WHAT A PLONKER

Published in the Southern League South and West game v AFC Hayes 4th November 2008. We lost 3-2 in front of 208 people and are now two
points off the relegation spot.


Mobiles, email, internet forums, off-your-facebook, MySpace, YouDrivel
– so many avenues of communication where you can have your say. But
there seems to be a serious design fault with all of these. The
failure of the computer geeks to put in a plonker button that disables
threads and stops the idiots that plague website forums across the
world in their tracks. Or what about a devise that acts as a
breathalyser where it can smell if you have had too much to drink, and
stop your post until the morning when you can reconsider it in the
cold, sober light of day.
For those of you who never browse the Slough Town web boards, these
past few weeks have been very busy indeed. Despite a club that’s been
rejuvenated from basket-case to one with a fighting future, there’s no
pleasing some people. And that’s ok, within reason. I’m all for free
speech, but some people don’t seem to have the clubs best interests at
heart. They say – I pay me money, I have a right to say as I please,
even if that right damages the club.
I remember ex manager Eddie Denton moaning about our forum; just how
was he meant to convince players to sign for us when their first port
of call for checking their potential new club will be its forum. The
abuse, the squabbling, and the attack on players – no thanks, I’ll go
elsewhere.
Former Oxford United Manager Jim Smith went on the warpath, blaming
football forums for making everyone a manager and then there’s the
radio phone-in where anyone with a big gob and little understanding of
football can mouth off.
Don’t get me wrong; giving supporters a voice is a good thing. I was
involved in one of the Slough Town fanzines ‘Rebels Without A Clue’
which was part of the wave of independent football fanzines that
started demanding a right to be heard and has culminated in the
Supporters' Trust movement and fans run clubs.
But some of the stuff I read on our forum is just childish,
destructive dross. If you’ve got a beef about something or a question,
why not speak to officials, the players and managers in the bar after
the game? Is that so difficult? I also think people forget that we are
playing eight levels below the bloody Premiership, with part time
management and players who have a life, family and jobs outside Slough
Town. That’s not to say that we shouldn’t aim to be professional, but
let’s not demand the impossible.
It’s worth remembering that people have off days at work – and that
includes players. Would you like to have your bad day at work
criticised and splashed across a forum the next day?
For the 33 per cent of the population who have never used a computer,
this article will seem irrelevant. But for everyone, computer literate
or not, if you think something needs sorting at the club, get involved
to make it happen. Mouthing off and ranting crap on a computer might
make you feel great, but take a look in the mirror and make sure you
don’t have the words plonker staring back at you.