The Polish and Ukrainian authorities might be a bunch of useless racists but they got one thing right - they've confiscated the England Supporters Band's instruments. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-18407626 I for one am glad of it - made me enjoy the France game 10x more then with them playing the same crappy songs over and over again really badly.
Bigfox - I agree with you .. it has been hard enough to watch the pile of ****e that masquerades as our nations finest over recent years without the added irritation of a monotonous version of the 'battle of britain' being played in the background as if that is more imporatnt than the abject misery that those without distracting instruments are having to suffer ... now a fat bloke with a big drum would be totally different!!!
Contrast that monotonous drone with the Irsih fans against Croatia the other night - I know I have mentioned this on another thread, but it's well worth repeating - come the end of the game, despite having lost, been outclassed for 75 minutes and also suffering some unbelievable refereeing decisions (if that wasn't a penalty for the challenge from behind on Robbie Keane, I don't know what is anymore) -yet despite all that 'The Fields Of Athenry' was still echoing around the stadium after the final whistle - now that's atmosphere, that's support.
AKCJ ... that's one of the most insulting things you have ever said .. but rather funny ... if it takes a group of beer bellied, middle-aged blokes repetitively playing "dum dum dar dar der dum dum" on a rag-tag variety of old tired instruments to give England fans 'personality' then the rest must have had lobotomies! ... actually, you may well have a point .... the Irish sing wonderful tuneful melodies, the rest of Europe at least have some tuneful variations - whilst we have that band plus the awe inspiring "Ingerlund, Ingerlund, Ingerlund" chant ....
Perhaps I chose the wrong word. It gives us an edge of diversity. No other country does it (at least as far as i'm aware) and it is sort of tradition now. You think of the England national side and you think of the Band. I can see why it gets annoying, but it keeps a very positive atmosphere throughout the game while drowning out the opposition. I wouldn't like to see them banned permanently.
Oh right, i've been to a few games at the new Wembley now and one game I was sat very close to the band and it was probably the most enjoyable game atmosphere wise i've experienced (apart from obvious massive games for Leicester like finals at Wembley etc) I know the argument of 'fans should sing to make atmospheres' but I think that a band doesn't create an atmosphere it just adds to one. At Leicester with Jobber the fans around him make him start drumming as much as he makes us start singing. As far as i'm concerned there is nothing wrong with having drums or other instruments at a game (except for ****ing vuvuzelas) better than sat there quiet and the art of chanting I think is a dying art. If it were down to me i'd love it if we could take the stance of some European clubs such as Ajax. Setting off flares and drums that get everyone singing, althoguh obviously it won't happen because football is family entertainment nowadays. This is a song we sing at Leicester that Ajax fans have sung outside of the ground and they perform it brilliantly and it makes an incredible atmosphere, imagine being there. [video=youtube;pXi-YX_xPxw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXi-YX_xPxw[/video] Football atmosphere should be carnival like IMO. Sets of fans enjoying banter and generally enjoying your time there.
They're just to the left of my seats at Wembley and though they're far better than your(or Pompey's) talentless fat drummers, they do get very tedious repeating the same things over and over, they need to learn some new tunes.
Is it possible for you to have a single post on here without you somehow having a pop? Get over it for Christ's sake. Does Jobber try to act as though he has a 'talent'? No. Does anyone think of it as a talent? No. Would anyone want anybody but Jobber on the drum? No. Who cares if he's over weight either? Jobber clearly doesn't care so I don't know why you do. Pompey fans would say the same for the Chimes. Fact is both the KP and Fratton Park generate an atmosphere that makes the KC sound like a Library.
I thought it relevant to music at games, not that yours is music as such and I don't care how fat he is, I was slagging him off, not giving him diet advice. At least my post was more relevant that a ten year old article on Britains crappest towns...
Hmmmm ... when I think of the the England national side I don't ever think of the band ... I think of years and years of disappountment ... of over-hype by the media. unrealistic expectations by the fans, and a group of rather average players by world standards, dubbed the 'golden generation' whose egos exceed their ability but who are happy to make promises based on that same hype before having their mediocity embarrassingly exposed in tournaments by players from countries like Algeria who actually put playing for their country before image rights, ego, internal squabbbeing and WAGS (for the length of a tournament) ... loved the Poland Russia game by the way - open attractive attacking football .... please please please can we take note and have a real go on Friday!!
Tbh, they played better without the band being there, they have been Englands problem over all these years!
Don't drag me into this, sounds like I hit a nerve though... slagging somebody off is "relevant" in your eyes..says everything about you... its not our fault hull people have a chip on their shoulder regarding the s h i t e heap they live in... sorry ,you can't hide from your history.....