There was recently an article which indicates we are no longer passionate supporters..............
Failure saps fight out of Tiger army
Rohan Connolly | July 22, 2007
RICHMOND supporters used to have a fearsome reputation as not only the most passionate but most volatile fans in football. It was well-earned.
When the glories of the 1960s and '70s finally gave way to continued mediocrity, it's fair to say the Tiger army didn't take it too well.
I can still hear the fury of the lynch mob that descended upon the rooms after a 141-point flogging at the hands of North Melbourne early in 1990. They didn't just want answers. They wanted blood. Preferably both.
The Tigers were coming off a wooden spoon, armed with one of the weakest line-ups in their history, but that hadn't quelled their supporters' demand for results, nor a refusal to accept humiliating thrashings of that size.
But year upon year of more disappointment since then seems to have taken a toll on not only an entire club, but also its fan base.
Richmond is set to return a season statistically even more barren than the four wins recorded in its last wooden spoon year of 2004. Worse than anything Carlton has served up in the past five years.
Just one victory from a side that chalked up 11 of them last season has been an amazing downturn. But while Richmond supporters aren't exactly turning cartwheels, there doesn't seem nearly the same degree of angst as of yore.
No storming of the barricades. No dumping manure outside the Punt Road offices. More a sad resignation to what has become the Tiger fan's lot. Life at the bottom of the ladder.
It's a mindset you can't help but wonder has become a permanent part of the club they follow. For the same terminal flaws seemed to have dogged Richmond for a long, long time.
Questionable recruiting. On-field leaders too satisfied with too little. Kids whose development seems to occur at a snail's pace. And skill levels embarrassingly poor.
It's true the Tigers haven't given up much to recruit the experienced Mark Graham, Trent Knobel and Kent Kingsley over recent years. But the damage symbolically has been to give the impression of a club having a bob each-way rather than making a concerted commitment to building a team for the longer-term.
THIS IS AN OUTRAGE, I WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS. WE ARE PATIONATE.
Failure saps fight out of Tiger army
Rohan Connolly | July 22, 2007
RICHMOND supporters used to have a fearsome reputation as not only the most passionate but most volatile fans in football. It was well-earned.
When the glories of the 1960s and '70s finally gave way to continued mediocrity, it's fair to say the Tiger army didn't take it too well.
I can still hear the fury of the lynch mob that descended upon the rooms after a 141-point flogging at the hands of North Melbourne early in 1990. They didn't just want answers. They wanted blood. Preferably both.
The Tigers were coming off a wooden spoon, armed with one of the weakest line-ups in their history, but that hadn't quelled their supporters' demand for results, nor a refusal to accept humiliating thrashings of that size.
But year upon year of more disappointment since then seems to have taken a toll on not only an entire club, but also its fan base.
Richmond is set to return a season statistically even more barren than the four wins recorded in its last wooden spoon year of 2004. Worse than anything Carlton has served up in the past five years.
Just one victory from a side that chalked up 11 of them last season has been an amazing downturn. But while Richmond supporters aren't exactly turning cartwheels, there doesn't seem nearly the same degree of angst as of yore.
No storming of the barricades. No dumping manure outside the Punt Road offices. More a sad resignation to what has become the Tiger fan's lot. Life at the bottom of the ladder.
It's a mindset you can't help but wonder has become a permanent part of the club they follow. For the same terminal flaws seemed to have dogged Richmond for a long, long time.
Questionable recruiting. On-field leaders too satisfied with too little. Kids whose development seems to occur at a snail's pace. And skill levels embarrassingly poor.
It's true the Tigers haven't given up much to recruit the experienced Mark Graham, Trent Knobel and Kent Kingsley over recent years. But the damage symbolically has been to give the impression of a club having a bob each-way rather than making a concerted commitment to building a team for the longer-term.
THIS IS AN OUTRAGE, I WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS. WE ARE PATIONATE.
