I'm about to make myself unpopular. Personally I find all the talk about ‘rights’ is symptomatic of something in modern society that I find distasteful. People who have a ‘right’ to talk about their ‘rights’ are mostly only those who genuinely have (or had) to fight for them.

In the meantime, the rest of us, privileged, mollycoddled 21st Century westerners could learn a little respect. Fans don't have ‘rights’. I'm often disgusted by the lack of humanity registered on here and throughout football in the name of ‘we pay your wages’ or some other misplaced feeling of entitlement.

I love Ipswich Town and often look at games or systems or players and say what I think would improve us, or who I rate highly, or less so. I do it without questioning application (you need to be able to apply yourself to be a professional footballer at all, make no mistake about that), or commitment or belief.

If I thought the players or staff didn't care I'd do what I wish a lot of Ipswich ‘fans’ would do, and not follow, comment or pay money towards my club. My time is too valuable to me. Go find a local semi-pro team and give them your hard-earned instead - especially if you hark back to days of yore, when footy wasn't televised or global or rich. When players drank in the local boozer and knew your name. That football still exists; fill your boots, non-league teams the country over would welcome the extra support.

If that led to Ipswich Town FC being left with just a few thousand hardcore fans and a dive towards the lower reaches of the league system then so be it - a natural equilibrium may be restored.

I play in the league Ipswich started in (the SAL), and while it's not a great standard, players throughout the league pay money and give their time to something they love. The league has survived so long because players don't feel an entitlement like many modern fans.

We get the chance to feel like footballers and to fight for a team and that is why we play - most of us, deep down, are still just kids who want a game of football every week. Thank goodness we don't have to deal with ‘fans’, none of us would bother.

I'd be happy if people would just have the good manners to express themselves with some civility, and stop shouting about what ‘rights’ people do and don't have. It is tiresome.

As regards our on-field position, I'm glad we're playing some decent football - I hope the results will follow. If not, I'm sure the owner will look into making changes again as he has in the past. I'll still be coming off the pitch, knackered, just before 5pm on a Saturday and reaching for my phone to check the Ipswich score, and it'll hurt when we lose and I'll love it when we win.

COYB

naa added 13:56 - Sep 21 I tend to agree that this is a modern problem, people spouting about rights. I heard a summation which was everyone knows their rights but not their responsibilities. I'm not sure that translates to football fans as such though. Most on here just like a good moan, they're never satisfied and are sure they can do better, but I think that's football fans all over (and for all time) and isn't really so bad - even if some do get overly offensive or personal with it. The internet has made it easier for fans to spout their opinions to a wider audience, but it's just the opinion they'd have spouted down the pub and annoyed their friends with. I do agree though that any fans who are deluded enough to think that we deserve a voice because we 'pay their wages' (which, I actually suspect quite a few on here don't) should keep quiet. After all, if the club listened to us it'd be in an even worse state!

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BillBlue added 13:59 - Sep 21 Yep, you are right - spot on. COYB
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Pessimistic added 13:59 - Sep 21 ITCOYB I could not agree more! You have articulated wonderfully well everything I too believe in and I think you speak for all of us none-fairweather blues, in your claim that the fickle nauure of modern day society is partly responsible for our woes. There once was a time when Portman Road would get behind the team en masse but sadly the first sign of torulbe these days brings with it disgruntled fans. I won't call them supporters because a true supporter would not boo his own team. the reason Portman Road is no longer a fortress is exactly because of this unsavoury minority that tarnishes the good name of this wonderful FAMILY club.

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linhdi added 14:07 - Sep 21 Excellent blog in every respect. What a big difference "support" might make...
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DurhamTownFan added 14:39 - Sep 21 I, for one, disagree. If the fans don't stick up for what they believe in, then who will? If we don't try to highlight some of the problems that we see happening with out club, who else is going to? We are the ones who'll still be attending games and forking it out when Chopra, JET, Jewell, and Clegg are long gone. It is only right that we should be able to have our say. This is why this very website exists. It is only natural that many comments appear to be complaints, because you're only likely to be moved to write something when you feel strongly. Judging by the nature of the blogs submitted in the last few days, a lot of fans feel very strongly about the direction in which the club is heading these days. Chopra et al. can say what they like about the fans' opinions. But Chopra should remember that most of us were paying to support Ipswich before he came here, and will still do the same when he is a washed-up retired man wishing that he'd have done things differently as a player. I do apologise for the forceful nature of this comment, but like I said: if we don't raise our voices now, then who will?!

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naa added 14:55 - Sep 21 DurhanTownFan: I don't disagree with your statement as such - I agree that people are moved to comment when they feel strongly, hence the amount of moaning and I agree that fans will outlive anything else at the club - but what do you mean by 'speaking up'? Moaning on a website (which is what this pretty much amounts to, however well written and argued some of it may be) isn't going to change anything at all. Marcus Evans isn't going to leave because people on TWTD moan about him, nor is Simon Clegg nor Jewell nor any players. So what does it achieve? As I said, it's just venting by fans, the same as it always has been. It's mostly harmless and can be good banter but it isn't going to change anything. And you say if we don't raise our voices now who will? Raise our voices about what? Things aren't going well at the club, but we're not in financial trouble (some worries about ME aside), we have a decent matchday squad (on paper, and a rather thin squad beyond that I'll admit) and a manager with proven skills. So whilst a change of playing staff or manager may help, it also may not (as has been the case the last two times that was tried). So what exactly is this crisis that we need to speak up about?

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vanmunt added 15:47 - Sep 21 You sir are a hypocrite..
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naa added 15:59 - Sep 21 vanmunt: who are you replying to? The blog or one of the commentators?
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Vic added 16:04 - Sep 21 Hear Hear! Well said. I have no problem with people voicing their opinions and having a moan, like you have done here, but to start bleating about 'rights' with regard to football is just sad!
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DurhamTownFan added 16:29 - Sep 21 naa: I agree that most of this is jsut moaning and venting feelings (my own posts included)! However, discussing our ideas on this website is a good way for people to discuss the issues that concern us. I learn new information from other peoples' posts and from Phil's articles, and this informs my views going forwards. So 'speaking up' on here is a way to air views and judge wider opinions. So, if lots of people complain that they don't feel any engagement with the board or they feel like they are losing sight of our identity, then we learn that this is a reasonably important issue. Same way that if lots of people say they love PJ and they're happy with how things are going, then you learn that too. Now do you get what I meant?

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naa added 16:34 - Sep 21 Durham: yes thanks I do now. I agree with you, though I hope you will accept that it's just useful for us as fans, it won't make any difference. If you want to do something that might go at least some way towards making a difference you would need to join the supporters trust. It also doesn't go against the blog, he was railing against fans who claim they have rights because they pay their tickets. We are well placed to criticise because we watch the games and read about the club's running, but I don't think we have any rights. The one right we do have is to not pay our money if we choose not to, but that's it.

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DurhamTownFan added 16:40 - Sep 21 True, I don't think we do have any rights! The only thing to do is vote with our feet, but nobody can expect devoted fans to stay away from games. Matches are what its all about!
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DurhamTownFan added 16:40 - Sep 21 True, I don't think we do have any rights! The only thing to do is vote with our feet, but nobody can expect devoted fans to stay away from games. Matches are what its all about!
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ITFCOYB added 16:42 - Sep 21 Surprisingly positive comments and good continued debate! For clarity, i'm certainly not saying for a moment that we shouldn't feel that this is the right place to have a moan- in fact, it's the perfect place for it. And after we lose it is great to see the passion and disappointment come through the posts, then dissipate a bit as the renewed hope of a potential victory in the next game grows in all of us. I guess what i find distasteful is the lack of respect and piousness in tone of some of the posts. And the in-fighting. There's loads of room for opinion. But phrases like "have the right" or "play for the shirt" or "commitment to the club" or "season ticket holders vs. armchair fans" etc. It all falls under this horrible overtone of foot stomping entitlement of a spoilt society. I'm not sure if i am explaining better or just repeating the point.

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tractorboybig added 17:38 - Sep 21 Surely a difference of opinion by supporters is a healthy situation to be in. Supporters have no rights regarding the club, but should that stop debate? Marcus Evans and he alone pays the piper and therefore chooses the tune. How ever it is not easy to walk away and support another club when you have been alife long supporter. It hurts even more when you have seen the great times, ( I am 60.) I quite understand that anything I post on TWTD makes not the slightest difference to what will happen at this club. BUT Surely its my RIGHT to express a free opinion. The tastelessness of some comments just show an intelectual short coming of some supporters and should be pitied.

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warwickblue added 17:49 - Sep 21 Oh dear, oh dear! Let's get three fundamental "rights" firmly established.One: Marcus Evans, as a successful businessman, has a right to maximise the return on his investment in the club, regardless. Two, professional footballers have a right to maximise earnings during their career. Three, we have a right to either go to Portman Road on a Saturday (which I have since 1967) or to stay at home and cut the lawn. Everything else is fun; but entirely inconsequential.

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BuckieBlue added 18:00 - Sep 21 Good blog. I agree society is bedevilled by folk wanting their 'rights' without a similar focus on reponsibility. Re. this site,though, I'd say we are all exercising our right to freedom of speech (which is surely a valid 'right' to be valued?), although some do use that as an opportunity to get personal and abusive. Re. players' effort, didn't one of our permanent squad (can't recall who) say at end of last season that the loanees didn't 'pull their weight' as much as the rest?

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Elkcib added 19:17 - Sep 21 The only 'right' that jumps into my mind is the incorrect 'right' many fans think we deserve to be premier league, to be top 6, to sign the best players, so when we fail on those 3 accounts they then have a 'right' to complain......quite simply they are WRONG!
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RegencyBlue added 19:25 - Sep 21 You appear to be saying that fans should have no opinions at all if these are different to the clubs hierarchy. Well I was a fan before Evans took over my Club, hoping to make a fast buck, and I will be there long after he has gone. As such I feel it is my right to state my opinion which is that I would like to take Evans Clegg and Jewell to the middle of the Atlantic and throw them overboard! If that shows a lack of respect, so be it!!

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50yearsablue added 20:40 - Sep 21 At last a debate where opinions have been given eloquently and without rancour - and then RegencyBlue came along! Unfortunately that displays the intellectual level of so many posters who deserve nothing better than they are getting at the moment
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RegencyBlue added 21:17 - Sep 21 50yearsablue If you are happy with the way the club has been and is being run by the current regime on and off the pitch then its your right to say so. I disagree with you but would not comment on your intellectual level, which I have no way of knowing! I'm not happy with what is going on at PR and its my right to say that as well.
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50yearsablue added 21:46 - Sep 21 ...."take Evans Clegg and Jewell to the middle of the Atlantic and throw them overboard!" Need I say more?
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Kropotkin123 added 22:40 - Sep 21 rights or no rights, I find it annoying that people boo the players they are suppose to support, get on their backs, use the match day as an excuse to moan (when the real reason they moan are grievances in their own life). It's not to say you can't criticise, just make it constructive, if you don't you are just being self-defeating by adding to our (the clubs) problems I really like the blog... how some are reading it simply as a blanket attack on opposing opinions is beyond me... it is clear you are targeting 'rights' and more generally the way people go about their complaints

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DinnernotTea added 23:55 - Sep 21 With all due respect once you start booking holiday off work to watch Ipswich, spending £1,000+ every year and travel hundreds of miles then you'll know what its like to see pros earn thousands yet lack the balls to win every other week. If the extent of your support is checking your phone for 20 seconds for the score then no wonder you arent hurting when millionaires trap off about "stupid" comments.

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gt81 added 19:36 - Sep 22 Long time site reader first time poster.. I've just finished reading 'Theatre of Silence: The Lost Soul of Football' by Matthew Bazell, an excellent read if you feel disillusioned with the modern game in general, but can't quite pinpoint why. One of the issues he highlights is precisely the lack of rights of supporters and their treatment as passive consumers and cash cows rather than important part of a club's composition that English football has become such an exploitative, overpriced, soulless corporate affair. Apparently German clubs have to be 51% owned by members and supporters to ensure that the fans have overall control, to give them a say in how clubs are run and to stop clubs being threatened by corporate greed and irresponsibility. It isn't perfect and it's under threat from big business but at least for now it's a much more democratic state of affairs than what we have in this country.

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