[Archived] Never Again !

[thenodrog]

Look ... I didn't want to drag this up again ... things seemed to be getting better on here recently ... but I felt obliged to defend my corner after reading post #255 and the flurry of responses it stirred-up.

I have always been of the belief that protests during the game are counter-productive ... and nothing that has happened in the last couple of seasons has changed that view. "But we beat Arsenal after the first organized protest!" ... is the usual response when the subject is brought-up ... but unless my memory is playing tricks there was no overt sign of protest during the game that day. Contrast that with what happened during the West Brom, Bolton and Wigan games. Even Chelsea at home (as has been previously mentioned) you could see the plucky performance visibly ebb away to the accompaniment of the drone of the aircraft as it circled endlessly over Ewood.

Managers and coaches work tirelessly with players trying to extract the last few percentage points of improvement from performances. In the same way they meticulously account for each and every calorie consumed, they use psychology to ensure a player is in the right frame of mind. Can you honestly say that the poisonous atmosphere generated during certain games did not 'play with the heads' of our players and effect performances? Truthfully?

I agree that before the Arsenal game the protest was made by people committed enough to go early and march down Bolton Road / Livesey Branch.

The rest of your post is made up rubbish ES. You appear to have completely forgotten.....

1. People who agreed not to protest during the Spurs game and wait until after the match were purposely drowned out by the loud speakers!

2. Anybody in yellow shirts was targetted by stewards.

3. Supporters were searched before entry.

The club brought protest on themselves.

Furthermore many people who couldn't be arsed to demean themselves marching down Bolton Road with the oiks in a proper fashion subsequently after more and more anti supporter actions by the club did feel the need to register their feelings during the match........ Maybe if they had been bribed with a free holiday and a curry or three they might have stood more in line.

btw I think post #263 stirred up just as much response if not more. But then again it was meant to wasn't it?

[thenodrog]

What's more frustrating is that you know all this, you're not stupid, but you still play the party line AND blame the fans over Kean.

That really is most odd. ES simply must have an agenda ....but whatever it is it's well hidden.

[Amo]

I'd still love to know where all this "warming to Venky's" stuff is coming from. It's true that people have been less vociferous about our Indian 'friends', but I'd put that down to the fact that last season we had a weekly dose of propaganda from Shagnew & Shebby and a revolving door of managers, not to mention the fresh wound of relegation. No matter how underwhelming our current pre-season might be, on the surface there is some semblance of normality at the club. We have a manager who's getting on with the job, making his own signings, and not a Preston spin-doctor or Z-list media personality in sight. Does that mean that everything's hunky-dory and the club's not one Venky's brainwave away from another meltdown? By no means. But the fans don't really have any outlet for their frustrations and it's become a lot easier for them to acquiesce to events on the pitch rather than being distracted by the usual sideshow. It doesn't, however, mean that anyone has forgotten or forgiven the legacy they've left a once established PL club with. Not in the slightest.

[AggyBlue]

We had eighteen months of p1ss poor performances, with better players, before any protests took place.

Was that the fans fault too?

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

I'd still love to know where all this "warming to Venky's" stuff is coming from. It's true that people have been less vociferous about our Indian 'friends', but I'd put that down to the fact that last season we had a weekly dose of propaganda from Shagnew & Shebby and a revolving door of managers, not to mention the fresh wound of relegation. No matter how underwhelming our current pre-season might be, on the surface there is some semblance of normality at the club. We have a manager who's getting on with the job, making his own signings, and not a Preston spin-doctor or Z-list media personality in sight. Does that mean that everything's hunky-dory and the club's not one Venky's brainwave away from another meltdown? By no means. But the fans don't really have any outlet for their frustrations and it's become a lot easier for them to acquiesce to events on the pitch rather than being distracted by the usual sideshow. It doesn't, however, mean that anyone has forgotten or forgiven the legacy they've left a once established PL club with. Not in the slightest.

If thats based only on this site then you're probably right. But I don't think this site is representative of our fanbase in general. There are other boards who regard this one as an extremist anti-Venky faction, and talking to the bloke in the pub or the guy in the stand there seems to be far less hostility and in some cases an understanding sympathy towards their recent actions. One of the consistent aspects of history is that people do forgive and forget, and football fans seem to have shorter memories than most. I just hope Venkys going from doing stupid things to doing nothing isn't rewarded with appreciation by anyone. They have (quite literally) still done nothing to earn it.