I have often wondered whether the crowd can actually put an opposition player off enough to make him miss a penalty. The usual booing, shouting abuse, waving of the arms etc just doesn't seem to do it, so I have come up with a solution.
First of all, this would not work at Withdean. It would need to be somewhere with a decent sized stand or terrace behind the goal. Falmer, possibly.
When the penalty has been awarded and the ensuing arguments / bookings etc have died down and the kicker is preparing to take it, the crowd behind the goal should just sit down in their seats completely quietly and not try to put the player off at all, as if completely resigned to the fact he is going to score. Stay like this during the run up until he is just about to kick the ball, then just before he makes contact the entire stand jumps out of their seats, stick their arms in the air and shout RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAARGGGGHHHHH all at the same time.
I'm no professional footballer (although I have been involved in trophy winning teams in Waterhall Pitch Invasion) but if this happened to me I would shit myself and probably balloon the ball over the bar. The first time it happened anyway.
And imagine the feeling of knowing that you, as part of the crowd had just made an opposition player miss a penalty. Surely the highest level of influence on a game you are ever likely to have.
Could it work?
First of all, this would not work at Withdean. It would need to be somewhere with a decent sized stand or terrace behind the goal. Falmer, possibly.
When the penalty has been awarded and the ensuing arguments / bookings etc have died down and the kicker is preparing to take it, the crowd behind the goal should just sit down in their seats completely quietly and not try to put the player off at all, as if completely resigned to the fact he is going to score. Stay like this during the run up until he is just about to kick the ball, then just before he makes contact the entire stand jumps out of their seats, stick their arms in the air and shout RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAARGGGGHHHHH all at the same time.
I'm no professional footballer (although I have been involved in trophy winning teams in Waterhall Pitch Invasion) but if this happened to me I would shit myself and probably balloon the ball over the bar. The first time it happened anyway.
And imagine the feeling of knowing that you, as part of the crowd had just made an opposition player miss a penalty. Surely the highest level of influence on a game you are ever likely to have.
Could it work?
