Fan Letters: ‘Get the contracts signed quickly!’

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Dear Roker Report,

Go back to when Parkinson was in charge and McGeady was down the road – Wyke couldn’t hit a barn door and was poor at best. Johnson comes in and reinstates McGeady then all of a sudden Wyke becomes a different player.

But most of Wyke’s goals were from crosses from McGeady and he didn’t have to move – the ball was put on a plate and Charlie just had to direct it into the net. Or so it seemed.

Wyke isn’t that good when he needs more than one touch which was proved in the second leg of the play-off semi-final, I’m really not sure if he would thrive elsewhere.

McGeady is different – by a mile the best player in League One – and the only player who makes you get off your seat. But his future is all behind him – Aiden why don’t you stay and finish your career with us? With you in our team you make us much better and a bit of loyalty would send a message to the other boys... come on Aiden sign that contract.

O’Nien is a capable player and with the injuries we had last year and because of his versatility, he was sacrificed and did a decent job out of position. Of the four players I think Luke is the more likely to sign a contract.

Hume, when fit, I believe would get into most championship teams and could get his head turned. He’s a great attacking outlet and let’s hope he stays.

So boys come and get the contracts signed quickly and let’s get out of this division.

Paul Crawley

Ed’s Note [Martin]: Thanks for the email Paul. I must admit I think the one least likely to sign is O’Nien – he’ll have a few championship offers and has very rarely been played in his preferred position. A championship club offering a midfield position will get O’Nien’s signature I suspect. I’d love Hume to stay, I hope he does, and I’m not at all fussed what Wyke does to be honest with you.

As far as McGeady goes, I’d like to see him stay, however, I think we have to use him more sparingly, rather than the overreliance we’ve had on him previously.

Whatever they’re going to do, however, I just wish they’d tell us one way or the other.

Photo by Mark Fletcher/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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Dear Roker Report,

Having read some of the letters and indeed the Roker Report’s stance on booing whilst players take a knee has left me troubled. Not at their/your personal opinions but at their/your opinion of others who think differently.

I for one would not boo the players for taking a knee, but neither would I applaud it.

Talk of weeding out fans who boo players taking a knee is ridiculous. These fans are entitled to their opinion yet the moral supremacists want to silence them because it is not the ‘correct’ way of thinking. MSM doesn’t care about why people boo, they just want to paint everyone with the same brush as thick racists.

There will always be racism, just as there will always be drug dealers, muggers etc. There will always be social injustice, people of the North East do not need lecturing on this issue. Sport is not the place to protest about it.

Politics is divisive in nature and will only lead to unnecessary battles between fans at grounds around the country.

I was really looking forward to a packed stadium next season but now I feel indifferent because politics has infiltrated my first love. If someone next to me boos at the first home game or decides to clap it will not bother me. I will respect their right to do so. However, If i hear someone making racist remarks then that would be different.

Just to be clear, as I don’t want to be lazily labelled a racist, I do not agree with the booing but nor do I agree with cancelling people but surely there is a better way to support a cause.

Best regards

Paul Newman

Ed’s Note [Rich]: Thanks for your letter, Paul. I do appreciate and understand the desire to keep politics out of football, and I am generally respectful of those who hold different political beliefs to my own - up to the point when those beliefs turn to abuse. Going to the match should be an escape from the stresses of daily life where people of all backgrounds can come together as a community to support their side. But football does not operate in a bubble, we’ve all heard racism at the match, and you’re totally right that such abuse at football is completely unacceptable.

I have thought a lot about what the best way is to react when, for whatever reason, you don’t agree with a gesture being made by others in public. I’ve experienced it myself, during a minute’s silence for someone I’ve seen little good reason to respect, for example. Like you, I’ve chosen to let it go - they’re doing no harm.

Like you, I care about learning the reasons why someone would choose to boo a gesture of solidarity being performed by a person they’re meant to be supporting. All I have heard so far by way of explanation for the opposition is the assertion of a concoction of half-truths, misrepresentations and misinformation about the origins, nature and meaning of taking a knee, and a highly politicised and partial history of the black lives matter movement.

I wonder if those booing would stop and ask why Colin Kaepernick took the knee in 2016, and why young sportspeople from across the world have followed suit? I guarantee they’d find it is not out of a desire to install a Communist dictatorship or incite violence against white people, rather that it is to protest overt abuse they receive online and their experiences of systemic racism in their lives, careers and in society. There well may be better ways, but this is the small, non-aggressive method they have chosen to express their opposition to the way things are. Until we learn otherwise, Roker Report will support the athletes who provide us with the game we love in this decision.

I do not believe there will always be racism in football or society, or that there will always be poverty and destitution; these are intergenerational struggles against powerful human constructs, our progress towards winning is not secure and far from complete. Only by people changing their minds can things change. And when we disagree with someone, we should be respectful but clear and honest in saying why. We are all free to think differently.

Al Diaz/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

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Dear Roker Report,

Looking back to when we blitzed the old third division... ooh what we would do for a Marco Gabbadini now.

We need a pacy tricky striker like Marco was. We have had no pace up front for the last four seasons – it’s a must this season to turn the draws into wins. The squad needs players that can change games.

For so long we have been one-dimensional with our style of play and on the bench didn’t have the quality to adapt when games are tight contests – we need impact subs.

Defensively next season we have two crocked centre halves, one who is out till god knows when and the other one fingers crossed recovering and fit for the new season.

I think Johnson has to sign versatile defensive players because the way injuries ravaged last season – we had no cover so we played a lot of players out of position. We can not afford to do this next season.

We need a settled team week in week out, but Johnson is a tinker man, he has to change his ways and not change for changing sake.

Finally, let’s get these contracts sorted and start signing players because again we are being linked to every player going and it’s the same old story they go elsewhere. It’s time for action not rumours – let’s get the recruitment done early for once.

There are no excuses now, we have the structure in place for success. Let’s do it.

Mark Wild

Ed’s Note [Martin]: Thanks for the email Mark, and I agree – we need pace upfront and game changers in the squad. Hopefully we’ll see things start to move soon – contracts tend to expire on 30 June, so it may be after that when we see things happening. It’ll be interesting to see the type of players we go for.