No room for negativity and disrespect: Hill

KEITH Hill insists signing a five-year deal at Dale was a show of loyalty –and now he wants it back from supporters.

Hill was disappointed with some of the negative songs sung by a small section of fans at the game against Peterborough at the Crown Oil Arena on Saturday.

And, while it was later established that the calls of ‘You’re getting sacked in the mrorning’ were not intended for the Dale chief, Hill still wants more respect.

“Everybody expects more when the bar has been raised,” he said.

“I can’t do anything about that but I signed a five-year deal to show loyalty to this club and all those supporters who keep mithering me and pestering me, telling me ‘don’t leave, don’t let us down like you did when you went to Barnsley.’ I am ambitious, but I can’t turn water into wine. I love working for this club on behalf of the people and I expect better support and less disrespect.

“To suggest, to a certain degree, that we are rubbish at home, why are we winning? I don’t like that. If it’s said in jest or whatever, I don’t like it. You can talk about modern day trends, less patience - what happened to those ‘grandad’ values?

“Fighting for the nation - if you want to fight for something, fight together against 23 other League One teams so that we can be successful. I am slightly angry but in the main I am ninety nine per cent positive about everything that’s being done, including the supporters.

“The fans on Tuesday night at Charlton were impeccible. For them to do what they do and make the financial sacrifices they did in travelling to Charlton, it’s amazing. They put their pound notes in front of this club. But there shouldn’t be any negativity or disrespect towards our team and me.”