Simon Tipple 💙

First game of the 23/24 Season Tour - Chelsea 4-3 Albion @LFFStadium

this looks like a clip from the office 😭😭😭

Seeing the video of Robert Sanchez telling the Chelsea fans to relax as it was only half time, made me want to talk about something that has been on my mind for a while: why football stadiums are becoming more impatient, more toxic and polarised. The pandemic changed our routines and it accelerated a transformation that was already happening in society: overnight, our lives moved onto screens. We watched sport through devices, we debated online, we consumed information in fragments and, importantly for this point, we lived inside a constant stream of opinions. And with that, something else grew stronger: extremisation. We have become less able to accept what doesn’t match our own perception. The world has turned into a place where difference is a threat and disagreement feels personal.  Even when those opinions are built on incomplete information, we treat them as unquestionable truths. The most important voice is no longer the most informed one, but the loudest one, the strongest in the moment. And football, as always, reflects society. In stadiums now, we increasingly see impatience that would have been unthinkable years ago. Fans protesting a team even before half-time. Whistling after one mistake, even teams that are top of the table. Demanding changes immediately, as if football were a video game and not a complex sport shaped by confidence, form (both appearing in waves during a campaign), injuries, personalities, the limits of a squad or the finances. We forget that coaches work every day with these players. That they know the realities behind the scenes. That progress is not always instant. But patience has become rare, because the modern world trains us to expect immediate solutions. What’s worse is that creating a toxic atmosphere no longer feels like a problem for many supporters. The priority becomes: “I want what I want, and I want it now.” Even if it damages the team. Even if it poisons the environment. Even if it turns the stadium into a place of tension instead of support. I cannot think of anything worse than your own fans chanting, “you are going to be sacked in the morning.” This phenomenon is particularly noticeable in England right now, where protests and frustration inside grounds are becoming more common. Perhaps it is less frequent in Spain, where there is still — sometimes — a different relationship with suffering, with time, with process, with football clubs and the role of fans. At Real Madrid, the whistling to the team lasted a game and it was a protest against the sacking of Xabi Alonso, or a message to the players. The following game, they had moved on. I feel that is legitimate. But the trend is spreading.  The truth is hardly any club lives in happiness anymore. And I feel it is not because football has changed dramatically, but surely because society has. The modern fan experience is shaped by constant noise, constant judgement, constant outrage. And football, which used to be an escape, has become another space where people project frustration and impatience. It’s not really about the manager. Or the player. Or even the result. What we are hearing is basically about the world we have become. Although I do feel there is another way.  I know none of this is new. But how about if we thought we might not be right. Someone else might be. Or changing an opinion. Or listening a bit more. Or considering we might not know everything. And respect our differences.

@farfromallover Remember this one that VAR ruled out..

@SimonTipple Maybe they thought he could have scored with his arm? 🙄

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Do I know anyone São Paulo based? Dream collab 😅

With a new engine and next-level tactical tools, you’re not just playing the game. You’re shaping the future of football. #FM26 ▶ FM26.info/Launch

Welcome to the O's, @SportsInt 🤝 We are delighted to have partnered with the developers of @FootballManager 💻 #LOFC #OneOrient

Football Manager 🤝 @FIFAcom Official FIFA tournaments debut in #FM26, with a revamped International Management module arriving in a free future content update ahead of FIFA World Cup™ 2026. 🔗 FM26.info/FIFA

Every touch. Every action. Elevated. Dive into the most advanced Match Day experience in series history 😍 Bringing you closer to the action than ever before in #FM26

@MikeKing14_ Oh is it a drink?

Has anyone actually ever drunk a Carabao?

Diego's just been subbed off after only scoring four goals this evening. Shocking. 😡

"It's a great step in the right direction." 💬 Dario discusses women's players being introduced in @FootballManager... 🎮 @MonsterEnergy 📲

Can’t wait to get stuck into my #bhafc save

Introducing: Women's Football 🙌 Discover how #FM26 embeds the women's game for the first time in series history.

#FM26 will introduce women's football with playable leagues from across the globe 🌍 This week, we'll dive deeper into this new chapter in the FM story 📖 Stay tuned, more news coming soon…

Our biggest UI upgrade in a generation 🤩 A new, intuitive way to explore. Tailor-made for the modern manager. Discover how #FM26 changes the game 🎥

Built on new foundations. Where storytelling evolves. Your #FM26 Match Day First Look 🎬

Oxford Away #bhafc

Everton Away #bhafc

Back. Better. Building for the season ahead. #FM26 Match Day First Look. Coming soon.