Naylor slags off Amex support

[Moshe Gariani]

Funny thread this one.

There is the objective situation. Albion fans flock to The Amex in numbers most clubs in the country would be ecstatic about. Once there The Amex atmosphere is absolutely fine. In the areas where people are more vocal it is often excellent - other areas of the stadium don't make much noise.

Then you get how different people choose to interpret those facts...

 

[Nixonator]

Funny thread this one.

There is the objective situation. Albion fans flock to The Amex in numbers most clubs in the country would be ecstatic about. Once there The Amex atmosphere is absolutely fine. In the areas where people are more vocal it is often excellent - other areas of the stadium don't make much noise.

Then you get how different people choose to interpret those facts...

People wanting more than 'fine' I think is the point. Can definitely be content with our vocal support in comparison to other grounds, but people are comparing us to ourselves 2-3 years ago in the same ground.

For the crowds we get, we should be louder. Not sure anyone can dispute that.

 

[redoubtable seagull]

People wanting more than 'fine' I think is the point. Can definitely be content with our vocal support in comparison to other grounds, but people are comparing us to ourselves 2-3 years ago in the same ground.

For the crowds we get, we should be louder. Not sure anyone can dispute that.

With a handful of exceptions it was hardly the proverbial cacophony of noise in previous seasons. Smaller away crowds and their distance from the vocal home support have not helped the atmosphere this season. However, we are not that bad. The east has always been vocally poor but the north (even with its two camps of singers) and the west when it can arouse itself from its slumber do make a good noise. I can't recall many away games since we've been at the Amex that have bettered us at home for vocal backing.

 

[Davemania]

https://twitter.com/andynaylorargus/status/711888566935228416
I get that the attendance levels and noise has dropped since our first 2 seasons under Poyet. But I still think that atmos at a lot of other clubs is worse or non existent. Yes we have the early leavers problem but in general, the noise isn't too bad. At least from where I sit in the ESU. I don't understand the timing of his piece. After taking 7k to MK Dons, and having a near 100% season ticket renewal and pushing for promotion, he decides to write this . I think it's a wider issue, one of price and over zealous stewarding that has contributed to a reduction of noise, of course on top of a Dull, and then Awful 2 seasons. Attendances were bound to fall and match by match prices are too high to attract casual support.
I just don't get why, why slag us now?

The away games I've been to, have to say they are a bit dead some other grounds. The Amex isn't bad in comparison. Next couple of home games could be brilliant

 

[Bigtomfu]

Not just today's column, but ever, I think.

The very point I was trying to make but shot down in flames by others. Weird. He'd have my respect if he wrote from his endeavors not from pilfering.

 

[wellquickwoody]

On the theme of away fans contributing to the atmosphere, the number of fans attending the Amex has dropped off considerably. We average just over 1000 (7th lowest in the league) whereas we averaged 1800 away fans in the first season (new ground being inevitable that numbers would be good). Sky moving fixtures does not help but there have been some very poor turn outs this season. Hopefully this will change with a couple of London clubs plus Derby to visit and this should help with create more of an atmosphere. I'd be surprised if Burnley bring more than 600 though.

The reason we are 7th lowest is because we are so far from so many places. Same reason that our away numbers are lower than some clubs with a lower home support than we have at The Amex. Other than London clubs everybody, except Pompey and Saints, has to traverse the capital to get to us, adding at least an hour to the journey. Think about it, Manchester to London about 2.5 hours by train, now add getting across the smoke and another hour to Brighton, and then do it again on the way home. As a comparison, Leeds to Liverpool, or Birmingham to Stoke, or London to wherever, not much more than a couple of hours any of them, excluding the North East (and those journeys do not suffer from a London interchange). Also, we do not have exiled fans living in numbers in London, unlike Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Boro ad infinitum, as our London workers generally commute. Oh well.......

 

[Wrong-Direction]

That's the reason I moved to the north stand from gods waiting room (east upper)

 

[HantsSeagull]

Naylor would be an east stander

does the Britannia stadium have an east stand?

 

[middletoenail]

Until we are treated like adults, and can drink at our seats like they do at rugby, this country will always lack atmosphere compared to Germany (for example).

Why don't they try it for one season, make it clear to everyone that if they feck up, then they have themselves to blame when it's withdrawn again?

 

[Captain Sensible]

A great Blog on Why Naylor is wrong, from a regular guest on the show, are you listening Albion Roar?
https://brightononlyathome.wordpress.com/2016/03/25/why-andy-naylor-is-mostly-wrong/

 

[Guinness Boy]

A great Blog on Why Naylor is wrong, from a regular guest on the show, are you listening Albion Roar?
https://brightononlyathome.wordpress.com/2016/03/25/why-andy-naylor-is-mostly-wrong/

Cheers - I wrote that and it ties together some of the points I've made on this thread while also making some new ones. Al and Ady have been a massive help and support this year (thanks chaps) and I'm sure some element of this debate will make the show.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Cheers - I wrote that and it ties together some of the points I've made on this thread while also making some new ones. Al and Ady have been a massive help and support this year (thanks chaps) and I'm sure some element of this debate will make the show.

It was a very good read, you explained this better than I could. Well done. The Roar boys, or rather Al, have been sticking up for Naylor but I think you've put the other side of the argument very well indeed.

 

[rool]

It was a very good read, you explained this better than I could. Well done. The Roar boys, or rather Al, have been sticking up for Naylor but I think you've put the other side of the argument very well indeed.

I've always felt that TLO has valued keeping in with people more than anything else. For other examples see Dick Knight and Piglets Pantry. Once he has a perceived relationship he always seems to stick up for them.

 

[Hotchilidog]

Somebody disagreed with Naylor on the Roar today....

 

[dazzer6666]

Cheers - I wrote that and it ties together some of the points I've made on this thread while also making some new ones. Al and Ady have been a massive help and support this year (thanks chaps) and I'm sure some element of this debate will make the show.

Great article

 

[El Presidente]

When Andy Naylor wrote an article the week before in the Argus saying that the changes to kick off times, especially for the Forest match, were unreasonable and the club should at least offer free coach travel there was a deafening silence as a response.

I suspect however most on NSC would agree with what he said. To then castigate him for taking a click bait approach for his following opinion piece seems a bit harsh, given that when he said something more measured previously we ignored him.

On this article I think he's not researched the subject in sufficient depth (a charge that could never be levelled at NSC resident scribbler [MENTION=1991]hove born&bred[/MENTION] ) and has come a bit of a cropper as a result.

It doesn't make him a bad or a good journalist though. It does give those that dislike him, for whatever reason, easy pickings to give him a bit of a kicking. The article was disjointed and contradictory.

I've only met him in a professional capacity once or twice, and was disappointed with his lack of enthusiasm for the Albion and general demeanour. Perhaps I caught him on a bad day though, we've all had them. I cringe when I look and hear some of the things I've said in the media.

His overarching position that crowds at the Amex could be both bigger and noisier does warrant some further investigation though. These questions are probably of greater importance to the higher echelons of the club (especially the first one) than either the Argus or NSC.

 

[Guinness Boy]

When Andy Naylor wrote an article the week before in the Argus saying that the changes to kick off times, especially for the Forest match, were unreasonable and the club should at least offer free coach travel there was a deafening silence as a response.

I suspect however most on NSC would agree with what he said. To then castigate him for taking a click bait approach for his following opinion piece seems a bit harsh, given that when he said something more measured previously we ignored him.

On this article I think he's not researched the subject in sufficient depth (a charge that could never be levelled at NSC resident scribbler [MENTION=1991]hove born&bred[/MENTION] ) and has come a bit of a cropper as a result.

It doesn't make him a bad or a good journalist though. It does give those that dislike him, for whatever reason, easy pickings to give him a bit of a kicking. The article was disjointed and contradictory.

I've only met him in a professional capacity once or twice, and was disappointed with his lack of enthusiasm for the Albion and general demeanour. Perhaps I caught him on a bad day though, we've all had them. I cringe when I look and hear some of the things I've said in the media.

His overarching position that crowds at the Amex could be both bigger and noisier does warrant some further investigation though. These questions are probably of greater importance to the higher echelons of the club (especially the first one) than either the Argus or NSC.

Living, as you do, up Norf, what do you reckon the response would be to a piece in the Manchester Evening News claiming that Liverpool fans were the best home support in the country? He's got off lightly.

 

[El Presidente]

Living, as you do, up Norf, what do you reckon the response would be to a piece in the Manchester Evening News claiming that Liverpool fans were the best home support in the country? He's got off lightly.

Suspect there would be a 17 page thread on the fans' message board.

The reporting up here in both the MEN and the Echo is very one eyed though. As such it's difficult to take very seriously.

His comments about the Palace support were inflammatory, but probably less inaccurate than his opening line where he claimed the Albion's away support is the best in this division.

I'm not trying to be a Naylor apologist nor his hangman. He's neither Oscar Wilde nor Garry Bushell, probably somewhere in the middle.

But being in the middle can make you wrong on two counts, just look at the BBC, accused of both left wing bias and being part of the establishment.

 

[Captain Sensible]

I've always felt that TLO has valued keeping in with people more than anything else. For other examples see Dick Knight and Piglets Pantry. Once he has a perceived relationship he always seems to stick up for them.

Although I do love the show, I got that feeling with David Burke.

 

[sparkie]

Although I do love the show, I got that feeling with David Burke.

Absolutely. Burke was a bit of a roar hero, it seemed.

As for Naylor, he should log into the BBS to see how much palace fans have been moaning about their own 'poor support' this year.