Section 82

[Bristol Rob]

1 minute ago, BarnzFM said:

I actually like modern football.

It's a much more friendly and enjoyable day out than it was in the 80s.

Better facilities, better pitches, better football and better food!

It has lost the earthy edge from back then and a lot of people have been priced out, but then a lot of the people who have been priced out probably pay for Sky subscriptions unaware that 4 or 5 months of Sky television is likely to cost similar to a season ticket. 

 

[Robbored]

The only banner I saw yesterday was the enormous Derby one. I didn't notice the others.

[Nogbad the Bad]

2 hours ago, Bar BS3 said:

Anyone purchasing a ticket, a replica shirt, or a half pie or pint IS a customer. There is no problem with that. We are fans AND customers. That's no sleight or degradation. 

I bet they are the first to moan when "customer" service isn't up to scratch, if their seats were filthy, if the toilets were blocked, if refreshments ran out by 1.30pm. 

That is all customer focus which they are happy with when it suits them to be "customers"

Those in "section 82" get far more "fan" related focus than any other part of the stadium by a million miles. ie: exemption to some rules, extra tolerance on behaviours/language, unreserved seating at their request, cheapest tickets. Christ, the club even pass up the opportunity of extra revenue from increased away capacity by retaining "section 82" in the Atyeo to keep these "perks" available to them (SAG wouldn't allow such leniency in other areas of the ground)

 

Not much evidence of increased away capacity needed, those pushing that argument previously suggested Derby would be one of the clubs to sell out and require more than the 2,700 allocated.....

A few times a season isn't reason enough to give over the whole Atyeo every week and have 2,000+ empty seats there for the vast majority of matches.

[Barrs Court Red]

Outside the ground yesterday was class. Fans mixing and drinking together, live music, chilled atmosphere....ok it's now utterly flat in the ground, but "modern football" has its perks.

[Phileas Fogg]

37 minutes ago, Bar BS3 said:

So none of them have Sky Sports subscriptions then I take it..? 

If the banner is general then that's obviously not clear. Holding it up as our team takes the field, in view of SL..? It's a strange time and place to do it when most "fans" are applauding the team on and gratefully taking in our impressive new surroundings. 

I think you are giving many of those "fans" too much credit. 

It most certainly did come across as cringeworthy, ungrateful and a dig. Especially from people, many of whom I'll put money on it, directly contribute to the problems that you rightly identify by paying a subscription to Murdoch. 

Are they out somewhere today campaigning against sweatshop labour, in their shiny new Nike trainers aswell..?! 

This reads like it was written full of venom, we've established it wasn't a dig at the club..

Even if it was one, so what? People are allowed an opinion, even a negative one, against the club if they want. 

[Bar BS3]

7 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

Not much evidence of increased away capacity needed, those pushing that argument previously suggested Derby would be one of the clubs to sell out and require more than the 2,700 allocated.....

A few times a season isn't reason enough to give over the whole Atyeo every week and have 2,000+ empty seats there for the vast majority of matches.

No of course not, but they could have kept the option of selling the whole end when needed and make empty seats POTD for home fans when not needed. 

They didn't though. They took the financial hit rather than moving S82 to an area where the same leniency would not be allowed. 

[Bar BS3]

4 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

This reads like it was written full of venom, we've established it wasn't a dig at the club..

Even if it was one, so what? People are allowed an opinion, even a negative one, against the club if they want. 

I agree. My opinion is that I thought it was cringeworthy, inappropriate and badly timed. 

[Phileas Fogg]

3 minutes ago, Bar BS3 said:

I agree. My opinion is that I thought it was cringeworthy, inappropriate and badly timed. 

Why though? Some people held up a banner with a message on it that wasn't a dig at the club. What's the issue?

In my opinion we need that group otherwise AG would be an absolute morgue. They should be placed in a better location where there's space for them to grow and others to get involved as they're too isolated in the Atyeo. Wish people would give them a break really, they try their best to make AG noisy and vibrant in a pretty crap location.

[Nogbad the Bad]

4 minutes ago, Bar BS3 said:

No of course not, but they could have kept the option of selling the whole end when needed and make empty seats POTD for home fans when not needed. 

They didn't though. They took the financial hit rather than moving S82 to an area where the same leniency would not be allowed. 

I don't think so.

I think the club realised that an away team requiring more than 2,700 tickets would be a rare event indeed, and that having City fans behind both goals went some way to help to maintain home advantage.

There is very little financial hit that I can see when only one or two clubs might ask for more, and most will not even take up the full allocation already on offer, and there is an obvious advantage to City to have visible and noisy support on all 4 sides of the ground. Even a little thing like fans clapping for a City corner taker, rather than taking abuse from away fans, helps.

The fact that Section 82 give great support to the team, and are inspired to give vociferous support to counter chants from the away fans more than nullifies any very rare small loss in revenue as far as I'm concerned.

I see Section 82 as an asset, not an inconvenience or a nuisance, and I'm sure the players do too.

[Palmers Green Red]

7 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Why though? Some people held up a banner with a message on it that wasn't a dig at the club. What's the issue?

Without getting into the wider issue of S82, as I personally don't have strong feelings either way so each to their own, I think what some people are saying is context ... without it some could see it as a dig at the club. 

Mind you, it might be a pretty long banner if there is a disclaimer added with the context 

COYR

[Trueredsupporter]

cringe 82 should be dropping all these anti modern football ideas dodgy stickers and back BCFC 100%. Club are losing money to house this mob in the Atyeo and giving them cheap tickets that is showing you are fans not customers!!!!! divisive behaviour will get them nowhere.

[Phileas Fogg]

7 minutes ago, Palmers Green Red said:

Without getting into the wider issue of S82, as I personally don't have strong feelings either way so each to their own, I think what some people are saying is context ... without it some could see it as a dig at the club. 

Mind you, it might be a pretty long banner if there is a disclaimer added with the context 

COYR

Yeah I can see why it might be seen in that way.

My view about that is that it doesn't really matter. There seems to be an implication that due to the ground revamp and money spent on the squad, people aren't allowed to be critical as it would be 'ungrateful'. I disagree with that, people can protest about anything they want in my opinion.

There's lots that could be improved about the club so if the banner was intended to be about Bristol City, I wouldn't mind.

[Bar BS3]

9 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Why though? Some people held up a banner with a message on it that wasn't a dig at the club. What's the issue?

In my opinion we need that group otherwise AG would be an absolute morgue. They should be placed in a better location where there's space for them to grow and others to get involved as they're too isolated in the Atyeo. Wish people would give them a break really, they try their best to make AG noisy and vibrant in a pretty crap location.

It looked like a dig at the club. It came across to many as a dig at the club. It may have been taken as a dig st the club. 

I like a lot of what they do in that area of the ground. I didn't like that banner though. I don't believe for a second that it wasn't a dig st the club. Otherwise what was the point in it? Who was the message supposed to be aimed at? Just as I didn't appreciate their repeated chanting of c**ts at fellow fans in the Dolman, which they then claimed was harmless jovial banter. 

Maybe they should think sometimes about how things might be perceived. 

I don't know, I don't really care that much about them. My initial point that the banner was cringeworthy. 

[Bar BS3]

10 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

I don't think so.

I think the club realised that an away team requiring more than 2,700 tickets would be a rare event indeed, and that having City fans behind both goals went some way to help to maintain home advantage.

There is very little financial hit that I can see when only one or two clubs might ask for more, and most will not even take up the full allocation already on offer, and there is an obvious advantage to City to have visible and noisy support on all 4 sides of the ground. Even a little thing like fans clapping for a City corner taker, rather than taking abuse from away fans, helps.

The fact that Section 82 give great support to the team, and are inspired to give vociferous support to counter chants from the away fans more than nullifies any very rare small loss in revenue as far as I'm concerned.

I see Section 82 as an asset, not an inconvenience or a nuisance, and I'm sure the players do too.

But that is the choice the club made. What's your point? 

They did maintain the section of home support there, rather than take the extra revenue. 

Basicslly they agreed with you! 

[Renaissance Williams]

52 minutes ago, Bristol Rob said:

It's a much more friendly and enjoyable day out than it was in the 80s.

Better facilities, better pitches, better football and better food!

It has lost the earthy edge from back then and a lot of people have been priced out, but then a lot of the people who have been priced out probably pay for Sky subscriptions unaware that 4 or 5 months of Sky television is likely to cost similar to a season ticket. 

 

Not a patch in either respect on what it was in the 60s, though - even though I was at Primary School. 

PS Even as a Dolman ****, keep on singing out Section 82. We need you - especially if you persuade people not to walk in front of me at 40 and 85 minutes!

[Phileas Fogg]

1 minute ago, Bar BS3 said:

It looked like a dig at the club. It came across to many as a dig at the club. It may have been taken as a dig st the club. 

So we've established it was about football generally but even if it was about Bristol City, so what? In a crowd of ~20,000 people you'll get lots of different opinions and expectations. Not everyone will think the club is perfect and some will display that.

1 minute ago, Bar BS3 said:

I like a lot of what they do in that area of the ground. I didn't like that banner though. I don't believe for a second that it wasn't a dig st the club. Otherwise what was the point in it? Who was the message supposed to be aimed at? Just as I didn't appreciate their repeated chanting of c**ts at fellow fans in the Dolman, which they then claimed was harmless jovial banter. 

It doesn't matter if it was a dig at the club or not, people are allowed an opinion. I doubt SL saw it and burst into tears at half time, you don't have as much success in business or own a football club without a very thick skin. 

The Dolman thing was a mountain out of a molehill. A fair bit of virtue signalling from people about that. I say that as a Dolman ST holder myself! 

1 minute ago, Bar BS3 said:

Maybe they should think sometimes about how things might be perceived. 

I don't know, I don't really care that much about them. My initial point that the banner was cringeworthy. 

 

[Bar BS3]

2 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

So we've established it was about football generally but even if it was about Bristol City, so what? In a crowd of ~20,000 people you'll get lots of different opinions and expectations. Not everyone will think the club is perfect and some will display that.

It doesn't matter if it was a dig at the club or not, people are allowed an opinion. I doubt SL saw it and burst into tears at half time, you don't have as much success in business or own a football club without a very thick skin. 

The Dolman thing was a mountain out of a molehill. A fair bit of virtue signalling from people about that. I say that as a Dolman ST holder myself! 

 

We clearly disagree. That's fine. I'm not going to keep saying the same thing. 

 

[Trueredsupporter]

Why do these anti modern football banners c#nt chants and abusive stickers have to be part of anything?

[Carey 6]

43 minutes ago, Trueredsupporte said:

cringe 82 should be dropping all these anti modern football ideas dodgy stickers and back BCFC 100%. Club are losing money to house this mob in the Atyeo and giving them cheap tickets that is showing you are fans not customers!!!!! divisive behaviour will get them nowhere.

Why are you bothered about the stickers? They're not hurting the club in any way. And aren't the ticket prices the same in the South Stand? 

[NickJ]

2 hours ago, EnclosureSurge said:

82 is not a reference to when, yes poor decisions were made, but to the fact our club survived thanks to those 8 players. As witnessed by singing the song every home game. If you're embarrassed by 1982, fair enough, but some of us seek not to ignore or bury it but see it as a time when our club hit rock bottom but came back from near extinction. Football isn't just about winning trophies or having seasons without disaster. If you want to cringe at it, go ahead, but some of us are proud of the players and rebuilding from that time. We're equally entitled to that.

The banner is a very well known campaign that has gone round Europe pointing out that football in general, across the board, around the world, is becoming more and more of a product for customers to buy, less for fans to have a say in. It is in no way directed at Steve Lansdown. Just like all the other fans not customers banners (eg at Liverpool and Arsenal, to name but two - try googling it) weren't directed at Steve Lansdown either.

The vast majority of the fans in that part of the ground are all in favour of everything Steve Lansdown has done and continues to do, as witnessed by the singing of his name before the Lansdown Stand was opened, when he was on the pitch mike in hand. Just like the rest of the ground, the vast majority of fans in the Atyeo are very grateful for all he does and has done. I hear no criticism of him in there. 

But if some people feel the need to spout of and make presumptions that the fans in the Atyeo believe themselves superior to others or ungrateful/ignorant of his financial support, that's as maybe. personally  stand in there, hear the support and songs for him and know the banner is aimed at the world of football, Sky Sports, Murdoch (but not BA Baracus), all the other money-grabbers and agents and knobheads who see us as bottomless pits of money they can just drain because they know we'll come back week after week. 

A little bit of research before piling into criticism is often good. The Supporters Not Customers campaign, which that banner yesterday was merely part of, has been well documented in many places, along with the 20 Is Plenty and other ideas. It's all called Against Modern Football. Not everyone agrees that modern football is rubbish or are against it, but there are plenty of us who think a) it's not as good as it was in many ways (almost entirely down to too much money - this is what the 'cringeworthy' banner is referencing) and b) it is still a good game, potentially, but could be much better with some tweaks so as fans aren't priced out. Hence the use of 'customer'.

Each to his own as ever, but, there we go. That's a forum for you.

If ever there was a post that made a few of the previous posters look silly, it has to be this.

[Trueredsupporter]

So you support stickers about the Rovers manager having sex with animals and the csf and far more along the same dodgy lines and think they do not harm the club in in any way when they are being plastered over people property?

[Phileas Fogg]

5 minutes ago, Trueredsupporte said:

So you support stickers about the Rovers manager having sex with animals and the csf and far more along the same dodgy lines and think they do not harm the club in in any way when they are being plastered over people property?

You do realise fans of almost every league club in the country make stickers and stick them everywhere they can, right? 

[kevinmabbuttshair]

5 minutes ago, Trueredsupporte said:

So you support stickers about the Rovers manager having sex with animals and the csf and far more along the same dodgy lines and think they do not harm the club in in any way when they are being plastered over people property?

Won't somebody think of the children!

[Trueredsupporter]

You do realise fans of almost every league club in the country make stickers and stick them everywhere they can, right? doubt it. doubt every club in the land has fans doing the same like selling stickers about homosexuality animals Jill Dando the csf and more.

[Phileas Fogg]

1 minute ago, Trueredsupporte said:

You do realise fans of almost every league club in the country make stickers and stick them everywhere they can, right? doubt it. doubt every club in the land has fans doing the same like selling stickers about homosexuality animals Jill Dando the csf and more.

You clearly have absolutely no knowledge about it then. 

[And Its Smith]

17 minutes ago, NickJ said:

If ever there was a post that made a few of the previous posters look silly, it has to be this.

A difference of opinion is silly?  Why does forum exist then?

I get 82 shoved down my throat by gasheads and now I have to endure city fans mentioning it as well.  I don't want that - does that make me silly?  

Also the customers banner did come across as a dig at the club.  If it wasn't why was it up?  Makes little sense to me as it will only be seen by city fans, players and directors.

[Trueredsupporter]

Mr fogg you saying that fans from the Atyeo are not covering Bristol in highly dodgy and abusive stickers?

[Harry]

2 hours ago, Bar BS3 said:

But hey, what do I know? I'm just a "Dolman ****" according to our oh so supportive S82..! 

Come on now Rob, we don't need to go there again. 

New season and zero aggro or antagonism shown so far this year.  

Lets all put that silly situation to bed. Plus it's irrelevant to this particular conversation about the banner. 

[PolskRed]

7 minutes ago, Trueredsupporte said:

You do realise fans of almost every league club in the country make stickers and stick them everywhere they can, right? doubt it. doubt every club in the land has fans doing the same like selling stickers about homosexuality animals Jill Dando the csf and more.

 

Obviously I don't know how many grounds around the country or Europe you have been to but I am guessing not many?

As for Section 82 I dread to think what the atmosphere in the ground would be like if it were not for them.  Personally would rather have them in the stadium than people who continually moan whilst looking for things to be offended by.

 

[Palmers Green Red]

1 hour ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Yeah I can see why it might be seen in that way.

My view about that is that it doesn't really matter. There seems to be an implication that due to the ground revamp and money spent on the squad, people aren't allowed to be critical as it would be 'ungrateful'. I disagree with that, people can protest about anything they want in my opinion.

There's lots that could be improved about the club so if the banner was intended to be about Bristol City, I wouldn't mind.

I don't really care either way ... I enjoy going down the Gate and watching football with my youngest lad, like my Dad did with me.

Don't really care about the terrace politics and all that. As a man in my 40s life is too short and there are far too many things more important in my life ... if other people want to complain or challenge the status quo, or if others think they shouldn't, then it's all about personal opinion in my book.

Anyway, COYR!