Aston Villa News 24/7Writer: J P Fear 
Date:Tuesday October 9 2007
Time: 11:12AM
UK time is: 00:20:19
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Real Villa Fans DON'T Boo OUR Boys
Are you one of the few who boo our players? Come on, I've not met anyone that will actually admit it and yet the noise is audible enough for the players to start commenting. So are you one? I think everyone at Villa deserves an explanation as to why a 'fan' (sic) would boo one of their own whilst in the shirt on the pitch. Please do educate the Villa faithful who would rather jump in front of a bus than do anything other than SUPPORT the team during matches as to what you think you are achieving. Might also be interesting if you could tell us which team you really support because lets face it, this is NOT the way REAL Villa fans behave, never has been and never will be.
What am I on about?
The booing of Stiliyan Petrov when he was brought on for Craig Gardner on Saturday in the match against West Ham. When he was about to be brought on, someone behind me was screaming 'NO MARTIN, DON'T DO IT, HE'S ****' Now if I can hear that, so could the Villa boss and so could the player because I sit right by the bench. Then he comes onto the pitch and is met by booing.
What the hell will booing a player who is already - by the looks of it - devoid of any confidence achieve? I can't think of one positive effect it would have. How would you feel if you were at work and your entrance was met by a chorus of boos and jeers? How would that make you perform through the day, how would it effect your personal life?
Craig Gardner has spoken out against the incident sticking up for his team mate. The young Villa midfielder said he will come good because 'He's a great player.' And on the numpties who booed he added, 'I don't know who or what the fans were booing for. We got the three points, so the substitution was the right decision. If I'd have stayed on, we might have lost 2-1. Stiliyan found it hard last year, but he's a great player and I'm sure he'll prove it this year.' I think the booing, to be fair, was at people not wanting Gardner taken off. No matter though, still wrong.
It is always, always, always wrong to boo a player in claret and blue whilst on the pitch. It is fair enough to say what you think after a game but for 90 minutes a fan sings their heart out in support of the team, surely that is our job?
If you disagree, can you please educate me and the rest of the mystified masses as to what the end game is of booing a player?
We all (or most I think) are disappointed with Stiliyan Petrov, he came with great debut performance and a big reputation, not to mention price tag but has so far failed to live up to his potential. I think we've all seen interviews with the manager and other players saying he is a great player and that he will come good and yet the evidence to date is pretty different. So fair enough, there are issues with the player but you surely HAVE to put that to one side when he is playing in the claret and blue? I must admit the 'collective groan' when he miss plays a pass or loses the ball is something that you probably can't do anything about, it is a natural reaction that is amplified when 20 000 people groan at the same time, but we can do something about the booing of players.
If anyone boos ANY player at Villa Park (because lets face it, there has been similar when Marlon Harewood has been brought on) ask them why they are doing it and politely ask them to stay away next time. Maybe I'm just getting old but the Holte End especially used to be a place of great imagination, loads of songs supporting our players and loads of fun. Now if it isn't a rendition of an anti Blues song (a club who should mean nothing to us unless we are playing them) it is booing our own. What gives?
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Your Comments
I agree completley there is a tendencey amongst some of us to go over the top with negativity.Look at the way everyone went on about Harewood before he even kicked a ball,how did that help him?I think any Villa fans who thought the treatment of Petrov was wrong at the weekend should try send messages of support to him,even if that is a bit gay.
Pking
I sometimes wonder whether they are actually booing the player coming on or the actual decision to take off one of our better players...... or i maybe i'm just being naive!
nottinghamvillain
thank you, thank you, thank. Its often said how negative this site is or many of the fans that visit this site are by villa fans I go with are. So i hope the boo boys take notice, the fact that an ex professional was on Football Focas saying Barry does well as villa park is very unforgiving and if your not playing well its difficult to get going again filled me with distain. Could you do your job if someone was sitting behind you saying "you don't know what your doing or rubbish" or would it be better for a big bit of encouragement so he thinks yeah I can get my form back, I mean go and criticise your wife’s cooking and see what she dishes up next time.
deano_t
It's poor form, end of.
weller77
On Saturday the majority sat around me in the holte wer audibly showing their anger at the boo's. I shouted fairly loudly "Morons!". It's an utter disgrace. The same happened when Marewood came on against Leicester. F'kin Morons. No other word for them.
Adam Deuce
Why do it? Absolutely no point! Not one person will admit it so why would they do it? Lets get the word out to ensure that Petrov and Harewood both have songs sung about them against Man U.
KSarge1
Positive Songs.
KSarge1
Any suggestions?
KSarge1
deano_t, who was the ex-pro on Football Focus? I used to rip what small amount of hair had left out when people were shouting Useless to De-La-Cruz all the time. They guy wasn't bad at all and always gave 100%, how calling him Useless DLC was meant to help I have no idea?!
The Fear
I think its avfc48 with a loud hailer !!!!.... :-)
astonmilan
Riise & Bosingwa would be absolutely perfect! Both Champions League quality.
KSarge1
I agree Mr Fear.
Despite what many people think of Petrov, negativity only breeds it. If we want him to be better he needs confidence. Perhaps you could create an article where we can leave some comments to boost his confidence and you could forward it to the villa? I feel really bad for the lad. After all the booing he's had, i think it's gonna take something a little out of the ordinary to help him out of that dip.
Maybe i'm just a softy.
johnnyuk
Oh FFS How many threads are we going to have about a few morons. Why do villa fans feel the need for the constant self-flagellation? Can't we please talk about something positive for a change?
jonah
Petrov has shown signs of promise and I think that MON should take a lot of the blame for playing him when maybe he needed a rest. Davis left because of this also, although he hasn't exactly set the world on fire at Fulham.
Marlon however is just not good enough, simple. (Go on Marlon prove me wrong)
Villan444
I love it, the "Self-Flagellation" thread.
johnnyuk
booing is for little fairey chavs who claim to be holte end hero's, i would suggest anyone that booed petrov not to bother turning up against manu. the way to stamp it out is publicly condem anyone sitting around you who boo's.
Stig
Agreed booing a player is no way to encourage them or welcome them into the arena.I openly admit I shouted out"Maybe you can earn your money this week Petrov".And the reason why I did this is, I spent £30 on a weekday night, bust my balls driving back from work to watch us play Leicester.He was dreadful, and I don't say that lightly.We might as well have had 10 men on the pitch.I can take that if it is a one off, but he goes missing in games.Admittedly we all have good and bad times, but laziness I will not abide.Juan was never the best footballer, and never scored the goals he was expected to.But the boy ran himself ragged, for the fans, for his colleagues and for the manager.What really sticks with me is this is a player who played in a Uefa cup final, Champions league games against the worlds best teams.CAPTAINS his nations a team which includes players like Martin Petrov and Berbatov.He is a fantastic footballer with great ability.Yes, booing is for dimwits, who clearly don't understand it is the greatest insult you can invoke on a footballer.But my god where is the professional pride.
He may be having a bad time, but he has been with us for over a year! Footballers work from say 10am-2pm, have rest days get paid more a week than most people earn in a year.Have only a short career to achieve their accolades, and all that is expected is they perform on a matchday.It may not always work out for you,but the cardinal rule is.....you WORK YOUR NUTS OFF.So I think from the chorus from the dimwits, he has got the message.Now he can cry or he can realise that his performances ( bar West Ham, the end of last season and the Inter game) have been below the standard of a player wearing the Villa shirt and gracing our stadium.So he should be a man and graft, his way out of it.Then again he could always swap with me and I will earn 1mill a year and work 20hrs a week and he can do my 11hours a day job...UTV
OneloveVilla
I spent 40 in juice, paid 30 for someone to cover my job, dragged another 10 supporters along, drove 150 miles there, watched the biggest pile of sh**e I have seen for a long time against leicester, had the misery of driving 150 miles back and the thought of slagging any of my team members off never enters my head or the heads of the other born and bred supporters I know, I want the most out of my team, the team I pay to see, and giving them grief is not the way to do it, I agree they should work their nuts off, give him the right environment and he might even become the player most of us know he can be. A job swap!!! what premiership team do you play for again?
steff_the_villan
the player ex pro I was talking about was Martin Keown when being interviewed with regards to Gareth Barry and why he deserved to start against Russia at Wembley
deano_t
Well Steff, this is why we are all entitled to our opinions. I don't believe asking someone to get stuck in is a slur on them.It is setting the expected standard.The job swap was in reference to a working day, and Stan can't consider himself a premiership player until he starts playing like one!...the Villa crowd are one of the most supportive in the league.The patients shown to Juan was unending.
But hardwork answers alot of questions, and shuts alot of mouths.UTV
OneloveVilla
There ia a difference between "Go on Stan, get stuck in my son" and "Maybe you can earn your money this week Petrov" one is a positive likely to lift a player and the other is a negative likely to result in a below par performance if you choose the later, it is to the detriment of the team as a whole, and yes everyone is entitled to their opinion and to feel free to voice it, I am also entitled to watch my team perform on the pitch, and the fact is they perform better in a positive environment, that is a fact, no argument, so if I hear people trying to upset the players that I have paid good money to watch, then you can be sure that I will let them know it. and as for "Stan can't consider himself a premiership player until he starts playing like one!..." fair comment : )
steff_the_villan
Agreed, and 40K against West Sham is showing that the club is filling up on matchday so expectation along with attendance is increasing.Stan has created this situation himself by his performances so he has to prove to us all he is capable...and as always, he will get the songs, and adulation that comes from being a well loved and supported Villa player.UTV
OneloveVilla
The ultimate insult to any footballer, being jeered and held to ridicule by his own 'supposed' footballers. Admittedly it was only a very small minority in attendance that showed fit to react in this sad way, but even a very small minority is way too many. Most of the jeers came as far as I can tell from the upper Holte, a slap in the face to all those of us who stood on the Holte, supported and cheered during the Holte End's formative early years of the late 60's and early 70's. Back in those days we'd have dealt with the morons amongst ourselves, pin-pointed them, and gave them a 'talking-to' either there and then, or on the next away trip. Where's gator, he'd back me up 100% on that statement? We went through some rough times back then, but we supported the lads in the claret and blue through thick and thin. I'm not for endorsing fisticuffs at football games, but maybe, just maybe, the right approach should this despicable act happen again, is to give the perpetrator(s) sitting by us their own little 'one-on-one' talking to.
glensider
Maybe O'Niell should think more about his value for money strategy and realise that to get into Villa Park and watch the likes of Petrov and Harewood costs an average working person a sixth of their take home pay, and thats without traveling and food etc....players shouldn't be booed, but after 14 months of waiting, Petrov just hasn't delivered, he's not a rookie, he's a 28 yr old pro who has 40+ caps and captains his country....basically he can't hack it in the premiership, he just isn't good enough....and Harewood is just a poor mans Vassell, not up to the standards of this league. BUT UNTIL O'NIELL REALISES THIS, THEY SHOULD BE SUPPORTED WHEN WEARING A VILLA SHIRT, BOOING AFFECTS THE WHOLE TEAM, NOT JUST AN INDIVIDUAL, DON'T AFFECT THE TEAM, THIS CAN ONLY SET THEM BACK.
astonmilan
Hey, the negativity stem from the KNOB SQUAD and like minded organisations. I would agree that by and large this is a negative site or should I say negativity does hold sway here. How many time has someone that makes a positive comment been to to wake up and smell the coffee? AVFC48 in particular. Villa have always had player that have failed to live up to expectations. I remember the abuse Villa fans gave Tommy Craig years ago and he never came good. We should get behind players when they are down because thats when we as fans are truly supportive.
myleftfoot
Ask Celtic fans and they will tell you that Petrov took a year and a half to settle in when he moved to Scotland. Admittedly, back then he had the language barrier on top of moving to a foreign land to contend with, which he no longer has to deal with, but my point is he eventually came good. I honestly believe he'll come good again - the booing is despicable. Everyone, in every walk of life goes through poor times in their professional life. I don't believe in sticking with players regardless of performance, but i do believe in giving players opportunities to turn poor form around.
The Usual Suspect
100% agree with your comments there The Usual Suspect. Very sensible posting.
glensider
Ask Celtic fans and they will tell you that Petrov took a year and a half to settle in when he moved to Scotland. Admittedly, back then he had the language barrier on top of moving to a foreign land to contend with, which he no longer has to deal with, but my point is he eventually came good. I honestly believe he'll come good again - the booing is despicable. Everyone, in every walk of life goes through poor times in their professional life. I don't believe in sticking with players regardless of performance, but i do believe in giving players opportunities to turn poor form around.
well looks like a celtic fan came to answer true what was said about petrov but you have overlooked the fact that villa have a very english squad(something to be proud of) and that makes it harder
hoopymo
I've been involved in discussions on booing players before now - I'm ashamed to say that I used to be one of those fans. However, a lot of people on here made a lot of good points that have made me see the error of my ways, and I can honestly say that I haven't booed a player since. I'll admit that I wasn't overly thrilled when Gardner was taken off for Petrov, but to boo him as soon as he runs on to the pitch? That's unforgivable. To get on a player's back before he's even touched the ball is mindless, and I now realise that it's not going to do anything positive for the player in question - hell, if someone booed me before I'd touched the ball then I wouldn't care how bad I played! On another matter, O'Neill has spent quite a few interviews bigging up Isiah Osbourne so why not give him a spot on the bench and the opportunity to prove himself? We can all agree that Petrov isn't "doing it" for us at the moment so why not give a young, hungry local lad a chance?
jeffg_utv
A honest man, excellent! Agree that Petrov is not "doing it" for us at the moment, I think the problem is that MON knows the player very well, and knows for a fact that he is class and will be an asset to the team, thats the only reasoning I can attach to it, As hoopymo stated above it took him a year and a half to settle at Celtic, so by that reckoning our wait is almost over.
steff_the_villan
steff - hoopymo was quoting me!
The Usual Suspect
With regards to the "settling in period" that Petrov took at Celtic, is that really required at the Villa? I mean, is Scotland really all that much different to England in terms of quality of life? If Petrov had moved to another European country such as France, Spain or Italy, then I could accept the "settling in period" as an explanation. However, I find it a bit hard to understand how somebody that had settled in to life in Scotland after 18 months would take another 18 months to settle in to life just down the road in England! We've all seen Petrov's debut for us against West Ham so we know that he's a capable player who can produce the goods - it's just a case of the player producing the goods on the pitch (going back to the original point - take note, guilty parties - this is NOT helped by booing him before he's even taken three steps onto the pitch, let alone touched the ball). No doubt MO'N knows him well, but one of my big problems with England managers down the years - yes, that includes the current one....if you can call him a manager! - is that they pick their favourite players rather than the players who are doing well for their clubs. Surely if Osbourne is doing as well as MO'N says he is, he could throw him in the mix for at least 1 in 3 matches?
jeffg_utv
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