You should read “Red card Roy” by Roy Mcdonough, now that bloke took some stick, even getting arrested after a game he played against us, after he was reported by a walsall fan because he gave him some stick back 
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Probably miss that as we won’t want to leave the pub
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Haven’t read the book but I’m sure that was a 3-1 away defeat at Layer Road.
I was stood right behind the bloke who reported him and it wasn’t great to be honest. We’d been giving Roy some right stick. He gave not even a tenth back and the bloke in front of us got all indignant and called over a copper. We tried to calm it all down but the bloke was adamant.
Remember a Friday night at Southend a few years before when we gave Roy similar stick and he similarly gave some back and all was fine. One line about the real reason why Roy had been trying to grow a moustache for the best part of twenty years got a fantastic response from Roy that actually drew some applause. I can’t repeat it on here. Different times.
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It really is a great read, and an insight into what players think of fans that give them stick for little or no reason, there is a difference between a player that is giving his all but is not very gifted, and a player that IS gifted but not giving his all, needless to say, i will think twice before i slate a player again.
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Exactly @chunkster. They may be ■■■■, but they’re OUR ■■■■ and deserve support as long as they give their all.
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Evening all,
It appears as if it might be my tweet that started this debate. I used to be on here as “otherbournemouthsaddler” many years ago.
My tweet was meant as a tongue in cheek reference and was as follows: “I wont be there but i think every Walsall fan should respond to the team running out on friday by cupping their ears”
I didnt expect people to take it seriously however I feel like i should give some background to this tweet. I genuinely thought we could get out of trouble this season. I thought we played decent against Portsmouth, Sunderland and Barnsley.
I went to Doncaster and it was a horrible day from start to finish and i also realised that the feelings amongst supporters had changed and it was quite a toxic atmosphere.
I was all set to go against Accrington but the night before decided against it mainly because i couldnt justify spending money we didnt have as a family on me going to watch Walsall
Also i would get back well after my 3 year old’s bedtime so wouldnt see him for the majority of the day.
i dont think that footballers realise that these sort of decisions go on up and down the country every single weekend.
We support them because they represent the club we love.
When i read that most of the team couldnt even be bothered to acknowledge the support at the end of the game just wound me up.
Its them vs us - if it helps them gel together and keep us up then I couldn’t be happier.
The whole ear cupping thing i find pathetic just as i did when Will Grigg would celebrate in front of an empty stand and so i highlighted it in my tweet.
We are all human and react in different ways but wanted to put my side to this before i was painted as some keyboard warrior.
Still think it would be funny though…
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Ah yes! I think it would be really funny too…
I think it satires the divide between fans and players.
One thing is, however, this isn’t on us. I think the fans have been extremely, extremely lenient and passive on this team in the last 12 months.
Our fans do not deserve these players. That’s what it boils down to.
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There will still be fans clap them off the pitch the day we get relegated.
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Interesting comments on this thread. It’s always someone else’s fault, and it was nothing to do with me!
If I was a player who’d been at Walsall over the last two years and heard all the things said and read all of the things written, I’d cup my ears.
Funny someone mentions grigg. He’s not the first and won’t be the last. I wonder when we’ll learn? Toxic atmospheres create toxic teams and toxic performances and, wherever else the finger may be pointed, it’s worth looking in the mirror first and foremost.
That’s bollox. Can’t just blame the fans for this season. Especially after the start.
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Excellent selective reading. Where did I say “just blame the fans”?
Edit: let me spell out the message more clearly. In any “bad” situation, it’s easy to point lots of fingers of blame and completely absolve yourself of responsibility, make yourself victim rather than a perpetrator. What we should do in such a situation is to say “what part did I play in this?” If we’re honest, truthful and open, we’ll see quite clearly.
It’s a bit like when a relationship turns toxic and you start telling everyone “well it was her/him, their behaviour was awful, not my fault at all”. That’s rarely the truth in my experience.
Social media is part and parcel of football these days . Sure players up and down the country get stick from their fans as well it’s how you deal and respond to the abuse deserved or not.
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Hmmm…
I think that might cover it…
Yes, I agree, saying “wherever else the finger may be pointed” clearly suggests that there are other areas of blame, whilst “look in the mirror first” also suggests the same but invites us to look inwardly before outwardly. I think that’s clear then.
First and foremost…
Indeed. That’s what we should do first. And thus, by implication, I’m not pointing fingers of blame, I’m saying I first need to look at my part. Interesting that you see it differently 
Pretty sure the players went to ■■■■ before the fans turned septic. 
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Completely disagree @ShropsSaddler
The onus is on the players and stewards of this football club to above all else: be motivated and to at least try.
The lack of trying creates a toxic atmosphere - it’s the players’ who have caused this. Coupled with the disdain and lack of any relationship with the chairman and the board - I’m not surprised everyone ■■■■■■ off.
■■■■ the players, and ■■■■ the board.
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You cite “lack of trying” and yet many fans, from both sides of arguments, have generally agreed that, until the last few games, the players have pretty much tried hard. Forget the last 2 or 3 games, things have gone too far now, but prior to that, I’d think most would agree that Roberts, Devlin, Guthrie, scarr, Dobson, kinsella, Gordon, cook and others have all tried hard, despite varying ability. Yet all of those, at one time or another have been rubbished. Two things seem obvious to me this season. Firstly, some of these players are not of good enough quality for league one despite their efforts and secondly, the team as a whole has been badly mismanaged. Neither of which justifies some of the abuse hurled at them this season. In the same way, I wanted us rid of the manager because I think he wasn’t up to the job, but I certainly wouldn’t want to start any abuse of him, because I think he tried his hardest and wanted to succeed.
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I think the fans have only turned toxic over the last couple of games and rightly so - the players look like they haven’t tried in our biggest games of the season and although it might not effect their futures as they have their minds set elsewhere, it certainly effects the clubs
The losses prior to those games against the teams at the top of the table there was no toxic atmosphere as we looked like we were trying and gave them good games yet can’t do the same against teams around us when they need to most so I find it hard to point the finger at the fans in this situation
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