Stan Collymore wants Premier League to intervene as controversial footage of Leeds United players makes him wince
Stan Collymore has criticised Leeds United players for failing to engage with supporters before their recent clash with Bournemouth.
A video went viral on social media of Whites players appearing to ignore fans as they departed their hotel before the match last month.
The club have since apologised to supporters, with Collymore now proposing a solution to help deal with the issue.
“As a fan, I looked at the video of Leeds players ignoring supporters the other day and winced, just as I did at the video of Arsenal’s players signing a shirt but failing to engage with one of their young supporters recently,” Collymore wrote for the Sunday People (Page 60, 7 May).
“But I also do understand that players are in the zone on matchdays, particularly when there’s so much to play for. We should scotch any idea that it’s just supporters getting that treatment as well because if a chairman or chief exec went into the dressing room on a matchday, they’d get a rollicking and have the door slammed in their face.
“What I’d like to see now is the Premier League stepping in and asking clubs to get their players to go down to the lobby half an hour earlier than they do to give a bit of time to supporters before they switch their game faces on.”
Heat of the moment
It’s hard to criticise players for failing to react to fans, particularly in the heat of the moment when all there is to think about is getting points on the board.
Of course, the supporters have spent money and time to be able to watch their idols playing, but at the end of the day they are there to watch the game, and the players are there to play.
But yes, there is the argument that these players are role models, especially for their younger fans, so taking a small bit of time out to appreciate them and talk to them wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Unfortunately for players, everything is caught on cameras on matchdays, with those cameras perhaps not seeing the behind-the-scenes fan engagement that players often carry out away from the pitch.
While fans will be disappointed not to be able to get something back from the team, their main priority – at least for older supporters – is to see the club pick up much-needed points and remain in the Premier League for another season.
In other Leeds United news, one Sky Sports pundit has slammed Luke Ayling after the defender was caught “ball-watching” against Manchester City on Saturday (6 May).