Anthony O’Connor .. & any other 'Off Topic' Issues!

It's like if someone covered the fire memorial in graffiti. It's just a bit of marble with some names on isn't it? Doesn't matter.

Unbelievable.

If it were "just a bit of elastic", then why wear it at all? In fact, why don't all eleven wear it? It's because it has meaning and stature, and is something that has to be earnt.

I don't like what he did last season, but I do like what he is doing this season.

 

The more I think about this thread the more I think it's embarrassing! I say that Bradford City Football Club acts like a charity at times and fans, media are far too soft with their demands and expectations of the club.

You only have to read the Reeves thread to see how some want to put Reeves rehabilitation ahead of the bigger aim which is going up this season.

I've said to @JonButterfield many times about moving on from last season but just like people having a go at Akpan, praising AOC is wrong also. AOC let down the armband for me last season and both players didn't produce.

AOC is just doing his job and yes he's done well this season so far but let's not go extra about it. He needs to still up his game but what next we going to start a song about him?

Let him concentrate and get us up but let's not act like a soft club. At most clubs he would of been out of the door by now.

 

So does that mean you won't be commenting on the players and how Bowyer is doing from now on then?

 

No, I still will be for sure.

 

This post highlights my entire point that some people give the captain’s armband such an overstated level of importance. Once you start comparing the treatment of the armband to the fire memorial then you’ve totally lost perspective.

 

If AOC is part of a side that gets us promoted then great. Back, almost to square one.

All he's got to do then is carry in that progression and help us back towards the top end of league one.

Then, and only then does he get his "clean slate".

For the record though, that applies to any senior player that was here last year and it's not just directed to AOC.

 

Again, you're mistaking a direct comparison with an indirect comparison.

Nobody is saying burning money or flags or desecrating the memorial is the same as treating the armband with disdain - they're just highlighting how flawed the 'logic' is when someone says the armband is a piece of fabric.

A slap of chiselled stone isn't important in and of itself. A bit of cloth with a motif on isn't important in and of itself. We get that, and it's redundant to point it out - just like it's redundant to say an armband isn't important in and of itself. It's called symbolism, and a memorial only has meaning if people allow it - a flag only has meaning if people allow it - and money only has meaning if people allow it.

It's a nothing argument to say an armband doesn't mean a thing, because it means everything to say many players and fans the world over. If you make that nothing argument, you already accepted perspective is nothing, so you can't rely on that perspective to bail you out later on in the debate. If you say the armband has no significance, then you automatically accept that any work of art, fashion, currency, etc etc etc has no significance either.

That's the logic you're applying.

 

The captains armband and is literally the most pointless thing in football. Unless you want to include the coin toss It doesn't give the person wearing it any extra responsibility and all the arguments in favour of it such as being a leader, motivating others etc are things which any other player can fulfill, including the team capital himself if the armband was binned off all together. To suggest that one irrelevant object is the same as discarding the very thing that keeps the world functioning and then comparing it to vandalising a fire memorial is sheer lunacy.

 

Enough, already !!

AOC did not just rip off his (faulty) armband and grind it into the mud where he was standing. He tossed it into our goal net, where it could be retrieved later (and was).
Also - did he mutter "Sod this for a lark" to his team mates ? NO. The term Captain is a title ....... and in terms of football history, the band is a new addition, which I believe was introduced for the referees benefit ? I don't see anything that suggests AOC abandoned his Captains duties, at a time the Club were in turmoil.
This was argued about at the time, yet still it rages on .......

It truly is tiresome, now.

 

I'm not. I'm breaking down the comment that it's "just a piece of elastic". The OP in my opinion has totally lost perspective, or the love of life, just viewing anything from the material it's made from, and totally forgetting about the meaning behind it.. He'd probably be the first to complain if our next kit is a pink paisley patterned affair - but you know, who cares about dropping the claret and amber, it's just a playing kit right? Probably not the best club to compare to atm, but look at how Cardiff City fans revolted when their bluebird colours were taken away. Or maybe Cardiff City are a good club to compare to - they obviously don't have standards, morals and a respect for the value for the club and football - something that O'Connors actions reflected last season when he threw off that piece of elastic.

 

Yawn

 

O'Connor can do one. disrespectful, unprofessional and feckless. he's not even playing all that well, I'd still much sooner we had Paudie in there rather than him.

City fans are so fickle, I swear that If Edin came back tomorrow to take over and went to the press saying he's changed and knows what it takes the same people would be on here saying we have to give him a chance.

 

I'd be with you. Perhaps even to the extent of your 'meh' attitude to him leaving, which simply weakens our promotion challenge, if you had actual proof that he disrespected the armband. i.e. proof that O'Connor was laughing

I'm with some of the others and will go further, the incident was used as ammunition for those fans who had spent all season getting infuriated by how we performed

 

Frighteningly ridiculous comparison. I have a lot of respect for you, so I take on board your opinion and clearly others share it, but I find it jaw droppingly astounding that not only is this going to be used to mean nothing he could do would get your respect back, but you'd cheerfully see him leave when he's a vital squad member

 

HAHAHA.....is this a joke post? Fickle? One of the most consistent performers this season? FFS

 

How do you know he's not playing that well? You left for the pub after 20 minutes on Saturday lol.

 

wasn't even that long.

I've seen the rest of the games, though!

 

yes, fickle. which you've just proved by singing his praises.

 

He's been near enough faultless this season. Fantastic on Saturday. Had a clean slate with me this season just like the rest. He's proved he's got what it takes to be an asset in this team. The armband was the least of the teams worries that day at Fratton Park I witnessed it myself. If he'd have thrown it down in anger or stamped it into the mud or spat on it I'd understand the uproar. Something of nothing in comparison with what was going on at the club. You really think him keeping the armband on was gonna get us a point that day? Don't even know why an armband is necessary I used to hate wearing it. Didn't make a blind bit of difference whether I had it on or not. Used to take it off quite often and was never questioned as to why.

 

A perfect example of someone who's letting bitterness of last season cloud their judgement on how someone is performing this season and if it's not bitterness then clearly they don't understand football. Anthony O'Connor has at very least been just as good as Paudie and BRE. @Ricc this isn't being fickle is called moving on from last season and being fair an honest to someone who has performed well.