Groyne Strain
Manager
In admidst all the good vibes around at the moment due to our recent recovery, yet another depressing tale from an element of our support.
After having received so many good wishes and welcome backs from so many people in the pub after my involuntary visit to the hospital Chipper and I settled down in the South Lower and, like everyone else, was enjoying the relatively good start and Adam's opening goal.
It's funny how people can change though. The quick equaliser brought a few groans and shouts of anger at nobody in particular. When we fell behind, however, there was a response that defied belief.
I thought Collis done everything right try to block the Donny player's shot and, we all thought, had made a really good save until, of course, it bounced agonisingly into the net.
Sitting on the ground, obviously gutted, Steve must have been cheered by the reaction of the gentlemen sat in Row D, Seats 120-123 of the South Lower, who after shouting their abuse began chanting and clapping "Darryl Flahavan" at him.
It was young Chipper that broke the embarrassed silence around them with a timely "Shut up," whilst I commended them with "Great support lads. That's it, get behind the team". The lad the in the row behind them nodded his approval to me.
I then spent the next 5 minutes goading these said gentlemen, asking them to sing it again so that everyone can hear what great fans they are in a voice that ensured everyone around could hear. Not the most intelligent or eloquent of things to do but when someone's p!ssed you off to the 'nth degree what do you do?
I was trying to provide a response just as an excuse to launch into a full-scale tirade against them which, being in the Family Enclosure and bearing in mind my ongoing recuperation from a heart condition, wasn't the best thing to do.
To be fair to them, however, they appeared to be as embarrassed by their own display of support as was everyone around them. The only time I heard a peep out of them after that was celebrating our goals.
My point is this - at a time when the team are pulling themselves round, at a time when those running the admin side of the club have asked for our full support with what Ron described as the most important week in its' history - why should anybody in the employ of Southend United show any sort of loyalty or commitment to the cause above their own needs when they get such an appalling lack of support and loyalty in return (when it is needed most) from an element of our fans?
After having received so many good wishes and welcome backs from so many people in the pub after my involuntary visit to the hospital Chipper and I settled down in the South Lower and, like everyone else, was enjoying the relatively good start and Adam's opening goal.
It's funny how people can change though. The quick equaliser brought a few groans and shouts of anger at nobody in particular. When we fell behind, however, there was a response that defied belief.
I thought Collis done everything right try to block the Donny player's shot and, we all thought, had made a really good save until, of course, it bounced agonisingly into the net.
Sitting on the ground, obviously gutted, Steve must have been cheered by the reaction of the gentlemen sat in Row D, Seats 120-123 of the South Lower, who after shouting their abuse began chanting and clapping "Darryl Flahavan" at him.
It was young Chipper that broke the embarrassed silence around them with a timely "Shut up," whilst I commended them with "Great support lads. That's it, get behind the team". The lad the in the row behind them nodded his approval to me.
I then spent the next 5 minutes goading these said gentlemen, asking them to sing it again so that everyone can hear what great fans they are in a voice that ensured everyone around could hear. Not the most intelligent or eloquent of things to do but when someone's p!ssed you off to the 'nth degree what do you do?
I was trying to provide a response just as an excuse to launch into a full-scale tirade against them which, being in the Family Enclosure and bearing in mind my ongoing recuperation from a heart condition, wasn't the best thing to do.
To be fair to them, however, they appeared to be as embarrassed by their own display of support as was everyone around them. The only time I heard a peep out of them after that was celebrating our goals.
My point is this - at a time when the team are pulling themselves round, at a time when those running the admin side of the club have asked for our full support with what Ron described as the most important week in its' history - why should anybody in the employ of Southend United show any sort of loyalty or commitment to the cause above their own needs when they get such an appalling lack of support and loyalty in return (when it is needed most) from an element of our fans?
