[Albion] Aston Villa - a call to arms

[Palacefinder General]

To paraphrase David Brent (to Gareth): “Get the drum”

 

[pocketseagull]

Amex atmosphere tends to be best when we're fighting back after being under the cosh.

This season there's been less of that but the crowd doesn't really get excited about us dominating possession when we don't look like scoring.

 

[BeHereNow]

This could easily be its own giant thread...

Risky stuff from GP, could get the fans against him.

Hard for me to say a lot since I'm watching the games on stream, but from what I can hear and see its one of the most quiet 20k+ stadiums in Europe and seemingly closer to moaning than to cheering.

The guy I quoted earlier in the thread sums up what seems the be the attitude. He said something about that the team should go out and inspire the fans. In many fan bases however, the attitude is the opposite: they feel that they as supporters should inspire the team.

Its pretty logical that it is like this though. I mean the die hard fans in here went to Gillingham and to Withdean and stuff, but realistically the vast majority that visits the AMEX are pretty new to this and might not understand typical supporter culture: they come to be spectators of entertainment rather than supporters of Brighton & Hove Albion.

Tony Bloom has shown he is eager to improve the club, Potter that he is eager to improve the team, and the players that they are eager to improve themselves - and I hope the supporters/spectators are equally eager to improve themselves as supporters.

Not true when it comes to the North Stand (well, most of it), we always sing from the off and can regularly be heard on tv for the first 10 minutes or so, I know this because I watch the games back if they’ve been on TV. We rarely get outsung. I’d say that, typically, pockets of the North Stand will sing for around 70-75 minutes of the match. Now, if we are doing well then the whole stand gets going and filters to the other stands a bit, if winning well then the whole stadium can rock. The Chelsea fans clearly heard us down the other end the other week!

The fact that it’s an all seater stadium doesn’t help though and the stewarding has been overzealous at times. This Has lead to a lot of more hardcore fans being removed and banned. I’ve been in areas of the ground where I’ve been told off by either a steward or a fellow ‘supporter’ for trying to get behind the team. These ‘supporters’ are the ones I think you are referring to, but I don’t think there are as many as you think.

During the Withdean years we probably had a ‘proper’ fanbase of about 20,000. I’ve heard we had over 30,000 on our database at the time and we took about 27,000 to Cardiff for a League 1 Play Off Final. There are a lot of new fans though who don’t know how to get behind the team, but they really aren’t helped by the culture and stewarding in certain parts of the ground. I know a few old school fans that stopped going after about 3 seasons and they had season tickets at Withdean. They’ve probably been replaced by less passionate fans, unfortunately.

Don’t forget we had a few 30,000+ crowds in the 4th tier when at The Goldstone.

I don’t know if you’ve watch any vids of us on YouTube, but our home support has been great at times. We once had the whole ground singing ‘The Great Escape’ for about 70 mins once because we had 2 players sent off. Terrible refs always get us going.

 

[Seasider78]

Potter and Naylor calling us fans at the AMEX 'proper shitehouse'.


[tweet]1216975873687130112[/tweet]


Probably, I dunno, I don't have get The Athletic.

What has Potter actually said or is it just the usual Naylor clickbait digs at the fans?

 

[jessiejames]

Are some people on here for real? Moaning that we are in a downward spiral, not scoring goals, stadium quiet. A couple of bad results and we are reaching for the Prozac.
Not at one point this season I can think of have we been outclassed. We are creating chances, it is just some on here think we should be beating teams like Bournemouth and Chelsea by 5 or 6 goals.

 

[Arkwright]

I've got an idea the North Stand sings the same song at the same time at the same pace and hopefully the other stands can join in creating a better atmosphere.
Potter is right far too much negativity comes out the stands, if I'm honest at times I label myself in verbal critism, more to self leave your moaning until the concourse after the game.
The players are trying to play an exciting positive brand of football we should try to create the same attitude in the stands.

 

[Swansman]

Not true when it comes to the North Stand (well, most of it), we always sing from the off and can regularly be heard on tv for the first 10 minutes or so, I know this because I watch the games back if they’ve been on TV. We rarely get outsung. I’d say that, typically, pockets of the North Stand will sing for around 70-75 minutes of the match. Now, if we are doing well then the whole stand gets going and filters to the other stands a bit, if winning well then the whole stadium can rock. The Chelsea fans clearly heard us down the other end the other week!

The fact that it’s an all seater stadium doesn’t help though and the stewarding has been overzealous at times. This Has lead to a lot of more hardcore fans being removed and banned. I’ve been in areas of the ground where I’ve been told off by either a steward or a fellow ‘supporter’ for trying to get behind the team. These ‘supporters’ are the ones I think you are referring to, but I don’t think there are as many as you think.

During the Withdean years we probably had a ‘proper’ fanbase of about 20,000. I’ve heard we had over 30,000 on our database at the time and we took about 27,000 to Cardiff for a League 1 Play Off Final. There are a lot of new fans though who don’t know how to get behind the team, but they really aren’t helped by the culture and stewarding in certain parts of the ground. I know a few old school fans that stopped going after about 3 seasons and they had season tickets at Withdean. They’ve probably been replaced by less passionate fans, unfortunately.

Don’t forget we had a few 30,000+ crowds in the 4th tier when at The Goldstone.

I don’t know if you’ve watch any vids of us on YouTube, but our home support has been great at times. We once had the whole ground singing ‘The Great Escape’ for about 70 mins once because we had 2 players sent off. Terrible refs always get us going.

Ah thanks for filling me in.

Banning or silencing hardcore fans. It sounds like a typical case of atmosphere cancer. Potter might not even be aware that this is and has been the case, Something should be done about it. I'm no Tony Bloom expert but I cant imagine he wants the morgue silence.

 

[BN41Albion]

This could easily be its own giant thread...

Risky stuff from GP, could get the fans against him.

Hard for me to say a lot since I'm watching the games on stream, but from what I can hear and see its one of the most quiet 20k+ stadiums in Europe and seemingly closer to moaning than to cheering.

The guy I quoted earlier in the thread sums up what seems the be the attitude. He said something about that the team should go out and inspire the fans. In many fan bases however, the attitude is the opposite: they feel that they as supporters should inspire the team.

Its pretty logical that it is like this though. I mean the die hard fans in here went to Gillingham and to Withdean and stuff, but realistically the vast majority that visits the AMEX are pretty new to this and might not understand typical supporter culture: they come to be spectators of entertainment rather than supporters of Brighton & Hove Albion.

Tony Bloom has shown he is eager to improve the club, Potter that he is eager to improve the team, and the players that they are eager to improve themselves - and I hope the supporters/spectators are equally eager to improve themselves as supporters.

Is it bollocks 'one of the most quiet 20k plus stadiums in europe'. Atmosphere hasn't been great lately but atmospheres are average at best everywhere pretty much. Says something about the atmosphere at football in the UK when selhurst is seen in the media as raucous, when it is literally 100 ultras with a drum droning on. And I was chatting to some Germans after a game recently who actually really enjoyed the atmosphere as it was different to Germany - people got much more into and reacted to what's going on on the pitch, in their opinion. So really, atmosphere is just different here to your ultra culture elsewhere anyway.

Yeah the atmosphere could be better still but I take offence at someone who watches on a stream saying it's quietest in Europe ffs, and it's certainly in no way 'closer to moaning than cheering'.

And as for the 'vast majority that visit the amex are new to this and dont understand supporter culture and dont come as supporters of BHA'... Sorry but that's absolute crap.

 

[AmexRuislip]

Ah thanks for filling me in.

Banning or silencing hardcore fans. It sounds like a typical case of atmosphere cancer. Potter might not even be aware that this is and has been the case, Something should be done about it. I'm no Tony Bloom expert but I cant imagine he wants the morgue silence.

The Albion have never been a razzamatazz club when it comes to singing.
But when the fans sing 'Albion.....'in unison, it does send shivers down your spine.
Nobody on here can deny that.

Perhaps we could get one of those chaps that hold up cheer cards on comedy sets, like Palarse for instance

 

[Hampster Gull]

What has Potter actually said or is it just the usual Naylor clickbait digs at the fans?

I read the article albeit quickly and ended it thinking it’s Naylor shit stirring. Shame as I’ve subscribed to the athletic and I’d prefer they didn’t push this crap

.

 

[BN41Albion]

The Albion have never been a razzamatazz club when it comes to singing.
But when the fans sing 'Albion.....'in unison, it does send shivers down your spine.
Nobody on here can deny that.

Perhaps we could get one of those chaps that hold up cheer cards on comedy sets, like Palarse for instance

I do think we've always been excellent away from home vocally - through the decades too, not just lately. Not every game but certainly the vast majority we are very loud and consistent away from home. And lots of other clubs home fans have commented on that to me over the years in the pubs etc, as well as when I've taken other non-albion fans with me to away games.

 

[AmexRuislip]

I do think we've always been excellent away from home vocally - through the decades too, not just lately. Not every game but certainly the vast majority we are very loud and consistent away from home. And lots of other clubs home fans have commented on that to me over the years in the pubs etc, as well as when I've taken other non-albion fans with me to away games.

Vicarage Road as an example

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

I read the article albeit quickly and ended it thinking it’s Naylor shit stirring. Shame as I’ve subscribed to the athletic and I’d prefer they didn’t push this crap

.

I gave his article the negative 'yellow face' rating - the only one I have ever given.

Going to football is expensive, but I go to have fun. Not to be subjected to some blanket criticism, and kill joy assessment.

Naylor is always at his worst when he moves onto this sort of subject.

 

[Leegull]

I read the article albeit quickly and ended it thinking it’s Naylor shit stirring. Shame as I’ve subscribed to the athletic and I’d prefer they didn’t push this crap

.

Naylor absolutely loves digging out the fans and has done so as far back as I can remember...

I first noticed it back in the Withdean days... We signed a Shiitehouse keeper (can’t remember his name now) who was keeping Kuipers out of the team.. everyone wanted Kuipers back and this calamity keeper dropped, that is apart from Naylor, who kept peddling the naive, ignorant, thick fans line every single week!

This guy though was always prone to a massive Rick every game and eventually he was was dropped and left the club... I never did catch the Naylor apology and acknowledgment that the fans opinions were actually valid and in most cases based on some actual knowledge of football...

Drove me mad back then and since, he seemed to set himself a reminder every few months to dig the fans out for something or other.... refreshing now that we just get reporting from the incumbent Argus team, who don’t appear to have any agenda against the fans and just report the facts and news, my blood hasn’t boiled once since Andy left....

And that my lord, is why I haven’t yet subscribed to the Athletic...

 

[vagabond]

This could easily be its own giant thread...

Risky stuff from GP, could get the fans against him.

Hard for me to say a lot since I'm watching the games on stream, but from what I can hear and see its one of the most quiet 20k+ stadiums in Europe and seemingly closer to moaning than to cheering.

Uh, it’s bit different being at the game, actually at the stadium as compared to watching a stream.

And a stream that probably has low quality compressed audio, and even then at the mercy of the channels.

We may have the odd moan or a bit off restlessness, but no mistake the Albion support is always special. Always a great atmosphere, and when we get a goal the Amex is rocking. If anything I think our support is getting better with more new fans.

 

[vagabond]

And what is the actual Potter quote? None of this clickbait shite.

 

[Mike Small]

Naylor absolutely loves digging out the fans and has done so as far back as I can remember...

I first noticed it back in the Withdean days... We signed a Shiitehouse keeper (can’t remember his name now) who was keeping Kuipers out of the team.. everyone wanted Kuipers back and this calamity keeper dropped, that is apart from Naylor, who kept peddling the naive, ignorant, thick fans line every single week!

This guy though was always prone to a massive Rick every game and eventually he was was dropped and left the club... I never did catch the Naylor apology and acknowledgment that the fans opinions were actually valid and in most cases based on some actual knowledge of football...

Drove me mad back then and since, he seemed to set himself a reminder every few months to dig the fans out for something or other.... refreshing now that we just get reporting from the incumbent Argus team, who don’t appear to have any agenda against the fans and just report the facts and news, my blood hasn’t boiled once since Andy left....

And that my lord, is why I haven’t yet subscribed to the Athletic...

Remember this well. The other keeper was called Henderson. He was terrible. It was said he had better distribution (most keepers did compared to Kuipers) but he couldn't save, catch crosses or command his area. Naylor was infuriating about it back then as if the fans knew nothing.

 

[Leegull]

Remember this well. The other keeper was called Henderson. He was terrible. It was said he had better distribution (most keepers did compared to Kuipers) but he couldn't save, catch crosses or command his area. Naylor was infuriating about it back then as if the fans knew nothing.

Glad it wasn’t just me that felt that!
Henderson, that’s the fella... it felt like a one goal handicap every time he started...

 

[Steve in Japan]

I predict that fan-decibel level will have much less of an impact on our season than the competence of our coaches, our squad and our recruitment team. To suggest anything else is the ultimate in red herrings.

So Naylor can pucker up and kiss my, err, cheek.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Naylor absolutely loves digging out the fans and has done so as far back as I can remember...

I first noticed it back in the Withdean days... We signed a Shiitehouse keeper (can’t remember his name now) who was keeping Kuipers out of the team.. everyone wanted Kuipers back and this calamity keeper dropped, that is apart from Naylor, who kept peddling the naive, ignorant, thick fans line every single week!

This guy though was always prone to a massive Rick every game and eventually he was was dropped and left the club... I never did catch the Naylor apology and acknowledgment that the fans opinions were actually valid and in most cases based on some actual knowledge of football...

Drove me mad back then and since, he seemed to set himself a reminder every few months to dig the fans out for something or other.... refreshing now that we just get reporting from the incumbent Argus team, who don’t appear to have any agenda against the fans and just report the facts and news, my blood hasn’t boiled once since Andy left....

And that my lord, is why I haven’t yet subscribed to the Athletic...

Calamity Wayne Henderson. How I hated him. Naylor had a love thing with him, but worse still, so did McGhee who stuck with him through to relegation.