Spurs Blogsville

Vital Spurs – A Fan Club, A Discussion Forum, Or Both?

|
Image for Vital Spurs – A Fan Club, A Discussion Forum, Or Both?

VS; A Fan Club, A Discussion Forum, Or Both?

On a very recent article I started a reply to ‘Love totty’ who commented, ‘This is a discussion forum. That means sharing differing views. It is not a Pochetino fan club site so some critical analysis should be respected.’ LT was attempting to settle a discussion that was becoming over-heated and his comment was excellent. My reply was to have been, ‘Good on ya for steadying the ship.’ And then I started thinking!

It seems to me that VS is a Pochettino fan club. It’s also a Spurs Players fan club. It’s also a Spurs Chairman and Board fan club. It’s also an everything-to-do-with-Spurs fan club. And it’s also a forum to discuss everything THFC.

The reality is, surely, that the only reason we tune in to VS is because we are Spurs fans. I certainly can’t think of any other reason to be here unless an Arsenal supporter wants to drop in and stir the pot … or even a City supporter. And if we are all Spurs fans, does that not make us a ‘fan club’?

I agree with LT that it is a place to discuss all aspects of THFC; share our visions for the future, share our experiences from the past, discuss our thoughts on how our club could be improved, vent our frustrations, etc, etc. These ‘discussions’ will sometimes become arguments because football is a good breeding-ground for arguments and there are many contentious issues between Spurs supporters; lack of trophies, use of the Transfer Window, use of the playing squad, who to buy and who to sell, etc. They are all very valid issues and are frequently discussed.

Posters will line up either side of the fence in these arguments …. or sit on top of it. But, as Spurs fans, we can all understand where both sides are coming from and respect the views that are expressed whether we agree or not.

As a Spurs supporter, why would I be remotely interested in a site that does not support and promote THFC. As a Spurs supporter, and a realist, I accept there have been times in the past (and there may be in the future) when THFC deserve any criticism aimed at it …. but, personally, I don’t believe this is one of those times. As a Spurs supporter I am happy to defend our club against the supporters of other clubs and anti-Spurs media views and speculation. But, as a Spurs supporter, I don’t want to feel the need to defend our club to other Spurs supporters with unrealistic expectations. I guess that is a contentious sentence in itself!

It’s the nature of all of us to protect and defend the things that we love and the things that matter to us in our lives. Weirdly, football seems to be one of them. If we accept that everyone on VS is here because of their love for the club, then it’s obvious that anybody on this site who continually downs part of our club in a disrespectful manner or without good reason should either not be here …. or should be prepared for the onslaught that will follow!

‘VS; A Fan Club, A Discussion Forum, Or Both?’ I’d suggest VS is both …. but first and foremost a fan Club. Given this, I doubt anyone on VS wants to hear ‘undeserved’ criticisms continually repeated for, as with the other things that matter in our lives, that is assured to raise the hackles. At least, I hope it does. And, of course, discussions should not sink to personal abuse when they become arguments between posters. Before reaching such a point all it needs is a simple comment to the effect that ‘we must agree to differ’ … end of. But, hey, what do I know? Tell me! Gotta love football!

Share this article