Have many of our “fans” become entitled?

[SebastianBlue]

Good to see you posting, hope you're well.

Word of advice, don't go near the "Return of Supporters" or the CL Final ticket threads.

Thanks, mate — still holding on and will take your advice under consideration. Though, I did already make the mistake of browsing the Return of Supporters thread…

Same as Twitter. If you’re surprised by the fact that there are lots of nobheads knocking about and that a lot of them have some shitty opinions then you need to get out more

I would if I could, mate. ;-)

I still reckon they’ve taken a larger share of our fans than before, though. Happy to hear counter arguments it was always thus, of course. There’s always been the moaning (especially collectively from the Kippax!) but I just don’t recall us having so many of this sort of nobhead prior to our recent success, and I am not sure it is entirely “new” fans, either. Success changes people, etc.

I suppose it’s especially disappointing to see for people like me that are just happy when they can manage to do the simple things at any given time and is overjoyed with the current state of our club (ESL farce aside, of course). Only have to go just outside of the city to find an example of how difficult building and sustaining something like we have actually is.

And the award for most gratuitously sanctimonious post of the season goes to .......... SEBASTIAN

He thereby automatically gains entry to the Superfan of the Season shortlist

I’m just happy to be nominated.

ask any rag .

If only I hadn’t told all of the ones in the matchday threads to **** off I could do a survey.

Hope you are doing well!

You forgot fans who won't be renewing their season tickets because they didn't get an email when they thought they should.

I never got one at all…

You are viewing real life through the prism of a forum. Meet any blue and they are cockahoop with the way this season has gone.

Although I would argue this forum is also “real life” (just a different realm of it, with it’s own peculiarities and issues), it is a fair point that I am generally well confined to mostly online interactions now. As I alluded to in the opening post, it may just be a minority that is prominent because of the unique situation we’ve been in. That said, I have heard from other blues still in Manchester that I have known for decades say they feel the fan base is changing, as well. Now, that could be down to primarily what they see online, too. It’s difficult to separate those experiences now given it is such a big part of most people’s (especially disabled people’s) “real” lives.

And to be clear, as I have always said, I have absolutely no issue with new fans from across the globe. My worry is solely with those new and old supporters that seem to feel we are entitled to success or unearned respect. Those mindsets could change, as well, admittedly. Quite a bit will in football over the coming years, even excepting the direct impacts of the last year.

Fucking hell not been back long and your causing shit already:)

Everything requires an immense commitment these days so if I am going to do something it is going to be done with maximum impact. ;-)

The more things change, the more they stay the same ;)

are we behaving like spoilt brats?

i have noticed that since our new wealthy circumstances we have become impatient, unrealistic and have turned into spoilt little rich kids.(well some have) no-one gets half a chance any more. the past 6 home games i have had somebody next to me moaning constantly! some old geezer was the worst...

forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk

Spoilt Children....

Really couldn't believe some of our support yesterday Wonder how some of you wouldve got on if youd ended up following the likes of oldham or stockport,we dont have a god given right to win football matches. By all means have a bit of a moan but to start talking about Mancini getting the boot...

forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk

Spoilt and Lost

I agree totally with the attitude of fans.

forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk

Spoilt football fans

Not just outs but in general it seems football fans are becoming like brats. Ourselves for example, do we have to win the league every season otherwise these brats will want the manager out? Is it our throw-away consumer culture? Always looking for a quick fix? So what is we finish second? It...

forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk

Spoilt children!

Looking at some comments on here tonight I cannot believe the attitude of so-called supporters of our great club. Slagging off Yaya etc etc - a good point gained today - apologies on behalf of the team, manager etc that we dont score every game in the 1st minute or win 7-0 every game...

forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk

Has our fan base become spoilt?

On page one of this forum, we have the following threads; 1. Is the game bent? 2. VAR debate 2019/20 3. Seasoncard for sale (because of VAR) 4. Request a bet: VAR to disallow a City goal 5. Will VAR lead to increased football violence 6. Is it time for SKY to ban Gary Neville from commentating...

forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk

You’ve well and truly done me there, Ric — and I even searched “entitled” and “ragish” in thread titles before posting to see if there were any recent discussions about this! I should have run down the synonyms before clicking “post”. Another reason to strip me of my mod privileges!

I’ll not moan, though. I will take my beating on the chin, happy to see I am but one in a long line of ironically miserable ****s.

Still think there are more dickheads amongst us than their once was, though. I should know! ;-)

 

[BongoBlue]

Welcome back SB.

 

[I'm Blue]

I come back from a long, difficult absence toward the end of another amazing season in which the club has again achieved things beyond my wildest dreams as a young lad and what do I find?

Far too many posts on here and elsewhere calling players “shitebags”, complaining about players’ commitment, criticising Pep’s management, and just generally moaning about the club.

After one loss in a dead rubber with one of the single worst (read: bent) refereeing performances I have seen in three decades of supporting City, a few weeks before our first ever Champions League final!

And on Twitter I see many abusing our players (some racially, especially when it comes to Sterling) after less-than-stellar performances or runs of form.

How have so many of our “fans” become so ****ing entitled, bordering on ragish. Or abhorrent, full stop. I know it’s not everyone — there are plenty admonishing and rebuking these impish idiots (at best). But there are still too many of these “fans” for my comfort. They are not what our club is about. They aren’t representative of our values. Perhaps United’s or Liverpool’s, bit not City’s.

Am I seeing more than are actually there? Am I falling in to just another trap of football tribalism, except creating more “us v them” amongst our own?

That could be the case and I am happy to be convinced I am.

But as of late, it seems like there has been a surge of the worst sort of “fan” in our ranks and I worry that the various aspects of the pandemic (isolation, shift to online engagement, return to the hooligan culture for many disaffected in order to find community/purpose/lost power, etc.) has them quickly taking over. At least the most visible, vocal realm of our support, anyway.

What do you think? Am I exaggerating the issue? Is it really that bad? Or is it just a prominent minority of “fans” that will eventually be drowned out as things get back to whatever “normal” is once the virus is under relative control?

I won’t be able to respond to all posts, or quickly to any, but I do appreciate everyone’s thoughts as I have been ruminating on this for some time, especially in light of the recent ESL debacle.

I think the general reaction of supporters — especially those in Manchester — really showed who we are and what we want the club to represent, but I also saw plenty of questionable stances among those claiming to be City fans. And I wonder what would have been the response of the club if the seemingly “entitled” contingent, who mostly appeared to love the idea of the ESL, had more time to rise in the ranks. And whether that means a similar situation in the future, if things progress as they are in my view, may result in a very different outcome.

Perhaps this is all down to my loss of sympathy for those that don’t know how good they have it. Maybe I’ve become even more of a miserable **** than I was before.

Regardless, although I can only mostly read threads these days, @Ric, it’s probably best to remove my mod privileges as seeing these daft, entitled, ragish posts throughout, it’s only a matter of time before I muster the energy to wildly swing the hammer. And, at any rate, I can’t really properly moderate any more, and have shed most of my diplomatic skills, so best I go back to being limited to addlebrained contributions like this.

Up the Blues!

It has got worse to an extent but it’s highlighted more by the internet and social media.
Some people post shit online knowing there’s no repercussions for there actions.
You wouldn’t get ‘City’ fans racially abusing their own players at the ground in the same way cos they’d get filled in by our fans.
I know an odd knobhead will, but that’s cos they’re a knobhead anyway, regardless of being a City fan.
In the heat of the moment with regards calling a player shit etc is to be expected to some extent, missing a sitter and saying that’s crap, ffs etc is fine by me, but sometimes is well over the top.
Add to that the new breed of fan, the glory hunter, who don’t really know what shit is, so feel more entitled than most.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

You forgot fans who won't be renewing their season tickets because they didn't get an email when they thought they should.

Now wait a minute, not sending an email is rotter behaviour. (cf. Derek and Clive).

Actually, I distinctly remember that it was in the post match thread after West Brom at home that someone called Pep a ****. I was deeply shocked. I just thought, these fans do not deserve the club that they've got. That thread absolutely was the pits. The one the week before, against United, had been bad enough. I thought it couldn't go lower. I took a sabbatical from here.
I admit, it only lasted about two or three weeks. I like the community of this place in general, and it's been a help through the Covid period in which I, for one, have been totally isolated.
There's quite a few things going on, though, that we simply don't know about. I've realised that not a few get really, really tanked alcohol-wise while they're posting. Never good for some people's temper. There's also the possibility of lurkers who are more or less ill intentioned towards City, and see an opportunity to stir shit. It's a sad way of getting your fun, but hey. Then there are just people with anger management problems. It's possible that they post things that they wouldn't think of shouting out at the Etihad. On the other hand, it might be a carry over on the keyboard from what they do in real life.
As someone who looks in on other clubs's forums from time to time I do think this place goes over the top sometimes in being personally insulting to players and coach when things don't go our way. I'll criticise a performance. More rarely, I'll criticise a player, as a player and only as a player, when I think it's merited. Everybody on here's got to be able to do that. I don't know them as human beings, I never will, and I'll never criticise them as human beings, damningly and for all time.
But since this thread seems to have been indirectly stimulated by what happened last night, I'll just say this: I emphatically don't think City are ‘entitled’ to win against Brighton, Cheltenham or any other team that can field 11 players who earn their living professionally, by playing football. What I do think City are entitled to is reasonably fair refereeing, and not being clogged all over the park in a game that means nothing to either side. Incidentally, all other sides are entitled to the same. Yes, even United. Yes, even Liverpool.

 

[Gundog’s Gundog]

Why is the word fans in inverted commas

 

[neilhb]

 

[Decepticon]

I've certainly become more entitled. If we lose the CL final baldy can do one and hopefully we can lure Moyes from Westham or even get fat Sam.

 

[Del_Bosque]

People get used to high standards, most of the stuff that gets mentioned on here when performances drop will be the same thing Pep and the rest of the staff think, look at Jesus and Sterling, they can’t get near the team now.

Message board is a place to vent, if there were boo’s in the ground for misplaced passes or white hankerchiefs out like in Spain then i’d be worried.

 

[SebastianBlue]

Why is the word fans in inverted commas

It’s intended to acknowledge that some may not actually be fans of the club but rather self-styled provocateurs (fairly common these days on here, Twitter, and elsewhere, unfortunately). I think people generally agree that sort of trolling behaviour has absolutely skyrocketed in frequency with our success and development of toxic aspects of social media culture, and City supporter experiences and responses to it could be a discussion in of itself.

What I do think City are entitled to is reasonably fair refereeing, and not being clogged all over the park in a game that means nothing to either side. Incidentally, all other sides are entitled to the same. Yes, even United. Yes, even Liverpool.

Let’s not get carried away…

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Let’s not get carried away…

I said it through gritted teeth…