The Democratisation of Opinion

In my last article I pondered the question Spurs fans: why do we do it? 

The key statement in the whole piece, in relation to those who have genuine allegiance with the club, was this: 

Our fandom becomes an extension of ourselves, touching our lives in ways that are both moving and profound. It is difficult to change how we think or feel about the team because our role as a supporter has become a central and valued part of our place in the world.

For some, the concept of allegiance goes much further, revealing both positive and negative consequences.

When I published my book last year - When the Final Whistle Blows: Glory, Grief and Tottenham Hotspur - I reached out to the Spurs supporter community and was overwhelmed by their response. All proceeds from the book are being donated to cancer research (if you read the book you’ll understand why), but the support I received wasn’t only about that. I felt valued and welcomed, part of a global tribe.

Everywhere I reached out, people offered help and friendship. An eco-system of journalists, podcasters, YouTubers, former players, respected authors and ordinary fans - all willing to lend support and help publicise my book, for the good of the cause. This really shouldn’t have surprised me, for it is a phenomenon I had reflected on in the book:

“Along the way, I have pondered what it means to be a football fan. Why does it seem to matter so much? The answer, I found, lies in the collective experience. My personal emotional journey is of little relevance. It is the huge global Spurs community, sharing through social media, podcasts and in person at supporters club meet-ups all over the world, that brings meaning. Life is about human connection.”

The people who helped me included Jack Pitt-Brooke (The Athletic), Brendan McGerty (The Cheeseroom), Flav Bateman (The Fighting Cock/The Lab), Chris Cowlin (Spurs Chat), Rachel Martin (THST), Dame Julie Welch (The Official THFC Biographer) and many others. These high profile influencers and commentators are all passionate Spurs fans. I was struck not only by how helpful they were to me, but how readily they shared connections - in effect forming a collaborative network that spans the globe.

So far so good. 

But there’s another side to the Spurs fan experience that reveals itself on social media in what I describe as the ‘democratisation of opinion’. On the whole I believe it’s a good thing that we can all join in the debate so easily, but the consequences are not always positive.

It’s a phenomenon that Flav Bateman reflected on when I interviewed him recently for my next book:

“When something goes wrong, it's ‘sack the manager, sack the board, get everybody out’. And while they may well have a point, it's not necessarily right. We don't have enough information to make a genuine call. We don't know about Lange, we don't know what was going on behind the scenes. We have no idea if we were after 20 players in January, or we were after just the ones we signed. But it's the outcome of the window that people are affected by naturally. But that fury is fuelled by the constant rumour and constant conversation and constant democratisation of opinion - which is a great phrase - across social media. And so it's created this sort of angry mob all the time.”

Since launching The White Hart Review I’ve been actively engaging with Spurs accounts on X and I have observed the angry mob getting angrier as the situation has become more dire. One particular line of attack that has become prevalent is what I would call ‘fan on fan’. People taking pride in how early or vociferously they began to protest against ENIC, and criticizing other fans for only more recently protesting against the club, or not at all. As if being one of the first to turn on your club was a badge of honour.

Rachel Martin, from THST, has had a particularly troubling experience. “Just recently I’ve started to get only a very small number of really vile, misogynistic sort of comments. I just block them straight away,” she told me.

It’s not new news that X is a cesspool of abuse and ignorance. I don’t suppose my voice will make much difference but, for what it’s worth, I urge Spurs fans to be respectful and considerate in how they engage with one another. I get that we’re all angry with what has happened to our club, but the answer doesn’t lie in rudeness and conflict. 

I established this platform to provide a place where fans can articulate their opinions in long form. Unlike X, it encourages you to think through your position and articulate your argument in a considered and reasoned manner. I challenge fans who feel despondent, angry even, to sit down and use the power of the written word to articulate your opinions. Nicely.

If you’d like to submit an article I’d love to hear from you. Email me at andrewpettiferwrites@gmail.com