I think it's a good idea, there should be 2 key areas of home atmosphere after with passholders either side of the away stand. I don't know if being in the corner will make the away fans quieter as the sound will have further to travel before reverberating. The only way it could be better is by giving them a long thin strip in the west upper and they'd struggle to crate any atmosphere but sadly that seems impossible.
Build a big hut outside the ground for away fans to watch the game on a large tv. That'll keep everyone safe.
Yes. Everyone has been moaning about the lack of atmosphere at the KC and this is a positive move by the club to put home fans behind both goals. Most clubs have moved the away fans to the corers of the ground, it lessens their effect on the game/atmosphere. Originally when the KC was built City thought the South Stand would be the natural end for the home fans. The move also frees up a few more seats which are unused because of segregation. Good move all round IMO.
exactly. This board has been on about moving home fans behind the goal for ages, as it now may happen- cue the moaning. Away fans were never going to be moved into West, this is the only way. It should create more atmosphere having the away fans sandwiched between two sets of our fans who are the most vocal.
Presumably any misbehaviour from home fans in the N stand will now be accepted as this part of the ground seems to be off the police radar?
If true, I hope city fans back plans to encourage the north stand to become our so called 'Kop end'. When the stadium first opened there was no affection to a particular stand and I think the only reason the east stand became the 'singing section' was due to the old kempton at BP being the east stand! However, due to the east stand being long and narrow the intensity of the atmosphere is diluted across it. Also, traditionally city would attack the south stand at BP in the 2nd half. If needing a goal the atmosphere from the crowd behind the goal can encourage city and also unsettle the defending team! Currently, our south stand supporters do not provide this type of intimidation. I am sure the current east standers could provide this at the north stand end. I would like to think standing in the north stand would not be prevented, as currently occurs in the east corner. To be honest the view from e1-e3 is not very good so I don't see how many could be too upset.
I have no idea of the detail, but certainly Nick Thompson thought that done properly, away fans in the NE corner would free up a few hundred more seats.
I agree with TWF. i dislike that people wish it to be "the Kop End". We shouldn't try copy the bin dippers or any other club. The atmosphere is flat at the KC, & will be like that even if the fans are shifted. Just because you've moved doesn't make a difference. It doesn't really matter if you stand or sit down- either way you can still bloody sing. People just don't want to. And if they moved the away fans into the West Stand, it would kill atmosphere off all together.
The aim(assuming it hasn't changed since NT left), is to get E1-3 from the East or the North, but then to try and encourage all those who like to stand and sing(who were all dispersed when we moved from BP) to join them in an area where the rules will be more relaxed. It's also far more difficult for away fans to create the same amount of noise, when they're in a wedge in the corner, it's why most clubs stick them there. As for standing not affecting the atmosphere, that's nonsense, the atmosphere at a game where everyone stands is massively better than when they sit. It will make a difference, it will improve the KC and it should be supported.
Will rules be relaxed though? The stewards are quite over bearing at times. Best atmospheres are generated when the two sets of fans bounce off each other. One starts something and the other returns it.
Its a great idea. Be great if its standing too. I'll make the move from West if it does. My liberal use of the words ****er and **** are not going down too well.
I'm glad the club are trying to do something but I'm really not sure about this. Moving the away fans away from the goal is good, it does help to reduce atmosphere. If other clubs didn't do it I wouldn't support it but since we get shoved in the corner everywhere else we might as well fight fire with fire. The bit I don't like is displacing the E1-E3 lot. I think that group are really under-appreciated in terms of the noise they actually make. At most grounds everyone is spread out and they don't have any specific singing area at all. Even Stoke which is full of mental pissed-up ****s doesn't have the organisation that our singers do, they're all spread out and you don't get everyone on the same page. At the KC it's well known that you go to E1-E3 if you want to sing. People moan about the quiet West and South stands but I think that's the price you pay for having all the singers together in one place. This move could just end up spreading all the singers and standers out and making the KC like most other PL grounds and we could end up having the same problems we had at Wembley, at every home game. If everyone in E1-E3 supports it it could work. I'd much rather we just made an effort to build on the existing East stand support though by trying to get more people who'll sing into there and more who don't out into the West and South stands. It'd be difficult I know. I also think that getting more fans into the place in total, engaging more young/new fans to come and stay and convincing less people to moan and groan at every bad pass would all be far more beneficial to the team on and off the pitch.
Thought I'd bump this. I got talking to some Everton fans today who were really surprised that the away fans were behind the goal and that they were so close to our vocal section. They were impressed with the noise we made for a home crowd (I thought it was one of our more quiet days apart from the first few minutes) and impressed that the close proximity of home and away fans led to good 'banter' (as much as it's a **** and overused word) between the two sets of fans. I think we take our East stand for granted and focus on moaning about those areas that don't sing. Too many PL grounds have the home and away fans miles apart and no specific singing section. I fear these plans are going to make us the same as everyone else...
