Home Advantage

Ever since I started watching sport some sixty odd years ago, I have often wondered why playing “at home” appears to be such an advantage especially to some teams and not others.
The playing area may vary in size a bit but not so significantly that it should be a massive influence.
The fact that some teams play to a higher tempo in front of their own supporters can often be an advantage but a team with very speedy attacking players can quickly turn this advantage by “hitting teams on the break”.
Home advantage also exists in cricket where the game is played out for much longer periods than a hectic one and a half hours of rugby, football, hockey etc.
In football there are numerous reports over the last 100 or so years that some players can feel physically frightened at venues like Anfield, Old Trafford etc.
And yet in the London Olympics, the noise levels from full house attendances at all of the sports, appears to have created a positive effect; Determination rather than Fear, Encouragement and not Criticism, An ability to out-perform your opponents insead of under perform.
Now to the real purpose of this post; I have never considered Ashton Gate apart from a small handful of seasons to be a formidable place for away visitors. I know others may disagree.
We are too quiet compared with other clubs fans; we are a bit quick at times to criticise our own; we have low expectation of sustained success at our level than many teams.
So why don’t we take a try to copy the Olympic crowds who have helped to inspire our athletes across the board? Let’s cheer more often, Moan a lot less often and when the team is obviously having a dismal day, do our best to help them out of the bad patch.
We all thrive on praise rather than constant criticism so let’s help our lads at Bristol City to begin climbing the mountain more successfully and more consistently!!!!!!!!!!

 

Spot on mate !!

 

Well said
When I was at the Ryder Cup 2 years ago, the players said it was the crowd that gets them pumped up and even though they go quiet when shots are being taken. They can hear the roar all around the course when someone in the Team Europe holes one.

Years ago when we beat Liverpool at Anfield we were in fantastic support, Liverpool fans said outside we even outsang the Kop. If we can turn AG into that sort of atmosphere we would certainly carry the team though.

How many times have Man Utd gone down but still come back in Fergie time to win it, the last few seasons we go a goal down and the crowd look for scapegoat's.

Let's go out this season and get behind the lads, just as we did against Coventry and Barnsley.

 

Got to disagree with a lot of that. Ashton gate During the eighties - nineties casual era was partisan. That culture is gone but that is the score everywhere and as somebody who travels away Ashton gate is easily one of the best in the championship for noisy support. City fans are no worse than others for getting on the but miles better than most for getting behind them. Support at club s,like Derby who twenty thousand more on the gate is awful, along with Leictester, Brum City are far far better.

There has been a real effort by fans via the EE to encourage support of the team, fans had to petition and campaign to get back ingto it against Steve Lansdowns wishes. The club should be making it easier for fans, more it seems can now finally after five years can get in the EE, stands could have singing sections, club could nasking how do we make this better instead of closing down fans efforts. Fans are the ones saying lets keep hold of our traditions and its the the club who are ditching fans flags, traditions, crack at gettinmg ashton gate unique for its passion and colour. Outcome is fans become consumers who will cheer when its going well like all other do but get on the teams backs when the "product" is bad.

 

People getting to watch the worlds greatest athletes at a once in a lifetimes event is hardly a parallel to Ashton Gate.

Ashton Gate for its small crowds is bloody good, regrettably clubs would rather have fans behaving as autombots buying club merch sat down in this seasons rip off replica shirt in family stands.

 

Ashton Gate in full voice is as good as any in the division.

I have been to the majority of the other team in our division.

 

Only opinion, but the Olympics appears to have attracted a similar demographic as Wembley does. Wembley is hardly uplifting for Englands players. Face painting, foam hands and Mexican waves are hardly atmosphere.

 

At the millennium the atmosphere was top notch the welsh really got into it tho they said it weren't an Olympics for them and didn't like the idea of team gb in the football even after going a goal down they was loyal unlike at ag getting behind the team refusing to get on their backs and it lifted them just a shame ended way it did as usual

 

Winning does not ensure noisy support e.g Arsenal. Price fans out and you gentrify supports leading to todays muted stadiums.

 

Did you go?

Loyal? People only went because it was olympics and only the olympics not a slog of season. Dont think people were there to watch aspirational figures like giggs!!!!! City have cracking fans take a few ideas from abroad listen to support and it could easily be up with the best in the uk for its size.

 

Actually a lot went because of the welsh players including giggsy more fact got to see their players in a tournament then it being the Olympics they are a passionate people the welsh well except rod lol

 

All seater stadia, corporate boxes and hospitality have also helped reduce the noise and atmosphere in most of the grounds in the top 2 divisions. This is particularly true when the corporate people aren't particularly interested in football and/or dont support either team that's playing.

Anyone who can remember the crowd surges and noise at the likes of the Liverpool Kop in the 70's will know that what we have today is a pale imitation. However it is a safer enviroment....

The Play Off semi finals against Palace and Hartlepool are testament that Ashton Gate when full is a noisy, atmospheric, and is a fantastic place to be.

 

Lots of good points chaps. Away from home we are usually right behind the team every match.
But I'm still of the opinion that at home while we get noisy when the team are doing it, we have a recurring habit of going very quiet when things are not going our way.
Yes there will be the moaners who start off at the slightest sign of mistakes. They will always be there but I don't hear the moaning at the levels I've heard from home fans at many away grounds.
But it's very obvious at the Gate that we are not too good at making a noise to help the team get into some momentum.
We need two or three "cheer leaders" per stand. Not US style dancing girls but Big Blokes with very big voices.

 

Citys away support in numbers is poor and just isn't that noisy anymore. Awful football, distance, dull away games, price, policing something has changed there as the amount of lads who go now, the type who make a din have dropped off the scale. Som eof the away games have simply been ****, even two up v Birmigham last season the away end was dull.

Ashton Gate is one of the best in the championship. Doesn't say much for the rest, as "getting behind the lads" has gone at many grounds. Football culture has been strangled.

 

Oh my god Wurzel Loyal. In that case, I really must be getting old. Even if I lived back in Bristol, I couldn't shout too loud anymore and try to stir them up. The lung power diminishes just the same as everything else when you get to 69! I didn't even get 'Ennis elbow in the recent Women's Heptathlon.

 

69? Thats a lot of football watched. Been a lot of changes since the 70's and lot of bad haircuts Neville and Riley being amongst the most girly. All the changes have also diminshed how vocally fans support their team. Lot of away game are dead now. Loud grounds like the baseball replaced by Pride park a ground so noisy the fans only sing when they score or the worlds biggest drum is used to keep em awake.

Ashton Gate is dated, the club is still in its birthplace, pubs still have the type of fans extinct elsewhere, only there are not so many now, but compared to the rest the fans are more than decent.

 

Eastend was looked upon as one of the best supports around by away fans. Club need to encourage it as well instead of stifling fans iniative like the lads trying to do something in the Atyeo and the flag days.