New Year Resolution Suggestions For ‘Boro Fans

By Eye Magazine published 7 January, 2012 No Comments

With the print industry rightly demanding time off over Christmas there was an extremely early deadline for this month’s edition. It was therefore almost impossible to comment on ‘Boro’s current situation as they’ve played several matches since we went to print. Hopefully, however, we will still be within touching distance of the automatic promotion places. Instead, we have decided to appeal to you ‘Boro fans to make the kind of New Year resolutions that will hopefully benefit both the club and yourselves. Here are the five we hope you take up!

1. Go to More Matches and rejoin the ‘Red Army.’ This is obviously aimed at the fans that would rather spend their Saturday afternoons enjoying a few pints in almost any Middlesbrough pub while watching the match on Norwegian channels. We know finances are tight and we know that sometimes the entertainment level dips a bit but if you are a true ‘Boro fan the only way to fight your corner against the rest of the world is to be able to say ‘I was there.’ It really counts! Football is much better viewed in a big crowd and only you can affect that at the Riverside.

2. Stop Blaming Referees. 2011 was a year dominated by controversial refereeing decisions, but the fact is referees are not biased. There is no conspiracy. There is no cheating. They are simply men doing a very tough job. It’s all very well for three men sitting in a television studio to replay an incident five times, with different camera angles, and for everyone at home to see this. But a referee doesn’t have that luxury. They have to make on-the-spot decisions using only their eyes, and those of their assistants. If and when FIFA allow technology to be used to assist officials, then you can criticize a referee for getting a decision wrong because he’ll have ignored the tools at his disposal. But until that happens a referee wrongly awarding a decision is no different from a player missing a penalty. They aren’t cheats, they just made a mistake.

3. Join a Fantasty Football League and see how difficult the job really is! Computer games are now socially acceptable and give fans the opportunity to see how easy – or difficult – it is to run a successful football team. Let’s be honest, you have the entire Premiership at your disposal and the great thing is that – unlike real football situations – everyone has exactly the same amount of money to spend. If you fail you only have yourself to blame. That means you are your only critic. Try the same scenario with millions watching and then understand what Tony Mowbray lives with twenty four seven. Not easy, is it?

4. Stop Caring about Footballers’ Private Lives. Who cares that high earning footballers manage to attract exceptionally good looking women just because they have loads of money? What most of those women are doing is still classed as the oldest profession. Are you listening Abbey Clancey?

5. Stop believing you “Could do Better Than That” One of the most irritating comments you overhear at a football match is the fat guy with his overstretched football shirt claiming that he ‘could have scored this one or saved that one.’ No, he couldn’t. He would have been lucky to get within twenty yards of it! If you’re a football fan it probably means you’ve played the game at some level yourself and if you look back on those freezing cold, wind battered, rain sodden Sunday mornings when all you wanted was to hear the final whistle and get to the pub you must surely realize the hard work, dedication and natural skill that sets the professional aside. So no, fat boy, there is no way in the world you would have saved ‘that one’ and even less chance you would have scored ‘that one.’ So do us all a favour and resolve that in 2012 you’ll keep your big mouth shut unless it’s to actually cheer on your team. It’s the only worthwhile contribution you can make and will be appreciated far more than your ridiculous rants.