Protest!!

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CBK, aren't you upset at how many of them have bought into the commercialism? So much club tat in there, I thought you were strongly against spending big money for polyester?

Some club tat, but also quite a lot of the scarfs, t-shirts etc are made and sold by fans in a co-operative idea, with profits going towards making many of the famous large card or banner displays you see at Dortmund.
 
Yep, look at that "grotty standing area" at Dortmund. How vulgar. That's not what football is about.

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That looks incedible. One of the things I don't like about St Marys is that it looks so sterile because there is nowhere for fans to hang homemade banners flags etc from.
 
Yep, look at that "grotty standing area" at Dortmund. How vulgar. That's not what football is about.

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Impressive, but it looks like a heavily photoshopped image. I've also realised the queasy feeling it gives me is because of its particular shade of green..! I've been in crowds of a similar size at football matches. If one can see anything of the match it is usually a bonus.

Although it never stopped me attending, I can still remember the acute shivering cold of standing on the terraces at The Dell. The two plus hours standing on that concrete, shifting from foot to foot, and as the crowd filled the stadium, the ever dwindling view of the pitch, and thence the forthcoming match. No, I don't want to return to that wonderful era, and despite several people looking back with rose-coloured spectacles, I suspect I wouldn't be in the minority either. By all means have the safe-standing zones for the dozen or so fans who do though. :)
 
By all means have the safe-standing zones for the dozen or so fans who do though. :)

It must be more than a dozen. Look at how many stand now. When I watch a game on TV and see everyone standing there is always some poor old granny in the middle and you think, surely she doesn't want to be standing and struggling to see. My wife is 5ft 4ins and any away game is a 'mare in terms of her trying to actually watch the match. So if the authorities are unable to stop people standing in seated areas then this must be the way forward.

Talking of away games, I have to say that too many of our supporters aren't too bothered about watching the game anyway, preferring to stand up and gesticulate to the home fans. At the Spurs game there was some blatant racist chanting by one 'fan'. Thankfully, he was 'hissed' by supporters in the vicinity but no one (me included) had the courage to confront him directly.

Anyway, if thats your thing then a standing area is perfect.
 
It must be more than a dozen. Look at how many stand now. When I watch a game on TV and see everyone standing there is always some poor old granny in the middle and you think, surely she doesn't want to be standing and struggling to see. My wife is 5ft 4ins and any away game is a 'mare in terms of her trying to actually watch the match. So if the authorities are unable to stop people standing in seated areas then this must be the way forward.

Talking of away games, I have to say that too many of our supporters aren't too bothered about watching the game anyway, preferring to stand up and gesticulate to the home fans. At the Spurs game there was some blatant racist chanting by one 'fan'. Thankfully, he was 'hissed' by supporters in the vicinity but no one (me included) had the courage to confront him directly.

Anyway, if thats your thing then a standing area is perfect.

Of course I was acting tongue-in-cheek, Lff. I'm sure it is in the hundreds or thousands. However, I do think the memory plays tricks and if push came to the shove, the average fan of today would prefer the option of being able to sit rather than having to stand, even if they stand in front of their seat throughout the match. I know, as a kid, I would have given up my remaining pocket money for the week to have had a seat option, and I wasn't overweight or unfit in the slightest.
 
Funnily enough, I used to enjoy standing as a teenager. I loved all the pushing and shoving and the physicalness of it all. Sitting was for the 'toffs'! However, as I get older I'm definitely with you on the sitting thing. As you said, we always used to arrive early to get a spot and after a couple of hours or more of standing, my back would start complaining. Seats all the way for me but standing for those that want it.
 
Last time I was at St Marys (Sunderland) my Dad and I got tickets in the Northam and stood for 90 minutes, along with everyone else in the entire block, hes 65 and loved it and I 100% enjoyed the atmosphere more than at the opposite end of the ground.