The Mail Bag
True Blues
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I am a daily, in fact several times a day, reader and sometimes contributor, to ToffeeWeb. The constant debate is around Moyes as Manager and Kenwright and The Board (is their a Board at Everton FC?) as Management. Without going into the details of those questions I would like to open a debate on "being an Evertonian" a "True Blue".
I have been watching Everton since 1959, I pay for 4 Season Tickets every year, my daughter and 2 grandsons, go to every match, get to the match a few hours before to talk Everton and normally after a home game stay in the pub talking until very late. The point is because I am critical, seriously critical of Moyes's tactics, selections, substitutions, and worried about the clubs overall standing and future, I am constantly called "miserable" and asked "am I a real Evertonian". What is that, I wonder?
Are the people who still tell me that Moyes is "great", someone said to me recently that he was "the greatest Everton manager", and then people say it's all Kenwright's fault. When asked by me if they want an outsider whose money is from shady earnings, I am told "yes" and that the problem is I am not a real Evertonian. I asked just this week if people would applaud a dog playing with a Blue Shirt on, believe it or not some said "anything in a Blue shirt" should be applauded.
Does undying support or, better still, uncritical support. lead to acceptance of anything, to total mediocrity, to oblivion? Or maybe my criticisms in the pub, among friends and on ToffeeWeb are irrelevant, a waste of breath and not going to change anything...
So maybe it's time for me to be a real Evertonian and applaud rubbish football, bad Board decisions, total bad management from top to bottom of the club I love and just clap the "dog".
When I criticised the performance on Saturday, against the team at the bottom of the league, not booing or calling players during the game, but just questioned the performance, I was told "well just stop going". Is that the answer then?
George Mc Kane, Posted 25/01/2011 at 08:32:12
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The fact is, I rarely get to the ground - perhaps two or three times a year - but I am as passionate a Blue as the next person, whatever their view and however frequently or infrequently they visit the ground. I spend several hundred pounds on merchandise alone every year, even if it is mainly out of guilt that I can't get to the games.
In my opinion, the simple question is do you spend money to the benefit of EFC? Whether that is in the club shop, online on merchandise, on channel subscriptions just so you can see your team or on attending matches is irrelevant. All of those put money in our club's account ? however poorly they are managed. That (IMHO) defines a 'supporter' and as such affords you the right to a vocal opinion. I applaud you for your generous support of our club and hope you don't let people's vociferous moral support encourage you to curtail your vital financial support, as many are (almost understandably) doing of late.
I want to cry sometimes..... I really do:
Here's a current status from a Blue on Facebook..... no names:
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Wot is wrong wiv ppl, ther blaming kenwright for not havin money 2 spend, wiv out him we would hav bn relegated by now, or evn worse administration, he n moyes as kept the club afloat, wiv out heavy spending n breakin the wage structure, yeah ther might not b money 4 big transfers, but when ever moyes wants 2 buy ken as always bcked him,... he's lookin 4 investors BUT THE RIGHT 1'S
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I'm on the verge of quitting and just shutting my gob as this is by no means an isolated case. Utter waste of time.
Some people are poorly informed though, and to overhear their rants can get on peoples nerves a bit.
Especially the off the field stuff. Just try and enjoy the football and the social side of going the match.
Saw some comments on here along the lines of 'why won't BK just sell the club already?'. Do some people believe that potential investors are queueing round the corner to throw cash at Everton?
As for Kirkby, regardless of opinions on the quality of the project, I think we can all agree that the stadium issue is intertwined with the investment issue. At least BK proposed and spearheaded something.
A legitimate issue to have a go at BK about is the Fortress Sports Fund, or more specifically its failure to materialise after BK wrestled control of the club. But people don't care about the truth do they? They just watch the games on the net, read F365 and complain.
It's always been the same, following football clubs borders on being a faith ? you have extremists, fundamentalists, middle of the road people. The trick is keeping your head down when you meet the nutters.
I remember as a young fella in the 70s talking to a fellow blue on an away train to Arsenal about a recent derby defeat. I didn't know him from Adam but according to him reffing decisions and spurious offsides had stopped us winning 5-3.
The way he was banging the table and frothing at the mouth meant I was in total agreement rather than dare say we were shit.
Let's be honest, we come together from all backgrounds once a week to adore 11 young men running around in shorts... it's bound to be a bit strange!
There are some people on here who seem to have an anti-TW agenda and want us all to be in the same mould as them - i.e. 1mm thick cardboard cut-outs with little to say (beyond COYB and IMWT). (Does COYB after your post make them somehow a Truer Blue? I don't think so.)
True Blues want the best for our club and that means the fans getting behind the club (as you clearly do with financial outlay) and caring about the fate of the club but not blindly accepting the mediocrity on offer. By criticically analysing, surely this raises standards?
Everton has always embraced a wide following and long may it continue with its diverse views.
(I do, however, agree with some of the posters about knee-jerk reactionary views which do come across as a bit mindless at times, mainly because they offer no credible alternative. However, TW is no more guilty of that than other sites.).
I am sure most fans would not walk five paces before venting their anger on whoever they feel is responsible, manager or chairman.
I too have been watching the blues along time, infact since the early 1950's and in those days you just took it out on the cat.
I don't go back as long as you do, but I was at Wembley for the 1966 Cup Final, so you can see I also have some mileage!;-)
All the best.
If you love the club and want what you feel is the best for it, then you are a true blue.
Everyone will have different opinions about what is best.
The issue some have on here or at the ground/pub is that somepeople want to shout and swear at you telling you are wrong and are so ingrained in their own "opinion" that no matter what evidence is put forward, they will not change their view.
We are all Blues and we all want to see the club successful again. Telling you to stop going is just a kop-out remark because he couldn't really argue, as we were dire on Saturday.
Don't worry about having to "Applaud a Dog in a Blue shirt "... Kenwright couldn't even afford a mangey mongrel on loan!
Of course, if we love the club we are True Blues. Good point from Dick and a few others. I make a joke about The Horrible Reds being Satanists so I understand the Catholic guilt joke.
Looking forward to Saturday, should be an interesting day. Last time we played them in the Cup was at Wembley, let's see if we learnt any lessons from that game.
Moore argued that by highlighting the wrongs being carried out by your country in the hope of things changing for the better WAS actually being patriotic and proved that you did truly love your country.
The same applies to fans such as yourself that can see what is obviously wrong at our club. So i think rather than stay away and diminish into silence, we should become more strident in our approach with the hope of changing things for the better.
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1 Posted 25/01/2011 at 15:13:57
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