Jimmy Bullard’s return to Craven Cottage is hardly headline news, but it’s a topic dominating Fulham’s message boards this week as the former painter and decorator returns after his record breaking January transfer to Hull City.
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson has already stated that he “wouldn’t like to think that [it] will happen”, but that he doesn’t “know how fans think in those areas.”
What is he worried about?
Well, here are a few choice quotes from those Fulham message boards:
“It would also be great if someone could whack that f***er on the knee with a pipe or bat”; “The guy’s a fk*n scum bag and we will all let him know it”; “The guy is a mullet wearing dumbf**k!”; “**** Bullard, I will be shouting, swearing and yelling abuse at him the whole game. Feel free to join me.“
You get the picture!
Some Fulham fans are quite unhappy with Jimmy Bullard.
How many of these “fans” will actually be going to the game is, of course, debatable. Mo doubt a good percentage of the comments will be from juveniles who’ve just discovered some new swear words and want to look cool.
But the general message is that a lot of people are bitter with his departure.
The irony is that Bullard has been a West Ham fan since childhood and there is certainly no love lost between the Hammers and Fulham.
While he only played three seasons for the Cottagers, he was one of their best players. There was even talk that Fabio Capello had him on his radar for an England call-up, which never eventuated as he suffered another injury on debut with the Tigers.
So now the West Ham fan may make his return against one (he’s played for six in ten years) of his old clubs to jeers from a hostile crowd.
But why?
Gone are the days of one club men. Ryan Giggs and Steven Gerrard are a dying breed as football becomes more commercial and its players resemble mercenaries performing whatever task for the highest bid.
But the fans, it seems, haven’t moved with the times.
Emmanuel Adebayor, a man born and raised 5,000 kilometres away in Togo, was widely abused by the Arsenal faithful in this season’s Man City–Arsenal clash.
This is a man whose transfer netted the Gunners around £25 million (a profit of £21 million), who’d only played three seasons for the North London club, scoring 46 goals for them. And yet the Arsenal faithful saw it prudent to abuse him from the warm-up until the final whistle.
Regardless of the acrimonious circumstances of his departure, what is it that drives football fans to abuse former players of their clubs?
Bullard, like Adebayor with Arsenal, has absolutely no personal connection with the club whatsoever. He didn’t learn his trade at their academy, he didn’t play a huge portion of his career there. He, like many other footballers today, was there for a short period, was successful and helped the club move forward.
He gave his blood, sweat and maybe even tears, was financially compensated, and in return, he can now expect abuse from 25,000 Fulham supporters, whether he gets on the pitch or not.
Bullard’s motivation to move to Hull was probably money, but who can blame him? Fulham aren’t exactly classes above Hull, and the Cottagers aren’t in his heart, so at the age of 30, with two serious knee injuries behind him, he’ll know that his career won’t last forever.
Why shouldn’t he cash in?
It’s time that fans of football embrace the fact that there is a business behind the game. Fulham receiving £5 million from Hull for a 30 year-old Bullard was a tidy bit of business, as were all the deals that sent players to Manchester City in the summer.
It’s a fact of life that players will move on, as it is that players will play for their arch rivals.
This is the modern game and there is no need to vilify players for it.
Knives Out
Guest
It's certainly irrational to attempt - or even to suggest to attempt - to compartmentalize the emotional response to sport.
Michael
Guest
Well, apparently I do need to explain Carlos Tevez. I was referring to the standing ovation he got at Upton Park on his return when playing for Manchester United. If a player gives fans respect, he will receive it in return. I do agree with fans being far too over the top though. They are effectively saying, "How dare someone go to another place of work for either better conditions or a higher wage." The wage is a key reason why there are less one-club players, because the demands for teams in high divisions are so high, they cannot afford to rely on local players, but must get players from overseas in order to meet these demands
Ben of Phnom Penh
Guest
tribalism 1.0.1, it's just very basic sociology. Yes, it does appear irrational however we've never been the most rational of creatures at the best of times. On the other hand without that tribalism element there would probably be no supporters in the first instance, just interested spectators. There mightn't even be competitive sport, just play. Be careful what you wish for.
cab711
Guest
Because fans are idiots and equally so are most players.
Gibbo
Guest
i think this comment by me has been greatly undervalued.
whiskeymac
Guest
why do football fans abuse former players? same reason they get uppity over articles they disagree with methinks.
Knives Out
Guest
Sport is a business but being a fan of sport is not. I find it hard to see why you don't understand why so many people are disagreeing with you. On one hand you would suggest that football fans should have their lust for attacking football rewarded but on the other hand they should be more logical and consider that ultimately their hobby is only part of a business food chain.
constantine
Guest
because alot of the time they leave for money, fans grew up with an emotional attachment to the club and feel aggrieved when a player values extra dollars over the love they have for their team. thats your reason in a nutshell. greats that have moved on for other reasons ie ronaldo when he came back to sporting was never booed but given a standing ovation. thats when a player leaves because he needs to move on to fulfill his potential for his country
constantine
Guest
because alot of the time they leave for money, fans grew up with an emotional attachment to the club and feel aggrieved when a player values extra dollars over the love they have for their team. thats your reason in a nutshell. greats that have
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
Michael we already know that there are far fewer one-club players now than 10-20 years ago, it's a trend and it's unlikely that there will never be a one-club man again but there will be far fewer as time goes on. Again, you too have missed my point. It shouldn't matter what circumstances the player leaves under. Tevez left Man United and went to cross town rivals for more dosh, so what? He is a professional footballer and he owes nothing to Man United, he went there from West Ham and was on loan, United had 2 years to tie him up and didn't so I don't believe the fans can be bitter, why shouldn't he go where the money is especially when he feels like he's not getting enough game time (I think he was but that's another matter)? Players only last a decade or so at the top level, they've got to make their money while they can, I don't begrudge them the opportunity to do this and I'm sure clubs don't mind the massive profits they can make (Adebayor is the case in point) by selling players on.
Michael
Guest
Carlos Tevez? Need I say any more Olof Mellberg? Agreed a contract at Juventus 6 months before he left, and got a standing ovation. I think it is more about the circumstances under which a player leaves, and usually all the media bulldust that gets created. Look at Craig Bellamy. In his last game for West Ham against Portsmouth our fans were chanting "Don't Leave Craig Bellamy," only at the beginning of our next game to be chanting "F*** off Craig Bellamy," simply because of a news report that stated he refused to play for us. 5 months later the newspaper issued an apology. As for one club players being a dieing breed, that's a statement that can only be disproved in time. We won't know until 5 years down the track if players like Mark Noble or Gabriel Agbonlahor will still be at their respective clubs.
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
Art you are one pathetic soul. I gave Paul Ince my fair share back in the day, a tad hypocritical I'll admit but looking back I can see why he moved on and that he didn't deserve the sprays that he got, amongst the worst I have heard on the terraces. I am a football fan first and foremost and if Man United had of held on to Cristiano Ronaldo - in my opinion the best player in the world - I would have been extremely happy but £80 Million, well that can buy a new team and the next Ronaldo who might be a tad happier to be at Old Trafford, it's a business decision first and foremost and there is no point United fans whinging about him when they get drawn with Real Madrid, he is a professional footballer, he whinged and moaned about but he also won a CL trophy a treble of EPL Titles. By the way, I'm allergic to seafood.
Art Sapphire
Guest
Freud - your logic is bankrupt "But the fans, it seems, haven’t moved with the times" you declare. Why should they move with the times. They are football supporters. Unfortunately, you want them to be, insipid football customers. Football is all about passion. You, however, are all about money and rules. Go and eat another prawn sandwich and leave us football fans alone. As you can see no one agrees with you and most people didn't bother to even post. I am only trying to help you see the light. Break those chains :) P.S - Interesting to note that as a Man U fan you have no idea of what Paul Ince had to put up with.
Chris
Guest
Bullard will handle it okay, im sure he knew this day would come. Except with Fulham fans the guy is very popular and absolutely hilarious. Check out his Sky Sports Profile http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC2Ady-WfMA
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
Art, I don't care who suffered what, my point wasn't that Bullard was going to suffer, if I were a player I'd much rather have been Bullard returning to Fulham than Campbell to Spurs. The point of what I wrote and what no-one seems to bother reading about is that regardless of who it is or what they do, players shouldn't be begrudged a career elsewhere. Clubs don't mind making 21 million quid profit on a player but they don't care if their fans abuse the ex-player with absolutely NO affiliation with the club whatsoever. If Steven Gerrard went to Everton for a pay packet in his prime, MAYBE then fans would have a right to be aggrieved as he went through Liverpools academy etc etc but all of these examples of players moving between clubs for whom they have no passion for or history with, well its pointless, its business.
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
No Mattay, I fear you've missed my point, the key word is "regardless". It doesn't matter what happens when a player departs a club, fans shouldn't be bitter about it, it's a business as well as a sport and transfers are certainly as money orientated as they are to do with the squad
Art Sapphire
Guest
What poor Jimmy Bullard had to contend with was nothing with what Paul Ince suffered. Have you ever watched a game when Ince visited Upton Park. Fan message board were not around back then, because if they were, Paul would have received so many threats you would have been advocating the abolition of the football and the internet :) Here is the link to the fan's message board for Melbourne Victory. If you spend a day in here you will find so many threats of violents and insults, you will soon be advocating the abolition of the A-League as well. Have fun! http://www.melbournevictory.net/forum/index.php
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
Art I'm not sure if you read the articles quoting Roy Hodgson. I didn't just happen across those quotes from my time on the Fulham message boards, I read them after wondering what Hodgson meant exactly and hence included them for reference. I personally don't care what is written on message boards but if it's good enough for a Premier League Manager like Roy Hodgson to comment about in the press then it's good enough for me to write about.
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
Dasilva, I was writing about comments made in the press by Roy Hodgson regarding the expected treatment of Jimmy Bullard. The stories were saying that "message boards had been rife" with this stuff. I couldn't exactly have a look on the Telegraph to see what those message boards were saying could I now?
Gibbo
Guest
yeah Frued, lets stop them booing players who change teams cos its a fact of life that players change teams! but why stop there - we all know goals will be scored during a season, its a fact of life! these imbeciles who cheer goals are just wasting their breath!