Let’s be totally frank about this: it is absolutely crazy to boo one of your own players. There are normally more than enough opposition fans in the stadium ready to do just that so why do their job for them?
The latest victim of this ridiculous show of moronic behaviour was the Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard.
The blog posted yesterday by my colleague Patrick Johnston regarding Lampard addressed the issue of whether he should return to the England team for the match against Russia. A totally valid, and separate argument.
For the fact that England fans have taken to booing him, as they did when he came on as a substitute for Michael Owen in Saturday’s match against Estonia at Wembley Stadium, holds no validity whatsoever.
It has sparked a huge debate in the English media with former players turned pundits, columnists, and fans all having their say.
The case against Frank seems to be this: He had a poor World Cup for England last year. He plays for Chelsea. He kisses the badge every time he scores and he earns a fortune. Ergo, he has come to embody the very worst aspects of the money-laden Premier League.
But a number of those points apply to other members of the England team. True, they might not play for Chelsea, but they all earn a fortune and many of them had a poor World Cup.
Many fans who were booing Lampard were also laughing at the same time. What happens next time he scores for England? Do they say the goal didn’t count or do they boo louder still?
Two weeks ago Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said that England was developing a “blame” culture spawned by reality TV shows that owe much of their popularity to public humiliation.
He is absolutely right and the modern-day morons who booed Lampard at Wembley on Saturday were the type who would have enjoyed throwing rotten apples at some jackanape in the village stocks 300 years ago.
England fans were vilified for their thuggery throughout the 1970s and 1980s. That may have changed for the better, but is booing one of their own players really much better?
Mike Collett, Reuters Soccer Correspondent. Mike saw his first England match in 1962. No-one booed their own players then.
PHOTO: Happier times: Lampard celebrates after scoring for Chelsea against Portsmouth on August 25, 2007. REUTERS/Alessia Pierdomenico.
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6 comments so far
[...] Booing of Frank Lampard is, according to Reuters Soccer Blog (generally a great blog, by the way), a reflection of the worst of English culture over the past [...]
- Posted by Pitch Invasion · British Civilisation and Frank Lampardfat frank as some people have started calling him couldnt finish an apple.Hes had more misses than henry the 8th and he couldnt cross a road but he was also chelseas most consitant peformer for 2 seasons so if he lays off the cakes and we stop the booing i rekon he could be the key to a decent world cup.
- Posted by roger barclayTony Yeboeh shud be back in the england squad WHERE ARE U TONY!!!
- Posted by badger“Two weeks ago Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said that England was developing a “blame” culture spawned by reality TV shows that owe much of their popularity to public humiliation”
That’s very astute analysis from Ferguson akin to a popular culture scholar and I don’t mean it in sarcasm. Really smart guy tho I hate Man-U.
Back to Lampard. There are some of his performances that warrant booing and some that don’t. You don’t expect fans to cheer blindly but then again neither can you expect them to boo always. No doubt, Lampard is good, maybe even damn good… but strangely only when he puts on a Chelsea jersey.
- Posted by Five Times[...] Mike Collett wrote a fantastic post today on “Letâ
- Posted by www.soccersecrets.info » Let’s be Frank about England booingYou are right, it is does not help to boo any player. But the players should take note at the display of frustration, primitive though it may be. It would be foolish to write it off.
- Posted by Neil CarterI would not boo any player as I want them to play better in the end. But does ‘better’ mean just how they should be playing anyway? How much more training and money do they need? We do wonder where the motivation comes from with the players at times.
After last night loss against Russia for example we do not feel like booing. We are angry though as we just feel betrayed as Englishmen. Its the same feeling we had watching the team in Gelsenkirchen last year. Think about that players on the England team. One goal more is not enough.