To boo or not boo, that is the question
Roar Pro
By Con Stamocostas, 15 Oct 2008 Con Stamocostas is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- Beckham, Champions League, David Beckham, Galatasaray, Harry Kewell, Kevin Muscat, Roma, Wayne Rooney
I wonder if booing is embedded in the English pysche so much that it is a permanent reaction to not having your expectations met, neither as a football fan nor as human being.
Only the English would boo Bob Dylan because he had the gall to play electric guitar in the second part of a concert.
Eliciting a famous response by an upset punter who said “Bob Dylan played like a bastard in the second half,” Frank Lampard always cops boos from the England fans it, but you really can’t feel sorry for him, can you?
How many goals can you score from deflections?
After Ashley Cole played a poor back pass from which Kazakhstan scored, sections of the crowd at Wembley preceded to boo him after every touch he made.
The English like to choose their villains from their own teams: David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and John Barnes all had sections from the home support boo them during their England career.
When I was in Rome in 2002, I was lucky enough to see a Champions League game between Roma and Galatasaray, the team Harry Kewell now plays for.
While the Romans chanted “Death to Istanbul” after the game (the score was 1-1), the best booing action came at half time. On the big screen you could see the camera was panning around the ground and stopping at random people.
If it stopped at a pretty girl, the sixty thousand crowd would cheer emphatically. If it stopped at a not so pretty girl, the crowd would boo.
So the English boo their own players, the Italians boo their own crowd, and the Australians boo the referee and Kevin Muscat.
And that’s the way it should be.
Enjoy sports? Enjoy a bargain? All Sports Online has your favourite sporting brands at up to 70% off. Online only, premium quality sporting goods and merchandise at discounted prices. Get a deal now.
Do you have what it takes to become a sports writer? Write for the roar
Football articles
- Phoenix need more than flash in the pan crowds (133)
- ‘New football’ fans may help save the game in Australia (124)
- Does Tasmania have a case for A-League inclusion? (119)
- What happened in Port Said was not a football riot (118)
- Magilton struggling to make a mark (68)
- Does the A-League need an injection of humour? (44)
- Socceroos screwed over by FIFA, again (41)
- Sydney and Perth eye A-League crunch game
- Melbourne Victory vs Central Coast Mariners: A-League live scores, blog (97)
- Liam Miller: Bargain buy of the A-League season? (9)
- Zambia plays Cup of Nations final in memory of their fallen (7)
- Capello’s resignation ends an awkward marriage (8)
- Does the A-League need an injection of humour? (46)
- Redknapp the best bet to clean up Capello’s England mess (2)
- Melbourne Victory vs Central Coast Mariners: A-League live scores, blog (97)
- Liam Miller: Bargain buy of the A-League season? (9)
- Zambia plays Cup of Nations final in memory of their fallen (7)
- Capello’s resignation ends an awkward marriage (8)
- Redknapp the best bet to clean up Capello’s England mess (2)
- Melbourne derby reveals tale of two journeys (3)
- O’ so close for John: How JON almost landed the biggest job in sport (16)
- Explore:
- Beckham, Champions League, David Beckham, Galatasaray, Harry Kewell, Kevin Muscat, Roma, Wayne Rooney
Luke Broadbent said | October 15th 2008 @ 6:41am | Report comment
I have to say as an Englishman, I was disgusted when Ashley Cole was booed every time he touched the ball.
Yes, he made a mistake, but surely people are allowed to make mistakes without such ridicule. Here in England we seem to have a ridiculous belief that we are good at football and tha we should be winning the World Cup. Quite frankly, that is nonsense, I mean we didn’t even qualify for Euro 2008. Anyway, because of this belief we jump on the back of people far too quickly. How are people supposed to perform to the best of their ability under such scrutiny?
Just look at Fabio Capello, a couple of games into his England career and a couple of bad results, the media say that he was the wrong man for the job. When it comes to football English people, on the whole, are pretty fickle.
Slippery Jim said | October 15th 2008 @ 8:25am | Report comment
“How many goals can you score from deflections?”
Lampard has only scored from deflections 6% of the time dear Con. As Martin Samuel of the Times sarcastically put it: “what a lucky boy he must be: 83 deflections since August 2003″. The old disparagement “Frank Lampard only scores from deflections” is an old wifes tale and nothing more. Which makes you an old wife.
Why on earth you think it is OK to boo a player as fine as Frank Lampard is anyones guess. Rob Smyth of the Guardian recently called him “Chelsea’s greatest ever player.” Yes, better even than the legendary Zola. The man was runner up to Ronaldinho as FIFA world player for heavens sake, was voted best midfielder in last seasons UEFA Champions Leagye and regularly scores 20 or more goals a season.
The only reason some England fans have booed him in the past is because they are complete and utter halfwits. These people are so fickle they boo Beckham one day and the next (such as in the last match at Wembley) they give him a standing ovation him simply for walking on the pitch.
Midfielder said | October 15th 2008 @ 9:09am | Report comment
SJ
Now to coin a Kevin 07 line taken from one Paul K …….. you must not guild the lilly …………. first you said, but matbe as a joke ..”Chelsea’s greatest ever player.” …… they have never had a good player EVER….. it was actually Chelsea scores 83% of its goals from deflections, another 10% from own goals, 3 % from penalties and 1% from good play ……… but this 1% is never in the EPL …….. early rounds of the FA cup when they play 6 div sides.
So SJ be a tad more truefull when talking about Mascow sorry Chelseavick
Slippery Jim said | October 15th 2008 @ 9:17am | Report comment
Midfielder – eh? Are you still on the turps from last night lad? Not making much sense there…Martin Samuels, a Man Utd player no less, and not I said Lampard was Chelsea’s greatest ever player. Even Fozzie and Les wet themselves with excitement when they watch Chelsea play these days, the lilly came guilded, it does not need any extra guilding from me. A bit like a ferrari does not need hotting up, yeah?
Slippery Jim said | October 15th 2008 @ 9:46am | Report comment
Sorry I meant to say Martin Samuels was a Man Utd fan, not player, he is a sports writer for the Guardian…
Slippery Jim said | October 15th 2008 @ 9:47am | Report comment
Sorry Rob Smyth, now it’s me not making sense lol!
dasilva said | October 15th 2008 @ 11:04am | Report comment
Booing your own team is really not on (although I was tempted to say Sarkies you’re crap during Adelaide vs Kashima)
Unless they behave in unsporting behaviour you have to treat them as people doing their best for their country. The footballers are there to entertain and lift up the crowd but the crowd are there to lift up there team. There is a time and place to criticise individual players and that is before and after the match . However when the match starts you want your team to win and do the best they can. Booing your players will not help with that.
Its like people don’t want Holman to be selected as they think he is not very good but when the match start people should be willing him on and should not boo him if he misses any chances as booing him will not help him score. Then only after the match should people then crucify and rubbish him.
Westy said | October 15th 2008 @ 6:39pm | Report comment
Con….sorry to raise the ugly face of social class but it is a very British institution….the English do not generally boo their own team or players in cricket / rugby/ or tennis even when they make a mistake.
True Tah said | October 15th 2008 @ 8:03pm | Report comment
Westy,
didn’t Ian Botham get booed during the 1981 Ashes series, and someone in the members stand tried to deck him?
dasilva said | October 15th 2008 @ 11:11pm | Report comment
SJ
Although Les and Craig now wet themselve watching Chelsea. I never hear them mention Lampard for praise at all. Only time I heard Fozzy mention Lampard was his comment that Gerrard is a better player then Lampard (I hear SJ gasp)
The English and Chelsea player that Les and Craig wet themself over is Joe Cole. He is SBS favorite English player.