You'll see them on twitter, Sky Sports absolutely love to show some footage of them being hoisted aloft before a live game, and it's clear that up to 10 minutes of effort have gone into them..
But football fan banners in the Premier League are quickly becoming embarrassingly bad.
Embarrassing for who? Anyone who enjoys the sport of football, and the folks holding them aloft. Obviously.
The Irish have a knack for bringing some truly exceptional banners with them whenever we travel, be it for the football, a spot of rugby, or even to support Conor McGregor in the UFC, but when a Premier League fan banner pops up on your social media platform of choice, it's very rarely a good thing. And that's a shame.
There was a time when banners were witty, and relevant, but now they all seem to be terribly made in order to show an over-entitled opinion that typically offers nothing at all.
This is the one that truly boggles the mind:
First of all, why is a bed-sheet now the most common form of communication between match-going fans and the club?
Liverpool are good for actually putting effort into their flags and banners, and the League of Ireland fans can often put everyone else to shame with what they come up with, but there's a clear trend emerging and it's not a good one, as most fans opt to ruin a perfectly good sheet by either having a quick go-over with a spray-paint can, or worse yet, taking a marker and only doing the outline of the letter.
Using the above as an example in what not to do, surely block letters fully coloured in is the way to go? And then also be sure that you spell the players name right if you mention them. Another tip: Spacing is key. If you're smushing letters together then your 'Cesc' will look like 'Cecl'.
That is a tea-towel.
Why is a grown man using a marker to draw on a tea-towel? Why has it come to this?
At least if you're using a bed-sheet there's a chance that someone will see it, but for feck sake you may aswell write a note on a piece of paper.
The above is a better effort, but really, what is the point in these negative banners?
Sky Sports love them to drive a narrative that the fans are turning, but it's literally just one or two people who watched a bit too much Art Attack as a child and think they are entitled to dictate what happens at their club.
No decision will ever be made based on a banner in a stadium. It does nothing but make you look like an eejit.
The only purpose of a banner should be to add some colour to the crowd and show some love, or two provide a giggle. Even better when you can do both.
The following are good examples:
Yes, Father Ted quotes are becoming a tad old, but come on, that's quality.
And then the Aston Villa fans wanted to show their displeasure with Fabian Delph, and what did they do?
Grab a tea-towl or a bed-sheet?
Use their little sister's markers or a biro pen?
No, they put some effort in and everyone loved it:
Unfortunately this was an exception in recent times. The bed-sheets and felt-tip jobs are popping up in Premier League stadiums every week, and they are shite.
Make it stop.
