Jump to content
IGNORED

Players...empty stadiums


weepywall

Recommended Posts

Was chatting today about how the team find playing in an empty ground, must be odd to train all week preparing for matchday and then turn up on a pitch with 4 empty stands or  4 empty tents in some cases. They must miss the crowd roaring an attack, great tackle, great save etc but probably don't miss the moans and groans when things aren't going so well. Do they play with more freedom and under less pressure with no fans ? Basically are fans a help or a hinderence? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, weepywall said:

Was chatting today about how the team find playing in an empty ground, must be odd to train all week preparing for matchday and then turn up on a pitch with 4 empty stands or  4 empty tents in some cases. They must miss the crowd roaring an attack, great tackle, great save etc but probably don't miss the moans and groans when things aren't going so well. Do they play with more freedom and under less pressure with no fans ? Basically are fans a help or a hinderence? 

Some players will thrive on the crowds but I guess it depends on what sort of atmosphere the crowd are supplying, if it’s a toxic one I expect most players are happy that there’s no crowds in.

There are lots of things than can influence what they’d prefer, their own (individually & team) performances & results for example.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Both of course, but I think it's generally positive for the players on a football performance level.

I mean they're practising like they're playing now which generally benefits performance. You think of how much time a footballer spends playing with no fans and then compare it to with fans and obviously they train more than they play*

You can hear instructions, there's less pressure so you'd think a team would find it easier to translate what they do in coaching sessions to the actual games.

Which makes it even funnier how a team like Rovers are performing with a young team and a great coach!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The thing I find odd, not so much this season as we are being refunded but more back end of last season, is the attendance declared. As we all know, its not bums on seats , rather tickets sold whether they turn up or not. I always said that even if we played in an empty stadium  the club would still have to give the attendance as 12,500 as that's how many STs sold. But they never did. Shows how much I know, but I still don't know why. I presume its because they gave us a free gift ie Robins TV.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the longer it goes on the more they will be used to not having a crowd respond to their actions, good and bad. It will be quite daunting for them when we are finally allowed back. 

Must be quite weird though when they score a great goal or something and there is no crowd roar. Rugby of course is the same and it’s sad the Bears are having such a great season with no crowd appreciation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, weepywall said:

Was chatting today about how the team find playing in an empty ground, must be odd to train all week preparing for matchday and then turn up on a pitch with 4 empty stands or  4 empty tents in some cases. They must miss the crowd roaring an attack, great tackle, great save etc but probably don't miss the moans and groans when things aren't going so well. Do they play with more freedom and under less pressure with no fans ? Basically are fans a help or a hinderence? 

As any psychologist will tell you the answer is 'yes & no'.

Though Rogers' Facilitation Theory rightly attracts criticism in practice it does seem to hold true.

If you praise somebody whilst watching them perform and they are performing well they tend to perform better than were they not being observed or had you said nothing. The counter is true, criticise those performing poorly and they will underperform compared to had you said nothing or not observed them.

It's common sense based in science.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dunno, I remember shouting very loudly at close range to Jack Hunt to wake up after 20 minutes of having a mare of a Boxing Day game.  From that point on he played an absolute blinder.

Similarly, I shouted at Scott Murray a few years back to take the fullback on when he had been given the ball and passed back half a dozen times.  The next time he got the ball he skinned that fullback and continued to do so for the rest of the game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder if having no fans has had an impact on penalty shootouts? It would interesting to see the stats on penalties scored and missed pre & post lockdown. The pressure on the taker must be a lot less not having thousands of fans breathing down their neck. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another question is: how have the show ponies fared? Are there any players who can only play in front of a crowd and have since found form and performances dropping? Conversely are there any shy creatures who have blossomed without the fans breathing down their necks? I'm not sure there are any at the Gate, but elsewhere..?

And do the players find themselves forming a stronger bond with their treammates now there is no scrutinty from the stands?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...