Wedontplayinblue

5 hours ago, 1960maaan said:

 

 

I think that could be a great idea, it would give some young fans a chance to see BCWFC that they may not normally get . Then on the games they do play at the Gate , it may be more tempting. Getting out to a wider audience is never a bad thing .

I agree with what you are saying about week in week out, but a lot of us support the men’s ever other Saturday (in theory) plus the odd away game, that’s a lot of time taken up, to then take up womens football too is too much of an ask for many people.

There was a post on here before saying how womens football needs to grow its own support, and not assume people who go to the men’s game will want to watch the women’s game (for a number of reasons, much like a low uptake or under 21 spectators) which I think in the main it is starting to do.

I remember going with my dad to mangotsfield to watch city’s women play Liverpool in the fa cup semi final, I think it must of been about 1995, it’s the only FA Cup semi final I’m probably going to see city play in. 

1 hour ago, phantom said:

Waste of money, thousand other things to invest in before doing it 

As such? Remember it’s Ashton gate limited who own it and not the club, what else in the stadium needs work do you think instead?

6 minutes ago, phantom said:

Will be an interesting decision, potentially the HPC could be too small and AG8 too big and not cost affective 

Like other WSL currently do, maybe a move to a local non league ground is the most sensible? 

The hard one is phantom, they can’t try to plug that we are all one big club if you then force them to play elsewhere. 
 

There’s many which include myself, and do watch the women’s games from time to time with my kids, that even though they are playing in a city kit, it isn’t city to me. 
 

I wish them all the luck but if they went down for example, it wouldn’t concern me at all where With the men’s it’s a different kettle of fish.

On 13/02/2024 at 16:09, Mr Popodopolous said:

The arrogant we know best p****s need a bit of a light shining IMO.

Safety Advisory Group have been a joke for years. No Minutes in the public domain published since summer 2014 speaks utter volumes.

Who do they work for, who do they think they are. Jumped up individuals.

Still the Council are, have been a shower of S*** for years so don't expect anything better.

Go on Mr P, don’t sit on the fence, let it all out

50 minutes ago, robinwelsh said:

Thanks all, don't like leaving car on a street. Did see portway Park and ride as travelling form wales. Is this reliable as don't wanna miss the game and stress on game day with family. Thanks.

Understand regarding leaving your car on a street, but I don’t think I’ve seen in 25 years plus of watching city cars being broke into.

It’s normal residential roads with a lot of people passing by, it’s not unlit industrial estates etc. 

7 hours ago, Supersonic Robin said:

A few assorted thoughts on all of this:

• The reason why Ashton Gate is often quiet is because not enough fans are singing. We have 20k fans in the stadium - it's not the case that we're all singing but we magically produce no noise due to acoustics.
   
• The above being said, it doesn't help that our 'singing section' is crammed into a small corner of the stadium. Especially when you compare it to away fans having the full Atyeo end.
   
• As much as I'd love the atmosphere to improve at AG, I acknowledge that I have no right to tell others how they should go about enjoying the game. Provided someone has paid for a ticket, they're allowed to give more attention to their phone than the match, spend half the game in the concourse, and leave 10 minutes early should they wish to.
   
• There are no "right songs" or "wrong songs". It's like music. The older fans will likely think that football chants peaked in the 1980s, the younger fans will probably prefer some of the more modern stuff. That's just how it goes.
   
• Our club's situation doesn't help with the atmosphere. We've been very midtable with little concern of promotion/relegation for quite a while now. In recent years we've been conducting some very necessary, but not very exciting, cost cutting. We're also a side who have been relatively poor in terms of both home performances and results. This, coupled with growing dissatisfaction with the board, is a perfect recipe for a flat atmosphere.
   
• I think there's a difference between what we may want and what the club (JL) may want in terms of an atmosphere at AG. My impression is that the club don't want Ashton Gate to have a raucous or hostile atmosphere, their dream is for AG to be a fun, warm, family friendly day out - more akin to an Olympic event or a School Sports Day than a traditional English football match. It's not that the club "haven't thought about it" re the atmosphere, it's that they have thought about it but are aiming for something different to what most of the fans want.

My god, what a sensible well informed post on where we currently are in modern day football.

Great post. 

9 minutes ago, OliOTIB said:

Anything that dosent have a ‘tune’ that everyone bounces to is basically dismissed. Imagine how loud it would be if we get the whole section to shout the 1,2,3,4,5, if you want to stay alive

See, this is a bit daft,

When in the last 20 years has that happened at Ashton gate? 

8 minutes ago, Dolman Block B said:

“If you are a Rovers fan surrender or you’ll die”

”We are the East End we are the East End we are the East End of Ashton Gate”

 

This goes back to, when is the last time ashton gate on mass sang that?

Both of those songs are sung every game give or take.  
 

If people don’t want to sing, then they won’t regardless of the songs being sung. 

2 hours ago, Riaz said:

I think there displays are excellent - definitely dont fault their effort at all.

But songs should be loud and intimidating. NOT dreary. And singing tilburg songs that no one knows doesnt help.

Getting old songs going is usually a good start. But if its new. Keep it simple, so people can join in.

Riaz,

Genuine question, what songs are loud and intimidating? 

30 minutes ago, Tommycider said:

I don’t think it helps that our songs and chance are awful. Been going for 30 years and these are terrible. You hardly hear any of the old songs they got the crowd going. Went to Coventry in the week and they had loads of great songs, compare to the rubbish, we sing nowadays, unfortunately.

Coventry sing an awful lot of what would be classed as “ultra, modern and generic songs” . 
 

Their away fans are very good but wouldn’t say their set of songs are different to other clubs, just the normal songs with the “insert name here”. 

25 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

I thought the West Ham game the best in a while tbh. Can depend where you are too, lots of standing in the Upper areas of the Dolman, possibly oversubscription in the Safe Standing area.

Where do you watch the game from Mr P? 
 

From the singing section I rarely/never hear the rest of the ground , if it was noisier in other parts then that’s positive. 

26 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Did you enjoy/rate the atmosphere v West Ham and to a lesser extent, v Nottingham Forest?

Honestly speaking, I couldn’t make the Forest game, but I was disappointed with the West Ham game but that’s just standard now really. 

28 minutes ago, Riaz said:

I want the city crowd to be loud. And intimidating for teams to come too. 
 

That dreary song ain’t never going to be loud and intimidating. And most people don’t like it. We’re not the only ones singing over it. 

Let’s be honest Riaz, when’s the last time Ashton gate has been intimidating? That has long gone, along with most grounds now, we all want that but it’s never going to happen. 
 

I wasn’t saying people don’t like a certain song, I was trying to say you can visually see some people do like it. 

39 minutes ago, Riaz said:

Football songs should be simple and loud. 
Some of the songs they come up with are dreary. And they kill the atmosphere.

At one point they were purposely signing another (crap) song, quietly.. they are like a little choir

To be fair I have to agree with puckle red, it’s no different at all to how it’s always been (in my lifetime)

Take the EE towards the end, you had the older lot towards the toilets that didn’t sing much

a group of younger lads in the middle

Then you had the netters

You mentioned you are not teenagers, but acting like child trying to sing over songs you don’t like? 
 

It’s just classic city fans, it’s almost like people dislike seeing others enjoying themselves, just let others enjoy themselves. 

40 minutes ago, Riaz said:

Me and my mates start songs when the group (s82) with the drum, starts sings that shit “Bristol City oley” song or other shit songs. We aren’t teenagers.

Surely a good idea to start songs all the time?

That Bristol city Oley song, your right the lads by the drum sing it but you can also see other pockets of fans within the singing area like it too.

I personally don’t myself but then your unlikely to like every song sung, for example “I’m a Bristol city fan and I’m a ******* manual manipulator” is a completely stupid song, I’ve never seen the lads with the drum sing that but other groups for for example. 
 

For context I stand at the back of s25

53 minutes ago, phantom said:

@marmite  As already pointed out by a number of people (including someone leading the National safe standing campaign) talks have already started

The next thing is to liaise with supporters 

I keep saying it though Phantom, it’s ok saying they are open to ideas, liaise with supporters, but surely people need to know what the logical options are first? 

I’m not trying to be a dick here, but all those cars are parked on the road which then forces car drivers to have to the bus lane putting themselves at risk of a fine.

How can you park there and think “oh yea that’s fine”, regardless of what signs are out. 

2 minutes ago, Barrs Court Red said:

What can they moan about? That is what was in the original plan, likewise the Dolman lower. 

As they have never been told that’s the plan though really and they have been sat there for years. 

It’s good being open to suggestions but what could those suggestions be? There isn’t anywhere possible for it to be expanded to. 

55 minutes ago, phantom said:

Having a bowl makes it so much easier tho

As already mentioned there are discussions (but at a very early stage) about the expansion of S82 / safe standing etc happening

The SC&T are having our monthly meeting with the club next week, where it is an agenda item

The problem is phantom, it’s ok discussing it but what are the genuine options open?

Back 10 rows of the south stand? That’s the only thing I think is logically possibly, but I don’t think that would be any improvement and then you’re risking pissing off fans who have sat there for years. 
 

The club never had a plan for where “vocal” fans should have gone from the start of redoing Ashton gate. 

54 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Demand can definitely outstrip supply tbh, for the Safe Standing area..did it look a little overcrowded in parts??

All the stairs were fully blocked, the club completely lost control of crowd safety in that area it happens every bit game.

There was an medical emergency and the stewards had no idea what to do as it was so busy, it’s lucky it wasn’t more serious.

The club will do what they normally do now the next few games, flood the area with more stewards, telling people to get off the stairs if they have their foot on it, throw their weight around as someone will be getting told off for all of this, then next big game the same happens. 

13 minutes ago, Slack said:

Hey I don't usually make threads but what the hell happened tonight with tickets? There was so many people in s23/24 sneaking in on the stairs and overcrowding

 

Anyone know?

Yes stewards not doing their jobs properly, it happens every big game.

There was a medical emergency too and it’s lucky it wasn’t something serious, the club should be ashamed of themselves, no doubt they will be enforcing hard on fans in that area at Watford due to their own failings. 
 

It’s obvious the clubs stewards have no idea how to run crowd safety properly. 

1 hour ago, eardun said:

This is a great example of why the moaning about cheap kids’ season tickets (allegedly) causing empty seats in the South Stand is so short sighted. You can’t expect a child to attend every match; but there’s a good chance that this introduction hooks them for life.

No one is on about getting rid of cheap season tickets though are they?

1 hour ago, lenred said:

Why should mates who have been going for decades with the same friends have to sit somewhere else because they have kids and want to ingratiate them to City, thus devaluing both their game day and their mates who don’t take their kids / don’t have kids?  Why should kids be made to sit in particular areas? It’s crazy.   

This constant wanging on about people taking their kids and taking up space of others who don’t buy season tickets is just getting really ridiculous now.  If people have such an issue pick it up with the club. It’s simple.   I’m sure @phantom will do it.  Or @JerrySLO But as others have said, these kids are the future of our club.  Weird that people keep attacking them going.  

Im not attacking kids going at all, It worked with the GWR Stand when it was put in, did it not? Introduced many young city fans to having season tickets etc. 

I haven’t said kids have to go in a certain area, I’m saying if people wanted free/cheap kids season tickets then the upper lansdown could be used which is a perfectly fine part of the ground,  it’s absolutely no different to what city did nearly 30 years ago, which was clearly a success. 
 

You could still buy kids season tickets in all areas of the ground just not at a massively reduced rate.
 

We can’t go down the lines of “people buying cheap kids tickets and not turning up” but not having a valid solution to it surely? 

7 minutes ago, Betty Swallocks said:

Cheap under 12 tickets is the reason why our fanbase has been increasing year on year. 
A cheap under 12’s ticket is an adults season ticket in the future. 

That I fully agree with, but wouldn’t the same uptake be taken if it was restricted to only the upper lansdown, and if they wanted to pay the extra they could have more premium seats?

It’s no different to how the “GWR Stand” was first used and free kids season tickets were handed out, it’s how I got my first season ticket and I’ve had one ever since now. 

6 minutes ago, beaverface said:

Does the stats on our attendances give us serious credence for somehow getting the capacity increased to ~30,000?

There seems to have been a lot of talk about the number of u12 season tickets restricting normal pay on the day ticket purchases, but would a higher capacity mitigate that?

Stopping cheap under 12 tickets in anywhere except the upper lansdown would reduce it massively I imagine.