Last weekend we had a brief discussion about whether or not fans are right to verbally abuse the players and/or coaches of the club they support. The general consensus was that, no, it’s not OK to viciously belittle these figures with verbal attacks.
Just a few days before legendary Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was the target of such comments, Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson “had a spat with a fan” toward the end of his side’s Premier League game against Liverpool (Dec. 2).
On Thursday, Pearson was charged by the FA for using “abusive and/or insulting words” in response to the fan’s criticisms. Video of the comments in question can be seen here.
Pearson has reportedly not apologized to the fan and has until Tuesday to respond to the FA’s charge.
The question, now, is this: If it’s not “right” for a fan to launch verbal attacks, is it acceptable for a player or manager to respond to a fan’s comments in a less abusive tone than Pearson chose to take?
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