise to support the spurs is more productive, fun and enjoyable way to watch my team. I hope people give the team and AVB a chance...doubts or not, tactically inept or not, bad man manager or not, he is our manager and as such deserves a chance. He came across well in his post match interview...he refused to lay blame on the players, he spoke about "us" needing to learn from mistakes and work hard and he refused to hide behind the referee sending off Huddlestone...and he rightly praised Norwich. For the first time he came across well in my eyes. My point? We are spurs fans...we all want the same thing and I hope AVB and the team can bring the success we crave...maybe he won't but his best chance of doing so is with our full backing... COYS
Always back the team. Anything else is counter-productive. Some 'fans' complaining that AVB has sold our two best players. If anyone thinks Modric was going to stay is seriously deludedand VDV was happy to say but also happy to go to Hamburg which is where i believe Silvie is working. Failure to get Moutinho was not the managers fault. Don't boo. Support
Agreed 100% RCL, I hve written in another post: Imagine if one walked into work on Monday morning and the boss said 'not ****ing you again, this place would be better off without you,' would you perform at you best? Like hell you would! That what it must feel like being a player who gets booed. We need to get behing the players and support them. Rome wasn't built in a day and I am the first to admit that on Saturay it looked pretty awful but once the players gel I have high hopes for this team. It could be far worse, we could have Brendan Rogers in charge and Stuart Downing rather than Dembele.
'It's always a bonus for the away team when the home fans don't get behind their team' - Bradley Johnson, Norwich City.
Just to put a more positive side to this matter, if you get the chance to get to a Spurs away match, I am certain you will be very very impressed with the non-stop positive support our fans give to all the players.
They were extremely quiet and playing a better side than Norwich (with all respect to the Canaries) though, Deedub.
Always. I remember at Old Toilet we were so lively/making so much noise they closed the bar. Man Utd staff said the police had instructed them to do it, the police said 'nothing to do with us'. We lost the bloody match as well (nothing new then).
They were quiet, accepted but I would probably been speechless watching that pile of ****. They make us look good. Jesus, I never thought that I would feel sorry for the mousers. I think they might have a relegation battle on their hands this season. Their first team is poor and their cover is non existent. A couple of injuries and they will be ****ed. However, to their credit the fans did not boo their players. Perhaps they were too shocked to talk. 'A better side than Norwich'? I have a feeling the Norwich attach might bully the goons a little. Loserpoo made the goons defense look good today, Norwich may make them look distinctly average.
The answer is clear, since we've started finishing higher and playing good football we've drawn in less regular fans who go to 1 or 2 games a season and if they don't like what they see they'll boo. It's not right, and I personally believe the way to combat this somewhat is by increasing the amount of season tickets allocated a season. Season ticket holders are generally more stick with the team through hard times as well as the good imo. I know we're famed for our high amount of tickets sold to non season ticket holders, but after the first two home games, it's time to change.
Excellent article by the OP. Very good Sir, said what I was thinking only put it down much better than I could. Just to add to the "when there was no booing" section. I was at the match when we were relegated. No booing, in fact no booing at any match that season when by definition we must have been considerably worse than we are now. As for people saying they've supported Spurs for many years and claiming this is the worse we've been, what a short memory you have.
Current regualtions mean we are unable to increase the number of season ticket holders. These regualtions state a certain percentage have to be made available for away supporters and a certain percentage made available for club members and if these avenues are not sold out, then any remaining tickets have to go to the public (general sale). With our ground capacity as it currently is, this does not allow any flexibility on increasing the number of season tickets being made available.
Maybe people were booing not just the team, but The people in control who have brought this dissatisfaction on the club ?
Sorry mate but I disagree...I never boo or leave early but only go to 5 or 6 matches a year. I would never be able to afford a season ticket so would never get to go. I am a teaching assistant and earn £720 per month. My Mrs earns more but once we've paid the mortgage, gas, electric, council tax, phone bills, travel cards, kids clothes, school dinners, food etc. we have very little left. I don't drink or smoke and save hard to go with my family. I don't feel hard done by cos I think that many are like me and a lot more are less fortunate. I do think there is a problem with people getting used to fighting for the top 4 or getting to Wembley a few times which breeds a bit of a plastic mentality and I think the Coorporate seated lot add to this.
I remember our first season back up in 1978/79...lost our first home match to villa (ricky and Ossies debuts) 4-1, lost 7 nil to Liverpool a couple of weeks later (on TV) and a couple of months later got slaughtered 5 nil at HOME by Arsenal (also on TV). No booing then either! As for the worst team? **** me remember the dross served up by Bloke in a coat (5 nil nils on the trot?) or Gross (safe from relegation in April) ... Or Hoddle (4 nil at home to boro, and blackburn and chelsea 3 nil at home to Fulham) and who can forget the **** served up by David Pleats team in 03/04? Like I said I ain't an AVB fan (yet) but booing him? after a draw?
I don't think our fans are fickle, I think, overall, they have been consistent moaners whingers,and much worse besides for decades. Many/most Spurs fans piss me off big-time when I go to the Lane. I love the club, I love our principles of fair play and attacking football, our fans, different story.
This isn't just tottenham fans that boo, remember when Crouch was picked for England, before he went on that great goal scoring run, he was booed just because he was Crouch, tall, lanky and the fans didn't want to see negative football, yet he won them over in the end. I guess the same must apply to the fans at the lane which boo, they must have some tension built up about losing arry and the the exciting football we played under him, as well as seeing Modric & VDV do their thing. Now they are watching what they deem to be boring, negative football which doesn't fit in with the spurs tradition. Would I boo? no, never, but I'm sure the fans that are booing can be won over in the end (plus it wasn't a huge amount, just unhappy fans booing the performance) I don't believe they was booing avb, so avb doesn't need to worry, unless he is a weak manager. If he's a strong man, with belief in his ability and knows he can make his methods work then he doesn't need to worry.
Oh yes Boss, thanks for that, i'd forgotten the disgraceful treatment that Crouch got from some of our 'fans'. I still see echoes of it to this very day on various websites , including ths one.
