I have written a few times this season that something has changed about football banter.
Maybe that reflects society, where everyone wants to tear others down and focus on what they cannot do.
Too many content creators now play a character purely for views. Once fan channels proved there was an audience for that type of content, it was only a matter of time before larger football platforms started trying to attract the same viewers.
Yet banter is supposed to be funny and clever. It is supposed to make sense.
When I was at school, at work, or talking to friends and family, your club being champions of England spoke for itself. As a child, an Aston Villa or Chelsea fan would not dare try to mock the best team in the country.
Yet since Arsenal lost the Champions League Final on penalties, I have seen grown adults, including former professionals, trying to belittle a squad that has reached a level neither of those pundits could dream of achieving.
When Banter Stops Being Clever
I have made no secret of the fact that some Gooners come out with arrogant statements, and some will have to take their medicine.
But my first thought when watching certain videos and reading certain posts is not that Arsenal are being mocked.
It is that those making the jokes are actually making their own club look silly.
Take Richarlison, whose response to Saturday’s game in Hungary was to upload a video of a baby laughing.
My instant reaction was not, “That’s clever humour.”
Instead, it was, “And that right there is why the Brazilian will never reach our level.”
I guarantee you will find Spurs fans who feel exactly the same.
Their supporters want the mentality of the entire club to change, yet here is their striker, instead of being embarrassed by consecutive 17th place finishes, making fun of rivals who were about to celebrate a successful season with a parade.
The fact that the 29 year old cannot see the irony is almost sad.
At least that was one player acting independently on his day off.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are a billion pound football club.
Instead of taking the period of reflection they promised, they posted invitations online encouraging supporters to visit the Stamford Bridge museum, promoting it as “London’s Home of Trophies”.
The club had just finished 33 points behind a local rival who were about to attract huge crowds onto the streets of North London.
And that was the moment they chose to make comparisons?
Your supporters are worried about the direction of the club and that is how disconnected you appear.
The gap between the two clubs has rarely looked bigger, yet you still post that?
There are Chelsea fans who believe their history begins and ends with Roman Abramovich putting the club on the map. Without him, they feel Chelsea have returned to their natural level.
And, whisper it carefully, Arsenal have actually won more trophies than Chelsea.
Which makes the “London’s Home of Trophies” line even stranger.
The Problem With Modern Fan Channels
I will agree with Simon Jordan that AFTV are not innocent in all of this.
Robbie Lyle has since founded DR Sports, something I still struggle to understand.
Essentially, you have one talking head representing each of the so called big six clubs. If your team fails, the others already have something lined up ready to go.
Yet it all feels rehearsed.
When Arsenal finished runners up, Robbie would have known exactly what content was coming. The car hired for a Spurs music video did not magically appear.
Props, locations and talking points are all planned.
Then, on camera, everyone acts as though they are seeing it for the first time.
The media spent years looking down on fan channels, and perhaps this is one reason why.
Compare Sky Sports’ coverage of Budapest to much of what you see online.
One tries to analyse football.
The other often feels like it is simply chasing clicks.
No wonder fan channels are starting to die.
Do you agree with Dan, Gooners? Has football banter crossed the line from being funny and clever into becoming toxic and repetitive?
Dan Smith
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I’ll have to agree with Dan on this. Fans have taken banter to quite some toxic level.! Sadly some of this has caused lose of live and extensive bodly harm.
I usually am selective who I debate or should I say argue with. And often keep memories of argument for future pay back!
Here in Kenya for example we celebrated like crazy for winning the league and guess what, after our lose to psg Man United and Chelsea fans stormed the same streets mocking our defeat!! In a competition the former didn’t even participate in!
Myself I usually wish Epl teams we’ll in Europe, don’t think that will be the case going forward. Now I’ll wish they get knocked out earlier and offcourse with the coefficient now in play, that won’t help much.
Richarlison has a tattoo of his own face on his body, sums this fella up really, a total muppet, congratulations on finishing 17th two years in a row, when is the parade? 😀
How about renaming St Totterinhams Day to EPL Survival Day? And a week long celebration with a parade like Coventry did to celebrate their survival?
We could have a celebration for Tottenham fans if their team makes it to 40pts and safety in the league, haha
we could call 17th position no longer 17th but the Spurs spot ?
I get it that fans of rival clubs can’t bear it when another does well when their own team falters.
Back in my car after a train journey from the Emirates screening I turned on Talksport only to find that any semblance of football analysis from Jason Cundy and Gabi Agbonlahor had plumbed to the depths of humiliating fans phoning in. No analysis, just an excuse to humiliate.
I don’t expect Talksport to have quite the same broadcasting ethos as the BBC, but as a national radio station that has made great strides from once upon a time operating a laddish culture to one that attracts the likes of Sean Custiss, Henry Winter, White and Jordan and Danny Murphy is a great improvement and they shouldn’t allow standards to slip.
I’m not against light hearted banter between the hosts themselves but it was toe curling and I switched off after a couple of calls. Who wants to listen to that? I wouldn’t want to listen even if they were taking the P out of Spurs fans. It was rubbish radio. I’m sure there were many complaints to the station and Sophie -an Arsenal blogger and podcaster who worked with Kevin Campbell – described it the next day as embarrassing. It was and those 2 twerps undermined the credibility of decent sports journalism and presenting as well as the credibility of the station itself
I don’t mind if if actually makes sense
I think with Talk Sport there’s an element of they are trying too hard so it’s not organic .
It becomes transparent that they are literally doing this for views but are not actually good at it .
Dan
Talksport has gone to great lengths to rebrand itself as a proper sports channel- hence they have more accomplished presenters and pundits, who, for the most part stick to the script and nobody minds the gentle ribbing that goes on. It’s humour. It ceases to be funny when presenters deliberately try to make callers the laughing stock. Yes, it maybe trying too hard and not organic but I’m gobsmacked that anyone would find them funny for longer than 5 or 10 minutes regardless of who they support. It sounds like everything I’ve ever heard about The Arsenal tv bloke – Robbie Somebody – and his team who were happy to mock other people and call it entertainment. And when poor mental health is cited so much, then Talksport who on the face of it reckon they care about men’s mental health, should then think it’s ok to humiliate their listeners. Is that good for the advertisers?
yeah but then unfortunately they hired YouTubers for no other reason then to cater to that market
I much rather listen to a conversation about football which is why I like the Overlap or even the Club
Actually Dan, that’s why I spend so much time on JustArsenal – diverse opinions from fans who want the same thing, but see different scenarios.
The reactions of these individuals who have their own sites, is so over the top, it borders on insanity!!
The guy sitting there with a crown on his head after we won the PL looked a complete idiot and didn’t realise he was set up to be exactly that!!
I have to admit when I see Robbie giving air time to the deluded fan by the name of ty i just have to role my eyes I’m afraid.
Ty has got to be the most deluded fan out there. He’s always talking of being disrespected, but if you listen to him totally belittling other teams, it just shows you what a hypocrite he is.
Why he is even given air time is totally beyond me. And the other day, I even saw Robbie paying him a glowing tribute on his show. Now if it didn’t need confirming before, that show of cringeworthy Lovin’s, is more than enough to see why Robbie and his like are not worth taking seriously.
I make Simon Jordon right, AFTV and some of the has been’s like Cundy, O’Hara, and Agbonlahor of Talk-Sport are a big reason why there is so much hate of Arsenals achievements.
While other teams have got some bantering on their success, I don’t remember it being as spiteful as it is towards Arsenal.
AFTV started the on line toxic behaviour when they went after Wenger and causing toxicity within the club, the fact Robbie has made a lot of money hating on Arsenal players and exmanagers is vile. Paddy Power pay for every hotel,ticket for every game. The channel is vile. They feed on diversion and hate. Watching him wearing a robe and crown after we won the PL is the reason a lot of fans dislike us. Social media has given trolls platform to be crass. Simon Jordan was right what he said
Rival fan here: I have 0 issues with most arsenal fans.. AFTV is not doing y’all any favours though
I feel the hypocrisy in labelling others cheats (e.g City – which is unproven), when your players fall to the ground and whine every time (was crazy seeing Gabriel complain about a shove from HIS OWN keeper), timewasting, even the coach constantly delaying opposition throwins).
Doing all these and pointing fingers at others is what annoys others.
Arsenal fans on their own are pretty much like any other clubs normal fans
Ty is probably a simpleton, but I respect his fan obsession
as I also did with Claude.. It´s much easier being an AFc
fan today than it was few years ago. Let us enjoy it in a
civilaized way.. and with respect..
no Claude and Ty they just exploited
I’m not sure if one can treat another with respect, when all they do is swear, shout and act like idiots kjelli.
Being online period, made banter more toxic. It doesn’t matter what’s being discussed.
yeah but I seen a change this year
it’s more desperate and trying too hard , less organic
banter end of day should be fun
I don’t think some of us on here help the cause but we do seem to be the new Leeds or Stoke when it comes to the online ‘banter’. Don’t watch AFTV, not interested and they should be ignored but still some fans think they are associated with the Arsenal. White and Jordon on TS are a must listen, even if they criticise us but it’s constructive not childish but as for Cundy and some others, forget, total morons! Just rise above it fellow Gooners.
By the way, ‘We are NOT ‘ the greatest team the world has ever seen’ which I think winds up most rival fans when it’s sung, me too.
GB,
Can I correct you there. I think you’ll find a good majority of fans whoever they support sing that particular song, that’s not just an Arsenal thing.
You certainly can correct me DEREK as I respect your comments, but I’m not sure I’ve heard others, but whoever sings it are somewhat deluded.
Unless of course, their team is the greatest etc, etc…..😊
GB,
You say you’ve never heard any other fans sing it, that does surprise me. I wonder if any other poster’s can back me up on this.
It’s quite a common song to be honest.
I’m not sure others do but I am not saying they dont and if they do then it’s adapted from us as I remember singing that back in the days when i was wearing short trousers
Banter is banter and you will never stop fans taking the mick out of one another’s team
We have a song about the spuds and they have one for us which really if you want to be politically correct is wrong
Unfortunately we live in a world of social media and more clicks and likes the better it is for them ..respect is a society thing not just a football problem
As for candy and co on talksport dressing up in psg out fits
Very amusing and harmless fun
I know some who would do exactly the same if chelski were playing in a big final and they lost
Unfortunately we are a nation where the media who builds teams up and trys to knock them down just as quick
May they keep knocking us because we must be doing something right and they can keep watching us with there green envy eyes
Onwards and upwards
Alanball08,
Regards the song, I’m not sure the song originated from us. All I know is that I’ve heard this song for years sang a lot of fans regardless of who they support.
But I’m here to be corrected, maybe a certain Herr Drier can enlighten us. He normally digs me out of holes I dig myself into. 😂
A check on Google mentions Sunderland using it
a very old song called Wild Rover
football adopted it in like the 70’s I think
Dan,
Thanks for the information, I know it’s been around along time.
yeah originally nothing to do with football
Done a search and makes total sense
Heard a version by the pogues and varies other irish bands
Thank you for the info
Derek, one hears it being sung every week at every ground – I’m 100% with you on this.
This hatred disguised as banter goes back a long long way. I remember when we became the Invincibles I was playing golf. After the game a certain spurs fan came in the bar with a face that would scare children and frothing from the mouth saying. How can you call yourselves Invincible when you drew so many games. Incidently this guy’s grandfather was a legendary spurs captain from NI.
HATE IS A TOTAL WASTE OF ENERGY.
Edward Joseph Small
I used to deliver Danny’s evening papers😇
Did he live in Southgate or Palmers green Jax?
Edward, it was Highgate at the time (mid ’50’s.). If you know the area, Southwood Lane. I didn’t at that time have a clue as to who he was (or ever met him) until he left me an Xmas Card at the newsagents with £5 in it.
5 🦑 ! That was a fortune back then
I’d never seen a fiver until that day SueP.
Wow that was a lot of money! I hope you got your half. 😄
I got the lot. My first week’s pay when I started work was less than that.