A Leeds United tweeter, yesterday
Storms in teacups and mountains made out of molehills. These are both specialities of the whinging, petulant, spoilt toddler types that appear to make up an uncomfortably large proportion of the Leeds United Twitter brigade. Time and time again, we see them launching into yet another rant when anything goes wrong at Elland Road. The latest mass tantrum is over Tyler Roberts‘ reported training ground injury from earlier in the week, with some suspecting that a knock the young striker was carrying when he moved from West Brom was actually something more sinister.
Whatever the facts of the case, the over-reaction from United’s more hysterical social media mouthpieces has been little short of embarrassing. And it’s a phenomenon not confined to injuries – anything negative is immediately seized upon and criticised with what almost amounts to a masochistic glee. This is no exaggeration. Certain alleged Leeds fans appear to like nothing more than a bit of a crisis, anything that shows the club in a bad light. They can then flap their virtual gums, competing with each other, so it appears, for the title of who can be the most pessimistic and ridiculously over-the-top negative. It inevitably degenerates into a why-oh-why session, with the usual suspects hurling abuse at the club they purport to follow. Naturally, the more moderate fans get sick of it, and a war of words ensues. It’s all so pointless, and it makes you wonder what other clubs’ fans think of our numerous bad apples – to say nothing of the Leeds players themselves, who must sometimes look on aghast.
It’s got to the point where I honestly feel we’d be better off without a large proportion of our social media “fans”. A lot of them seem to be there wholly or mainly to seek attention, or start an argument from the safely anonymous position of behind their keyboards. I swear that, in the days before so many virtual platforms were available – and when there was a lot more to moan about – there was less of this constant, dreary carping and moaning. Too much of that in the real, physical world of the terraces or the post-match pub would see persistent offenders in receipt of a thick ear, if they were lucky. But the virtual world is a safer place, and these needy types sally forth with impunity.
Some day, somebody will come up with an alternative word for a football adherent to the currently used “supporter” – and it won’t be a day too soon. Because what we see far too regularly on Twitter, Facebook etc etc, cannot be called support. It’s divisive, unhelpful, disloyal – the very antithesis of what football support used to be all about. My dearest wish is that a few of these discontented, attention-seeking, incognito inadequates should seek out other interests in life, and let the rest of us have a debate that hasn’t been dipped and soaked through in the Slough of Despond. Perhaps they could get hobbies, or girlfriends, or boyfriends, or whatever. I suspect that Twitter‘s gain has been a loss to the formerly popular pastimes of stamp-collecting or train-spotting. At least the Twatteratti would meet a few kindred spirits in those areas.
If I sound bitter, it’s because I am. I’ve no choice but to plough through the LUFC hashtag daily, I rely on it as a source of information, or at least as a pointer for where information might be found. To have the Twitter feed clogged with such gloom and doom merchants, who clearly relish and rejoice in their own negativity, is annoying to say the very least. It makes an ordeal out of what should be a useful online repository of fact and opinion.
Let’s be clear: players do get injured, it’s an unfortunate fact of life. For an injury such as that suffered by Tyler Roberts to cause such an explosion of witless whinging is simply unacceptable. Man up and support the club, for Don’s sake. And if you can’t bring yourself to do that, then at least have the grace to stop whining – and get that stamp album out. After all, philately could get you anywhere. Preferably, far away from anything to do with Leeds United.
Life, Leeds United, the Universe & Everything 
Love it!
MOT
GerryCwmbran
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Oh so well said Rob! I hope our players don’t read social media comments but I suspect they do and their performances are affected as a result.
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That’s a worry for me, too.
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Rob, the key word is ‘supporters’ . I Really get upset by some of the remarks on twitter as they rally are there to destroy all my happy memories of ‘ fully supporting ‘ my team for my lifetime.
It does not stop me hating M U and being delighted by the scintillating football that M C are playing at the moment.
Let’s hope that the owner has the ambition of playing that sort of football.
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I have only looked at the site mentioned once…..I needed a translator I could not understand 99% of it. To me most of them are not happy unless they are moaning. If the players read it my best advice would be do’nt, you manager and trainers are the ones you should listen to. Oh yes and you used my favourite word again TWATTERATTI. Well said Rob.
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In other news Rob you should use your platform to serve warning that football’s fans favourite menace ‘purple’ Aki has been frequenting Leeds city centre for the past week. Cover your biceps lads.
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Take heed, people. You can’t miss that guy.
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Well Said Rob,
I’ve never ventured into Twit land myself, don’t think I ever will. It doesn’t seem like I’ll be missing much.
MOT
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Agree wholeheartedly Rob. Having said that though, I would rather these “supporters” vent their tantrums via social media, and of those the ones who attend games refrain from doing it verbally. Can’t remember where I read it, but a championship player recently interviewed said it was common knowledge that if you could get us on the back foot in the first 15 minutes at Elland Road, the crowd would turn, and half the job was done.
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I think that’s well recognised throughout the game, sadly.
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With you on this one Rob, but the social media horse has well and truly bolted now. An endless cycle of “news”, notifications, speculation and tittle-tattle perpetuated by reams of comments and Twitter spats. Gone are the days of getting real football news in the Mirror and Shoot!
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When you look at it like that, it’s not all doom and gloom!
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When not glued to the Jez Kyle show ( or glued to glue ) these people need something to feel hard done by ” innit? ” These are probably the very same people who fly enormous St George flags from their houses but haven’t a clue when St Georges day is? ” Why don’t we get a day of going to the pub, like on St Guinness day? King George? Dint he, like ride into town and stab a iglue ana in its eye wiv a toasting fork? dat guy was messy man? No wonder he was the king of the united empire kingdom fing. Even Asda respect him wiv a range of his clothing ( but not made of metal no more” ) Keep writing some great stuff please Rob. I look forward to your common sense and articles that actually carry some reasoning, thought, knowledge, wisdom and articulated wit.
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Thank you, sir.
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Another great piece Rob. Before we had social media we did our talking in the pub on a Saturday night. I can’t remember anyone actually slagging off your own team. Constructive criticism yes, was it a penalty? All sorted by the end of Match Of The Day and forgotten by Tuesday after the Monday rags. The only guys who got a rough ride was the officials, but we had some cracking refs in them days
We all know the muck rakers you are talking about with their expert boring lectures and never ending so called expertise. These guys would find something to slag off if they were Man City fans.
Anyway, I’m sure the players know that the overwhelming majority of supporters are right behind them and as long as they give their all I’m one of them.MOT
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Well said Rob.
Its not just Twitter, go on any Leeds forum and the persistent negativity by some people makes me want to vomit. The thing is that these morons wouldn’t last two minutes trying to fill the shoe’s of our head coach, or owner, or director of football or any of the players, or the cleaning staff, half of them probably couldn’t even work in a bloody burger stand outside ER.
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These people have always existed,in a bygone age you could just move further down the bar from them when they were talking shite. Nowadays sites like HITC use them as “click bait” and for some reason repeat every inane quote at least twice in every article in a lame attempt to give them importance. Personally apart from a few exceptions such as “Qanon” the majority of tweeters are narcissistic,autocratic bullies full of their own self importance. Everyone is entitled to a moan occasionally but at least moan about something important.
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With all due respect Rob, I suspect the principal bugbear of the Twitterati is not so much ephemera such as this but the fact we never actually win a bloody football match. My support is unwavering, but as we stumble yet again from shambles to slapstick (it’s ok to start playing before you’re two-down lads) it sure don’t get any easier. MOT indeed – but to mid-table obscurity, yet again.
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Give it time, the new culture will take hold slowly but surely.
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Well said Rob,totally agree,you either support LUFC or you don’t and if it,s the latter then p-ss off and keep your negative comments to yourself.
Keep up the good work Rob,MOT forever
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