Ban players wearing headphones

[NRC]

Leeds fans outraged, and rightly so, after a video of the players ignoring a little boy, wearing a Leeds kit, who just wanted to have them wave to him as they left the team hotel, has gone viral. The club, to their credit have asked the parents to reach out...... but the Leeds fans calling for a headphones ban in their comments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikqED_pzhZk

[NewClaret]

Not a fan of seeing our lads walk off the bus/around the ground with them on. You’re at work lads. Take them off on the bus and talk to your team mates.

That’s one thing I think Dyche had right.

[Jakubclaret]

You would have thought that'd be the least of their problems, maybe the players are wearing headphones when gracia is explaining to them about the importance in defending.

[BurnleyFC]

Footballers wandering around staring at their phones with daft headphones on look like zombies.

[kentonclaret]

Footballers wandering around staring at their phones with daft headphones on look like zombies.

Walk down any High Street and you will soon realise that footballers are behaving like a large percentage of the younger generation today. Step aside or have a head on collision.

[CoolClaret]

Couldn’t be arsed if they wear them or not, not everyone is the same and it’s a way for some players to get into the zone and relax.

Seems to be working just fine for us as well

[Cabbage]

Walk down any High Street and you will soon realise that footballers are behaving like a large percentage of the younger generation today. Step aside or have a head on collision.

Correct. I have a son at home like that. Has now decided not to honour us with his presence at the weekend until lunchtime. Unless we’re going to an away game.

[DCWat]

Leeds fans outraged, and rightly so, after a video of the players ignoring a little boy, wearing a Leeds kit, who just wanted to have them wave to him as they left the team hotel, has gone viral. The club, to their credit have asked the parents to reach out...... but the Leeds fans calling for a headphones ban in their comments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikqED_pzhZk

It’s quite sad to see the little lad, politely waving at his heroes and hoping for nothing more than some acknowledgment.

I get that all of the attention might, on occasion, become a bit tiresome, but there is no excuse for such ignorance.

It’s got nothing to do with phones or headphones, it’s solely about being a decent person.

My inclination, if I was his parent, would be to throw their reach out request back in their faces with some choice words. It’d only mean the little lad missing out again though, so probably not the right approach.

Hell, the way they’re performing, they should be going even further out of their way to keep fans on side. Tossers.

[beddie]

So the security fella then goes and stands right in front of the young lad, brilliant. Some players are so far up their own backsides.

[Lancasterclaret]

Alternative view here

They use them to get into the zone, into their routine, and it helps them prepare

Yes, they shouldn't ignore fans, even Leeds ones but its certainly massively overblown because of their crap results recently

[ClaretTony]

Not a fan of seeing our lads walk off the bus/around the ground with them on. You’re at work lads. Take them off on the bus and talk to your team mates.

That’s one thing I think Dyche had right.

It was a rule with Dyche and it seems noticeable to me that the players who were here when he was manager still don't.

[randomclaret2]

Not a fan of seeing our lads walk off the bus/around the ground with them on. You’re at work lads. Take them off on the bus and talk to your team mates.

That’s one thing I think Dyche had right.

I personally agree with this ...however , whatever policies Kompany has put in place have ultimately worked a treat

[NewClaret]

It was a rule with Dyche and it seems noticeable to me that the players who were here when he was manager still don't.

I’ve noticed exactly the same thing Tony. You don’t get Barnes, Corky, Charlie, etc doing it. I get it’s a generational thing, I just think when getting off a bus and entering a stadium players can live without their music for a few minutes while they’re passing fans/staff and just engage with them a bit.

I get that it doesn’t impact their performances and I’m probably old fashioned.

[jrgbfc]

Don't even have to stop and sign autographs. A quick fist bump requires no effort whatsoever and would have probably made the little lads day.

[No Ney Never]

Walk down any High Street and you will soon realise that footballers are behaving like a large percentage of the younger generation today. Step aside or have a head on collision.

These lads aren't walking down the high street.
Once upon a time, engaging with supporters used to be part of playing for the club.

Maybe next time Leeds score, instead of applause, all the fans should just look down at their phones.

[claptrappers_union]

Not a fan of seeing our lads walk off the bus/around the ground with them on. You’re at work lads. Take them off on the bus and talk to your team mates.

That’s one thing I think Dyche had right.

He was spot on. Between the coach and the venue, take your headphones off. It's just a tiny ask. This is when you know who the proper players are... they're good lads who, at the minimum, smile and say hello.

How hard is it to be polite?

[taio]

Danny Murphy who can speak quite a lot of sense very recently gave an inside view on this on the radio. He was against it and referred to a manager who banned them - can't remember who - and they, including the players, saw the benefits straightaway.

[bobinho]

It’s quite sad to see the little lad, politely waving at his heroes and hoping for nothing more than some acknowledgment.

I get that all of the attention might, on occasion, become a bit tiresome, but there is no excuse for such ignorance.

It’s got nothing to do with phones or headphones, it’s solely about being a decent person.

My inclination, if I was his parent, would be to throw their reach out request back in their faces with some choice words. It’d only mean the little lad missing out again though, so probably not the right approach.

Hell, the way they’re performing, they should be going even further out of their way to keep fans on side. Tossers.

If I was the parent, and I thought for one minute that by allowing them to reach out they’d learn from it, I’d happily get involved.

They are very young, very privileged young men who have only one interest. Themselves.

I’d be telling them to poke it, I’d make sure it’s all over social media and I’d make it up to my little lad another way. Perhaps by introducing him to a sport with players that actually have a little respect for something other than the belief that they really are something special.

[aclaretinstevenage]

The players wear the headphones on arrival to eliminate hearing derogatory or abusive shouts from the idiot factor allowing them to focus their minds on the job at hand rather than become enraged or worse embroiled in an argument with said idiots.

Imagine the Clarets arriving at Deadwood last Tuesday, the locals would not have been friendly would they.

I don't like it but I'm told by a pal who scouts for a midlands club that this is the reason players do it / are told to do it.

[Colburn_Claret]

Terrible from any team.
The headphones.
Eyes down watching their mobiles.
Not just ignoring the fans, but ignoring each other.
It doesn't engender team spirit, and it certainly doesn't endear the fans.

I feel for the youngster, an impressionable age, he had probably been looking forward to tat moment for hours. What a pack of selfish pricks. I so hope they go down.

[Socrates]

Danny Murphy who can speak quite a lot of sense

Danny Murphy who can what?

[taio]

Danny Murphy who can what?

As above

[Jakubclaret]

Danny Murphy who can speak quite a lot of sense very recently gave an inside view on this on the radio. He was against it and referred to a manager who banned them - can't remember who - and they, including the players, saw the benefits straightaway.

There's a time & a place & a long coach journey fair enough, but good manners off the coach you would take them off when engaging with friendly fans, the problems appear to be they seem to be constantly glued to ears.

[Loyalclaret]

Noticed Micheal Obafemi was wearing them on the pitch at Ewood before the game, whilst talking to his team mates

[bpgburn]

The players wear the headphones on arrival to eliminate hearing derogatory or abusive shouts from the idiot factor allowing them to focus their minds on the job at hand rather than become enraged or worse embroiled in an argument with said idiots.

Imagine the Clarets arriving at Deadwood last Tuesday, the locals would not have been friendly would they.

I don't like it but I'm told by a pal who scouts for a midlands club that this is the reason players do it / are told to do it.

Personally I don't think they are that precious and If that was the case they would be better wearing them during an away match and when leaving the pitch when the abuse is constant....

....you're fcking shiiiiit

[bobinho]

The players wear the headphones on arrival to eliminate hearing derogatory or abusive shouts from the idiot factor allowing them to focus their minds on the job at hand rather than become enraged or worse embroiled in an argument with said idiots.

Imagine the Clarets arriving at Deadwood last Tuesday, the locals would not have been friendly would they.

I don't like it but I'm told by a pal who scouts for a midlands club that this is the reason players do it / are told to do it.

Well (respectfully) tell your pal he’s talking ********. No way on earth it has anything to do with “hurty words”. They have that all afternoon from the opposition fans.
They do it because they are generally ignorant, have no manners and can’t be arsed to engage with people.

What was the “job at hand” here? Getting on the bus?

Happens at loads of clubs, and with loads of players - and I’ve always thought it was ignorant and classless. I was always happy our lads didn’t do it. Yet another example of a touch of class brought to our club by SD.

Getting into “the zone” my arse…. It’s the height of ignorance.

[IanMcL]

Walk down any High Street and you will soon realise that footballers are behaving like a large percentage of the younger generation today. Step aside or have a head on collision.

The most dangerous time is when they cross the road! Neither Tufty nor the Green Cross Man reached them - or any other variant!

[AmbleClaret]

Is there even ONE person in this message board who'd be upset to see D Leeds relegated?

[BigGaz]

Well (respectfully) tell your pal he’s talking ********. No way on earth it has anything to do with “hurty words”. They have that all afternoon from the opposition fans.
They do it because they are generally ignorant, have no manners and can’t be arsed to engage with people.

What was the “job at hand” here? Getting on the bus?

Happens at loads of clubs, and with loads of players - and I’ve always thought it was ignorant and classless. I was always happy our lads didn’t do it. Yet another example of a touch of class brought to our club by SD.

Getting into “the zone” my arse…. It’s the height of ignorance.

Hate to say this to you Bob fella, but what you are asserting here is a bit "old man shouts at clouds".

There are clear, defined benefits to listening to music pre-game (and many other scenarios including pre-surgery, during study, after a stressful life event etc) and any football club that utilises a Sports Psychology function will almost certainly see their players under instruction to do many things pre and post game such as freeing their minds from distraction and visualising being successful in the game (or manifesting if you prefer). Music can be a really important tool in facilitating those kinds of desired mental outcomes and so it is encouraged. I know my partner encourages it with her clients.

A book and a couple of journals worth your time if you happen to be interested in the mechanics of it.

Inside Sport Psychology. Human Kinetics.
The effect of pre-task music on swimming performance. Journal of Sports Sciences, 27(2), 175-181.
Effects of self-selected music on strength, explosiveness, and mood. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(7), 1934-1938.

Where I am with you is that I think it is less about the "hurty words". It is more just outside distraction, whether positive or negative.
Where I am also with you is that i think some of these lads could stand to learn some emotional intelligence skills about when or not it's appropriate to do so.

[AmbleClaret]

Hate to say this to you Bob fella, but what you are asserting here is a bit "old man shouts at clouds".

There are clear, defined benefits to listening to music pre-game (and many other scenarios including pre-surgery, during study, after a stressful life event etc) and any football club that utilises a Sports Psychology function will almost certainly see their players under instruction to do many things pre and post game such as freeing their minds from distraction and visualising being successful in the game (or manifesting if you prefer). Music can be a really important tool in facilitating those kinds of desired mental outcomes and so it is encouraged. I know my partner encourages it with her clients.

A book and a couple of journals worth your time if you happen to be interested in the mechanics of it.

Inside Sport Psychology. Human Kinetics.
The effect of pre-task music on swimming performance. Journal of Sports Sciences, 27(2), 175-181.
Effects of self-selected music on strength, explosiveness, and mood. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(7), 1934-1938.

Where I am with you is that I think it is less about the "hurty words". It is more just outside distraction, whether positive or negative.
Where I am also with you is that i think some of these lads could stand to learn some emotional intelligence skills about when or not it's appropriate to do so.

********. It's about being a decent human being.

[superdimitri]

Invite the kid to turf moor to meet some proper heroes instead.

[NRC]

Look at him - he's just a little boy, glassy-eyed. Seriously, what does it take to wave or fist-bump him? Pointing out what the security guard did is the devil's icing on the devil's cake - he deliberately blocked the little lad's view

[Leon_C]

I would definitely prefer to see players engage with the fans in such situations, but I don't understand the level of outrage, and calls for "bans".
If these young lads prefer to close themselves off, then so be it.
We'd prefer them to smile, to sign autographs, and what-have-you... but they're still adults, who are, to all intents and purposes, at work.
For those players who choose to distance themselves from fans in this way, their equity may be affected, it may not - they take the risk.

[BigGaz]

********. It's about being a decent human being.

I am in full agreement there is a time and place for them to have their earphones on and be courteous to people.

In relation to music and it's benefits to focus, concentration, well being etc, it is demonstrably not whatever flavourful word you used.

[Here's-Johnny]

There's a time & a place & a long coach journey fair enough, but good manners off the coach you would take them off when engaging with friendly fans, the problems appear to be they seem to be constantly glued to ears.

Our Players also on a long journey engaged with lots of very Young fans after the Bristol game on Saturday ...plenty of happy smiling faces all round

[Jakubclaret]

Our Players also on a long journey engaged with lots of very Young fans after the Bristol game on Saturday ...plenty of happy smiling faces all round

That's exactly the way it should be, good memories are very important for an healthy child's cognitive development.

[Jellybean]

These players are extremely privileged and shielded away from the public eye most of time when training and in stadiums. They literally have to turn on the charm for the walk in and out of the stadium one or two games a week before they can hide from it all again till the next one. No excuses for that tiny window of time before and after the game not to turn on the charm, make their young fans dreams come true and acknowledge the people who ultimately help pay their wages. These videos are very hard to watch, the zombie look isn't a good one, and I really hope there are no more instances.

[Enola Gay]

They do it because they are generally ignorant, have no manners and can’t be arsed to engage with people.

Generalising much?

[Spiral]

Not gonna lie if I were an hour an a half away from playing a game in front of thousands of people I'd probably be $hitting my guts out, so I'd have whale noises, rainforest noises, whatever, anything to distract myself from my own neurotic thoughts, anything to stop me from vomiting. There are times I would've benefitted from it in the dentist waiting room. Can't imagine how stressful it would feel to play on TV and whatnot. Going "oh, they're paid a fortune to deal with that" is ridiculous. Take a million to stare a hungry lion in the face and tell me you're not still stressed.

[bobinho]

Not gonna lie if I were an hour an a half away from playing a game in front of thousands of people I'd probably be $hitting my guts out, so I'd have whale noises, rainforest noises, whatever, anything to distract myself from my own neurotic thoughts, anything to stop me from vomiting. There are times I would've benefitted from it in the dentist waiting room. Can't imagine how stressful it would feel to play on TV and whatnot. Going "oh, they're paid a fortune to deal with that" is ridiculous. Take a million to stare a hungry lion in the face and tell me you're not still stressed.

That’s just you though isn’t it? You can’t assume they are all feeling the same way you would and then chalk it off. Going “oh, they might be listening to whale noises because they are all scared shitless about doing what they’ve been doing every week for the last 1/2/5/10 years” is ridiculous.
There may be a couple who need the isolation the headphones can bring, but GENERALLY, it comes down to them being ignorant and not wanting to be bothered with anyone they don’t know.
There i go, generalising again….

[Nori1958]

The truth is out

Most players interacted with the young lad, signing things , fist pumping etc.....confirmed by family who released photos showing the incident in a different light , than the video everyone went mad about

[claptrappers_union]

I’m with you, bobinho; you’re not generalising. To give the footballers, and mainly a whole team benefit of the doubt, they’ve probably been instructed not to engage as they need to get to the next place quickly. If it’s an airport, they’re probably a bus or shuttle waiting for them. Still doesn’t excuse the attitude, though.

Maybe a 30-second walk could turn into 5 minutes as soon as they have posed for obligatory selfies or signed shirts that end up on eBay for profit.

As for being in the zone, I can understand the argument 10 mins before kick-off, but they have to remove their headphones for the warm-up, the team talk, stand in the tunnel and so on. You don’t see subs listening to music.

[Spiral]

That’s just you though isn’t it? You can’t assume they are all feeling the same way you would

And you can't assume they're not, so what the fk are we even doing here? I can almost hear the pitch of your register when bashing these posts out. I think you're overreacting and making yourself look silly.

[bobinho]

You can hear nothing fella… you posted something and I questioned it. Wtf are you even on about anyway “pitch of your register”? Is that like another version of the “man shouts at clouds” statement that’s usually aimed at anyone over 40 who has an opinion about something?

And there’s no over-reaction, we are simply discussing something contentious. I merely suggested that they don’t do it because they are scared shitless. I think most people would assume that…

I think this behaviour is unacceptable, I believe it’s based on arrogance and ignorance, and it’s downright rude. By all means have a different opinion.

Anyway, turns out it wasn’t quite as clear cut as was first reported…. Imagine that?