Making an atmosphere at Withdean?

[Caveman]

This might help us get some songs going..



Who says terrace wit is dead?

Here's a beauty sung at Highbury when Cygan is drafted in as emergency
cover... He's bald, He's sh*t, He gets a game when no-one's fit, Pascal
Cygan! Pascal Cygan!

*Sung to Lord of the Dance tune* at Man United the other day: "Park,
Park,
Where ever you may be You eat dogs in your home country But it could be
worse You could be a scouse Eating rats in your council house"

Newcastle fans towards Sunderland fans. "Going down, going down, going
down... "Sunderland fans replied..... "So are we , so are we , so are
we..."

"Wheres your real dad, wheres your real dad!?" Charlton fans to Shaun
Wright-Philips

Toon fans to JF Hasselbaink. He even laughed!: "You're just a fat Eddie
Murphy"

(To the tune of Craig David - Rewind): "VAN PER-SIE, WHEN A GIRL SAYS NO - MOLEST HER"

To Graham Rix when he was released from prison after being convicted
for, well, you know... (To the Manic Street Preachers song): "If you tolerate
RIX, then your children will be next"

He's here, he's there We're not allowed to swear Frank Leboeuf, Frank
Leboeuf" Chelsea fans after Leboeuf said in a radio interview that he
didn't like the idea of a swear word in his song.

A song about Tim Howard's tourettes syndrome..... *in style of
Chim-Chiminey* "Tim timminy Tim timminy Tim Tim Tirooo We've got Tim
Howard and he says F*CK YOU!!

In reference to Jaime Carragher's dad being banned from football stadia
after being arrested for being drunk at a football match.. He's red, He's
sound, He's banned from every ground, Carra's dad, Carra's dad

Sung by Birmingham fans after Heskey started banging in the goals at St
Andrews... Theres only one Emile Heskey, one Emile Heskey, He used to be
sh**e, But now he's alright, Walking in a Heskey wonderland

To the tune of Rebel Rebel Neville Neville, you play in defence, Neville
Neville, your play is immense, Neville Neville, like Jacko you're bad,
Neville Neville is the name of your dad

Don't blame it on the Biscan, Don't blame it on the Hamann, Don't blame it
on the Finnan, Blame it on Traore, He just can't, He just can't, He just
can't control his feet. He just can't, He just can't, He just can't
control his feet.

"Two Andy Gorams, there's only two andy gorams"... Celtic fans to Andy
Goram after its revealed the chubby keeper was diagnosed with
Schizophrenia.

When the ball hits your head and you're sat in row Z that's Zamora

 

[Moshe Gariani]

We'll be saying exactly the same this time next year and although I shouldn't be bothered, I get really depressed when the away fans seem to have some sort of magical amplification system going on. i.e. Burnley the other night, there was only a few of them but when they did sing it sounded really good. (I know we are closer now!).

this is crucial... about 50 away fans singing together or 300 "roaring" together always sounds quite loud and supportive... and if it can easily be heard off the pitch then presumably it is also easily heard by the players on the pitch and the managers etc...

so imagine what 200 home fans singing together or 3,000 "roaring" together sounds like...?

i still think we should have German style uberfans who orchestrate the singing and other displays of support... i know its not in the tradition of our terraces but unfortunately they don't exist anymore and the challenge is to create a decent atmosphere in the new climate of seats and sandwiches... i would have 6 fans with megaphones, evenly spread out around the front of the home areas and connected by walkietalkie headsets, one of them starts up and the other 5 join in followed by their "section"... no guarantee that everyone would join in with "GOSBTS", "Albion... Albion", "Albion, Albion, Albion", "Come on Brighton" etc but i reckon a lot would... imagine what that would be like to have the whole ground singing at the same time? would apply equally at Falmer... obviously open to criticism/ridicule but how good would it be compared to the current state? and there would still be room for spontaneous singing in between from those who wanted to... having seen the amazing home support at FC Koln last year I can't believe that people wouldn't prefer that to the current English norm of Library v Away Fans...

 

[Jim in the West]

this is crucial... about 50 away fans singing together or 300 "roaring" together always sounds quite loud and supportive... and if it can easily be heard off the pitch then presumably it is also easily heard by the players on the pitch and the managers etc...

so imagine what 200 home fans singing together or 3,000 "roaring" together sounds like...?

i still think we should have German style uberfans who orchestrate the singing and other displays of support... i know its not in the tradition of our terraces but unfortunately they don't exist anymore and the challenge is to create a decent atmosphere in the new climate of seats and sandwiches... i would have 6 fans with megaphones, evenly spread out around the front of the home areas and connected by walkietalkie headsets, one of them starts up and the other 5 join in followed by their "section"... no guarantee that everyone would join in with "GOSBTS", "Albion... Albion", "Albion, Albion, Albion", "Come on Brighton" etc but i reckon a lot would... imagine what that would be like to have the whole ground singing at the same time? would apply equally at Falmer... obviously open to criticism/ridicule but how good would it be compared to the current state? and there would still be room for spontaneous singing in between from those who wanted to... having seen the amazing home support at FC Koln last year I can't believe that people wouldn't prefer that to the current English norm of Library v Away Fans...

I have mentioned a few times a similar spectacle when I've watched Allemania Aachen - amazing atmosphere, even in the main stand where the families and kids sit. And two of the stands at Aachen DO NOT HAVE A ROOF. I think a few (well, hopefully more than a few) folk need to risk making themselves look like plonkers to try to get things going. Once others start joining it, the whole thing will work. We're all too unemotional at home games.

 

[Silent Bob]

I agree.

It's a myth that the roof thing is entirely to blame, when everyone is singing it still makes a greta noise, roof or no.

 

[Caveman]

I think you could be on to something here, certainly better than a band.

I sure there would be plenty of people willing to help.

 

[Jim in the West]

Can I just summarise where we are with this:

1. I will bring at least 1,000 balloons - more if the club give me the OK to flog a few as well;

2. 555kaz, Barreloffun, and hopefully a few others are going to bring some beach balls to generally jolly up the atmosphere [Can we have confirmation of who is going to bring these??]

3. Someone [who?] is going to be responsible for starting some Mexican waves - probably needs to be in A or J Block?

4. Yorkie is going to bring her wooden rattle

5. Various folk [who?] are going to bring whistles

6. The Argus are going to run some sort of "Make some Noise" campaign [possibly - I will email Andy Naylor]

Sorry to be anal about this - but I think we need a bit of organisation....please feel free to add your own pledges

 

[wagsforever]

Mexican Waves are rubbish, really classless.

 

[Jim in the West]

Does anyone know where the Giant Flag is? Could it make a comeback on Saturday? (the weather forecast seems ok - ie, no rain)

 

[Yorkie]

Mexican Waves are rubbish, really classless.

That's written that off then.

The flag was in the green hut behind where the new changing rooms are but not sure where it is now.

 

[fozzie's headband]

A definite NO to mexican waves - we're better than that!

Would be great to see the giant flag again.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

A definite NO to mexican waves - we're better than that!

i think most agree with that... fair enough when they were a novelty (e.g. 4,000 Leeds doing a sit down/stand up version on the East Terrace...) but the preserve of pissed and bored people at cricket matches now...

 

[Yorkie]

I do have to say the Mexican wave at Forest 3 years ago was the funniest thing I have seen at a football ground.

 

[Commander]

One of the biggest problems with the atmosphere is the fact that it is wide open with no roof at all. I sit in D Block and I rarely hear anything from the singing section at all. I'm not saying that no singing is coming from there, just simply that it doesn't carry.

I thought that until I went to see Cadiz play in Spain where my dad lives. Their stadium is completely open, and the noise they make is deafening.

It's not the lack of roof (although this doesn't help) it's the people in it and the fact that the football is crap. Fair enough Cadiz get about 20,000, but if we made a quarter of the noise they made it would be a massive improvement on the current situation.

 

[Jim in the West]

That's written that off then.

The flag was in the green hut behind where the new changing rooms are but not sure where it is now.

Surely it can't have gone missing?

 

[Caveman]

Downloaded Penguin normally is the keeper? Isn't he?

 

[Hadlee]

The main thing is to sell out, anyone know if there are tickets left ?

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Get the players to play well?

Its the easiest way to do it, its very hard to get overjoyed and loud when the football is as upsifting as a strokes ward.

Thats what I have been saying. Withdean is unique in that it needs the team to play well to get the crowd going instead of the other way around....

 

[Uncle Buck]

Shut NSC down the week before a big game?

 

[Caveman]

Thats what I have been saying. Withdean is unique in that it needs the team to play well to get the crowd going instead of the other way around....

Thats not totally true, an atmosphere will raise the team. You watch during any game when the support gets right behind the team, you'll notice certain players look up and are gee'd on by the noise, they try and raise the players around them.

Wasn't the Leeds manager who said the crowd were like a twelve man during that game? The idea is to get the atmosphere built just in time for kick off and keep it going.

There is no excuse for anyone not to sing. If someone around you starts a chant - join in. It's not hard. No matter how poor the game is, it will work I can assure you.

 

[Caveman]