Empty Seats

[cidercity1987]

Where is our 'home' end?

Supposed to be the South Stand as far as I am aware.

So say sold out every game.

But loads of empty seats always.

Not conducive to any good atmosphere. AT all. Not supportive to the players.

If you buy an ST in the very cheap South Stand with no intention of turning up to the majority of games then I think you are a problem.

[Lord Northski]

It’s the school holidays, so many are on holiday, like myself. As it turned out, probably having a much better time than you lot. 

Edited August 19, 2023 by Lord Northski

[Lack of Action Man]

Definitely not an empty seat next to me in the South Stand.

In fact this weeks’ resident was so large they were overflowing into my seat. 
 

 

[Club and Country]

It's true though, the south stand always shows as sold out, yet there is at least a quarter of the seats empty EVERY home league game 

[BCFCGav]

Maybe not the time to say it and if I get some stick so be it - our home support ain’t right full stop.

Let’s be clear the performance today was low on quality. But booing them off at half-time? Shouting abuse at 1-0 down when we play a backwards pass (which is sometimes the right thing to do!). This was Dolman E30, can’t speak for the all the ground of course.

I don’t think our players like playing at the Gate. We’ll get more points on the road this season, the away support stays with them. 

[Lack of Action Man]

 

2 minutes ago, BCFCGav said:

Maybe not the time to say it and if I get some stick so be it - our home support ain’t right full stop.

Let’s be clear the performance today was low on quality. But booing them off at half-time? Shouting abuse at 1-0 down when we play a backwards pass (which is sometimes the right thing to do!). This was Dolman E30, can’t speak for the all the ground of course.

I don’t think our players like playing at the Gate. We’ll get more points on the road this season, the away support stays with them. 

It’s not the fact we play backwards, it’s how OFTEN we play backwards and especially when there are as good options to pass to in space in advanced positions which we just don’t seem to want to explore.

[cidercity1987]

Our support is terrible. You wouldn't go to any other traditional home end in the country and see so many empty seats .

This is partly club led and I blame the Lansdowns for wanting to create such a sterile club but the fanbase also has to take a lot of the blame

Edited August 19, 2023 by cidercity1987

[Supersonic Robin]

4 minutes ago, BCFCGav said:

Maybe not the time to say it and if I get some stick so be it - our home support ain’t right full stop.

Let’s be clear the performance today was low on quality. But booing them off at half-time? Shouting abuse at 1-0 down when we play a backwards pass (which is sometimes the right thing to do!). This was Dolman E30, can’t speak for the all the ground of course.

I don’t think our players like playing at the Gate. We’ll get more points on the road this season, the away support stays with them. 

It's a tough one. Both the fans and players have a responsibility to contribute to the atmosphere. The atmosphere was pretty underwhelming today.....but can you blame us when we've failed to have a single shot on target at home to Birmingham?

FWIW, I do think the managers and players at our club have been disappointed by the Ashton Gate atmosphere in recent years. At some point every season we seem to get a 'friendly reminder' from the manager/players that it helps them when we're loud and stick with them through the match (as Pring & Pearson said this week). I'm not convinced that other clubs need to give their fans the same 'reminders'. 

Unfortunately, I think the tame AG atmosphere is part of the Lansdown legacy. I get the impression that Jon Lansdown and Nigel Pearson would have very different views on what a 'great atmosphere' might look like for a City game.

[A Horse With No Name]

18 minutes ago, Club and Country said:

It's true though, the south stand always shows as sold out, yet there is at least a quarter of the seats empty EVERY home league game 

Thats because most are sitting somewhere else. Its not rocket science.

[Club and Country]

2 minutes ago, CrackingCheeseGromit said:

Thats because most are sitting somewhere else. Its not rocket science.

I never said it was? 
the original post referenced it's supposed to be our 'home' end

its anything but for various reasons 

and actually for what's it's worth, I don't think people are sitting elsewhere, I think many are buying (the very good value) kids tickets and people attend as when they please, which I don't blame them for, but it's ultimately all part of the problem with this home atmosphere issue 

Edited August 19, 2023 by Club and Country

[luke_bristol]

Full at Kick off,  but even section 82 was half empty before FT

[David Brent]

Such a shame to see so many empty seats at the end..particularly in Section 82 

[Mike Stone]

28 minutes ago, David Brent said:

Such a shame to see so many empty seats at the end..particularly in Section 82 

Can't blame them, I even left the sofa on 88 minutes.

Utter shite 

[East End Old Boy]

42 minutes ago, luke_bristol said:

Full at Kick off,  but even section 82 was half empty before FT

That picture was taken just before half time? I sit in the Dolman, but didn’t realise it gets that empty, also same with the corner of the South Stand!

[Cardy]

Alot of people in Section 82 spent the first half creating & flying paper planes. It was some of the most bizarre behaviour I have seen for a long time.

[luke_bristol]

3 minutes ago, East End Old Boy said:

That picture was taken just before half time? I sit in the Dolman, but didn’t realise it gets that empty, also same with the corner of the South Stand!

That’s at 90+2. A great illustration of how depressingly poor we were I thought, this was no “routine” 0-2 defeat.

[East End Old Boy]

1 minute ago, Cardy said:

Alot of people in Section 82 spent the first half creating & flying paper planes. It was some of the most bizarre behaviour I have seen for a long time.

Predictable behaviour, doubt the club will allow any future initiative like today, which was done, apparently, in good faith.

[Supersonic Robin]

34 minutes ago, David Brent said:

Such a shame to see so many empty seats at the end..particularly in Section 82 

Yepp, I was in the Lansdown today, but usually sit in the Dolman. I knew that many leave before the end, but didn't realise quite how many. 

Looked like about 70% of our fans had left the stadium before the final whistle today.

[marmite]

19 minutes ago, Supersonic Robin said:

Yepp, I was in the Lansdown today, but usually sit in the Dolman. I knew that many leave before the end, but didn't realise quite how many. 

Looked like about 70% of our fans had left the stadium before the final whistle today.

Plus 70% of our players.

[David Brent]

26 minutes ago, Mike Stone said:

Can't blame them, I even left the sofa on 88 minutes.

Utter shite 

It’s disappointing that even Section 82 gave up. Didn’t expect that. 

[marmite]

We should put home fans back in the Atyeo. The acoustics are far better there than anywhere else in the ground. 500 away fans can outsing the rest of the ground. 

[Supersonic Robin]

3 minutes ago, marmite said:

Plus 70% of our players.

In fairness, only 1/11th of our players left the pitch unexpectedly before the end of the game 

[Mr Popodopolous]

6 minutes ago, marmite said:

We should put home fans back in the Atyeo. The acoustics are far better there than anywhere else in the ground. 500 away fans can outsing the rest of the ground. 

They aren't great in their own right but maybe as far as the development goes yeah.. East End acoustics were far superior to Atyeo e.g. (IMO).

[milo1111]

2 hours ago, CrackingCheeseGromit said:

Thats because most are sitting somewhere else. Its not rocket science.

Exactly. S82 most them I’d guess

[BUTOR]

I don’t want to be overly negative but let’s be honest here, is there a team with worse home support in the league in terms of noise? Cardiff maybe at a push?

That has never been us so it begs the question what on earth has happened? 

[Barrs Court Red]

59 minutes ago, BUTOR said:

I don’t want to be overly negative but let’s be honest here, is there a team with worse home support in the league in terms of noise? Cardiff maybe at a push?

That has never been us so it begs the question what on earth has happened? 

It is how the hierarchy want it.  

[Street red]

5 hours ago, BCFCGav said:

Maybe not the time to say it and if I get some stick so be it - our home support ain’t right full stop.

Let’s be clear the performance today was low on quality. But booing them off at half-time? Shouting abuse at 1-0 down when we play a backwards pass (which is sometimes the right thing to do!). This was Dolman E30, can’t speak for the all the ground of course.

I don’t think our players like playing at the Gate. We’ll get more points on the road this season, the away support stays with them. 

Agreed I think the atmosphere at Ashton gate is shite.The place needs more energy and I do think players struggle without it when they need it and something does need to change.

[bissellredhead]

3 hours ago, marmite said:

We should put home fans back in the Atyeo. The acoustics are far better there than anywhere else in the ground. 500 away fans can outsing the rest of the ground. 

I also remember when the East end was 'better' acoustically when just away fans were in there.

 

Agree to a certain extent that home fans next to the away fans will generate a better atmosphere but its nothing to do with the acoustics 

[Mr Popodopolous]

1 hour ago, Barrs Court Red said:

It is how the hierarchy want it.  

Albeit I wonder how (put it on other thread) long it would take to get further Safe Standing licenced under the 16 Point Criteria.

Given our Safety Advisory Group seem not to have published anything since 2014 ie in the public domain, forgive me for not holding out much hope, albeit perhaps the Clubub also don't mind it that way who knows.

3 minutes ago, bissellredhead said:

I also remember when the East end was 'better' acoustically when just away fans were in there.

 

Agree to a certain extent that home fans next to the away fans will generate a better atmosphere but its nothing to do with the acoustics 

East End had better acoustics full stop..low roof, the metallic roof- no modern stand would have such acoustics at AG or many modern grounds IMO.

Edited August 19, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[OliOTIB]

The typical start of season OTIB atmosphere moan is here. 

As always, few fixes which could help to improve the dire atmosphere that we witnessed today. Being in S82 was dreadful today, the display was the only interesting bit, and being honest, I did leave on 85th minute after they scored. Dont hurt me please, I missed my dog

Anyway, heres my ideas.

1) Move some home fans back into the Atyeo. Just like 16/17 season when we had around 30% of the Atyeo, other team had 60% and 10% was left empty. Birmingham were hugely advantaged by the fact there were 3000 away fans, attacking that end. Simply the acoustics allow for that stand to outsing the whole ground, so reduce allocation, put home fans in there.

2) Move Home fans to the middle of South stand, behind the goal. Every teams singing section seems to be behind a goal, which is such a huge advantage when attacking it in the second half. This will of course increase singing across south stand, lansdown and dolman, as singing is closer to them.

This will of course be difficult as the infrastructure is already in place in blocks s25,26 and 27. However, it will allow for a whole stand of just standing. 

We will of course have to relocate those who dont want to be a part of this, which of course will be a huge issue. 

The main problem currently with the SS is the £55 junior season tickets. Say a kid wanted the new home shirt, which costs £40, if a season ticket is bought as an alternative which of course comes with the new shirt, that leaves the season ticket technically costing £15, which works out to 65p per game!! Yet we wonder why its always so empty, kids don’t show up. Yet a part from this, the stand always comes up as full despite it being 1/2 empty, and people miss out on sitting there. Stupidity really.

3) Expand the ‘singing section’. This can be simply done by putting safe standing rails in S24 and allowing for people to stand in there. Of course, the same applies for above, some people wont want to move/ will have to move as a result which is a tad unfair and wont be easy. This can therefore spread the noise more towards the other end of the SS and make that louder.

Also, this comes with the issue of the potential problem of people in S23 not being able to see the corner flag. 

4) Two singing sections. Like at Plymouth (used as an example). 2 areas of the ground which will make noise, similar to the ABLOCK/S82 combination we had at the turn of the year.

Not particularly sure why that fell apart so much, but when it was in full flow it certainly improved the atmosphere quite considerably. I remember games like Birmingham, Norwich, Blackburn all being really good atmospheres due to the combination of two singing sections.

Of course, these things suggested aren’t particularly easy to achieve by any stretch of the imagination, but just some ideas

 

You reds x