Atmosphere yesterday v Next season

[Andy082005]

Just want to give a mention to the Atyeo stand yesterday. Sitting from the South Stand, I thought the noise and atmosphere generated by those in there was the best I've seen this season.

I just don't understand the logic next season of not trying to build on it. I really believe the club and Co (and the fans committee)  have missed a real opportunity  here to bring a real atmosphere back to the Gate by moving these fans to the South Stand next season.

Is it 1,000 season ticket holders in the Atyeo next year? They will get overwhelmed by bigger away following and you will find other parts of the ground won't join in. There is no atmosphere at all in the South Stand this season.  Its incredibly dull.

If they were moved to the South Stand, you would find the fans directly around them would feed off their energy and the atmosphere would be fantastic. 

Now all you are going to have, is an even smaller pocket of fans tucked away in a corner, who will find themselves overwhelmed most weeks. 

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, Andy082005 said:

Just want to give a mention to the Atyeo stand yesterday. Sitting from the South Stand, I thought the noise and atmosphere generated by those in there was the best I've seen this season.

I just don't understand the logic next season of not trying to build on it. I really believe the club and Co (and the fans committee)  have missed a real opportunity  here to bring a real atmosphere back to the Gate by moving these fans to the South Stand next season.

Is it 1,000 season ticket holders in the Atyeo next year? They will get overwhelmed by bigger away following and you will find other parts of the ground won't join in. There is no atmosphere at all in the South Stand this season.  Its incredibly dull.

If they were moved to the South Stand, you would find the fans directly around them would feed off their energy and the atmosphere would be fantastic. 

Now all you are going to have, is an even smaller pocket of fans tucked away in a corner, who will find themselves overwhelmed most weeks. 

Spot on, sadly no home singers directly behind either goal next season...after spending £45M...only we could get this so wrong.

Funnily enough many of the children in the SS were joining in the singing yesterday, they don't have the inhibitions of some of us old 'uns.

[ChippenhamRed]

16 minutes ago, Countryfile said:

Spot on, sadly no home singers directly behind either goal next season...after spending £45M...only we could get this so wrong.

Funnily enough many of the children in the SS were joining in the singing yesterday, they don't have the inhibitions of some of us old 'uns.

Your implication seems to be that the club got this wrong, but it has to be said that it was the Atyeo group who wanted to stay where they are.

I can see both sides, but as I said previously I would much prefer to have seen three more densely populated home stands rather than home supporters spread over 3.5 stands. The other big negative is that for a potential sell out cup game, we wouldn't have a singing section at all as they will all have to disperse. An avoidable compromise in my book.

[CotswoldRed]

Hopefully the SS will improve with plenty of fogeys moving to the West. 

[ciderbeans]

Why don't they stick the away fans up in the gods?

[ChippenhamRed]

3 minutes ago, ciderbeans said:

Why don't they stick the away fans up in the gods?

Would you want to sit underneath 4,000 Leeds fans?

[redfieldred]

Wolves put the away fans on the bottom tier of the side Steve Bull stand, which is long and thin and has the effect of diluting the singing away fans. Might work in their favour, but makes for a truly library type atmosphere. I Prefer to have away fans that need to be competed with for singing, as it makes for a better atmosphere all round.

By the way credit to the Bolton fans yesterday. Can't have been easy to support them away this season, but they came in numbers and most stayed to the end. 

[Red Exile]

5 minutes ago, redfieldred said:

Wolves put the away fans on the bottom tier of the side Steve Bull stand, which is long and thin and has the effect of diluting the singing away fans. Might work in their favour, but makes for a truly library type atmosphere. I Prefer to have away fans that need to be competed with for singing, as it makes for a better atmosphere all round.

By the way credit to the Bolton fans yesterday. Can't have been easy to support them away this season, but they came in numbers and most stayed to the end. 

Full credit to them...

…and they stayed to the end, unlike hundreds of our supporters in the Dolman who couldn't spare the time to applaud a team off the pitch who'd just scored 6 goals.

[Reds2016]

Ideal place would be the dolman/ south stand corner for singers. It would spread energy through both stands. 

[Clevedon Red]

27 minutes ago, redfieldred said:

By the way credit to the Bolton fans yesterday. Can't have been easy to support them away this season, but they came in numbers and most stayed to the end. 

I did smile when the Atyeo were singing we want 7, only for the Bolton faithful to reply with we want 1.

[Lanterne Rouge]

40 minutes ago, redfieldred said:

Wolves put the away fans on the bottom tier of the side Steve Bull stand, which is long and thin and has the effect of diluting the singing away fans. Might work in their favour, but makes for a truly library type atmosphere. I Prefer to have away fans that need to be competed with for singing, as it makes for a better atmosphere all round.

By the way credit to the Bolton fans yesterday. Can't have been easy to support them away this season, but they came in numbers and most stayed to the end. 

They`re the real fans, the ones who were there last time they were shite and will still be there next season. The ones that we should feel sorry for and not the glory hunters that buggered off as soon as the going got a bit tough.

[Stoke_Gifford_Red]

1 hour ago, Reds2016 said:

Ideal place would be the dolman/ south stand corner for singers. It would spread energy through both stands. 

Not possible - it's the "family" section. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, CotswoldRed said:

Hopefully the SS will improve with plenty of fogeys moving to the West. 

You may well be right. Yesterday someone in the SS was starting songs, not just joining in with the Atyeo, good for them.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, ChippenhamRed said:

Your implication seems to be that the club got this wrong, but it has to be said that it was the Atyeo group who wanted to stay where they are.

I can see both sides, but as I said previously I would much prefer to have seen three more densely populated home stands rather than home supporters spread over 3.5 stands. The other big negative is that for a potential sell out cup game, we wouldn't have a singing section at all as they will all have to disperse. An avoidable compromise in my book.

Joint effort in getting it wrong I think.

The Atyeo singers, many of whom didn't want to go in there originally, obviously preferring the old EE, now seem to have backed themselves into a corner so to speak, with even less numbers in there next season.

The club, having moved the singers twice already during the redevelopment, have I think dropped a clanger by having both the family section and the corporate corner at the same end, perhaps with the move of the corporates to the WS there is an opportunity to develop that corner, spreading into the centre for singers, but I suspect they will want to keep the Heinken lounge for hospitality for individuals  who want a one off meal and match ticket.

 

[Natchfever]

1 hour ago, redfieldred said:

 

By the way credit to the Bolton fans yesterday. Can't have been easy to support them away this season, but they came in numbers and most stayed to the end. 

Surely they were kept in the ground by the OB? They seemed to appreciate the presence of A&SP being escorted around our fair city before the game. Their support seemed small in numbers and was the quietest i'd heard this season.

[Andy082005]

2 hours ago, ChippenhamRed said:

Your implication seems to be that the club got this wrong, but it has to be said that it was the Atyeo group who wanted to stay where they are.

I can see both sides, but as I said previously I would much prefer to have seen three more densely populated home stands rather than home supporters spread over 3.5 stands. The other big negative is that for a potential sell out cup game, we wouldn't have a singing section at all as they will all have to disperse. An avoidable compromise in my book.

Then it's both the 'Atyeo group' and the clubs fault then.

At a time when they had an opportunity to expand their group, get more people involved..they have instead gone and isolated themselves as if they are a completely different set of fans 

[BCFCS82]

46 minutes ago, Countryfile said:

Joint effort in getting it wrong I think.

The Atyeo singers, many of whom didn't want to go in there originally, obviously preferring the old EE, now seem to have backed themselves into a corner so to speak, with even less numbers in there next season.

The club, having moved the singers twice already during the redevelopment, have I think dropped a clanger by having both the family section and the corporate corner at the same end, perhaps with the move of the corporates to the WS there is an opportunity to develop that corner, spreading into the centre for singers, but I suspect they will want to keep the Heinken lounge for hospitality for individuals  who want a one off meal and match ticket.

 

Hi there,

Just want to put a few facts forward really regarding this. They only serious suggestion from the club was to place the "singing section" into block a and b of the dolman. 

This would of Course meant displacing I suspect 1000 season ticket holders, would that of Been a fair thing to do? There would of been no scope for expansion in the dolman either, it would of been the same as the atyeo.

All other options such as the south stand, the west stand, south Stand west stand corner etc was all ruled out by the club and simply wasn't possible. 

Hopefully it will expand from the atyeo into the lower section of the dolman.

The choice for next season was basically displace dolman fans, the atyeo or nothing. I'm not really sure how fans have backed themselves into a corner, they have had little choice. 

[BCFCS82]

9 minutes ago, Andy082005 said:

Then it's both the 'Atyeo group' and the clubs fault then.

At a time when they had an opportunity to expand their group, get more people involved..they have instead gone and isolated themselves as if they are a completely different set of fans 

Hi There

The complete opposite of anything, please see the above post where I go into more depth. 

Fans don't feel they are any different to any others, it was great seeing families and kids picking up flags etc one dad went "I want a photo of him with a two pole, as his best mate is a rovers fan"

There was little or no choice on what could of been done. 

[Andy082005]

2 minutes ago, BCFCS82 said:

Hi There

The complete opposite of anything, please see the above post where I go into more depth. 

Fans don't feel they are any different to any others, it was great seeing families and kids picking up flags etc one dad went "I want a photo of him with a two pole, as his best mate is a rovers fan"

There was little or no choice on what could of been done. 

Fair enough mate and thanks for clearing it up. 

Just a huge opportunity missed and as some else posted above, £45m referb ....and only we could get it so wrong 

[Drew Peacock]

2 hours ago, Red Exile said:

Full credit to them...

…and they stayed to the end, unlike hundreds of our supporters in the Dolman who couldn't spare the time to applaud a team off the pitch who'd just scored 6 goals.

 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Lew-T]

To be fair, I heard the South Stand on numerous occasions from the atyeo. They generated some noise so fair shout!

The Dolman however...

[Marlborough Red]

Spoke to several ST holders yesterday in the Dolman. All complained about the new prices for the West Stand with most saying they will stay in the Dolman next season.  This makes the new West Stand likely to be the least populated part of the ground. Absolute madness - prices could have  reduced to at least the same as the Dolman to boost the number of ST holders . If prices were £300 for both the Dolman and West stand and  £250 for the South Stand I believe we could have got at least 18,000 ST holders next year. Additional  revenue from programmes , food and drink sold in the ground  would have more than made up any apparent fall in revenue. Room then for price increases in subsequent seasons.

Why the Club have agreed to have our singing section stay in the Atyeo with a reduction to  1,000 makes no sense to me. They will be outnumbered by Away fans at almost every match  who could make more noise with potential crowd disturbances on the cards. I was told by fans yesterday that these 1,000 City fans in the Atyeo would not only have to move out for Cup games but also league games where large Away followings were anticipated. Don't believe this to be the case but grateful for some clarity. Presumably our 1,000 Atyeo St holders would then move to the West Stand upper tier?  Necessary segregation in the Atyeo next season means a reduced capacity whereas if the whole of the Atyeo was for away fans only , we would get bigger total attendances with less stewarding and policing costs. A chance missed to make the South Stand our end for vociferous fans like it used to be as the East End. Full of flags and noise with a large unreserved seating area behind the goal. Family area moved to the Lower Dolman or perhaps the upper West Stand.

Another point to make is that most games next season will certainly be POTD , limiting Away support runs the risk of large numbers of Away fans traveling without tickets and then sitting in a Home area with, a recipe for unwelcome  crowd trouble . Didn't happen this season because all matches were basically ticket only with sell outs. Next season can't see us selling out unless we draw the Gas or a big team in the Cup.

 

[BCFCS82]

Fans will not be moved out for any home league games from the atyeo stand for "large away followings" , teams will be given 2700. 

Fans cannot be blamed for the choice of stands they were placed into, the atyeo is the best of the worse situation and fans are trying to make the best with it.

there was no real other option that would of been allowed 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, BCFCS82 said:

Hi there,

Just want to put a few facts forward really regarding this. They only serious suggestion from the club was to place the "singing section" into block a and b of the dolman. 

This would of Course meant displacing I suspect 1000 season ticket holders, would that of Been a fair thing to do? There would of been no scope for expansion in the dolman either, it would of been the same as the atyeo.

All other options such as the south stand, the west stand, south Stand west stand corner etc was all ruled out by the club and simply wasn't possible. 

Hopefully it will expand from the atyeo into the lower section of the dolman.

The choice for next season was basically displace dolman fans, the atyeo or nothing. I'm not really sure how fans have backed themselves into a corner, they have had little choice. 

Appreciate your reply. From what you say it seems the club decided it was the Atyeo or nothing, which is a real shame.

Perhaps this is the first concrete evidence that the club would prefer not to have the singers at all, and have agreed to the Atyeo as it reduces the number of potential singers congregating together to 1,000, and to zero in the event of home cup tie, it doesn't have to be a big club, even Yeovil, Swindon etc would claim the full allowance.

I have now reached the conclusion that the suits have decided that there is more potential for income from 2,000 adults with 2,000 children than 4,000 singers who would bring much needed atmosphere to games.

I really can't see how the lower Dolman can be involved without displacing existing STs and the club allowing standing in that area, perhaps you know more about this than me.

Our singing section will be the smallest in the league, and as someone else has said will be drowned out by the opposition, so perhaps playing at home will no longer be the advantage it should be.

[Marlborough Red]

Wonder how many Villa, Newcastle , Sunderland , Leeds , Cardiff fans will travel without tickets and POTD next season? All could expect more than 2,700 followers particularly if they are in contention for promotion. We took 4,000 to Fulham for a relegation

battle as an example. Recipe for the return of crowd trouble and a nightmare for the Police.

[Phileas Fogg]

14 minutes ago, Countryfile said:

Appreciate your reply. From what you say it seems the club decided it was the Atyeo or nothing, which is a real shame.

Perhaps this is the first concrete evidence that the club would prefer not to have the singers at all, and have agreed to the Atyeo as it reduces the number of potential singers congregating together to 1,000, and to zero in the event of home cup tie, it doesn't have to be a big club, even Yeovil, Swindon etc would claim the full allowance.

I have now reached the conclusion that the suits have decided that there is more potential for income from 2,000 adults with 2,000 children than 4,000 singers who would bring much needed atmosphere to games.

I really can't see how the lower Dolman can be involved without displacing existing STs and the club allowing standing in that area, perhaps you know more about this than me.

Our singing section will be the smallest in the league, and as someone else has said will be drowned out by the opposition, so perhaps playing at home will no longer be the advantage it should be.

Totally agree. I've suspected this ever since last year with the Ultra flag incident, that and the club's attitude about that, shown by how certain club employees responded about it, further evidenced this. 

The bubble machine thing too..

1000 is simply not enough and noise doesn't carry from the Atyeo very well, especially in comparison to the old EE or current south stand. It's like the club are trying to erode that group right down to the minimum.

The SS was never built as a home end, reflected in the uninspiring design and abundance of corporate/family areas. We had an opportunity to create a big bank of a stand in the style of Fulham/Wolves and build it around creating atmosphere but we didn't. What a shame. Fulham/West Brom/Charlton have shown what a great atmosphere our fans CAN make, makes it very difficult imo when our atmosphere creators are given little choice but be shoved in the corner of the worst stand in the ground.

[Berts city]

1 hour ago, Lew-T said:

To be fair, I heard the South Stand on numerous occasions from the atyeo. They generated some noise so fair shout!

The Dolman however...

Do you have to sing in the Dolman to qualify as being a fan ? 

[ChippenhamRed]

1 hour ago, BCFCS82 said:

Hi there,

Just want to put a few facts forward really regarding this. They only serious suggestion from the club was to place the "singing section" into block a and b of the dolman. 

This would of Course meant displacing I suspect 1000 season ticket holders, would that of Been a fair thing to do? There would of been no scope for expansion in the dolman either, it would of been the same as the atyeo.

All other options such as the south stand, the west stand, south Stand west stand corner etc was all ruled out by the club and simply wasn't possible. 

Hopefully it will expand from the atyeo into the lower section of the dolman.

The choice for next season was basically displace dolman fans, the atyeo or nothing. I'm not really sure how fans have backed themselves into a corner, they have had little choice. 

Personally I think displacing a 1000 season ticket holders in the Dolman in order to achieve the most obvious and least complicated solution in the long term (home fans condensed on three aides, Atyeo for away fans, no moving about needed for cup games) would have been acceptable under the circumstances. Short term pain for long term gain.

[Andy082005]

37 minutes ago, ChippenhamRed said:

Personally I think displacing a 1000 season ticket holders in the Dolman in order to achieve the most obvious and least complicated solution in the long term (home fans condensed on three aides, Atyeo for away fans, no moving about needed for cup games) would have been acceptable under the circumstances. Short term pain for long term gain.

Could they not have offered the displaced Dolman season ticket holders seats in the new stand (on the wings), at the same price as they would have paid for the Dolman season tickets?

OK it would have come at a cost to the club but in the long run, could really benefit everyone 

[Cider Queen]

13 minutes ago, Andy082005 said:

Could they not have offered the displaced Dolman season ticket holders seats in the new stand (on the wings), at the same price as they would have paid for the Dolman season tickets?

OK it would have come at a cost to the club but in the long run, could really benefit everyone 

See I'm in Dolman B.. I wouldn't have wanted to be displaced as I like my seat but I would love for the old block B to be back with singers.. I'm always trying to join in.

What I do find odd is the number of 'youngsters' that are like cardboard cut outs.. Don't stand and cheer, don't sing, it's almost as if they're watching from their sofa's at home! It's just weird.