Emphasises my point, they found a way to make a noise but got ostracised for doing it that way, so now they shut up and continue to watch in appreciative silence. I fail to see how safe standing will make any difference, it doesn't make any more noise just standing up, but certainly if that is what some fans want they should be accommodated. I am too old to stand for the duration of the game and can't sing anyway, each to their own. Our support isn't great, but that would change very quickly if we had something to shout about. Just looking at the attitude on Social Media, especially the Echo site, it will give you a clue to the quality of some factions of our fan base, there are some that are truly negative, bad sports and somewhat paranoiac, until that changes we will continue to get this dismal kind of support and quite frankly in my opinion, they are only getting what they deserve.
I like the clackers.....shows appreciation better than clapping in woolly gloves. Doesn't stop you cheering for something really good.....though I don't remember doing that recently.
Just old enough to remember when most grounds had a home and away end, but the increased capacities and seating seem to have put pay to that concept and now the more vocal supporters would rather sit as close to the away fans as possible. So stadiums are the equivalent of having two surround sound speakers in the same corner of a room. Songs used to wave across a stadium, but now they kind of get stuck in a pocket.
Cheering is, I seem to recall, associated with those “goal” things and with “winning”. Sorry if that’s all a bit far-fetched!
I am a massive advocate of safe standing. I have seats at SMS where I know I can stand without causing issues to anyone and love away games because everyone stands. Standing behind seats is far less safe than the proper "safe standing" areas as it would be easy to fall forward and there is nothing to stop you other than the people in front/below I can't sing and cheer sitting down, its just not possible for me
As I said, you should be catered for in a separate section, but creating an atmosphere in a flat pack stadium with rotten acoustics is a very difficult thing to achieve no matter where you sit.
We seemed to manage it pretty well in League 1 and the championship though. Much smaller crowds, much more noise. That may have been down to the fact that we were winning most weeks; but I think it also has something to do with the sort of fans we've picked up since our return to the PL.
I wouldn't make the assumption that fans who are negative etc. on social media don't support the team in the ground. For me it's a lost cause trying to get the whole ground to sing so the focus should be getting the most out of the areas that do want to sing.
Another problem for me is the volume of the sound system, at one time you couldn't understand what was being said, now you are just drowned in noise, you can't out shout that pre-kick off and during the game we need something to shout about before there is any vocal response, that has been sadly lacking recently.
Boooooooooooooooooooo But yeah, safe standing would be good, hopefully more news in the next few months. Do the Northam end/wings including away section above the first 10 rows. Give the people what they want.
They've gone nuts with that new PA. You can just tell the guy in charge of it is a frustrated nightclub DJ. He plays some decent tunes too, but yeah, everything is drowned out before the kickoff A step too far, I think. Like cutting a foot off so you can compete in the paralympics.
Dunno but McQueen has a chest infection. He was hacking up the flem at the end as he went to applaud the away fans.
