[Football] Giving up my season ticket.

[sparkie]

To quote Barber today in the Athletic "Unfortunately we live in a world where instant gratification demands for instant success or winning every game"

So it's your fault, not the clubs

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The occasional win would be nice, Barbs.

Every game ? Lol.

 

[jackalbion]

I'm gonna give up my season ticket if they don't do anything about the strongbow, tastes like battery acid, need to clean the pipes or something, it does not taste like normal strongbow! As well as this can they get rid of sauce sachets, I would prefer a squeezy pipe, like at other grounds, so I don't have to use my greasy chubby fingers to open all these sachets. I also want to be able to bring a kebab in, that would be ideal.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

I sit in block D of the NS.

It’s nothing personal about you or anyone else.

It’s about the club and design. Loath them, but the bloody Holmesd…… has noise, because Parish very deliberately let the rabble take over. I watched from the front row of WSU in the first few seasons as Hebberd and Balkham’s hit squads anally spent game after game targeting people, ejecting them and then banning folk. Trangressions included standing up. Drip by drip sterilising what’s meant to be OUR raucous end. I love it that modern football is dealing with homophobia and racism, is a better place for all genders, but the club seem hellbent on making every corner perfectly family friendly. Design - a non-KOP esque home end, not very deep seems to have led to no distinct core of singing. Just two disparate groups blocks apart.

I can’t say I knew about Balkham and Hebberd’s actions, that’s very sad. I completely agree that the NS is disappointingly small, however that can’t really be used as a valid excuse, can it? After all, away fans in the South often make a great sound, and they’re almost identical in size. As I previously said, there’s far too many non vocal fans in the NS. I know it’s been suggested many times but perhaps moving the away fans would be the best idea, open up the SS for folk who want to sit behind the goal but aren’t fussed for singing, possibly make the NS safe standing and try and encourage a reshuffle of fans to get the more vocal supporters congregated in one area.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

You only have to look at the North Stand to see why it doesn't work. It looks like a tiny afterthought.

Is this just an easy and convenient excuse though? It’s no different to the South Stand and the away fans make plenty of noise.

 

[Is it PotG?]

I'm not in the Norff, so can only go by rumours and what I hear from a distance away.

Are there not several split groups, some members of which are reluctant to join in with a separate clan?

It may be a load of old guff.

 

[Weststander]

I can’t say I knew about Balkham and Hebberd’s actions, that’s very sad. I completely agree that the NS is disappointingly small, however that can’t really be used as a valid excuse, can it? After all, away fans in the South often make a great sound, and they’re almost identical in size. As I previously said, there’s far too many non vocal fans in the NS. I know it’s been suggested many times but perhaps moving the away fans would be the best idea, open up the SS for folk who want to sit behind the goal but aren’t fussed for singing, possibly make the NS safe standing and try and encourage a reshuffle of fans to get the more vocal supporters congregated in one area.

Just asking, isn't that simply the away fan effect?

Albion's 2,500 to 3,000 army make an incredible noise all other the country.

Young and not so young devotees, all pushed together in the one place, a party.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Is this just an easy and convenient excuse though? It’s no different to the South Stand and the away fans make plenty of noise.

Good point. Away fans are special, though. I would imagine our away fans still make more noise than our current North Stand. This is because of novelty (a different stadium every game), the importance of larging about at a hostile ground, all those things I loved when I went to away games. 'There's no-one there, there's no-one there' - such fun.

I am sure there are multiple reasons why our North Stand is more quiet than one would like, but the small and shitty aspect can't help. It may break your heart but go online and look at photos of our North, then look (if you can bring yourself to do so) at pictures of the Holmsdale end, but the difference is palpable.

 

[nwgull]

For people bringing up the Amex atmosphere, what do you propose is done about that? Having a large home end behind the goal is obviously ideal, but we've seen enough games over the last 10 years to know that it can still be generated - and it was even achieved at Withdean with no real home end to speak of. Palace do make a decent and coordinated atmosphere, but don't let them have you believe that it's organic; they basically organise the singers (the scary black-clad always ultras) in the same section and have a drum and capos (cheerleaders for want of a better description). However any suggestion that a drum is incorporated into the North is generally firmly rejected as being 'tinpot', whatever that's supposed to mean. I can never understand why, as one of the most intimidating and coordinated home fan atmospheres I've experienced was at Middlesbrough in the play off, the key to which was that they had a drummer keeping everyone in time.

Safe standing would help, I think, as this would naturally bring the singers together. Maybe it'd be worthwhile PB trying to engage with fans on this again?

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Good point. Away fans are special, though. I would imagine our away fans still make more noise than our current North Stand. This is because of novelty (a different stadium every game), the importance of larging about at a hostile ground, all those things I loved when I went to away games. 'There's no-one there, there's no-one there' - such fun.

I am sure there are multiple reasons why our North Stand is more quiet than one would like, but the small and shitty aspect can't help. It may break your heart but go online and look at photos of our North, then look (if you can bring yourself to do so) at pictures of the Holmsdale end, but the difference is palpable.

I agree on all points. That’s one of the reasons I’m so eager to see the additional tier, albeit small it’ll certainly look better than the large grey wall that currently haunts the top half of the stand. We know the vocal fans are out there, we just need them in a more concentrated area rather than spread all around the ground.

 

[GoingUp]

Ive rarely missed a home game in well over a decade, until this season.

TBH I didn't feel comfortable going this season due to COVID, although I was still set on trying to get to every 3pm kick off......... turns out there's only been one so far and we lost!

I still want our season tickets for next season, if the club try and stop people that didn't feel comfortable going during a pandemic then it would surely be a PR disaster.

I would have passed on the tickets to friends or family but just feels like a right palaver to do so this season.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Just asking, isn't that simply the away fan effect?

Albion's 2,500 to 3,000 army make an incredible noise all other the country.

Young and not so young devotees, all pushed together in the one place, a party.

Almost definitely, and we need, somehow, to get more likeminded fans in the North Stand or at least in a concentrated area of the ground.

 

[nwgull]

Almost definitely, and we need, somehow, to get more likeminded fans in the North Stand or at least in a concentrated area of the ground.

Safe standing would probably achieve this as it would naturally attract the vocal chant-leading fans.

 

[rippleman]

For people bringing up the Amex atmosphere, what do you propose is done about that? Having a large home end behind the goal is obviously ideal, but we've seen enough games over the last 10 years to know that it can still be generated - and it was even achieved at Withdean with no real home end to speak of. Palace do make a decent and coordinated atmosphere, but don't let them have you believe that it's organic; they basically organise the singers (the scary black-clad always ultras) in the same section and have a drum and capos (cheerleaders for want of a better description). However any suggestion that a drum is incorporated into the North is generally firmly rejected as being 'tinpot', whatever that's supposed to mean. I can never understand why, as one of the most intimidating and coordinated home fan atmospheres I've experienced was at Middlesbrough in the play off, the key to which was that they had a drummer keeping everyone in time.

Safe standing would help, I think, as this would naturally bring the singers together. Maybe it'd be worthwhile PB trying to engage with fans on this again?

The problem is that we have taken way too long to make any changes. Barber's initial assertion that the club would never associate itself with the safe standing campaign certainly didn't help put together a vision of changes to improve the atmosphere.

There is nothing we could do now that wouldn't involve forcing STH to move (either to accommodate the joining of the three isolated NS singing groups, to move the away fans or set up a safe standing section). And I would certainly never advocate forcing STH who have been in their seats since the AMEX opened to move. That would make us no better than the planks up the road.

The other issue is, of course, many hardcore fans who have been supporting to the club home and away, through the divisions, at various grounds for decades have just had enough - as evidenced by so many on this thread. It saddens me to see what is happening but my god I completely understand why so many are now losing heart.

It's a difficult thing to try to express in words but I've always felt "part of it" before. Now I don't. I used to wake up on a Saturday morning, big grin, "Match day today"!! Great excitement and anticipation. Now I wake up on a Sunday morning and think "oh ****, gotta schelp over to Falmer today" followed by a deep sigh.

 

[Springal]

The problem is that we have taken way too long to make any changes. Barber's initial assertion that the club would never associate itself with the safe standing campaign certainly didn't help put together a vision of changes to improve the atmosphere.

Your agenda against Paul Barber is a bit sad, especially if you are older than a teenager.

Tony Bloom did not want safe standing as he felt the stadium was to new to reinvest and implement safe standing at this time. So take it up with Tony, not Paul.

It was asked at a fans forum that Tony was personally at, and he agreed with what Paul said.

"The challenge for me would be to go to the man [chairman Tony Bloom] at the end of this table and say, 'You built a beautiful stadium, now I want to take it apart, I want to reduce the capacity, it is going to cost you more and the fans who want it expect it to cost them less'," he said.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

Your agenda against Paul Barber is a bit sad, especially if you are older than a teenager.

Tony Bloom did not want safe standing as he felt the stadium was to new to reinvest and implement safe standing at this time. So take it up with Tony, not Paul.

It was asked at a fans forum that Tony was personally at, and he agreed with what Paul said.

"The challenge for me would be to go to the man [chairman Tony Bloom] at the end of this table and say, 'You built a beautiful stadium, now I want to take it apart, I want to reduce the capacity, it is going to cost you more and the fans who want it expect it to cost them less'," he said.

Why would it reduce capacity?

Has it reduced capacity at any of the grounds where it's been installed already?



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[Springal]

Why would it reduce capacity?

Has it reduced capacity at any of the grounds where it's been installed already?



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Depends on the current width of the seats Vs legal required space for rails I guess

 

[Charlies Shinpad]

I would go as far to say the Atmosphere at Gillingham was better than we have at the moment.
And I quote "At the moment"

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[Charlies Shinpad]

Just asking, isn't that simply the away fan effect?

Albion's 2,500 to 3,000 army make an incredible noise all other the country.

Young and not so young devotees, all pushed together in the one place, a party.

Not many tourist fans do the away games.
I've been in the North since day one and it's got progressively worse over the seasons sadly.
It's the cheapest seats and therefore full of young families which makes economical sense but completely killed the atmosphere with the dirty look you get when throwing a few F##ks etc about.
Far to busy filming corners and freekicks to get involved in the singing

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[Weststander]

Not many tourist fans do the away games.
I've been in the North since day one and it's got progressively worse over the seasons sadly.
It's the cheapest seats and therefore full of young families which makes economical sense but completely killed the atmosphere with the dirty look you get when throwing a few F##ks etc about.
Far to busy filming corners and freekicks to get involved in the singing

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In block D, dull isn't it.

Near me, there are load of blokes in their twenties. It's a bit of a legend that they get to their seats (for a 3 o'clock kick off, for example) at 3.10, head to the bar at 3.40, seated at 4.10, then they head off somewhere way before the end. The bar? City centre?

Their prerogative, it's a standing joke, they laugh about it.

Anecdotally, are Amex supporters easily bored, or just there for the craic?

 

[BBassic]

Can't help but think the best AMEX crowds are 5, 10, 15 years away when all the youngsters going now have grown up a bit.

Mind you the football they're being served now doesn't exactly inspire.