It is a claim that has long been associated with Tottenham supporters that their fans are the most fickle, the quickest to jump the gun, the most likely to kick up a stink after a few bad performances. But is it a fair assumption?

I was as shocked as most when after just two games of the new season I was noticing posts and articles demanding that current boss Martin Jol should be sacked. Was this evidence to prove all those tired clichés about Spurs fans being fickle were in fact correct?

There are many stereotypes associated with football fans; that Liverpool's are the most fanatical; that West Ham's are the most loyal and that half of Chelsea's following only decided to follow the action at Stamford Bridge once things started to go in the right direction under, first, Claudio Ranieri and then Jose Mourinho.

'In my experience all clubs have annoying, fickle fans. No one club appears to have a monopoly on those who cry and moan at the least bit of frustration'


In my experience all clubs have annoying, fickle fans. No one club appears to have a monopoly on those who cry and moan at the least bit of frustration. I guess it's part and parcel of the game. Some people get so used to relative success, they take it for granted and then whine when a string of bad results occur. True fans, i.e. 90% of those who turn up on a wet and windy midweek Carling Cup tie away at Yeovil or Scunthorpe, learn to take the more frequent rough with the pockets of smooth.

It's understandable and totally justified if, after a prolonged period of time, a fan decides that he can take no more and stands up and starts chanting for the manager's head. One thing I can't stand are those at games who, after 20 seconds and one misplaced pass (and believe me, where I go misplaced passes are not in short supply) suddenly throw down their programme and produce a tirade of abuse. It really angers me further when that self same fan then erupts in platitudes when the exact same player then puts the ball in the back of the net. These are fans with less consistency than the team they claim to love.

That isn't to say that I don't shout and scream and launch into foul-mouthed abuse. I regularly come away from a game reaching for throat lozenges to sooth my irritated vocal chords, and a match day programme that looks like its been gripped by a man who is dangling from a suspension bridge. To me, however, It makes no sense to barrage players within minutes, and managers within weeks of the new season.

I know that the majority of season ticket holders at White Hart Lane are sticking by Martin Jol. I know that, just like any club, they have their inbred morons, and their very-little-knowledge types who only take the time to come down on match days when the opposition contains a star or two.

I am sure that, deep down, even their biggest enemies, be they Hammers, Gooners or Chelsea boys, respect Spurs true followers as much as their own - not that this stops them from questioning their parentage and exchanging insults and gesticulating which, let's face it, is what being a football fan is all about.