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Norwood: The Issue Comes When People Start Talking About Personal Lives
Friday, 7th May 2021 17:08

Town striker James Norwood has been speaking about the fractious side of social media as a professional footballer.

Norwood has been a lively presence on Twitter and Instagram since he joined the Blues in the summer of 2019 and at his previous club Tranmere, most of it good-natured banter.

However, matters haven’t always been quite so convivial. Last week Norwood tweeted a photo of himself and group of team-mates when out for a meal in London and was vilified in some quarters as a result, while many other fans leapt to his defence. Players individually have come in for personal stick, Norwood among them.

The 30-year-old reflected on the way social media has become fractious during what’s been a frustrating season for all concerned at Town.

“It has done,” he said. “I think people are quick to judge. They see one per cent of someone’s life and then seem to know [them] better than the person or people that are close to that person.

“When things aren’t going well, people are the first to start rumours, they say this, they say that like it’s factually correct and they seem to know your life better than you.

“And then when things are good then they tweet you a week later saying how good you are.

“It’s a difficult place social media, I think you have to be very thick-skinned to be active on it. You guys [the media] will know yourselves when you tweet about the club and things like that, people disagree, people agree and it tends to be that however many agree, the two or three people that disagree are the problem. It’s a very fractious place.

“I like to be active on social media, I will show a little bit of my life, not all of it and people can judge me from that.

“But who would have thought I’d have captained the last two games, judging by my social media? People say this, this, this and this but they don’t see me day-to-day, they don’t see me when I get home.

“Personally I’m called fat, unfit, lazy, unprofessional and it just so happens I live with the top goalscorer in England [Cambridge United’s Paul Mullin] and he hasn’t had an injury and eats the same food as me for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

“You weigh it up both ends. It’s a fun place to be but I think you need to be thick-skinned.”

Are fans overcritical of players on social media? “People are entitled to their opinion, first and foremost. You can say what you want about the players when it comes to football, whether you know about football or not.

“I think the issue comes when people start talking about personal lives. I remember people were accusing Judgey [Alan Judge] of being a horrible person. He’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.

“I think it needs to stop with personal issues and what have you, but people are entitled to their opinions about footballers. Fifty per cent of people will think we’re really good and 50 per cent will think we’re really bad and that’s part and parcel of the game.

“When you start getting personal with people that you don’t know personally, that’s when the problems exist.

“For me, it’s fair game. If people want to hammer you, I think people are fair game to be hammered back. If it’s about football, I’ve got no issue.

“If people want to come after me, I’d back the players here on social media. If you think you know someone personally you don’t. We spend every day with people here and if you come for people’s character, then as far as I’m concerned whether you’re top of the league or bottom of the league, you’re fair game.”


Photo: Matchday Images



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Suffolkboy added 17:25 - May 7
Lot of good sense and very realistic perspective from JN : and we see in the press and media , and on TWTD , observations that are far from objectively based or carefully crafted looking at on field performances .
My ONLY critique of JN is around his verbal reactions which have cost Yellow cards quite needlessly ; together with a suspicion that there's a question of all round fitness ,which needs to be resolved ,for his sake and the team .
From what he's said ,however, he intends spending time with professional advisers throughout the close season hoping to be in super order for 2022/2022.
Keep on it JN !
COYB
2

runningout added 17:32 - May 7
Social media is lousiest invention made.
25

OriginalMarkyP added 17:39 - May 7
It's funny. A lot of people bang on about him. Saying he's stupid, a tool and what have you. He clearly isn't stupid. He's fairly eloquent and I would imagine smarter than half the people having a pop. He has done stupid things. But then so have we all. It doesn't make us stupid.
10

buzbyblue added 17:39 - May 7
If Nors wasn't such a big time Charlie off the pitch that might help?
-10

atty added 17:43 - May 7
Well said Nors. Score a couple tomorrow. Have a good break and hit the ground running next season.
8

OriginalMarkyP added 17:55 - May 7
Where does the idea that he thinks he's a big time charlie come from BuzbyBlue? I don't see it. I think he thinks he's funny and can be a wind-up merchant, but I don't get anything that says he's better than everyone else.
12

chappie added 18:18 - May 7
Buzbyblue, is your comment meant in humour? If so, fair play and I hope everyone reads the sarcasm

If not, you better take another read of the article, or get someone to read it for you if you're struggling with some of the words, as you've clearly missed the whole point that Nors has articulated pretty well.

4

Bazza8564 added 18:18 - May 7
Well said Nors and OriginalMarkyP, yes, no idea where the big name charlie thing comes from, ive heard this fella is a good lad and once again we see labels being thrown out willy nilly. Usually these are out of jealousy. Every article I read at the moment seems to get one massive negative comment and loads of supportive ones. Fed up of negativity for the sake of it
4

blues1 added 18:39 - May 7
And there buzbyblue is the proof that social media stinks. It's ok for fans to slag the guy off on the various platforms but bcse he dares to respond to them hes a " big time charlie". When he was injured last season and was seen in a restaurant with his family that evening, there were fans slating him for doing so. Same a few weeks a go when he and a few of the team went into london and went to a restaurant. Pathetic. They're every bit as entitled to a life of their own as anyone else. Do u stay in just bcse uve had a bad day at work ? Do ur customers attack you on social media if uve not given them good service? No, of course not. But you think it's ok to do so to footballers just bcse they play badly. Think people need to put their brain in gear before invading their private lives in such a negative way.
8

Mullet added 18:45 - May 7
Same people would kiss his ass and beg for a selfie face to face
-1

buzbyblue added 18:56 - May 7
So you lot think a player who's injured himself twice with a window and car, not to mention is up on drink driving charges has the moral high ground?????

Shame his talking is done on twitter and not on the pitch his ego is far greater than his talent, but happy clappers on here hang off every word
1

Unhinged_dynamo added 19:33 - May 7
Can he tap up Paul mullin for us?
0

PositivelyPortman added 19:56 - May 7
Give it a rest Buzby. We get it lovey - you don't like him.
I bet you were wetting yourself when we signed him weren't you?
1

Drifter3012 added 21:09 - May 7
I can see why Norwood has said some of this, but when he retires from football he can go home to Eastbourne & watch BHA or move to Manchester & watch City or United. ITFC fans are upset because this is our club and always will be and when players couldn't care less we have the right to air our views even if it means upsetting his mates.
6

BangaloreBlues added 21:15 - May 7
I don't know why they use social media. I don't and I don't need it.
There's a lot of narcissistic people out there. I'm not talking about Norwood, just generalising.
I remember watching a documentary - maybe some of you saw it - where this black / mixed race "journalist" went to Russia to film and meet Neo Nazi, racist Russians and was then racially abused. He was looking all sad on the camera, as if expecting sympathy from the audience. I am not sure why he was expecting to receive acceptance, or love and hugs from those people.
Of course, I am referring to the racist angle, which is abhorrent and needs to be stopped, but you get my point. I mean, a woman is unlikely to wear a skirt and then wander around Kabul on a Thursday evening.
It just goes with the territory - right or wrong - if you are a "famous" person and you are constantly showing the world the ins and outs of your life, some people are going to give you abuse.
I think what I am trying to say is - if you don't want your personal life criticised then don't make it public.
12

afcfee added 21:50 - May 7
Maybe you just are fat, unfit, lazy, unprofessional
-4

mojo added 21:51 - May 7
We live in an age where the world revolves around popularity and the number of likes. Clubs may require players to have online media presence, I don't know. See Jessie from Little Mix as an example and the abuse she received. Social Media has a lot to answer for as no one geneeslly ever posts anything bad or negative about their lives. You dont get a true picture of their lives so it will often lead to jealousy and footballers and other celebrities will be on the receiving end of that more than most if they are not careful with what they post.
1

JewellintheTown added 22:25 - May 7
"Live by the sword, die by the sword"

I still don't get why "celebrities" and people who chose to be in the public eye expect to be able to share their lives & thoughts on social media, but without any negative consequences.

Keep off Social media and focus on the football, Nors. Problem is, he enjoys the fame & ego boost but doesn't like the other side which inevitably will also happen.
7

BettyBlue added 06:10 - May 8
Deactivate your twitter account, get some goal posts from Argos and practice kicking the ball in the net.

Shocking penalty miss and a 90% high, wide, and over percentage for his shots at goal.

Get rid.
-3

ConeyBlue added 07:18 - May 8
Sorry Suffolkboy, I meant to mark you up not down.
Completely agree with your post.
0

stiggytrunk1955 added 09:57 - May 8
easy stay off social media if you dont like peoples comments
1

blues1 added 10:15 - May 8
Why shwould he stay off social media? Grow up people. He has as much right to go on social as anyone else. Do those people who go onto his account to slag him off have the right to do that tho? Like hell they do. End of the day, if you dont wanna see what hes put on there, dont follow him.
It's that simple. But if you do so, then u should accept it if he has a go back at you. People in glass houses as the saying goes.
-1

Linkboy13 added 11:03 - May 8
Im afraid James you bring it on yourself with your antics off the pitch. Your 30 years old time to grow up. Dispite all this we know he's got ability to score at least 20 goals a season in this league if he stays fit. Most importantly the man that rates him is Paul Cook and he will not be bothered about his personality managers dont think like that as long as they can deliver on the pitch is all that matters.
2

Marinersnose added 11:15 - May 8
Let's put some perspective on this. If Norwood was playing week in week out scoring goals then nobody would show any interest in his private life as it's nobody else's business. The problem is when a player has been in and out for two seasons with injuries and only scoring 10 goals in division one then fans start to question what is going on. Then there's the drink driving . Norwood is a professional athlete and therefore it is his responsibility to behave like one. The old phrase no smoke without fire springs to mind. Do your talking on the pitch and fans will applaud you.
1

BettyBlue added 11:45 - May 8
Another Paul Taylor.
-1


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