Rangers: Leon Balogun frightened by violent treatment that has ‘taken a turn for the worse’
Leon Balogun believes abuse of players has “taken a turn for the worse” thanks to social media and the Rangers veteran says the situation has become “more violent” as a result.
The Gers defender spoke as a member of FIFPRO’s Global Player Council (5 March) to give his view on how things have changed over his 16 years as a professional, where he believes the standard of treatment is deteriorating with the growing access to players.
The Nigerian international, who returned to Ibrox after a year away in the summer, indicated that he isn’t scared to go out and play but believes a “code of conduct” should be agreed to improve behaviour.
Balogun said: “I have this feeling that this constant access to the real me as a player has lowered the threshold for fans in the stadium to a point where some think they are entitled to do things which they really aren’t.
“Some people, not the majority, feel because they have paid for a ticket to come to the stadium that it somehow automatically gives them the right to abuse you. There are people who just want to voice their frustration at you in a very inappropriate way.
“It has developed over the last 16 years since I’ve been a professional. It has taken a turn for the worse with the introduction and rise of social media.
“It has definitely become more violent. I think there has always been a culture in football amongst a small group of supporters that had a tendency for violence. But what players and managers are exposed to in the stadium with the physical and the verbal abuse, the threshold seems to go lower and lower, and people are just not scared – and that’s what’s frightening to me.”
“I don’t want people to think that footballers are sitting at home or in the dressing room before games thinking, ‘Oh my God, we have to go out there again. It’s so horrible’. That’s not the case. But we should be able to agree on a code of conduct, and I think we all know what is right and what isn’t.”
Rangers defender wants improved treatment for players and managers
Balogun hasn’t said anything controversial there and from his own experience will know first-hand how things have changed.
Having made his Bundesliga debut back in 2009 his career has roughly charted the rise of social media as a mainstream media outlet.
There are valid arguments to suggest that standards of behaviour have deteriorated more widely in the face of economic and societal pressures in that time but football has always heightened whatever context it is in given the emotional attachment.
Players and staff are widely seen as fair game, and can largely take the treatment they get up to a point because it comes with the territory, but stadiums are ultimately still a workplace and while the majority of the thousands of match-going supporters know where the limit is there are still too many who think they have a free pass to behave however they want.
There aren’t many more heated environments in football than the Old Firm in Glasgow so Balogun, 35, should know what he has talking about after a well-travelled career.
After being part of the 55th title win under Steven Gerrard and the Scottish Cup victory under Giovanni van Bronckhorst he was brought back by Michael Beale to start this season and completed the domestic set of silverware under Philippe Clement with the Viaplay Cup.
He has spoken about how his departure a year earlier was unwanted, and although his return wasn’t universally popular he has made 11 SPFL appearances this term and finds himself in another league title race.
In other Rangers news, a teenage sensation has been told to leave Ibrox on loan if a transfer goes through.
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