The Diary

Cod Almighty | Diary

It might not be pretty, but it won't get prettier for fans booing

18 September 2017

Trentside Diary writes: It was good to get two consecutive wins for the first time this season. It's all the more impressive when you realise Accrington are in an automatic promotion place and we halted their strong start. We now have 12 points from a possible 24, exactly the same as the same point in 2015-16 and two more than in 2016-17. We are still in the bottom half of the league because of goal difference but we're only one point off a play-off place. There is a long way to go but that feels a bit better.

According to the muppet in front of me at Mansfield last week, I only think positive thoughts because I'm a season ticket holder and we think everything in the garden's rosy. Well, let me tell you something: I don't. I just don't think we should be in a state of panic yet and I don't believe in abusing our own players.

The discussion started about 20 minutes into the match because he was directing a stream of abuse at Jimmy Mack, who was close enough to hear him. It was 0-0 and by the end of the game Mansfield would have had six or seven if it hadn't been for our keeper. Anyway, muppet told me he'd paid his money so he'd say what he liked to McKeown. He didn't understand the idea of being the twelfth man – "it's the manager's job to motivate the players" – and anyway "women shouldn't come to football, you know nothing about it".

I thought I'd managed to put said muppet to the back of my mind and move on but I think half of his family were in the Pontoon on Saturday. They were probably the muppets booing Vernon when he came on. Why do they do that? There are always players you're going to like more than others, but why would you boo one of your own team? Is it just Town fans who are really bad for this? Yes, you pay your money, but if you honestly do care about the fate of our club, why would you boo a player? Do you really think that is going to motivate him to have the game of his life? Surely if it has any effect it's going to be negative.


Perhaps we should follow some of these muppets to work and stand hurling abuse at them – see if it improves their performance? As a club we're not glamorous and we don't appear to have much money. We don't hand out long contracts and, for those who remember the days when half the team were local lads, we seem to have an ever-revolving squad with very few players who we know and care about. Maybe when these players are deciding whether to stay or move on, after weighing up the money offered, the respect – or lack of it – will have an effect.

We did two play-off finals in a row and there we did ourselves proud. The support during both matches was passionate and consistent. We didn't boo at the final whistle in 2015 because we didn't get the result we wanted. We were devastated but we pulled together to achieve Operation Promotion out of the pain. Why can't we be more like that the rest of the time?

I didn't want Slade back because I don't like hoofball, but for now I'll settle for a string of decent results. Some fans seem to forget that this isn't the Nou Camp or, given our weather, Turf Moor. Yes, I want to see decent football – but this is the fourth division in English football and we've got a string of players who are just finding their feet.

So I will clap three points in the bag and three wins in the last four games. Let's go with "it's tough but doable and we're right behind you" for once and let's see where that gets us.