Naylor slags off Amex support

[rippleman]

I would like to assure you there is on 'one upmanship' between the two groups that largely start the songs in the North Stand. The group under the big screen has many people who used to be under the police box, and vice versa. We all get along, believe it or not. The problem is both groups start songs the moment there is silence, We do not wait for it to get loud enough from the other side for us to hear what they are singing then join in. And lets remember they are 50ish yards away. What about the vast swathes of blocks D and E who do not join in with either side? It might be easier for songs to spread across the North Stand if these people joined in with someone or something at some point other than when we have just scored...

Because blocks D & E are bang in the middle of the two groups who start different songs at the same time. Sometimes there is a third group too.

I don't blame either group but it is difficult for us to know which song to sing. It is frustrating at times. And I have to say it, there are far too many in the NS who have no intention of giving the team vocal support. And that is almost certainly down to the "gentrification of football" mentioned by others.

Of course, the club seemed to acknowledge the problem when they wrote to all NS STHs at end of last season saying that they wanted to move all of us who like to give vocal support together in the centre of the NS. Nothing ever happened. Barber won't associate the club with the Safe Standing Campaign and unallocated seating has been dismissed.

It is within the club's power to improve the NS atmosphere but apart from sending a letter out they have done nothing to resolve it.

 

[rippleman]

Maybe we need to have a section just for those who wish to sing, like we had with H block at withdean, a larger group would be heard further and more fans would sing from other parts of the ground.

Yes, yes we do. But that requires the clubs involvement. It needs Barber to associate the club with the Safe Standing Campaign, or have a section with unallocated seating. There is nothing the fans can do to improve the situation without commitment from the club.

The letter to NS STHs at end of last season was a step in the right direction but nothing ever happened.

 

[Arkwright]

To create a great atmosphere it almost needs to be orchestrated and the whole ground as one. I'm not in favour of a drum but Billy the trumpet player with The Barmy Army does a great job.
We love the #together but when you have three groups singing three different songs at the same time it is going to sound a bit pants.

 

[Geestar]

Well he certainly has everyone talking....but will it change anything?

I was at St James Park back in December and that was the quietest I have heard from a home support......their results playing a part no doubt.

 

[rippleman]

Actually the only clever bit of writing in the whole piece is the fact that, while he doesn't slag off the vocal support explicitly, he does implicitly. More people should = more noise. "Support" means both numbers and noise, no one want a ground full of 30,000 silent types.

Don't disagree. But how many "noisy types" are being priced out at over £30 a pop? When you know the ground won't sell out, charge £15 and maybe then some of the "noisy types" will return.

 

[rippleman]

I agree with Edna when she says:-

"In my opinion, the biggest factor in stadium atmospheres deteriorating since the implementation of the Taylor Report requirements has been the inability to watch from wherever and with whomever you want. Back in the Old Days- and I'm not one of those who'd claim the Goldstone was always a cauldron of intensity anyway- people could nonetheless turn up and congregate with like-minded sorts, such is the nature of a terrace. Singers naturally gravitated towards other singers, and could move around as much as they liked during games, and so the noise level was raised and maintained. "

We now know that the tragedy of Hillsborough wasn't caused by drunken thugs but by an inept and incompetent police force who then formed a conspiracy to cover up their criminal actions. Because the OB lied to Taylor, we ended up with all the restrictions we now have to endure.

As the Taylor Report was based on a tissue of lies, it should be torn up and all the restrictive practices that were introduced as a result of Taylor (all-seater stadia, no drinking within sight of the pitch etc) abandoned and we start over. Give the fans what the fans want. If 25% of fans want to stand and have a pint on the terraces, then make it so for a quarter of the ground.

 

[sydney]

Erm, why is no one allowed to use it? If they sold enough tickets they would.

oh sorry ......i thought it was an exclusion zone so the fans can't throw sharpened 50 p's and golf balls with nails in at eachother....

 

[8ace]

I agree with Edna when she says:-

"In my opinion, the biggest factor in stadium atmospheres deteriorating since the implementation of the Taylor Report requirements has been the inability to watch from wherever and with whomever you want. Back in the Old Days- and I'm not one of those who'd claim the Goldstone was always a cauldron of intensity anyway- people could nonetheless turn up and congregate with like-minded sorts, such is the nature of a terrace. Singers naturally gravitated towards other singers, and could move around as much as they liked during games, and so the noise level was raised and maintained. "

We now know that the tragedy of Hillsborough wasn't caused by drunken thugs but by an inept and incompetent police force who then formed a conspiracy to cover up their criminal actions. Because the OB lied to Taylor, we ended up with all the restrictions we now have to endure.

As the Taylor Report was based on a tissue of lies, it should be torn up and all the restrictive practices that were introduced as a result of Taylor (all-seater stadia, no drinking within sight of the pitch etc) abandoned and we start over. Give the fans what the fans want. If 25% of fans want to stand and have a pint on the terraces, then make it so for a quarter of the ground.

Drinking on the terraces was banned before Taylor (1985).

 

[Moshe Gariani]

I was at St James Park back in December and that was the quietest I have heard from a home support......their results playing a part no doubt.

Exeter have never been the loudest home crowd but I thought they had a drum and some Ultras...?

 

[rippleman]

I think the fans at the Amex get more excited and make more noise than our manager does, I know Gus was too OTT at times but the arms folded while fans strain for him to get a bloody sub on before the final whistle goes is becoming regularly painful... but we haven't made enough noise given the position we are in, in the league, and from now until the end of the season we ALL need to up the ante - I don't care if its flags balloons clackers a drum a bloody brass band anything to keep the rhythm and noise going

We had brass band at the Goldstone for years. Cracking, rousing stuff.

We had Gullys Girls for first couple of seasons. Barber then binned them off with a promise that we would have different pre-match and halftime "entertainment". What do we get? Ritchie Reynolds. And the point of Ritchie Reynolds is what exactly? Can't understand much of what he says as he still hasn't learned to use the mic properly.

I'd love us to have a brass band back. I'd love to have Gullys Girls back. I'd like more of the opera singing girl. I'd rather have anything other than Reynold's inaudible ramblings.

 

[Sweeney Todd]

I live in Oxford and have an Albion season-ticket. Occasionally, I watch Oxford United. I have to say that 6,000 Oxford fans in the Kassam Stadium make more noise than 26,000 Albion fans in the Amex…more often than not.

 

[rippleman]

Ha!
Isn't every single point in ANs column today been made by someone on NSC recently, even the Palace have the noisiest atmos zinger. (Best away fans, poor atmos in Amex, poor turn out for evening games, crowd as "12th man").

Maybe. But then we are BHAFC fans who pay our way. He is a third rate (at best) journo who doesn't even support the club. His comments about BHAFC fans are snide, unnecessary, and in the majority untrue. It is in the club's power to change things (as I have posted elsewhere) and if they choose not to, there is a limited amount that the fans can do.

 

[rippleman]

Or if the North Stand all sang at alter same time (and the same song)

Agree. But that means that the club have to accommodate all the singers together. And clearly they don't intend to make that happen.

 

[rippleman]

He is local, he lived five doors down from me as a kid in Woodingdean. His parents are STH at the Amex too.

In a way that just makes it worse. A local lad who chose not to support his local team. At least if he'd been born in Stoke you could understand him supporting them.

 

[BUTTERBALL]

I can't be bothered to read all 28 pages of this but Naylor makes some good points. The best noise the stadium collectively made at the Amex for a normal league game was against Burnley not long after we moved there and we had 2 players sent off. It showed it can be done.

 

[El Presidente]

Maybe. But then we are BHAFC fans who pay our way. He is a third rate (at best) journo who doesn't even support the club. His comments about BHAFC fans are snide, unnecessary, and in the majority untrue. It is in the club's power to change things (as I have posted elsewhere) and if they choose not to, there is a limited amount that the fans can do.

I don't think Naylor's article was very good, but was he really making snide comments?

Attendances this season have been disappointing, even the club will admit that they had hoped they would be higher. They've not been terrible though, but we averaged over 27,000 under Oscar two seasons ago, and are just over 25,000 this season.

I suspect his opening like was a conciliatory effort after he realised his Tweet had gone down badly on NSC, and changed the content.

In a week when there is no football due to international fixtures, most of what he writes at present probably comes from his colleague 'Phil Space', as the editor will want Naylor to come up with 2-3 pages at the back end of the Argus, and there's not many stories around, unless we #SendForGlenn by tomorrow night.

 

[albionite]

I don't think Naylor's article was very good, but was he really making snide comments?

Attendances this season have been disappointing, even the club will admit that they had hoped they would be higher. They've not been terrible though, but we averaged over 27,000 under Oscar two seasons ago, and are just over 25,000 this season.

I suspect his opening like was a conciliatory effort after he realised his Tweet had gone down badly on NSC, and changed the content.

In a week when there is no football due to international fixtures, most of what he writes at present probably comes from his colleague 'Phil Space', as the editor will want Naylor to come up with 2-3 pages at the back end of the Argus, and there's not many stories around, unless we #SendForGlenn by tomorrow night.

Very much this and comes of the back of warren saying there should be a drum at the Amex.

I don't think it's just a stirring article to sell more papers, expect to see a drum near you soon on a trail bases. Hopefully not near me.

 

[Honky Tonx]

Are we all too middle class ? Prawn sandwiches anyone? The atmosphere at the Amex used to be a lot better when the club first moved in. I used to venture to to the old Den back in the 80s and you could see how intimidated the opposing teams were. I think we are far to soft. Sometimes you can almost hear a pin drop at The Amex. We need to get behind our team!!!!!!!! STAND UP AND BE COUNTED FOR WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT T RECEIVE

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

i live in oxford and have an albion season-ticket. Occasionally, i watch oxford united. I have to say that 6,000 oxford fans in the kassam stadium make more noise than 26,000 albion fans in the amex…more often than not.

what a refreshing honest post
regards
DR

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

are we all too middle class ? Prawn sandwiches anyone? The atmosphere at the amex used to be a lot better when the club first moved in. I used to venture to to the old den back in the 80s and you could see how intimidated the opposing teams were. I think we are far to soft. Sometimes you can almost hear a pin drop at the amex. We need to get behind our team!!!!!!!! Stand up and be counted for what you are about t receive

problem is some Toby will tell you to sit down
regards
DR