Sky Sports' Johnny Phillips: Nothing gallant about staying until the bitter end

Queens Park Rangers manager Ian Holloway was having separation issues of his own this week too, writes Johnny Phillips.

A post-match outburst after his side’s 2-2 draw with Brentford sparked debate about an age-old theme.

At Loftus Road on Tuesday night, after watching his side battle back from a two-goal deficit with two injury-time strikes, Holloway took aim at the thousands of home fans who had left early and missed the drama.

“Don’t go, I’m begging you to stay…” Ah, no, sorry that was KC and his band. Holloway’s words, with his emotions running high, went like this: “You should have stayed. Everybody who did stay, well done, you deserve that. Don’t go home early.” Adding that supporters shouldn’t bother turning up if they’re going to leave early.

His opinion had softened by Wednesday morning after a good night’s sleep. “I’m sorry, you are a real QPR fan, of course you are,” he explained to the missing thousands. “I understand the travelling you’ve got to do and the expense you’ve got. I’m saying you’re a supporter and my team needs your support. Thanks for coming, you missed one hell of a moment.”

Holloway had come to his senses, then. Every fan has the right to leave a football match when he or she chooses, for there is nothing gallant about staying to the bitter end. The home supporters who trudged out of Loftus Road after watching 90 minutes of abject football against their local rivals had had enough.

They didn’t expect the injury-time comeback, but they knew it was a chance they were taking when leaving the game. You won’t hear early leavers complain about missing late drama, it is their choice. Holloway not only picked a fight with his own fans – never a good idea for any manager – but he started an argument he couldn’t win.

Throughout childhood I used to take great pride in never leaving Wolves matches early, taking the moral high ground as others would wander across the terrace to the exits or shuffle along the rows of seats as exasperated stayers had to stand up and let them leave.

Who were these fickle followers turning their back on the team before the final whistle? Don’t you hear me baby, don’t leave me now, oh no no no don’t go.

But it all changed 14 years ago today. On Tuesday, December 2, 2003, during a cold winter’s night in north London, the turning point arrived.

It was the fourth round of the League Cup. Wolves manager Dave Jones had picked a strong first-team line-up for the tie. It was live on television and, after a torrid start to the Premier League campaign, he didn’t want to see his charges humiliated against Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger had a different agenda, selecting seven players with no more than 13 first-team appearances between them. Frankie Simek made his debut – a footballer who never played for Arsenal again. Simek didn’t quite disappear off the map when he left Highbury, forging out a respectable career at Sheffield Wednesday. But there were others who did, such as Efstathios Tavlaridis. The disdain Wenger had for the competition couldn’t have been more apparent.

Accompanied by a few mates who had misjudged Wolves’ capabilities as badly as I had, we were pretty fed up in the away section of The Clock End, not to mention very cold, by the time Arsenal’s ragbag XI had gone 3-0 up early in the second half. So we headed off for a drink and the warm comforts of an Islington pub.

The point being, there was somewhere else we would rather have been. Several times since then an early exit has proved the best option. The last occasion involved another London away day, as a hapless Premier League campaign was coming to an end under Terry Connor’s temporary stewardship in March 2012. Four down to Fulham and accompanied by my wife – who has no interest in football but came along for moral support and counselling – we made our way out of the Putney End and headed down the Fulham Palace Road for the sanctuary of another hostelry.

Not all teams have acquired such an appetite for the mediocre as Wolves. There are those famous comebacks that have had the early leavers crying into their pints. The Champions League exploits of Manchester United in Barcelona and Liverpool in Istanbul. But it is about context too.

If you have forked out significant money to travel abroad and watch your team play in the biggest game of your life, then it probably isn’t wise to skip part of the match. Especially as, by definition, if it is a European Cup final then the likelihood is that your team is quite good and has the ability to mount a comeback.

For the QPR fans on Tuesday night, it was another painful display in a tiresome season. Holloway said his team needs the fans. True, but fans need something to hold on to as well. It is not good enough to demand blind loyalty and take support for granted. That I’m going to miss your love, the minute you walk out that door.

There is a romantic idealism to hanging around to the finish. Creating the best atmosphere possible for your team is beneficial.

Good on you if you want to do that. But, just as we have no right to be entertained, players and managers can’t demand that fans stay to the final whistle.

Holloway didn’t quite grasp that at first but, a bit like his team on Tuesday night, he got there in the end.