army ali
New member
One of the problems with football today is Social Media. In the old days (c1976 and onwards), we would turn up at the ground and pay to get in. The information about fixtures was either in the match day programme, the Argus or the fixture list card you got at the beginning of the season. Information rarely came out about the club aside from rumour, the Argus or Tony Millard via the Seagull line (8049…..). We never had 24/7 discussions about football and how much better we could manage the Team as opposed to the current manager at the time. I used to go to every match with an excited ness that was borne from the last game and not knowing hardly anything about what was going on. My information was gained from the match I attended. I sang, I shouted, I jumped around when we scored, we spoke about how good it was in the car or train home. When we got home, I might re-enact the game through subbuteo but that was it (apart from banter in the playground). It would all start again for the next home game.
Social Media feeds our need to be continuously connected and provides a platform for us to vent our fury from behind the safety of our keyboards. It can be extremely destructive and divisive because we feel compelled to express our knowledge and evidence based opinion on very little ground. It always amuses me that the definition of supporters is ‘a commonality of sentiment, shared understanding, emotion and passion towards one particular team (follower, devotee, enthusiast etc)’ but yet we can’t even agree on getting behind the team consistently!
Social Media also breeds a level of expectation as ‘our’ frenzy continues to build with every comment or opinion made. I will ask this question – ‘What right does a Football Team have to win every match?’
My personal opinion is that Social Media is now depriving us of our basic love for our team and the excitement of going to watch is tainted by our levels expectations generated by the incessant connectedness.
Now, lets look at some of the facts of our recent history in the Championship of which there are (yes I dare say it), bigger clubs than us who fail to break into the Premiership (Leeds, Forest, Leicester et al). Where we are now is actually amazing when you look at the issues surrounding the club this season (Poyet, injuries, FFP to name a few). To be where we are is nothing short of superb and I for one have total faith in our new manager (OG) who goes about his business with an assuredness of calm, composure and tact (unlike the previous incumbent). We are 9th in a division which boasts teams with wealth and strength of depth; it is extremely competitive (more so now than when we started a couple of seasons ago) and it will continue to get stronger. We are attacking more.
I watched some horror games under Poyet (Coventry away, Wrexham away even Woking away) and the writing was on the walls how far he could take us from way back in League 1 where we failed to beat our closest rivals in the league (Soton, Huddersfield). However, we also played some great football, some of which is the best I have witnessed and praise should be afforded to Poyet for introducing a style of football to be admired. Poyet has now gone-fact.
We have a new manager who has inherited an aging team that no doubt will serve us well this season (wherever we finish) and I suspect there will be a few new faces come the summer months. No point in spending millions on players during January which potentially can disrupt a team (I personally think it should be scrapped) and that money would be wisely spent on new players in the close season. OG needs to build HIS team and he already acknowledges the youth players coming through the Development Squad (previous incumbent ignored them). This is our own home grown talent and this is what requires the investment to offer sustainability of our club in a ‘space’ where many clubs build foundations on sand only to see them washed away quickly when they can’t meet the tide of expectation. League 1 and then 2 often follows quickly (Wolves, Coventry, Pompey et al).
I too get disappointed when we lose, (even angry (Coventry) but not this season). I want to see our club do well and I also think that we supporters have a big part to play in it. We should be the twelfth man and fully get behind the team every game; we should be making the Amex a ‘wall of noise’ and intimidating for opposing teams. But we don’t. Why? Because we take into every game an expectation which may not be matched and we can’t hide our personal disappointments. We have lost a united ness that was once there very recently (withdean). It can be clawed back but only if we come together (cue fight them on the beaches speech) and shout as one.
I think we can make the play offs and I have every faith in how the club is being run. I like what I see and I honestly believe we will get to the Premiership shortly and our stay there will be more than 4 seasons long.
Thank you. Chest cleared (cough splutter).
Social Media feeds our need to be continuously connected and provides a platform for us to vent our fury from behind the safety of our keyboards. It can be extremely destructive and divisive because we feel compelled to express our knowledge and evidence based opinion on very little ground. It always amuses me that the definition of supporters is ‘a commonality of sentiment, shared understanding, emotion and passion towards one particular team (follower, devotee, enthusiast etc)’ but yet we can’t even agree on getting behind the team consistently!
Social Media also breeds a level of expectation as ‘our’ frenzy continues to build with every comment or opinion made. I will ask this question – ‘What right does a Football Team have to win every match?’
My personal opinion is that Social Media is now depriving us of our basic love for our team and the excitement of going to watch is tainted by our levels expectations generated by the incessant connectedness.
Now, lets look at some of the facts of our recent history in the Championship of which there are (yes I dare say it), bigger clubs than us who fail to break into the Premiership (Leeds, Forest, Leicester et al). Where we are now is actually amazing when you look at the issues surrounding the club this season (Poyet, injuries, FFP to name a few). To be where we are is nothing short of superb and I for one have total faith in our new manager (OG) who goes about his business with an assuredness of calm, composure and tact (unlike the previous incumbent). We are 9th in a division which boasts teams with wealth and strength of depth; it is extremely competitive (more so now than when we started a couple of seasons ago) and it will continue to get stronger. We are attacking more.
I watched some horror games under Poyet (Coventry away, Wrexham away even Woking away) and the writing was on the walls how far he could take us from way back in League 1 where we failed to beat our closest rivals in the league (Soton, Huddersfield). However, we also played some great football, some of which is the best I have witnessed and praise should be afforded to Poyet for introducing a style of football to be admired. Poyet has now gone-fact.
We have a new manager who has inherited an aging team that no doubt will serve us well this season (wherever we finish) and I suspect there will be a few new faces come the summer months. No point in spending millions on players during January which potentially can disrupt a team (I personally think it should be scrapped) and that money would be wisely spent on new players in the close season. OG needs to build HIS team and he already acknowledges the youth players coming through the Development Squad (previous incumbent ignored them). This is our own home grown talent and this is what requires the investment to offer sustainability of our club in a ‘space’ where many clubs build foundations on sand only to see them washed away quickly when they can’t meet the tide of expectation. League 1 and then 2 often follows quickly (Wolves, Coventry, Pompey et al).
I too get disappointed when we lose, (even angry (Coventry) but not this season). I want to see our club do well and I also think that we supporters have a big part to play in it. We should be the twelfth man and fully get behind the team every game; we should be making the Amex a ‘wall of noise’ and intimidating for opposing teams. But we don’t. Why? Because we take into every game an expectation which may not be matched and we can’t hide our personal disappointments. We have lost a united ness that was once there very recently (withdean). It can be clawed back but only if we come together (cue fight them on the beaches speech) and shout as one.
I think we can make the play offs and I have every faith in how the club is being run. I like what I see and I honestly believe we will get to the Premiership shortly and our stay there will be more than 4 seasons long.
Thank you. Chest cleared (cough splutter).
