Booing at football matches

Edmundo

Edmundo

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Booing at football matches

I realise that booing at half and full time is as old as the hills, but it seems to me to have become far more prevalent recently, maybe just in the last year or so.

It used to be reserved for being 4-0 down at half-time, or getting knocked out by a non-league club in the FA Cup. But now it seems to accompany any and every even slightly disappointing half or result. Is it just me, or have others noticed this too?

Not just Brentford, it's everywhere and we aren't immune. Is society becoming more entitled and less patient? What's it all about?
 

Booing at football matches

Edmundo said:
I realise that booing at half and full time is as old as the hills, but it seems to me to have become far more prevalent recently, maybe just in the last year or so.

It used to be reserved for being 4-0 down at half-time, or getting knocked out by a non-league club in the FA Cup. But now it seems to accompany any and every even slightly disappointing half or result. Is it just me, or have others noticed this too?

Not just Brentford, it's everywhere and we aren't immune. Is society becoming more entitled and less patient? What's it all about?
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A bit of that entitlement you mention at the end. Increased prices, heightened expectations?

As much as I despise it, I do think it’s worth pointing out that in nations such as Spain, I know this through a friend, they consider booing to be the same almost as cheering. Madrid fans used to boo Ronaldo for having a poor first half, then cheer after a second half hat trick.

We’re quite fortunate thst the whole ‘ultra’ fan base hasn’t reached UK yet.

But as you say, as society becomes more atomised, no doubt it’ll continue and only get worse
 

Booing at football matches

WarrenBee said:
Really?
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I think what Edmundo means is that they should just permanently be booing. Spurs fans should great each other by loudly jeering in each others faces before going home to booo their families and moan about their sh*tty sh*tty lives, before their eventual demise and being laid to rest to a cacophony of boos from their family and friends.

Pretty harsh Ed :nono: but having seen some of these freaks on social media recently I can see where you're coming from :judge:
 

Booing at football matches

aslan said:
"I want something, and I want it now" attitude. Blame the internet
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I think that's it. Largely society in general. 'My voice is entitled to be heard.'

Also, link it to a sport where the gap between what fans earn and what players earn has never been bigger, then throw in the price punters pay to get in, and you can understand why people express their frustration if they don't feel they've had value for money.
 

Booing at football matches

Definitely seems more prevalent now.
And would agree that it seems to come from a sense of entitlement. In terms of both expecting 'success', and a "I can do/say what I like" mentality.
Any of it in my earshot will be called out, again, by me on Monday. And I'd encourage other true supporters to do the same.

Having said that, while it didn't happen as much back in the day, I distinctly remember regular occasions in the 70s/80s when the crowd at GP would show their displeasure with slow/poor play with the "slow hand clap".
 

Booing at football matches

It wasn't booing but I've been going many years and f*** me, Griffin Park had some right moaners and whingers. Has something new happened?
 

Booing at football matches

badgerbee said:
Definitely seems more prevalent now.
And would agree that it seems to come from a sense of entitlement. In terms of both expecting 'success', and a "I can do/say what I like" mentality.
Any of it in my earshot will be called out, again, by me on Monday. And I'd encourage other true supporters to do the same.

Having said that, while it didn't happen as much back in the day, I distinctly remember regular occasions in the 70s/80s when the crowd at GP would show their displeasure with slow/poor play with the "slow hand clap".
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Forgot that, well remembered. The one and only time I ever booed a bees 11 was that debacle against Kingstonian. And they really deserved it that day
 

Booing at football matches

The booing that you get today is nothing like the booing and slow hand clapping you got in the 60’s and 70’s.
We’re they entitled then?
It was people saying we’ve paid our money and showing our displeasure.
 

Booing at football matches

Some of my earliest memories of going to Griffin Park was booing the opposition when they ran out on to the pitch alone, none of this walking out together holding hands!
 

Booing at football matches

halibutbee64 said:
The booing that you get today is nothing like the booing and slow hand clapping you got in the 60’s and 70’s.
We’re they entitled then?
It was people saying we’ve paid our money and showing our displeasure.
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🎶 "What a load of rubbish" 🎶 used to be sung too! 😂
 

Booing at football matches

aslan said:
"I want something, and I want it now" attitude. Blame the internet
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We’re in a world of instant gratification, from the sugar rush for young kids of ‘j’wanna’ mums, via young shoplifters, through to the rush of the needle.

There’s ‘fans’ who think the players are automatons dancing for their individual pleasure.
 

Booing at football matches

I have never and will never boo a Brentford team. If we are sh*t then I just have to suck it up, I have had plenty of practice of that over the years.
The only aspect I can never accept is if a Brentford player is not trying his best, I may tell him to f*ck off out of the club and would hope that player is removed from the team by the manager/head coach.
When has booing a player or a team for playing badly or making mistakes ever helped their confidence to turn it around? It is those periods when they need our support and encouragement more than ever.
 

Booing at football matches

brentford born & bred said:
I have never and will never boo a Brentford team. If we are sh*t then I just have to suck it up, I have had plenty of practice of that over the years.
The only aspect I can never accept is if a Brentford player is not trying his best, I may tell him to f*ck off out of the club and would hope that player is removed from the team by the manager/head coach.
When has booing a player or a team for playing badly or making mistakes ever helped their confidence to turn it around? It is those periods when they need our support and encouragement more than ever.
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Were you around for that Kingstonian game? The whole ground let them know that day. Ball came out of play and a mate booted it out of the ground. Disgraceful performance.

As an alternative to slow hand clapping and booing there was also the "You're not fit to wear the shirt" option.

Totally agree with your sentiments re.support. But there was a lot to dislike during the 1970's especially. A lot of older bees were very bitter about the club's decline.

Booing today is ridiculous given what many of us put up with in the past. Agree with others that there is a sense of entitlement present amongst these 'supporters' - can only assume they are New Bees.
 

Booing at football matches

At least no Brentford fan has ever made the effort to go to a railway station after a game to harass and insult their own players.

Unlike Everton.
 

Booing at football matches

I'd suggest any booing at our games historically has been aimed at managers we've lost patience with, not players. I could be wrong. The odd collective omnishambles of a performance maybe. But you know what? We pay their wages. You can boo at a whole range of sporting and entertainment settings. We have the right to boo. I don't like it, I wouldn't do it but its a free country.
 

Booing at football matches

I think booing at half time is silly, especially if the scoreline isnt bad.

I've never felt like booing was aimed at players and more to send a message to manager/higher ups
 

Booing at football matches

ABEEE said:
I think booing at half time is silly, especially if the scoreline isnt bad.

I've never felt like booing was aimed at players and more to send a message to manager/higher ups
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If we lose one game (for example), does a message need to sent or could we just act like grown ups and accept it.
 

Booing at football matches

Les Beeavinu said:
If we lose one game (for example), does a message need to sent or could we just act like grown ups and accept it.
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Was more talking about booing in turmoil. Never understood the boos at Brentford this season bar Fulham (A)
 

Booing at football matches

Are we allowed to to boo other fans? Like, if I see @nocoat or @Banana and boo them is that OK, who is even that outlawed now at Benham’s Broken Brentford?
 

Booing at football matches

Whilst I agree that booing your team is stupid and should be discouraged, I don’t agree that this is a modern phenomenon.
My first few seasons at GP were in the family stand - there was a particular group of oldies within earshot that spent every game berating every one of our players. The last few seasons at GP there was a dad and son close to us in NR who took every opportunity to to yell abuse at Sawyers. I sat in every stand at GP and there was always some idiot, sometimes due to alcohol or sometimes just down to bloated ego, who thought they knew better than the manager or read the game better than the players. Now in the south stand and fortunately can’t hear too much negativity. Sadly I don’t believe booing, moaning, player abuse etc. is anything new. It’s always been there and always will be.

I’ve joined in booing at half time when it’s been aimed at the ref.
 

Booing at football matches

Can't say for football generally but I've been going to Bees since the 4th Division dog days of the early to mid 70's and it was much worse in those days. My recollection is
that if the fans didn't like a player they wouldn't hesitate in letting them know about it to the extent of booing the player concerned when in possession of the ball, Barry Lloyd springs to mind. My theory is that a lot of the crowd in those days would have watched Bees in the 1930's glory days and were expressing their displeasure at the club's decline since those days.
 

Booing at football matches

I haven't heard any mass-booing at Brentford since we moved to the GTech. Unless it's aimed at the referee of course.
 

Booing at football matches

Silly Hat said:
At least no Brentford fan has ever made the effort to go to a railway station after a game to harass and insult their own players.

Unlike Everton.
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Maybe ask Paul Brooker about his views on Brentford fans meet and greets
 

Booing at football matches

Silly Hat said:
Are we allowed to to boo other fans? Like, if I see @nocoat or @Banana and boo them is that OK, who is even that outlawed now at Benham’s Broken Brentford?
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Only if they haven't washed their hands and are walking out of the toliet
 

Booing at football matches

It’s the nature of the beast. The more successful we become, the more people we attract, thus the idiot quotient rises too.

Sometimes you just have to accept that there’s a fair number of Brentford fans who don’t understand modern football, or what makes a decent footballer in 2026.

Bless their little hearts.
 

Booing at football matches

Hippobee said:
I think that's it. Largely society in general. 'My voice is entitled to be heard.'

Also, link it to a sport where the gap between what fans earn and what players earn has never been bigger, then throw in the price punters pay to get in, and you can understand why people express their frustration if they don't feel they've had value for money.
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I agree, I think the price is a big factor.

I can't speak for all fans of course but - When one of the 4000 hardcore at GP I think there was an element of, well I do this every fortnight and I know these players aren't miracle workers, so I won't have high expectations and maybe it'll be better next time.

Fans at some other clubs are gradually being conditioned to expect to pay £80-£100 for a match ticket and accept that going to a live game might be something you do 2-3 times a season. Those people are less likely to shrug off a poor result, because it might be a long time until their next game and they might think what else they could be enjoying with that money.
 

Booing at football matches

Right, so we've decided that complaining about your football team is new and shows a sense of entitlement. Okey dokey.
 

Booing at football matches

Les Beeavinu said:
Right, so we've decided that complaining about your football team is new and shows a sense of entitlement. Okey dokey.
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No, we are debating whether booing your team when they don’t score in the first half, even though they haven’t conceded to a team below them in the table is new. I think it is, but am happy to be proved wrong.
 

Booing at football matches

Edmundo said:
No, we are debating whether booing your team when they don’t score in the first half, even though they haven’t conceded to a team below them in the table is new. I think it is, but am happy to be proved wrong.
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When all the slow hand claps and booing went on in the 60’s we rarely had teams below us in the table so it’s difficult to tell.
 

Booing at football matches

I'm hoping that the majority of the booing tonight was for the referee.

Which reminds me....
 
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