Yes didn’t realise it is midweek. That definitely helps a little. BBC have already stated Wed 2nd @ 7.45pm but I presume that’s just an educated guess at this stage?
I meant that it's not all the club's fault that away fans are in the Northam in the first place. The club has looked at it a number of times and admittedly there is more than one problem to address. The fans in Itchen north or what other alternative chosen would have to be willing to move and as Mowgli said some people like to sit by the away fans. Segregation, entry and exit issues would all have to be overcome but the overriding problem is the police's unwillingness for change. If their attitude was more helpful I'm sure the club would look at it again, but as it is Martin Semmens has said it's not a priority at the moment.
It should be a high priority, it hinders the atmosphere a lot and swings games in the away teams favour
Yes it should and I think Semmens appreciates that but he made the comments before the take over so there were more important issues at that time.
I have no problem with safe standing or the supposedly prohibited standing in the Northam for that matter. If you go to those areas you know what to expect. But an interesting impression I got from having to stand through Saturday's match was that it made no difference to the atmosphere or enjoyment. In the days before seating the tiers were very low and nothing to stop people from dancing around or jumping when celebrating a goal. With safe standing you will still be hemmed in by seats behind you and barriers in front. Unless it's just that people feel more comfortable standing then I can't see much advantage to it.
It’s only just clicked with me that we were 90 seconds, or so, from playing Kidderminster in the next round.
I wonder if putting the ‘safe standing’ barriers throughout the chapel end, the gripes about a home end would be addressed.
I was already drafting my apologies to this forum at half-time... but wow, the feeling when Armstrong's goal went in! We were perfectly placed for it too, just next to where he struck it from. Probably the second-best goal I've ever seen in the flesh (*). I thought he and KWP looked a class above when they came on. The girls wanted to know why it was the Coventry fans who were making all the noise - I didn't really have a satisfactory answer to that, but interesting to read the comments on this thread. I'm not sure I've made converts of my two older daughters, but the youngest absolutely loved it - totally caught up in the emotion with the double save and offside goal at the end. (*) Best = Le Tissier volleyed free-kick v. Wimbledon
I doubt it as the noisy home brigade want to be next to the noisy away brigade. Unfortunately we’ve never had a proper “kop” type end; a “legacy” from the Dell & a follow on into SMS.
Agreed. Hence my comment earlier about there being no point in moving the away fans. We'd just follow them to the new part of the ground. Would be an interesting dilemma though - and the club could no longer be blamed for not listening to the fans.
