By Red Army
March 28 2014

A Headline to grab attention and I obviously don’t mean it about every football fan out there. Nor am I talking solely about fans of my own club Barnsley. However recent events at various football clubs have forced me to begin this article with such a bold statement.

I have spent the last few season sat in the terraces at Oakwell in disbelief at the way the majority of the fans behave towards their own team and own players.

I know the modern day football fan has become very fickle but I was beginning to think that we at Barnsley had taken it to new a level and that we had the worst set of fans in the country.

I have heard a few stories this week that have made me realise it is either just the way of the modern football fan or indeed modern society.

I am pleased that it isn’t solely fans of my beloved Barnsley that seem to want to do everything possible to hinder their own team and make their own players dread playing in front of their own fans.

I am also saddened that this is what has happened to modern football and maybe even a bit worried of what football will be like in years to come.

This week I heard a few stories that prompted me to write this article and my first stop is at Leyton Orient.

Orient currently sit third in League One. Little old Leyton Orient in third on their budget with their fans base almost keeping pace with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

It is fair to say that this season Orient are punching above their weight and could easily achieve promotion to the Championship via the play-offs or even in second spot.

You would think that their fans would be enjoying the ride and enjoying every match of what can only be described as a successful season so far.

This however is not the case as a drawn game saw the Orient supporters boo their players off the pitch.

This prompted Chairman Barry Hearn to come out and say that if those fans were going to behave like that he would prefer them to go and support someone else.

I agree whole heartedly with what he said and I would like to hear it more. Football supporters have a right to voice their opinions as they pay hard earned money but booing a team in third who are punching above their weight because they have drawn a game? Give me strength.

I suppose it just shows what the modern day football fan demands. Everyone wants instant success which is why so many managers are relieved of their duties prematurely.

Everyone almost believes that their team has a divine right to win almost of every game and be successful no matter how much money they have behind them or how big their fan base is. Unfortunately this is not the case.

I now move on to Port Vale who currently sit 11^th in League One having only been promoted last season. A good solid season I think you would all agree.

Ten man Vale were spanked 5 – 0 at Bristol City. Never a nice feeling but these things do happen.

Manager Micky Adams took his players over to applaud the travelling support only to receive abuse. I don’t know what was said but it was bad enough for Adams to say that he doesn’t know whether he will stay on as manager or not next season.

Surely whatever was said is unacceptable if it has made the manager, who has done a great job for the club, say that.

Finally I move on to West Ham who left the field at half time with a 1 – 0 lead over Hull City only to be booed by their own fans.

Hull did have ten men but to be booed when you are winning, surely now it is becoming beyond a joke.

West Ham went on to win the game 2 – 1 but Big Sam spoke of how hard it was to get the players focussed on the match again at half time after they had heard all of those boos.

That is the impact such things can have on your own players, a negative impact that could have possibly gone on to cost them victory.

Are events such as these a sign of things to come? Is this what football needs to expect going forward? Or is it just a selection of isolated incidents that have occurred as we approach the business end of the season?

Unfortunately I believe we will be hearing more and more stories like these until we no longer hear them because they have just become the norm.