The Booing of Ashley Cole

[Secret Site Agent]

Listening to the England Game the commentators ALL pilloried the booing of Ashley Cole. Basically they said that he made a mistake and what do the 'Fans' believe they are accomplishing by booing him.

 

I thought to myself, 'We do that to our own players'.

 

So, if the professional pundits believe this is non-constructive and 'deplorable' behaviour to someone on the international stage, what would they think of us?

 

Is it time, maybe that we kept our displeasure to the end of the game? Stop the booing when it can inpact on performance?

 

Basically, better more experienced footballing heads than mine are discusted with the booing, should we stamp it out for our youngsters?

 

I am really interested in your opinion, so remember only constructive, cogent debate, please.

[Arizona]

Listening to the England Game the commentators ALL pilloried the booing of Ashley Cole. Basically they said that he made a mistake and what do the 'Fans' believe they are accomplishing by booing him.

 

I thought to myself, 'We do that to our own players'.

 

So, if the professional pundits believe this is non-constructive and 'deplorable' behaviour to someone on the international stage, what would they think of us?

 

Is it time, maybe that we kept our displeasure to the end of the game? Stop the booing when it can inpact on performance?

 

Basically, better more experienced footballing heads than mine are discusted with the booing, should we stamp it out for our youngsters?

 

I am really interested in your opinion, so remember only constructive, cogent debate, please.

 

I am aware of very little booing towards our players whilst the game is in progress. The only instances I can remember were Jermaine Wright at home to Barnsley last year, and then Wright and Euell at home to Plymouth.

 

I haven't been to any games this season, have I missed any booing? I know it goes on after the match, but IMO that's fair enough after you've just spent 2 hours of you life you'll never get back watching games like Blackpool.

 

Incidentally, I have been out of the UK for several months and I've missed the gossip. Why are we booing Cashley at the moment?

[GAS]

Listening to the England Game the commentators ALL pilloried the booing of Ashley Cole. Basically they said that he made a mistake and what do the 'Fans' believe they are accomplishing by booing him.

 

I thought to myself, 'We do that to our own players'.

 

So, if the professional pundits believe this is non-constructive and 'deplorable' behaviour to someone on the international stage, what would they think of us?

 

Is it time, maybe that we kept our displeasure to the end of the game? Stop the booing when it can inpact on performance?

 

Basically, better more experienced footballing heads than mine are discusted with the booing, should we stamp it out for our youngsters?

 

I am really interested in your opinion, so remember only constructive, cogent debate, please.

Agree. Booing serves no purpose what so ever, other than to have a negative effect on players performance. No player goes on the pitch to deliberately play bad and make mistakes, but bad performances and mistakes do happen. our young team needs encouragement, anyone who boos them should take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror. Oh yeh, and they should shut the f**k up.

[dubai_phil]

To be honest, without starting the whole politics at SMS thing, I think that it is a growing trend across fans in general.

 

We (fans in general) had already become fed up with the stupidity of many players - tabloid exposure type stuff. We had felt disenfranchised from the game because of the ludicrous amounts of money in it.

 

Then you have Cole who has to be fair shown himself to be an arrogant tw*t both on and off the field, Lampard & Gerrard who when playing together look like they should be in the Tyro league and Cole makes a mistake that would have led to a pub team player getting a slap.

 

Personally I think it's wrong to boo your team during a game but I've heard Saints fans boo Alan Ball & Steve Williams amongst other legends and in the current climate when so many paid out to see what should have been a romp in the park and were given 75 minutes of sh*te, who can blame them.

 

To be honest, the soomer players in general stop acting like Holllywood wannabe celebs, they deserve all that they get ESPECIALLY in the current climate.

 

Perhaps tomorrow we can read the interview - Ashley Cole "I've been a total tw*t for too long and I'm sorry and I'm donating the next two months salary to xyz charity.." but I won't hold my breath

[TopGun]

Saints? Move to the Lounge.

[GAS]

To be honest, without starting the whole politics at SMS thing, I think that it is a growing trend across fans in general.

 

We (fans in general) had already become fed up with the stupidity of many players - tabloid exposure type stuff. We had felt disenfranchised from the game because of the ludicrous amounts of money in it.

 

Then you have Cole who has to be fair shown himself to be an arrogant tw*t both on and off the field, Lampard & Gerrard who when playing together look like they should be in the Tyro league and Cole makes a mistake that would have led to a pub team player getting a slap.

 

Personally I think it's wrong to boo your team during a game but I've heard Saints fans boo Alan Ball & Steve Williams amongst other legends and in the current climate when so many paid out to see what should have been a romp in the park and were given 75 minutes of sh*te, who can blame them.

 

To be honest, the soomer players in general stop acting like Holllywood wannabe celebs, they deserve all that they get ESPECIALLY in the current climate.

 

Perhaps tomorrow we can read the interview - Ashley Cole "I've been a total tw*t for too long and I'm sorry and I'm donating the next two months salary to xyz charity.." but I won't hold my breath

We won 5-1????

[team-saint]

I thought apart from that incident he had a good game (but I would still prefer Bridgey obviously )

[Micky]

The fans only started to boo AC after he had gifted them a goal, upto that point he had not been singled out. After his error though he was booed every time he got the ball for about 10 - 15 minutes. After that the boos were drowned out by other fans cheering him.

 

Fans are fickle, over the course of a game where England struggled at first, eventually took the lead, gifted the opposition a goal and then eventually won 5 - 1, I should think some of the fans probably didn't know whether to cheer or boo.

 

Personally I don't see what booing a player during the game achieves - but no doubt those that went will argue that they paid their money and are therefore well within their rights to pillory the players at will.

[Secret Site Agent]

Saints? Move to the Lounge.

 

Why, the booing of AC has started a debate on the moral of booing our team.

 

Sorry TG.

[dubai_phil]

We won 5-1????

 

Obviously you didn't watch it:-)

 

From here apart from the result it was like watching the Charlton at home game last year. You sort of knew what they were supposed to be able to do on the pitch as a team but...

 

Talk about winning ugly

[Redbul]

It was a schoolboy error. The most he should have got was a few "What the **** do you think you're doing!!!!" Booing him served no purpose whatsoever.

[Alain Perrin]

I am aware of very little booing towards our players whilst the game is in progress. The only instances I can remember were Jermaine Wright at home to Barnsley last year, and then Wright and Euell at home to Plymouth.

 

I haven't been to any games this season, have I missed any booing? I know it goes on after the match, but IMO that's fair enough after you've just spent 2 hours of you life you'll never get back watching games like Blackpool.

 

Incidentally, I have been out of the UK for several months and I've missed the gossip. Why are we booing Cashley at the moment?

 

Far more incidents than those you list. Add Kelvin, Crouch, Bennett, Fuller and Wright (again and again). It's not necessarily the booing, just the general negativity when a pass is mislaid or the wrong decision made. If people think the players don't pick up on it they are wrong. If it makes them nervous, they'll take less risks and end up not being creative enough to win games.

 

Kelvin Davis is an object lesson in how having confidence can improve your performance.

[Micky]

It was a schoolboy error. The most he should have got was a few "What the **** do you think you're doing!!!!" Booing him served no purpose whatsoever.

 

Spot on - end of.

[saintjay77]

I dont know what the problem is tonight as the manager stated a couple of times in his interview that the fans were boo'ing Ashly Young!!!!

 

As for the real point though, I can understand boo'ing a substitution when we dont think the right one is being made and can understand boo'ing a result when the team (including the management) could have done allot better. But every player in a saints shirt on the pitch should be getting our support. As someone has said above they are not intentially making mistakes and are, or at least should be, following team orders in the position they are playing or how they play that position.

 

Some of the stick wright and Euell got last year was uncalled for even though I felt the same frustration.

[Guest Hacienda]

It was a schoolboy error. The most he should have got was a few "What the **** do you think you're doing!!!!" Booing him served no purpose whatsoever.

 

The vast majority of match going England fans don't rate him, view him as the perfect example of what's wrong with the English game but would like to **** his wife.

 

That's why the boo and 'kin right n all.

[AndyNorthernSaints]

I think Cashly Cole is a **** but booing him during the 90 mins playing for England is stupid.

Personally i think it was a mistake building the new Wembley. England got better support when they played around the country. Italy and Germany etc don't have a Wembley type stadium and play at different club grounds.

[St Marco]

Personally i can see both sides to the argument but i think the view of booing is wrong is probably from the side who actually don't pay much to watch the games. I don't like it when players are booed. As mentioned it has a negative effect on the team which in turn just makes it even harder to win. However some games this season and many last season players deserved to get booed. They are people who make vast amounts of money out of our pockets and at bare minimum you expect a little bit of effort from them. If you or i were told "right you run round that pitch for 90mins and i will give you £8k" i'm pretty certain majority of you will give it your all.

 

The problem is players can put in gash appearences and hide and nothing will happen to them. If you and i went into our jobs with some of those mentalities i doubt we would survive long. I'm not going to single any players out but some of their games have been nothing short of criminal. No effort nor any willingness to want to try. If they have that attitude and go out there and not give a **** then i expect them to take stick from the fans.

 

Our club has been through a lot and over the past 4-5 seasons we have had a lot of players on high wages who simply have not produced enough for the club. This in turn has contributed to our demise on and off the pitch. But those players then move on to a different club and don't really care what happens to us. Only a select few do. That is football. If players do well they deserve the praise they get, but if they do awful and show an attitude of "i can't be arsed now" then they deserve all they get. Football is not cheap to watch, we are not there through charity, they are paid to be performers, that is their job. If they don't perform then they deserve it.

[Totton Red]

Unless he is coming to SFC on a loan deal who really cares about Ashley Cole?

[Denzil]

He deserves to be abused after the disgusting way he treated Cheryl Tweedy.

[corsacar saint]

People pay good money to watch England, so if they choose to boo a player that is their

prerogative. The fact that the player concerned is a money grabbing , sex cheat, probably does not help his cause.

[Nexstar]

Back from the england game and was a terrible mistake and yes got booed for quite a while.

 

But when people booed we went on to score 3 more goals, coincidence? I think not....

[Arizona]

Far more incidents than those you list. Add Kelvin, Crouch, Bennett, Fuller and Wright (again and again). It's not necessarily the booing, just the general negativity when a pass is mislaid or the wrong decision made. If people think the players don't pick up on it they are wrong. If it makes them nervous, they'll take less risks and end up not being creative enough to win games.

 

Kelvin Davis is an object lesson in how having confidence can improve your performance.

 

I'd forgotten about Kelvin and Fuller, but did we really boo Bennett? I remember a few groans when his name was read out before the Cardiff game last season, but no booing.

 

To be honnest I think when it gets to a stage where a player is booed, they are usually playing so badly they shouldn't be on the pitch anyway. I remember when Wright got booed at home to Barnsley last season, he was playing so badly that even George took him off. Whilst I was at odds for those booing him, I think in those situations the manager needs to realise when a player is having an off day much sooner and take corrective action.

 

Another factor with Kelvin, Wright and Euell was that they all kept much better players out of the side, despite numerous poor performances. Kelvin keeping his place in the playoff season despite some very dodgy games and Bart playing well at the time. Wright and Euell seemingly undropable with Vignal and Skacel on the bench. Whilst I never booed them, it's things like that which p*ss me off most at football matches. Knowing it doesn't have to be that way.

[sotonist]

Ashley Cole wouldn't have been booed for a silly mistake if he wasn't such a complete ****. He typifies so many of the things wrong with modern football and he's an easy target for football fans, so non chelsea fans despise the little ****.

 

IMO he's extremely overrated anyway, but he's clearly a thick little chav, and an extremely greedy one at that. So that's why I laughed when he was being booed. No, it doesn't help anyone, but I can understand the frustration at having to support a ***** like that.

 

agreed with this. in my book rashley should be booed before he kicks a ball.

[TopGun]

Why, the booing of AC has started a debate on the moral of booing our team.

 

Sorry TG.

 

I would boo an overpaid pretentious arse too. Had Dyer or BWP been playing for England it's valid on this board.

 

Off to the Lounge unless you can mix a Saints angle in...

[Bailey]

I thought booing Ashley Cole was a tad harsh and quite stupid to be honest. It's like David Pleat said whilst commentating, it's not as if he did it deliberately and booing him could have an adverse affect on the rest of his performance, as well as having an impact on the team as a whole.

 

This 'fickle' mindset from England fans is one reason why we struggle to break down teams, especially at home. More often than not, it's the home crowd that create the nervy and tense atmosphere. If we had an atmosphere like the Scots did at Hampden today, then I think the players would be more relaxed when representing their country, and we may even see the likes of Gerrard and Lampard reproducing their club form for England.

 

As for Saints, there have been an odd few occasions where the fans have booed the players off the pitch at the end of a game, with the Blackpool match being a prime example. I've no problem with people venting their feelings, but surely there are better ways than this? After all, what exactly does this achieve? If anything, it just makes our very young squad lose confidence.

[Weston Super Saint]

I was working, so didn't watch it, but some guys came to the pub and said it was more like the 80's style monkey noises.

 

Disgraceful.

[revolution saint]

People booed Ashley Cole because they read the tabloids or are Arsenal supporters. As I'm neither then I can't say exactly what their point was. If it was to point out how out of touch with the common man he is then they could have booed any player on the pitch. He made a mistake but as a senior pro he's done enough to outweigh that mistake.

 

 

Anyone who pays to watch a game has the right to boo though. They pay the money and it's their choice. Football is a service industry and footballers are well paid - I doubt they lose much sleep over it. If you pay £50 for a meal and it's crap you don't thank the chef because complaining might dent his confidence. Until it becomes a reasonable price to watch football then people are always going to be more likely to moan....if you pay that much money then the very least you demand is entertainment.

[hypochondriac]

Ashley Cole is the biggest **** in the England team and it annoys me that I have to support him if I want England to do well. Thus I can see why people booed him.

[captainchris]

I thought apart from that incident he had a good game (but I would still prefer Bridgey obviously )

 

Cole is very over rated and yes Bridgy is a better player that's one reason he got booed - he's not actually that good!

[Ex Lion Tamer]

tbh Ashley Cole has been living off his reputation ever since he left Arsenal, he needs to sort it out and if a bit of booing gets the message through then i'm all for it

[Mustapha Fag]

I was working, so didn't watch it, but some guys came to the pub and said it was more like the 80's style monkey noises.

 

Disgraceful.

 

 

Christmas is coming up, suggest your friends get hearig aids, it was booing for the mistake, not racist chanting

[saint_bert]

It was a schoolboy error. The most he should have got was a few "What the **** do you think you're doing!!!!" Booing him served no purpose whatsoever.

 

I think it was more the im not going to chase the man down after my mistake, not really seeming too bothered about it and the fact that he would never do that for Chelsea that prompted the boos IMHO

[equalizer]

He deserved to get booed IMO. He broke rule 1 when defending, never play the ball accross your own penalty area ffs. I bet with his arrogant attitude he thought he'd get away with it as he was playing against such a poor side. People forget that footballers are in the entertainment business. If singers/bands and sometimes even actors on stage can get heckled for a bad performance why should footballers be any different?

[um pahars]

should we stamp it out for our youngsters?

 

Haven't heard any boos of this type for our youngsters in the matches I have seen. If anything, I think the supporters are more understanding and supportive of the current team than for any recent team at the Club.

 

At worst I have heard a few moans and groans at the end of a match (I think Barnsley), which was ineveitable after such a poor showing.

 

As for booing Cole, whilst it might show the fickle nature of football fans, I also think it might be a reflection of how fans are starting to feel about the prima donnas and their attitude to them and the game in general.

[paulwantsapint]

Booing of classless t*ats like mr cheryl tweedy who is an executive 1st class primma donna might just show him that fans just dont like him or his attempt to try being like becks ( who while being a t*at has class & sense of humour)

 

His "pass" was totally out of the top draw not even J Wright could have pulled that off

 

MLT was slaughtered by media for not scoring difficult header while in 3 lions but cant see them forcing chelsea c@nt out of team

[trousers]

What other options are open to fans who boo to show their displeasure at a player?

 

I think fans have every right to show their displeasure to a team or player whom they believe isn't giving them 'value for money'.

 

Granted, booing is a tad neanderthal, but back to the question I pose.....what other options are open to the paying public?

 

Writing a letter to the player or team after the game?

[OldNick]

Iam against booing players.

As for Cole I thought it was pathetic but he is really the epitamy of the modern footballer and I think fans are sick to death of these type of players.

[LostBoys]

I do not agree with booing players and have never done it even with the worst performances last year with the Burley disasters. However when you are as arrogant and conceited a dickhead as Cashley Cole who clearly cares nothing for the game, his club and according to the newspapers his wife either, when you make errors that a tyro player would not make you cannot expect to receive commiserations like 'never mind try and do better next time'.

[N/West Saint]

Cole is a pr*ck end off

[Seaford Saint]

Some laughable comments on here. As some one who listened to the relentless booing of Fuller a few years back, I am sick of fans like those. Cole ****ed up, Cole will have to live with it....but to boo him as well is pathetic

[Snopper]

http://snoppersays.blogspot.com/

[rpb]

but back to the question I pose.....what other options are open to the paying public?

 

A slow handclap? Or not applauding them?

 

I don't quite follow the 'I've paid my money, I have the right to boo whoever I want" argument. You don't have the right to smoke, stand, shout racist/homophobic abuse, streak, let off fireworks, etc because they annoy or endanger other people - booing your own players can be very annoying too, why is that alright?

[Leicestersaint]

I thought apart from that incident he had a good game (but I would still prefer Bridgey obviously )

 

 

Sorry?? He had a dreadful game - frequently out of position and allowing very ordinary oppositionplayers to get roudn him. The Sunday Times gave him 3 out of ten, much the lowest for anyone. I don't think he is currently worth his place at all.

[Andy_Porter]

Sorry?? He had a dreadful game - frequently out of position and allowing very ordinary oppositionplayers to get roudn him. The Sunday Times gave him 3 out of ten, much the lowest for anyone. I don't think he is currently worth his place at all.

 

Stephen Warnock for England then . . .

[Glasgow_Saint]

put him in jail

[Fan The Flames]

I think Cashly Cole is a **** but booing him during the 90 mins playing for England is stupid.

Personally i think it was a mistake building the new Wembley. England got better support when they played around the country. Italy and Germany etc don't have a Wembley type stadium and play at different club grounds.

 

Totally disagree when England played in club grounds it was more partizan with Newcastle players being booed at Sunderland all game just one example. Also Wembley is full of supporters from all over the country and I'm sure those that booed were not just from the south.

 

Cole is a **** and he wont give a **** if he is booed.

[sadoldgit]

As much as I can understand why people don't warm to Mr Cole, as long as the manager picks him he is an England player. If we want to win something again we need to support our team (ie the players) while they are playing.

If booing ever had a benefit on a teams/players performace then why are teams who are booed regulalry top of the league? Because it doesn't work and it doesn't help.

If you are doing a crap job and people come up and slag you off, do you work better or worse? Does your confidence rise or sink and do you feel better about yourself or worse?

I know the old arguement that it makes people want to prove the booers wrong. Listen it doesn't work like that.

It is ignorant and unhelpful, plain and simple.

As for the, "I have paid my money and am entitled to boo brigade", do you boo a horse when it loses a race or a Britsish tennis player when once again they fail to win a majour tournament? No. So why boo a footballer?

Whether Cole is good or bad is neither here nor there. I think a lot of it comes down to plain jealousy. He earns shedloads of money for kicking a ball abaout and has a lifestyle (and a fit wife) that 99.9% of the fans can only dream about. Therefore, as soon as he makes a mistake he is fair game.

 

 

There is a hint in here. It is the word "supporter". The word "supporter" is derived from the word "support". "Support" implies positivity. Where does booing fit in with that ethos?

[AwaySaint1]

Saints? Move to the Lounge.

 

Are you Ashley cole?

[AndyNorthernSaints]

Totally disagree when England played in club grounds it was more partizan with Newcastle players being booed at Sunderland all game just one example. Also Wembley is full of supporters from all over the country and I'm sure those that booed were not just from the south.

 

Cole is a **** and he wont give a **** if he is booed.

 

I'll take a wild guess there were some Arsenal fans there last night booing.

[SW11_Saint]

I think every pundit so far has missed the point on this one. This is not about generally scapegoating England players, or about the hatred of Chelsea. It's about Ashley Cole, and the fact that he's generally loathed. The pass-back just gave the fans the opportunity to express what they generally think of him.

 

He does however personify what most people hate about modern Premiership footballers - and their perceived traits: greed, overblown ego, celebrity, amorality - but he is one of the worst culprits imho.