That's not downplaying anyone. That's reality. The ones who pay their money to not just attend games but also to travel alongside the team to other cities just for the sake of supporting the team will always be more highly appreciated and regarded than any social media or internet forum fans like us whose only connection with the club come from watching it on TV then posting on internet about how we're annoyed with the results. These fans actually pay money for attending and travelling to see these results and still support the team.
You said it yourself you can't take a day off and leave your work to attend games. These fans actually do it, and they do it almost every game, taking time to travel to other cities and towns not for any other purpose except giving their support for their team.
Whatever they cheer or boo the team, they earned their right and they must be appreciated for going alongside the team everywhere, enduring the poor results and still giving their support for the manager and players to pass through the tough times. Ridiculous after all that they're called idiotic.
I'm not from England and don't attend matches in stand, so I'm always trying to avoid criticizing the attending fans as much as possible or just doing it on the slightest way possible when they do something I don't like. To simply go on and say they're idiotic it's ridiculous. If you think they're idiots you should go and change it yourself from the stands then.
That's because they are in Europe and can afford it.
It's not like the local fans are living on the European equivalent of Skid Row in their real lives and yet are pouring money into the club by buying tickets, travelling to aways etc. The ones who travel away can afford it. I have seen many local fans on Twitter who don't travel with the club, but that doesn't make them any lesser for it.
You are talking as though they are suffering to go and watch even matches where we play badly. Well, firstly, even for crap games, the experience of travelling, seeing new places and stadiums while anticipating a game is quite enjoyable and it's not like away fans, bar the disappointment of a bad game, don't enjoy themselves on away trips. Secondly, they can mostly afford it and are not paupers.
In contrast, you expect a person from China, India, ME, Americas or Africa to travel regularly to Rome away or Madrid away? Once or twice a year, yes quite possible. Not always. Doesn't mean they are any less though. When Giggs and Scholes came here, you had fans from even the surrounding countries coming to just catch a glimpse of them. Like, not even a proper football match, but investing a lot of time and resources just for a half hr glimpse of the icons in person. So it proves that global fans are committed and will do their bit if they get the chance.
I agree that it is impossible to boo a manager when you are in the stands. I personally won't be able to bring myself to do that (though LvG did test everyone's patience; Jose isn't as bad). But if you are asking me to genuflect on the altar of local fans just because they are local, nope sorry.
Neither should we be restrained from giving an opinion - just because some travel to games does not make them more intelligent than us on matters of the club. Everybody has a brain and they can use it to analyse the team.
Football is not that important to real life that I consider a group of people in awe just because they live closer to OT than I do, or that I care whether or not they think I am a "tr00 kvlt fan". The club is not going to hand out medals to us or them for support, so no point in trying to claim superiority. You enjoy seeing the players up close in person, I will enjoy the different yet similar thrill of anticipating midnight games and staying up late into the night watching them. Different takes for everybody.
