I'm in the SE Corner and I sing regardless of anyone joining in or not..On the whole I do get those around me joining in..
There's been times though I've seen people trying to get things goings and no one around was interested and they have just sunk back down in their seat. Pretty humiliating. Commendable though. Again this isn't a Sunderland only thing, I've seen it happen at Leeds Pompey, Norwich, Blackpool etc.
Away support is always more vocal than home support. Those 9000 "singers" will all be sat together at OT - at the SoL chances are 200 are North standers, 500 East stand etc. etc. and none of them actually sit "together" as such. Each of them singing individually don;t impact enough. Look at Man Utd at our place - sang for 90 minutes. Non-stop - Old Trafford is like a morgue when you go there on normal league games. Only home fans I have really heard above our away fans this season was Palace. Even before they scored they were very vocally supportive of their team. I agree it'd be great but sadly it doesn;t happen any more. I cannot put my heart and soul into singing due to my singing job on an evening - I can't risk that for weekend games. Midweek games I give it my all start to finish. Just wish the whole ground did as it'd be a much better place to play. I also disagree with the big cheer when the boss makes a decision we all want him to - he took Larsson off on Saturday and a massive "hooray" went around the ground (same with Altidore). As much as I know they were both poor, how much is that going to affect them confidence wise?
Home support v Away support. I can only speak from the perspective of a lower league team follower, however, I would assume some of my thoughts must also apply to Premier League supporters, taking out any influence regarding armchair fans. When I travel away, supporters can generally sit where they want, hence they can sit or stand (if allowed) with their groups of friends. Whereas at home, in this case Priestfield it is allocated seating, so groups become separated unless regular attendee's ie ST holders. The family aspect at home also naturally break up those more vocal groups. One of the worst grounds i visited this season, happened to be an Ex Prem team, Wolves, the stewards were over zealous jobs worths and the seating allocation was strictly enforced, only becoming slack at half-time, when we managed to dodge the stewards and sit with our friends in empty seats for the second half. All seater football areana's have turned our stadiums into sterile places. The way to resolve some of the issues is either unallocated seating, which might upset ST's holders or the introduction of safe standing behind the goals. Home supporters these days, seem more content sitting down with their pie and bovril while reading the match day magazine as if wrapped in the cotton wool of modern luxury, whereas away supporters are more hardened and vocal and will follow their team come what may. Also the family element is not so evident in away support, unless a glory hunting day out (Wembley).
All seater stadiums have sanitised football to an extent. More women, children, families etc. At Roker Park if you wanted the atmosphere you knew where the daft lads were & could very easily join in. You can't do that at the SOL. The SW corner was always very vocal but has been split up since the moving of away fans. On Saturday we were late in because me like a pillock had forgot the tickets so we had to inconvenience almost an entire row to get to our seat. Anyhow, right next to us was a man with what I took to be his young daughter, a kid of about 9 or 10. When we went 2-0 down I had a bit of a swear & he grabbed the bairn by the hand & took her out. A bit later on the bloke behind me turned to his mate & said, "I've got a right ****er aback of me" & all the feller had done was try to get something going. Back in my day the lads who regularly travelled to away games were usually the die hard dafty's & I certainly don't mean that in a bad way. I've had some great away trips but usually the whole coach would be well pissed & therefore more outgoing. Not sure if it's still the same but I hope certain traits have been passed on from father to son.
Always, always preferred going away due to the 'in it together', siege mentality. Home games at Roker could also be great. you knew where to go if you wanted to be in amongst the more vocal element. All seaters, overrun by jobsworth stewards sanitise support and atmosphere. I hate them, generally. but that doesn't mean you can't try and sing/shout and lift the atmosphere. The sooner we bring back standing room sections, as per the German grounds which allow standing for those who want it, the better. Much looking forward to the Sunderland siege of Manchester, 22nd January 2014.
I was in the Roker End when Iain the flying pig Hesford kept goal one afternoon when he dived a day late to save a shot when a Roker End lad shouted out "you wouldn't have missed that if it was a pork pie ya fat bastard" to which the whole end burst into laughter. Hesford even laughed himself. I've been there when Tony Cullen was given dogs abuse and Steve Whitworth lobbed the v's up at the home crowd getting on his back; Kevin Kilbane and tbh and a whole host of other players (too many to list) who have been subjected to abuse over the past 40 years. Its always happened and always will the big differences are that with social media it can be done from the armchair now and the obscene amounts the players earn these days causes more consternation amongst fans who perceive players are not good enough or try hard enough. I dont boo players and I am not in agreement with it but I also refuse to condemn fans who do and think think they (the players) all need to man up a bit and just get the **** on with it. If they played better, stopped making tits out of themselves off the pitch and generally helped the club do far better, then the abuse would be far less too. I really believe that too many fans (and players) use this as an excuse for underachieving players and lazy ****ers who pick up their wages for nowt.
A lot of people saying the support is better away because all the fans are together. I think the club (or the fans) should make a proper effort to concentrate the singers into one area (ideally a standing one, how much does the south stand hold? I'm sure we could fill that with vocal fans, which in turn should encourage other parts of the stadium As for the guys who just moan non-stop there's nothing that can be done about that, aside from hope they go and watch the game in a pub or something
I don't eally know how to say this quickly, and not a rant. Times have changed, not for the better. Everyone is different. A quick, look at me summary, what a sad **** i mist be....oh oh oh. I was brought up around the corner to Roker Park (as many on here know) family worked at the ground, free tickets, yes... Dad a miner, always there, like the old pictures with a wooden stand so i could look over....Plenty of people to take care of myself, it was a family. He took me away to my first away match, i guess about 7 years old, i don't think it would have been so much fun for him, having to look after me... If you can get at what i'm saying?
Whats killing the atmosphere at Sunderland is too many kids, women & old farts what only get out once a week.
Remember my old board with the two ropes on me old man used to hang on the railings so i could see, to be honest i didn't have a clue what was going on.
What a ****ing numpty! You mean the old farts who have spent their whole life supporting the club and continue to do so? The old farts who are taking a portion of their obscenely meagre pension to still support their club. And don't forget a lot of these old farts will be the same guys who when younger were the ones who stood their ground when facing attacks from opposition supporters. You wouldn't happen to be ginger would you?
I'd like to know where mine came from, the old man would disappear for a couple of minutes and return holding it. I also remember my "uncle" Dave a huge guy standing over my Mam his arms out to protect her from the crush of the crowd.
