Liam Hoden on atmosphere at the Keepmoat

[DonnyOsmond]

https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/football/one-reasons-why-doncaster-rovers-play-better-away-and-you-may-not-it-liam-hoden-column-1556449

Tend to agree with him. We're not in the day and age anymore where you can yell abuse at a player, call him shit and not think it'll affect them mentally.

[andysly]

Certain players are down for abuse before a ball is kicked, Whiteman/Copps get away with a bad pass, Sheaf, Gomes, Ennis misplace one and it's full on, I'm convinced some of our fans have made their mind up about a players quality or lack of it and will use a bad pass to tell everyone around them that they were right.

Never used to be this way, we supported the team even when we were poor, which has been for most of my 45 years of supporting Rovers

[Spilsby Red]

Absolutely agree. Why have a moan at our players. It really does my head in. I have had a few confrontations with whinging supporters. They say I pay my money so I can do what I want. I would sooner have 5000 at the Keepmoat that support the team, than 7500 where some just want to moan.
I have never in my life booed my team and I have seen some crap performances.

[since-1969]

Maybe we should just hold up cards with marks out of 10  every time Player gets it wrong . Or whisper under our breath!!!

[Spilsby Red]

People are human. They make mistakes as we all do. Imagine people at work, make a mistake unintentionally, then rest of the work colleagues start abusing you because of that mistake

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Totally agree with him. I sit within 5 yards of Liam and we've discussed this before. Some of the negativity is totally disproportionate.

I could accept it if the same people applauded the good stuff, but they don't. Some just seem to be intent in vocalising their displeasure at certain players or, continuously begrudging the tactics of playing the ball from the back.

"They're going to score any minute“, `We're going to f*ck it up“

I do my best to clap or shout well done when good passes are completed etc and often try to shout praise at players who are in earshot in the vein hope that it might rub off and encourage others to do the same.

Many will say in response that people pay their money and reserve the right to shout whatever. Maybe so but I don't know what the answer is to tip the balance from the negative to the positive! I feel that negativity transmitting onto the pitch when considering the season we're having isn't warrented.


Another example of how some of our fans are. Saw a fellow fan tonight and said “It was a good win in the end! “ His response “We were shit!"

[Spilsby Red]

I applaud and shout praise. My son says why they passing it back and I educate him that possession is better than chasing the opponent with the ball and then probing with possession can lead to a pass that amounts to something rewarding. I agree it doesn’t happen all the time. But I would like to see how we play rather than hoof it and chase

[Colin C No.3]

Are we generally speaking here about the South Stand where the most ‘congregated vocal’ support sit/stand?

I sit in the West Stand nearest to the away end & as I’ve said on other posts, there is no shouting (definitely no chanting!) of a negative nature I have ever heard towards Rovers players.

I’d be interested to know if those seated in the West Stand closer to the South Stand have experienced different?

Indeed, anyone seated in the East Stand too, it would be interesting to hear your views.

[Herbert Anchovy]

As far as I’m aware though, it’s always been the case. When I first started watching Rovers in the late 70’s  certain players would always get stick. It’ll never stop unfortunately.

[bpoolrover]

Are we generally speaking here about the South Stand where the most ‘congregated vocal’ support sit/stand?

I sit in the West Stand nearest to the away end & as I’ve said on other posts, there is no shouting (definitely no chanting!) of a negative nature I have ever heard towards Rovers players.

I’d be interested to know if those seated in the West Stand closer to the South Stand have experienced different?

Indeed, anyone seated in the East Stand too, it would be interesting to hear your views.

think he is talking about the west not the south, he says in the press box in the middle of the west

[roverstillidie91]

Maybe we should just hold up cards with marks out of 10  every time Player gets it wrong . Or whisper under our breath!!!

I once read an article about fan abuse towards players and officials. It made interesting reading to be honest I can't remember which one it was one of the leading tabloids.

In football abuse mainly verbally is widely accepted in a football ground but it wouldn't be tolerated in normal society (generally) and if you go to other sporting events.

So for what reason is it widely accepted? And they are right what does it give someone the permission to pay to attend a game and just abuse people at will and get away with it?

[mushRTID]

Iv sat in various spots in the south stand and I honestly don’t hear anything too negative. Nothing out the ordinary.

[godlike1]

I agree with Liam it really doesn't take much for people to get onto players backs its almost as if we expect we will throw the game away. People seemed to be far more patient and supportive of mccanns team

[DonnyOsmond]

Are we generally speaking here about the South Stand where the most ‘congregated vocal’ support sit/stand?

I sit in the West Stand nearest to the away end & as I’ve said on other posts, there is no shouting (definitely no chanting!) of a negative nature I have ever heard towards Rovers players.

I’d be interested to know if those seated in the West Stand closer to the South Stand have experienced different?

Indeed, anyone seated in the East Stand too, it would be interesting to hear your views.

think he is talking about the west not the south, he says in the press box in the middle of the west

That's only from his experience but it happens all over the stadium. I sit in the South West corner and there's numerous people over the 90 make comments.

[Avsuptem]

No mention of the abuse hurled at referees. They are human too and make honest mistakes like all of us do.

[chrisd_123]

No mention of the abuse hurled at referees. They are human too and make honest mistakes like all of us do.

Especially when they're right! Some people near me will throw abuse at the officials no matter what. We could miss hit a pass straight out for a throw and there's people near me who will explode with anger at them for not giving us the throw in.

[The Beast]

Rovers fans always need a scape goat. For me Sheaf is a player I’d love us to sign but others just want to wade into him. It was funny on Tuesday, he made a pass that from the West stand looked like it was going to get intercepted, people were up on their feet calling him from a pig to a dog, anyway the pass was perfectly weighted and made it to his target receiver, no apology, maybe an air of disappointment from the haters. Gomes also comes in for abuse from certain sections.

[Metalmicky]

Not even a story - this happens at every ground up and down the country.  Fans are fickle and many vent their frustrations audibly...

The only shock is that Hoden is surprised by this.   

[Pancho Regan]

I think this is making a mountain out of a molehill.

I sit in the west Stand towards the away end and I rarely hear this kind of stuff. Mumbles and groans certainly, but nothing the players would hear.

Perhaps Liam just happens to be sitting within earshot of a few miserable buggers? I really can't see how a small minority of these 'fans' are actually having an effect on the team's home record?

[DonnyOsmond]

Rovers fans always need a scape goat. For me Sheaf is a player I’d love us to sign but others just want to wade into him. It was funny on Tuesday, he made a pass that from the West stand looked like it was going to get intercepted, people were up on their feet calling him from a pig to a dog, anyway the pass was perfectly weighted and made it to his target receiver, no apology, maybe an air of disappointment from the haters. Gomes also comes in for abuse from certain sections.

My favourite was the other night I read on Twitter that apparently Sheaf can't even pass sideways 2 yards, yet Sheaf was the player who had the highest pass completion in the team!

[IDM]

There’s a small group 4-6 people, aged between 40-60 who sit at the back of the ss in the second last block to the screen.

Every slight error or keep ball play at the back, and they shout negativity.. make a bad mistake worthy of criticism and they are apoplectic with rage..

They rarely applaud good play.. one day I expect one of them to have a coronary..

[IDM]

Maybe we should just hold up cards with marks out of 10  every time Player gets it wrong . Or whisper under our breath!!!

Don’t be daft, we’re talking about a balance here..

[drfchound]

Not even a story - this happens at every ground up and down the country.  Fans are fickle and many vent their frustrations audibly...

The only shock is that Hoden is surprised by this.

Absolutely right MM.
It isn’t just our fans who whinge and moan.
Also it isn’t just a recent phenomenon, as HA said, fans having a scapegoat has always been the case.

[Bezza]

We have a small percentage of fans who enjoy moaning, no different to any other club our size,

[Spud]

It is embarrassing but, like others say, probably no different to any other club.
Me & my lad sit near the middle of the west stand, or as we call it, the "gerrit forrad" Stand.

[IDM]

For me it’s not so much the criticism that’s the problem - folks are entitled to their views of course - it’s the lack of support from the same people when we do something good..  it’s like their only agenda is to be negative.

[Chris the Rover]

There were 2 “fans” sitting near me on Tuesday night who spent the whole 90 minutes shouting abuse at DM. Apparently he’s clueless, has never been and will never be a manager and his tactics are crap. At one point one of them questioned how he had got WBA into a playoff spot in the Championship! Not bad for a bloke who is utterly hopeless at his job. If you were sat in the West Stand, row G around seat 670, you ought to be ashamed of yourselves.

[Michael Shaw]

Are we generally speaking here about the South Stand where the most ‘congregated vocal’ support sit/stand?

I sit in the West Stand nearest to the away end & as I’ve said on other posts, there is no shouting (definitely no chanting!) of a negative nature I have ever heard towards Rovers players.

I’d be interested to know if those seated in the West Stand closer to the South Stand have experienced different?

Indeed, anyone seated in the East Stand too, it would be interesting to hear your views.

As an East Stander I'm glad to say I don't experience much of what Liam is talking about. But then the last place I would want to be is the South Stand.

[DonnyOsmond]

Are we generally speaking here about the South Stand where the most ‘congregated vocal’ support sit/stand?

I sit in the West Stand nearest to the away end & as I’ve said on other posts, there is no shouting (definitely no chanting!) of a negative nature I have ever heard towards Rovers players.

I’d be interested to know if those seated in the West Stand closer to the South Stand have experienced different?

Indeed, anyone seated in the East Stand too, it would be interesting to hear your views.

As an East Stander I'm glad to say I don't experience much of what Liam is talking about. But then the last place I would want to be is the South Stand.

Liam's in the West Stand...

[ravenrover]

I sit in Wesy stand level with the  edge of South penalty area, there are probably 2-3 rather loudmouthed gentlemen in the 50-60 age bracket who vent their wrath at every mistake including Copps. They are also in the gerritforrard brigade