Do Football Fans Care Too Much For Their Own Good?

Tuesday, 1st February 2011 at 09:14am

At the end of the day, despite what Bill Shankly famously said about football being more than a matter of life and death, there are many more important things in life than football. The terrible troubles in Egypt where more than 100 people have been killed in protests against the incumbent President Hosni Mubarak or the difficulties facing so many in Queensland, Australia are testimony to the real struggles that people face in life but for many the transfer sagas involving Fernando Torres, Andy Carroll, Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle United were of far greater concern, prompting the question, "Do football fans care too much for their own good?"

The abusive reactions to posts about Fernando Torres made by Patrick Barclay and Guillem Balague on micro blogging site Twitter this week certainly point to this being the case, although it must be said that this was from a minority of so-called 'Liverpool fans'.

Ironically, the two respected journalists were absolutely on the money and those 'fans' must be feeling a little ashamed of themselves; if they're not, they should be.

Having trawled the message boards on the club's official website, the overall tone is one of bitterness, disappointment and more than a tinge of hatred; all Torres' empty comments of his "loyalty and commitment" to Liverpool have left a very sour taste in the mouth.

Football is a very passionate game and it is the passion of its supporters that sets it apart from other sports enjoyed around the globe.

No other sport has the global appeal, is capable of sparking fierce debate or has the ability to bring complete strangers together quite like football; that is a huge part of its appeal but it's important to know where to draw the line.

As a passionate Liverpool fan, I, of course, am disappointed with the departure of Fernando Torres to Chelsea, especially in the nature that he left the club.

Torres was a player that the fans took dearly to heart to the extent that few have been embraced before and, significantly, might be idolised again.

What probably hurts the most is that Torres no longer felt that he was capable of winning what he wanted to win at Anfield, a further reminder to Liverpool fans how far they have fallen since their halcyon days but life will go on at Anfield and as it will at St James' Park.

Andy Carroll's departure from Newcastle is a blow to the passionate Toon Army supporters and the promise of money they can do nothing with immediately will not soften the blow. Here was a local lad who had broken into the team and performed quite brilliantly, reigniting memories of a certain Alan Shearer and a symbol of a brighter future. That flicker of hope was extinguished last night.

Torres' departure has broken the hearts of thousands, if not millions, of Liverpool fans around the world and Carroll's exit will have done likewise for Newcastle United supporters; they might not be willing to let their guard down quite as much in the future.

And maybe that's not such a bad thing.

The days of players remaining with a single club for their careers are all but gone. In modern football the Nat Lofthouses, Paolo Maldinis and Billy Wrights of this world are few and far between and to expect top players to remain in place is optimistic at best and naive at worst.

Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville of Manchester United are rare examples, as is Jamie Carragher of Liverpool, of players who are passionate about the clubs they began their careers with and will undoubtedly finish at; of course being successful makes staying much more palatable.

But the likes of Neville and Carragher have a fierce, ingrained passion for their respective clubs and respective which means they are less likely to move on unless asked to. When it was thought that Gerrard might move from Liverpool to Chelsea, Carragher was asked would he ever consider leaving Liverpool he responded by asking, "Why would I want to do that?"

That bond, however, is still not enough to stop most players from leaving their home-town clubs in pursuit of glory and/or money - Wayne 'once a blue, always a blue' Rooney being a fine example. We should, therefore, not be surprised or disappointed if players who don't have that emotional bond to the area and club decide to move on if those that do can do so readily.

Sadly it is money that is the driving factor behind players wishing to move and the feelings of the supporters who pay their wages and idolise them mean very little at the end of the day.

Football will always be a sport ruled by passion but perhaps now fans - particularly those who support Liverpool and Newcastle - will take a step back and not commit so emotionally to certain players.

I wouldn't bet my house on it, however; where's my Liverpool shirt with 'Carroll 9' on the back

Have Your Say About This Post