Take a good look at other Albion fans in the train queue; it's not a question of soft, more a case of a very high percentage of old people, women and kids. i.e. whether you like it or not we are a family club and that's how we fill our stadium. It's embarrassing when you get Coventry's answer...
Your view of a club's fans depends on who you happen to run into / share a train carriage with. I didn't bump into any good humoured Cov fans, but I did share a train carriage with a bunch of aggressive tw@ts. So that's how I'll remember them...
I was sat on the half way line at the front of WSU so got a balanced listen to both ends; I would estimate that Coventry were at least 60% louder than the NS.
You aren't seeing the bigger picture; to get the whole ground joining in you need simple chants that can be coordinated, like when someone bangs on the back of the NS and we do a traditional clap, clap, clap clap clap BRIGHTON! Or ALBION...ALBION. The police box bunch sing dirges that just don't...
I had high hopes for the NS today given that people could move seats, but sadly the singing was limp.
That bunch under the police box just sing songs to please themselves, not big crowd rousers...
Not seeing eye-to-eye with the likes of France and Germany has meant persistant conflict in Europe for a thousand years up until 1945, but no war between EU member states since. As for the Commonwealth, I don't notice any rush to rally around the union flag...
I think it is a question of acoustics. I regularly sit in WSU and can confirm that they do join in when the NS gets its act together. If you are in the NS you probably can't hear. I sat in the ESL for the West Ham game and literally no-one around me bothered. But it's the same at most grounds...
I reckon you are absolutely correct. When I've been in the NS (I'm usually WSU) and looked around I could never figure out why there are so many people who look like the ES would suit them more. But you're right there was no ESU when we moved in and season tickets were cheapest in the NS...