[Albion] Outbreak of laryngitis in the north stand?

[pb21]

I was in the North for the AEK game, normally WSU.

To start with I thought it was great, then quickly realised how disjointed it was. Thought I was in a North Stand wide song about something, then realised it was just a handful around me, with the other half doing something different. Then vice versa.

Lots of people making noise, most of it 'independent'.

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

Any advance on 1964 ?

Yeah, from you implying it was 1980

 

[Bryanw42]

The NS is full of great singers/great support but it's divided. If the two or three groups sang at the same time and sustained the same thing for longer it would be loud/stirring enough for the other stands to join in. I really think the problem is simple to define. It seems the solution to join everything up is too challenging.. will the problem just resolve itself organically as the crowds change over the years. Who knows. But it is shit now.

I do my best to join in and so do a few others near me in west lower next to the north but when it dies out after a couple of rounds or another faction in the NS starts something else at the same time you can often be left hanging in relative silence. And those silent ones around us only join in if they are safely shrouded in a good loud noise which does not happen often enough because of the problem stated.

 

[mile oak]

Bring back Crispies does he still go?

 

[mile oak]

I wonder whether some of the issue is post-COVID we’ve seen a fairly hefty upheaval in season tickets (people stopping, new people starting, people moving, formerly shared tickets now not in the mix anymore), and as the North is cheaper many of the new faces (who by definition don’t sing so much) have found themselves in there which dilutes the atmosphere?

I also wonder if some of the new chants are trying to be a bit too clever. I heard the Joao Pedro chant for the first time today and couldn’t understand a word of it (as someone in the north end of WSL). It similarly took ages for the Caicedo one to catch on beyond the bit where his name was sung. By contrast, the Mitoma, Gilmour and Gross ones caught on quickly.

The BG one is hardly complicated! (Im struggling with the Solly March one can someone post the words to it please?) A few simple "Gome on Brighton", "Seagulls" "Albion" tend to appeal to all corners on the stadium.

Im joking about SM. Thinking of Solly would he get in the side now the way Adringa is playing?

 

[Guinness Boy]

Bring back Crispies does he still go?

Yep, he’s in the WSU now but not quite as vocal.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

I think it was @Wrong-Direction posted a few weeks back and mentioned a group of teenage lads just standing there under the police box taking the piss out of those singing. It was also mentioned they stare at their phones and not join in with songs.
This doesn’t really help in the so called singing section

This, the atmosphere has definitely gone down hill since they turned up. Stewards won't do anything after numerous people have made numerous complaints

 

[The Hermit Kingdom]

A combination of many factors, but ‘tourist’ fans and mobile phone lemmings don’t help.

 

[Nicks]

I agree with much of what you say in this thread, but comparing any part of our home support with the absolute top percentile of loyal fans who got tickets to that game is simply ludicrous. Plus even if every one of the 1,000 there knew all the songs word for word, that amounts to about 1 in 30 people at the Amex.

Maybe it would also help if those who come up with the chants at away games consider actually sharing those with us mere mortals who only go to home games so we could join in?

Good idea, let's hand out song sheets at every home game so you can all join in with the North Stand.
Even better idea, let's ask PBOBE to put the words on the big screen to save some people putting their glasses on during the game.
I'm in the North Stand near to the west side and it's was decent yesterday in there but not brilliant.
A lot of tourists and kids in for the game but the atmosphere is getting worse by the season in the whole of the ground.
The occasional game is brilliant but they are quite rare now, I can only think of Utd and Chelsea at home last season where it was rocking, and so far nothing this season.
Away games are far better and one of the main reasons I keep my Season ticket to keep my points up.

 

[A1X]

Good idea, let's hand out song sheets at every home game so you can all join in with the North Stand.
Even better idea, let's ask PBOBE to put the words on the big screen to save some people putting their glasses on during the game.

Geez if only there was some sort of internet forum for Brighton fans where these could be shared so us bad fans who can’t attend away games might get a chance

 

[Deleted member 37369]

Part of the problem is that most football songs are too rambling, too esoteric, and too complicated to ever catch on around the stadium. You need something simple and anthemic which is why the only two chants that get picked up around me in East Upper are 'Albion, Albion' and SBTS. I’ve no real idea what the other songs are. They’re indistinct and quiet, and seem too 'laddish' for the stadium at large. Think of how Blue Moon or I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles or You’ll Never Walk Alone get picked up by much of the crowd at their stadiums. Simple and anthemic. SBTS is our equivalent.

I agree, and if you think about the pace of those songs - easier to sing loud.

GOSBTS is fine before the game - sang at a correct/slower pace and loud. But during the game there seems to be a race to finish it which makes it more difficult to sing as loud. You need to be able to hang onto notes just that little bit longer to get the lungs properly bursting.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

The NS is full of great singers/great support but it's divided. If the two or three groups sang at the same time and sustained the same thing for longer it would be loud/stirring enough for the other stands to join in. I really think the problem is simple to define. It seems the solution to join everything up is too challenging.. will the problem just resolve itself organically as the crowds change over the years. Who knows. But it is shit now.

Sadly it will never resolve itself. If anything it will get worse.

In 2011 there was a once in a generation opportunity to design a distinctive section of fans in the new stadium that would deliver the key objective of a sustainable good home atmosphere.

The club completely misunderstood and botched the opportunity. By spreading the 300 most vocal and active fans out across a few rows at the back of the NS they created what we have now.

 

[Mr Bridger]

Sadly it will never resolve itself. If anything it will get worse.

In 2011 there was a once in a generation opportunity to design a distinctive section of fans in the new stadium that would deliver the key objective of a sustainable good home atmosphere.

The club completely misunderstood and botched the opportunity. By spreading the 300 most vocal and active fans out across a few rows at the back of the NS they created what we have now.

They could create another home section at the other end by moving the away fans into the corner.
Those who are vocal then have the opportunity to move to the south next to the away fans to make a difference to the atmosphere.

 

[Baldseagull]

It's always flat on an early Sunday kick off, worsened when some of the most vociferous are flagging after a few days of hard drinking in Amsterdam.

 

[tigertim68]

I always think , a minute silence or like yesterday Remembrance Sunday the atmosphere is always a bit muted

 

[Stat Brother]

As a newbie to the North, what with Jnr selfishly deciding to grow up, I've had my preconceptions altered.

We're the left side...

For whatever reason the Police box end isn't very audible, so joining their chant is almost impossible.
I assume the same goes the other way.

Even when they can be heard it only takes a couple of voices to shout them down.


We sing and chant, but man alive the 'leaders' are god awful, with just the same tired 'in jokes'.
When they K-I-S-S we join in, sadly, most of the time they prefer to do their own thing.

Again I'm kind of assuming it's similar down the other end.


Finally, there's a fair mix of pensioners and phone staring yoof - what do you expect?

 

[Uh_huh_him]

As a newbie to the North, what with Jnr selfishly deciding to grow up, I've had my preconceptions altered.

We're the left side...

For whatever reason the Police box end isn't very audible, so joining their chant is almost impossible.
I assume the same goes the other way.

Even when they can be heard it only takes a couple of voices to shout them down.


We sing and chant, but man alive the 'leaders' are god awful, with just the same tired 'in jokes'.
When they K-I-S-S we join in, sadly, most of the time they prefer to do their own thing.

Again I'm kind of assuming it's similar down the other end.


Finally, there's a fair mix of pensioners and phone staring yoof - what do you expect?

Interesting perspective.
I'm on the other side, and have the same experience. I'm vaguely aware of the 2 chants thing, and generally it's a case of picking up whichever one gets loudest.
By the time the whole north stand gets going, half the stand are ready to move on to another chant and it fizzles out.

 

[East Staffs Gull]

A combination of many factors, but ‘tourist’ fans and mobile phone lemmings don’t help.

I’m sure that I heard that Dortmund disable the stadium Wi-Fi during play.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

They could create another home section at the other end by moving the away fans into the corner.
Those who are vocal then have the opportunity to move to the south next to the away fans to make a difference to the atmosphere.

The singing section should’ve been placed in the SWcorner next to the away fans. It was old fans with their nostalgia of the north stand at the Goldstone who insisted it should be in the north, which is the smallest stand in the whole stadium, but expected to take all the blame.

 

[EliasTaproot]

Funnily enough yes, I do have it lmao. Whats your excuse?