Fans and atmosphere (1 Viewer)

I agree but its the mentality of away games that adds to the atmosphere. Home games are blighted mainly by the sheer size of the stadium. For what its worth the 'Shrews' I spoke to walking away tonight thought it a tremendous place with great potential but agreed that it was constructed with better times in mind and that even with 15k its still a bit sparse. The team didn't do it today either, a bit too much showboating !!

It's a question I've asked for years.

The answer is, some people go to sing, some go to sit and just watch the game.

^^^ agreed, fans are always subdued at the Ricoh, yet away the fans and support is phenomenal, I think this reflects on performance as you can see from the results at home and away

The only way you could make an atmosphere like we do away from home would be to open ticket sales one section at a time to put everyone together in one stand. For example close the Telegraph Stand unless the Tesco has sold out or vice versa.

skybluegod said:

I don't understand the fact that 5k of us went to mk dons and sang our hearts out but only a few hundred did today

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It's partly about the size of the stadium and the distribution of singers. When you had the West End singing, those in the neighbouring stands could join in without feeling self-conscious. Now that you have various small pockets, the butterfly effect can't get going. I sing my heart out when we're away, but would feel simply embarrassed to sing at home, from where I sit.

We shouldn't kid ourselves about our away peformances either. Sure, we can give a good turn out, but there's always been a 'sing a bit, but only when you're not losing' mentality, imo. Was the same at MK.

Quite simply too many at home games go to watch the game and want to be entertained and chat with their friends whilst watching. It is the same at every ground in the country where the away following is usually louder than the home following unless it is a local derby. IMO if we was still at HR then every game the place would be rocking compared to the experience of a home game at the Ricoh.

At Stevenage we sang almost all the way through apart from right after there goal.

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yes, that's true.

It will be the same at spurs. I expect to have a croaky voice after the match which is sadly not what happens at home. Stand up in a bar in town and just start singing (this will allow you to easily replicate what its like to sing anywhere but singers at the ricoh).

Dont try it at TGI's though as the buggers would all join in to get a new badge.

It is the make up of football grounds these days.
they are not set up for die-hard fans to sing their hearts out at home. ie the west end, the kop or the north end at wolves.They are family entertainment centers.
When i was a kid i was dumped in the trough at the front of the west end and told to be there at the end or else. (mum would kill him for losing me)(he would of killed me for the s*$t he got from our mum)
Today we have a family stand and people still take their kids into block 15 and complain about the language and ask people to sit down.
i couldn't sing much today because block 15 was more like a kindergarten today.

it was fucked up

15 mins in 0-0,w ehave already made 4-5 chances and the fans start fuming at a few misplaced passes

real BS

still...until cov win a big match at ricoh there will be issues.

covcity4life said:

it was fecked up

15 mins in 0-0,w ehave already made 4-5 chances and the fans start fuming at a few misplaced passes

real BS

still...until cov win a big match at ricoh there will be issues.

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I really think the club need to make a Saturday league match a fiver, just once to fill the place. It's gotta be worth a try.

We are the sort of supporters that will really only sing when we are winning or playing well which is great except if we are loosing the players will need some inspiration and I feel at home we don't give them that

Maybe the atmosphere would benefit if people moved out of singers corner and to the telegraph stand. Most other teams have big ends like the stretford holt gallogate but u never hear of corners

FRY-CCFC said:

Maybe the atmosphere would benefit if people moved out of singers corner and to the telegraph stand. Most other teams have big ends like the stretford holt gallogate but u never hear of corners

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Swansea, Leicester, Forest, Millwall, all have Corners.

If we moved away from the away end the atmosphere would die.

What atmosphere? people at singers corner don't create any atmosphere u get out sung by most away followings including shrewbury yesterday

'Singers' corner is to put it bluntly pants, you hear the odd murmurings from that section every now and again but in general they don't create any atmosphere. Everyone knows the majority of football clubs have there 'hardcore' fans who make noise behind the goal. Pack out the telegraph and you'd get nearer to the noise and atmosphere we create at away games, like for example MK Dons.

Yesterday the atmosphere was rubbish. I'm right in the middle of block 15 and the atmosphere is usually good, but I've also been in the telegraph stand and you can't hear singers corner from there.

Basically. The ground is too big.

The supporters were over confident. It was expected that they would be lambs to the slaughter. It came as a shock when reality set in they could compete with us and then when the anticipated thrashing was clearly not going to happen the disappointment turned into frustration especially I guess from the floating fans.

Lets be honest, the way Shrewsbury played crushed the atmosphere as well, they played really well at times and were set up to stop us making much impact in the final third. A combination of Michelle Ridleys passing and tribute, New Years hangovers, the after the Lord mayors show feeling and the lack of goals all added to a quieter atmosphere. I've been saying it for a long time too that the volume of women and kids interspersed all over every stand at home games reins in and fragments groups of singers.

Ashdown1 said:

Lets be honest, the way Shrewsbury played crushed the atmosphere as well, they played really well at times and were set up to stop us making much impact in the final third. A combination of Michelle Ridleys passing and tribute, New Years hangovers, the after the Lord mayors show feeling and the lack of goals all added to a quieter atmosphere. I've been saying it for a long time too that the volume of women and kids interspersed all over every stand at home games reins in and fragments groups of singers.

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As a west terrace veteran who was directly in the middle behind the goal, singing my heart out, from the age of 6.
I can't get behind your theory.

the women on row behind me needed a slap

"i wouldnt pay to watch this every week"
"like watching paint dry"
"oh they have scored,that will cheer everyone up wont it"


i felt like slapping her but she was caring for those in need.

I think its far simpler than all that ,I just think its a lethargic unwillingnes to bother,too fecking lazy

I think there's a number of reasons it's so quiet. The train station can't come soon enough. 22 quid for a Shrewsbury on NYD after Christmas is possibly another. I don't think 20 quid is too unreasonable for a home game, but this one we maybe should have had an offer going, fill the place, make it noisy and hopefully hook people in. Our away form and our home form can be linked to the level of vocal support in my opinion. I honestly think we have the quietest ground in the country.

The main reason though is the distance between the two sets of fans. I understand that policing costs money and that the away fans have been moved a block closer, but it's still the real atmosphere killer. I'm not being funny, but yesterday there were 10 coppers stood at the exit in the corner. Why can they not move the away fans two blocks closer and have them in the stand? They're still being paid! It's so stupid and something I really don't understand.

The away fans need to be moved behind the goal. They would rather that, as would we.

Should reopen the whole of the away stand and give half to home fans. They did this a few years ago, then shut it down again before it ever got a chance to get going.

I suspect more people sing at away games as they're pissed and with a whole crowd who are up for it, lots more will drive to the Ricoh than hr out of convenience which may partly explain it

We are closer together away. I always go home with a sore throat. Many only join in if in middle of it all though.

Some people, myself included, are just not singers. When its a brilliant, exciting game I will join in a bit, but Saturday didn't draw me in.

Doesn't mean im any less of a fan.

coundonskyblue said:

Some people, myself included, are just not singers. When its a brilliant, exciting game I will join in a bit, but Saturday didn't draw me in.

Doesn't mean im any less of a fan.

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Yes it does.
It's like going to a pub and ordering a coke.
Or going to a Chinese takeaway and ordering chips.

Either do it properly or don't bother :wink smiley:

I used to sing and shout all game when I was 10 years younger. Now at 40 I just don't seem to have that urge to do it. Don't know why. Maybe it's because I haven't got 6 pints of tenants extra in me these days!

Macca said:

I used to sing and shout all game when I was 10 years younger. Now at 40 I just don't seem to have that urge to do it. Don't know why. Maybe it's because I haven't got 6 pints of tenants extra in me these days!

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You drank Tenants aged 10?