Match Atmosphere

[Fezzle]

2 minutes ago, Sima said:

 

On this, it's a bit hard to clap when you're being asked to hold up a card for a display tbf.  Could be a reason.

Was a very muted roar too, agree on the clapping but even pre match there was nothing. PSG the place was rocking well before the teams came out. Plenty managed to video the display mind

[Smal]

hard to tell watching on TV but I imagine the drum was intimidating and off-putting to try and compete with because it was absolutely relentless. We're gonna have to learn to compete with it though if we're going to be in Europe often because it seems like most European fans bring one. 

[TheGuv]

56 minutes ago, wormy said:

I know it's not the same, being only 15 minutes and probably to stretch the legs a bit. But I have to say for all the talk of staying seated, I find it highly irritating when the ref's whistle go's for half time and suddenly everyone decides to stand for the whole 15 minutes.  Feel like I must look an absolute weirdo kicking back in my seat thumbing through the programme.

Absolute fucking pet hate of mine.

 

Stand for 10 mins pre game. Stand for 15 mins at HT. Unless you’re literally frail and unable to stand for 45 mins - I don’t get it 

[Sima]

7 minutes ago, Fezzle said:

Was a very muted roar too, agree on the clapping but even pre match there was nothing. PSG the place was rocking well before the teams came out. Plenty managed to video the display mind

 

Thought the house music was a bit odd when the teams were warming up like

[Gallowgate Toon]

15 minutes ago, Sima said:

 

On this, it's a bit hard to clap when you're being asked to hold up a card for a display tbf.  Could be a reason.

 I actually couldn't see the teams come out because the cards were being held up as high as possible by the very tall person in front of me  that might've been a niche problem for me on the night though.

[llcoolc157]

Up in level 7 last night, usual seats, my lads and a few mates.. there’s 4 blokes behind who I’ve never seen in the 12 years we’ve been sat there… no problem with that..

Everyone happy to join in the pre match wor flag show, I’m thinking fuckin great, the atmosphere is going to be cracking again, adrenaline pumping, songs belting out…and then what happens… yep as soon as the ref blows his whistle my lad gets a tap on the shoulder and this cockney wanker tells him rather abruptly to sit daaaan…  which is simply followed by…

“what was that?”

”sit daaan I can’t see”

”go fuck yourself”

Ok I could try and be a bit more diplomatic but with hindsight I think I’m just more disappointed that folk don’t at least try and get caught up in the whole match day experience… especially champions league for Christ sake… 

[Gallowgate Toon]

 

Seems Twitter is as lively as this thread this morning. As a fanbase, we need to support the team but we also need to welcome & educate new fans too. It's pretty shit to tell anyone new to fuck off and it's not going to help matters in the long run either when it comes to stadium expansion.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I haven’t noticed any change in the atmosphere really. Certain sections of the ground are louder but that’s always been the case. 
 

English fans generally respond to what’s happening in the game. We could have conducted displays like European ultras but that would be a complete departure. 

[CallumG6]

Seems like the ballot is a dividing issue, with some good and some bad coming of it. I don't know what the answer is.

I'm North West based and try to get to as many games as I can, usually 5 or 6 per season, so the ballot is an opportunity for me to get tickets where I might otherwise be unable to. 

But on the other hand, it does invite the tourists who are only there to pose for a selfie for Instagram and don't have that same passion the rest of us have. This will only increase the more successful we get.

 

Difficult one really.

[Bellis80]

Was just flat all round last night, even before the game it was mentioned walking up.

[JB]

Using the drum as an excuse for people not singing is a bit pathetic like, it's not like it stops anyone else from making noise, home fans in the Bundesliga aren't silenced when the away fans turn up with a drum. The away fans being above the home fans in the Leazes might make it more of a problem but while it made singing more difficult against PSG it didn't stop us completely.

[NUFC91]

Like what @jack j said all blame on ballot but majority is down to S.T holders. 

 

I'd stick 3k safe standing in Leazes and fuck off the moany pricks

[HaydnNUFC]

The ballot does play a canny big part though with the lifting randomly allocated seats. Likeminded fans would/could get together and sit in the corner or just together in general to sing rather than singing on their tod surrounded by miserable gadgies. Part of the experience of going to the match is going with your mates or family, no?

 

Out of my 3 ballot successes I've only been happy with 1 of the seats I've been given. Then the resale is just wherever you can get; I'd never choose to sit in the Milburn but it was all I could get for last night, Liverpool and Man City in the League Cup. Wouldn't choose to sit behind a goal either but had to for Brentford.

[brummie]

11 hours ago, nemtizz said:

English atmospheres are far too reactionary, whereas the Germs sing throughout, with zero reactions to scoring. 

 

One of the weirdest things I've seen was our match at Legia Warsaw this season - their fans sang literally start to finish, but with absolutely zero change in the singing when they scored or when they conceded, it was like they were just singing and there was no match going on.

[bobbydazzla]

I think overall the ballot has had a negative effect compared to last two seasons, but mainly down to the auto-allocated seating and people not being able to congregate in areas where it's acceptable to be stood up and loud

 

Negative season ticket holders is a much bigger problem though. But also much harder problem to solve, because they'll cling onto those tickets for dear life, even when they clearly only go to the match to sit in silence or hurl abuse at our own side

 

At least the ballot issue could be solved by either scrapping it entirely, or giving people a choice on where to sit and more opportunities to sit in groups of friends & family

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by bobbydazzla

[Bada Bing]

Not being able to select a seat is a complete joke, it puts me off even bothering to be honest. It can't be right when you feel isolated and almost like a stranger going to a ground you've been to many many times.

 

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Bada Bing

[brummie]

1 minute ago, bobbydazzla said:

I think overall the ballot has had a negative effect compared to last season, but mainly down to the auto-allocated seating and people not being able to congregate in areas where it's acceptable to be stood up and loud

 

 

Couple of (genuine) questions - you buy a seat and they just allocate you one where they fancy it? How on earth does that work? That sounds weird.

 

Also re singing areas, does SJP still have the Gallowgate in the sense it did in the 80s, or pre all-seater? I mean, is that still your 'singing and standing' end?

 

The Holte is still ours, but also the lower north stand, in both of which everyone stands, but I can't see how something like auto allocation would ever work with that sort of set up - I never go in the Holte any more because I'm not up for standing and/or singing for 90 minutes any more, and I wouldn't go in our lower North stand for the same reasons (and also that I am not up for pointing at and shouting at away fans, either).

 

I know standing is not supposed to happen, but it's obviously tacitly accepted everywhere, but only in certain places. I can't imagine getting allocated a ticket behind thousands of people who are all stood up.

[LFEE]

Very surprised to the criticism of the atmosphere as I thought it was fine in the Gallowgate. The team were urged on whilst behind and cheered off for their efforts. Goals change games and they also change atmospheres and we didn’t score yesterday.

 

I do think some of you are a bit unrealistic with your expectations at times in search of some atmospheric narnia. Yes things can be done to improve this over time (choose your seat, new stadium, increased standing areas) but as it stands we’ve still got one of the best atmospheres going. Wether that’s a low bar these days I don’t know.

 

 

 

[HaydnNUFC]

2 minutes ago, Bada Bing said:

Not being able to select a seat is a complete joke, it puts me off even bothering to be honest. It can't be right when you feel isolated and almost like a stranger going to a ground you've been to many many times.

 

 

 

 

Posted this a few times now I think but there's a row of seats in the East Stand; a mate of my dad's, my old seat, my dad, another mate of my dad's, mate of mine.

 

I was buying my old seat all of last season and the season before. I'll likely never get it again, whereas others are winning it in the ballot, sitting there and have been deadpan silent. There was a young lass there last night who left at HT. There was a student on his phone for most of the game there against Palace. While I'm fucking desperate to get in for any/every game and am sitting in seats I never would in years gone by. Understand this is a bit selfish but it's fucking shite.

[Wandy]

3 minutes ago, brummie said:

 

Couple of (genuine) questions - you buy a seat and they just allocate you one where they fancy it? How on earth does that work? That sounds weird.

 

Also re singing areas, does SJP still have the Gallowgate in the sense it did in the 80s, or pre all-seater? I mean, is that still your 'singing and standing' end?

 

The Holte is still ours, but also the lower north stand, in both of which everyone stands, but I can't see how something like auto allocation would ever work with that sort of set up - I never go in the Holte any more because I'm not up for standing and/or singing for 90 minutes any more, and I wouldn't go in our lower North stand for the same reasons (and also that I am not up for pointing at and shouting at away fans, either).

 

I know standing is not supposed to happen, but it's obviously tacitly accepted everywhere, but only in certain places. I can't imagine getting allocated a ticket behind thousands of people who are all stood up.

 

Yep. Ridiculous isn't it?.

 

The Gallowgate is still the "Kop" end but it's nowhere near as good as it was in the 90s.

[bobbydazzla]

12 minutes ago, brummie said:

 

Couple of (genuine) questions - you buy a seat and they just allocate you one where they fancy it? How on earth does that work? That sounds weird.

 

Also re singing areas, does SJP still have the Gallowgate in the sense it did in the 80s, or pre all-seater? I mean, is that still your 'singing and standing' end?

 

The Holte is still ours, but also the lower north stand, in both of which everyone stands, but I can't see how something like auto allocation would ever work with that sort of set up - I never go in the Holte any more because I'm not up for standing and/or singing for 90 minutes any more, and I wouldn't go in our lower North stand for the same reasons (and also that I am not up for pointing at and shouting at away fans, either).

 

I know standing is not supposed to happen, but it's obviously tacitly accepted everywhere, but only in certain places. I can't imagine getting allocated a ticket behind thousands of people who are all stood up.

 

Yep, apply for a ballot and there's 4 price points to choose from. They can then can put you anywhere in the ground related to your chosen price, you have no say on which stand or block. It's absolutely dogshit.

 

We had an official singing section in the Leazes end around 15 years ago and it was great, but Ashley forced it to disband as we sang nasty songs about him.

 

Since then the unofficial singing section is in the Gallowgate and part of that section got converted to safe standing over the summer. The "unnoficial" standing sections adjacent have had letters from the club telling them to sit down or be banned

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by bobbydazzla

[brummie]

Christ, that's shit. And it's purely about commercialism because it's hard to sell single seats.

 

My biggest gripe in football ATM is that the prices are 50 or 60 quid a ticket, yet the actual service (not the on-pitch, i mean the rest) you get is still not reflecting those prices.

 

Them telling you where you'll sit is a great example of it, you're paying big money, but you'll sit where they want you to.

 

We have had our own version of this this season - they've created two 'premium' areas in the Holte end, one which is new and has been carved out of existing food / drink space and costs 40 quid or so a match to go in, and another which is under the Holte and was previously free to ST holders to use, but is now an 'all you can eat and drink' place for 60 quid - and that's on top of your ticket price, but if you want a ticket and the food, they keep 1000 seats not on general sale but reserved for these 60 quid people, which is fucking annoying, but more so because elsewhere in the ground you can be paying over 60 quid for your ticket but with even shitter refreshment options than before.

[Bada Bing]

1 minute ago, HaydnNUFC said:

 

Posted this a few times now I think but there's a row of seats in the East Stand; a mate of my dad's, my old seat, my dad, another mate of my dad's, mate of mine.

 

I was buying my old seat all of last season and the season before. I'll likely never get it again, whereas others are winning it in the ballot, sitting there and have been deadpan silent. There was a young lass there last night who left at HT. There was a student on his phone for most of the game there against Palace. While I'm fucking desperate to get in for any/every game and am sitting in seats I never would in years gone by. Understand this is a bit selfish but it's fucking shite.

 

Enjoying the match with your mates and family is a big part of what its all about ultimately. Even if you go alone, everyone has a part of the ground they feel most comfortable in, and its reassuring to see familiar faces. Being atomised doesn't create the same sense of belonging. That said, it doesn't explain the atmosphere situation completely.

[HaydnNUFC]

1 minute ago, Bada Bing said:

 

Enjoying the match with your mates and family is a big part of what its all about ultimately. Even if you go alone, everyone has a part of the ground they feel most comfortable in, and its reassuring to see familiar faces. Being atomised doesn't create the same sense of belonging. That said, it doesn't explain the atmosphere situation completely.

 

I think last night it was a case of expecting to beat Dortmund; they had 1 point, were yet to score and hadn't won in England for 7 and a half years. I felt it went flat after 20 minutes; it took a similar pattern as PSG, Dembele had a chance early doors just like Dortmund did last night but the difference was we scored early v PSG. The longer the first half went on without us scoring the flatter it got. That seeped into the 2nd half.

[bobbydazzla]

6 minutes ago, HaydnNUFC said:

 

I think last night it was a case of expecting to beat Dortmund; they had 1 point, were yet to score and hadn't won in England for 7 and a half years. I felt it went flat after 20 minutes; it took a similar pattern as PSG, Dembele had a chance early doors just like Dortmund did last night but the difference was we scored early v PSG. The longer the first half went on without us scoring the flatter it got. That seeped into the 2nd half.

 

The way a match is playing out will always be a factor, but the Gallowgate Corner barely stopped singing last night and it was deafening at times. As is the case most games 

 

Create sections like that in the other corners of the ground and you've got a decent atmosphere. It's not rocket science

 

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by bobbydazzla