A Plea From Vegas

Well one game of the season gone and it is all doom and gloom from a not insignificant section of the City Ground faithful. Apparently the boo boys started after just 6 minutes, and the 2 blokes behind me were not far behind. Every man, woman, and child who pays for a ticket has a right to an opinion but to start giving the players grief so soon after the start of a game, let alone season is taking fickle to extremes.

What some elements of the crowd seem to forget is that we are a league 1 team with a massive history and a massive ambition – both on the field and off, but we are a league 1 team. There can be no doubt that EVERY player and EVERY member of the backroom staff has the same ambition – to take Forest as high up the football leagues as possible and win a cup or 2 on the way. I have no doubt that the fans want exactly the same thing. So why then do they not show it?

Frustration at being in this league – of course; annoyance at the lack of creativity for most of last season – of course; anger that we have one fully fit striker at the moment – spot on. However do fans think that they are all alone with these feelings – well I have news for you – we are not all alone.

Over the many years that I have been frequenting the City Ground, I have never known fans to get on the backs of the players so quickly, so often and with so much apparent hatred for a team; a team they are supposed to support.

Cloughie, Bob Paisley and a myriad of other great managers have all said that the crowd are the 12th player in a team and are a vital part of a club and for many years I would have said that Forest Fans were just that. However, over recent years, it has become apparent that the Forest crowd are often the 12th man for the opposition and this cannot be good for the club or its aspirations.

If the home fans were as vocal as they used to be, giving vociferous support for the boys in Red by calling their names when they come onto the park, cheering every completed pass, applauding every solid tackle and encouraging them when things are not going our way, then I am certain that we would become that 12th man and the performances and results would improve.

I plead with all the doom mongers, just try it, just once and you will see the difference in the players.







Written by forestfaninvegas