‘Can’t believe what I’ve just read’ – Fans slam Halesowen over club statement

Fans have took to slam Halesowen Town over a club statement about behaviour during the FA Cup Preliminary match away at Romulus.

The Northern Premier League Division One Midlands outfit have issued a warning to supporters regarding launching personal abuse at their players – while advising their squad and coaching staff not to engage with fans on social media.

Following the defeat, chairman Karen Brookes and director of football, Keith McKenna released a joint statement after personal abuse was directed at players both on Saturday and online.

STATEMENT:

Following our FA Cup Preliminary match away at Romulus FC yesterday, unbelievably we find ourselves needing to make the following announcement. 

Given we’ve only played two league matches (that we won convincingly and played really well) and one cup match (where credit is due to the opposition, who were set up well, played well and stifled our play; and yes, clearly we didn’t respond or play well). Proportionality is needed here and fans need to recognise that whilst constructive criticism is the prerogative of any of us, inappropriate abusive comments during the match or made on social media are not constructive or welcome in any form.  

As fans, you cannot expect to be close to players and management, as we have encouraged and achieved in recent years, as our results have improved, our fan base has grown and believe that this gives you the right to say whatever comes into your head!  However, disappointed, or gutted we may be with the result sometimes, there is no excuse and this never gives anyone the right to say what they think when it is abusive, personal and downright rude and vitriolic – which was some of the comments shouted at players on the pitch yesterday and certainly some of the comments on social media last night and this morning!  Astounding behaviour and not something we are going to tolerate at Halesowen Town FC.

This management team and players work incredibly hard at getting and keeping fit, delivering winning performances.  Yes they are paid, as its one of their jobs – they also have day jobs and families as well, like the majority of us.  They don’t step onto the pitch and deliberately not play at their best.  Individuals wouldn’t make these kind of comments to colleagues at work if they didn’t perform, so why is it acceptable at a football match?   Players do not respond to abuse and vitriol, ask any psychologist, indeed ask yourself whether you would perform better with shouts of encouragement or shouts of abuse – you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know the answer!

We also have many children and young people at our matches, home and away and these type of comments set a poor example to these impressionable individuals and do not fit with our family community culture that we’ve always prided ourselves upon. Additionally, some of our older fans do not appreciate the foul and abusive language and behaviour either and want to enjoy the match without this anti-social behaviour that threatens to ruin non-league football.

We all need to step up and stop this toxic anti-social behaviour and recognise that at Halesowen Town FC it won’t be tolerated.  Please help us eradicate it – if you see it, report it and we will deal with it.  Remember, we were the first registered football hate crime reporting centre in the Midlands, working with West Midlands Police.

The players and management team have been requested not engage with fans on any social media platform, which is sad, but appears to be one of the measures we need to take to protect them and the football club.  

Anyone, heard shouting or indeed found posting, abusive messages directed at a player, member of the management team, an official, or the football club, at a match or on any social media platform, will be investigated and will be subject to a banning order — not something we want to do, but something we absolutely will do to protect our family community culture and the football club that we all hold so dear.

Up the Yeltz.

Karen Brookes & Keith McKenna

Chairman and Director of Football

As mentioned, fans take to slam Halesowen over their club statement…

@cazza00274912: This is madness 🙈

@TrevorEdwards91: Delete this ffs

@Dom_Priest94: 😂😂😂 don’t shout or else

@Jack_wba1878: I understand there’s no room for abusing players but if you don’t want to hear “foul language” don’t go to a football match. I doubt there’s 1 ground in the country you wouldn’t hear it! And stopping players communicating with fans completely ruins the experience of non league 🤷‍♂️

@rickyleegriffi2: Another bad decision. The u16 rule was bad enough.

@harry75288834: If I talk I am in big trouble …

@JDHWOLVES: Fucking gold dust that club it is 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

@24_BEN_: Grow up! You’ve done a great job with this club over the last few seasons but this is going too far along with the U16 nonsense on match days… If this approach carries on you will lose alot of fans

@TrailOfDebt: Genuinely reads like something Streatham Rovers would put out

@PaulSkillington:
😂🤣😂🤣😂
Just made my week!
And it’s only Monday! 🤣
This club are priceless they really are.
They like to think they are holier than than thou, yet it appears every week they are in the middle of another drama!🤣
Forget Emmerdale and Corrie, this is a real soap opera.🤣🤣🤣

@robertscottbcfc: Shocking! The players who tweet after a win V bottom of the league surely understand they will get it back if they lose 3-0 to a league below. @PrimeVideo you need to do a yeltz all or nothing 😂

@RGG_Tech: Ridiculous statement. Played absolutely terrible but fans STILL clapped the players at final whistle.

@ryymozza: 😂🫣😭 joke of a club

@YouYeltz: I have been a non-stop cheerleader for this club and all the great people behind the scenes. But I can’t defend a word this statement. It’s catastrophically misread the room and some of these “measures” will surely damage the fabric of this great club. It needs revisiting.

@BenAitkens: Fucking hell this is beyond a joke but I guess when you have crackheads playing for you they need protection from being abused 🤣🤣🤣🤣

@jorjwwfc: this is hilariously tinpot

@MattS_121098: Cant believe what I’ve just read

@Unreliableyeltz: We were there on Saturday. A statement was definitely needed, but this isn’t close to being it. Completely disillusioned that this is the narrative the club have gone with. It’s so misplaced it’s insulting

@instructormannn: Wow. Baffled. Confused. As a fan who was there – who/where was all the ‘abuse’ from???? Played awful, it happens sometimes – and STILL clapped off by our AMAZING fans!! 💙 A couple of players argued with fans on here. It happens. Yet our fans get ALL the blame??? Shocker this.

@BoradioL: You have to chuckle.

@AzzaHawthorne: Did you tell the manager to not DM fans when he’s pissed up? Lmao we are finished