Dean Moriarty
Bench
- Messages
- 4,331
When most teams are sliding haplessly towards relegation, their fans traditionally decide that the best way for them to help their faltering heroes is by shouting very positive things extremely loudly for the entire duration of each game - or at least until their side go 3-0 down, at which point they can start muttering under their breath about it being the "same old rubbish", and asserting that "we've got no chance if we play like that. No chance", on the condition that they resume shouting positive things at the start of the next game.
In Argentina, however, they do things rather differently. Yesterday morning Natalio Mirkin, the home ground of relegation-threatened Primera División side San Martín de Tucamán, was raided during a first-team training session by a group of 50 or 60 gun-toting fans. As bullets were fired into the air, the players were told that failure to win each of their three remaining matches would lead to their families being targeted, and missiles being fired at their cars.
"There were threats that if we didn't win the nine points we would have to face the consequences," sobbed forward Cristian Canio. "Then they began to draw their weapons. They went away shouting and arguing and firing shots into the air. We are all worried as we have families." The players were so worried that most of them turned up for the afternoon training session by taxi, leaving their cars well out of missile-firing range. "What happened doesn't scare me," responded manager Carlos Roldán. "But it has hurt us. We needed to work on the players' physical and mental health - now we must work harder to make them feel no pressure."
Club president Roberto Dilascio, meanwhile, has tried to play down the whole palaver. "One should not exaggerate what happened," he claimed. "The players understand that this is football. When you're having a bad season, it is normal that the fans try to address the situation." It's tough to argue with Dilascio, especially when our basic grasp of amateur psychology would suggest that Michael Owen and co might have pulled their fingers out if an enterprising Geordie had pointed a missile-launcher at their Baby Bentleys. A trick for Alan Shearer to keep up his sleeve for next season, perhaps.
http://football.guardian.co.uk/fiver/0,,415657,00.html
In Argentina, however, they do things rather differently. Yesterday morning Natalio Mirkin, the home ground of relegation-threatened Primera División side San Martín de Tucamán, was raided during a first-team training session by a group of 50 or 60 gun-toting fans. As bullets were fired into the air, the players were told that failure to win each of their three remaining matches would lead to their families being targeted, and missiles being fired at their cars.
"There were threats that if we didn't win the nine points we would have to face the consequences," sobbed forward Cristian Canio. "Then they began to draw their weapons. They went away shouting and arguing and firing shots into the air. We are all worried as we have families." The players were so worried that most of them turned up for the afternoon training session by taxi, leaving their cars well out of missile-firing range. "What happened doesn't scare me," responded manager Carlos Roldán. "But it has hurt us. We needed to work on the players' physical and mental health - now we must work harder to make them feel no pressure."
Club president Roberto Dilascio, meanwhile, has tried to play down the whole palaver. "One should not exaggerate what happened," he claimed. "The players understand that this is football. When you're having a bad season, it is normal that the fans try to address the situation." It's tough to argue with Dilascio, especially when our basic grasp of amateur psychology would suggest that Michael Owen and co might have pulled their fingers out if an enterprising Geordie had pointed a missile-launcher at their Baby Bentleys. A trick for Alan Shearer to keep up his sleeve for next season, perhaps.
http://football.guardian.co.uk/fiver/0,,415657,00.html
