| Our fans... 11:31 - Dec 13 with 9960 views | bangorjack |
I apologise in advance for any repetition of other threads, but I'm finding the negativity of some of our fans incredibly irritating, and I've been thinking about why people have the opinions that they do.
The way I see it, we have 4 broad groups of fans.
1) "Longterm hardcore" - have suffered through the tedious years where mediocrity was a pipe dream. Part of the furniture, and if (god forbid) everything goes tits up and we end up back in the bowels of League 2, will still turn up week in week in week out.
2) "Glory hunters" - Everyone denies being one, but without doubt we do have these people following us. Generally detectable by the fact that they bring their kids to the Liberty in Man Utd shirts. Currently enjoying their second spell with the club and among the more vocal when it comes to criticism.
3) The converts - may have started as occasional watchers/glory hunters, but have caught the bug and now have no way back.
4) "Younger generation" - we have a group of fans who due to their age have only ever known us to be on an upward spiral. They may well have started supporting us in the lower leagues, but the worst they've had to endure is finishing mid-table in the championship. They've seen some of the best football this club has ever produced, and are not used to us "struggling" ( if being in the top half of the prem and in the last 32 of EL counts as struggling). As time goes on, the members of this group will either become part of the "longterm hardcore" or "glory hunters".
Before everyone starts having a go at me, I know not everyone will fit in to a specific group, but broadly I feel this is who follows us. Those who have endured years of crap are (I imagine) the people who are currently viewing what we are achieving as incredible.
On the note of people finding things boring at the minute, I think that a lot of that is to do with our aims. In the Championship, it's exciting looking ahead and aiming for promotion. Aiming to finish mid-table (which undoubtedly is a massive achievement for this club) is less exciting, and doesn't really have the same "thrill" to it. 2 years ago we had the thrill of avoiding relegation. Last year we had the thrill of winning the cup. This year, although Europe should be a thrill, the fact it's affecting our league form seems to be taking the shine off it.
I'm not really sure what I'm trying to say here, but just wanted to put my feelings out there.
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| Our fans... on 03:55 - Dec 14 with 1353 views | Townhill_Hilton |
Then there are us exiles. Been a lifelong supporter, since I went to the Vetch as a kid in the mid-1960s till Dad stuck us on a boat for a better life in the Antipodes. Followed them via Shoot, Newspapers, on TV when briefly in the early 1980s, became disconnected when they fell through the hole, and then back on board with a vengnance when the internet allowed us to follow the team again in the mid-1990s. Been there ever since the days of Flynn and Watkin, Alsop and co, and enjoyed the journey since.
Now I get up and follow the game on Wiziwig early every Sunday or Monday morning.
I must be one of the few who just feel super grateful to be watching this team at all. |  | | |
| Our fans... on 09:12 - Dec 14 with 1322 views | Viking_Jack |
| Our fans... on 13:43 - Dec 13 by Jackanapes |
I wasn't writing laudrup off, just you  |
No problem |  |
| Better a brief spell of honour than a long rule of shame |
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| Our fans... on 09:12 - Dec 14 with 1322 views | Viking_Jack |
| Our fans... on 01:37 - Dec 14 by dameedna |
Brilliant mate, you're welcome |
Thanks  | |
| Better a brief spell of honour than a long rule of shame |
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| Our fans... on 09:20 - Dec 14 with 1312 views | Shaky |
Well I am an out and out non-match going plastic fan. I nevertheless certainly feel no need to apologise to anybody for that, or to refrain from expressing my opinion on team matters and performance because I am somehow not worthy.
For much of my formative years I lived up north and thanks to one of my dad's business contacts who was a director at Citeh we had regular seats at Maine Road as well as to the latter stages of cup ties.
However, although I was given loads of scarves, hats, signed match balls and stuff, I didn't really consider myself so much a fan of the club as a fan of good football which Citeh certainly played in the 70s.
Further, the experience of attending numerous City/United derbies in those days actually disgusted me. No doubt this was in some measure due to my fairly privileged upbringing, but the violence and generally disgraceful behaviour of both sets of supporters has left me with a deep enduring dislike for the tribal nature of football support.
The prawn sandwich culture these days is an easy target for ridicule, but for me the decline in violence and abusive behaviour that is obviously directly linked to triabalism is without doubt a good thing. |  |
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| Our fans... on 09:30 - Dec 14 with 1304 views | Andy1300 |
| Our fans... on 13:22 - Dec 13 by _ |
Our players aren't highly paid.
Our players are well below the highly paid category relative to the league we're doing pretty damn well in.
And every time we take the field, why does it have to come down to They earn this - so we can say that!?
What our boys are earning is 90+% of the time less than the XI we are up against.
Its a bonkers argument.
Going to the football the last 30 odd years, home and away, mid-week Vetch, mid week Rotherham, Mansfield etc etc, you get to see the same old faces, almost every time.
Would I recognise yours Mr Swerve? Really? |
you must have been incredibly fortunate to be able to have both the time and money to attend all those game for so long.
Some people are not so fortunate.
For me, the way that the team have been playing recently is baffling, they play really well against Newcastle then play utter shite against Hull and St Galln.
Just because we dont all agree doesn't make us wrong or plastic. [Post edited 14 Dec 2013 10:01]
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| Our fans... on 09:35 - Dec 14 with 1290 views | perchrockjack |
Its also the case that family /work commitments make it hard for some who d want to go to every game and gain brownie points in this argument.
The fact we have those who see themselves as bigger and better fans is pitiful in the extreme. It could be said that to go to every game might mean you have a shallow life. There really are other things in life that need our attention. | |
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| Our fans... on 15:25 - Dec 14 with 1240 views | Davillin |
| Our fans... on 03:55 - Dec 14 by Townhill_Hilton |
Then there are us exiles. Been a lifelong supporter, since I went to the Vetch as a kid in the mid-1960s till Dad stuck us on a boat for a better life in the Antipodes. Followed them via Shoot, Newspapers, on TV when briefly in the early 1980s, became disconnected when they fell through the hole, and then back on board with a vengnance when the internet allowed us to follow the team again in the mid-1990s. Been there ever since the days of Flynn and Watkin, Alsop and co, and enjoyed the journey since.
Now I get up and follow the game on Wiziwig early every Sunday or Monday morning.
I must be one of the few who just feel super grateful to be watching this team at all. |
"I must be one of the few who just feel super grateful to be watching this team at all."
You are not alone, not by a long shot. |  |
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| Our fans... on 15:38 - Dec 14 with 1230 views | mawdlamjack |
don't give a flying fig what category anyone fits into. be they 'plastic' ,never miss a match, occasionally watch a match or only see us on telly, they are all swans fans and support the club/team in whatever way suits them best.
once a jack allways a jack NOTHING ELSE COUNTS. |  |
| on the northbank since 64 now languishing in the east stand |
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| Our fans... on 15:39 - Dec 14 with 1229 views | exiledclaseboy |
I never saw any of you at the Vetch. Ever. It was just me.
You're all lying plastics. |  |
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| Our fans... on 15:45 - Dec 14 with 1227 views | pencoedjack |
| Our fans... on 20:58 - Dec 13 by Dr_Winston |
Been a regular for over 20 years. Barely missed a home game in the last fifteen. Sat through Cullis, Adams, Cork, Cusack and Christ knows what else. Saw us get stuffed 4-0 at home against Kidderminster.
To put it bluntly, I've done the hard yards. If I feel that something is worthy of criticism then I will do it, no matter how hard some people try to shout down any sign of dissent.
If that bothers them, I don't care.
This post has been edited by an administrator |
I am about the same as this (but been going for 30 years), although I will criticize on message board will never do it during a game.
Unfortunately a few around me obviously don't do the same. |  | | |
| Our fans... on 15:48 - Dec 14 with 1218 views | exiledclaseboy |
I hate this "ooh, everyone who spouts 'dissent' gets shouted down" b*llocks. It goes like this - someone posts their opinion, someone else posts a different opinion. If someone doesn't agree with your opinion, you're not being shouted down. Stop being so f*cking precious you victims. | |
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| Our fans... on 16:13 - Dec 14 with 1197 views | stircrazyjack |
| Our fans... on 15:48 - Dec 14 by exiledclaseboy |
I hate this "ooh, everyone who spouts 'dissent' gets shouted down" b*llocks. It goes like this - someone posts their opinion, someone else posts a different opinion. If someone doesn't agree with your opinion, you're not being shouted down. Stop being so f*cking precious you victims. |
Love it. | | | |
| Our fans... on 02:01 - Dec 15 with 1148 views | Davillin |
| Our fans... on 15:48 - Dec 14 by exiledclaseboy |
I hate this "ooh, everyone who spouts 'dissent' gets shouted down" b*llocks. It goes like this - someone posts their opinion, someone else posts a different opinion. If someone doesn't agree with your opinion, you're not being shouted down. Stop being so f*cking precious you victims. |
Sometimes I think victimhood is an art form on here.
It is certainly self-inflicted. | |
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| Our fans... on 08:38 - Dec 15 with 1123 views | Batterseajack |
To some extent I agree with those who complain about the standard of performance or effort our club has been displaying on the pitch this season. The game was by far the worst bit of our trip to st gallen and if there weren't a load of bars to go to before and after the game, then I'd be really questioning why I bothered travelling out there.
What we want to see is the performances and passion our players displayed during the first two seasons in the prem, where our they seemed to play for more than just a wage. Even after some defeats, we'd walk away thinking "well at least we gave it a good go".
But surely, these substandard performances are down to the extra games we're playing in the Europa league? We were all predicting this could happen last season after winning the cup, yet I rarely see or read that on here as a possible explanation for our crap displays. Even spurs are finding it tough this year with their squad.
I accept that the extra games are taking their toll So that's why I would never be overly critical of our players this season. But I find if frustrating coming on this site these days reading utter crap from people who don't appear to think or even question why things appear as they are, and rather make a beeline for one of our fringe players. The reactionary bullshit on here is dull at best.
As for the original post, I'm somewhere between group 2 and 4, having been a glory hunter since the trundle era, been to plenty of shit grounds but always had it good and never been tested by hard times. | | | |
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