Leeds United matchday support – simply the best
With apologies to Charles Dickens: we have the best of fans, we have the worst of fans. We’re Leeds United, and it’s high time we acknowledged this essential truth. The dividing line is perhaps a bit blurred – but, broadly speaking, the matchgoing support, those who roll up home and away, providing that intense atmosphere and fervent backing, can have few if any rivals anywhere in the game. If the fate of the team was down to these lads and lasses, we’d be certs for promotion.
But sadly, these days, you have to factor in the virtual world, and the Leeds United presence there – if we can assume for a moment that these online fans really are genuine Leeds followers – are not of the same quality as those matchgoing heroes. The outpouring of negativity both last season (as acknowledged by several players who admitted that it does affect them) and latterly this season too, has become a real factor in the team’s nervous and jittery displays. The trolls of course will deny this, but then, they would, wouldn’t they? But the fact is that professional sport is a matter of fine margins separating success from failure – so that any diminution of support is a negative and unwanted factor. And sadly, that’s something that could well cost us dear.
I’m by no means convinced that the worst of these online offenders are genuine Leeds fans anyway – there’s a lot of recently-started Twitter accounts out there, and you have to assume that some, at least, have been created for – shall we say – mischievous purposes. That will be a minority, though – but, as ever, there will always be a number of the dimmer type of Leeds fan, always looking for a passing bandwagon to jump aboard, and thinking that departing from a party line of “Bielsa is God” makes them appear windswept and interesting. That scenario has been quite obvious recently too.
I’m no more aware than anyone else what to do about this, beyond raising our voices in objection to the negative posters and trying to rally genuine support. That’s what I’ve been trying my poor best to do, and I know others have too. Doubtless we’re all taking the same kind of stick, sarcastically being called “superfans” etc. It’s all water off a duck’s back, of course – and, anyway, a bit of stick from a few hard-of-thinking types would be well worth it if we could make only the tiniest difference to online behaviour. And I have noticed more positive and supportive tweets lately, which is encouraging.
Because, in a game of fine margins, the slightest positive effect can make the difference, and take us where we all want to be.
Marching On Together
Life, Leeds United, the Universe & Everything 
Nice product, Rob, I will always support Leeds as I have for 73 years. First match 1947 January, last match for my birthday last January 2019 , have to travel 90 miles from Stoke now but as long as I can continue to come to Elland Road I will attend for my annual treat. Last year was the spy gate match so you can imagine my delight at the result. Even then around me in the West stand I could hear negativity and was astonished that so called supporters could analyse each and every player on their performance. Why do we have to listen to these people who are so called experts?
I hope that performance will improve and the one thing that proper supporters can do is not to get on our players backs and give whole hearted support . MOT
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MOT
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Rob, don’t just blame the on line hate mob and their negativity.
How about the so called journalists who trawl the web for knee jerk negative reactions.
Even if we can pull off a fantastic win tonight I’ll wager that there’ll still be a site with a headline like ‘£30k pw Leeds Star anonymous’
Let’s hope when we click on it later it’s about Kiko! MOT
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The thing is though, the journos are always going to accentuate the negative, because where Leeds are concerned, that’s good copy. But supporters are supposed to support. The clue’s in the name.
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MOT Leeds Leeds Leeds
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Hi Rob. Valiant performance tonight. So proud of the lads. But be prepared for the backlash against an “ intransigent” Bielsa and a poor return from Bamford and Casilla.
Deep breath because there is some justification for the annoyance at him not being willing to try a change … they were there for the taking tonight.
But such a performance leaves me proud. You know I truly won’t sit broken hearted if we don’t go up … I do love the drama we make in this division… better than any tvsoap.
Do you possibly remember when Frank Bruno had Tyson on the ropes and the immortal line “get in there Frank”? He went on to heroically lose the fight. Leeds remind me of Bruno … he did eventually win the world heavyweight title.
So we live in hope.
On to the next game and well done Charlton.
MOT
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My mantra will remain that, if I’m going to criticise Bielsa, I might as well start telling Tim Spall how to act. Much encouraged and only slightly frustrated by tonight – still second, after all – and I’m a 100% fackin’ Millwall fan termorrer, innit 🙂
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… and that’s not something that’s easy to say.😂👍🙏
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I know – I’m just waiting for an alibi before I try to say it again 🙂
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I said the same about Millwall, now I need to go to church and ask for forgiveness. I’ll try and convince him it is for the greater good and a means to an end etc. 🙏 👀 😂
Do you think he will forgive me???
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Surely 🤣
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well done the boys & as sky’s big SS build up was all about LUFC collapsing & not the promotion of there ‘super duper’ main game ‘the man with the cunning plan’ V ‘havent won since playing us’ AKA SWANSEA V QPR!
my best mate came over & said how we’d love to be promoted before the seasons end & hear the whole of ER singing “LEEDS, LEEDS HAVE FALLEN APART AGAIN!….. non stop to shut these jealous nob heads of other lesser (its a jealousy thing you see because we’re LEEDS, a real football club!) clubs like those dickheads @ forest in their cup final, then cant fill their ground for charlton (thanks LEE you knew what was needed pal!) when the top two was beckoning! ..”where’s minnie mouse, mickey!!?
they’re not very good thats why!
sadly the keeper will/is costing us every game now & has to be replaced by meslier surely, also IMO costapacket was woeful again all round & offers nowt!
a great point but same old story should have been 3?
gotta be backed up with two home wins now tho’?
Tim spall is a great actor rob & person, i’ve met him but even he would drop ‘calamity casilla’ & helder costapacket!…. jimmy nail (OZ) would do better in goal!!!
AUF WEIDERSEHEN ROB!
MOT & keep fighting!
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Living in Australia since 1970 I rely on the internet for Leeds United news etc. I often shake my head in disbelief at some of my fellow Leeds United supporters comments. Not long ago Berardi, Cooper, Alioski, Ayling, Dallas, Klich and even Phillips, yes even him, were not good enough to play in the championship! Bielsa comes along and turns these players into a footballing machine. Who am I going to take notice of, negative fans or Bielsa. If Bielsa says that JKA it s not fit to start then I guess he’s not fit to start! MOT
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