THE interaction between managers, players and fans is vital for Worcester City and non-league football in general.
Everybody has an opinion and I always go into the bar after every game, firstly to see my family but also to socialise with the players and the supporters.
If that side of our sport was ever taken away it would be a sad day for me.
In the professional game there is certainly an ‘us and them’ culture when it comes to interaction.
But many of our supporters will come up to the players and I to have a chat about the match and give us their thoughts.
I am always happy to speak with anybody regarding Worcester City.
I think that is great — you wouldn’t get a fan of a Premier League club going up to the manager and telling him where they thought he was going wrong.
It is an important aspect at our level and clashes with supporters are few and far between as a result.
A lot of that is down to us being down-to-earth people and we are happy to hear opinions and respect them.
There are various ways of expressing your opinion but I am not a fan of internet forums when people post under spoof names and criticise.
I think there is enough opportunity for people to express their views face-to-face and that doesn’t mean it has to be confrontational.
It’s interesting to hear people’s views and perhaps get a different perspective on things. This helps to establish a community spirit and that was amplified with Non-League Day last Saturday when, with no Premiership or Championship action, the focus was on the semi-professional game.
We had children playing matches on the St George’s Lane pitch before the Corby fixture and I took time to speak to some of them and their parents.
Things like that can only be good for the future of non-league and our club.
Such relationships are also enhanced when you see the same faces at games, particularly at away fixtures.
There are a few fans I never fail to see at our away matches and I take my hat off to them.
It doesn’t matter how many or few there are, they never miss games and it does give the team a lift.
I try to make a point of going to say hello or at least acknowledging them.
It’s a hell of a commitment to travel the length and breadth of the country to watch non-league football. It takes a certain sort of supporter and all clubs have got them.
Worcester City are no different and Kieran Mooney, who sadly passed away last week, encapsulated that.
On behalf of everyone at the club, we would like to send our condolences to his family and close friends — our thoughts are with them.
Everybody at Worcester had the utmost respect for Kieran, he was a great ambassador for the club.
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