Pyro - how do others cope?

[AshtonPark]

Now before this ends up in a slanging match between pro and anti pyro , it's the law etc etc, something has been bugging me.

In this country, one person lets off a smoke canister and you read that stewards have been taking to hospital unable to breathe, fans having asthma attacks. 

How do fans fans in other countries cope? Are they built differently to Great Britain? 

In Europe, Africa, Asia, you see vast pyro displays much more than the 1 or 2 let off here. How do the stadiums full of fans cope? 

Is it a case that over the years people's tolerance to things in this country has been watered down, as in a PC world, less manual labour so people arnt as "tough"? 

What do people Think? 

[RumRed]

They know where in the ground they’re going to be let off and those likely to be effected either don’t go or sit elsewhere.

[AshtonPark]

3 minutes ago, RumRed said:

They know where in the ground they’re going to be let off and those likely to be effected either don’t go or sit elsewhere.

Not always red rum, some Greek , Turkish displays can take up the whole ground. 

This was a display by PAOK, called the ring of Fire, certainly a lot more smoke than the one or two we got here. 

[RumRed]

1 minute ago, AshtonPark said:

Not always red rum, some Greek , Turkish displays can take up the whole ground. 

The crowds are different, I guess the average age of a Turkish sides supporter is about 40 years less than that at BCFC.

[Phileas Fogg]

 

2 minutes ago, RumRed said:

The crowds are different, I guess the average age of a Turkish sides supporter is about 40 years less than that at BCFC.

I genuinely think that’s a bit of an issue for the Club. Not sure if it’s the case for all clubs, but looking around at AG there’s a huge amount of people 55+.

Nothing wrong with that of course and plenty would’ve supported for 45 years and done their bit. In terms of atmosphere though it’s not ideal. I saw photos of our support yesterday with around 85% sat down. I’d never knock anyone who travelled all that way to support city, but contrast that to Leeds last week where 100% stood all game. 

[Bar BS3]

8 minutes ago, AshtonPark said:

Not always red rum, some Greek , Turkish displays can take up the whole ground. 

This was a display by PAOK, called the ring of Fire, certainly a lot more smoke than the one or two we got here. 

The instantly noticeable difference is that they don’t have a roof to contain the smoke & fumes. 

Almost every proper English football ground provides cover for supporters, apart from the odd cesspit, not fit for purpose, disgusting dumps, that still allow fans to stand in the rain. 

I cant think of any examples off hand, but I’m sure there are some clubs that still have such disregard for supporters..!

[RumRed]

7 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

 

I genuinely think that’s a bit of an issue for the Club. Not sure if it’s the case for all clubs, but looking around at AG there’s a huge amount of people 55+.

Nothing wrong with that of course and plenty would’ve supported for 45 years and done their bit. In terms of atmosphere though it’s not ideal. I saw photos of our support yesterday with around 85% sat down. I’d never knock anyone who travelled all that way to support city, but contrast that to Leeds last week where 100% stood all game. 

Away matches seem the oddest, purely due to the smaller crowd size you can get a decent judge of ages, I’d say 1/3 are the ‘youth’. A bunch of blokes in their 40’s and 50’s wishing they were still the ‘youth’ and the rest the ‘older’ generation.

I’m in my 40’s and still tie my scarf round my wrist and wear Adidas, usually coupled with a tweed jacket.  I have no idea what section I’m trying to be part of!

[Eastside Moonwalker]

Usually there’s a designated area (especially Germany) where you know where these things are going to take place. I’d say 70% of the stadium is available and won’t have any pyro

[Nibor]

20 minutes ago, AshtonPark said:

Now before this ends up in a slanging match 

And then you basically proceed to call people who have asthma wimps... 

Here's the answer, it's really simple. People who suffer from breathing difficulties simply can't go to those matches. They miss out because people who think that having coloured smoke is important to enjoying a football match also think that enhancing their experience a tiny amount is more important than other people going at all.  The selfishness is why people get annoyed about it. 

 

[AshtonPark]

1 minute ago, Nibor said:

And then you basically proceed to call people who have asthma wimps... 

Here's the answer, it's really simple. People who suffer from breathing difficulties simply can't go to those matches. They miss out because people who think that having coloured smoke is important to enjoying a football match also think that enhancing their experience a tiny amount is more important than other people going at all.  The selfishness is why people get annoyed about it. 

 

No I'm not at all, I suffered from it when I was a child and luckily outgrew it. I just wanted a grown up debate about it rather than the normal "it's against the law, stop it, club will get in trouble". 

Im not saying people in this country should let it off, im just wondering what the differences are. 

[Stoke_Gifford_Red]

2 hours ago, Phileas Fogg said:

 

I genuinely think that’s a bit of an issue for the Club. Not sure if it’s the case for all clubs, but looking around at AG there’s a huge amount of people 55+.

Nothing wrong with that of course and plenty would’ve supported for 45 years and done their bit. In terms of atmosphere though it’s not ideal. I saw photos of our support yesterday with around 85% sat down. I’d never knock anyone who travelled all that way to support city, but contrast that to Leeds last week where 100% stood all game. 

Not only our club - I believe throughout English football the average fan is rapidly aging. 

It will take a concerted effort to bring back the "youngsters", something I haven't really seen happen. 

[Phileas Fogg]

7 minutes ago, Stoke_Gifford_Red said:

Not only our club - I believe throughout English football the average fan is rapidly aging. 

It will take a concerted effort to bring back the "youngsters", something I haven't really seen happen. 

I guess you’re probably right. Begs the question then why clubs like Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday and most bigger Prem clubs all will stand at away games?

I guarantee no United fans will sit in December. In my opinion it’s much better for atmosphere.

Maybe it’s just a big club thing. Wish our support stood at away games.

[Clarky89]

Was stood near the one at Reading and it affected me for a week! Really felt like it burnt my insides. But I do have astmha.

Ironically, loved the pyro and leave no problem will the them. 

[poland_exile]

I'm far from the peak of physical fitness but i've never had an issue at the games I've been to and I'm surprised it's apparently so 'dangerous'. best game I've been to this season in terms of pyro, Lech v Legia - match held up for 15 mins because it got a bit tricky to see. Everyone left the stadium alive mind... 

[22A]

9 minutes ago, Stoke_Gifford_Red said:

Not only our club - I believe throughout English football the average fan is rapidly aging. 

In the early 70's there would be many travelling fans in their late teens or early 20's. The other week at Ipswich, I looked round and the majority of our fans there were, like me, in their 60's.

Either the next two generations after ours weren't interested in football or, today's younger fans cannot afford the higher travel and admission costs.

Who knows; thirty years time a 10,000 seater stadium will be sufficient for many clubs in the Championship, not just the lower divisions. 

[Eddie Hitler]

Older fans and more enclosed stadiums; plus some days you're just not well.

I think that flares are great and add to the atmosphere but some sort of tacit segregation with a warning on buying a ticket "This part of the stand is inclined to be rowdy and flares have been let off in the past" would cover it.

Usually I'd be unaffected but the other week I had a bad cough and walking past a woodland fire on a damp close day had me hacking away; a flare going up close by would have given me serious problems. I don't think I'm a wimp!

[SStandUp]

I have nothing but respect for people who travel away from home. Whether they sit or stand.

But from an atmosphere point of view, City's away support is generally pretty poor from a vocal point of view. It's very hard to create noise, with so many sitting down. 

But like I said, this is absolutely no dig at those that sit down, it just means our away atmosphere is compromised.

It is strange, we are one of very few clubs that have a majority that sit away games. Must be because we have an older generation of fans I guess. 

Up the City X 

[Phileas Fogg]

6 minutes ago, ForeverRes said:

I have nothing but respect for people who travel away from home. Whether they sit or stand.

But from an atmosphere point of view, City's away support is generally pretty poor from a vocal point of view. It's very hard to create noise, with so many sitting down. 

But like I said, this is absolutely no dig at those that sit down, it just means our away atmosphere is compromised.

It is strange, we are one of very few clubs that have a majority that sit away games. Must be because we have an older generation of fans I guess. 

Up the City X 

I actually think we're not too bad vocally. Definitely better than most clubs of our size. We have a good array of songs and can get pretty loud. 

I do find the sitting thing a bit strange though.

[22A]

8 minutes ago, ForeverRes said:

But like I said, this is absolutely no dig at those that sit down, it just means our away atmosphere is compromised.

It is strange, we are one of very few clubs that have a majority that sit away games. Must be because we have an older generation of fans I guess. 

Up the City X 

Two years ago at Huddersfield I was told to sit down. Not by Stewards, but by fellow City fans. "You're stopping others from watching the game". I never heard that when standing at the front on a terrace.

[gow2gooseya]

13 minutes ago, 22A said:

Two years ago at Huddersfield I was told to sit down. Not by Stewards, but by fellow City fans. "You're stopping others from watching the game". I never heard that when standing at the front on a terrace.

 

23 minutes ago, ForeverRes said:

I have nothing but respect for people who travel away from home. Whether they sit or stand.

But from an atmosphere point of view, City's away support is generally pretty poor from a vocal point of view. It's very hard to create noise, with so many sitting down. 

But like I said, this is absolutely no dig at those that sit down, it just means our away atmosphere is compromised.

It is strange, we are one of very few clubs that have a majority that sit away games. Must be because we have an older generation of fans I guess. 

Up the City X 

 

23 minutes ago, ForeverRes said:

I have nothing but respect for people who travel away from home. Whether they sit or stand.

But from an atmosphere point of view, City's away support is generally pretty poor from a vocal point of view. It's very hard to create noise, with so many sitting down. 

But like I said, this is absolutely no dig at those that sit down, it just means our away atmosphere is compromised.

It is strange, we are one of very few clubs that have a majority that sit away games. Must be because we have an older generation of fans I guess. 

Up the City X 

Maybe because we havent had a top level team since 1980

I was 23 when we got relegated. now I am 60

Its really not that difficult to see why our supporters are all forgetting where the ground is :-)

[cidered abroad]

4 hours ago, Nibor said:

And then you basically proceed to call people who have asthma wimps... 

Here's the answer, it's really simple. People who suffer from breathing difficulties simply can't go to those matches. They miss out because people who think that having coloured smoke is important to enjoying a football match also think that enhancing their experience a tiny amount is more important than other people going at all.  The selfishness is why people get annoyed about it. 

 

Wait until the young ones get to 60 plus and their lungs have 30% less capacity than when they were 30 years.

It's not a nice feeling and as we age, we also get tired much more quickly especially when travelling long distances. When I was fifty, I thought nothing of driving to places like Middlesbro or Norwich and back in a day. Or flying to Belfast, driving two hours to Derry and coming back the same day followed next day with a day trip to Frankfurt.

Now an afternoon trip to Ashton Gate is followed by an evening sound asleep in front of the tv.

But of course as you people, you don't give a toss about us, so just wait until it hits you. That's assuming that all you Coca Cola drinking, fast food eating , smoke inhaling and vastly overweight xxxxx actually reach pension age.

[Mr Popodopolous]

Average football fan in UK, match going is definitely aging.

Been known for a while but now starting to become more apparent.

Combination of pull of big like super clubs IMO and rising ticket prices, train fares etc.

Many who could want to go have been priced out across the board- and those with cash may not be so inclined for live football especially not of the PL nature.

[PolskRed]

1 hour ago, poland_exile said:

I'm far from the peak of physical fitness but i've never had an issue at the games I've been to and I'm surprised it's apparently so 'dangerous'. best game I've been to this season in terms of pyro, Lech v Legia - match held up for 15 mins because it got a bit tricky to see. Everyone left the stadium alive mind... 

Did you watch Katowice v Ruch last weekend? It was unbelievable, away fans were banned but the atmosphere was 100 times better than we will ever see in an English stadium. We have Polsat so get lots of Polish football, pyro is seen everywhere and people don't seen to be bothered. Been to lots of games in Poland where there has been pyro, I use an inhaler and it has never effected me.

[SStandUp]

1 hour ago, Phileas Fogg said:

I actually think we're not too bad vocally. Definitely better than most clubs of our size. We have a good array of songs and can get pretty loud. 

I do find the sitting thing a bit strange though.

We may seem loud when you're stood in the away end, but I'm sure it doesn't come across like that to the rest of the ground. Especislly when on average you probably have 100-200 city fans actually singing, maybe more at away games like reading. Take section 82 for example at the gate, there is 2000 of them and sometimes there pretty hard to hear or find it hard to create an atmosphere at the gate. 

Most of our songs fizzle out within 30seconds. We seem always in a rush to get onto another song, rather then spending like 5-10mins on a song. By doing this, it allowed rest of crowd to join in. 

I don't rate our atmosphere home or away, it's ok when we score and for 5mins after.. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

@ForeverRes

Don't think there's 2,000 in S82. Between 1,000 and 1,500 IMO.

I think I recall v Burton...very loud. The Fielding in the building chant went on 9, 10 mins.

Mixed bag away from home IMO- would be great if more stood. That would help for sure.

Regards S82, I think they make a great effort. Moving them from a section of Atyeo to SS/Dolman corner was a no brainer, and has helped atmosphere spread better around the ground IMO.

[TV Tom]

Too many hypochondriacs at AG, more pyros is what we need

[Phileas Fogg]

33 minutes ago, ForeverRes said:

We may seem loud when you're stood in the away end, but I'm sure it doesn't come across like that to the rest of the ground. Especislly when on average you probably have 100-200 city fans actually singing, maybe more at away games like reading. Take section 82 for example at the gate, there is 2000 of them and sometimes there pretty hard to hear or find it hard to create an atmosphere at the gate. 

Most of our songs fizzle out within 30seconds. We seem always in a rush to get onto another song, rather then spending like 5-10mins on a song. By doing this, it allowed rest of crowd to join in. 

I don't rate our atmosphere home or away, it's ok when we score and for 5mins after.. 

Well your post was specifically about our away support which is what i was replying to. I have been in the home end and seen our away support where we had 1500 or so - we were good. Far better than most clubs in this league. 

Funny you mention Reading which is nearly always poor for our away atmosphere as it’s one of those 3-4000 attendances with plenty of families. I struggle then to take your view on our away atmosphere seriously after that. 

To see us at our best, it needs to be London based away ground, midweek and between 1000-2000 of us. I guarantee Fulham this week will be one of our better away atmospheres for a while. 

Overall our atmosphere isn’t that bad, easily top in this league home and away imo - I just don’t get the sitting down at away games thing.

[Bris Red]

2 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Well your post was specifically about our away support which is what i was replying to. I have been in the home end and seen our away support where we had 1500 or so - we were good. Far better than most clubs in this league. 

Funny you mention Reading which is nearly always poor for our away atmosphere as it’s one of those 3-4000 attendances with plenty of families. I struggle then to take your view on our away atmosphere seriously after that. 

To see us at our best, it needs to be London based away ground, midweek and between 1000-2000 of us. I guarantee Fulham this week will be one of our better away atmospheres for a while. 

Overall our atmosphere isn’t that bad, easily top in this league home and away imo - I just don’t get the sitting down at away games thing.

I do agree about the sitting at away games, its a strange one. Its almost the unwritten rule for a lot of clubs that away games everyone stands, 100% helps the atmosphere. Just not really something our lot like doing is it? 

[Bernard Lerring]

16 minutes ago, bris red said:

I do agree about the sitting at away games, its a strange one. Its almost the unwritten rule for a lot of clubs that away games everyone stands, 100% helps the atmosphere. Just not really something our lot like doing is it? 

Totally agree with this, standing  helps the atmosphere immensely. 

Doesn't actually seem that long ago that we used to stand for every corner. unfortunately that's dying/ died out as well... and you can hear it in the increasingly lacklustre "come on you reds" chant 

[cidered abroad]

Reference to standing at away games. Perhaps those who wish to stand should ensure that they are inside the stadium early and take the upper rows, instead of arriving late from the pub, well oiled, and insisting on standing where there are empty seats. Life is all about planning and compromise. Do this for a few games, be reasonable about those who have to sit and you'll have it sorted.

Plus the fact that the more successful we are,the more younger fans we'll attract.