How to win supporters respect

Taken from Vales forum, outstanding.
I think it's time to take a reality check people.

It doesn't surprise me one bit to see you guys 'giving it the large' on this forum. The reason it doesn't surprise me is because it's easier to jump on the 'Steve Kean Style' bandwagon, than dig that bit deeper to show your support to the people and players that maintain a club for us to support. It's clear that the club has been in a transitional period since before Steve Smith was in charge. I think you are bang out of order posting this rubbish without giving him a chance. Before you say you have given him a chance, we have not had a stable squad since before Mark Eaton left. With so many comings and goings over the past two seasons even to the recent arrival of Warren Garcia it is evident that the club are trying their hardest to retain and get in new players in to give us a stronger squad for us to watch; but ask yourself, has there been the same 20+ squad player together for more than 4 weeks at any one time? No. How is a team supposed to gel with so many changes over such a short space of time, any manager would have a problem with that, not to mention lengthy injuries to key players. Also, have you not realised we are in a very strong division this year? Our toughest yet as Aylesbury FC. You guys expect things to change overnight. You're unreal. Somehow oblivious to these facts, you all, like sheep start up with the "Smith Out" Rubbish, when we get a string of bad results. This is not the premier league, nor will we ever witness an ‘el classico’ at Haywood Way. THIS IS GRASS ROOTS FOOTBALL. I cannot understand where your heads are at.

Has anyone thought about giving the club support to see how they can help during this off period? You're fickle fans who like to put the world to rights, who do nothing for the club but turn up for a home game and have a coffee. This is not professional football and the club has to be run by volunteers. What gives you the right to be giving these hard working volunteers abuse? The Management team puts a hell of a lot of hours in each week to train the squad and attend team matters, and so do the committee to handle club and financial affairs. All for free. Do you think they have nothing better to do with their lives? Each one of them works their arse off week in week out to ensure you get to see a game. I'm disgusted by the remarks about Both Steve and Jon and the club's committee. You clearly do not appreciate what work goes on behind the scenes, and as long as you get to watch a decent game of football, I bet you couldn't care less. You and your cronies should be supporting this club anyway you can, not berating it. If you're that concerned, why not quit moaning, get up and actively seek ways in which you can help. The club needs solidarity and support and quite frankly, we wouldn't miss you negative people if you weren't there. I cannot even believe some of our own volunteers are turning against us. It is truly incomprehensible. If you volunteer to do things for the club, don't use it against it as leverage.

DB, disappointed too mate, I must say. I had you down as being a proper fan, from AFC's conception. You surely can't go along with all this rubbish? Yeah the results haven't been great of late, that's football, but even in the spells in the early days when we played awfully at times, you understood what was going on with the club and that we are a newly formed entity and things would take time to bed in. Having said that, you were one of the first calling for Mark’s head calling for change. Change has come as you wished it to, but again you’re calling for the manager’s head. I don’t understand? You've got to accept that we're not going to steamroller this division, like we did the Spartan South Mids. It’s not the end of the world that we’re having a bad run. Let’s face it, were not going to get promoted, nor make the playoffs, and as long as we don’t get relegated, it doesn’t make a difference where we finish. We have to accept this season as a consolidation season, then we’ll rebuild for next season and try again. Lets’ not put the pressure on them now, when we still have 17 games remaining and still have a great chance of staying up. It's a marathon, not a sprint. The trouble is that we’ve had it too good too soon, which has bought unachievable expectations to the fans. Yes it’s great to be optimistic, but realism is also a must. Less head in clouds and more feet on ground! I want the club to progress as much as you all do but without a bottomless pit of money to dip into, you need to realise that this is a long term project.

From another perspective, what do you think the management, committee and players think if they read this? It’s hateful what’s been written. I’m angered because this mindless negativity could be a contributing factor to Steve walking out on us at this time of the season leaving us right in the s**t. Hypothetically speaking, What manager would want to take over a team that’s 4th from bottom half way through a season? (Apart from Mark Hughes). It’s hardly attractive is it? Then we’ll get relegated anyway leaving us in a right predicament. Think logically, we need to be a unit and support the team more than ever, just to get them through a tough season, then revise ideas next season. I plead with all of you people who are giving the team a hard time, grit your teeth, quit your moaning and channel that energy into being positive for the team and the club in the harder times.

Also, do any players look on the forum? Have you thought of that? Well done guys, way to put them in a positive mind set leading up to the next game.