Next weeks planned protest - not in my name

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

To those making the argument for protesting DURING the game.

Lets go back about 2/3 years when we were half decent and knocking on the door of a Champions league place. Imagine there were a couple of games to go and we had an away game against a team towards the bottom and we want that win to propel us into that magical top 4.
The home fans are either going to:-
 1) Make a whole load of noise and encourage their team to stop us.
 2) Have protest banners and generally slag off their own team and management.

Which option would we be hoping they go for ?     

[ktvillan]

Fans were good today.

Couldn't hear any anti-McLeish stuff during the game...just support for the players.

Then he got what he deserved at the final whistle for that second half.

Which is how it should be.

And you'll probably get to do it all over again next season, because the limited support for the protests has probably ensured that the useless lump of a manager will be retained by the useless lump of an owner.  I doubt that moron will get the message until there's a virtual riot at VP.   

[Chipsticks]

I was very happy with our support yesterday. We made a lot of noise, got behind the team, and the protests were held off until the final whistle. And as a result, we got that point we so desperately needed, which any club in the country would consider a decent, if not great result.

[ktvillan]

To those making the argument for protesting DURING the game.

Lets go back about 2/3 years when we were half decent and knocking on the door of a Champions league place. Imagine there were a couple of games to go and we had an away game against a team towards the bottom and we want that win to propel us into that magical top 4.
The home fans are either going to:-
 1) Make a whole load of noise and encourage their team to stop us.
 2) Have protest banners and generally slag off their own team and management.

Which option would we be hoping they go for ?     

"slag off their own team and management."

Flawed argument - I didn't see anyone advocating slagging off the team.

[ktvillan]

I was very happy with our support yesterday. We made a lot of noise, got behind the team, and the protests were held off until the final whistle. And as a result, we got that point we so desperately needed, which any club in the country would consider a decent, if not great result.

Another flawed argument - there is no proof that the point gained was a direct consequence of the fans getting behind the team. 

[midnite]

Of course you can't ever prove that a win, lose or draw is a direct consequence of an atmosphere at a football ground. But surely with a team's confidence as fragile as egg shells, booing the manager all game and being pretty hostile wouldn't not of helped gain the point we needed.

[Dribbler]

At the end of the day, if you continue to pay money to the club despite whatever dross they deliver, they will more than likely continue to deliver such dross because they know they have a captive fan base that will support the 'team' whatever the situation and so they can 'get away with it'.

Ultimately for most football club owners football is a business, however they know that they are in an enviable position where they can generally ignore the wishes of its customers because those customers are also supporters to whom it is more than a business and many of them will continue to pay money anyway.

[andyh]

The 'support' from the crowd yesterday was at it loudest when singing about our neighbours.......again.

[Dribbler]

Of course you can't ever prove that a win, lose or draw is a direct consequence of an atmosphere at a football ground. But surely with a team's confidence as fragile as egg shells, booing the manager all game and being pretty hostile wouldn't not of helped gain the point we needed.

Winning, losing or drawing is a direct consequence of goals scored or conceeded, not of crowds cheering or jeering.

It says it all however if we think we have to rely on the crowd to steal a point from a team 1-0 down and a player down.

[Chipsticks]

I was very happy with our support yesterday. We made a lot of noise, got behind the team, and the protests were held off until the final whistle. And as a result, we got that point we so desperately needed, which any club in the country would consider a decent, if not great result.

Another flawed argument - there is no proof that the point gained was a direct consequence of the fans getting behind the team. 

Well we created probably the best home support we've seen all season and got a great result. I know correlation doesn't prove causation but I refuse to believe the two aren't related.

[Risso]

A point against Spurs "a great result"?  You are Alex McLeish and I claim my five pounds.

[ktvillan]

It's an oft-quoted argument by the anti-protest lobby, midnite, but there is no way of proving it one way or the other, so why invoke it?  And I'm not sure anyone has advocated booing the manager all game.  As others have said before, there is no reason why you cannot intersperse vocal support for the the players with vocal criticism of the manager and owner.  I'd like to think the players have the brains to tell the difference.       

[Pete3206]

Well, it doesn't particularly "float my boat" but, looking at the season rather than just one match, is there anything wrong in trying to express disapproval and disappointment, as long as it is civil? It might not change anything, but doing nothing certainly won't.

Not at all, do what you like.

[Chipsticks]

A point against Spurs "a great result"?  You are Alex McLeish and I claim my five pounds.

I know that we could've won the game with the red card and taking the lead etc. But can you really say that you wouldn't have been chuffed with the point before the game? Spurs are one of the best teams in the country, and while we're in the position we find ourselves in, I think it's ridiculous to not be delighted with getting something out of that game.

[Clampy]

A point against Spurs "a great result"?  You are Alex McLeish and I claim my five pounds.

I think it was an unexpected result more than anything. For once, it was a welcome point i suppose.