[Albion] The two groups of singers in the North

[maresfield seagull]

It's amazing how 3000 fans in the away end can all sing as one.
There was never a problem in the north when the Amex first opened.
I suppose the police box crew and bollox crew cannot co-ordinate a chant together when seperated by tourists.
Time to drop their egos and sing as one.

Certainly a fair few customers / tourist s in the north stand these days
@Guiness Boy is it not possible for other areas of the stadium to contribute to the atmosphere?
Or does the same hold true across the stadium , too many customers/ tourists ?
Saturday was good BUT Not so loud as to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up
Which it has in the past during games of more importance

 

[maresfield seagull]

I had exactly the same thoughts.

As I don't have a ST anymore I've sat all across the North in the games I've been able to get to the last few seasons, and to me it almost seems intentional that the NSK have positioned themselves to create their own little atmosphere. I don't really get it - they make great noise and clearly love an atmosphere, and theyve created some great songs, but at the same time they don't seem at all interested in creating a great atmosphere across the North. Perhaps I'm wrong but to me they are part of the problem more than anything as often two different songs are bejng sung then neither carry. it always seems that way as an outsider near them anyway - esp when clearly another song is taking off but they keep singing what they are singing. All seems quite exclusive to me but perhaps I'm wrong and someone on here part of NSK can tell me otherwise!

Theoretically the idea was to place those who wanted to sing in the North
But it’s been 10 years
As stated elsewhere mates sitting / standing together Hence the pockets of vociferous support
The inability to gravitate towards the singing is prevented by modern football

 

[Guinness Boy]

Certainly a fair few customers / tourist s in the north stand these days
@Guiness Boy is it not possible for other areas of the stadium to contribute to the atmosphere?
Or does the same hold true across the stadium , too many customers/ tourists ?
Saturday was good BUT Not so loud as to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up
Which it has in the past during games of more importance

The North end of the WSU certainly does / does want to contribute. But there is no point in the top tier of the main stand starting songs. No one else will join in.

That means we have to be able to clearly hear an identifiable song from the North.

Plenty of atmosphere in the South West Corner too but probably directed at the away end rather than joining up with the North. So, potentially, five groups of singers.

 

[maresfield seagull]

The North end of the WSU certainly does / does want to contribute. But there is no point in the top tier of the main stand starting songs. No one else will join in.

That means we haves to be able to clearly hear an identifiable song from the North.

Plenty of atmosphere in the South West Corner too but probably directed at the away end rather than joining up with the North. So, potentially, five groups of singers.

Without going all Fred Elliot
Send the kids to S/W
Stick the away , in their spot N/E corner instead ?

Sometimes if the WSU started songs I’m sure the NS as a whole might join in ?
As the noise can be heard across the stand
Perhaps avoiding the NSK / East side different song scenario ?
The North stand Brighton Boys song used to go across the stands Bouncing back and forth
Why cant it again ?

 

[studio150]

One for the Fans Advisory Board, although I don't see any easy solutions.

The moving of the different groups will cause issues to those being forced out of their seats in the NS, no doubt many will have had the same position since the forst game at the Amex, and will not want to move. If this did get the green light, what next all black outfits and a megaphone.

A pre arranged song order is a non starter as the songs are spontaneous depending on the flow of the game. So maybe a possible solution would be for the groups to lead the chants on an alternative game basis?

Alternatively get the players involved and demand that they play to the level they did against United every week, as this would no doubt solve the issue immediately.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

I sit between both sets and often which ever song either is chanting takes off, the rest follow. What it needs is the rest of the ground to join in so it can reach the heights. We know it can work because its happened before. Obviously what's happening on the pitch has a huge impact.

Sent from my SM-A326B using Tapatalk

 

[Guinness Boy]

Without going all Fred Elliot
Send the kids to S/W
Stick the away , in their spot N/E corner instead ?

Sometimes if the WSU started songs I’m sure the NS as a whole might join in ?
As the noise can be heard across the stand
Perhaps avoiding the NSK / East side different song scenario ?
The North stand Brighton Boys song used to go across the stands Bouncing back and forth
Why cant it again ?

This is the point of question 3.

There is no doubt at all in my mind that moving the away end to next to the North but in the corner and allowing a rearrangement of where people are in the NS, moving the family stand away from the away end again would improve the atmosphere 100%. But it would upset a lot of other people, put us on a par with Palace and potentially create excess demand for cheaper tickets.

Songs started at the top of the WSU don't carry. I've done big games in the North and WSL.

 

[portlock seagull]

The NSK used to be top right of goal prior to corner being filled in.

They moved under Police box simply because more like minded persons could congregate together there. Most of the core members were scattered all over the North prior to and many had formed friendships / discovered like minded souls in 1st season. It was a 1 off opportunity. I kept my ST where we were, I liked being amongst the NSK but had equally formed new friendships who didn’t want to move.

The only solution is Albion to do a 90s and roll down the divisions. All the Plastics would then give up, gaps would appear behind the goals and many of the NSK / more vocal support would stand a chance of congregating in the middle of the NS. But when we moved to the Amex, many of us who were ST holders at Withdean choose to sit together up there and get the NSK started / established. But with time, people move about, give up ST’s (as I did) ie the more vocal support if you like can easily be diluted. Saying that the little kids I used to see in front of me scoffing hot dogs years ago are proper beer monsters home and away and have more than made up for formally shouty types (like me!) who have got older and now worry about back ache etc if forced to stand all game!!

 

[portlock seagull]

PS we always used to get criticised back then, that we were deliberately trying to out do the group of more vocal fans to the east side of the North. But the plain truth is you just couldn’t hear them more often than not. Otherwise we’d have been able to pick up songs and sing together. Problem is combination of stand size, depth, acoustics, all seater stadiums restricting freedom of movement, gentrification of football, the price of beer and beards.

 

[East Staffs Gull]

I think that a fundamental difference between the two groups is that the police box crew sing more or less continually, regardless of events on the pitch. The other NS singing group tends to react according to what’s happening in the game. Personally, I enjoy the police box crew’s enthusiasm and originality, but I do struggle to hear them from the northern end of WSU. They are not positioned ideally and not sufficient in number to generate much of an atmosphere.

Other problems associated with the NS have already been mentioned, including too many casual fans and too many choosing the NS only because it is one of the cheaper areas. Perhaps not a popular suggestion, but I think there should be no price concessions in the NS.

 

[Sea Cider]

Perhaps not a popular suggestion, but I think there should be no price concessions in the NS.

I agree. Too many around me in the North clearly there because of the cheap price, not because they enjoy contributing to the atmosphere. Plus the proper oldies (bless em) in the middle of N1G who need to sit down all match

 

[Sea Cider]

In N1G we are directly between the central and NE corner song starters and often need to make a call on which to join in with when 2 chants start at the same time!

Can't near the NW at all from where we sit.

 

[warsaw]

This discussion has been going on for years and the answers are really dead simple aren't they? There's nothing wrong with copying some of the best atmospheres in the European game, so get a bloke with a megaphone or yes even a drum . Come on North Stand ,just do it. And by the way I'm a 64 year old fart from West Upper.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I think that a fundamental difference between the two groups is that the police box crew sing more or less continually, regardless of events on the pitch. The other NS singing group tends to react according to what’s happening in the game. Personally, I enjoy the police box crew’s enthusiasm and originality, but I do struggle to hear them from the northern end of WSU. They are not positioned ideally and not sufficient in number to generate much of an atmosphere.

Other problems associated with the NS have already been mentioned, including too many casual fans and too many choosing the NS only because it is one of the cheaper areas. Perhaps not a popular suggestion, but I think there should be no price concessions in the NS.

I agree with the problem assessment but not the solution.

NS is cheap to encourage younger / working class fans who will improve the atmosphere so I would keep the concession. But I would put another area aside at the same price and market the NS as "rowdy" and the other as "concession". Too late for either I fear.

If you need to make income up because of that, up the corporate prices a bit. They can afford it and are normally claiming it back on expenses, writing it off against tax or both.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Bit of common sense from all parties, from someone in another area.

The away 'trend' of 9 people into 5 spaces needs to stop, home AND away.

Equally, those of us enjoying the rest to our ageing joints by sitting need to be flexible so to speak and relocate a tad.

All a bit of give and take.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Bit of common sense from all parties, from someone in another area.

The away 'trend' of 9 people into 5 spaces needs to stop, home AND away.

Equally, those of us enjoying the rest to our ageing joints by sitting need to be flexible so to speak and relocate a tad.

All a bit of give and take.

What if you're an old fart who likes singing, bouncing and being with your mates?

 

[Is it PotG?]

What if you're an old fart who likes singing, bouncing and being with your mates?

If you can all stand the pace on your creaky joints and sing SbtS in tempo, what's not to like?

 

[Weststander]

I agree. Too many around me in the North clearly there because of the cheap price, not because they enjoy contributing to the atmosphere. Plus the proper oldies (bless em) in the middle of N1G who need to sit down all match

We’ve been in the NS for a few seasons now near the police box. Before that all round the stadium.

In all the other areas, supporters seemed really dedicated to the football itself and the Albion, even if many were older and not prone to chanting/getting angry.

In the NS there are clearly to me loads of folk from say 18 years upwards at matches more there for the craic. Getting to seats 5 minutes into the first and second halves, chatting, not watching the football, with standing jokes about disappearing on 35 and 75 minutes, passing food sneaked in around, generally tanked up. My guess is that they’re not necessarily lifelong mad about the Albion, Amex games are really part of their social calendar.

It’s no way a stand with everyone willing the team on in concert.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

We’re in WSL near the NW corner and it’s the same there. Police Box crew are great but we can barely hear the lot under the screen. Whether it’s deliberate or not I’m not so sure - I think it’s more that they can’t really hear each other until it’s too late. Ideally need a couple of blocks in the middle where they are all together (and the away fans a lot closer).

Can’t see anything happening though, ‘Bob from Pevensey’ would be emailing Barbs immediately if he was told he was being moved.

Moving downstairs from WSU north end to WSL North End as wanted to be closer to the atmosphere but also maintain the ability to sit.

Wondered what the atmosphere was actually like in W1I / W1H / W1G? Assumed more would sing driven by the proximity to the north?

 

[dazzer6666]

Moving downstairs from WSU north end to WSL North End as wanted to be closer to the atmosphere but also maintain the ability to sit.

Wondered what the atmosphere was actually like in W1I / W1H / W1G? Assumed more would sing driven by the proximity to the north?

We’re in W1H, atmosphere is mostly ok…….although there are still quite a lot of almost permanently empty seats (STH who never turn up - the seats are never on sale). We prefer being closer to the pitch, so good for that and also second half goals (on the odd occasions we get them), subs warming up etc. People mostly stay seated.