A comment from Hignett got me thinking yesterday when he mentioned coming here with Crewe and the horrible reception they received from the fans and its effect. It was always that way .... having a dig at the opposition, winding them up and generally getting on the opposition players backs, but it's changed over the past few years. The fans in general are inert, muted and more liable to turn on their own players than the opposition. Oddly enough, some people now seem to get more satisfaction winding up theirown players, a pretty sad reflection.
Before anyone says they're allowed to criticise the players, can I ask to what purpose...can you name any walk of life where constant abuse improves performance, would you like your boss and his 'mates' to stand over you, slag off every move you make and have the nerve to wonder why you don't perform well.
Quite a few came on here complaining about Moore slagging off his players in public on occasions yet we have supporters doing it week in week out.
Let's try getting behind the team slagging them off hasn't worked.
Did any player ever sit down post match and think..." ....that foul mouthed fat gobshite and his scrawny ferret faced mate really pointed me in the right direction with their extensive abuse based knowledge of the game ... now I'm a better player for their intervention' ?...NO!
Let's get on the oppositions back and encourage ours...even the not very good ones, we as fans have a role to pla as well. No team wants to fail, so let's try encouraging instead of abusing...keep the negatives for the opposition on the pitch.

Absolutely 100% spot on Snowy couldn't agree more

Well said, I remember as recently as when we had the likes of Sperevik the fans didn't get on his back and he was awful. There might have been a few maybe but I think most were there to support the team and offer encouragement more than take out the frustrations of their lives out on the players that THEY paid to watch.

I genuinely think some enjoy giving Pools players abuse during the game. No wonder a lot of players' confidence is shot.

Applauding the away fans seems to have started this season,another sign of the soft shyte club we have become..

Nail on head, Snowy. This needs to be inserted in the programme.

I get the feeling with some 'supporters' that getting behind your players is much harder than slagging them off... the abuse has got nasty and personal . They are helping the oppositions cause, why would a player even bother to make an effort for people who openly despise you...?
If your sat in a rubber dinghy and it springs a tiny leak, you try to fix it, you do everything to keep it afloat you save it, it saves you. Some at Pools would see the pin prick leak, mouth off and then accuse the rubber dinghy of badly letting them down and attack the dinghy with a sharp knife to teach it a lesson and still not realise the irony as they both slid beneath the waves. We need the players and the players need us, we help each other even when it's dire

I dont mind applauding the away fans especially if they have made a long journey like today to support their team.Plus its near the end of the game so hardly influences it much i wouldnt think.