It also doesn't help that the stewards throw you out if you persistently stand. Seen it happen a few time.
My fav bit was the old chelsea 'war horse' trotted out at half time to no applause and the QPR fans sang ' they don't know who he is' - was embarrassing. I have been going to this fixture - almost every one - since 1975 and have never heard a quiet SB before. I have never seen so many tourists either at a football match. Loads with cameras and new shirts and scarfs and flags - but all in their bags. I disagree about the age thing. I was sitting with about 20 QPR fans all well over 40 years old singing our heads off. This seems to have changed very recently at SB.
Not rocket science. Two major factors. One, our country is still one of class divide and the strata within it caused by wealth. You won't get thousands on minimum wage buying football tickets and the unemployed may as well forget any fee paying social event. It is not seemly for the 'upwardly mobile' or 'well to do' to partake in an activity associated with yobs and the poor. Even more so and the main cause, sitting makes for poor singing. You stand to sing in a church. Singing is passionate and emotive. The only people passionate when sat down are drummers. I guarantee if you bring back terraces the singing will come back.
This There is now irrefutable evidence that safe standing works and offers cheaper tickets. There has been some movement towards consulting clubs whether they would reintroduce terracing and the noises have been positive, even from the big clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal, Utd etc. Unfortunately the result of South Yorkshire police first blaming Liverpool fans, then politicians blaming terracing (when the taylor report specifically said that terracing wasn't to blame) has resulted in 25 years of a culture of fear when it comes to terracing and now politicians are too **** scared of negative media to be seen to be promoting safe standing.
That said though, I used to go to Chelsea back in the 80's when we played them and they only sang when they scored. They were a **** yo-yo club back then before the Rubles came pouring in. To be fair though, SB was a ****hole and the old running track made for a terrible atmosphere with the pitch being a long way from the stands.
Jose is right. The atmosphere at S.B is not good enough. But it is not unique to Chelsea but the bigger clubs in general who have high ticket prices, attract tourists and the fans expect to turn up and the team win 3-0 every week. I've been to some cracking atmospheres at Chelsea, champions league nights, end of season games etc but plenty where it can be quiet to. Agree with the above comments re safe standing areas. Limit them to bottom tiers behind goals or something, reduce the prices for standing tickets and you'll soon bring back the 'real' fans and the noisy sections of the ground.
Jose said the same thing last season and ar Inter 2008, Real 2012. He is clever he usually says something for a season. And to be fair, QPR was the quietest LOndon derby I have been to for ages but it is the smallest match. The Arsenal game was great. “This is Stamford Bridge's nature,” said Mourinho in November 2013 after WBA. “We know that our fans are in love with the club, more than in any other club or the same, but it is a different profile. “We know Stamford Bridge is not a very hot atmosphere, not a very strong atmosphere normally, and we accept that. “But in the last part of the game, when they felt the players were up to have a go and a fight, they were very much behind the team and they support the team.”
I agree it is more a comment designed to avoid complacency in the crowd and in the team more than an out right dig at the fans. We're doing well and against a team like QPR, perhaps the crowd expected more of a routine win than if say Spurs or Arsenal had come to us. Jose is clever enough to know complacency in such games can cost you titles (it did last year - on the road at least).
I agree with what DL said in that its great ammo for fans to use against Chelsea. AS for saying your fans are better suited to a Arsenal or ManU game rather than QPR is that because of the 'Prawn sandwich' thing? If you can't get yourselves up for a London Derby (no matter who it is) then that's a poor show. you guys have a better team and we have better fans, I can live with that.
Define better fans? Cos your away support sang loud during your 'cup final'? Away fans are always much more vocal than home crowds. Chelsea's away support is one of the best in the league. Home support diluted by tourists etc which comes with success unfortunately.
Since when is singing the only way to make noise? If the atmosphere was down against QPR, why is anyone surprised? If you want more noise and a better atmosphere, go to the matches that feature better teams. A stadium with built in atmosphere would also help. Anyone been to the San Siro, the Bernabau or the MCG ? You feel it when it's empty.
They had this debate on 909 last night with Steve Claridge and others. The general consensus (and these are guys who travel round the country watching all manner of live games) is this is not remotely a Chelsea issue. They agreed that the atmosphere at the Bridge at the weekend was no different to when any of the top clubs play at home to lower clubs and are expected to win. They also agreed the problem is compounded as a result of the number of tourists etc that go and watch games of the bigger clubs, especially in London like us and Arsenal. QPR fans on the other hand don't even fill a poky ground like Loftus most weeks despite premier league football being a relative novelty.
It is refreshing that, despite Jose giving the trolls a perfect opportunity for some Chelsea bashing, most pundits and sensible opposition fans are in agreement that this is not just a Chelsea problem. Wasn't at the QPR game but it is odd - you just know some days, that no one is up for it. The Arsenal game was, I agree, one of the best atmospheres I've experienced at the Bridge for some time - so the problem is not terminal. I'd like to think that some kind of return to the 'Old Shed' - one big home end, with safe standing and cheaper tickets, would improve things. Not confident it will ever happen though.
QPR are a little club with a massive inferiority complex. Like all clubs they have a hard core element going to away games and will sing their hearts out like the plucky underdogs they are. But when they are getting 16k at home for a premier league game they should be embarrassed to enter into a debate about how good a club's support is.
