Whilst abroad this weekend I was checking TWTD and the BBC for the build up and coverage of the Hull game only to find there wasn't a lot of football being talked about. With a wry smile I read this statement from Liz Edwards and her club, the subsequent reactions to it all and just shook my head.

I find it hard to think of reasons why after some thought anyone would pay much credence to what is essentially Liz, like other Edwardses before her, stating the blindingly obvious (we don't racists or homophobes pushing their beliefs anywhere near us) backed up and almost buried by an avalanche of innuendo and vague threats, strung together by various digs at those she looks down upon across the spectrum of Town fans not just those who are clearly... well, scum.

No one can deny or argue in defence of the chant aimed at Mr Fashanu or what I understand as widespread booing at Colchester (I wasn't there, feel free to correct me), it's simply impossible to see how it is acceptable in any way.

However, Liz seems to have taken it upon herself to settle a few scores with “so-called fans” and those who do “[discriminate] between the glitz of the Emirates and the more historic 'charms' of Selhurst Park”.

She has used one controversial and emotionally-charged issue to push her agenda through. By putting her name at the head of it, this statement has also put a target on Liz's back I fear and made her and her club the subject of scrutiny for some.

The club itself are in a bind here as are most of fans it seems. By ignoring Liz and those she is railing against you condone the repugnant behaviour in question. Liz has had a good go at driving a massive divide between people, polarising an issue using a few selected events and demanded people choose. There are those clearly offended at the suggestion of guilt by association and those who quick to distance themselves from such slurs will jump right behind Liz without thinking.

This swells her ranks temporarily but as someone who has been involved with the club in the past, I found the official Supporters' Club a cliquey closed shop, where new blood and ideas are not welcome if they upset the status quo.

Many people who wish to ask too probing a question or suggest something that may imply existing failure on the club's part can be found drowned out by the sneering and clucking of the same few year after year at meetings. It's quite an interesting spectacle if like me you like to listen and watch as people bob heads and pat backs.

If one can find minutes of meetings, references to elections and attendees you will see the Supporters' Club has been stifled into a dying husk. Only its name lends it any credibility and I would suggest that has been cynically and wilfully exploited here merely to little real effect.

However, Liz like many other of the recent factions that have sprung up is at pains to ram home the time, money and sacrifice she makes to follow Town. To infer the honour and authority it bestows upon her and adds to her words.

Sorry Liz, I don't buy it. Forgive me for indulging you and being competitive for one moment, however, I'm the son of a chairman of one of Town's oldest and in my opinion best-supported branches. The job of any branch is to facilitate tickets and transport to games, maybe the odd the fundraiser and social event for its members and to do the thankless task quietly and efficiently.

I know all too well what happens to branches when the committee starts throwing its weight around publicly, it's why there aren't as many of them as their used to be.

In fact more generally I feel there's something slightly abnormal about going to every single game year after year unless it's your job. You're not some unappreciated scholar of ITFC if it's all you have in your life and it does not buy you the right to speak on my behalf. Whether from Haverhill, the Supporters' Club, Section Six, the Radio Suffolk phone-in or the ironically named 'Trust', wherever these people emerge from they all spent great efforts trying to convince us and themselves they were better, more worthy and more righteous to be mouthpieces than others. That seems to be where this statement of Liz's really rubs.

As she says rather patronisingly “if you go to away games...you will know” who these “anti-social fans” are. Well I do go to a lot of away games living in Manchester and I have to say that no I don't know who these “anti-social fans” are because the chant and behaviour in question seems to be sporadic, unpredictable and hard to confine to one group.

What there is is another group made up of a rival gaggle of fans who go to every if not almost all games who are young, slightly cretinous and a bit silly. Seems to me this is really who these attacks are aimed at.

After Leicester away at the end of the season we saw some rather embarrassing but harmless 'fun'. It's not my type of fun but I'm miserable and like to watch a game in peace, alone and alienated with the odd burst of swearing. But that's really the point in hand. If you go to a football match your behaviour there is your own responsibility and everything you do that draws attention to yourself will see you judged upon it. I don't expect my friends, family or anyone else to be ashamed, outraged or apologetic on my behalf, nor should anyone else.

In fact when an old man asked me to stop swearing in Churchmans at the last derby my lot were equally unimpressed despite my red-faced (it wasn't just the alcohol for the record) apologies – respect works two ways.

It's clear that collectively these kids (as they largely are, legally speaking and mentally) have more E-numbers than brain cells between them but that does not mean people should allow Liz's vendetta to see us turning on them or any other group 'we' don't like within the support. Town is a broad church and if you make it to a game whether once a season or more you're fine by me.

I would like to know though if Liz and the club are fully aware and watching as she sort of menacingly points out, why those guilty and known to be guilty weren't named and shamed explicitly in her diatribe? One has to ask why they are singing such a song when none of them were born when Mr Fashanu took his life, let alone did that rarest of things – be bloody good at football in a Norwich shirt. Who is influencing them to behave this way if at all?

Clearly those who would approve of such songs back when they were current would be around Liz's age or older, likely to be men and likely to resent the last generation of football changing irrevocably. These dinosaurs were the around the age the youngsters in question were when such things were permissible at grounds across the country. While Sky, consumerism and the democratisation of the watching football has seen them squeezed out, I'm not naive enough to suggest they are extinct amongst our fanbase.

Realistically there are three mechanisms for dealing with scum who chant filth and intimidate at games whoever they may be – you speak to them directly, not something anyone can do I grant you but it's possible.

You involve the club through their frontline as it were; stewards. It's their job, they can't ignore it and will have to investigate it even if you just have a quiet word in their ear. Lastly, the police who are present at matchdays will gleefully despatch a criminal caught in the act and that's what the people chanting these things are, criminals.

I, like anyone else vaguely normal, will agree wholeheartedly that I don't want racists, bigots or idiots anywhere near me at games. Unfortunately being an idiot is not illegal, so until they cross over into one of the former it's tough.

What I've seen is two very childish groups get entangled after a period of growing resentment, at least from one side it seems. I'd ask them both to think about why they go to football, why other people go and perhaps wind their necks in a little. I'm not interested in listening to anyone bicker, especially if they are arrogant enough to assume some kind of voice on my behalf.

atty added 17:29 - Aug 18 I have been away so a late entry for which apologies. I agree - a good blog. the only comment I have is that I think Ms.Edwards is getting abit above herself if she believes that she has any authority whatsoever to demand that we make a choice.
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