So what's the difference?

Southend Saturday. Arrived over 30 minutes before KO and the City contingent already in good voice in the stands - not to mention those in the pub opposite the chippy. Not a soul sat down and the atmosphere was loud and sustained. And a lovely bit of old school squaring up on the way out!

Palace last night. Silent entry, more than half the City contingent seated and silent. Others asking standers to sit. Noise intermitent and a bit subdued. Some of it plain negative.

The other difference? Me and the lad £30 on Satuday, over £50 last night.

He asks me on Saturday - why isn't the PL like that?

 

Plastic fans.

 

Why would plastic fans travel to a cold London on a Tuesday night to see us play Palace but not go on a nice Saturday for a chance to progress in the FA Cup?

I don't understand it either.

Mind you there was a section at Southend who sat down.

 

Cos it's the PL, they're not bothered about seeing Southend.

 

If I was a plastic I don't think I'd make such a long trip to Palace on a Tuesday night, PL or not.

 

We have a lot of London expats who have turned plastic.

Exerienced this at Arsenal this season.

From Hull but not real fans.

 

I've just got back from Southend, I wasn't at Palace, there's your answer.

 

Now I'm not a Plastic City fan at all; but as a fan who's 5"7 it's bloody annoying to have a big, busky bloke stand right infront of me so I can not see a bloody thing. I don't particularly like standing but only because of my height - that's just my opinion. I pay just as much money as people who want to stand.

Take the WBA game, I was sat towards the middle of the stand and had to move seats towards the side just so I could actually see because I had a bunch of muscle-bound gents in front of me. Just because someone doesn't want to stand, doesn't make the atmosphere any worse. I'll chant my heart out for City whenever I go - whilst sat down.

 

At WBA, I couldn't bloody stand. I'd had about 3 hours sleep on the Thursday, Friday night was out at a bash in Nottingham til 6am, hours sleep, get back home, straight off to WBA.

Still stood for 90 bloody minutes. For the first time ever I think though, I really would have rather sat down.

 

There was a crazy amount of empty seats in our section as Palace, if people didn't like people standing in front of them they could move.

 

The fans of other clubs must all be 6' tall with no kiddies and no one with any form of disability as they all seem to stand at grounds where the majority of ours remain seated. Of course maybe they are there to support their team and not interested in gawping at the other clubs' players and photographing them. I am afraid we ha e too many spectators as opposed to supporters. Which is why we have better support in terms of noise at Cup games and the less attractive PL games. Unfortunately it is only going to get worse if the name change goes ahead.

 

To be honest it was probablty all down to stress. Palace was a nervy 'mustnt lose' game, which we lost. I often find that at City, in the really tense games the atmospehere suffers. I dont think anyone wouldve really cared if we'd lost at Southend.

 

As a southern supporter myself I have to say that the atmosphere generated from my fellow southern supporter Is often below par unfortunately...

If I could change just one thing in football it would be to get everyone up and singing at away games, we couldn't even get left side right side going it's so poor.

 

Shouldn't you support your local team? (Man U)

 

I wouldn't want a return to standing until all the Hillsborough issues have been dealt with. I think we are a long way from this happening.

 

I've never got the whole standing thing. I'm perfectly able to stand and don't mind doing so myself but it doesn't make me sing louder or enjoy it more. It does stop me from taking my nephew to away games though because it would be money down the drain as he wouldn't see a thing.

 

Hillsborough wasn't a safe standing issue.

 

Surely, he'd see if he was lower down than those standing?