‘True’ fans rarely the ones sitting at home

LIMERICK hurling manager John Kiely should, perhaps, have borrowed a leaf out of Harry Redknapp’s management book when dealing with abusive supporters last month.

Kiely revealed his disgust at the abuse directed at some of his players during his team’s seven-goal mauling by Cork in the Munster Hurling League.

He had every right, too, but we are not too sure if his call for ‘true’ Limerick supporters to come out and follow his team actually made that much sense.

‘There are people out there that aren’t behind the team, we would rather they stayed away,’ insisted the Treaty boss.

‘And we would like to see the people who are real, true hurling people in Limerick step up and follow the team through thick and thin,’ he added.

After all, it is only the ‘true’ hardcore supporter (like Pat Carroll from Croom, right) that can find it in themselves to leave their warm fires at this time of the year and pay hard cash to see rusty veterans and hopeful kids tog out in an atmosphere-free zone It is probably best to keep those followers on board while teaching them a lesson, which brings us to Harry. When he was the West Ham boss in the mid 90s, Ham, he took the side for a preseason friendly to Oxford but with things not going to plan, he quickly tired of his ear being reddened by the abuse coming from one fan and decided it was best to intervene.

‘Right then,’ he said ‘let’s see how good you are.’ He subsequently turned to the opinionated supporter and furnished him with a full kit.

Redknapp played his outspoken critic in the second half and what he lost in quality, he gained in peace.