The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

It was very disappointing to hear such barbed criticism of one of our own players during the game today. I know people have paid money to get to the game, and feel that entitles them to express an opinion, but others have also paid, and want to get behind their team and see it perform at its best, something that wont happen if one of them is being barracked.

I tried to move to the other side of the pitch to get away from them, but their taunts were audible at that distance, so must have been heard by the player concerned.

On a positive note, some of our fans deserve tremendous praise for applauding the Arrows keeper as he left the pitch injured - despite his time-wasting antics throughout the game

I wouldn't personally get on a player's back no matter how bad they were, and therefore I agree with your comments, but I think a lot of our fans seem to have simply lost patience with the player in question now.

We weren't blessed with options today and if he plays he gets my support, not that I necessary support his inclusion in the squad.

Yes I agree with you barton raz I don,t get on an individual players back , I personally don,t think that is fair but I do agree that he does not seem up to the standard we require but as you say ne was needed today to help filed a team, getting at him is not going to help the team as a whole

I think I can hazard a guess as to who the player in question is.Lets call him "GL" for the sake of this post has been consistently awful since he's joined the club. If you wan't to support him you can but he is awful end of!

As for his little spat last week with myself, it was pathetic.When he went up to Peaksy it was like a child going up to a teacher at school and going "Sir Sir they're saying nasty things about me!" Well mate you're about to pick up £50-60 (I would imagine correct me if I'm wrong) for putting in little to no effort or skill AGAIN!! That's mine and 9 other paying fans money.

You only have to look at the performance on Tuesday night without GL in the side and what a difference it was, especially our attacking threat down the left. Where a certain GL plays normally. GL found his position on Tuesday night and that was carrying the water bottles and bibs off at full time. Probably picked up £10 for the privilege(correct me if I'm wrong again though) which is still too much in my eyes

Back to supporting the "team" as a collective. I find that as a more vocal person in the crowd (singer, foul mouth yob call me what you like) I will support anybody who puts in effort and tries hard and who I can relate to. Brad Harris, Sam Brown, Joe Merrill, Matt Gearing and more recently Adam Confue and Jason Turner have become/are becoming fans favourites. Simple reasons they try hard seem like genuine nice blokes. When given their chance play for the team always put in 100% and show genuine appreciation of the fans win lose or draw. It was the same with players like Alfie, Wizz and Morgan in the past. They earned the fans backing.

This is not to say I don't want the whole team do well. I want the club to rise up the leagues as much as the next person, but with that recently from my view a few players come across as a bit "billy big time". I like a few others can't imagine going all the way to Ashington with some of the team and them having any time for us let alone going on a night out with us.

I know this sounds ridiculous at UCL level, but I genuinely feel that this is a problem and doesn't sit well with a few fans I know . The Long Buckby 4some lets face it are UCL journey boys. Dunkley- Woodford, Long Buckby, Kings Lynn and now us. Bunting-Long Buckby, Kings Lynn and now us. Faz- Long Buckby, Cogenhoe, Brackley and now us. Finally "GL" Long Buckby, Sileby and now us.

One things all those teams they have played for have in common. They were all paying a good amount of £££'s at the time they were playing for them. I know that in order to attract good players you have to pay a bit more and our fan base dictates we are able to pay players "a bit more" than some other UCL Prem clubs lets say, but at what cost does this effect the player and fans relationship. I for one feel it sometimes has a negative one. The fans and players should all be in this together as one, but sometimes I have an underlying feeling with some of them there is a definite case of "us and them" and heaven forbid you criticise some of them, they might go to Peaksy.

Be interesting to see how other fans feel, but that's just how I see it sometimes. However as long as team wearing the name Rushden and Diamonds on their badge is playing I will always want them to do well! (Honest)

I know you are1 00% behind the team Dowlo but I worry that if we pick on one player it can affect the team as a whole , I do agree with you, as do a lot of the terrace that he is not good enough

I have my own opinion of players and their performances and will voice these with my fellow fans over a pint in the club/pub or while stood on the touch line, but to shout out obscenities and ridicule a player while he is playing and wearing our colours is unacceptable in my book, as is a concerted campaign on social media and the like. Trying to destroy what little confidence a player may have left is counter productive to supporting the team.

At the end of the day decisions will be made by the management team and I give them my full support, they stand it fall on those decisions at the end if the day. But to me, to single out one player and constantly berate him is wrong. If he's not up to the standard we need then the management will make that decision - not me, not you!! That's what they're paid to do!! Keeping morale of the whole squad high is massively important, to have a team mate targeted in this way will adversely affect that!!

I will always give all players who pull the shirt on my full support while they are playing, it's not helping either his confidence or that of his team mates to not do so IMO !! I agree all fans who pay their money have a right to have their say, but I'd ask them to show some respect and support to ALL our players while they are playing.

Good post Jim, its a team game after all and it's OUR team so we're able to have our favourites. Peaksy picks the team so respect that choice please.

It disgusts me that any "fan" would verbally abuse one of their own teams players whilst they are wearing your teams shirt and on the pitch. Whatever your feelings about that player it really does not help the team. If you don't think a player is up to the task ask Peaksy or Lamd why he is playing.

Dowlo, Relationships are always a two way thing, but just how much effort have YOU made to get to know the players? As an example, were you at the cricket match when Fazel, Bunts and Dunkley were all present. I was, and was able to freely chat with them all, Bunting in particular is a really nice guy.
At Bedford at the end of the game on Tuesday Fazel gave one of our supporters, Ellie, a truly heartfelt hug and if you know Ellie you will appreciate what that means to her.

For me one of the attractions of football at our level IS the accessability of the players, which clearly is not the case at much higher levels. Some, believe it or not, may be a little shy, they are not used to this level of support/adulation. I am sure that if you approached any of them after the game they would be quite amenable......especially if you bought them a pint of shandy.

At Old Trafford the odd slagging off will not be heard by players but when only 230 are at a game it can be extremely upsetting not just to the player concerned but to team mates and other supporters.

I don't know you, so I don't know your circumstances but a good way to get to know all connected to the club, much better, is to become a match day volunteer in some a capacity.

Mat.H wrote:It disgusts me that any "fan" would verbally abuse one of their own teams players whilst they are wearing your teams shirt and on the pitch. Whatever your feelings about that player it really does not help the team. If you don't think a player is up to the task ask Peaksy or Lamd why he is playing.

I'm sorry to hear it disgusts you. I am also equally disgusted each time his name appears on the team sheet. Surely Peaksy must see it though and as for effecting team moral etc they must see it themselves too.

Remember the abuse and stick that Danny Talbot, Stuart Gray, Alex Hay and the like used to get. What's the difference? Yes it's our club this time, but the bloke is still being paid to a job and quite simply put he is not doing it! At the point I hurled abuse/stick/words of advice at him he had just bottled a 50/50 challenge for a ball on the edge of the box when the team was 1 nill down. Then proceeded to jog back as the ball was cleared up field. Do you seriously think "Cmon GL keep going good effort" would of been more appropriate?

It's a bit like "C'mon Tim" people used to shout it all the time but it had no real meaning because deep down they knew he was never good enough to actually win anything. Bet Tim Henman wouldn't bottle a 50/50 ball on the edge of the area with his team on the edge of the area though ;)