Tommy Martin: How much abuse are fans entitled to give their own players?

How much stick can fans reasonably dish out to make themselves feel better?

WANDERING: Guglielmo Vicario of Tottenham Hotspur is challenged by Raul Jimenez of Fulham (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

The booing of Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Vicario by his own supporters last Saturday brought to the fore a key issue for fans of any sport: namely, how much abuse you are entitled to dish out to your own team when they are in the act of stinking the place out.

In many ways, this is fundamental for people who hand over their hard-earned to watch live sport. Most teams or individual athletes lose more often than they win, so just as sportspeople must develop resilience to cope with the tough days, so must their fans wrestle with just how much stick they can reasonably dish out to make themselves feel better.