Now I know there are lot of fans who wouldn’t say boo to a goose. And far more who fail to make a noise of any description, to geese or any other bipeds, when attending the often hushed sanctity of Ashburton Grove. But quite a few like to make themselves heard by way of encouragement or otherwise. Encouragement is good, abuse of opponents is fair game, abuse of the ref and linos is often mandatory so far so I’m concerned and ridiculing away fans is something of a sport in its own right. Moaning of course is also natural state for many a fan. No doubt there is a moaner sitting near you who enjoys nothing more than whining the entire game, often about one particular player, regardless of how they are actually playing on the day. Slagging is also quite normal, but I hate it when some clown slags our own players and that’s how it is with booing. Booing is in essence a communal slagging without the cleverly articulated snide comments. What on earth does booing your own players achieve?

Everyone is free to express any opinion and I understand totally the argument that the customer is always right. Although how often have you known that not to be the case as some total prat sitting behind you mouths an absolute load of drivel about things they clearly know nothing about, football for example. I believe it is everyone’s constitutional right to talk crap, and some like politicians and Mark Lawrenson even get paid for it. But at games there is also a historical right of reply, whereby punters spouting drivel should expect to receive a verbal volley from better informed fans disagreeing with their inept analysis. Elsewhere this might be referred to as audience participation, at a match it’s regarded as putting down an irritating know-all. Feel free to say what you like but don’t shout crap within my hearing.

Booing the ref is fine, booing a lino is fine, booing the blue nosed Glaswegian anti-christ is mandatory and booing opponents is optional if you think jeering the afflicted is a worthy pastime. But booing our own players, is it ever really on? Has it ever improved a performance, increased work rate, enhanced skills, turned a game in our favour or done anything other than make the booee feel worse? I looked up booee by the way, it’s not in the dictionary and so presumably not a real word, but I’m sure most of you get the drift.

Arsene says get behind the team. I say give anyone booing any of our players a mouthful. They may be crap, embarrassing divers, greedy badge kissers or useless in front of goal - but they are ours and booing them won’t improve their game!