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Post by Gifton on Dec 12, 2019 1:22:16 GMT
I just find it all so very sad, to be debating whether or not the crowd's booing inspired Stoke to victory against Luton. It makes me remember the home match against Manchester City, eleven years ago and in particular that spontaneous, gutteral, earth shaking roar. The look on both sets of players faces! I'm sure all that witnessed it will remember it for a very long time. We have all experienced a stadium rocking when a team is on top or battling bravely against the odds. I count myself lucky to have witnessed the last decade at the Victoria Ground, I rattled my feet on the wooden floor of the Butler Street Stand, sat next to my dad. I bounced with my mates in the Boothen End at both grounds and all over the country. That kind of surge in atmosphere almost exclusively manifests itself in the singing of songs such as "We are Stoke" or the like. That day though, it was a war cry! Even the most reserved amongst us have sprung to our feet and roared "goarn!" from time to time whilst watching our team. That's what football does to us, that is why we are supporters. That particular Saturday afternoon though, every single seat was occupied by someone so emotionally charged, so proud and passionate, so determined, that we were all compelled to react at exactly the same time. The vast, vast majority of us lost control of ourselves all as one, that's what caused the roar. It then just escalated and got even louder. It was quite possibly the most beautiful experience in all my time following Stoke or watching sport. The birth of the fabled bear pit. I couldn't be more aware that the players, the performance and the referee drew that atmosphere out of us. They deserved every ounce of our support. That squad gave us so many happy times. That team encouraged us as supporters to reach our potential and the stadium was consistently packed, they made us so proud, they made us so loud. I just miss that positivity, so much, I miss that bond between team and fans. I also remember that we have been inspired in similar ways by many a Stoke side outside the top flight. I myself became truly intoxicated by all things Stoke City during the Macari years. I have been as guilty as anyone for slating the club, the board and the team, even fellow supporters. I'm at the end of my tether. We should not be in this position and I have ranted and raved, shouted and screamed and just been left so frustrated. Awful things have come out of my mouth on a match day and from my keyboard on here. The atmosphere around the club is just so dark, so fraught and so toxic, it must be a near impossible environment to work in. Maybe we as supporters need to start understanding our part in this toxicity. We have every reason to be angry but what if our anger is contributing to the club's inability to rehabilitate. I understand the criticism towards Joe Allen for cupping his ears to the crowd the other night. Maybe though, that is MON's only hope of galvanising the squad, prove them bastards in the stands wrong! Perhaps that's the only way he feels he can fire this team to survival. A siege mentality, against the fans. It's very sad if that's the case. We have had some relatively fantastic times recently, so much so that the expectation of our supporter base has changed completely over the last dozen years or so. I genuinely never thought I would witness Stoke in the Premier League, let alone see them established there for so long. I count my blessings. Maybe, no matter how understandable our expectations, frustrations and reservations currently are, we should cast our minds back to 2003. We were in a similar position to that in which we find ourselves today. There was such a resilience amongst our supporter base then though because expectations were so different. We were so determined to stay in the very league that we reluctantly occupy presently, that we willed the team onto survival. It actually qualified as good times and happy memories. I urge you all to remember this game... www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/football/2003/may/05/match.sport6That survival was the foundation for our Premier League adventure. Maybe we need to reset our thinking back to then and lose our arrogance because I genuinely fear we, as fans, could contribute to the downfall of our club, as much as we can help it recover. As I have said, I'm as guilty as any for my part in the current toxicity. We should maybe remember though, some of our best times have come out of adversity, outside of the top flight. Is it time to ask, what we as fans, need to do to encourage a bit of positivity and help spark a turnaround in our clubs fortunes? Is it time to accept our current position, no matter how hard we find it to take? A couple of wins and talk of a push for the play offs can creep in amongst us, a few losses and we are so quick to condemn Stoke to League One. Perhaps we should embrace the fact we are in a relegation scrap and cast aside delusions of grandeur? Save that for next season. Successful relegation battles have given us some of our best memories. Maybe we should embrace the mess we are in and pretend it's 2003, perhaps doing that can only do more good than harm. Have we really become so disillusioned that a 3-0 win is greeted with anything other than utter delight, regardless of the opposition or performance? Surely we all want the club to do well? Oh to hear that roar again. Maybe we can help... "I always wanted to be happy, so I decided to be" Neil Baldwin. "If I hadn't seen such riches, I could live with being poor!" James Note: Don't ask what I'm smoking, you wouldn't want to know... |
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Post by cooper67 on Dec 12, 2019 1:27:57 GMT
No.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2019 1:43:46 GMT
Change your dealer !
GD
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Post by Gifton on Dec 12, 2019 2:05:13 GMT
Why? Can you get it cheaper Dave? 😉 |
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Post by wolfinsheepsclothing on Dec 12, 2019 7:52:02 GMT
The Man City ‘roar’ still raises the hairs on my neck now when recalled.
I think it’s the single most memorable because of the dynamics and circumstances.
I never boo players and don’t agree with it. I do berate them at times.
However, Tuesday night ‘might’ just be the catalyst we need. The crowd annoyed and running thin on patience, some players giving it back.
I would prefer them reacting in some way than simply going through the motions (at best) as many currently seem to be doing.
Let’s see what Saturday brings
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Post by zerps on Dec 12, 2019 8:06:34 GMT
I kicked my cat across the living room about 20 minutes in and that seemed to help.
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Post by Somebody_Told_Me on Dec 12, 2019 8:10:23 GMT
I didn't bother turning up not sure if that helped? Therefore I can't comment, I wasn't there.
I don't agree with booing usually though, unless stupid sub in already poor game or full time
P.s the James lyric is brilliant. Though it's not being poor after riches. It's not getting the maximum out of our sum of parts that's causing frustration. Most Stokies knew it wouldn't easy.
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Post by Gifton on Dec 12, 2019 8:20:18 GMT
I kicked my cat across the living room about 20 minutes in and that seemed to help. Cat owner? Your house stinks of piss... |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2019 9:10:53 GMT
We won the game because Luton was very poor. We were just a little less poor on the night but we're still bottom three.
There's a long, long way to go before those players can redeem themselves. Joe Allen especially.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2019 9:14:27 GMT
We won the game because Luton was very poor. We were just a little less poor on the night but we're still bottom three. There's a long, long way to go before those players can redeem themselves. Joe Allen especially. We weren't a little less poor we were far superior on the night........... |
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Post by chigstoke on Dec 12, 2019 9:21:48 GMT
It probably helped them to kick it up a gear, but it certainly didn't make us win the match. Luton were just poor really (and so were we for a while).
What we did was expose the diamond. Luton played it and they looked poor, just like we did. The only difference was they had a lot more pace than us playing the system.
It was clear from Cousins for me when he was playing the ball out wide a lot to Ince and Mac, we were aiming to exploit their lack of width, and so we did.
For me it was leaving the 451, going back to a 433 and playing better because of it. We had wingers to go down the flanks and they couldn't cope. My only wish is for Ince to take a cross on more rather than cutting in all the time.
So no, I don't think the booing helped us win the match but it certainly gave them a kick up the arse that we weren't going to accept such a lousy performance. And I agree with kpsja, Allen has a long road of redemption ahead of him. Cupping his ears only makes me hate the swining bastard even more. He can cup my fucking foot right up his arse.
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Post by cheekymatt71 on Dec 12, 2019 9:30:26 GMT
The booing happened after a promising attack ended up going back to Butland in back passes.
I do think a couple of players, mainly Joe Allen who suddenly upped their efforts and started closing down the opposition leading to the first goal a few minutes later.
The ear cupping certainly showed they were aware of the fans feelings.
If it worked it worked for whatever reason. I am not saying we should be constantly booing the team, but clearly the players need some passion in their game to make things happen.
I just hope that MON saw the reaction. Maybe we have had too many nicey nicey managers since Pulis left, and we need a few hairdryer treatments for the current manager to kick them into gear.
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Post by bayernoatcake on Dec 12, 2019 9:33:26 GMT
Yes.
They weren't bothering before and within 3 minutes we had won a corner and scored. It clearly got to them with the ear cupping bollocks being the evidence of that.
It worked a treat.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2019 10:20:52 GMT
Its a completely hypothetical question as we don't know what would have happened without.
Either way, what a sad situation it is where we are even debating whether booing our own players early on helped us to beat Luton at home.
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Post by RF10 on Dec 12, 2019 11:04:32 GMT
The Man City and the 80 Mins rour vs Middlesbrough were unreal and spurned the team on. A mate of mine who was Man City Season ticket holder was in away end that day and he says loudest he's heard a game, including the Aguerooo winner.
I hate booing and don't think it helps anything but it did certainly give then a kick up backside. That said we can't start using that to get and effect as it will cause more problems.
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Post by Pugsley on Dec 12, 2019 11:10:44 GMT
It's a head scratcher as to why some posters on here are not employed in top flight football management.
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Post by cheekymatt71 on Dec 12, 2019 12:31:24 GMT
It's a head scratcher as to why some posters on here are not employed in top flight football management. Im available for the right price  |
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Post by zerps on Dec 12, 2019 13:02:27 GMT
I kicked my cat across the living room about 20 minutes in and that seemed to help. Cat owner? Your house stinks of piss... Get a catflap. It will save you loads of embarrassment 👍 |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2019 10:54:09 GMT
We won the game because Luton was very poor. We were just a little less poor on the night but we're still bottom three. There's a long, long way to go before those players can redeem themselves. Joe Allen especially. We weren't a little less poor we were far superior on the night........... It really doesn't mean much beyond the night. We defeated a team only slightly better placed than ourselves in a home game. We still need to do the business, do it well, and do it consistently for like the next 20 games, and only then can we begin to consider using the word superior in the same sentence as scfc. |
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Post by iglugluk on Dec 13, 2019 11:35:41 GMT
It certainly provoked a reactuon
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2019 11:45:50 GMT
We weren't a little less poor we were far superior on the night........... It really doesn't mean much beyond the night. We defeated a team only slightly better placed than ourselves in a home game. We still need to do the business, do it well, and do it consistently for like the next 20 games, and only then can we begin to consider using the word superior in the same sentence as scfc. I specifically said "on the night" And on the night we were far superior, it would be wrong to suggest otherwise. That's not meant to be a ringing endorsement of us as a team merely a fact based on that one performance. |
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Post by OldStokie on Dec 13, 2019 12:48:56 GMT
A brilliantly written piece Gifton. Well done! I reckon you're echoing the thoughts of many of us on here. Like you, the combustion of passion and togetherness against Man City that day was truly one of the greatest experiences of my long Stoke supporting life. It will forever be a mystery to me how it was so spontaneous. It was indeed gutteral; primeval even... a lingering throwback to our tribalistic human roots. And only when you've been through that experience can you begin to understand humanity, both good and bad. *shudder*  I do think the booing was the catalyst of us winning that game. It was how you described. We supporters were angry at the negative play; we vented our anger by booing (not me), and the players reacted in their own tribalistic way to stick the two fingers up at us. In hindsight, it may turn out to be a very crucial moment in our history, not least because it brought the players together. Let's hope they maintain that seige mentality. OS. |
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Post by CBUFAWKIPWH on Dec 13, 2019 13:14:01 GMT
Obviously booing is the way forward and I fully intend to boo for the 90 minutes on Saturday to help our battle against relegation. Should any player sarcastically cup their ear in defiance of our loyalty to the cause I will boo louder in the hope of having them transferred in January and replaced by a suitably subservient replacement prepared to take their humiliation as befitting their station. We are their gods and they are our chattel to abuse as we see fit.
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Post by Roy Cropper on Dec 13, 2019 13:22:16 GMT
Has anybody got footage of that roar? I'm sure someone put it on here once.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2019 14:03:48 GMT
It really doesn't mean much beyond the night. We defeated a team only slightly better placed than ourselves in a home game. We still need to do the business, do it well, and do it consistently for like the next 20 games, and only then can we begin to consider using the word superior in the same sentence as scfc. I specifically said "on the night" And on the night we were far superior, it would be wrong to suggest otherwise. That's not meant to be a ringing endorsement of us as a team merely a fact based on that one performance. And I specifically said "beyond the night". Won't repeat the rest of it. |
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Post by trincostokie on Dec 13, 2019 14:27:25 GMT
Great post Gifton...got me all nostalgic and made me search and watch this old classic again...
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2019 15:26:49 GMT
I specifically said "on the night" And on the night we were far superior, it would be wrong to suggest otherwise. That's not meant to be a ringing endorsement of us as a team merely a fact based on that one performance. And I specifically said "beyond the night". Won't repeat the rest of it. No actually your original post said "we were just a little less poor on the night" which isn't true..... |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2019 16:08:16 GMT
And I specifically said "beyond the night". Won't repeat the rest of it. No actually your original post said "we were just a little less poor on the night" which isn't true..... Actually it is. Luton were just a very poor side who made us look far better than we are. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2019 16:14:50 GMT
No actually your original post said "we were just a little less poor on the night" which isn't true..... Actually it is. Luton were just a very poor side who made us look far better than we are. But also far better on the night. Thanks for clarifying...... |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2019 17:43:30 GMT
Actually it is. Luton were just a very poor side who made us look far better than we are. But also far better on the night. Thanks for clarifying...... If we'd been far better or superior we would have won by more than three goals. We didn't. |
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