Building Bridges

[ourkid]

Support your 'supporter' in an appropriate manner
by Cornholio

We're not talking about another Lagan bridge or Westlink underpass here, we're talking about our Management Committee mending its destroyed relationship with the fans.
The debacle after several incidents last year such as its kneejerk reaction to King Street and the St Pats game, and also it pulling the Windsor Roar off ths shelves cut deeply into the trust most fans have for the Linfield MC. This was evident in the final league game of last season when Jim Kerr and Andy Conn were subject to a torrent of abuse from Linfield fans leading up to the Gibson Cup presentation.

So, we have the return leg of the St Pats game, a game no doubt that many a fan of last year will not be attending and will prefer to sit indoors and watch on TV, how does Linfield's PR department handle their own fans?

'Support the team in an appropriate manner tonight'

Linfield again feels the need to warn its support ahead of a game where controversy is hardly expected. The behaviour of Linfield fans last season at St Pats was impeccable, up to the point where a push and shove because of long queues resulted in supporters being assaulted by over zealous gardai officers, arrests being made etc. Even St Pat's fans visited these forums to convey their sympathy for both how the Gardai AND Linfield FC treated Linfield fans. We get the same treatment from security services every time we visit a team 'doon south', yet we've infamously been subjected to the most brutal of attacks over the years down there, yet we're made out to be the villans by our own club never mind the opposition!

I recently tried to put these point clear in Look at Linfield at the recent Stute game, and to their credit they did sum up what I wanted to say in a more succinct manner but heres how I put it before it was edited:

"I would say the Management committee has to ensure its thinking before it acts on any matter that may involve Linfield in the press after the mistakes of last season. It also has to ensure it protects what Linfield is about in the eyes of its lifeblood, its own fans, instead of sacrificing them in the name of political correctness. They should never be influenced to the point where they let the local media drive them to attack their own fans"

With this in mind, i'll give you a headline for the official website:

"Support your fans in the appropriate manner this season"

[Buckets]

Another good article Cornholio, if only it had an impact within our club

Totally agree with that article,well said.