Why are football fans so fickle?

[DonnyRTID]

After the games against W.Ham & Reading we were turning things around, we were 5 games unbeaten at home and most fans were starting to believe again, a week on and we're dead & buried!!!

 I attended the game on Tuesday with my 2 brothers(rugby fans)i was hoping for a fantastic atmosphere to show them what they're missing but it was probably one of the worst i've experienced, my brothers even commented on the lack of support from the home fans.  

I was disappointed with the result but more so with the fans. We've got 9 games left lets get behind the lads whatever the outcome.

[inSODwetrust]

If I was earning £2000+ p/w, and I underperformed, I'd be sacked by now!

Footballers have the lifestyle of which fans can only dream of having!

[NorthNorfolkRover]

Because its so expensive

[DonnyNoel]

We aren't........ as long as we're winning

[Mr1Croft]

Football is a strange business, you can blame the fans for all sorts if you like. But I suggest you look at it in a lot of detail before you do so because football is a unique business because of the Supporters.

In a normal business; should the product or service starts to decline in standard one can shop elsewhere. In Football the fans generally tend to stick around and keep purchasing the service through some illusion of commitment and loyalty. Football fans are the worst treated consumers in the world, no matter how they can try to change it.

Imagine a supporter who buy shares in his club. Compared to a financial investor buying shares the two have almost opposite views and interests. the financial investor is concerned with keeping ticketing prices at a competitive value which makes money, while the supporter shareholder wants to see ticketing affordable for all fans.

Many clubs will throw money around, go through owner after owner after owner and when they are on the brink of extinction, and only when they will look to the fans as the only option. This has happened time and time again at York, Plymouth, Accrington Stanley, Darlington and Portsmouth are some of the examples in the last 10 years.

What you also have to remember is what the fans of Doncaster Rovers did in 1998 when they spoke out against Chairman Ken Richardson, this was one of the first times in the games history where the Supporters came out and opposed what the Chairman was doing, not the directors, not the officials it was the fans.

Football fans are treated by clubs very poorly because the Clubs know that whatever happens the fans will always keep coming back, they may fall with failure and rise with success but generally it continues. Look at Manchester United, all fans are united in fighting against the Glazer family and despite shouting for them to leave United most weeks they still sell out their stadium every game and line their pockets.

You can call the fans fickle but I do think that fans should be allowed to voice their concerns when something happens that they don't like, clubs should be held accountable by the fans, its the fans that keep coming back over the years, its the fans where only loyalty remains in football these days and how are they rewarded? When the life and blood of a football club turns out to watch whatever that was on Tuesday there should be consequences that follow.

I agree we as fans need to unite together over one cause and maybe some of our fans were over the top in the chants that were sung and the anger showed towards the team, but they were showing a hell of a lot more passion for the badge than any of the 11 on the field.

[RTID75]

It's all well and good saying '5 game unbeaten run', it sounds good, but that included four draws, one of which was pretty dire and would have been lost if not for a penalty. Butted up against the worst performance in years, it hardly makes for greatly inspiring stuff.

[two halves]

I don't think football fans are fickle. We have some of the most level Headed fans in the country. After all we showed a lot of patience to Sean and should do the same to Dean.

[two halves]

Actually, why should we put up with bad results we pay our money and are entitled to watch quality. Saunders Out

[Bristol Red Rover]

Actually, why should we put up with bad results we pay our money and are entitled to watch quality. Saunders Out

You're never \"entitled\" to anything in terms of the team performance or results. I agree they should be putting in effort in training and on the day. Who's to say they're not? Ever played a sport yourself and despite all efforts it just doesn't come together? Thats not to say it isn't good enough, because its not, but it happens.

The point in this thread is about fans not getting behind the team. It takes little effort to make a noise, to give a buzz of support for 90 mins. Of course there are disappointments, times during a game when its tough to make the effort, but overall it isn't. Give some support, some vocal, and some positive suggestions! To whine and moan whenever things are tough, to pick holes, to down tools, to run out of the house, run away from the fight, to blame without being constructive - give it a rest. And then there are the tossers on here that revel in it going wrong.

Its been a very disappointing couple of games. As was said, we're a few points off the pace of survival, and look at the games to come for all teams involved. Tough for us in the next few games, but our run in is better than most. We could end up 19th place just as easy as being relegated.

If you feel a need, the time for tearing the guts out of our club is at the end of the season, not now.