last year, at the start of October
There is no article here
There is an article to be written but we all know what it is so I’m not sure there is any point in writing it.
It is the article that starts off talking about how Stuart McCall is offended by the booing of Barry Conlon on Saturday. It talks about how McCall mentions his childhood as a Leeds fan when referencing Terry Yorath getting booed at Elland Road and notes that some damage must be done if the City manager is starting to reveal that side of his past.
It talks about how McCall should be supported in bringing on the players he wants to. It asks what support is if it is not cheering for the team at nil-nil on a Saturday with ten minutes to go? You could ask what is the point of having a manager if the fan’s want to veto who gets to play and who doesn’t. If you wanted to link that to Kevin Keegan resigning you could.
This article – if you want to write it – can talk about a comment on the T&A website that tries to justify the booing of Conlon by saying that McCall should have been bringing on Willy Topp or Rory Boulding ignoring the fact that Conlon scored. It could mock that person or insult him. Both would be appropriate.
The article that needs writing will talk about what some fans hope to gain by booing a player who gives everything he can to the cause. It will say that Barry is not the most talented player but no one puts in more effort and that booing the players who put in effort is counter-productive. It could then say that booing plays who try causes players not to try.
This article would expand to ask about the nature of support and ask if it is important to the modern footballer? If booing has become so common that players now ignore it or expect it? If fans are now considered to be mindless and not worthy of paying attention to because of this sort of booing.
If you want to write the article you could try expand it into talking about a football culture that is so sick that the expectations set are unachievable at every level or a society that is so self obsessed that people believe that they can get into a large enough mob then they should be allowed to make every single decision there is to make and who demand that their voice be heard no matter what they are saying.
You could try appeal to reason and construct arguments why the negativity around Conlon and the mis-judged comments about McCall and his staff and their abilities are bad for the club and thus bad for the people saying them as well as the one’s listening but they have never listened to that kind of argument in the past and write it off as spin or as naivety without the shame of admitting that the previous times they have had their say has lead us to this point.
When you do write the article prepare for people suggesting that you are trying to paper over the cracks of McCall and Conlon’s lack of abilities and try not to laugh at them when they say this despite the fact that a few weeks ago we were top of the division because they really do mean it. You could mention the way that Championship Manager has made everyone think that being a football manager is as easy as looking at numbers and picking the highest but again do not expect to be believed should you counter that point dispite the blindingly obvious nature of your claim.
After that you could point out the logic of that or you could conclude you are wasting your time in doing so and that these people are concerned with themselves first and the attention they can get and Bradford City second.
Or you could take another tack and say that you thought that the people who booed Barry Conlon on Saturday, City in general and who use message boards and forums to agitate are beneath contempt. You could rail against them in the name of good sense and site the work done to keep the club going over two administrations and you could ignore the ad hominim attacks you would get for it and the lies that they would say about you and carry on screaming to anyone who would listen about how obviously damaging the actions of these people were.
You could do any of these things – and God knows at BfB we have made all these comments over the past nine and a half years – and probably it would do no good at all. Good people like Wayne, Steve and the people who sang Barry’s name and cheer City on would listen to what you said and be heartened but the people who you wanted to reach would not care.
You would have to conclude your article and you could issue a rallying cry to those who find the booing as destructive and pointless as you do but what is the point?
Our legend, our manager, the guy that is here to turn our club around is saying clearly that booing is achieves nothing apart from attacking our club. If Stuart McCall cannot get stop some people from ripping this club apart then what chance has anyone else got?
October 6th, 2008 at 18:28
Do you know, and I risk being agitated against myself for saying it, when I heard the boos at half time, and the boos for Barry, and the boos at the end I went home wondering whether any of the people who have poured their heart and soul into saving the club should have bothered.
A goal scored by a player who should be the poster boy for ‘average done good by effort’ sent on by a club legend should be the thing that we talk about all week. A moment we almost snatched an improbably victory.
Tragically I walked away from VP actively thinking having nothing would be better than seeing the club I love abused by people who profess to be City Til They Die.
October 6th, 2008 at 20:19
I didn’t see who was booing but I’d imagine it is probably under 16’s that jump on the Conlon Out bandwagon without realising the damage they’ll do to his confidence and to the morale at the club. Whether you like him or not there is no justification in booing him or any other player for that matter. It’s up to the rest of us to embarrass and ridicule these so called “fans” for the disgrace they are.
The only other time I was more embarrassed was at Rotherham away when one of our “fans” was shouting “Who, Who, Who are you?” during a minutes silence for a young Rotherham fan killed in a motor accident. The bloke shouting was no kid though, he was a drunken bloke in his 30’s and the young kids were even telling him to shut up.
We can’t let a mindless minority ruin it for the rest of us, weed them out and kick them out.
October 6th, 2008 at 21:25
This article and everything over the weekend has made me feel bit down about being a football fan and a city supporter. But it had to be said by someone.
On the other hand, I work for a big public organisation. We have all kinds of customers ringing us and coming through our doors. Some are nice, some are not so nice. Some are absolute swines! Valley Parade is no different. You will get all the spanners and fools coming to ruin everyone’s day out on matchday. Then they post ignorance and spite on T&A webpages to wind up other fans. Just let them waste their own time.
When Baz entered the field on Saturday, I thought ‘let’s see how he does’. When he scored after a minute it felt so good. His name was chanted and chanted. That’s what I’ll remember from the game on Saturday. Not the booing fools to which we are all subjected. Keep your chins up and support city with all your heart! You know it makes sense!
October 6th, 2008 at 21:27
I like Barry Conlon for the simple fact that he gives his all when he plays. He may mistime his jumps for the ball and he may miss more chances that Thorne or Boulding and he may not be the best player to be up front on his own for City.
But he gives 100% and does not seem to shirk his duites when things are not going his way.
Plus, the last time we had an Irish striker with the same initials he became a City legend. Give Barry the support and build his confidence by cheering him on. He’s one of us now and we need to stick together.
October 7th, 2008 at 13:43
So lets take a stand. Point these morons out. There have to be more of us behind Barry and Stuart than not. Its always a minoroty that behave like chumps. And Id rather have a 1000 less supporters every week if we get rid of these idiots.
I had a real go at around 4 or 5 people on Sat about booing Emanuel and Conlon, and one bloke who started bollocking Daley for not making a tackle when he had just beaten 4 men and played a great through ball to Colbeck.
We managed a point with 10 men, in blustery conditions when the away team had 9 men behind the ball and 4 full backs on the pitch. Group this with the fact that at least 2 or 3 players performed below average, and a point is better than no points. Yes its disapointing we lost a last monute goal but its October and its not the end of the world.
October turned our season upside down last season, lets hope the same isnt true this time around. The fictures over the next 2 weeks are a disgrace though 4 games in 10 days starting from the next home match v Gills. As Stu says, if we come through October unbeaten we will be there or there abouts.
CMON CITY!
October 8th, 2008 at 15:53
Just to get this quite clear, I didn’t boo Barry Conlon when he came on, nor have I ever booed a City player. I think it is totally counter productive and will only make a result less likely.
However, I (and this is only my opinion) am genuinely puzzled by this belief that Barry gives 100%. One of my main problems with the man is that he is lazy. How many times in a game does he roll around on the floor waiving his arms out to say he has been fouled. He will not chase down balls, instead choosing to moan at the passer that the ball was not perfect.
I have genuinely lost count of the times balls have rolled right past where he could or should be but he isn’t because he is rolling around appealing to the ref. Anyone who went to Shrewsbury would have spotted that. It was genuinely embarrassing the lack of effort put in that day and it was not a one off.
Like I say, I won’t boo Barry but he is not good enough for the club purely because he doesn’t work hard. I get the impression, in trying to support him, people lose the ability to be objective in quite the same way the people harassing him do.
October 8th, 2008 at 23:32
Ben Blyth admits he DOESN’T boo Conlon. From the comments he went on to add, I think that is because he doesn’t go to the games. Lazy? Lack of effort? Is this kid for real??
He scored on Saturday due to the effort he put in, he caused their defender to scuff his clearance. He then followed the ball and finished well.
When Conlon came on, we did start winning headers and it caused their defence to panic. Unless you had your eyes closed, you must have seen that.
No, he isn’t the greatest player in the world, but he grafts. A little like Heskey in the Prem. Look at his record and you will see he doesn’t score anywhere near enough goals either, but his game is more than getting goals. Similar to Bazza for us. He had poor games against Huddersfield, Leeds & Shrewsbury, but they were in a formation that didn’t suit him. He didn’t stop playing though, despite what you claim to have seen.
I agree he has lost the ball a lot for us this season, but it tends to be when he has been the only striker up front (as a target man). If you haven’t got the runners from midfield, you will lose the ball. He can’t hold the ball up forever waiting for support to arrive and inevitably gets tackled.
He scored on Saturday and could have had another shortly afterwards. I don’t recall Thorne (with all his goals this season and last) or Boulding (with the sackful of goals last season) even looking like scoring. That in itself says he deserved his chance and took it.
October 9th, 2008 at 11:15
100 career goals now for Bazza - some strikers struggle to get near that tota when they have hung their boots up for the last time - he’s a lower league grafter who is needed in our squad - the morons who fail to recognise this and also boo Lewis Emmanuel beacuse he dared to leave VP to earn a ecent wage, are beyond help - they see it as their right - pig ignorant indeed but then they are probably the same away from VP - our crowd is a cross section of society and we can do nowt about it.
October 9th, 2008 at 13:40
Whist I dont condone the booing, I actually think it was
more to do with the change of tactics than Barry Conlon
At the time City were on top with ten men and it was looking
like only a matter of time before we scored.People know
that when Barry comes on it means one upfront,fans dont like
negativity.
October 10th, 2008 at 0:03
You’re so far wide of the mark Paul Newell, it resembled a Bazza shot LOL.
Barry Conlon was getting booed by the crowd well before he stripped for action. I sit in the TL Dallas stand and couldn’t believe the abuse aimed at the big man. It had nothing to do with tactics. It was stupid minded ‘fans’ that don’t understand what the word “supporter” actually means.
Furthermore, “People know that when Barry comes on it means one upfront”! Didn’t he replace the ineffective Boulding, leaving us with two up front (he partnered Thorne), until we scored and McCall tried to defend the lead.