[Albion] Something HAS to be done about the home atmosphere

[rippleman]

I'm glad we get the opportunity to discuss this subject, yet again!

The bottom line is that when the AMEX was designed it appears that little or no thought or consideration was given to the accoustics. The sound does not travel from the NS to other areas of the ground. That's the way it is. Too late to do anything about that now.

Other reasons raised on this thread are valid though. Football changed with the introduction of all-seater stadia which basically came about as a result of the lies told to LJ Taylor during the Hillsborough Enquiry (and that's why we can't have a pint in our seat too). No longer could like-minded singers congregate together.

There has always been an unwilligness for the left side of the NS to sing the same song, at the same time, as the right side. I don't personally know those involved so don't know whether it's "ego" or some longheld animosity. Not likely to change though.

Putting the away fans in the South was, on reflection, perhaps not ideal but for the same reason as not introducing safe-standing now, we can't go moving whole blocks of STHs who may well have had their seats since AMEX opening day.

The increase in day-trippers whilst boosting the club coffers with their shop spending certainly don't contribute to the atmosphere but then they don't at any PL ground.

Team performance is another significant factor. Play quick, exciting football and score goals and the crowd will make far more noise than if we are watching dour, pedestrian football, not scoring and getting beat. Quelle surprise!

There are frequently NS tickets available on the exchange so I would suggest that those bleating about the NS atmosphere get themselves a ticket and come in the NS and lead the singing. You can't really keep whining about the NS atmosphere unless you are prepared to put yourself out and do something about it.

I remind you that you are paying for the players to provide you with entertainment, not the singers in the NS.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

I don't recall any complaints about the atmosphere when we beat Manchester United last season or Marseille this season - because we won with late goals. The score will always affect the atmosphere at matches. Locking the gates so people can't leave early is the only thing we can do. Or mic up the North Stand and play it through the PA to other areas?

 

[GrizzlingGammon]

We could get some guy with a megaphone to stand facing the north stand coreographing our singing and clapping .

1 banana, 2 banana, 3 ba.....

 

[dazzer6666]

I don't recall any complaints about the atmosphere when we beat Manchester United last season or Marseille this season - because we won with late goals. The score will always affect the atmosphere at matches. Locking the gates so people can't leave early is the only thing we can do. Or mic up the North Stand and play it through the PA to other areas?

Which one of the three NS factions do you want miked up ?

 

[Uh_huh_him]

The problem with the North is that it's the cheapest seats therefore you get Parents and very young kids in there, (which is quite understandable) and hence any swearing etc is frowned upon by the parents and obviously the young kids don't know any of the songs and are on their mobiles etc during most of the game.
This getting worse by the season since The Amex opened and I speak from experience as I've been in the North Stand from the beginning.

I have been sitting next to a Dad and his two kids for the past 8 or 9 years.
The kids are now young adults ( i guess).
They have never expressed any issue with my frequent outbursts of foul language.

The dad clearly understands that is the trade off for the cheaper seats.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

The North Stand is plenty large enough to create loads of noise. It holds more than the South, which regularly creates a decent noise. The issue is that half the people in the NS don’t sing and half of those that do sing just seem to mumble also apologetically. If the 2,500 or so in the NS all sang loudly and in unison we’d have a cracking atmosphere.

No we wouldn't.

It's rare we can hear the away fans, from the North stand.
Even though that is the concentrated mass of the away teams singing sections.

Eve if the North stand was entirely populated by our regular away following, they still wouldn't create as much noise as they do at the vast majority of away grounds,

The Amex wasn't designed for atmosphere.
Flat, low ceilings are required to generate noise.

 

[Wes Tupper]

No we wouldn't.

It's rare we can hear the away fans, from the North stand.
Even though that is the concentrated mass of the away teams singing sections.

Eve if the North stand was entirely populated by our regular away following, they still wouldn't create as much noise as they do at the vast majority of away grounds,

The Amex wasn't designed for atmosphere.
Flat, low ceilings are required to generate noise.

I can assure you that, sitting in WU and closer to the NS than the SS, the noise generated from the away fans is frequently way louder than the NS and can be extremely noisy. That’s nothing to do with stadium design. I fully accept that the sound from each end may not be heard by the opposite end, but the noise from the respective ends is certainly heard where we are.
I should also add that the NS created quite a din towards the end of the Chelsea game, albeit with significantly reduced numbers. It can be done.

 

[Bodian]

I'm glad we get the opportunity to discuss this subject, yet again!

The bottom line is that when the AMEX was designed it appears that little or no thought or consideration was given to the accoustics. The sound does not travel from the NS to other areas of the ground. That's the way it is. Too late to do anything about that now.

I had a feeling that the acoustics were thought about, and it was designed around making the noise all end up on the pitch or something like that? Partly to keep the noise within the bowl of stadium rather than outside and thereby limiting impact on residents, etc. But others will know better than I.

 

[Wozza]

This kind of thing?

 

[Clive Walker]

just get rid of fan zone, complete atmosphere non starter.

install the drum

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I can assure you that, sitting in WU and closer to the NS than the SS, the noise generated from the away fans is frequently way louder than the NS and can be extremely noisy. That’s nothing to do with stadium design. I fully accept that the sound from each end may not be heard by the opposite end, but the noise from the respective ends is certainly heard where we are.
I should also add that the NS created quite a din towards the end of the Chelsea game, albeit with significantly reduced numbers. It can be done.

So you accept that the atmosphere is not a North stand problem?

Good to hear.

 

[Perkino]

It amuses me how many North stand fans who think they make a decent atmosphere. From the West I barely notice any stand creating an intimidating noise

 

[Clive Walker]

So you accept that the atmosphere is not a North stand problem?

Good to hear.

I think the problem is the north stand. Its kind of their responsibility.

The North Stand was always the cheer leader at the Goldstone and many people bought season tickets at the Amex when it first opened due to the reputation we once had. Otherwise this platform would have been called lower west terrace chat!

They should be better, they should be louder but other stands should do more once they get started.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I think the problem is the north stand. Its kind of their responsibility.

The North Stand was always the cheer leader at the Goldstone and many people bought season tickets at the Amex when it first opened due to the reputation we once had. Otherwise this platform would have been called lower west terrace chat!

They should be better, they should be louder but other stands should do more once they get started.

Do you HONESTLY think that if all of the same old tropes were fixed

• singing the same song
• not singing too fast
• singing the popular chants - not their own chants that "nobody knows the words to"

That the West and East stands would then be arsed to join in?

10% of the home attendance are in the North stand.
The rest of the stadium like to blame the North rather than take any responsibility.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

It amuses me how many North stand fans who think they make a decent atmosphere. From the West I barely notice any stand creating an intimidating noise

Including the West, of course. With 4 times as many "Fans" than in the North.

 

[brighton_tom]

The atmos is mostly, as others have said, a reactionary thing towards how the game is going. Good game, fast flowing football = good atmosphere.

The only real thing the club could do in order to help atmosphere probably isnt really possible, in increasing the north stand. It's just poorly designed in terms of acousitics. The only thing i've thought when watching games that might be a possibility is to remove the police box (and put it in the north east corner), and then continue the west stand middle tier through where the police box currently is and along over the north stand as much as possible. Obviously you have the arch support to deal with but if you can hang a bloody great police box off the front of the north stand back wall then surely some sort of 5-10 row tier is possible along at least a few blocks of the north stand. Not only would this add numbers, but it would give the current back half of the north stand with a roof more directly over them to help with acoustics. Maybe with some clever engineering its possible, maybe not.

 

[Wes Tupper]

The atmos is mostly, as others have said, a reactionary thing towards how the game is going. Good game, fast flowing football = good atmosphere.

The only real thing the club could do in order to help atmosphere probably isnt really possible, in increasing the north stand. It's just poorly designed in terms of acousitics. The only thing i've thought when watching games that might be a possibility is to remove the police box (and put it in the north east corner), and then continue the west stand middle tier through where the police box currently is and along over the north stand as much as possible. Obviously you have the arch support to deal with but if you can hang a bloody great police box off the front of the north stand back wall then surely some sort of 5-10 row tier is possible along at least a few blocks of the north stand. Not only would this add numbers, but it would give the current back half of the north stand with a roof more directly over them to help with acoustics. Maybe with some clever engineering its possible, maybe not.

From a visual point of view, a larger North Stand would probably improve the look of the stadium. In terms of noise I honestly don’t think that an additional 1,000 seats would have anything other than a very marginal impact, unless they were filled by a significant number of our more vociferous supporters.

 

[brighton_tom]

From a visual point of view, a larger North Stand would probably improve the look of the stadium. In terms of noise I honestly don’t think that an additional 1,000 seats would have anything other than a very marginal impact, unless they were filled by a significant number of our more vociferous supporters.

Its not the extra numbers that could help, although it might a little, but its more doing something about the acoustics of the north stand. A small 5-10 row tier above the current north stand would help project their noise.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Can the North Stand be extended?

 

[brighton_tom]

Can the North Stand be extended?

Not really. I think im being hopeful with my upper tier idea. But if the club are serious about wanting to improve atmosphere its something they would have to eventually look at. Or just accept how it is.