Definition of supporter:
supporter noun 1 someone who is in favour of a cause, proposal, etc. 2 someone who gives a specified institution such as a sport, a team, a political party, etc their active backing, approval, promotion, etc., eg football supporters. Chambers 21st Century Dictionary
There’s a section of City fans, alleged City fans, which are a complete disgrace! Sniping at the club they profess to support, sniping at a manager who’s doing the best he can, and effectively telling Adam Pearson that they know best.
They aren’t helping the club, they aren’t helping the team and they are looking rather pathetic all round. By the definition, they aren’t supporters, so perhaps they should go back to following the Premiership, which I’ve no doubt they prefer to do.
Are these fans giving ‘their active backing, approval, promotion, etc’ to Hull City at the moment? Doesn’t sound like it to me! This club doesn’t need this; it needs 15,000 ‘City Till I Die’ supporters, like those who travel the length and breadth of the country to give noisy support to the players, come hell, high water or crazy ticket prices. Not those who run for cover at the least sign of difficulty.
Lets get this straight, Tiger Nation, Adam Pearson has gone on record that the manager will be given time, therefore stop wasting your breath by calling for Phil Parkinson to go, IT AIN’T GOING TO HAPPEN, at least not before he’s been given a fair and proper chance to get City going.
Are these sections of City fans so scared of relegation that they would willingly chuck out the manager, forfeit several HUNDRED THOUSAND pounds of money in paying off Parkinson’s contract (which could be used to strengthen the squad in the future) and therefore weaken the club? Especially so if any new manager came in and found he had no money to spend. That would clearly help the club wouldn’t it?
Now if this is their idea of support then I’d hate to think what their idea of criticism is. The team’s performance against Luton was better than the game against Burnley, yet some people think that’s it’s the right time for putting the boot in. Now that’s clearly going to help for Saturday’s trip to Preston, where City has never done that well, isn’t it?
My advice to these alleged fans, if it’s success you’re looking for, is to become Hull FC supporters, or perhaps to Sheffield Utd, where you can get your Premiership fix, because Hull City doesn’t need your negativity and divisive sniping at this time. Get used to the idea, Phil Parkinson is manager and will stay so, as Adam has decreed.
If you disagree and want to share your views, why not register and let us know…
Well said, and well written
“If you disagree and want to share your views, why not register and let us know” … love it Rob , great artivcle though and very true throughout !
a well written and balanced article Rob… spoken with passion and commitment which is what the club needs at the moment
Agree 100% with the passion Rob, and i also feel that those fairweather supporters should crawl back to where they belong, but football is a consumer business and like any business it needs money coming in to allow it to expand and grow, which is where us as the consumers enter the equation. If you purchase a product, or order a meal in a restaurant, as a paying customer you have the right to expect the best possible service available, if you dont recieve a good service then you have the right to complain. Whilst i am not saying its right to slag off Hull City, i can see their point of view at not recieving the best performance that their money is paying for.
No matter who you support in whatever sport it is, you will always get those who like to voice an opinion wether it be good or bad and we have to learn to get on with it.
Great article Rob…it would be interesting to hear from some that oppose this view.
DISAGREE… ‘Sniping’ of any form still happens even when we aren’t doing badly – Taylor certainly got plenty of it during his tenure. I think your argument is based too much on last night’s attendance. Just because the gate was down on recent games doesn’t mean to say that we have the sizeable amount of ‘fairweathers’ that you condemn.
Firstly, for example, last night’s game was rated as category ‘b’, hence not having the same pulling power as the likes of Sheffield Wednesday or Sunderland. Next, have a look at Saturday’s game at Burnley. We had good weather over there, a fair few of us went across, most of us probably knowing in our hearts that we might get a stuffing from the clarets having seen recent form for them and us – but the attendance was only 11,500 approx and Burnley are near the top of the table – so comparing our nearly 15,000 for a Tuesday night match against an 11,500 for a Saturday match at a club that’s doing well makes for encouraging reading don’t you think?
Also, take a look at the attendance for the Derby game which was televised on Sky. 15,621 for a Saturday match, plus Derby brought a lot more people than what Luton did last night, maybe with the away support being not that big affected the figure too? And as for fairweathers? Well, my dad hasn’t been since the Southampton home game last season but he was there last night, and I assume that could have been the case for a number of people last night. The season ticket holder who sits next to me wasn’t there last night, probably due to work commitments. I’m a season ticket holder too, have been for some time now. I follow the team home and away but it’s a bloody expensive business to do so and I can’t make every away game – I was at Burnley on Saturday but won’t be making the trip to Preston because I just can’t afford to do so, does that make someone a fairweather? And no, I’ve not been pleased with our performances of late, but haven’t made much noise about it because negativity isn’t what’s needed in our situation. The club still needs to grow before we even contemplate having aspirations of being in the premiership, there will be people who come and go in the meantime. Yes we need the support but we also need unity, this article doesn’t espouse that.
So, all of you who think that was a well written and balanced argument by Rabid Rob, may want to take a step back and reconsider.
As for the game…..
One thing about last night showed the team had more spirit and fight than most of our supporter’s thought – me included. It was nice to see Elliot back in the team but I think it was plain to see he’s got some catching up to do with match fitness, but at least he wasn’t as woeful as Thelwell was on Saturday. Coles was a welcome return too.
And, damn, that referee!!!!
Actually Pablo, no it wasn’t based on the attendance, that never entered my head at all when writing it. I never take too much notice of attendance or lack of it. As you corredctly say, there are times when fans can’t make it. I have no criticism of them, and I’m sorry if you thinks its there, implied or not.
It was the fact that lots of the comments on Humberside seemed to be from fans who appear to have not been at the game. City were the better team last night, as you rightly say and with some consistency and confidence in front of goal, they should have taken the points. At the first sign of trouble like this, to throw out the manager after just 12 games is sheer lunacy. This club cannot afford to do that, and waste the money that could be used for rebuilding in paying off managers contracts just because a section of the fans DEMAND success RIGHT NOW. Pearson learned by his mistakes in the past and will not make a rash choice.
We have no right to assume the club have a right to be in this division. We have to EARN that right. And last nights performance was another faltering step towards that.
Thanks for your comments.
Great comments guys! This is a debate that could go on for hours. Bottom line – Parkinson needs to stay and receive the suppourt of the fans.
Cheers for your response Rob, to be honest I never heard any of the fans comments last night on Humberside, I find it pointless listening to comments from people who for the most part are never at the match or lament the fact that they can’t listen to Grimsby’s home games on the radio! (Unless that situation has been resolved?) It’s disappointing that there are those who think we have a god given right to be higher than where we are and should be dispensing with Phil’s services; people seem to forget or are not aware that Colchester had a bad start last season but still went on to attain promotion to the Championship under his guidance. As you have pointed out, it would be short sighted to sack him especially considering the number of clubs who tried to get him before us (and failed!), the money factor for paying him off/recruiting another manager/changing the squad by the new manager, and also the fact that he holds the qualifications/coaching badges he does (that must count for something, I don’t think there are that many managers around with his education, he’s still an extremely young manager to boot so experience will obviously come in time) – I’m sure it won’t be long before we see consistently the kind of football the put us 2-1 up against the Owls and maybe get some decisions going our way!!
I still think the time isn’t quite right for the team YET. But with Damien working towards match fitness, the back four will look even better. The problem seem to be midfield and in the forwards. Midfield rests very much in the hands of John Welsh, as Marney is out of his depth at the moment, IMO. If he can gain the confidence to take the game by the scruff of the neck, then alongside Ash, the midfield will be competitive. Out wide, I wouldn’t mind seeing a loan player coming in to take the pressure off Fagan. Yeats might well be the answer to Stu Elliott’s disappointing form. Upfront, we need McPhee back cos he is the only one not affected with a crisis of confidence. These are the tools Parkinson has to work with, and I think he can.
I dont like fans who are always calling players and other people at the club when they are trying their best.
Pablo, Thelwell has gone now so you can sleep safe at night !!
Intresting.My view is we got the right manager and i will back him and im sure we get ou of thi mes.With all of our players coming back fit i should be great compation all other the field.Luck forward to see in a full fit sqaus becuse i think the players will give more.I think we gota keep Danny Mills longer he was bloody Excellent last night and he helps the team.I tink we need to get rid of some players aswel maybe loan Barmby out and Elliott for abit.Sell Duffy and buy a right winger because i dont think that France can take players on And Fagan just dont do it for me.What do you lot think?
Thelwell’s gone? Since when?
He has gone to Leyton Orient on loan now for three months and will prob end up there permanently
Give Phil time and a decent chance and he will do it for you, he will be working hard 24/7 to put it right, that man is 100% committed to what he does.