Ohhhhhh!!!!!!!
Controversial stuff but its been like that for years mate. I remember a few fans getting really pissed off at somewhere like Farnborough or Woking in the Conference, they joined in when X started the chants but when they stared a song X and his mates stood there staring at them like it was their job to get the support singing, no one else's.......
Personally I thought we supported BUFC and not personalities in the support, but it seems its not the case, a very sad state of affairs when the team really needs all the vocal encouragement it can get.
The promotion and the following season I was in a group of mates who started chants and wouldn't really mind if the "ring leaders" joined in, but at the same time we joined in when anyone, literally anyone started chanting, it's not a popularity competition, but as you say at times it seems like it is.
Since then lack of £ (all of us are looking for work, but not having much look right now) and people drifting to other interests means our group who we usually stood/stand with is a lot smaller but some of us still go when we we can
The thing is some of those "ring leaders" have always been fine with me as people, they just seem to have some kind of strange ego when it comes to standing in the Town End or when we take a big following to an away game.