When did the Arena change for you? (2 Viewers)

Covcraig@bury

Well-Known Member
Unsure for me , maybe when them pesky wasps fucked off 🤔probably .
Or it could’ve been the new players coming in and songs started becoming the thing that engaged the players with the fans . The non stop singing from the corner win,draw or losing , that constant noise it’s unbelievable. As I said in a previous post with Man City fans doing the league 92 , the best atmosphere they had ever heard . I will run with the change in atmosphere, it’s what we do best NOW and long may it continue.
 

Calista

Well-Known Member
If you say “HR for me any day” - why? Because if it’s for atmosphere, you’re talking shit. Unless you’re a fan of morgues.
Which era / type of matches are you referring to though. As with any stadium, it could rock or be like a library. And when it rocked it was a special place.
 

Alkhen

Well-Known Member
If you say “HR for me any day” - why? Because if it’s for atmosphere, you’re talking shit. Unless you’re a fan of morgues.

Yep, I have fond memories of Highfield Road but most come from specific wins and just the general experience of walking up to the ground with my dad and brother.

I've started parking at St Finbars when I come with my lad. Enjoy the walk up, good opportunity for a chat about the match, get some pre match chips and/or some pocket snacks in the off-licence. He always gets a buzz out of rounding the corner and seeing the ground and fans.
 

Tommo1993

Well-Known Member
Which era / type of matches are you referring to though. As with any stadium, it could rock or be like a library. And when it rocked it was a special place.

Tbf i watched City at HR for maybe 8 or 9 years before we moved. The final game against Derby was my 12th birthday. Vague PL memories, but mostly football league. The place was never full, even in the later Premiership days. But I’m sure there’ll be times before I was even alive that it may have been “rocking”.

I will say one thing though, in the last couple of years there’s been several occasions that I’ve left the game with my ears ringing from the noise. I never, EVER, had that sensation at HR. Ever.
 

JimmyHillsbeard

Well-Known Member
I always felt that the Arena would be ok if we were nearly filling it and were winning there.

However for me the first season back in the stadium after Covid. From that first game vs Forest onwards generated a brilliant atmosphere.

Last season I switched to behind the goal and felt the atmosphere was poorer there but by February it was excellent there too.
 

Covcraig@bury

Well-Known Member
Not every game at HR was rocking , but when the bigger teams came every man and their dog turned up . The atmosphere was very very good . The west end ( standing) was something else. Then when the Kop was redeveloped ( roof ) it started to get more left side right side . The west terrace was the strong hold full of fans that took pride in standing there for their territory. This was our castle and it will not be taken . The violence inside and outside was the norm but we all stand together.
it was a totally different time .
I’ve moved on and the CBS is becoming something like HR was in its prime . The younger SBA who never attended HR have nothing to compare it to , we move on and for me the CBS could / will be a fortress for all . ✊not violent just a place to express our support for everything CCFC .
 

Domo

Well-Known Member
If you say “HR for me any day” - why? Because if it’s for atmosphere, you’re talking shit. Unless you’re a fan of morgues.
HR is surely the nostalgia for me, walking across the park, and the steps into the ground, always seemed packed, and seriously close to the action, away fans were right near you, and arguably i saw some of the best football ive ever seen (more often than not it wasnt from us) but to see owen, beckham etc as a teen was great.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
To be honest the games last season where Vik would collect the ball and go on a run, the defenders backing off with the crowd roaring him on, didn’t matter if he then fluffed the shot or scored, but that’s the kind of atmosphere that can make anyone love football.
 

Calista

Well-Known Member
Tbf i watched City at HR for maybe 8 or 9 years before we moved. The final game against Derby was my 12th birthday. Vague PL memories, but mostly football league. The place was never full, even in the later Premiership days. But I’m sure there’ll be times before I was even alive that it may have been “rocking”.

I will say one thing though, in the last couple of years there’s been several occasions that I’ve left the game with my ears ringing from the noise. I never, EVER, had that sensation at HR. Ever.
So your experience of HR was between the ages of 3 and 12, and mostly after relegation. You missed so much, which is your fault for being young :)
 

Skybluecol

Well-Known Member
Beating Fulham at home 4-1 seemed like a change in atmosphere and attitude and belief for me.......that day we really played well and the SBA seemed soo up for it too. I remember chatting to 2 Fulham lads and they really thought they'd do a job on us....only to argue against their arrogance I said we'd win comfortably not realising what would be....
 

Macca

Well-Known Member
Always liked the CBS but purely from my age perspective the magical young years were at HR
 

Skybluedownunder

Well-Known Member
Is the train running yet that was always promised from Coventry to the ground and also from Nuneaton to the ground?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

DannyThomas_1981

Well-Known Member
Not the turning point but the atmosphere against Birmingham last April was out of this world. Twist and Shout sung around the ground for over 10 minutes - not many fan bases in this country can compete with that. Different class.

Speaking of Birmingham someone else said it earlier - the recent hard core positive support for the club was built during our time away in Birmingham - that for me was the tipping point and the momentum continued on our return to the CBS.
 

Sick Boy

Super Moderator
Not every game at HR was rocking , but when the bigger teams came every man and their dog turned up . The atmosphere was very very good . The west end ( standing) was something else. Then when the Kop was redeveloped ( roof ) it started to get more left side right side . The west terrace was the strong hold full of fans that took pride in standing there for their territory. This was our castle and it will not be taken . The violence inside and outside was the norm but we all stand together.
it was a totally different time .
I’ve moved on and the CBS is becoming something like HR was in its prime . The younger SBA who never attended HR have nothing to compare it to , we move on and for me the CBS could / will be a fortress for all . ✊not violent just a place to express our support for everything CCFC .
We also stood in the WT because it was the only way to see the game properly.
 

Flying Fokker

Well-Known Member
In the early days of the stadium, I'm pretty sure there was frequent talk of the 'Ricoh Roar', mainly referring to the home end (North Stand). The atmosphere only became terrible when the team became terrible.
Now it feels like the 'home end' is actually the entire east side, and it's awesome at times.
Still a bit frustrated about the apparent impossibility of extending the home crowd into the South Stand on a permanent basis.
The stadium committee needs to use its collective brainpower to find a workable solution. When they opened up block 10 for a while it’s was good.
 

vow

Well-Known Member
Turning point for me was the first home game back after brum vs Forest comeback win!

The crowd really got behind the team when we were 1 nil down, I'd never experienced that at Ricoh, ever.

Yes, always disliked the negative vibes until that point and defo thought it was souless.
 

pusbccfc

Well-Known Member
Atmosphere was good at Brum with small numbers and growing away, then we brought it home with us.

Disagree.

This was a myth I always heard but it went silent for large parts of a game. No drum etc. When it got going, it was okay.

I remember the Sunderland game. A big match where we went 1-0 up early and it was very quiet for most of it.
 

pusbccfc

Well-Known Member
Always loved it for different reasons. It's had its faults, but it has never been as bad as people made out. I remember Four Four Two mag staying it was the worst away day in the country. We've been to 30/40 worse grounds in this country as away fans.

The early days felt new and the ground was generally state of the art. I remember getting hospitality tickets throughout the first few years and being amazed at the view and facilities. At the time, it was one of the best in the country.

When the casino first opened, my matchday experience changed. Again, it was unique. Still to this day I enjoy a visit there before a match.

Towards 2009/10, Block 14 began taking over from the Telegraph and despite not being as full as it is now, was always loud. Games against Leicester, Leeds and Birmingham were seriously noisy. The peak was against Blackburn when Best scored. It was extremely overcrowded that night but so loud.

In League 1, it went downhill but still felt like a hardcore group of fans. The matchday experience was dreadful, however.

Since COVID, it has begun to reach its potential. For me, one of the remaining things left to improve is the train link. If one day it had regular trams taking people to town, it would be fantastic. Away fans would love it too.
 

RoboCCFC90

Well-Known Member
Atmosphere has always been okay, even when we were struggling, but the atmosphere has got better coinciding with upturn in our performances and our rise through the divisions.
 

CV3SkyBlue

Active Member
im thinking that the kids born in 2000/2001 are now fully late teens/early twenties, wanting to go to the ground and filling seats, and have never experienced HR, so the arena is their home, and have no past experience of anything other.
Exactly this, as someone born in 98 for a lot of us Gen Z kids, we never got to experience HR and only here all the stories about it from our parents, grandparents etc so the arena is always what I think of when I think about cov, started going to watch city in the first year it opened in '05 so all my core memories are from the arena, end of micky adams, dowie, coleman eras etc.
 

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