[Albion] How to improve NS and Amex atmosphere?

[oneillco]

I've always kind of assumed that if you buy a ticket in the North Stand you go there to sing. That you are obliged to sing. That was always the deal in the old North Stand at the Goldstone.

I agree, if you're in the home-end it's your job to sing; I'm always amazed by the number of people who don't bother joining in...

 

[Moshe Gariani]

I'm in N1G and can only hear those under the screen. If you move them, then N1H and N1G won't be able to hear anyone and it will reduce the noise.

That fits with everybody saying they can't hear what is chanted by the group under the police box. What is needed is a larger group, in that area but not under the box, loud enough to be heard in N1G and N1H as well as in the West and East Stands (and collectively reaching South...)...

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Will there be a book monitor?

View attachment 119919

Excellent work. Very pleased to see this thread facilitating spectacular time-wasting...

 

[drew]

I've always kind of assumed that if you buy a ticket in the North Stand you go there to sing. That you are obliged to sing. That was always the deal in the old North Stand at the Goldstone.

Rubbish. I used to go in the old north stand for the last few seasons at the Goldstone but our group used to stand to the side and the majority there were not joining in all of the songs. If you were nearer the middle then you might have got a false impression of how many were actually singing, that and the fact that, until Fan Utd day, there wasn't much to sing about!

 

[Nixonator]

Excellent work. Very pleased to see this thread facilitating spectacular time-wasting...

The twats making mind-numbingly atrocious jokes are very likely the people who see nothing gained from contributing to an atmosphere, you'll always get them chipping in with failed mockery.

I'm glad the sitting vs standing debate has reignited with people claiming that you can make just as much noise sitting down. Whilst true, it patently does not happen in practice for whatever reason.

I love when the Shef Wed playoff game is quoted time and time again as 'proof' of the above, when this was one of the only games where large parts of my section in the WL were standing throughout much of the first half.

The North Stand needs a demographic shift, but the club do not seem to weigh the pros against the cons of upsetting a few people who, like I said, see nothing gained.

All the while these people sit there on their hands in amongst a ****ing shit atmosphere in a deadly silent bowl because "the team aren't doing enough to get us going". Here's me thinking it's supposed to be the other way around.

 

[Is it PotG?]

The twats making mind-numbingly atrocious jokes are very likely the people who see nothing gained from contributing to an atmosphere, you'll always get them chipping in with failed mockery.

Utter tosh, we sing both home and away.

It comes naturally, as it has always done.

It does not need to be orchestrated or forced, unless we have a drum.

 

[oneillco]

Perhaps we could take a leaf out of the church’s book, and leave song sheets on the seats, but instead of psalm numbers we have minutes when we are supposed to sing, or flash up song 4 or 6 on the big screen with lyrics.

Embarrassing tinpot discussion.

It should happen organically, we will never turn into a German style ultra super group, if 20% of the crowed leave to catch the bus or train early nearly every game, embarrassing. Plus it’s hard for some in the stadium to get enthusiastic about singing for their second team.

Why is a discussion about trying to improve the atmosphere in a modern stadium where people have to sit in allocated seats embarrassing? It's a problem that many clubs moving to new stadiums have had. It's more embarrassing that after 9 years of building-up our large fan-base at The Amex that an Albion fan still makes a disparaging "second team" comment.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

The twats making mind-numbingly atrocious jokes are very likely the people who see nothing gained from contributing to an atmosphere, you'll always get them chipping in with failed mockery.

I'm glad the sitting vs standing debate has reignited with people claiming that you can make just as much noise sitting down. Whilst true, it patently does not happen in practice for whatever reason.

I love when the Shef Wed playoff game is quoted time and time again as 'proof' of the above, when this was one of the only games where large parts of my section in the WL were standing throughout much of the first half.

The North Stand needs a demographic shift, but the club do not seem to weigh the pros against the cons of upsetting a few people who, like I said, see nothing gained.

All the while these people sit there on their hands in amongst a ****ing shit atmosphere in a deadly silent bowl because "the team aren't doing enough to get us going". Here's me thinking that it is supposed to be the other way around.

Obviously agree with most of that. The demographic shift would be ideal and it will start to happen a bit as a new generation of late teenage Albion fans is starting to emerge.

I don't expect the club will ever do very much but I think they would be open to some relatively minor help with grouping together. Does anyone from NSK post on here? How is NSK getting on? What is your view on this?

 

[Nixonator]

Utter tosh, we sing both home and away.

It comes naturally, as it has always done.

It does not need to be orchestrated or forced, unless we have a drum.

Fair enough, I doubt everyone who has mocked the notion of this thread can say the same though, so I stand by what I said.

For what it's worth I don't think it should be forced either, but it's getting pretty desperate. The periods of silence we have now are longer and more frequent than even 14/15 with 5k+ fewer people in the ground.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

The twats making mind-numbingly atrocious jokes are very likely the people who see nothing gained from contributing to an atmosphere, you'll always get them chipping in with failed mockery.

I'm glad the sitting vs standing debate has reignited with people claiming that you can make just as much noise sitting down. Whilst true, it patently does not happen in practice for whatever reason.

I love when the Shef Wed playoff game is quoted time and time again as 'proof' of the above, when this was one of the only games where large parts of my section in the WL were standing throughout much of the first half.

The North Stand needs a demographic shift, but the club do not seem to weigh the pros against the cons of upsetting a few people who, like I said, see nothing gained.

All the while these people sit there on their hands in amongst a ****ing shit atmosphere in a deadly silent bowl because "the team aren't doing enough to get us going". Here's me thinking it's supposed to be the other way around.

What demographic shift would you like? All over 65s to move? All women to be moved?

 

[Nixonator]

What demographic shift would you like? All over 65s to move? All women to be moved?

A survey seeking a couple of honest answers would be a start.

Do you contribute to the atmosphere?

If yes, for how long during a match would you say so?

If no, would you consider moving to a better/similar seat if priced the same?

Age/Sex bear no relevance, some of the loudest are over 50's.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

The main issues are:
the size of the stand
the fact that some people are there because it's the cheapest option, not because they want to add to the atmosphere.

I have seen people on here complain when we get outsung by away team's support.
that isn't often, but shouldn't be surprising when you weigh up that our "singing" stand is roughly the same size as the away fans.
One is full of fans prepared to travel and pay extra to support their team, the other watered down with people choosing the cheapest option.
And to be honest even the loudest away fans don't really generate an intimidating atmosphere.

It doesn't matter how many of the NS are singing it really isn't going to generate the levels of noise people want/expect.

I'm guessing that many of our away fans are WSU season ticket holders.
If you really want an intimidating atmosphere, get those stands to sing more, because when they do, it's one hell of a noise.

 

[BeHereNow]

Would you and others you know consider moving across into an area with other people who stand and sing if it were possible...?

If it was made clear by the club that one whole block (from front row to back) would be allowed to stand for the whole game and would bring the singing groups together, then yes.

Obviously, my preference would for it to be in my block, we have a lot of Withdeaner’s in our bit who practically all moved there together. We decided to go there before it was built. I wouldn’t be against moving more central if our whole lot was moved, but I can’t see that happening as there are a lot of standers in the middle, but I don’t think they sing as much.

If the two main groups were together it could be twice as loud and even maybe more if it gets the other blocks around them going.

I have talked about moving next to the away fans to create a singing block there.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

A survey seeking a couple of honest answers would be a start.

Do you contribute to the atmosphere?

If yes, for how long during a match would you say so?

If no, would you consider moving to a better/similar seat if priced the same?

Age/Sex bear no relevance, some of the loudest are over 50's.

Yes, I do but not all songs. There are a group of 7 of us who have been together for years. We're not all going to move no matter how much anybody wants us to.

 

[RossyG]

Age/Sex bear no relevance, some of the loudest are over 50's.

Yes, where I am (a few rows in front of the big screen) the best cheerleaders and a good chunk of the loudest singers are over 50.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Utter tosh, we sing both home and away.

It comes naturally, as it has always done.

It does not need to be orchestrated or forced, unless we have a drum.

You will be waiting a very long time for a consistently good atmosphere in The Amex with lots of loud singing as the norm. It has become obvious that the people who want to sing consistently are now spread out in fixed locations with too many people inbetween them sitting on their hands 90% of the time. They can't hear each other. It can never come naturally or, worse, organically - it is impossible.

By the way can people please just stop thinking its clever or funny to talk about choirs/hymn sheets/auditions/BGT/Palace Ultras on this thread just because someone mentions trying to get a group of people singing together. People "singing" at football is traditional and is what makes the sport enjoy a unique atmosphere (partly copied by some other sports, e.g. Barmy Army, but not to the same extent).

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Yes, I do but not all songs. There are a group of 7 of us who have been together for years. We're not all going to move no matter how much anybody wants us to.

I'm sure there are lots in the same position.

Maybe there might be some others, most possibly a bit younger, who would like to have more of a laugh in the NS - and create more atmosphere - than they are currently able to.

 

[Is it PotG?]

You will be waiting a very long time for a consistently good atmosphere in The Amex with lots of loud singing as the norm. It has become obvious that the people who want to sing consistently are now spread out in fixed locations with too many people inbetween them sitting on their hands 90% of the time. They can't hear each other. It can never come naturally or, worse, organically - it is impossible.

By the way can people please just stop thinking its clever or funny to talk about choirs/hymn sheets/auditions/BGT/Palace Ultras on this thread just because someone mentions trying to get a group of people singing together. People "singing" at football is traditional and is what makes the sport enjoy a unique atmosphere (partly copied by some other sports, e.g. Barmy Army, but not to the same extent).

OK then, on a serious note.

Do you feel, genuine question, that singing is less inhibited where the participants have been indulging in a few light ales or something less legal and stronger?

 

[Moshe Gariani]

If it was made clear by the club that one whole block (from front row to back) would be allowed to stand for the whole game and would bring the singing groups together, then yes.

Obviously, my preference would for it to be in my block, we have a lot of Withdeaner’s in our bit who practically all moved there together. We decided to go there before it was built. I wouldn’t be against moving more central if our whole lot was moved, but I can’t see that happening as there are a lot of standers in the middle, but I don’t think they sing as much.

If the two main groups were together it could be twice as loud and even maybe more if it gets the other blocks around them going.

Which block are you in at the moment? The best place to think about people being able to get together a bit better is towards the NW corner. This also has the advantage of linking best to WSU which has the most other potential.

 

[A1X]

The demographic shift would be ideal and it will start to happen a bit as a new generation of late teenage Albion fans is starting to emerge.

Unless they can't afford season tickets and the only ones who can are the 45+ crowd with more disposable income to pay for the costs.