Sol Campbell has called on the Football Association to act after saying that crowd abuse has “got out of hand.”
This followed on Sir Alex Ferguson, Harry Redknapp and Avram Grant also complaining about the abuse they had received at games.
So are crowds becoming too vocal towards players and managers?
Football is an emotional business, one look at Coventry's recent history will tell you that.
In the heat of the moment supporters may let their emotions get the better of them.
Most players will ignore remarks aimed at them, some will join in the banter – for example Paul Merson , in the game at the Bescot against Coventry – and others deliberately play the role of the pantomime baddie, like Blackburn's Robbie Savage.
Supporters have the right, like any other customers, to express their views.
While I do not agree with booing one of your own, especially during a game as I think that helps the opposition, I do think that people have the right to voice an opinion to all levels in football from the boardroom to the academy
That is one of the main reasons I joined the Sky Blue Trust.
Perhaps it is not the crowds that have “got out of hand” perhaps it is merely because footballers are now more in the public eye and their behaviour is documented in both the local and national media.
It is well known that the Sky Blues’ 1987 FA Cup winning squad regularly went out drinking together.
But you never heard any stories about any “extras” that might have followed, as we do in today's media.
Football has always been about banter, between both rival supporters and players.
Footballers are paid a lot of money for what they do, and if they want that success they should prepare themselves for all the trappings that go with it.
Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham have both been vilified by the British press and public yet have become better players for it.
Players, sometimes quite correctly, have a go at referees in the middle of a match why should supporters not have the right to have a go at the players?
In football emotions are running high, providing no homophobic, racist or any other similar comment is made then Sol Campbell and the others are just going have to keep their heads down and let their football do the talking.
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