Getting Behind The Boys.

[kmj]

In yesterday's match programme the following appeared in the sponsor's message:-

 

"Though the vocal chords may have deteriorated with age, the Halfway Liners are still renowned for their wit and banter, some of which without doubt has helped the Reds with a few extra points through the years. It really does help to get behind the boys to bring the success we all crave."

 

Shame then that this particular contingent of our fans was the most vocal in the embarrassing rapture they deemed suitable to mark the substitution of Robert Quinn.

 

He may not be team favourite but this behaviour was disgraceful and overlooks an improvement in his performances in the last few games both home and away, a point made by Alan Kimble in the same programme.

 

The Halfway Line - hang your collective heads in shame.

 

 

 

[eufckev]

I totally agree, the plough end were applauding him and not booing him, shame on the half way liners.

[Stu M]

Originally Posted By: kevthegnfcfan

I totally agree, the plough end were applauding him and not booing him, shame on the half way liners.

So is that EVERYONE on the halfway line, then...? Just like if some fans behind the goal did something we didn't like, we could blame it on EVERYONE behind the goal?

[American FLEET FAN No1]

Another generalisation! I used to stand in front of the Jackpot Hut, only to find I was lumped in with the Tea Bar Set!

[Gally221263]

The reaction to Quinn's substitution was disappointing but, even though his performances have improved over the last couple of games he is always going to come in for stick because of the nature of his position. He gets involved in the unattractive side of the beautiful game. In my humble opinion he has not been our most disappointing midfield player over the past two or three games. Naming no names but out dead ball delivery has been dire at best apart from the Halifax games and that partly was done to help from the windy conditions. It's hard to admit but our plat-off hopes, I believe, have now gone after the inept display on Saturday but overall it has been a great season, if we have been offered a top half finish before the season most of us would have accepted it. I for one have already sent in my cheque for next season's season ticket.

[DA11]

I to was so disappointed with the reaction when Quinn went off. Like many others he may not be my cup of tea but he was by no way the worst player on the pitch. His body language said it all. He doesn't pick himself does he? All I can say is that I wish I was half the player and man that Quinn is.

[thatguy]

I myself was behind the goal, and the criticism thrown at lance, after the first goal, sounded like we had a bunch of southport fans in with us, but the voices were from fleet fans. Surely these are not the same people who chant for lance as he saves goal. Oh they must be.

I felt disappointed at Saturdays game, and have mulled it over all weekend, and remember what I was willing to settle for at the beginning of the season, which was to finish in the top ten. So we may not make the play offs, but as long as we finish in the top ten, I will be happy, to beat moany moany cloughy's outfit, well that would be the icing on the cake.

[REDolent3]

Ah kmj – so you know the names of all the people who jeered Saturday and the names of all the “official” Halfway Liners – I think not. It may have come to your notice that that area is one of the most densely populated on match days so in fact the comments could be coming from anyone of a hundred or so people – I have seen this trend of accusation on a few subjects on this forum. The fact is we stepped in to sponsor the game at very short notice on top of paying a lot of money for the advert all of which goes to the club – we put our money where our mouths are. While this does not give us a mandate to slag players of (and a few of us are not exactly angels) you should not accuse some of the loyalist supporters without knowing the facts. It’s probably safe to say that without some members of the Halfway Line you would not have a club to support now indeed this seasons club sponsorship was indirectly due to one of our “members”.

[Hempstead Gaz]

Well said, Rob.

I wasn't there on Saturday, nor is Quinny one of my favourites, but although I may criticise him or any other player, during the match for mistakes, as is my right, I don't feel hypocritical to applaud him when he goes off.

Booing any player off is unnacceptable (Dino, Rory, Sam Sodje excepted).

No player plays badly on purpose, and as been said, Quinny is asked to do the dirty job in midfield, which, for most of the time he has done ok.

[Andrewc]

Originally Posted By: REDolent3

Ah kmj – so you know the names of all the people who jeered Saturday and the names of all the “official” Halfway Liners – I think not. It may have come to your notice that that area is one of the most densely populated on match days so in fact the comments could be coming from anyone of a hundred or so people – I have seen this trend of accusation on a few subjects on this forum. The fact is we stepped in to sponsor the game at very short notice on top of paying a lot of money for the advert all of which goes to the club – we put our money where our mouths are. While this does not give us a mandate to slag players of (and a few of us are not exactly angels) you should not accuse some of the loyalist supporters without knowing the facts. It’s probably safe to say that without some members of the Halfway Line you would not have a club to support now indeed this seasons club sponsorship was indirectly due to one of our “members”.

I concur.

[kmj]

Perhaps more than almost anyone else I know, I try and resist the temptation to generalise or to tar people with the same brush simply by vague association (like newspapers such as the Daily Mail or The Sun etc are frequently guilty of). It is the way I have been brought up and I have developed this belief over the years in my professional and personal life. Of course I don't know the names of all the people who consider themselves to be Halfway Liners or which of them specifically joined in the anti-Quinn abuse. I was there to watch football not to conduct a census. But as the match sponsorship was by "The Halfway Line" and the people who stand on the terrace behind the sign use this term to identify themselves as a whole, rather than as individuals, it did not seem wrong for me to use the same chosen name. Furthermore as others have confirmed, this was the particular location that the anti-Quinn noise was coming from. I was also standing sufficiently near by to hear this for myself.

 

Perhaps some people who consider themselves as being a Halfway Liner did not join in with this and if they abstained I apologise for any implication that they did. But it is a bit rich to project a group of fans as being special and to delight in being known collectively as such to collect plaudits, only to then object and revert to being unassociated when that group are criticised for behaviour directed to one of our own players.

 

I am very pleased that you were able to provide sponsorship to the club. I have also been involved in organising sponsorship of games through my employer. It provides good revenue to the Club and hopefully is appreciated.

 

Finally, I am sure that we all know the identity of the person that you refer to and you will have noted my dismay elsewhere on this forum that the sponsorship he helped initiate has apparently been halted so abruptly by the Club. However, not only is he a "member" of the Halfway Line, I would like to add that he is also a valued friend of the Fleet Trust.

[ColtheJock]

Oh no, here I come to stick my oar in again!!!! I think Rob Quinn has had a good season, he is in the team to do a job and when he does it effectively most fans don't notice. When he does not, then everyone does. This is one of my pet hates. I believe you should always get behind your team, good or bad. Although I accept that fans have the right to their views, if you pay to watch and you see a team putting in no effrot, then you have every right to moan. At Charlton this season we reached that nadir at one point when we lost to Wycombe in the Carling Cup and the fans all chanted 'you are not fit to wear the shirt'. Also the Scottish team where I was brough up, Hamilton, have a support who are so vociferous that several have been banned for bad mouthing the team at home games. Ok, maybe the season has gone up in smoke, but I still feel it has been a good one for the Fleet and two wins in the next few days might just leave us with something to play for at Dagenham on the last day of the season. :-)

[Stu M]

Originally Posted By: kmj

Of course I don't know the names of all the people who consider themselves to be Halfway Liners or which of them specifically joined in the anti-Quinn abuse. I was there to watch football not to conduct a census.

In which case I'd suggest that you can't be sure which people were booing other than pinpointing the general area. As you say, you don't like to make generalisations. But you are doing so in this case.

Halfway Liners (in capitals, if you want to specify the fee-paying, advertising-board-owning group) make up perhaps 30 or so people. If you want to point the finger at people standing on or around the halfway line, in a crowd of 1,400, that could be another 100 at the very least you're talking about. Where I was standing, the abuse was coming from behind, in front and to the side of me. Yes, there were a handful of comments from the 'hardcore', but it was by no means exclusive to that one group or even particularly numerous among it.

Quote:

Perhaps some people who consider themselves as being a Halfway Liner did not join in with this and if they abstained I apologise for any implication that they did. But it is a bit rich to project a group of fans as being special and to delight in being known collectively as such to collect plaudits, only to then object and revert to being unassociated when that group are criticised for behaviour directed to one of our own players.

You're apologising with one breath, but you're still pointing the finger at one particular group with the other. And as you said, you weren't conducting a census, so it still seems to me, however you slant it, that's it's a generalisation.

[REDolent3]

Thank you for pointing out other activities a particular supporter gets involved in for the club – this merely highlights the calibre of supporter you have insulted. Like you said you may not know the identity of the “official” Halfway Liners yet you were quick to accuse THEM of slagging off a player. How would you like it if I was to wildly accuse your Employer of carrying out a similar act during a game they have kindly sponsored? We cannot dictate who stands with us or behind The sign but being a highly populated area during games you are more likely to hear comments coming from “fans” around this area – perhaps those people are attracted by this atmosphere. Finally kmj I do delight in being an active member of the `Line which has maintained a camaraderie with other supporters and kept my sanity through many bad old days but if you think I have done this merely to consider myself to be “special” and to collect plaudits you are sadly misguided. I you wish to (sensibly) discuss this in the bar before tomorrows game I believe I have a slot in my diary.

[Bernard]

Surely, though, just as kmj can't be sure which people around the halfway-line area of the stand were cheering as Quinn left the field, is it not also the case that you Halfway-Liners might not be certain that none of your group who sponsored the game was party to this goading?

[David Holden]

Why not we all know each other.

 

kmj doesn't know us from Adam.

[Bernard]

I have to admit my own experience of Halfway-Liners tends to suggest they wouldn't get on a player's back like that, but circumstances can change when things aren't going well (i.e. 2-0 down to Southport). That is not to say I think they did jeer Quinn, just that it might be possible, judging by the more veiled flack he's been getting from numerous supporters on the forum and in the ground.

[Slartibartfast]

So it was Adam who was booing.

[American FLEET FAN No1]

Originally Posted By: Slartibartfast

So it was Adam who was booing.

I don't Adam and Eve it, myself!

[Stu M]

Originally Posted By: Bernard

is it not also the case that you Halfway-Liners might not be certain that none of your group who sponsored the game was party to this goading?

Indeed, as I said above: "Yes, there were a handful of comments from the 'hardcore', but it was by no means exclusive to that one group or even particularly numerous among it."

But I just felt that to tar us all with that brush when there was probably boos that kmj couldn't hear all round the ground, and all down that side terrace, was a mite unfair!

Not to mention kev's assertion, also above, that we should all hang our heads in shame when it also emerged that people behind the goal abused Cronin.