7. Football Fans Sing Silly Things
No amount of moralising, or very public protests will change the fact that there is an element of football supporters who are inclined to be idiots. Two weeks ago a coach-load of Manchester United fans allegedly wrecked a Toby Carvery ahead of their game at St. James Park, a couple of weeks before that a Newcastle coach was attacked by Everton fans on the way out of the game, and yesterday, Sunderland and Newcastle fans traded songs about their players. Distasteful and shameless though some might call them, they will continue to rear their heads at top level football games as long as they are tolerated by stewards, and given how ineffectual the stewards at Premier League games tend to be, when it comes to their own fans (see the TWO streakers in Newcastle's home Europa League matches) that will likely be a long time. What doesn't help the situation is the reaction of the media, who are simultaneously appalled and intrigued by every song that picks on a player - whether that is singing about criminal allegations concerning Titus Bramble, or openly wishing Steven Taylor harm - as if it was the first time it had ever happened. Sensationalist media is one thing, but intentionally ignorant media for the sake of effect is another entirely. Football fans will sing daft songs as long as newspapers and websites publish stories like Steven Taylor's stamp-rant: and as unfortunate as it is to see such material aired at a packed stadium, the reactions of the players can say a lot - and Taylor was clearly thriving on the idiots singing to him. When it comes to any prejudiced abuse, there is no place for it - but goading players in an attempt to put them off their game shouldn't be stamped out. And more importantly, it simply wouldn't be manageable anyway.