Whether it’s the thwack of ball on goalpost or the cries of an angry keeper, football thrives on noise. But sometimes, a little silence is all it takes to show that a fan’s feelings are not being fully heard. The silent protest is a common occurrence in the modern game, especially when the club in question has rubbed fans up the wrong way with their policies or prices.

This was the case on Tuesday when Dortmund’s fans remained in the concourse for the first 20 minutes of their game against Stuttgart, throwing tennis balls onto the pitch to protest ticket prices. Bundesliga matches cost EUR70 to get in and the Dortmund supporters were not happy about this.

A few days earlier, Blackburn Rovers fans walked out of Ewood Park during their game against Newcastle after Venky’s, the club’s chicken-schilling owners, raised ticket prices next season. The protest was not as large as that at Stamford Bridge, but it was enough to make the point.

Many football fans have, at one time or another, convinced themselves that every referee in the land has it in for them. It’s an understandable sentiment but, in reality, it is usually unfounded.

Of course, the ultimate form of fan protest is to decide that enough is enough and leave your club altogether. It’s a drastic move, but it’s what happened when disgruntled Manchester United fans decided that American owner Malcolm Glazer had loaded their once solvent club with millions of pounds in debt and formed their own club.