Is it ever right NOT to applaud the team off?

[Tooting Gull]

Sitting in the main stand last night, the support looked fantastic, full even at the ends not just the middle of that end. Just a shame it wasn't given much to sing about.

Some people drifted off after the third, understandably, but there was a good hard core who stayed, many who offered surprisingly generous applause to the players afterwards.

Over the 20 years I've been going, I never leave early, and nearly always clap the team off. But isn't there a point where you shouldn't? What message is it sending, after a particularly dire display, if they get that anyway?

These guys love to be loved, but last night should really have hurt them, they should still be feeling it today, tomorrow, and for Saturday. Let's not delude ourselves, they were humiliated, ripped apart by a very young Brentford side, whose average age must have been about 21/22, without several strikers, who could easily have won by more.

I imagine there's a split on this, let's hear it.

 

[Dandyman]

I don't generally think booing a side helps, but equally last night was not IMHO deserving of any applause.

 

[Beeneys gloves]

Of course its right, see the booing thread

I always stay to the end and vented my frustrations last night, only clapped Cullip last night as he had the decency to stand there and show his gratitude

 

[Faldo]

I stayed...

I clapped...

I reckon those players hurt as much as the rest of us - A bit of support to lift their heads I dont think is unreasonable (although perhaps difficult to justify).

Roll on Saturday!

 

[Bwian]

I will always applaud the team off at the end of a game..IF they deserve it.

Last night they didn't. They were awful and THEY should have come over to us and apologised individually for the embarrassing display they gave. They always seem to put on a crap display when we have such a huge away following-mostly anyway.

Maybe that's the problem, our away support? Could be that the home teams raise their games against us because of the numbers we bring?

 

[Faldo]

Of course its right, see the booing thread

I always stay to the end and vented my frustrations last night, only clapped Cullip last night as he had the decency to stand there and show his gratitude

Aye - My applause was mostly for Cullip (and maybe a little for Rouge). The others seemed to shirk off embarassed. They know they were shit. They dont need abuse from us to remind them (before butter stops melting in my mouth, I admit to giving Jonah some stick in the first half).

 

[Tooting Gull]

I was watching the game with a Brentford fan mate, the last three times he's seen us has been the last 4-0 there, when we eventually won the league, he was at the Palace 5-0 with another mate, and now last night when we were top. Trying to explain to him that these were isolated incidents and we aren't the worst team he's ever seen was an utter waste of time, he was loving it.

 

[Faldo]

So it his fault!!

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

I'm no fan of booing but as a long standing supporter of the club it's my right to boo the team off when I think they deserve it. Palace last year was simply one of the most spineless performances I have ever seen in 30 years of supporting the club. I booed the team then as I booed them last night.

I'm never happy when Albion lose but obviously it's a part of the game and sometimes you have to say fair enough when your team is outplayed or even outfought, whatever. All this is tolerable as long as I feel the players have put 100% into the match.

There's no way anyone's going to tell me that the player's put it 100% last night. It was a disgraceful performance and they deserved the boos.

Booing the team off should rightly be reserved for the rare occasions which really merit it. Last night was such an occasion.

 

[watsongooal]

Did rouge acknoledge us? and did he get any chants?

 

[Braders]

i always clap but you pay the money you have the choice

 

[Beeneys gloves]

Rouge got a couple of la la chants and a nice reception at the end, started kissing his hand and pointing at us, u know he would jump at the chance to re-sign if it was offered

 

[Man of Harveys]

I was watching the game with a Brentford fan mate, the last three times he's seen us has been the last 4-0 there, when we eventually won the league, he was at the Palace 5-0 with another mate, and now last night when we were top. Trying to explain to him that these were isolated incidents and we aren't the worst team he's ever seen was an utter waste of time, he was loving it.

For god's sake, get him to stay away in future, we've suffered enough.

 

[zefarelly]

the one time when I felt the players didnt even deserve their kit, wages or jobs, was Palace last season, it was the most gutless humiliating inept and heartless performance I have ever seen, Ive been on the recieving end of some pretty bad tonkings as a kid playing for local teams, and I know what its like, but these guys are professional players and employees of the club/company.

If I performed like that at work I'd get a written warning or worse.

I left 20 minutes early that day . . . .not something I do normally, but I was ashamed, embarassed, and I'd have been delayed in my journey home by 2 hours because of the fuzz

 

[Yorkie]

I'm no fan of booing but as a long standing supporter of the club it's my right to boo the team off when I think they deserve it. Palace last year was simply one of the most spineless performances I have ever seen in 30 years of supporting the club. I booed the team then as I booed them last night.

I'm never happy when Albion lose but obviously it's a part of the game and sometimes you have to say fair enough when your team is outplayed or even outfought, whatever. All this is tolerable as long as I feel the players have put 100% into the match.

There's no way anyone's going to tell me that the player's put it 100% last night. It was a disgraceful performance and they deserved the boos.

Booing the team off should rightly be reserved for the rare occasions which really merit it. Last night was such an occasion.

Do you give 100% at work every day? How would you feel if your boss stood and booed you in front of your colleagues?

I agree with not clapping enthusiastically when we have been defeated. Just clapping politely gives the same message.

When we have won the enthusiastic and prolonged applause says it all.

I don't think humiliating the team will do their confidence any good. Those who think fans are humiliated by their teams perfomance should grow up. Teams do get beaten (sometimes inexplicably - look at Wolves record against Brighton) and it is all part of the game.

 

[Faldo]

Cant remember any Rouge chats during the "game" but he came over to us at the end.

 

[Beeneys gloves]

Do you give 100% at work every day? How would you feel if your boss stood and booed you in front of your colleagues?

I agree with not clapping enthusiastically when we have been defeated. Just clapping politely gives the same message.

When we have won the enthusiastic and prolonged applause says it all.

I don't think humiliating the team will do their confidence any good. Those who think fans are humiliated by their teams perfomance should grow up. Teams do get beaten (sometimes inexplicably - look at Wolves record against Brighton) and it is all part of the game.

Yeah but my work colleagues dont travel how ever many miles and pay hard earned money to watch me work

They were shit, they deserved to be told that

Thats the first time in ages theyve been booed and hopefully they will have been hurt by it, wont want to hear it again and will majorly pull their socks up. They're professional footballers not babies and can expect some stick if theyr not up to the job

 

[Tooting Gull]

Yorkie, I agree with your general sentiment that people often go way over the top about a defeat sometimes. They happen, if a team has tried and lost then fair enough. But surely its misplaced on this thread. Yesterday wasn't just a defeat, it was an annhilation. The usual rules perhaps don't apply.

There are rare occasions when cages need to be rattled, it needs to be made sure that any complacency is removed. For what its worth I thought we were trying last night, its just that virtually everyone performed at about 10 per cent of their ability. I'm not sure that's better.

 

[Willow]

How anyone can clap the players off after a performance like that amazes me! By clapping a shite performance like last night it actually devalues the applause we give them when they actually deserve it. I will always applaud them in defeat if the effort and pride have been there but there was no sign of either last night.

 

[Stuart Munday]

People spend alot of money going to away games, some probably took the day off yesterday.
After a gutless performance like that they deserve what they got.