Cardiff City fans and football fans in general

[the other bob wilson]

The atmosphere at home in DJs last season was toxic, in particular the 3-0 home defeat to Boro.

I also remember Lee Naylor getting dogs abuse from our own fans after Reading equalised late in a 2-2 (I think) midweek game.

For me, it was all pretty mild in 10/11 compared to the final few decades of the twentieth century, but, having said that I'd not seen any bad treatment of a team and manager for about twenty five years, the two years we spent in the old third division at the start of this century were pretty bad because of the degree of expectation that had us needing to blow teams away in the first twenty minutes to keep the critics at bay. Players such as Spencer Prior used to really cop it from the fans back then (he was pretty crap for us mind) and good players such as Peter Thorne would have sections of the crowd against them.

[Tuerto]

It's societal in my opinion. If you look back to the 70s, 80's and very early nineties things were alot different. The 70's and 80's saw a political shift where industry was being obliterated and traditional working class jobs were being lost. The majority of football fans were Working class back then, young men who had alot to be angry about. Lack of opportunity and the beggining of the political culture of greed must have had a bearing on peoples attituded towards anything that mattered. I'd say that society was more violent back then and vandalism and decay were all around us, even music was a real form of protest. My experience of growing up in the eighties on a council estate was of people losing their jobs, being skint and as a teenager having to get involved in violence. I think that things have changed a bit now. The Education systen seems to treat kids with a bit more respect, there's an awareness and understanding towards minorities and people have more now. I wouldn't say that life is easier now for young people just a little less angry and more passive. In short, football represented the culture and the situation both politically and socially. I'm sure that there are hundreds of reasons why people don't protest like the did years ago. Not to sound to serious i reckon it's a product of a diluted and muted working class.

[Heathblue]

It's societal in my opinion. If you look back to the 70s, 80's and very early nineties things were alot different. The 70's and 80's saw a political shift where industry was being obliterated and traditional working class jobs were being lost. The majority of football fans were Working class back then, young men who had alot to be angry about. Lack of opportunity and the beggining of the political culture of greed must have had a bearing on peoples attituded towards anything that mattered. I'd say that society was more violent back then and vandalism and decay were all around us, even music was a real form of protest. My experience of growing up in the eighties on a council estate was of people losing their jobs, being skint and as a teenager having to get involved in violence. I think that things have changed a bit now. The Education systen seems to treat kids with a bit more respect, there's an awareness and understanding towards minorities and people have more now. I wouldn't say that life is easier now for young people just a little less angry and more passive. In short, football represented the culture and the situation both politically and socially. I'm sure that there are hundreds of reasons why people don't protest like the did years ago. Not to sound to serious i reckon it's a product of a diluted and muted working class.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
In a nutshell,
and generally I would suggest that the media has been complicit with limiting expectation and dumbing down society, we just accept what we are given.

[The Lone Gunman]

I'm sure that there are hundreds of reasons why people don't protest like they did years ago. Not to sound to serious i reckon it's a product of a diluted and muted working class.

I can agree with much of what you said, but when I began watching the game in the mid-Seventies the slow hand clapping often used to begin in the Grandstand (accompanied by slow stamping of feet on the old wooden floorboards). That's where I was with my old man and my uncles and we were surrounded by some of the club's wealthiest fans.

One guy in Block C of the Grandstand, who used to smoke huge cigars and wear big sheepskin coats during the winter, was often the origin of the 'what a load of rubbish' chants. He was extremely vocal and often very funny too as I recall. As it happens, my mother was laughing about him just last week. Apparently, when me and my father got back home after games, I'd report to her about the antics of 'the big shouty man' as often as I would about the team.

The slow hand clapping was occasionally aimed at the opposition as well as the home side if the game was boring. It's something which seems to have disappeared from the game altogether. Shame, because the game against Fulham and the visitors in particular would have been perfect targets for the old slow hand clap.

[goats]

My father took me to my first Cardiff City game in March 1975 on the day before my eighth birthday. Sheffield Wednesday were City’s opponents that day. The Owls were rock bottom of the Second Division table, while the Bluebirds were just one place above them. The match ended in a goalless draw. The crowd jeered, slow hand clapped and chanted ‘what a load of rubbish’ at regular intervals throughout the ninety minutes and City were booed off the field following the final whistle. Both teams were relegated to the Third Division a month later.

Crowds slow hand clapping during matches, chanting 'what a load of rubbish' and booing the players off the field at the end of games were regular features of my formative years as a City fan. The team was rarely much good and there always seemed to be some sort of drama happening off the field. Indeed, 'sack the board' was another favourite chant of the Bluebirds faithful back then.

Strong vocal reactions from supporters to the performances of their players was by no means restricted to Cardiff City and Ninian Park. I can remember having great fun at a wide variety of away matches when City were winning and the home crowds were consequently giving their players or managers some serious stick.

In light of some of the recent threads on here in which certain individuals have taken great exception to the idea that any Cardiff City supporter should dare to be critical of the manager, individual players, the team or the club in general, I've been trying to remember the last time a City side got some genuine stick from their own fans during a game and it's been difficult. Furthermore, I can't recall hearing any Premier League or EFL team getting such treatment in recent times, let alone Cardiff.

Of course, I haven't been to too many matches post-rebrand, but I've watched hundreds on TV and I've also been thinking in terms of the years leading up to 2012 as well as the present day. I can remember Roger Johnson moaning to the press about City fans at one point during the Dave Jones era, although I can't recall the exact details. However, I do remember laughing about it with David Giles and him telling me: "Johnson doesn't know he's born. During the Seventies and Eighties the fans used to heckle us in the warm-up!"

When did things change in that respect and why? When was the last time slow hand clapping and chants of 'what a load of rubbish' were heard at British football grounds? Considering the gap between the average professional player and the average supporter has never been greater in terms of earnings and lifestyles, why has it seemingly become so taboo to give the players some genuine stick during games?

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

If you look at games on YouTube, the crowd seems to change around the time we moved ground or mid 2000’s. The more successful we became the more mund@ne the crowd became.
Look at the second goal here, Carl dale,

https://youtu.be/Fi2vcN919GA

We’d never get a lively crowd like that now, so passive and mundane, just like society in general. I’d hazard a guess that hardly any of those on the gr@nge end still even go....

[goats]

I can agree with much of what you said, but when I began watching the game in the mid-Seventies the slow hand clapping often used to begin in the Grandstand (accompanied by slow stamping of feet on the old wooden floorboards). That's where I was with my old man and my uncles and we were surrounded by some of the club's wealthiest fans.

One guy in Block C of the Grandstand, who used to smoke huge cigars and wear big sheepskin coats during the winter, was often the origin of the 'what a load of rubbish' chants. He was extremely vocal and often very funny too as I recall. As it happens, my mother was laughing about him just last week. Apparently, when me and my father got back home after games, I'd report to her about the antics of 'the big shouty man' as often as I would about the team.

The slow hand clapping was occasionally aimed at the opposition as well as the home side if the game was boring. It's something which seems to have disappeared from the game altogether. Shame, because the game against Fulham and the visitors in particular would have been perfect targets for the old slow hand clap.

I agree, Fulham game, lets get it going eh

[J R Hartley]

For me, it was all pretty mild in 10/11 compared to the final few decades of the twentieth century, but, having said that I'd not seen any bad treatment of a team and manager for about twenty five years, the two years we spent in the old third division at the start of this century were pretty bad because of the degree of expectation that had us needing to blow teams away in the first twenty minutes to keep the critics at bay. Players such as Spencer Prior used to really cop it from the fans back then (he was pretty crap for us mind) and good players such as Peter Thorne would have sections of the crowd against them.

The night I’m talking about with Lee Naylor there was grown men hanging over the hoardings in the corner subjecting him to the kind of abuse normally reserved for when the Jacks come to town. I didn’t particularly rate him at all but I didn’t think he deserved such abuse from his own fans. I certainly wouldn’t describe it as mild. It wasn’t even his fault the goal but he was the scapegoat at the time.

The abuse of Lee Naylor got so bad Jones had to take him out of the firing line for a bit.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

If you look at games on YouTube, the crowd seems to change around the time we moved ground or mid 2000’s. The more successful we became the more mund@ne the crowd became.
Look at the second goal here, Carl dale,

https://youtu.be/Fi2vcN919GA

We’d never get a lively crowd like that now, so passive and mundane, just like society in general. I’d hazard a guess that hardly any of those on the gr@nge end still even go....

I never went to the Leeds game, but I recall us beating Crewe at home when Lennie was in charge. Top of the table clash and Earnie scored twice late on in a 2-1 win to keep us top. I was in the bob bank and I maintain the noise of the chanting after we scored our second was the loudest I can remember.

[Tuerto]

I can agree with much of what you said, but when I began watching the game in the mid-Seventies the slow hand clapping often used to begin in the Grandstand (accompanied by slow stamping of feet on the old wooden floorboards). That's where I was with my old man and my uncles and we were surrounded by some of the club's wealthiest fans.

One guy in Block C of the Grandstand, who used to smoke huge cigars and wear big sheepskin coats during the winter, was often the origin of the 'what a load of rubbish' chants. He was extremely vocal and often very funny too as I recall. As it happens, my mother was laughing about him just last week. Apparently, when me and my father got back home after games, I'd report to her about the antics of 'the big shouty man' as often as I would about the team.

The slow hand clapping was occasionally aimed at the opposition as well as the home side if the game was boring. It's something which seems to have disappeared from the game altogether. Shame, because the game against Fulham and the visitors in particular would have been perfect targets for the old slow hand clap.

Maybe people generally were more prepared to speak out, i don't really know. My old man was a ****ing nightmare although for different reasons. He'd attack our best player on the pitch just to be different. I remember Ricky Scimeca having a stormer, controlling everything, the crowd were heaping praise on him. Not my old man, almost got us filled in!

[J R Hartley]

If you look at games on YouTube, the crowd seems to change around the time we moved ground or mid 2000’s. The more successful we became the more mund@ne the crowd became.
Look at the second goal here, Carl dale,

https://youtu.be/Fi2vcN919GA

We’d never get a lively crowd like that now, so passive and mundane, just like society in general. I’d hazard a guess that hardly any of those on the gr@nge end still even go....

I was on there that night, great times indeed, but it’s terracing it always looks better when people pile forward.

There’s been arms and legs flying everywhere for plenty of goals in the ccs. The ones at home to Man City first time we were in the Prem stands out and obviously Chopras last minute winner against the Jacks.

[cardiff55]

I abuse Warnock regularly at every game, but just in my mind so nobody else hears! I never liked before he came here, but conceded he did a cracking job the first year he was here and we got promoted in his first full season and I thought I was wrong (especially as we stayed ahead of Fulham after that 20 games or so run they had). I did temporarily buy in to the nice guy image until he made the speech at the last home game about how dire th club was when he got here, how he personally got them promotion etc. I will continue to silently criticise him, after all if he wants to take the plaudits when we don well, he should get some stick when it doesn't go well. Like last season.....and so far this season....and his transfer business etc.

Back to 1974/75 it was dire but we got a big crowd (for then ) for the Bristol Rovers game which we had to win, but Frankie Prince equalises for them and it was almost all overt for us. The booing started and the crowd left in droves before the end. But after clearing our about a dozen players we went back up the following year and it was still my favourite season following City. 76/77 was OK too, beatign Wrexham and Spurs in the FA Cup, but crowds started falling off dramatically in 77/78 and we were on a downward spiral.

The ground was falling apart around us and on came the 80s and 90s with crowds as low as 1200 at one point, but I don't recall us ever giving huge amounts of stick to the managers or players. A few players were not crowd favourites, Chris Pike for some reason although he got bags of goals for us, Josh Low took some stick and there were some awful players who donned the City shirt, but i think us fans were resigned to mediocrity and had no more than feint hope we would ever get back up to these second tier.

But look what has happened, a new ground, two promotions to the PL, an FA Cup Final , a League Cup Final and a play off final at Wembley. And after witnessing 9 promotions and 9 relegations with City we are back to where I cam in in 1968.....except it was better then.

But I never boo or criticise players loudly. I have my favourites and some I don't rate (all of Warnock's striker signings). There is a chap behind me who moans all through every game, especially at the referee but his favourite two targets Zohore and Manga have now gone so he's been a bit quieter this season so far. he hasn't yet figured out who his targets will be yet (well we have used 27 players!). It is fair to criticise when it's due but never boo or abuse players, that's just not right.

[ccfcwelshlad]

My father took me to my first Cardiff City game in March 1975 on the day before my eighth birthday. Sheffield Wednesday were City’s opponents that day. The Owls were rock bottom of the Second Division table, while the Bluebirds were just one place above them. The match ended in a goalless draw. The crowd jeered, slow hand clapped and chanted ‘what a load of rubbish’ at regular intervals throughout the ninety minutes and City were booed off the field following the final whistle. Both teams were relegated to the Third Division a month later.

Crowds slow hand clapping during matches, chanting 'what a load of rubbish' and booing the players off the field at the end of games were regular features of my formative years as a City fan. The team was rarely much good and there always seemed to be some sort of drama happening off the field. Indeed, 'sack the board' was another favourite chant of the Bluebirds faithful back then.

Strong vocal reactions from supporters to the performances of their players was by no means restricted to Cardiff City and Ninian Park. I can remember having great fun at a wide variety of away matches when City were winning and the home crowds were consequently giving their players or managers some serious stick.

In light of some of the recent threads on here in which certain individuals have taken great exception to the idea that any Cardiff City supporter should dare to be critical of the manager, individual players, the team or the club in general, I've been trying to remember the last time a City side got some genuine stick from their own fans during a game and it's been difficult. Furthermore, I can't recall hearing any Premier League or EFL team getting such treatment in recent times, let alone Cardiff.

Of course, I haven't been to too many matches post-rebrand, but I've watched hundreds on TV and I've also been thinking in terms of the years leading up to 2012 as well as the present day. I can remember Roger Johnson moaning to the press about City fans at one point during the Dave Jones era, although I can't recall the exact details. However, I do remember laughing about it with David Giles and him telling me: "Johnson doesn't know he's born. During the Seventies and Eighties the fans used to heckle us in the warm-up!"

When did things change in that respect and why? When was the last time slow hand clapping and chants of 'what a load of rubbish' were heard at British football grounds? Considering the gap between the average professional player and the average supporter has never been greater in terms of earnings and lifestyles, why has it seemingly become so taboo to give the players some genuine stick during games?

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

Doncaster away

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...y-fans-2158866

[The Lone Gunman]

Doncaster away

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...y-fans-2158866

I was there and I don't even remember that. "Jonesy, Jonesy, sort it out."

Vicious stuff, that is. It's a good indication of what I was talking about.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Doncaster away

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...y-fans-2158866

The date of that article is interesting. This came around 3 months after the FA cup final against Portsmouth.

Despite that cup final, we'd had a pretty uninspiring league season, languishing near the bottom for 4 months. That was on top of a dreadful end to what had been a really impressive 2006/07 season. The jury was still out on Jones, despite the cup final. The omission of Aaron Ramsey from the starting line-up that afternoon was a decision that split fans.

We'd seen the side play some great stuff, thinking in particular of that cup run, then would lose in a dismal afternoon to Leicester thanks to a 25-yard volleyed own goal from Darren Purse, where even Ali on the tannoy was embarrassed by the performance. One of the main criticisms of Jones was his inability to change a game when it looked like it was going wrong. I might be wrong, but I wouldn't be surprised if we've won more games from behind under Warnock than we did under Jones. That chant of "Jonesy sort it out" was certainly not an uncommon one, even at the end of his reign with us.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

I was there and I don't even remember that. "Jonesy, Jonesy, sort it out."

Vicious stuff, that is. It's a good indication of what I was talking about.

[delmbox]

I was in the bob bank and I maintain the noise of the chanting after we scored our second was the loudest I can remember.

I'm not saying this is anything other than a coincidence but that was my first City match

[Eric the Half a Bee]

I'm not saying this is anything other than a coincidence but that was my first City match

It was you, ya noisy bugger!