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What's happened to our once great support?

wizgell

Park Laner
Aug 11, 2004
5,373
1,722
This has been a real sore point for me this season and apologies if this turns into a rant but the crowd at the Lane this season have been terrible. I'm a ST holder in the Park Lane Lower and the atmosphere most of the time has been awful. There seems to be a sense of entitlement amongst some that they must see the best possible football going week in week out, compared to some of the shoddy teams we have put out over the past 10-15 years there is very little to complain about with this lot.

I go to White Hart Lane to support my team regardless, granted we all have moan here and there but many seem to go to the Lane just to moan constantly. The guy who sits behind me, and I hope he reads this is a nightmare, he ruins the experience for everyone around him by constantly shouting, moaning and screaming empty and often inaccurate analysis. I've had him by the scruff of the neck once this season after blowing my top and the constant misery.

Tonight there were two young lads sitting a couple of rows in front, possibly at their first game, and they constantly kept turning round to the guy behind them who was similarly constantly yelling abuse at his own team. I felt so sorry for these poor lads, especially if it was their first experience of the Lane, they genuinely looked scared at times.

Can we start supporting our team again? Moan by all means when things get really bad but in the mean time support everyone who pulls on the Lilywhite shirt, urge our team forward if they are behind or struggling to break down opposition. Bring back the atmosphere that makes White Hart Lane such a special place to watch football on a weekly basis.

Come on You Lilywhites!!!!
 

mil1lion

This is the place to be
May 7, 2004
42,344
77,596
Was that in the East Stand? There were a few drunks sat behind me shouting abuse all game which resulted in the steward having a word. They're not supporters, they're wasters. They just shouted abuse all game and moan all the time.

It makes me laugh how people can pay money to see our great club just so they can shout abuse all the time.
 

wizgell

Park Laner
Aug 11, 2004
5,373
1,722
Was that in the East Stand? There were a few drunks sat behind me shouting abuse all game which resulted in the steward having a word. They're not supporters, they're wasters. They just shouted abuse all game and moan all the time.

It makes me laugh how people can pay money to see our great club just so they can shout abuse all the time.

No South Stand, the guy that sits behind me is also a ST Holder and gets on everyones last nerve week in week out, unfortunately he isn't alone in terms of the negative attitude
 

wizgell

Park Laner
Aug 11, 2004
5,373
1,722
Examples of his empty criticism's are:

Come on Kye, get with it (Kyle Walker)
Come on Scott, Get with it

We're at home spurs
We're going forward Spurs (when we keep hold of possession because oppo are keeping it tight)
Stop knocking it long Spurs (when we try to go forward)

Get with it Aaron (went Clint Dempsey is knocked off the ball)
Michael Dawson is coming on (Holtby pulls up his socks and receives his final instructions)

This is EVERY week, the one game I lost it and spun round and grabbed him and had a go was because he has a habit of leaning forward and screaming unecessarily into my ear. I have politely asked him to not do it before but he continued every week so that particular game I lost it. Was congratulated by all around us but nobody else speaks up.
 

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
16,985
30,495
Sad times. Its getting so bad that park lane is getting shit as well, WTF Is happening? I suppose it's part and parcel of setting your targets higher as a club so therefore the fans demand more. For me personally that is a BS excuse to not constantly sing. Even though park lane is not what it was its still the only place I will go. The last time I went at west stand you get funny looks when you start singing COYS, it's like it bothers some people. Fucked up.
 

HodisGawd

Well-Known Member
Oct 3, 2005
1,733
5,888
Sad times indeed. What I like about Spurs is we're generally quite a loyal, positive crowd. I like that, it's unusual in football, and it's completely the opposite to Arsenal. So yes, let's get behind the team. Can we also stop slagging off Adebayor, Parker and especially Lennon. Why people think they can slag Lennon off I don't know. He may not be the greatest player in the world but he's bloody good and has been with us now for years. I can't imagine us without him on the touchline controlling a long diagonal ball from Dawson in one movement, scampering down the right wing, skinning the left-back and then floating a cross above the striker's head into wide open space beyond the far post where there's nobody. That is a joy to watch, long may it continue. Lennon you have been brilliant for us, it's time people started appreciating this.
 

Dempsey2

Active Member
Jan 5, 2013
236
217
Sad to say but it comes with the territory.

Your team invests or comes up with a golden generation, your team gets good, your team gets fans they wouldn't otherwise, your team gets a new set of fans expecting something different. And I say "your team" cause it's happened to many.

Modern football.

Please don't become Arsenal, who groan every time a pass is misplaced, who groan every time a shot goes wide, who groan every time there's a pass back. Be more like Manchester United, who for all their indifferent passion due to winning so much, if it's 0-0 in the 60th minute they find a new decibel level of support, they KNOW they're going to win, if it's not going well they KNOW they're gonna push the team ahead. Afraid what's going on at WHL is the opposite.
 

hybridsoldier

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2004
5,892
1,185
Personally, I think the crowd has been really good after the initial mixed reaction to AVB. After we went on a run the crowd has been excellent from then to now.

But yeah, no doubt, there are some right plonkers who...when things are going well are eerily quiet and its like they wait for something to go wrong to have a go. I don't get it, why come to the game? It's not cheap and some cold evenings its not cheerful...why turn up just to have a go at players?

But on the whole I think the atmosphere at games has been really good last couple of months, even the Newcastle game last week was a petty tame game but atmosphere was decent.
 

Spurs_Bear

Well-Known Member
Jan 7, 2009
17,094
22,286
There's lots of reasons why but it cant be denied that the atmosphere has dropped off this year.

Lots will disagree but I try and explain why I think this is:

- As mentioned above, we are now regarded as a 'good' side, teams no longer come to White Hart Lane thinking they have a good chance of winning. They all set up differently to combat this, makes for a less exciting and closer fought game. Even Man United felt the need this year to come and play for a draw and try to nick the win, which they almost did. When we finished 4th in 2010, it was completely unexpected, we also had some ridiculous home results where we won games 9-1, 5-0, it was a happy atmosphere because it was something new.

- Now we are almost expected to win, which means that the atmosphere is more in expectation of something happening rather than in anticipation. This is why there is more moaning than there used to be, when a pass gets misplaced it's a pain, because we have had relative success, we expect every pass to go to the right man all the time.

- This is the one that a lot will disagree with, but I actually think our football this season has been pretty turgid at home, more so than it has been good to watch. We have had two different goalscorers since the Reading game on 1st Jan. We no longer play a 'gung-ho' form of attack which generates a more exciting game for the neutral, meaning that the cheering and singing for our team is no longer a battle cry. Now we have a few renditions of 'Oh when the Spurs...', and the rest of the game we appear to be trying to amuse ourselves, before another little blast towards the end of the game. Where I sit, the atmosphere has always been great, and still is, but mainly because we're all now mates, we spend the majority of the 90 minutes making jokes and laughing because the game doesn't draw your attention to it like it has done in the past. It's a similar situation to playing a 50 over International Cricket Match, you have the powerplay at the start, then the middle part of the game is a bit attritional, then you get the excitement again at the end. Whether people prefer our play now or in the last few years, there's no real denying it makes for a less exciting game of football.
 

talkshowhost86

Mod-Moose
Staff
Oct 2, 2004
48,105
47,061
The crowd actually sounded really good on telly last night.

They didn't in the stadium. Not until Bale scored anyway.

The Lyon fans were brilliant unfortunately, although that's to be expected from travelling support.

I haven't been much this season as I gave up my season ticket but the few games I have been to I've thought that the atmosphere was pretty poor.

I think it's all been said in here already. Success breeds expectation and expectation breeds disappointment if the team doesn't meet those heights (heights which are often unrealistic).
 

tototoner

Staying Alert
Mar 21, 2004
29,387
34,059
Examples of his empty criticism's are:

Come on Kye, get with it (Kyle Walker)
Come on Scott, Get with it

We're at home spurs
We're going forward Spurs (when we keep hold of possession because oppo are keeping it tight)
Stop knocking it long Spurs (when we try to go forward)

Get with it Aaron (went Clint Dempsey is knocked off the ball)
Michael Dawson is coming on (Holtby pulls up his socks and receives his final instructions)

This is EVERY week, the one game I lost it and spun round and grabbed him and had a go was because he has a habit of leaning forward and screaming unecessarily into my ear. I have politely asked him to not do it before but he continued every week so that particular game I lost it. Was congratulated by all around us but nobody else speaks up.

sorry mate, I really did think that was Dawson coming on
 

sweyid

Well-Known Member
Jun 25, 2011
2,963
3,854
Really? I thought we were awfully quiet, could hear the Lyon fans more often than not.

Yeah, started out loudly, the Ledley song at 26 sounded great too. Even the swedish commentators thought the atmosphere was great.
 

tototoner

Staying Alert
Mar 21, 2004
29,387
34,059
the atmosphere is always better at away games than at home games, always has been.

I do not know what the answer is but i will raise a few points.

All seater stadiums don't help, more comfortable yes but I'd like to see German style terracing
Football is so expensive to go to these days, and those who can afford it are usually older and more reserved
Sky and the media show so much football all the time that going to the game isn't the only chance you'll get to watch your team any more
 

nightgoat

Well-Known Member
Sep 12, 2005
24,604
21,898
They didn't in the stadium. Not until Bale scored anyway.

The Lyon fans were brilliant unfortunately, although that's to be expected from travelling support.

Really? I thought our fans were good in the first half, less so in the second half. Lyon were far from the best away fans I've heard. They had a couple of chants, including that one where they did that 'oooooooooooooh' like you do when a keeper's lining up a goal kick for about a minute before launching into something or other, but they weren't brilliant, especially compared with some of the away fans we've had before.
 
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