The Fickle Nature Of A Football Fan

Some might say I am talking about myself here, but we have all been guilty of it from time to time. Football brings out the best and worse in us, and it encapsulates all of the emotions of life within a short 90-minute time frame. It can wreck our weekends – or make them ones to remember!

When our side is winning narrowly, with barely moments to spare, how is it that those seconds always feel like minutes, as football suddenly becomes insufferable? Then we concede that very late goal and our hopes and dreams are shattered in an instance. And visa versa of course. We are losing and every minute seems like a second! How cruel this sport can be but could we live without it? I think not. It is the enduring nature of your everyday football fan, that makes our journey worthwhile.

When we lose, we look to find excuses. It is usually the manager that gets it – usually followed by a few of his players. It is human nature’s way of dealing with our discomfort. There is always somebody else to blame, and that’s when the gaffer comes under the microscope, culminating in frenzied activity from supporters on social media, and often criticism from the press.

One day the sun shines. The next day there is a thunderstorm. It is the nature of the weather and of football. Everything is in a perpetual state of flux. Our confidence rises when we win, and falls again when we fail. There is not a lot we can do about it, because it is the very essence of being a committed football fan. We have mood swings and so does everybody else!

I suppose the argument I would make in defence of supporters is that footballers have a charmed life, and managers get well paid for their troubles. We struggle just to make ends meet at times, and we are entitled to moan and groan when things don’t go to plan. It is a very human instinct and makes life a bit more tolerable in the meantime.  Our travelling support highlights so wonderfully well our commitment to the cause! Almost 2,000 went to Wycombe, and thankfully this time, they were rewarded for their troubles. Cook gets it and acknowledges it too.

The argument I would make in defence of the manager and his players is that we are not privy to what goes on behind closed doors. We don’t always see – or understand the game in the same way a manager sees and understands things, and players’ confidence can be shot to shreds by being booed off the pitch by their very own fans. That is something I would never condone.

I agree with manager Paul Cook when he says that we have to take the rough with the smooth. He is trying to change our playing style for the better, and this will not happen overnight. We witnessed what we have the potential to do against both Portsmouth and Wycombe, but this is still very much a work in progress and we are not there yet. Good luck with the job at hand Paul.