The Sports Psychology Blog
This Sports Psychology blog, comes as the Middlesboro' F.C., Health & Safety Officer, Sue Watson, writes to fans at the Riverside, asking them to only make noise, when the team scores.
Football: Middlesboro - The Library!
So spectators at the Riverside's, have been complaining about the noise, coming from the South East corner. And complaining about fans standing up. Resulting in the Health & Safety Officer, issuing a letter to fans in the South East, asking them to make less noise, with their persistent banging etc.
Whilst there is general disapproval and disquiet, in the world of football fandom, this move comes as no surprise. For a long time now, a quiet suppression has existed in football stadiums. Stadiums policed by often heavy-handed stewards, looking for the first opportunity to tell enthusiastic fans to sit down.
This has extended to Portsmouth's semi-naked big hat wearing fan (John?), being told to be more quiet at games. And Blackpool fans having their drum confiscated at various Championship grounds, for making too much noise! There are probably hundreds of examples.
The meeting at The Riverside, that created the warning letter to noisy fans, must have been some occasion. Whoever sat in on that meeting, failed to reflect on the purpose of football, in the lives of the majority of fans.
Football has always been about escapism. Always been a release from the inhibitions and struggles of daily life. Always been a place, where a fan can lose themselves in the crowd, and release pent up emotions, without concern for what others may think.
Middlesboro's warning letter, is implying that fans can now only do so, under certain pre-arranged conditions. That is, when Middlesboro' score. Which this season, has not been that often. And with the ground now threatening to resemble a library, will likely be even less.
The Boro' faithful must rebel against this Health & Safety based suppression, and make more noise than ever. Failure to do so, will hand another victory, for those who want to take all passion and spontaneity, out of the national game.
