The Arbroath Thread

[DUAFC]

3 hours ago, glasgowlichtie22 said:

https://www.arbroathfc.co.uk/club-statement/

"Using foul and abusive language towards players"

"Behaving in a manner that is totally unacceptable "

"Behaviour that causes concern and anxiety amongst Arbroath Football Club supporters "

The club says it will not tolerate such abusive behaviour and take positive action to address it. 

Thought I was reading a statement from the club to address Cambell's meltdown when he was screaming in Bobby Linn's face, but no.

Some consistency would be good. 

[glasgowlichtie22]

I was at Thistle on Saturday and I heard 1 or 2 shouts of “Campbell, get to f**k” by literally 1 fan, once before the game and once when Fosu was brought on at striker. I was also hearing about 2 of our lads arguing near full time?

[Cosmic Joe]

21 hours ago, glasgowlichtie22 said:

 

 

Any chance of a P45 as a birthday present from the board?

 

"Happy Birthday Gentleman" 

 

They were doing so well 

[Dunning1874]

Coming from a club that have had a lot of praise over the last few years for how they've improved things off the park, got fans onside and grown the core support, that statement is horrendously misjudged.

If that increased support was to begin disappearing on the back of poor performances, then that could be put down to the fickle nature of football fans. If it begins to disappear on the back of a statement like that, then it could only be put down to a board willing to torch their relationship with their fanbase in order to protect their relationship with a manager who is hurtling towards relegation. If there was an outpouring of targeted personal abuse directly at Campbell that'd be different, but that is a laughable overreaction to a few shouts for a manager to be sacked.

They're serving you up shite, then when anyone has the temerity to question if you can have something better they're spitting in all your faces as a punishment for your cheek.

[oneteaminglasgow]

I was in the Thistle end, and have literally no idea what you’re supposed to have done to merit that statement. Unless your board regard singing about Bobby Linn as totally unacceptable.

There was far, far more abuse towards the board coming from our end. 

[DUAFC]

It's an ill-judged warning shot across the bows. 

[stan3600]

This is very weird. Did anyone see this or anything like it?
“This conduct can be summarised as using foul and abusive language towards Players and Management of both teams as well as aggressive conduct towards both Arbroath FC and Partick Thistle FC supporters.

This behaviour caused concern and anxiety amongst other Arbroath FC Supporters who loyally attend all Home and Away Matches and who properly vocally support the Players and Management Team”

[madton]

Is David MacKinnon your new CEO?

That's a shocking statement.

Think your board are forgetting just how much your fan base got behind your club last season and into this season. Christ, you've sold more season tickets than many full time clubs in this division, including us. 

Not defending any personal abuse fans have shouted but it sounds like standard stuff any club in a relegation battle shout and its absolutely fair game.

 

[timlichtie]

I was at Partick and the atmosphere was unpleasant to put it mildly.
There’s a simple way out of this. Rather than engaging in a long range artillery battle, the Club and fans need to clear the air.
What’s happening to the regular question and answer sessions with Dick or Ian?

[mo83]

Here was me thinking Arbroath was a nice community club

[1320Lichtie]

54 minutes ago, mo83 said:

Here was me thinking Arbroath was a nice community club

Let’s be honest Arbroath and Montrose and whoever are great community clubs and they do a lot in the community especially for children, some of the stuff we do is fantastic. Just the other day I went into the Gayfield office (3 full time staff Monday to Friday who were very helpful and the office and new building very impressive inside for what it’s worth) and my old school teacher was down there trying to encourage me to go in and get a bowl of soup in our hospitality lounge, there was a community lunch on for anyone who wanted a free lunch, wee things like that are simply brilliant. We do a million good things through the community trust. 
 

However…. At the end of the day we are football clubs, football clubs who are mainly backed and followed by adult men and teenage boys, adult men and teenage boys who after a drink can be very rowdy. This is not exclusive to Arbroath or Montrose or any team this is football all over the world in general.
 

I get there are loads of kids there now, there’s a ridiculous amount coming along compared to when I was younger but when I was younger I absolutely loved it and it didn’t bother me in the slightest. Everyone’s been a bairn at some point, the bairns will love all the shouting and swearing etc let’s not kid ourselves on. I grew up on South Park etc and the kids nowadays will have access to stuff a whole lot worse with the way technology is just now.
 

I’m 30 year old now and don’t get overly invested in games anymore, I find myself just getting extremely frustrated more than anything else. Also never ever have been someone to get on my own players backs but it happens everywhere at every club. 
 

I understand there will be some older fans and people who maybe do not appreciate the shite that happens at football but it’ll never change and it’ll happen regardless of whether they’re watching Arbroath or Montrose or Scotland or Manchester United. So if they are getting anxiety by going to matches I suggest they just maybe start watching another sport to be honest
 

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by 1320Lichtie

[1320Lichtie]

And let’s be honest the thing that’s giving most of us anxiety is watching Dick Campbell play 1 goalkeeper, 4 defenders and 6 central midfield players 

[lichtiekev]

5 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

And let’s be honest the thing that’s giving most of us anxiety is watching Dick Campbell play 1 goalkeeper, 4 defenders and 6 central midfield players 

And not Bobby Linn 

[1320Lichtie]

2 hours ago, timlichtie said:

I was at Partick and the atmosphere was unpleasant to put it mildly.
There’s a simple way out of this. Rather than engaging in a long range artillery battle, the Club and fans need to clear the air.
What’s happening to the regular question and answer sessions with Dick or Ian?

Actually don’t think these would be productive at all, there’s simply no reasonable way of explaining some of the decisions being made 
 

He could talk to me all day and try and convince me that what he’s doing in regards to say the Bobby Linn situation (there are many similar situations where I could simply not be convinced otherwise too by the way) or whatever is correct and I simply would not have it regardless of his qualifications or how well he’s done here. 
 

The one thing Dick can do is to simply accept these criticisms, you have to accept them if you’re not getting results (and playing as poorly as we have been playing for such a long period of time) it’s part of the job.

Being stubborn and dismissive to the people who put a lot of money into the club is simply not on. The only way to shut people up is by what’s happening on the park and as I said before there’s not any real expectation on him or the team they’ve got a shit load of credit in the bank.
 

The safest job in Scottish football, all any of us want to see is something that resembles a football team and after how much has been invested into the club and his budget that’s not a lot to ask for

[Biglichtie74]

That statement is an absolute shambles. If folk don’t like hearing peoples opinions on awful tactics and substitutes then I’m afraid football really isn’t for you.

Boys have traveled up and down the country for years spending thousands in the process to watch the team play and aren’t allowed to express their feelings when things aren’t going great. Would rather listen to the folk that have spent their months wages in the club shop dressed head to toe in the merchandise when they get offended with some swear words.

Joke , 2 words , WONT BE BACK!

[Smokie]

I can only assume that DC got the same ‘talking to’ when he said the Arbroath fans ‘got on his t***’ in a post match interview posted on the Official Facebook page a few weeks ago. 
 

[mo83]

59 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

Let’s be honest Arbroath and Montrose and whoever are great community clubs and they do a lot in the community especially for children, some of the stuff we do is fantastic. Just the other day I went into the Gayfield office (3 full time staff Monday to Friday who were very helpful and the office and new building very impressive inside for what it’s worth) and my old school teacher was down there trying to encourage me to go in and get a bowl of soup in our hospitality lounge, there was a community lunch on for anyone who wanted a free lunch, wee things like that are simply brilliant. We do a million good things through the community trust. 
 

However…. At the end of the day we are football clubs, football clubs who are mainly backed and followed by adult men and teenage boys, adult men and teenage boys who after a drink can be very rowdy. This is not exclusive to Arbroath or Montrose or any team this is football all over the world in general.
 

I get there are loads of kids there now, there’s a ridiculous amount coming along compared to when I was younger but when I was younger I absolutely loved it and it didn’t bother me in the slightest. Everyone’s been a bairn at some point, the bairns will love all the shouting and swearing etc let’s not kid ourselves on. I grew up on South Park etc and the kids nowadays will have access to stuff a whole lot worse with the way technology is just now.
 

I’m 30 year old now and don’t get overly invested in games anymore, I find myself just getting extremely frustrated more than anything else. Also never ever have been someone to get on my own players backs but it happens everywhere at every club. 
 

I understand there will be some older fans and people who maybe do not appreciate the shite that happens at football but it’ll never change and it’ll happen regardless of whether they’re watching Arbroath or Montrose or Scotland or Manchester United. So if they are getting anxiety by going to matches I suggest they just maybe start watching another sport to be honest
 

 

Don't worry bud I was just stirring the pot,you fans have every right to say what you like to player's/official's within reason obviously.

DC has a big job on his hands to get you supporters back supporting him and the rest of the management team.Last season fairy tale season clean out the window

 

 

 

[1320Lichtie]

Just now, mo83 said:

Don't worry bud I was just stirring the pot,you fans have every right to say what you like to player's/official's within reason obviously.

DC has a big job on his hands to get you supporters back supporting him and the rest of the management team.Last season fairy tale season clean out the window

 

 

 

Honestly not sure if he does, fans love him and Pink.
 

Playing with a striker and players out wide, playing your best player and the fans favourite, not playing a 4-6 centre mid - 0 and lumping it long and not making 5 terrible substitutions in the last half hour of football matches would go along way.
 

Some common sense and not having a go at anyone who criticises him or his decisions would probably be enough to win us back

 

If there was method to the madness and we were just coming out of games on the wrong end of results or being beaten by better teams that’s fine we are all used to it as fans of a lower league team, it’s the manner of all of this and how everything has panned out that is making people angry 

[SotesBornalichtie]

The board have made a big mistake with that statement. 

Shouting abuse at players, officials and managers is pretty standard football fare, has been for generations. It is not personal, it's about frustration at players who are not up to standard, same goes for officials and managers and it isn't going to change. But it seems that these days everyone is so easily offended.

Football has traditionally been a working man's game. Football fans are passionate about the game and their team, that's why they turn out in all weathers, season on season, putting money into their club with ticket sales and merchandise. The improvements at Gayfield have been partly funded by a legacy to the club in a supporter's will. So the board should not underestimate the people who keep the club alive. 

The "F" word is now acceptable in the media. We see it in print, in movies and on television in our homes, yet it is unacceptable to be use in a moment of passion at a football match? Well "F" that.

The board may feel that statements like that one are necessary to show the world their political correct, do not offend attitude, but If they  want Gayfield to become an inoffensive, politically correct place they are on a slippery slope and attendances will drop..

So the board should man up and accept that bad language and political incorrectness are part and parcel of the game experience and won't be going away in the near future.  

[Tattie36]

15 minutes ago, mo83 said:

Don't worry bud I was just stirring the pot,you fans have every right to say what you like to player's/official's within reason obviously.

DC has a big job on his hands to get you supporters back supporting him and the rest of the management team.Last season fairy tale season clean out the window

 

 

 

Well, I for one think it’s possibly too late. We’ve seen this scenario at plenty of other teams (recently Falkirk and Dunfermline) - take the fans for granted, don’t listen to their concerns, expect unconditional support, deal badly with criticism, pull up the drawbridge, stop communicating, openly criticise fans, blame everyone/everything else, create a them v us, protests, falling gates, relegation etc etc.

There is not one single thing that has been said or frustration shown by the fans that is not justified. No one was expecting a season like last and for the club to come out and openly berate fans for having “unrealistic expectations” is both unjustified and untrue. A bit of an insult really.

The fans have massively backed the club, and not just this season, last season we sold 1200+ season tickets off the back of a poor season but people liked what was being said and done on and off the pitch.

The board and management is in serious danger of losing the respect and support of a large number of fans…. If they haven’t already.

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tattie36