Jermaine Jenas interview

Seemed closer to 18-20k didn’t it, we said that at the time. I think they are allowed to class season ticket holders as attendees even if they don’t show up, as they have paid.

That applies in the PL I’m sure.

 

Cmon, there has been a toxic atmosphere at the club for a while and it stems from bad decisions at the boardroom level, including them not backing managers when certain players were not toeing the line. That mismanagement has led to some woeful and utterly dreadful performances, both home and away. I still have awful memories of one of our players at a game against Norwich,, ambling away with his back to the ball when a throw in was being taken; he showed no interest in the game at all that day. The away supporters have been brilliant as have the home supporters, to put up with that sort of dross for so long and yet still go and pay for a ticket.
I was going from the reported match stats, are you saying they were wrong? Unfortunately I was not there, but I have been to many excruciatingly bad games in my time. I have supported Sunderland since I was about 8 and I'm approaching 61. I was a London Branch supporter for 2-years and traveled around the country to see them. I cannot get up to the Stadium of Light very often now, but have been to a few games. It doesn't, for me, lend itself to the same atmosphere that was at Roker Park and seating in grounds spoils it for me. I do not believe that the fans have had any real contributory factor. Admittidly it doesn't help when they boo, but they have paid for a ticket and expect some entertainment from their investment. The players are on huge wages and if they are going to start pointing fingers, then they shouldn't be there; tell them to go and get a job in Tesco's.

If the footballers want a positive atmosphere then they should act like professional footballers, get as fit as they possibly can, stay off of the pop, gel with the other players, listen to the Manager and run and show that they hunger for success for the fans.
The atmosphere will begin to change, passion is everything to the SAFC supporters and most clubs would be ecstatic with a crowd of 26,000+ ( unless you are telling me that was wrong) yet we get it when playing the bottom club.
If I turned up for work unprepared, lazy, sometimes boozed up from the night before, with a careless and arrogant attitude, I'd get more than boo'd at!

 

Undoubtedly wrong.. There was nowhere near 26,000 there... Of course the fans are a contributory factor.. When we used to have the fans on board in the early years of the SoL they were like the 12th man.. However, recent years has saw a subdued atmosphere at best with fans walking out after 75 minutes even when we were winning.. Giving goalkeepers ironic cheers even when they do things right is in my opinion bloody awful, but what I have come to expect of late... I honestly believe that if we had a supportive home crowd we would have won at least a couple of these games in this 20 game run..

 

Why were the fans like the 12th man? why were the fans in a subdued state of mind? the excitement of the game, or the excrement in the game. They would boo in all seasons past if they were subjected to some of the dross that has been on show in recent years...especially if those players had turned up in a Bentley and had a house without a mortgage, all paid for by the fans.
If you say the stats were wrong then I'll have to take your word then as I was only going by the official stats, if the stats were wrong then they are wrong for every team in every league. Or is this the boards attempt to big it up? FFS the reason for the fans being the way they are is that the cluster fcuk of a boardroom and management have nose-dived the club into where we are. I can only hope that Coleman grabs control and puts on power and pulls up. The crowds reaction will change, entertain them...me...you.
We will have to agree to disagree and see where we are after Jan 31st....I think it will change for the better, as will the atmosphere at the ground. KTF

 

Anyone who says that the SOL can’t generate atmosphere like Roker Park didn’t get there under Reid, or Keane.

The atmosphere at the SOL when it’s right is utterly incredible - the seats have never affected that.

We got behind the side more in the Roker days, but the ground ain’t to blame. Anyone who was at Sheffield United in the play offs, Burnley for Edwards winner, Chelsea 2 seasons back, Spurs 3-1, any of the derbies, many, many other days knows that the stadium can and has generated absolutely electric atmospheres.

 

They're not paid for by fans. nevermind all paid for by fans, they've been paid for by capitalism. The financial input from fans is next to nowt in reality.

I accept fans pay their money some put it before more urgent matters, but that's their choice. But lets not pretend the money they spend is anything significant compared to the money Short has put in and money received on tv deals. It's nothing.

 

Fact is our fan base will soak up all the praise dished out to us when we do well. But when we do bad and get on their back we go into denial about our role in a poisonous atmosphere. In fact the only people ever taking responsibility for it are the people who don't get on their backs and are in effect taking responsibility on other peoples behalf. This is why I find fans who boo players and hurl abuse from the stands and directly at players on social networks as most pathetic kind of football fan going. They've fooled themselves into believing they're not only blameless but it's them who have been wronged. Pathetic.

 

We are not in any pathetic situation because of how this club has been run then? I am not defending any fan booing, I am merely saying that the fekin board room got us into this mess and a decent manager and a sound boardroom will get us out of it. The booing will evaporate and hopefully the good times will return. that is how I feel that is what is needed to emanate out to fans, players, the manager and the board. I think that the same thing was happening before Stokoe took over - we languished in div 2, people got pissed off, but things changed.
Stokoe took over as manager of Sunderland on 29th November 1972 when they were fourth from bottom of the Second Division table after a run of just four wins in 18 games...........things changed.

 

I never mentioned how the club is being run, it's been ran into the ground. Not sure why you're steering my comments in the direction you are, it's nowt to do with my point at all.

 

Totally agree 100% with class of 73 couldn't give a toss what others on here want to think but I will ask nads in post 25 why were the fans getting behind the players?

 

Or post 25 even.

 

I liked it when we stood, I don't, personally, think its quite the same when seated. I have been to home games both at the SoL and at Roker Park I have also been to the derbies both home and away. The atmosphere (besides the derbies, obviously) IMVHO builds at the SoL, but a dull game will have people sitting in their seats. The roar at Roker Park was almost permanent, deafening, electric and was noted for it up and down the country. I agree with your stance about the crowd being the 12th man, but there were probably a lot of boo's and shouts of abuse by Nov, in the '72 season. The manager changed, he turned things around and look where that went.

 

Aye that one as well.

 

It’s simple.

As supporters we have 2 options.

Support.
Add to the problem.

Overall we are doing the latter, and no amount of reasoning if ‘justification’ excuses that.

‘Well the teams **** so why should we back them’.

Maybe some folk need to Google the word support. Forums like this are great for getting steam out, saying out bit, slating if desired.

In the stadium, when the team is already under intense pressure, can only fan the flames.

The kind of folk that boo at matches I imagine are also the kind that hate famous people being successful, who go for nice food and say nowt but have it a few minutes delayed to their table and tell every ****er ‘service was appaling’.

Positivity breeds positivity.
Negativity breeds negativity.

There’s a time and place for both.

 

Undoubtedly? No, unless of course you counted each supporter, but in your opinion, fair enough. The fact that anyone turned up was a plus after the last year we have had.... and again, if you were there, then hats off to you I'm not going to argue the ins and outs any more, but await a fekin change of spirit within the club and our long suffering supporters. I KTF

 

I dont give a flying one what that ex gay mag w*nker thinks or says he's just saying things for effect hoping he retains a job in the media.

 

Don’t hold back mind pal!

 

I don't agree with people booing at the match. Ever seen the reaction of a crowd when a band that charge lots of money, decides not to play, or play extremely badly?
Equally I don't tell people what to or not to do, its their choice. I see it as people whom have gone out of their way to go and see their team, they've paid money to get there and money to get in. The atmosphere builds and then the team come out of the tunnel, some players have seen through 4 or 5 managers, some seem unfit and don't quite seem to know what they are doing. There are also rumours about a drinking culture. The team fail again and again and another manager goes....

Support goes both ways, both sides to blame. It's natural but more pronounced when records are being broken. All I feel is that it is going to change for the better, it will and I KTF

 

Sorry mate don't agree I have never been to a match yet following the lads in any division and heard booing when they have tried their hardest only time is when lazy drunken kunts like our lot produce the same **** week in and week out and there are still people on here who back the useless bastards well most fans have had a belly full mate and i don't blame them for booing the twats one jot f uck them. Hopefully Coleman will come in and rid us of this culture once and for all the same as Canio tried to do but player power won.

 

Nobody is telling anyone what to do, they're passing opinion on a platform set up to pass opinion.