I have only ever booed once – that shameful afternoon at Saltergate when we went down without so much as a whimper.

My view is, we need big characters at the club, who can inspire – characters who relish playing in front of big crowds, can handle the occasion and be a man when they get any criticism, and make sure it’s water off a ducks back.

Players that have courage and the hunger to do well – not go in to their shells and hide. We have players that get very well paid for what most fans would do for nothing, and I think at the moment, fans are at the end of their tether after years and years of poor displays and more importantly, lack of effort.

I appreciate that booing achieves nothing – but players should be big enough and professional enough to rise above it.

One point to make is, I am sure Colbeck would not have got anything like that reaction if we were firmly in the top 7 – I personally believe the booing had far more to do with the general team performance in that particular game, and the previous poor 8 games – than the poor game Joe Colbeck had.

Cheers

Gavin

There are two issues which should not be mixed up here.

Player performances that are poor – I am sure – are not defended on BfB and frequently the responsibility for those performances have been put squarely at the players door. When they – it being poor performances leading to poor results – are the player’s fault, then they are the player’s fault and are said as such. That is one point.

The second point is how we as supporters should respond to issues like poor performances and poor results.

Your contention is that there is excuse making and that the players should be big enough to rise about being booed which that is a valid opinion and one that gets more than a fair share of the debate with the chairman and manager both addressing it directly however it is not the only contention. There are others who believe that the criticism – when vocalised in the wholly negative form of booing – is counter productive and by being counter productive is more damaging than the performance that is criticised.

These are not the only two points of view on this – Nicky Law famously said that our supporters were worth a goal for the opposition placing responsibility for performances squarely with the fans – but I would suggest they are the two main thrusts of the debate.

It is an important distinction to make and one that I feel I must underline in this situation when the waters are already clouded enough. To say that Joe Colbeck should not be booed (as I did) is not to say that you believe he has played well or played badly nor is it to say that he is an able footballer or not it is simply to comment on the reaction and, probably, the effect that that reaction has.

The issue is not who should take the responsibility for the performances – although I note that when things are going well fans and players are happy to share the glory – but rather how best to react to those performances in a way that will best aid the whole of the club.

It’s never the player’s fault is it?

Maybe if they for once, starting taking some responsibility for their own “performances” we might get somewhere.

Instead, shirking and excuses are ingrained in to the fabric of this once proud club.

If they are not big enough to rise above criticism, they should find another profession.

Not sure why we breed such negative fans??

Sure we can show our annoyance if someone is not giving 100% but it went beyond this again – Lee and Colbeck being the main targets I heard.