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Quoted from Stevie Saunders

Booing is part and parcel of life at football matches - if you can't put up with it then you are in the wrong game
Personally, I've never booed a player or the team as I think it's moronic, serves no purpose and is pathetic to be honest
It's also part of the 'X-Factor vote them off' age we live in - instant gratification and instant success is the currency of life today.
Each to their own I guess but I hate booing of players and cheering when a player (LJL) gets substituted... sure, we all vent our spleen and get hacked off if a player can't make a simple pass (Paddy last night to Aswad) but just support your team and get behind them

Maybe it's an age thing SS?

I always thought that you'd reserve booing for opposition players (as a way of putting extra pressure on them so as to make them lose their cool etc) but you're right, now it seems more like it's the done thing to go with booing your own :-/

If people think this is likely to make our players respond positively I'd argue there's a lack of understanding of how human nature is....maybe it's a simplistic way of looking at it but between the carrot and the stick the former surely has to be the better way to support ( and note that all important word....it means giving help) our team

UTM

If anything positive does come out of booing your own players, I suppose it could be a siege mentality - us against them - causing the players to knit more tightly together against the enemy (us). Of course they are told to be professional, but on occasion their hostility might spill over (Danny North, Alan Buckley, that Scottish bloke whose name I can't remember... Are there any more who have given their own fans a b*llocking?). But generally I think our players are professional and handle it very welll. Nick Hegarty certainly did. He was public enemy number one on here, after he had the temerity to laugh at a boo boy!

It often seems that our players perform better away from home. (Not looked at the stats, but that's the feeling I get). If it's true it wouldn't be too surprising, as support from the away fans is usually more unconditional.

The whole thing is a bit weird to me - if we boo our own players, are we not doing a great job for our opponents, whoever they may be?

Maybe the players should ask themselves if they would pay lots of money to go watch the football the produce every week ?
We have just about the best away support in the league and if they gave us something to shout about would have a 12th man at every game,If the players can think back to the Scunthorpe and Hudds games then they know what we the fans are capable of,We just need them to show us what they are capable of.I dont believe we have many bad players at our club at the minute they are just being poorly managed

I can see the viewpoints on us being poorly managed, people frustrated that we re still in the conference, that we havent seen a "second goal" that often and that our strikers are not "firing".... But I dont agree that we re poorly managed what-so-ever

This is our season in the league...

P W D L F A GD POINTS
4 Grimsby 43 21 10 12 61 43 18 73

SO 31 out of 43 (or 72%) times this season we have taken points, or a point, in a match. On average we concede 1 goal a game but score 1.4 goals.

Manchester City, for example- who are still in the race to win the premier league- albeit dropping points last night, take points 79% of the time, and Pelligrini is no slouch...

Nor is Mourihno at Chelsea, who takes points around 80% of the time, ditto Martinez at Everton...

That said I return to my original point, if you re on the pitch and even 100 people are boo-ing would you feel inclined to play better than say if everyone was cheering.

Why not a campaign to kick the negativity out of blundell park- its only a few and if everyone just has a word when it happens, it will stop very quickly...

The choices are to stay on the players backs- and probably be here again next season... or to get behind them , as mentioned above help, support them and see what happens, being positive is a lot more pleasant/easy/enjoyable than negativity.

If theres no promotion, none of them will be here next season anyway, so its 10000000000000 times better to try to help them now rather than wait another year for this...

Quoted from 935

Hi All,

Really interested in everyone s views on this...

Few players are contracted beyond this june/july-

Clearly the boo-boys are getting to them- scott kerrs tweet- Omg! Everton are losing at half time! Wonder if they get booed off? There excrement now, all of a sudden they've had a excrement season!!

if many fans are on their backs, professionals or otherwise, where is the incentive to play well??

Pride, professionalism, getting a new contract ?

I'm afraid that what we are witnessing now toward the players and manager is frustration at years and years of failure and poor football.

We are desperate as fans to see a bit of spark and something we can rally to. What we are seeing at the moment is very reminiscent of last season, with a spluttering side inching their way to the play offs, playing mostly boring football. Only the away wins are keeping us in touching distance and fans are rightly asking why clubs like Gateshead and Halifax are top of the form guide despite having significantly less resources than ourselves.

If we have to put up with boring hoofball, then results have to be consistent and we don't seem to win with any regularity at BP. I'm not saying booing is right and i never boo at games, but is understandable given the poor displays at most games.

I personally can't wait for this season to be over and i now have to drag myself to BP to support what i hope will be a promotion season. If we manage to go up, then i would be ecstatic. If not, then i want to see a more progressive manager bring some spark and life to the place.

"pride, professionalism and a new contract"

Would you want to work somewhere where people give you abuse, because that is what boo-ing is, when you have a bad day at the office?? I definitely wouldn't...

As Tondeur/Buckley said the other night, most of the 1st 11 would walk into most teams starting line ups at this level, so I am quite sure that a new contract with a different team will not be a massive struggle for most.

I think Scott Kerr's tweet says it all, but that is my opinion.

They can do what they like.

Its there future on the line..

Tbh I am bored shitless of the same topic but with a different way of putting it..

You have the ones on here who think they are the messiah of the fishy and their opinion is the only one that counts by not booing and spouting out the same old shite "we are 4th" "Hurst is doing an amazing job" "Hurst should be backed"

Then you have the others who just have not taken to hurst and spout (me included) the same old shite "he is tactically inept" "Hurst is doing a decent job to mess it up" "Hurst has the personality of a nun"

If you pay £18 you have as much right to an opinion as the next man..

Its just football.

The booing depends on if we are losing away at braintree 5-0 or losing at home to halifax 0-1..

The clapping and the wankfest depends if we are beating kiddy at home 3-1 or beating cambridge away 1-0..

Quoted from 935

"pride, professionalism and a new contract"

Would you want to work somewhere where people give you abuse, because that is what boo-ing is, when you have a bad day at the office?? I definitely wouldn't...

As Tondeur/Buckley said the other night, most of the 1st 11 would walk into most teams starting line ups at this level, so I am quite sure that a new contract with a different team will not be a massive struggle for most.

I think Scott Kerr's tweet says it all, but that is my opinion.

I don't work in an office and if i was crap at my job, i would be told in no uncertain terms and not employed by that person again. That's life.

Footballers have a privileged life and must take the rough with the smooth. They know that more than anyone.

Ginny, I think you missed the gist of what I am saying-

I think we have to consider that none of the players are crap at their jobs- refer to the seasons statistics, they're the 4th best team in the league...

I am saying if they have a bad day, and this is totally different...

And as an extension of Ginny's point, all they've got to do, is do a good job - to show they are professionals for a reason. Expecting that they can perform basic skills - controlling and passing the ball, crossing it, moving with urgency and purpose are an absolute minimum.

The supporters of this club are absolutely crying out for a reason to get excited and to show their passion in positive ways. The paying public, on the basis of the above, are let down far too often at BP, which rankles especially in the light of the poor standard of the opposition generally and the relatively large resource we've ploughed into assembling a squad that should have been challenging for automatic promotion.

I repeat - booing and abusing players is wrong and unhelpful, but you could argue that it at least lets players know that poor standards, repeated time and again, are not acceptable at GTFC. We should be expecting more. If we don't strive for better, we might as well submit to perpetual, sh1tty conference football. Booing is part and parcel of the game; always has been and always will be. You want it to go away? Start playing well.

Grimsby supporters are appalling for their backstabbing. Go and watch any other team and you'll get far more positive crowd reaction than Town get. It's the same on the forums/twitter too. You'd never dream Grimsby were in the top 5 looking at some of the comments online. Go and take a look at other clubs forums, they're much more positive about their sides. If I was a Grimsby player I'd take one look at some of the threads on here and be straight on the phone to my agent.

I honestly think it's a big factor in our decline. The players get sick of all the criticism and want away just to go to somewhere they feel appreciated.

I would say that depends on how well they are playing. Players who fail to show basic ability time and again will find derision whoever they play for.

What happened to our reputation of supporting hard working honest players despite their lack of ability (Big Keith, Livvo etc). You always hear town fans saying "as long as they try hard that's fine with me." Clearly that mentality no longer exists because what we have got is an honest hardworking bunch of players who are doing their best (LJL & Colbeck spring to mind). That hasn't always been the case so let's get behind them until the end of the season and see where we end up. UTFM

As far as support is concerned over 4000 paid to support Town in the last two home matches, and we all were desperate for a positive result, it was frustrating to watch due in some ways to some of our players failing to do what allegedly they do well in training.
Football is like politics you soon fall into two camps for and against, and like politics when the chips are down we all pull together and support for the greater good.
My advice to Mr Kerr would be to lay his phone down and practise his set pieces or move over and let someone else have a go for the good of us all

Does Kerr think that Evertons season is compatible to ours?

Massive over achievement by them and they're entertaining the fans each week.

We are JUST about doing what was expected, we're doing it playing the worst football a lot of us have seen in years. We're all paying top dollar for it when these guys get paid no matter what shite they churn out! And then when we lose, its terrible to watch. How does anybody think that's possibly entertaining? Football was invented as an entertainment business, not solely a results one. For anybody who picks up on that, the two are very easily combined, the majority of successful sides do it.

Quoted from chaos33

And as an extension of Ginny's point, all they've got to do, is do a good job - to show they are professionals for a reason. Expecting that they can perform basic skills - controlling and passing the ball, crossing it, moving with urgency and purpose are an absolute minimum.

The supporters of this club are absolutely crying out for a reason to get excited and to show their passion in positive ways. The paying public, on the basis of the above, are let down far too often at BP, which rankles especially in the light of the poor standard of the opposition generally.

I repeat - booing and abusing players is wrong and unhelpful, but you could argue that it at least lets players know that poor standards, repeated time and again, are not acceptable at GTFC. We should be expecting more. If we don't strive for better, we might as well submit to perpetual, sh1tty conference football. Booing is part and parcel of the game; always has been and always will be. You want it to go away? Start playing well.

All they have to do is do a good job!! Haha. They aren't just painting a wall!

When Ian holloway was in charge of Blackpool he introduced a very attacking and passing style of play. He encouraged his players to take risks. These risks would lead to mistakes which the fans then jumped on the players backs for. Holloway had a go at the fans saying their 'moans, sighs, boos' would cause the players to go into their shells, take less risks and go for the easy option. Hoof ball anyone?

For people that understand football it is clear that this negatively affects your teams performances. When your team is most probably going to be in the playoffs can someone please tell me one good reason why you would want to negatively affect your teams performances?

I really hate this "I pay my £18 I have the right to boo"

Seriously just don't go to BP, I'm sick of hearing boo's, it doesn't help the players at all, football is a confidence thing and even if one person boo's you can hear it above the cheers.

####s sake we are still in it,

And hence me clearly stating that booing and abusing shouldn't happen, but the fact is, they do. You have to be good enough and answer criticism with performance. Let your football do the talking and shut them up.

Salford - you say 'they aren't just painting a wall' dismissively, as though I don't quite 'understand football' as well as you do. Well paid professional footballers should be good enough to do simple things even if they don't quite have the confidence at all times to try that risky, difficult first-time pass or through-ball. Sympathy and cheers when they give the ball away are not what they need, and are not going to happen. Football is just the same as any other vocation in essence - acquit yourself well and earn praise, promotion, a new contract etc. Of course, the reverse obtains too.

This argument could go around forever as people try to decide whether booing is a response to poor play or a cause of it. Its both of course. That's why we should refrain from stadium derision and abuse, but there has to be a place for critical analysis.

Quoted from chaos33

I would say that depends on how well they are playing. Players who fail to show basic ability time and again will find derision whoever they play for.

Undeservedly.

In these circumstances it should be the manager getting it in the neck, surely?

Both player and Manager will be derided. It will happen, regardless of what we think of that.

Quoted from chaos33

And hence me clearly stating that booing and abusing shouldn't happen, but the fact is, they do. You have to be good enough and answer criticism with performance. Let your football do the talking and shut them up.

Salford - you say 'they aren't just painting a wall' dismissively, as though I don't quite 'understand football' as well as you do. Well paid professional footballers should be good enough to do simple things even if they don't quite have the confidence at all times to try that risky, difficult first-time pass or through-ball. Sympathy and cheers when they give the ball away are not what they need, and are not going to happen. Football is just the same as any other vocation in essence - acquit yourself well and earn praise, promotion, a new contract etc. Of course, the reverse obtains too.

This argument could go around forever as people try to decide whether booing is a response to poor play or a cause of it. Its both of course. That's why we should refrain from stadium derision and abuse, but there has to be a place for critical analysis.

No I was just linking my example of a professional manager who understands football to my point-

You must also agree that getting on players backs constantly will negatively affect their performances?

Quoted from 3610

All they have to do is do a good job!! Haha. They aren't just painting a wall!

When Ian holloway was in charge of Blackpool he introduced a very attacking and passing style of play. He encouraged his players to take risks. These risks would lead to mistakes which the fans then jumped on the players backs for. Holloway had a go at the fans saying their 'moans, sighs, boos' would cause the players to go into their shells, take less risks and go for the easy option. Hoof ball anyone?

For people that understand football it is clear that this negatively affects your teams performances. When your team is most probably going to be in the playoffs can someone please tell me one good reason why you would want to negatively affect your teams performances?

...or human nature, even remotely. That's about the crux of it. Can't stand this entitled attitude that a lot of people have. Paying money to watch the team you "support" does not qualify you to act in any way you see fit. It's not productive to constantly moan, groan, ironically cheer or boo your own team. It's brainless.

During the game when a team is in a good goal-scoring opportunity and it doesn't come off it's a natural, almost uncontrolled reaction to sigh with disappointment at an edge-of-the-seat moment of anticipation. The difference is when this becomes incessant, starting with lateral/backward passes from the defence and midfield being groaned at. This demotivates players to play the ball on the ground (or as they've been instructed) due to the pantomime-esque displeasure emanating from the crowd. The fact that the players are paid full-time (to be groaned at, allegedly) does not preclude them from reacting like any other person would in such situations i.e. stop doing what the audience don't appreciate. After all, it's an "entertainment" business or so I'm led to believe.

People need to be more conscious of the impact that their utterings can have on the team. I think we all currently have our doubts and worries but it does seem like some go to the games intent on venting their frustrations regardless of the consequences. If you need that release from your every day life why not take up boxing or perhaps even rock-breaking where it would be better served. ;)

The best way to help this team to promotion (regardless of your misgivings) is to create a positive, nurturing environment that makes the players feel like they can go out and play their game, make mistakes, but still have the backing of the supporters. I don't for a second accept this ironic rhetoric that 'the players don't give us anything to shout about so why should I support them'. It's naïve to the point of damn ignorance. It's a two-way street. It's self-fulfilling.

Everyone who goes to watch Town, or in doing anything in life, makes the choice to be proactive or reactionary. You relinquish your responsibility as a supporter the moment you get on the players' backs. You make that choice. If you feel that the players have relinquished their responsibilities as representatives of GTFC then wait until you get out the ground or get home, take a deep breath and then vent your spleen if you must, still mindful that any comments on a public forum will get back to the players and management, once again feeding into the negativity-risk aversion loop.

This team is an honest, hard-working team. They might sometimes lack that bit of creativity or spark, whether that is down to the manager's tactics or the players' own shortcomings, or more likely a mixture of the two. But whilst they're still in the hunt for promotion they really do deserve our wholehearted support! It's quite possible the plus-sized lady will get up to belt one out. It's also possible that whilst we're still in the lottery of the play-offs that she might be recovering from a particularly large luncheon and choose to remain seated. No one knows, least of all the naysayers. Odds are that we won't get promoted. But give them the best chance, eh?

Positive Mental Attitude. Try it. It really does* work. If it doesn't, we go again. At least then in a positive environment that's ripe for success.

UTM

*not in all cases and under highly unlikely circumstances. ;)

Quoted from chaos33

This argument could go around forever as people try to decide whether booing is a response to poor play or a cause of it. Its both of course. That's why we should refrain from stadium derision and abuse, but there has to be a place for critical analysis.

I think we can all agree on this. Unfortunately, constructive, reasoned critique only accounts for a small fraction of what's posted. La vie de la football forum...

So its our fault the team are playing the dullest shite football every seen at Blundell park with no end product and few points being picked up ?
Well thats that then ,if none of us go watch them lose every week at home maybe we'll start winning more

Quoted from grimps

So its our fault the team are playing the dullest shite football every seen at Blundell park with no end product and few points being picked up ?
Well thats that then ,if none of us go watch them lose every week at home maybe we'll start winning more

I haven't seen anyone say that. The table suggests more often than not that there is an end product. That isn't to say that it is exciting or inspirational football. But so far it is effective, to a point. We're still on course for the play-offs and we still have a chance at promotion. That is what we all want. But as supporters we can't disregard the role we can play and the responsibility we have. If you don't think a positive environment can help then there really is no helping.

How much does it lift you as a supporter when we get a corner or nearly score and everyone around you gets up and starts bellowing 'MARINERS MARINERS' - the players obviously feed off that in just the same way and get an extra kick of energy, confidence & positivity.

Surely people must know that doing the exact opposite of that has the same effect, heads will go down, frustration will build up, and confidence will drop!

If you were to show this thread to a supporter of another team who had no knowledge of the league table, they'd assume that we're in the bottom half and hadn't won since Christmas!

Quoted from WokingMariner

Grimsby supporters are appalling for their backstabbing. Go and watch any other team and you'll get far more positive crowd reaction than Town get. It's the same on the forums/twitter too. You'd never dream Grimsby were in the top 5 looking at some of the comments online. Go and take a look at other clubs forums, they're much more positive about their sides. If I was a Grimsby player I'd take one look at some of the threads on here and be straight on the phone to my agent.

I honestly think it's a big factor in our decline. The players get sick of all the criticism and want away just to go to somewhere they feel appreciated.

You have obviously not been on alfretons forum then?

I have witnessed plenty of positive support at home, but it is extremely frustrating watching this long ball tactic which ultimately has little end product. I'm not surprised by a few moans and groans. It would happen at any ground, it's not just Grimsby fans. In fairness the team are lucky that so many turn up week in week out both home and away.
I also don't buy this 'away fans are better than home fans' thing. All away fans are voiceferous in support of their team not matter how many travel. It's a given.
This team needs to give home fans something to cheer. Huddersfield and Northampton games are prime examples.

You can argue this point 'til the end of time but nothing will ever change. ALL football fans are the same, and the assertion that Town fans are worse than the rest is utter bollox.

Football is a tribal game and when your tribe is being bested by a perceived lesser tribe, then anger and vitriol will come bubbling to the surface.

It's human nature i'm afraid, and no amount of trying to explain that a positive nurturing environment is better for the team is going to change that. In other countries, players and officials get physically attacked and sometimes killed in the name of football.

Not saying it is right, and i re-iterate that i have never, and will never boo and jeer my own team, but it will always happen. I've been going to BP for over 40 years and i have heard the team booed and calls for the managers head on many many occasions, and with far more people in the ground.

What annoys me is fans that seem to be totally schizophrenic, as soon as we play a few sideways balls some fans start moaning and grumbling that we ‘should play it forward’, even though there’s no simple forward pass on. The same fans then moan when the defenders end up lumping it forward to no one.

The other old chestnut is barracking a player for not taking on his man, then going crackers when he does and doesn’t beat him.

I don’t really think this is that big of a problem though, negative fans is part and parcel of playing for a ‘big’ club at a low level, Luton fans are notorious for being quick to turn on their team and I’m sure Rangers and Portsmouth fans are a lot less forgiving than they were 5 years ago.

If it is that big an issue is it worth getting a sports psychologist in to speak to the players?

Quoted from carrot top

I have witnessed plenty of positive support at home, but it is extremely frustrating watching this long ball tactic which ultimately has little end product. I'm not surprised by a few moans and groans. It would happen at any ground, it's not just Grimsby fans. In fairness the team are lucky that so many turn up week in week out both home and away.
I also don't buy this 'away fans are better than home fans' thing. All away fans are voiceferous in support of their team not matter how many travel. It's a given.
This team needs to give home fans something to cheer. Huddersfield and Northampton games are prime examples.

That's a given mate, of course it is. The reasons why they haven't have been discussed to buggery and that will carry on. But this thread is about how we as supporters can do better to help the team. Support is not the same as praise.

We go to the games as supporters, not critics. Therefore what happens or is happening on the pitch does not have to be reflected by what happens in the stands. If the team is not playing well they need the support of the crowd arguably more than when they are playing well. In adverse circumstances, having the support from the crowd must make a huge difference to a player's confidence and willingness to try something different, to take greater risks. It is most certainly the case in relegation scraps, it should be the same in promotion battles.

For me, support and the team playing well is a little bit chicken and egg. Obviously supporters in the stands react to what the players are doing on the pitch but it's also true to say that the reverse can happens too. We have the power to affect things on the pitch, for good or bad and we need to recognise this as individuals and as a collective to try and give the players that extra 1% that could make the difference. The rest is up to them.

Quoted from ginnywings

You can argue this point 'til the end of time but nothing will ever change. ALL football fans are the same, and the assertion that Town fans are worse than the rest is utter bollox.

Expectations differ though. Some Grimsby supporters think we should be top of the league, play "entertaining" (whatever that is) football, and convincingly beating all these little sides whose level we have dropped to. This despite the fact one team in the division has over twice as many supporters as we do, others have a bigger budget and our support and budget is the same ball park as several other teams in the division.

Paul Hurst and the players are judged on their final position in the table and the results in the play-offs. That's what current and future employers will look at, that's what they'll ultimately judged by. By any objective analysis finishing fourth or above is a good season. We should be encouraging them to go the extra mile, it's often said one side "wants it" more than the other. That's what your support should give you, that's why you're strong at home. Instead some of us wallow in self-pity and point out all the negatives, and what should be a strength becomes a weakness. It all boils down to unrealistic expectations,

I have sat in the ground for the last 3 home games and after 20 minutes of each of them I have known exactly what was going to happen ,I knew we would huff and puff then they would go and score .
Am I supposed to take my shirt off bounce up and down waving it around my head in excitement singing my head off when I know inside what is coming ?
Why dont the team try changing what they are flipping doing and see how we react ?

Quoted from ginnywings

You can argue this point 'til the end of time but nothing will ever change. ALL football fans are the same, and the assertion that Town fans are worse than the rest is utter bollox.

Football is a tribal game and when your tribe is being bested by a perceived lesser tribe, then anger and vitriol will come bubbling to the surface.

It's human nature i'm afraid, and no amount of trying to explain that a positive nurturing environment is better for the team is going to change that. In other countries, players and officials get physically attacked and sometimes killed in the name of football.

Not saying it is right, and i re-iterate that i have never, and will never boo and jeer my own team, but it will always happen. I've been going to BP for over 40 years and i have heard the team booed and calls for the managers head on many many occasions, and with far more people in the ground.

The ability to think and reason should trump subconscious 'tribal' instinct. I think positivity can be harnessed if people make a conscious decision to leave their doubts and negativity at the turnstile. Remember 2001/2? Obviously, not all will/are capable of being persuaded but some will be and it could make a difference.

Quoted from immariner

Positive Mental Attitude. Try it. It really does work. If it doesn't, we go again. At least then in a positive environment that's ripe for success.

UTM

Not really mate....

Ever since I was a kid I had one dream and that was to score the winning goal for Town in the FA cup at Wembley. Failing that was to replace Freddie Mercury as the lead singer of Queen. Both never happened but it wasn't because I never had any "positive mental attitude" it was because A, I was excrement at football and B, had no musical talent and couldn't hold a note to save my life.

My point being, telling the fans to be positive when they see a another dire performance and it's finally dawned on them that Town will be beaten in the play off's by a better team is hard to take, the town fans live in the real world, no matter how "positive" you are it isn't going to change anything, having said all that, I will be there supporting town in the play off's but if the mariners are down 3-0 after 20 minutes of the first leg at Blundell park you can guarantee I'll be showing a very "negative" side to my character towards Hurst and any other player that I think deserves it

Quoted from grimps

I have sat in the ground for the last 3 home games and after 20 minutes of each of them I have known exactly what was going to happen

The last three home results have been 1) a draw in which we came from behind (twice) and all the goals were late, 2) a win in which we scored early, added a second late on after missing quite a few chances, and conceded a fluke in injury time, 3) a game of few chances for either side, but the away team scored midway though the second half. A win, a draw and a loss. 1 game with 1 goal, 1 game with 3 goals and 1 with 4.

I'd be surprised if you could have predicted that after 20 minutes. Maybe you should consider taking up in-play betting.

Quoted from Sussexmariner

Not really mate....

Ever since I was a kid I had one dream and that was to score the winning goal for Town in the FA cup at Wembley. Failing that was to replace Freddie Mercury as the lead singer of Queen. Both never happened but it wasn't because I never had any "positive mental attitude" it was because A, I was excrement at football and B, had no musical talent and couldn't hold a note to save my life.

My point being, telling the fans to be positive when they see a another dire performance and it's finally dawned on them that Town will be beaten in the play off's by a better team is hard to take, the town fans live in the real world, no matter how "positive" you are it isn't going to change anything, having said all that, I will be there supporting town in the play off's but if the mariners are down 3-0 after 20 minutes of the first leg at Blundell park you can guarantee I'll be showing a very "negative" side to my character towards Hurst and any other player that I think deserves it

Haha the odds were stacked fairly against you, but pipe dreams are healthy. ;)

The signs coming into it might not all be rosy but as long as we make the play-offs we have a chance. Being 3-0 with 160 minutes to play would be game over, clearly. That's your prerogative I guess.

Quoted from immariner

The ability to think and reason should trump subconscious 'tribal' instinct. I think positivity can be harnessed if people make a conscious decision to leave their doubts and negativity at the turnstile. Remember 2001/2? Obviously, not all will/are capable of being persuaded but some will be and it could make a difference.

But it doesn't, and that's my point.

A fan who has had a few beers and been working in a shitty job all week, or nagged by his/her other half isn't going to harness their positivity at a football match.

There were several drunken fans behind me at the game on Tues, having a right moan (when they weren't going to the bar or toilet) and i'm sure they would have been delighted for me to point out that their actions were doing nothing for the prospects of the team.

Or alternatively, they would have twatted me.

Quoted from GrimRob

Expectations differ though. Some Grimsby supporters think we should be top of the league, play "entertaining" (whatever that is) football, and convincingly beating all these little sides whose level we have dropped to. This despite the fact one team in the division has over twice as many supporters as we do, others have a bigger budget and our support and budget is the same ball park as several other teams in the division.

Paul Hurst and the players are judged on their final position in the table and the results in the play-offs. That's what current and future employers will look at, that's what they'll ultimately judged by. By any objective analysis finishing fourth or above is a good season. We should be encouraging them to go the extra mile, it's often said one side "wants it" more than the other. That's what your support should give you, that's why you're strong at home. Instead some of us wallow in self-pity and point out all the negatives, and what should be a strength becomes a weakness. It all boils down to unrealistic expectations,

You can tell you are a gambler. All your arguments are based purely on statistics and win ratios. Football is about more than that.

Some judge more on their final positions. Some judge on how they achieved that final position. I'm one of those strange creatures who would rather we lost 4-3 than 1-0, and will quite happily applaud the opposition if they have scored a particularly good goal or put on a good attacking display.

I'm one of those that hated Slade. Others thought he did a good job. Hurst is another Slade in my eyes. Again, it's all about opinions.

Quoted from GrimRob

The last three home results have been 1) a draw in which we came from behind (twice) and all the goals were late, 2) a win in which we scored early, added a second late on after missing quite a few chances, and conceded a fluke in injury time, 3) a game of few chances for either side, but the away team scored midway though the second half. A win, a draw and a loss. 1 game with 1 goal, 1 game with 3 goals and 1 with 4.

I'd be surprised if you could have predicted that after 20 minutes. Maybe you should consider taking up in-play betting.

Ok statto
The last 3 home games Ive been to ,Luton ,Woking and Halifax .
Luton we huffed puffed and they went on to win
Woking we huffed puffed and was lucky to get an 95th minute penalty which I missed as I knew we would have never have scored without the help of the ref.
Halifax we had one shot all game they went up the other end and scored which resulted in us giving up.
All 3 of these results was totally predictable by everyone sat around me

Must be me but I have been going to BP for best part of 50 years and throughout if town were not playing well, or, and more likely fans thought players were not giving their all they have been given stick. I recall Mike Hickman getting loads of pelters in the early part of hgis career with town and under Buckley abuse would be heard when there was another pass rather than a shot on goal.

The letters page in the football telegraph on a Saturday night had plenty of moans & groans before social media came about and I do not see today's crowds as acting any differently. Lets be honest during the game it is mainly groans about "hoof ball" as it is caled or the failure to trap a ball or give a simple 5 yaerd pass (a la Paddy on Tuesday) booing is pretty much at the end of the game after another abject display.

Best way to get rid of moans and groas in give 100% and complete the basics as I think 90% of fans accept players will have bad days, hence the respect on here for LJL when he took that penalty (despite our groans!!) and why I respect Kerr cos no matter how poorly he may be playing or how many mistakes he has made he does not hide. Does not mean I would pick him every game but appreciate the guy gives his all every game.

Fundamentally, I just do not think we are a good side, certainly not to watch, despite our league position & whatever the stats do or do not say but like all on the Fishy I hope that does not prevent us going up.

Quoted from ginnywings

But it doesn't, and that's my point.

A fan who has had a few beers and been working in a shitty job all week, or nagged by his/her other half isn't going to harness their positivity at a football match.

There were several drunken fans behind me at the game on Tues, having a right moan (when they weren't going to the bar or toilet) and i'm sure they would have been delighted for me to point out that their actions were doing nothing for the prospects of the team.

Or alternatively, they would have twatted me.

Haha in fairness Ginny, they're not the type I'm likely to reach out to. I think most people work in a shitty job they don't enjoy (I know I do) but not all go to watch a promotion chasing side and end up purple in the face most games. All would be fine if our home and away form were reversed. The salient point is that we look like we're going to make the play-offs which was the season's objective. Now is ever the time to try and be a bit more upbeat and supportive (if humanly possible) because we're going to need it.

Quoted from ginnywings

You can tell you are a gambler. All your arguments are based purely on statistics and win ratios. Football is about more than that.

Some judge more on their final positions. Some judge on how they achieved that final position. I'm one of those strange creatures who would rather we lost 4-3 than 1-0, and will quite happily applaud the opposition if they have scored a particularly good goal or put on a good attacking display.

I'm one of those that hated Slade. Others thought he did a good job. Hurst is another Slade in my eyes. Again, it's all about opinions.

I accept there are a few people to whom attacking football is more important than winning, but they are a small minority. Both Slade and Hurst put bums on seats (and the average attendances prove it) by virtue of their win ratios because most fans are more likely to turn up if the team is challenging for promotion. Woods and Buckley espoused the beautiful game but they were sacked because of league position (and the consequent drop in bums on seats)

Personally I go home happier with 3 points however it is achieved than I do with 1 point and I never go home happy with no points. I'm happiest of all if the game has been end to end with lots of chances and we've won, but that's a nice to have. If I want to be entertained I watch something like 20/20 cricket where nobody gives a toss about the result but there's lots of twists and turns.

Quoted from grimps

I have sat in the ground for the last 3 home games and after 20 minutes of each of them I have known exactly what was going to happen ,I knew we would huff and puff then they would go and score .
Am I supposed to take my shirt off bounce up and down waving it around my head in excitement singing my head off when I know inside what is coming ?
Why dont the team try changing what they are flipping doing and see how we react ?

In fairness if all 3000 town fans did that it would certainly be a more entertaining game ;)

Quoted from immariner

Haha in fairness Ginny, they're not the type I'm likely to reach out to. I think most people work in a shitty job they don't enjoy (I know I do) but not all go to watch a promotion chasing side and end up purple in the face most games. All would be fine if our home and away form were reversed. The salient point is that we look like we're going to make the play-offs which was the season's objective. Now is ever the time to try and be a bit more upbeat and supportive (if humanly possible) because we're going to need it.

On some of that we are in agreement. I've thought we would make the play offs for weeks now and still think we will. I don't think we are the most likely team to prevail from the 4 but i live in hope.

The objective for me was to win the league with play offs as a secondary aim. We have been out of the title race for months now and that rankles a bit with me. Any sort of consistency, especially in the goal scoring department, would have seen us involved 'til the end. I blame Hurst for not giving it a good enough go with the resources available to him.

Quoted from GrimRob

I accept there are a few people to whom attacking football is more important than winning, but they are a small minority. Both Slade and Hurst put bums on seats (and the average attendances prove it) by virtue of their win ratios because most fans are more likely to turn up if the team is challenging for promotion. Woods and Buckley espoused the beautiful game but they were sacked because of league position (and the consequent drop in bums on seats)

Personally I go home happier with 3 points however it is achieved than I do with 1 point and I never go home happy with no points. I'm happiest of all if the game has been end to end with lots of chances and we've won, but that's a nice to have. If I want to be entertained I watch something like 20/20 cricket where nobody gives a toss about the result but there's lots of twists and turns.

Yes, but winning with attractive football puts even more bums on seats. You can argue all day about Hurst and his win ratio, but lots of people find it boring as hell.

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

Must be me but I have been going to BP for best part of 50 years and throughout if town were not playing well, or, and more likely fans thought players were not giving their all they have been given stick. I recall Mike Hickman getting loads of pelters in the early part of hgis career with town and under Buckley abuse would be heard when there was another pass rather than a shot on goal.

The letters page in the football telegraph on a Saturday night had plenty of moans & groans before social media came about and I do not see today's crowds as acting any differently. Lets be honest during the game it is mainly groans about "hoof ball" as it is caled or the failure to trap a ball or give a simple 5 yaerd pass (a la Paddy on Tuesday) booing is pretty much at the end of the game after another abject display.

Best way to get rid of moans and groas in give 100% and complete the basics as I think 90% of fans accept players will have bad days, hence the respect on here for LJL when he took that penalty (despite our groans!!) and why I respect Kerr cos no matter how poorly he may be playing or how many mistakes he has made he does not hide. Does not mean I would pick him every game but appreciate the guy gives his all every game.

Fundamentally, I just do not think we are a good side, certainly not to watch, despite our league position & whatever the stats do or do not say but like all on the Fishy I hope that does not prevent us going up.

Good post. I'm not saying that it's completely different to how it always was but you must recognise the attitude towards instant success that has grown over the years and the lack of patience because of it? This season should be a bounty of joy considering what we have had to put up in previous years. Home form isn't great but we've only lost 5 out of 22. Could have been much worse. Should be better.

I think you're right about the basics thing too, to an extent. But we're in Division 5 now which I think some are still in denial about. Do fans believe the players aren't giving their all? I don't think so. Are we playing particularly well? Not really. Is our football exciting? Nope. Do we still have a chance of promotion? Yes.

Quoted from ginnywings

Yes, but winning with attractive football puts even more bums on seats.

Agreed, it's a nice to have.

Quoted from 935

Hi All,

Really interested in everyone s views on this...

Few players are contracted beyond this june/july-

Clearly the boo-boys are getting to them- scott kerrs tweet- Omg! Everton are losing at half time! Wonder if they get booed off? There excrement now, all of a sudden they've had a excrement season!!

if many fans are on their backs, professionals or otherwise, where is the incentive to play well??

Fair points.Players are humans after all and need support.For me constructive criticism is the way to go if the effort is forthcoming.Having said that if players dont care and put minimal effort in then criticism is warranted

Quoted from Rick12

fair points.Players are humans after all and need support.For me constructive criticism is the way to go if the effort is forthcoming.Having said that if players dont care and put minimal effort in then criticism is warranted

Whatever else you can say we have a squad who are prepared to put loads of effort in..

Quoted from Sussexmariner

Not really mate....

Ever since I was a kid I had one dream and that was to score the winning goal for Town in the FA cup at Wembley. Failing that was to replace Freddie Mercury as the lead singer of Queen. Both never happened but it wasn't because I never had any "positive mental attitude" it was because A, I was excrement at football and B, had no musical talent and couldn't hold a note to save my life.

A. Terry Barwick B. Maybe not in Queen but plenty of non note holders have made a career in pop. ;)

Another factor that is overlooked when assessing current support levels and booing levels is the overbearing weight of ten or more seasons of either downward spiral or ultimate failure, yes the last three seasons have seen a positional rise but only in terms of our divisional table but we have not won anything, just failed to go up or pick up a trophy which when you look back in the future you will pretty much forget what years we have lost at Wembley or in a semi final, or a play off.
Take Arsenal....they set out their season to achieve top four, we seem to have set ours out to get in the play offs, that should not be seen as the benchmark for a good season, Hurst has said in a few interviews in the last couple of weeks 2 or 3 wins will seal it....with 6 games to go he is actually saying its ok to lose 3 games!!
Another thing which irks me lately is the fact Hurst actually uses the fact Halifax, Woking were the form teams so it was never going to be easy...well hey Paul...we will no doubt be playing a team in form in the play offs !!

Quoted from barralad

Whatever else you can say we have a squad who are prepared to put loads of effort in..

good to hear Barra :)

Some interesting points and I agree that one thing we do have now is 11 people who put in a complete shift and compete for the full 90 minutes, something we have lacked in the not too distant past.

The other point i would make in respect of supporting the team is how we play & when we lose in games, for example, when we lost at home to Macclesfield I went home in an oK mood, reason I enjoed the match, we lost to a cracking free kick that should not have been awarded and showed real fight in coming back from 2-0 down. Plus mentally thought it was a blip and our good form of the previous two months would return.

After recent game v Hereford, when we drew 1-1 did not lose but went home in foul mood because we played poorly against a poor side and it wasa culmination of poor perfomances since Christmas and rising levels of frustration & season is coming to a close & we need to secure a play off place.

But in my 50 years never booed the team but regularly groan aloud when things go wrong but think thats true of the majority and same watching England on tv where, like many, I regularly sit shouting abuse at the screen something I do not do when actually attending games.

To be fair to Fenty, he has always backed whoever is managing, but I am concerned that our form seems to drop whilst others improve after the transfer window. Like others, booing is a complete no-go, but Kerr and others must accept that, ultimately, it's the fans that pay their wages.

For me, the biggest issue is that many fans can't see us getting out of this league and PH isn't exactly inspirational in the press is he?

Quoted from ginnywings

I'm one of those that hated Slade. Others thought he did a good job. Hurst is another Slade in my eyes. Again, it's all about opinions.

Agree with this, but with one caveat - at least under Slade we appeared to have a gameplan and you could see what he was trying to get the team to do. Plus at times there was at least a bit of excitement with Reddy running at the opposition defence etc.

Under Hurst I haven't got a clue what our gameplan is - unless the gameplan is to be dull and uninspiring, in which case he has actually achieved it!

I do not boo players either. It does not improve their performance.  This does not been I will not be critical of individual or the teams performance/results.  Hopefully, in a constructive and understanding way - 90% of the time.

At work, most people are not too bothered if the company does well or not.  As long as they have a job in the future.

For GTFC, we are all very passionate in our desire for the team to succeed.  We voluntarily spend a great deal of money (hopefully) watching the team progress.  Our loyalty and emotional attachment is long-standing.  Over 50 years in some cases.

Therefore, it is not surprising that feelings run high at times of stress or perceived "poor performance". Unfortunately, some fans at any club will not be constructive in voicing their criticisms.  We will still be here long after the players and manager have left.  You might divorce the wife but you are stuck with your football team for life.

Do we still sing 'we love you Grimsby we do....we love you Grimsby we do we love you Grimsby we do ooooh Grimsby we love you'

Attack Attack AttackAttackAttack.

its a vicious circle. ...we cheer the players they up their game, they up their game we cheer. Personally id rather be a supportive influence than a negative moaner. I do understand people pay good money and all that crap and in many ways I dont think we will ever get rid of some negativity towards the players especially if things dont go towns way. Coukd this be because of the10 years of decline.

Quoted from GrimRob

I accept there are a few people to whom attacking football is more important than winning, but they are a small minority. Both Slade and Hurst put bums on seats (and the average attendances prove it) by virtue of their win ratios because most fans are more likely to turn up if the team is challenging for promotion. Woods and Buckley espoused the beautiful game but they were sacked because of league position (and the consequent drop in bums on seats)

Personally I go home happier with 3 points however it is achieved than I do with 1 point and I never go home happy with no points. I'm happiest of all if the game has been end to end with lots of chances and we've won, but that's a nice to have. If I want to be entertained I watch something like 20/20 cricket where nobody gives a toss about the result but there's lots of twists and turns.

Attendances are down this season, by about 300 per week. People are gradually starting to realise this season that the football is god damn awful and not worth watching just for the win. Most 'part time' fans (extra fans than the average) go for entertainment, most aren't happy to see us play excrement and win. My brother went for the first time in years on Saturday, he won't be coming back because he thought it was terrible, yet we won. As I've said countless times before, there comes a time when the results aren't worth the excrement you have served up in front of you for 90 mins. No doubt everybody turns up looking for a win, but if it's this awful for this long, whats the point? We get to try and scrape into the league above (and my god it will be scraped) and then what? Play more excrement football? How long does it go on for until it becomes more than just going to get a result.

I don't think fans are being fickle, I don't think it's a lot to ask for the 3rd/4th best budget in this league to produce something worth watching as well as getting a win out of it.