17-05-2017, 16:20
Just a yes/no will do, but elaborate why if you want. Do you actually care whether Albion are liked or disliked by neutrals?
I would imagine that Albion are the least popular team in the Premier at the moment and, realistically, that stigma unfortunately seems to last some years:
People still dislike Stoke, 4 years after Pulis left.
They also dislike Chelsea 14 years after Abramovich destroyed football with his money.
And most people dislike ManU even though Ferguson has been left 4 years.
Wimbledon - if anyone still gave them a thought - are only ever remembered as the thugs whose long-ball game cynically spoilt football 30 years ago. (They are not remembered affectionately as the Davids who slew the Goliaths).
Stigmas seem to last longer than fond appreciation. (West Ham's old image - much like ours - has been turned upside down over the last few years, and they are now disliked by most neutrals).
If Albion don't change their ways soon, - and I'm talking about the style of play - instead of being thought of affectionately as a "footballing" side, we will be joining the above rogues as a Club to hate.
Other Clubs' fans will no longer welcome Baggies fans into their Locals with open arms, as I've mostly experienced. Instead they will sneer, and start conversations like "How can you come all this way to watch that shite every week?", which naturally gets a "Who the f*ck do you think you're talking to, you cockney/northern twat?" response. And the Away-day-out, quite apart from having to endure the turgid football, becomes a sad experience; thus Away following will eventually dwindle, like Home support.
The question is: Am I bovvered? Are you bovvered?
Some seriously want to just stay in the Prem no matter what, in that status is more important than anything else (even having to endure dreadful football at home games in order to achieve that status).
Personally I can put up with it in the interim, but not for another full season.*
*Not that I'm a regular - I now live deep in Cornwall, and have only been to 20 home games in 5 years. But I meet and talk to loads of tourists, and their reaction these days when I tell who I support, is no longer a look of interest - more a look of pity!!
I would imagine that Albion are the least popular team in the Premier at the moment and, realistically, that stigma unfortunately seems to last some years:
People still dislike Stoke, 4 years after Pulis left.
They also dislike Chelsea 14 years after Abramovich destroyed football with his money.
And most people dislike ManU even though Ferguson has been left 4 years.
Wimbledon - if anyone still gave them a thought - are only ever remembered as the thugs whose long-ball game cynically spoilt football 30 years ago. (They are not remembered affectionately as the Davids who slew the Goliaths).
Stigmas seem to last longer than fond appreciation. (West Ham's old image - much like ours - has been turned upside down over the last few years, and they are now disliked by most neutrals).
If Albion don't change their ways soon, - and I'm talking about the style of play - instead of being thought of affectionately as a "footballing" side, we will be joining the above rogues as a Club to hate.
Other Clubs' fans will no longer welcome Baggies fans into their Locals with open arms, as I've mostly experienced. Instead they will sneer, and start conversations like "How can you come all this way to watch that shite every week?", which naturally gets a "Who the f*ck do you think you're talking to, you cockney/northern twat?" response. And the Away-day-out, quite apart from having to endure the turgid football, becomes a sad experience; thus Away following will eventually dwindle, like Home support.
The question is: Am I bovvered? Are you bovvered?
Some seriously want to just stay in the Prem no matter what, in that status is more important than anything else (even having to endure dreadful football at home games in order to achieve that status).
Personally I can put up with it in the interim, but not for another full season.*
*Not that I'm a regular - I now live deep in Cornwall, and have only been to 20 home games in 5 years. But I meet and talk to loads of tourists, and their reaction these days when I tell who I support, is no longer a look of interest - more a look of pity!!
Start every day off with a smile and get it over with
!!
