Is that why they are called Spectators (speckies) and not Supporters anymore

This really annoys me - being called a "Fair Weather supporter" or not a 'True' supporter simply for criticising the players, coaches or management.

The criticism I give the club is because I really care about what happens at Leeds.

Over the years I have come to believe that about 90% of the people that watch Rugby League have no real understanding of what they are watching (present company excluded obviously), and just see 26 blokes running around trying to knock the cr@p out of each other. These people's understanding has been replaced with blind faith, which means at no point can anyone say anything negative about their beloved club because if they do then they aren't a 'true' supporter or are a fair weather fan.

I tend to find it amusing in all honesty especially as plenty of the fan base who have witnessed real turmoil would be the the ones who will be left standing should a major plummet down the league return.
Its also interesting that at no point the aforementioned "Uber fans" grasp the context of the criticism.

I think in these circumstances it's fair. Their's been some previous times like last year when after we had such a strong start we had a 3 match winless run with losses to Wire and Widnes and draw vs Hudds when SOME people laid it on thick carrying on like it was the beginning of the end.

That's why I've defended the team in the past, not because I'm an apologist, but because when you look back at some of the things/periods people got carried away with in terms of criticising and compare to the current run then it's almost laughable how worked up they got previously.

Printer- 99% of the criticism is rellevant to the performances at that time did fans stop going?
No they didn't again the context has to be understood & at no point is it a p!$$ing contest into who the "real fans" are supposed to be.

Precisely this. People can (and do) still care about the club even when offering opinions perceived to be critical/negative/unconstructive.

Whatever happened to the maxim that everyone, in this largely free country, is entitled to their opinion and to express that right in any way they see fit?

I've supported Leeds for the best part of thirty five years. In that time, I've seen sat through some absolute dross but, I'm still a paying customer and I will be until somebody nails the lid shut. However, I don't think it is my place or anyone else's for that matter, to criticise how other people exercise their freedom of expression.

Punters of any kind tend to vote with their feet, it really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

Apologies to all who have taken offence as I did not mean that you didn't have the right to criticise or comment on the current state of affairs.
Perhaps I mis worded my post.
The point I was trying to make was that IMO I think that any team which lost 4 key players and then suffered so many injuries to other 1st choice players would struggle to keep pace with the competition.

Never said nobody wasn't real fans or that they stopped going.

But way too often people have overreacted to the slightest thing that didn't go well, it's the extremes of what people say I find ridiculous at times.

JAN 2015 - after the way the 2014 season ended with 5 league defeats and the playoff exit to Catalans, quite a lot of people were saying we had too many old players, our signings like Briscoe and Aiton were poor, guys like Hardaker can't do the basics like passing, players like Ward were used incorrectly as a workhorse 2nd row and we'd lucky to make top 4

Skip forward to APR 2016
Now people are saying any coach could've lead that group of players to a treble and that we should've dominated the league.

I mean come on which is it, either they were good enough to win a treble with any coach or they were too old/poor signings/unable to do basics/played incorrectly. It's one extreme to another.

I would suggest it is somewhere between the two - the basic skills of some Leeds players is embarrassing for a pro player.

You cannot look at Leeds in isolation you need to consider the competition as a whole. Were Leeds any better in 2015 than 2014 not sure I saw a huge improvement in standard in fact it could be argued they went backwards but not as fast as everyone else. So winning everything one year and not winning the GF the previous year does not prove your point either way.

It could be argued that both statements were in fact true.

The OP is very unfair.

Fair weather supporters support their team wholeheartedly when they are doing well.

It would if it were the only club suffering in that way - but virtually every club has a significant injury list.

Fair point

Which clubs have suffered as badly as we have through missing players?

Let's start with Wigan - they are missing there starting FB, starting HB, starting hooker plus a host of other players, Hull KR had as many missing as we did if not more, Cas had 10 out when they played Huddersfield. That is before you talk about Saints.

So which ones have been as badly affected as Leeds over the course of the season to date

No it couldn't unless you were one of the people saying both those things and trying to backtrack your way out how contradictory they are.

The suggestion that Leeds weren't really any better in 2015 than in 2014, perhaps even went backwards is not only a prime example of this, but quite ridiculous.

I said neither but i do ? Where we currently are & i think the timing would be perfect to make more off/on field changes.
Also i always expected a tougher season this year it was obvious but i'll also say even with injuries/disruptions we should be performing better & adapted better in terms of shape etc.

Yes I agree and why I said criticism was pretty fair for the current period we're going through. I think 6th/7th place with maybe a W5/L5 record would be understandable in the circumstances.

And the timing could well be perfect to make changes. The 'big' one being moving on from McDermott....which might/probably will happen. Should remember it's only the 2nd week in April, I don't recall the departures of Powell, Smith and McClennen being decided or announced this early.

Not sure how early previous departures were decided prior to their oublic announcements tbh but its a fair point
Rumours and they are only rumours are that Mc.D will be moving on at the end of the season by his own choice.
Time will tell i just hope we can salvage some good performances & possibly a CC run.

I know if McDermott goes it most likely will be announced as a "mutual decision" and people will inevitably be dubious.....but you never know, he might genuinely think himself that he's gone as far as he can here.

Can't you just be self-satisfied with you super fandom? Is it really necessary start a smug, self-congratulatory thread on an internet forum? It makes you look like a sad b*****d. Pat yourself on the back fella if it means that much to you, but don't go fishing around the internet looking for others to do it for you

Out of interest, does the name "xparksider" have any particular relevance that we should know about if/when we engage in a discussion of fan loyalty?

I have said on here before i was very surprised how well leeds did in 2015 - but i would question whether the standard of play Leeds offered in 2015 was of better standard than in 2014. Most people would agree standards are falling season on season why is unrealistic to suggest that Leeds stagnated yet moved forward as their competitors regressed quicker?

I wondered how long it would take for someone to spot that. Give that man a coconut!!!!!!