Being from the US I may not have been supporting Spurs for nearly as long as most of you. But in my time being Tottenham, the decline of the vocal, passionate, laissez faire fans who were happy just simply being Tottenham is rather alarming. The noise at the Lane is on a steady downward trajectory […]
Drawing a Line
Being from the US I may not have been supporting Spurs for nearly as long as most of you. But in my time being Tottenham, the decline of the vocal, passionate, laissez faire fans who were happy just simply being Tottenham is rather alarming. The noise at the Lane is on a steady downward trajectory for all but the biggest of occasions. In its place are the newer, success hungry, seemingly instant gratification requiring clients have been the order of the day, as evidenced by our first three home games this season. The boo birds have been out in force. Not at losses, but draws. draws. New system, new players, new tactics, and Spurs have the gall not to win 4-0 each game and actually draw.
[linequote]The boo birds have been out in force. Not at losses, but draws. draws.[/linequote]
The new attitude is rather sickening, truth be told. Spurs are essentially being told that, as a club, they are nothing without Champions League qualification and anything less will not be tolerated. Is this what it’s come down to? What happened to the club I started to support that strove for glory always, attained it occasionally, but always had the support of the fans? Now, I can understand the need for some of you to scoff at that last question. It’s not as though I’ve been here since birth in 1980. However, I feel a sense of sadness that even within the last seven years, the shift from undying support to ‘win or else’ has been magnificent. This season, I’m not letting my entire existence get defined on whether or not Spurs attain that magical top 4 trophy to go alongside the 8 FA Cups in the cabinet. And, to be honest, neither should any of you.
I often think of Portsmouth, Darlington, and Plymouth fans whenever I’m feeling down about Spurs. Then I get slapped in the face with a big dose of perspective. You talk about loss. Those fans are on the verge of having nothing to support. In Darlington’s case, they really do have nothing left. nothing. So, when we have one of our draw losses, I can at least be thankful I have a team to support and mates to support it with. Maybe we never really have had it so good, and after these last 3 years of (let’s be honest) great but frustrating football, the newer fans aren’t ready to accept anything less than top performances at home and a consistent run in the top 5 or 6 of the table. But if they would just take a second to observe the rest of the footballing landscape in England and throughout Europe, is a home draw really worth getting that upset over?
[author name=”MikeinParma” avatar=”https://www.thefightingcock.co.uk/forum/download/file.php?avatar=202_1319940037.jpg” twitter=”mikeinparma” website=”” tag=”mikeinparma[/linequote]
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6 Comments
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26/09/2012 @ 3:25 pm
You can blame the prawn sandwich brigade of the west upper for the lack of noise.
26/09/2012 @ 3:33 pm
In all seriousness though, I think, as with Arsenal, when a team starts to engineer (relative) success, that becomes the norm for most people. And nothing less than that is considered disappointing.
We at Spurs (especially over the last 20 years) have been forever optimistic dreamers confined in a mid table body. Always threatening to do more and never quite making it. Under Martin Jol and Harry, it started to look like our dreams might be coming true and we all started to believe.
Unfortunately, there are some that have already taken this as almost a god given right to continue as a successful top four club.
All teams have up and downs, let’s hope that life isn’t as simple as always winning, and let’s be there for the boys when the downs come!
26/09/2012 @ 3:34 pm
No you can’t the lack of noise is in every stand this season, Too many muppets support spurs these days . Far better at the away games where the real fans go.
26/09/2012 @ 3:46 pm
The problem is we have replaced exciting offensive football that looked as if it was on an upward path with a negative and confused approach.
E.g. the last match we started with one striker and Bale at LB – against QPR at home!!!!!!!
The fun has gone from WHL, its tangible, you can feel it, so forget the prawn munching brigade, west stand crap. The Spurs crowd have ALWAYS been notoriously hard to please.
26/09/2012 @ 3:52 pm
I still stand by the park lane, in the last few games it hasn’t been great but it hasn’t been bad either… shelfs been poor though.
27/09/2012 @ 7:22 am
I was at the QPR game in the Upper East D section….all I could get for myself as a Bronze and a visiting business colleague.
To my right was about 8 or 9 Scandinavians, they only sing when riotously drunk, and around me was a wide variety of guys mainly, like me, in their early 50’s or so. Not sure what it was but try as I might I couldn’t bring myself in that surrounding to strike up a chant with so few around me willing to kick in and contribute.
I’m sure it’s a lot to do with the increasing average age (driven by the cost) and not just the prawn sandwich brigade….wish it were not so because the QPR fans got it right by singing that they were in a Library….