Written by Oscar Pye-Jeary
With the sudden and completely unexpected onset of the same weather we had last year, the general confusion over which, if any SPOTY nominees actually constituted sportsmen and early reports of leaves on the line at Penge, sport seems to have been cancelled for the foreseeable future. With this in mind now seems as good a time as any to gather our thoughts for the new year and one thought I’ve been having rather recurrently – and fittingly for the panto season – regards an old phenomena that’s been steadily rising in popularity these last 12 months.
Booing has undergone somewhat of a populist revival (or resurrection if you will) at English football grounds of late, and despite its ever increasing ubiquitous-ness, it’s still an issue which divides fans. The main contention being its appropriateness or in short – the question of whether it is something real fans should do? (which I of course realise isn’t that short at all).
Of course ‘Things that real fans should and shouldn’t do’ is a contentious, constantly shifting and deeply hypocritical tome anyway, and one which can consist of up to 15 directly contradictory things at any one time. Hating and booing opposition players is a given, the level of hatred depending on many factors but it’s suffice to say that any Liverpool fan should on no account ever admit to quite liking Gary Neville’s beard. Willingness (or at least pretend willingness) to put your devotion to a group of well toned physically fit men in coloured uniforms ahead of any loyalty to your loving family is also mandatory, along with the constant threatening abuse of the referee, regardless of his actual performance and the disapproval and non-use ever, ever, ever of cheap elongated plastic horns.
Booing your team however remains an activity that many fans still decry. “It’s not the done thing, you don’t boo your own. Supporters support” etc, etc. The belief being it’s a nouveau phenomena, brought in by the plastic and prawn brigades – the new type of fan who sees football as entertainment rather than a contest and demands satisfaction more often than the experience can reasonably offer. In short (and actually short this time) spoiled c**ts.
This, at least, is the theory. It’s one I’ve heard espoused regularly by the Alan Greens of this world (and all the callers he graciously allows air time when they agree with him) whenever the Wembley crowd tear themselves away from Mexican waving long enough to pay attention to the football only to realise it’s utterly woeful.
I’ve heard it on message boards and phone-ins whenever the Emirates, Anfield or (as was the case on Monday night) Eastlands reverberates to a bassy tone after the home team fails to perform, or even at the perpetually successful Old Trafford when earlier this year the returning Wayne Rooney was booed by a section of his own faithful just as John Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole have been at Wembley Terminal 5.
But amongst all the points scoring and top fanning of whether it’s “propa” or not, I feel a more interesting conversation is being overlooked. Because of all the booed-out games I’ve attended (and I attend most England games – Algeria included – so you can imagine the abuse my shells have suffered), I’ve rarely noticed much of a divide in the “type” of fan booing. In fact in that infamous Algeria game in Cape Town the majority of abuse was coming from the gnarled veterans behind the goals. So is it really a new type of fan? Or is it more accurately a new type of reaction to a new type of player?
Booing has undergone somewhat of a populist revival (or resurrection if you will) at English football grounds of late, and despite its ever increasing ubiquitous-ness, it’s still an issue which divides fans.