Are we a good set of supporters?

[Worthy4England]

Yep. Bolton's out-of-town fans were from Wigan, Leigh, that North Salford area (Swinton, Pendlebury etc.) and the South Chorley area, as well as a good number from St. Helens and even Warrington.

Given that few people had cars back then these were fair old trecks.

People there must have CHOSEN Bolton as they had the options of the Manchester Clubs (Salford especially), Blackburn, Preston and the Liverpool clubs.

Oddly Darwin seems to look largely North, while I've never heard of someone from say the Bradshaw area looking to Burnley (unless originally from there).

As an "out of towner" (Swinton), I did choose Bolton, but not until I was about 13/14. I didn't get any guidance in this from anyone in our house, which was all about cricket and rugby. I couldn't fecking abide Trafford (they're not in Salford - wrong side of the river) from being 6/7, too many gobshites. City didn't seem right and was a long way away, so eventually I convinced the owd fella to let me go to Bolton with some mates from school when I was 12/13/14ish.

Had they all been watching City, I might have gone there instead. I wouldn't have gone anywhere near Stretford in any event.

[Barefoot Wanderer]

atmosphere at the reebok is great at the beginning of a game, then dougie's 4-5-1 start playing tip-tap possession football, we lose the ball and then concede an easily goal (twice against boro)

Yes it would be great if the fans would get behind the lads all the time but in reality fans get frustrated with 4-5-1 home and away EVERY week, players not putting the effort in when they should be, no home form - there's just not enough umph from our players and no passion from the manager (every week he keeps telling us we're nearly there and yet 1 year later we are still here, bottom half) - the manager is res[onsible for this shower and too many games we see more commitment from our loan players and not the players who get paid the wages

I go to the reebok every week and if I said I never boo'd anyone I would be lying - I've boo'd Beckford, Knight, and Eagles this season because at times they played awful football and didn't seem to care very much, I've also boo'd freedman after the game. Sometimes players just come and collect a wage and couldn't give a toss about BWFC and tHAT makes me boo those players

If we're discussing whether we're good fans or bad fans - it is what it is, and it is what it deserves to be. Not a valid question IMO. Other clubs facing the same drivel week in and week out would also turn against the players and manager and the booing is part and parcel of football. It is the nature of fans to do this FFS! If you don't like it go and watch netball or play a round of golf on a saturday afternoon ... just stop complaining cos other people boo, it happens and always will when times are hard

Besides, I find the booing makes things a little interesting, don't you? If we all sat there clapping and cheering when the team didn't deserve it would that make the anti-booers happy?

Like I said go and watch the local netball team, there's much less booing there

I don't agree with booing but at least you have the balls to admit it. You're the first person I've come across to do so!

As an anti-booer, I don't think clapping and cheering in a joyful, everything is rosy kind of way (masking the problems/putting heads in the sand) is what I want, but more encouragement and support.

I think the opposition feed off the booing and everything just becomes more difficult all round - bad football, players arguing with each other, fans arguing with each other. It's all just a bit embarrasing imo.

Strange how so many people boo but don't admit it when they get home. Ever since watching football as a kid (and this isn't just because I support Bolton) I remember booing being part of the game - 70's, 80's and even when Sam had us sniffing round the top 4 fans were booing over something and wrongley IMO but you just let them get on with it! Booing while under freedman and Coyle, Megson and Sammy Lee has gradually escalated, even to the point when it is fun, and I say that because I have reached a stage now when the players are THAT bad they deserve the booing (lees so in the last 2-3 weeks)

When the booing stops that'll be good news cos it'll only stop when we're playing well

[Lord Kangana]

Don't worry barefoot, I have nothing against you for booing. I think its faintly absurd when people criticise it as if it were degenerate. Its a fairly harmless way of showing displeasure. If people are worried about the affect it has on the team, perhaps they need to consider that perhaps the teams own shitness has a greater affect on the amount of booing than the other way round.

[89bwfc89]

atmosphere at the reebok is great at the beginning of a game, then dougie's 4-5-1 start playing tip-tap possession football, we lose the ball and then concede an easily goal (twice against boro)

Yes it would be great if the fans would get behind the lads all the time but in reality fans get frustrated with 4-5-1 home and away EVERY week, players not putting the effort in when they should be, no home form - there's just not enough umph from our players and no passion from the manager (every week he keeps telling us we're nearly there and yet 1 year later we are still here, bottom half) - the manager is res[onsible for this shower and too many games we see more commitment from our loan players and not the players who get paid the wages

I go to the reebok every week and if I said I never boo'd anyone I would be lying - I've boo'd Beckford, Knight, and Eagles this season because at times they played awful football and didn't seem to care very much, I've also boo'd freedman after the game. Sometimes players just come and collect a wage and couldn't give a toss about BWFC and tHAT makes me boo those players

If we're discussing whether we're good fans or bad fans - it is what it is, and it is what it deserves to be. Not a valid question IMO. Other clubs facing the same drivel week in and week out would also turn against the players and manager and the booing is part and parcel of football. It is the nature of fans to do this FFS! If you don't like it go and watch netball or play a round of golf on a saturday afternoon ... just stop complaining cos other people boo, it happens and always will when times are hard

Besides, I find the booing makes things a little interesting, don't you? If we all sat there clapping and cheering when the team didn't deserve it would that make the anti-booers happy?

Like I said go and watch the local netball team, there's much less booing there

I don't agree with booing but at least you have the balls to admit it. You're the first person I've come across to do so!

As an anti-booer, I don't think clapping and cheering in a joyful, everything is rosy kind of way (masking the problems/putting heads in the sand) is what I want, but more encouragement and support.

I think the opposition feed off the booing and everything just becomes more difficult all round - bad football, players arguing with each other, fans arguing with each other. It's all just a bit embarrasing imo.

Strange how so many people boo but don't admit it when they get home. Ever since watching football as a kid (and this isn't just because I support Bolton) I remember booing being part of the game - 70's, 80's and even when Sam had us sniffing round the top 4 fans were booing over something and wrongley IMO but you just let them get on with it! Booing while under freedman and Coyle, Megson and Sammy Lee has gradually escalated, even to the point when it is fun, and I say that because I have reached a stage now when the players are THAT bad they deserve the booing (lees so in the last 2-3 weeks)

When the booing stops that'll be good news cos it'll only stop when we're playing well

See, all this booing seems new to me. I had a season ticket throughout the Sam years but never noticed any booing. I was young and naive though, I think a lot of what went on went over my head! Then, I only went to the occasional match and got a season ticket again towards the end of Coyle's time, my first real experience of booing.

I just think that booing doesn't have any positive effect on the players. I don't think they think "oh shit, they're booing again" whereas some encouragement might make them show a bit of passion.

Each to their own and all that. It's just not something I agree with but I'm fairly sure Barefoot isn't worried about anyone on this forum having something against him for booing.

[Always hopeful]

Booing is one of the few ways that the average fan can show displeasure at something. It's instant and can be directional, as was shown against Knight. The alternative would be to either not turn up, which is clearly the route some people have chosen to follow on an increasingly frequent basis, or to sit there and to only offer support when something half decent happens, which again, is something some people are choosing to do, hence the increasing lack of atmoshpere.

I firmly believe that the booing is mainly aimed at club management and not necesarily the player. If a player's not got the talent or ability to perform at a level, that's not his fault, so why boo him, since that'll destroy his confidence and won't make him play any better and I think people know this. If a substitution is made that people don't agree with, that's not the fault of any player. If a first half performance is poor, that's not the fault of all of the players. In these cases, people will boo to demonstrate their frustration and not necessarily any one player's performance.

In Knight's case, I really believe people weren't booing him as a person, but were just fed up with the fact in their opinion, his level of performance hasn't been up to scratch, yet he continues to get played. The booing was aimed at Freedman and probably Gartside.

[bobo the clown]

Yep. Bolton's out-of-town fans were from Wigan, Leigh, that North Salford area (Swinton, Pendlebury etc.) and the South Chorley area, as well as a good number from St. Helens and even Warrington.

Given that few people had cars back then these were fair old trecks.

People there must have CHOSEN Bolton as they had the options of the Manchester Clubs (Salford especially), Blackburn, Preston and the Liverpool clubs.

Oddly Darwin seems to look largely North, while I've never heard of someone from say the Bradshaw area looking to Burnley (unless originally from there).

As an "out of towner" (Swinton), I did choose Bolton, but not until I was about 13/14. I didn't get any guidance in this from anyone in our house, which was all about cricket and rugby. I couldn't fecking abide Trafford (they're not in Salford - wrong side of the river) from being 6/7, too many gobshites. City didn't seem right and was a long way away, so eventually I convinced the owd fella to let me go to Bolton with some mates from school when I was 12/13/14ish.

Had they all been watching City, I might have gone there instead. I wouldn't have gone anywhere near Stretford in any event.

... & fair play to you sir.

In fact that area would be quite accessible for Burnden, I guess. But all too easy to support that Red Shite. Bravo.

[BL3]

Given that few people had cars back then these were fair old trecks. People there must have CHOSEN Bolton as they had the options of the Manchester Clubs (Salford especially), Blackburn, Preston and the Liverpool clubs.

When we last won the F.A. Cup, Liverpool were a Second Division team, as were Blackburn. PNE finished second in the top flight. Just shows how big the F.A. Cup was back then.

[Barefoot Wanderer]

Booing is one of the few ways that the average fan can show displeasure at something. It's instant and can be directional, as was shown against Knight. The alternative would be to either not turn up, which is clearly the route some people have chosen to follow on an increasingly frequent basis, or to sit there and to only offer support when something half decent happens, which again, is something some people are choosing to do, hence the increasing lack of atmoshpere.

I firmly believe that the booing is mainly aimed at club management and not necesarily the player. If a player's not got the talent or ability to perform at a level, that's not his fault, so why boo him, since that'll destroy his confidence and won't make him play any better and I think people know this. If a substitution is made that people don't agree with, that's not the fault of any player. If a first half performance is poor, that's not the fault of all of the players. In these cases, people will boo to demonstrate their frustration and not necessarily any one player's performance.

In Knight's case, I really believe people weren't booing him as a person, but were just fed up with the fact in their opinion, his level of performance hasn't been up to scratch, yet he continues to get played. The booing was aimed at Freedman and probably Gartside.

couldn't agree with you more - I think my booing started when Coyle began his denial phase and refused to admit there was a problem when there clearly was (2011/12) - a problem the fans could see growing which resulted in more infectious booing. I don't boo often and knight in the boro game was my first at a player since last season when I booed Eagles a few times, no wait I booed Beckford this season - but again the main person I'm booing at if I'm honest is Phil Gartside for employing these inexperienced managers, OC, DF, SL - Megson is probably the best appointment PG has made since Allardyce and that says enough about Gartsides ability to recruit!

I boo when I'm angry and Phil Gartsides departure is the only cure I think

[Prufrock]

My favourite is the cursory "we've not won this half/game so regardless of performance they're getting a short, sharp, the-time-it-takes-me-to-stand-up 'Booo' *stop*".

[Dr.Karl]

Interesting question. In my experience I think the fans get on the teams back way too quickly. It definitely permeates on to the pitch. I can honestly say you don't really experience that sense of negativity at most away grounds I go to. With one notable exception. Aston Villa. They're bloody terrible, you can sense the whole ground groaning at a misplaced pass after 5 minutes. Compare that to Pompey in their err pomp, when they went one nil down the crowd got behind their team and by immediately chanting/singing.

I've been sensing that negativity at the Reebok way too frequently in the last few seasons. In the past the Reebok was one of the best atmospheres in the Premiership. No where close now to that now.

[coffeymagic]

Tell you where the atmosphere is always good. Underneath the ESL during the games. It always annoys me (it doesn't really) when the tv cameras show people 'leaving' after 15 minutes as their side go 2-0 down.

'Look at those wankers' Clive Tyldsley says. 'fecking scum the lot of 'em'.

No, what they're probably doing is going for a pint and to watch the game on the screens. Drown their sorrows a bit. If a goal goes in they'll sup up and come back up.

However at the 'Bok we seem to have evolved into Morlocks and Eloi where one part of the fan base lives like Troglodytes, rarely surfacing into the harmful rays of the sun existing pretty much entirely in orange gloom.

This lot love a good sing song.

My mate (Celtic fan) came with us to the Wigan game and couldn't believe it when he went for a 'streamie' about 10 mins before half time. 'There are more people down there than are up here' he said when he came back.

A different Celtic supporter was with us on Saturday. I don't think he'd ever heard players talking to each other on the pitch before.

'Charlie, give us the ball.'
'Ok, here it is.'
'Thank you very much.'
'How's your car running? Still having that trouble with the exhaust?'
'Yeah, mechanic says he doesn't understand it....'

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Yep. Bolton's out-of-town fans were from Wigan, Leigh, that North Salford area (Swinton, Pendlebury etc.) and the South Chorley area, as well as a good number from St. Helens and even Warrington.

Given that few people had cars back then these were fair old trecks.

People there must have CHOSEN Bolton as they had the options of the Manchester Clubs (Salford especially), Blackburn, Preston and the Liverpool clubs.

Oddly Darwin seems to look largely North, while I've never heard of someone from say the Bradshaw area looking to Burnley (unless originally from there).

As an "out of towner" (Swinton), I did choose Bolton, but not until I was about 13/14. I didn't get any guidance in this from anyone in our house, which was all about cricket and rugby. I couldn't fecking abide Trafford (they're not in Salford - wrong side of the river) from being 6/7, too many gobshites. City didn't seem right and was a long way away, so eventually I convinced the owd fella to let me go to Bolton with some mates from school when I was 12/13/14ish.

Had they all been watching City, I might have gone there instead. I wouldn't have gone anywhere near Stretford in any event.

I'm also an out of towner. I had much guidance that I wisely ignored. My Dad is City, but took me to Bury for my first game 2 brothers are DMBs and the other Everton Cousins tried to persuade me Liverpool were the way forward. Thankfully I ignored the lot of them and started to go to Burnden on the bus on my own. My eldest brother dragged me to Old Trafford a few times, but even at such a formative age I knew it was wrong

[Vertigo]

I have to say, for a bloke that's going to see his first Bolton game in the flesh this season, I find this thread a little disheartening. Perhaps I should be looking forward to the away game more than the home game Doesn't make me any less excited though!

Thought I'd pop this in here, which area of seating at the Reebok has a more 'family' atmosphere? Don't think the Mrs is into the 'heavier' football atmosphere (or lack thereof at the Reebok judging by this thread )

[Il Pirate]

Thankfully I ignored the lot of them and started to go to Burnden on the bus on my own. Ditto: 400 straight thru. Sometimes tricky making it if it was after a night match though. Happy days..........

[Athers]

I have to say, for a bloke that's going to see his first Bolton game in the flesh this season, I find this thread a little disheartening. Perhaps I should be looking forward to the away game more than the home game Doesn't make me any less excited though!

Thought I'd pop this in here, which area of seating at the Reebok has a more 'family' atmosphere? Don't think the Mrs is into the 'heavier' football atmosphere (or lack thereof at the Reebok judging by this thread )

North Upper is the family stand, there's even Xboxes with FIFA 14 on in the concourse - this is presumably to relieve the young lads of the disappointments of watching the actual football.

Everywhere except probably under the scoreboard won't see too much persistent standing or nasty swearing though I reckon!

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Thankfully I ignored the lot of them and started to go to Burnden on the bus on my own. Ditto: 400 straight thru. Sometimes tricky making it if it was after a night match though. Happy days..........

I'd moved to Radcliffe (then Bury) by the time I went. 524/522 for me if I recall Travelled on the 400 back to school in Heywood though.

[Prufrock]

Yep. Bolton's out-of-town fans were from Wigan, Leigh, that North Salford area (Swinton, Pendlebury etc.) and the South Chorley area, as well as a good number from St. Helens and even Warrington.

Given that few people had cars back then these were fair old trecks.

People there must have CHOSEN Bolton as they had the options of the Manchester Clubs (Salford especially), Blackburn, Preston and the Liverpool clubs.

Oddly Darwin seems to look largely North, while I've never heard of someone from say the Bradshaw area looking to Burnley (unless originally from there).

As an "out of towner" (Swinton), I did choose Bolton, but not until I was about 13/14. I didn't get any guidance in this from anyone in our house, which was all about cricket and rugby. I couldn't fecking abide Trafford (they're not in Salford - wrong side of the river) from being 6/7, too many gobshites. City didn't seem right and was a long way away, so eventually I convinced the owd fella to let me go to Bolton with some mates from school when I was 12/13/14ish.

Had they all been watching City, I might have gone there instead. I wouldn't have gone anywhere near Stretford in any event.

I'm also an out of towner. I had much guidance that I wisely ignored. My Dad is City, but took me to Bury for my first game 2 brothers are DMBs and the other Everton Cousins tried to persuade me Liverpool were the way forward. Thankfully I ignored the lot of them and started to go to Burnden on the bus on my own. My eldest brother dragged me to Old Trafford a few times, but even at such a formative age I knew it was wrong

You CHOSE this?! Bloody hell.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

You CHOSE this?! Bloody hell.

Preferable to the alternatives old chap

[jonnycooper]

You CHOSE th is?! Bloody hell.

Preferable to the alternatives old chap :

[Peter Thompson]

Considering the absolute clueless shite served up over the past 2 1/2 years I think the Bolton fans are almost saintly

Not many other supporters would have put up with the total dross on display, week after week after week with absolute zero signs of any progress, to be honest I'm still amazed that so many loyal fans still turn up to sit through such utter shite with little or nothing to shout about when we are in the bottom 3rd of the championship and going nowhere any time soon under this current regime.

It's always been my view that the atmosphere is a two way thing, its not just down to the fans the team have an equal responsibility to give the fans something on the pitch to get them out of their seats....I can't think of any other fans who would be any better or more vocal given what the Bolton fans have had to endure over the past few years.