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[Blog] An Ordinary Fan's View on Being an Ordinary Fan
Written by OriginalMarkyP on Wednesday, 15th Feb 2012 12:21

After a run of terrible results we saw people baying for the manager's head.

A few good wins later and although the 'outers' are a little quieter it's hard not to imagine them coming back in full voice the next time we lose.

Managers certainly don't get the time they used to be afforded to sort things out and in this media/digital age we as fans have never been powerful at influencing our manager's fate.

One factor that seems to me to fuel this manager-bloodlust in fans, is the unslaked thirst for Premiership football at all costs.

I think that I can say whether we get promotion to the Premiership or not, is never really that important to me as a fan.

I don't view my team as a business, one that needs success NOW and must have top flight football.

I think too many fans these days have adopted or developed a very corporate way of viewing and supporting their club.

Perhaps this only reflects the money, brand-building way the game at a top level is going as it takes Sky's often poisoned dollar.

But we're FANS first, not viewers, or heaven forbid 'customers'.

Just because the money-men want to shape the game that way, doesn't mean we have to follow suit.

It's always been our game after all, they're only renting it until something else becomes more fashionable.

Don't get me wrong, I want to see my team do well, but it's not the be-all and end-all. It's about the game for me. A passion for the game, not overnight success.

I want to see some good football, see some great goals, the odd last ditch tackle, the odd mistake, a controversial decision now and again - for and against - enjoy wholeheartedly the good times and not wallow in the bad.

Take the rough with the smooth. Be 'over the moon' when they win, 'gutted' when they lose - but not enough so I can't get over it an hour later.

I'm never going to scream '______ OUT!!', it's just a game.

The game I always want my team to win is the next game - and if they lose it, you know what? There'll always be another one.




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Reus30 added 12:38 - Feb 15
gutted for an hour!

Pah. It is at least 6 days for me
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not_a_witty_name added 12:50 - Feb 15
I just want to see an honest display from the players and if they win then that is a bonus. If not then there is next week, season or decade.
Being negative isn't constructive, you can see the difference on the pitch when us supporters are supporting.
COYBs
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SWBlue86 added 13:37 - Feb 15
Good blog. I agree. I just want to see effort from the players and exciting football back at PR.
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naa added 13:58 - Feb 15
I agree entirely with this. The fans who would happily sit through boring hoof it football just because it gets wins are a people I don't understand. We have to sit/stand and watch for 90mins, it's those 90mins that are important, so they should be enjoyable.

Under Burley we played great football, were a joy to watch and challenged the play-offs each year. We finally went up, as everyone was desperate for us to, and look what happened (that first glorious season notwithstanding).

Obviously, I want to watch us play good football, and if we're doing that then usually that means we'll be challenging for promotion but this desperate desire to see us get beaten by premier teams isn't something I'm quite so bothered about.

I'd rather see us beat West Ham 5-1 than see us get beaten 2-0 by a brilliant Man City (a scoreline which would be seen as a good result).

Of course, our owner needs us to get promoted for financial reasons and the club can't withstand too many more years below the premier for those reasons.
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sotd78 added 15:35 - Feb 15
I love to be associated with a successful club but I also wnat my club to be thought of well by others. Witness West Ham who are top of the league but whose fans bemoan the football they're now playing. The Allardyce hoofball
I want to see and remember the little things. Taricco winding up Sheffield Utd. Hreidarson falling headfirst into the North Stand crowd in faith that we'd catch him. Mogga waving the winger towards him as the ball falls from the sky so that he can head it accurately to the guy's feet. Mogga's song. Stewart's song. Those things are what matters. So you can take your Sky and your Prem and keep them as far as I am concerned. I want to be competive and finish permanently fourth!
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slaughteredskipper added 16:36 - Feb 15
Brilliant blog. As someone who isn't a season ticket holder or someone who even gets to watch my beloved Town on a regular basis, (young family and playing footy on a Saturday myself take up time), I never feel qualified to post as passionately as many on here. But I am a glass half full kinda guy and believe that patience with pj will ultimately see us rewarded.
I totally agree with sotd78 as well 4th every season in the championship would do me as long as we as a club have a vision we can be proud of, one where we have good footballing principles, players supporters can relate to and be proud of and a set up that means we are well thought of as a community and by those that visit it.
I am the headteacher of a primary school and all too aware of the pressures of leading a school especially in the current political climate, and am lucky to have a supportive governing body that is happy to be graded good by ofsted as long as we don't abandon our vision of what we want for our children and their future.
Being graded outstanding by ofsted or reaching the premiership could be considered similar. We all strive to be the best we can be, as long as it is doesn't compromise our identity.
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oldbarrackdan added 21:52 - Feb 15
A bit of realism, good blog, I think quite a lot of people have forgotten what being a football fan is all about, win lose or draw, you pick yourself up and go again for the next game. Being desperate for a managerial sacking every season isnt necessarily the answer to our problems. COYB
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singtown added 03:29 - Feb 16
Good blog but I still hope ITFC play in BPL.

I am from Singapore and other than BPL games, there are almost nil coverage for the lower leagues in this part of the world.

I can only hope some kind soul in UK can upload match highlights in YouTube so that I can search and watch a few days later

You are right though, I have supported town for past 20 hrs and will still do so thru thick & thin. Would be great if we can make it back to BPL of course
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singtown added 03:31 - Feb 16
It's 20 yrs and not hrs! Sorry for he typo there!
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RevAdrian added 06:20 - Feb 16
Good blog and some helpful comments following it. One thing I would add is that the problem with the Premier League thing is that the gap between Championship and Premiership grows ever wider - I suspect that that is why so many people seem desperate to get there - and yes, I admit that although I might not be desperate I would love to see us there, but (and a big but) not if it means wrecking the heart and soul of the club, nor it it means gambling and losing and having to accept financial oblivion.

Does anyone think there are parallels with the overall economic situation in the world? The idea of 'growth' is promoted as the only way to go in everything (I only have an A economics so I am not real expert) but increasingly some people seem to be realising that it has been growth based on feet of clay that has caused the problems. A better word than 'growth' is 'sustainability' - and doesn't that apply to ITFC too? At the end of the day what we need is a situation which is able to support and sustain all this beautiful but battered football club is all about - and who knows - if the edifices of those who have built on foundations of sand rather than rock come tumbling down we may find ourselves in the top flight after all.
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michaeldownunder added 07:36 - Feb 16
Very good blog

In the near future I can see a EPL with no relegation, it's not far off it now

If you get relegated from the EPL you have payments for 3/4 years to help with players big contracts, how is that fair on the rest of the teams. Contracts should state if you go down so does your wages.

Most Premier clubs are no longer paying out big money for lower league English players they buy most of their players from abroard. gone are the days when a club would sell one or two home grown players each season to keep afloat.

With the prem league putting a cap on transfers paid out for schoolboy/youth team players from other clubs even less money will filter down to teams like Ipswich/Colchester and the like
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Wickets added 07:57 - Feb 16
This could have beem written when Jim Magitlon was in charge.
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Hiltzkooler added 10:59 - Feb 16
Excellent blog - very salutory - enjoyed it and the posts afterwards - Slaughteredskipper - spot on!,....it doesn't mean accept mediocrity, it means revell in the game!
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Happy2bBlue added 11:04 - Feb 16
Agree 100% but unfortunately you are not describing Ipswich Town FC. We have sold our soul to the money men. The fans Are customers and the club is is a business. The words and actions of the clubs management continually relay this message. I'm afraid this is how it is, we are no longer a family club. Whilst i find this sad the potential for good times at portman road has to be there, money can only be made if the club are successful on the pitch. I'm more than happy to share in the success, should it happen, just don't expect me to be outside with a collection bucket if it all goes horribly wrong!
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DrJeckyll added 19:16 - Feb 16
Brilliant :-) 110% effort, playing good football, in the spirit of the game, that,s what earns my respect
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MVBlue added 22:01 - Feb 16
While true that we should stick with our footballing principles of the passing game and faith in a manager like Jewell who promotes this, we should look to the new found benefits of the premiership. Clubs who get relegated now get 1m a month for 4 years.
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