A few years ago I was dining in Nando’s when Charles N’Zogbia and Tim Krul were given the table next to ours. Almost immediately my friend was interrogating the Frenchman over rumours of a move to Fulhamwhich he took in very good spirits and after a few minutes of chatting, interceded with a few laughs, we departed awestruck by the fact these players actually agreed to spark up a conversation with us. A few months later we saw N’Zogbia in Tesco and again he was happy to engage in cordial chat whilst we waited at the checkout. He was really nice guy and a shadow of the stroppy teenager he resembles on the field and in the press.
Even Alan Smith and Sol Campbell were happy enough to exchange a few words with fan after fan whilst they sat drinking their coffee outside a cafe in Jesmond. You might think it’s nothing but it allows fans to see that these players are, like them, just human beings and it goes along way to building that rapport which has scare in todays game. Interacting with the fans gives players a gauge on how fond the former is of them.
I’m glad to see Villa are trying to build bridges between their players and fans and making the latter buy into the city and the club. Just a small chat or a photo with a fan can help players buy into the idea of the club, the city and the people that turn up week in week out and scream their throats raw in support. Interacting with the fans gives players a gauge on how fond the former is of them. Establishing that relationship can be an important factor in players developing ties with supporters and club which could lead an increased feeling of loyalty. Could Villa’s scheme of requiring their players to develop greater links in the community make it harder for them to disappoint fans and lead to them becoming devoted to honouring their contract and giving fans the success they deserve?
I’m starting to sound like a stark raving football romanticist. There is no guarantee’s that Villa’s idea will bear fruit and cause a players level of loyalty to shoot through the roof. It’s a wonderful albeit convoluted concept and I hope it works and leads to more clubs adopting the same rule. Whilst the consequences could be dire i’d rather focus on the positives rather than the negatives right now. Football certainly needs a whole lot of positives these days.
Written by Jak Penny for FootballfanCast.com
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