Atmosphere

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Ultimately though, without bringing back standing areas, there's little that can be done in our out of town, boring modern stadium.

I used to think that too. However, most of Y25 seems to stand up, or at least large portions. Those who choose not to stand could do so, but if they did they'd still stand there silently.

The problem is a lack of cheer leaders (I don't mean girls in mini skirts dancing on the touch line). But I mean literally a group or person who can lead the cheers in a non-artificial way (drummer, band etc) and generate a natural atmosphere.

We do have a fair amount of "cheer leaders".

The problem is that they are the opinionated idiots who stand at the top of Y25 (funny as that includes me). But the ones I'm talking about is the ones who were screaming "ohhhhh adam le fondre", when sharp missed the penalty. And were also boo'ing, and started a chant of "That was embarassing".

I've said before, the problem isn't necessarily the volume, but it's the attitude. Instead of "your support is shit", "go back to your shit hole", and "who are you" towards the away fans, we should be more pro-RFC.

It's like... we score a goal. Instead of backing the team, the chants are ALL directed at the away supporters. I'm all up for a bit of that, but the support should be more for the team.

Away games I really enjoy as it seems much more positive (obviously), but wish that would be mirrored at home.

Bobby there's a very easy answer to that. Move our more vocal support to the North Stand. It would improve the atmosphere instantly. But can you see that ever happening? There are many all seater grounds that have a great atmosphere and most of them have a core support behind the goal. Y25 is what/where it is because fans tried to replicate Elm Park when we moved & its just stuck. The atmosphere in the ground suffers as a result.

[Will95]

The home games atmospheres are terrible, the booing, the Alfie chants when he's not playing (he's not even THAT fukking good), I can't even be bothered to try there, plus after a goal all atmosphere is broken by the oxf*rd goal music. The support is terrible and with people's ignorant, idiotic negative attitudes this won't change.

Away from home is much better, despite small numbers we usually sing through most of the game and I'm more than happy to start chants there (although the utterly shit numbers mean it's still very quiet), but let's not pretend away games aren't without their idiotic booers.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

I think a lot of all-seater grounds are now suffering because people always keep the same seats. People get older and generally get less up for chanting.

In the terrace days everyone found their place, the younger crowd gathered at the right side of the Southbank, you moved left as you got older and on to the seats when you got to the age that you didn't want to stand for 90 mins! People don't move any more and that deprives the younger fans of moving into the vocal areas. There's no evolution in the support.

15-20 years into the all-seater era & this is definitely becoming more of an issue.

[download]

Overall this lot of players just seem a little more distant and reserved. I wonder if they were to do more informal meet and greets, or just spent more time in town where people could meet them, we might a few more "met so and so and he was a top guy, blah, blah".

[P!ssed Off]

I think a lot of all-seater grounds are now suffering because people always keep the same seats. People get older and generally get less up for chanting.

In the terrace days everyone found their place, the younger crowd gathered at the right side of the Southbank, you moved left as you got older and on to the seats when you got to the age that you didn't want to stand for 90 mins! People don't move any more and that deprives the younger fans of moving into the vocal areas. There's no evolution in the support.

15-20 years into the all-seater era & this is definitely becoming more of an issue.

Yes, when I go to see Colchester United as you say the vocal/hardcore standing lot are at the back of the South Stand, behind a goal.
Never seen any stewards telling them to sit down or anything either.

The club tries to get the right demographic to go to this particular stand:
You cannot buy an U8s or U14s ticket for this stand. It's not for kiddies. But you can buy U18s and it's also the only stand where you can get an 18-21 ticket.

The away fans are far away so there's less chanting aimed at them and more in support of the team.
In contrast to Reading, the drummer is actually in the hardcore bit. There's no "we're not singing along with the ghey drum" mentality that you get from some of the East Stand lot at Reading. The drummer and the chanters are acting in unison to make a decent atmosphere.

Overall attendance level is pretty pathetic, less than 3,000 for the last game. But the atmosphere is decent if you're in the South Stand.

[Pseud O'Nym]

I feel the club lacks an anthem. When the players aren't performing they need a something to sing about , when you to other clubs they have something to sing about something anthemic.

I'd suggest something a bit more upbeat than Atmosphere tbh.

[sandman]

In order for the players to feel more confident I feel we need to try something different. Forget about anthems, rumblestix and vocal support we need to replace their shorts...with women's slacks.

[taipeiroyal]

The home games atmospheres are terrible, the booing, the Alfie chants when he's not playing (he's not even THAT fukking good), I can't even be bothered to try there, plus after a goal all atmosphere is broken by the oxf*rd goal music. The support is terrible and with people's ignorant, idiotic negative attitudes this won't change.

Away from home is much better, despite small numbers we usually sing through most of the game and I'm more than happy to start chants there (although the utterly shit numbers mean it's still very quiet), but let's not pretend away games aren't without their idiotic booers.

Totally agree!
I much prefer the away game experience...just wish there were a few more of us!

[Ian Herring]

I think a lot of all-seater grounds are now suffering because people always keep the same seats. People get older and generally get less up for chanting.

In the terrace days everyone found their place, the younger crowd gathered at the right side of the Southbank, you moved left as you got older and on to the seats when you got to the age that you didn't want to stand for 90 mins! People don't move any more and that deprives the younger fans of moving into the vocal areas. There's no evolution in the support.

15-20 years into the all-seater era & this is definitely becoming more of an issue.

Excellent post.

[Cureton's Volley]

I think a lot of all-seater grounds are now suffering because people always keep the same seats. People get older and generally get less up for chanting.

In the terrace days everyone found their place, the younger crowd gathered at the right side of the Southbank, you moved left as you got older and on to the seats when you got to the age that you didn't want to stand for 90 mins! People don't move any more and that deprives the younger fans of moving into the vocal areas. There's no evolution in the support.

15-20 years into the all-seater era & this is definitely becoming more of an issue.

Excellent post.

+1

[rob the royal]

A lot of people on here seem to think that booing and encouraging can't be done by the same people. I booed various passages of terrible play the other day where we'd tossed the ball forward aimlessly after holding on to it to wait for that golden opportunity to just lump it up field...

But equally I was trying to get involved with whatever chants were being started and trying to push them on.

As for the drum vs East Stand situation, it's pathetic, there used to be games like that where a 5 minute spell of the whole stadium singing blue army would get everyone behind the team and put the opposition on the back foot and maybe get us back into the game, now whenever its starts, the nonces up in the corner take great pleasure in speeding up the chant and wrecking it so we can all go back to singing something witty like "go back to your shitole."

[Stevie G]

A lot of people on here seem to think that booing and encouraging can't be done by the same people. I booed various passages of terrible play the other day where we'd tossed the ball forward aimlessly after holding on to it to wait for that golden opportunity to just lump it up field...

But equally I was trying to get involved with whatever chants were being started and trying to push them on.

As for the drum vs East Stand situation, it's pathetic, there used to be games like that where a 5 minute spell of the whole stadium singing blue army would get everyone behind the team and put the opposition on the back foot and maybe get us back into the game, now whenever its starts, the nonces up in the corner take great pleasure in speeding up the chant and wrecking it so we can all go back to singing something witty like "go back to your shitole."

Good post, i too had my moments in the first half last weekend, but got behind the team in the second half. If the club recognises the issue, and not the fans being the problem, then they could do something about it, like a ground strategy as suggested at Colchester, or just a motivational flier. Trying to change the fans attitude through HNA is nott necessarily going to work.

[RoyalTank]

The problem is that they are the opinionated idiots who stand at the top of Y25 (funny as that includes me). But the ones I'm talking about is the ones who were screaming "ohhhhh adam le fondre", when sharp missed the penalty. And were also boo'ing, and started a chant of "That was embarassing".

Since we are talking about this, who is that one particular knob head up there that will just shout abuse at the team for the whole game? I am sure anyone who sits in Y25 will know the person I am referring to.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Just get on and play football. Trouble is that they have to put something on the official site and in the papers
Sadly players mostly say boring things, clichéd to the extreme.
As for the atmosphere, forget it, will never change.

[Wimb]

The home games atmospheres are terrible, the booing, the Alfie chants when he's not playing (he's not even THAT fukking good), I can't even be bothered to try there, plus after a goal all atmosphere is broken by the oxf*rd goal music. The support is terrible and with people's ignorant, idiotic negative attitudes this won't change.

Away from home is much better, despite small numbers we usually sing through most of the game and I'm more than happy to start chants there (although the utterly shit numbers mean it's still very quiet), but let's not pretend away games aren't without their idiotic booers.

I suppose pyro is the answer eh?

Good god it's not that bad, yeah there's some booing but that happens at most stadiums from home fans when the team aren't playing well, this isn't isolated to the Madejski Stadium and it's not chronic either (at least from where I'm sitting).

What do you honestly expect from most fans in this era?

They pay hundreds if not thousands of pounds to watch players who earn thousands upon thousands produce a brand of 'entertainment' that's akin to something you'd get watching Basingstoke or Reading Town.

Good performances and effort from players is what gets fans noisy, players just can't have it both ways anymore. They can't claim thousands because they're marketed as 'entertainers' while still hoping to instantly have unwavering support from thousands of strangers they have no real connection with when they actually fail to entertain week after week.

How do they build those connections with fans? Again, it's through effort, hard work and producing something worth watching.

Why do people get behind Pog? Because they see him busting a gut. Why do they support Alfie? (even if at ridiculous times) because he scores goals, Guthrie? Because he pings 30-yarders. Go back in time and you had big backings for Gilkes and Kebe because they bombed down the flanks, Quinn, Forster, Kitson and Doyle because they scored goals, Parky because he charged around, the list goes on and the formula to getting fans behind players isn't rocket science.

Whenever a player has a pop at the crowd it makes me think they're looking for someone else to blame for their own poor form or insecurities. Crumbs if they can't produce when a couple of hundred Reading fans are giving it a muffled boo, what hope do they have of producing when 70,000 are on them at Old Trafford?! Small wonder that the two players having a pop are Cummings, who was subbed at the break for a teenage winger and McCleary who's also lost his place in the side (albeit somewhat unfairly IMO).

Not saying there's no room for improvement from the crowd, who should be trying to help players as much as possible but this group of players has a lot of work to do before they can just expect unwavering support.

Personally I'll try and back players as much as I can, even when they make the odd mistake but if they keep making that same stupid mistake multiple times in a game then a bit of grief from the crowd should be expected in the same way that your boss would probably get annoyed if you made the same error four times in a day despite having done your highly paid job for years.

[Cureton's Volley]

^ Top Nobbing

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

I had an Xmas email from adkins saying how well the fans were supporting the club on and off the pitch.

[CountryRoyal]

I had an Xmas email from adkins saying how well the fans were supporting the club on and off the pitch.

I saw the same thing on the club's instagram.

I think it was a joke.

[Cureton's Volley]

I had an Xmas email from adkins saying how well the fans were supporting the club on and off the pitch.

I saw the same thing on the club's instagram.

I think it was a joke.

Nothing funny about our shitty club comms department. Mugs.

[CountryRoyal]

I had an Xmas email from adkins saying how well the fans were supporting the club on and off the pitch.

I saw the same thing on the club's instagram.

I think it was a joke.

Nothing funny about our shitty club comms department. Mugs.

On and off the pitch RFC is crap atm.