Guest WillsbridgeRed Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 With the lack of Atmosphere, expense of tickets and zero tolerance on standing, is it time we have some terracing? By terracing I don't mean the huge monoliths of the past, with the death trap fencing on the outsde but a small area, maybe with a capacity of around 1000 where people can stand and actually enjoy the whole day at football rather than being treated like children. The excitment generated by the advent of all seater stadiums, all sparkely with modern designed roofs has slowly drifted into disdain and apathy. It's stopped football from being a day out meeting people, having a shout and a laugh. Nowadays for the large majority its a case of a few pints, getting in the ground and siting there for 90 mins. There's no point shouting, it will result in expulsion. There's no point going in the Atyeo because apart from the few lads in the corner it's no different from anywhere else in the stadium. Terracing would make a huge difference for many who attend at Ashton Gate. Many people don't want to sit and sing to a few half hearted songs. Imagine turning up, finding a spot on the terrace and then singing with everyother likeminded person int he ground. Imagine not being squeezed into a seat and finding you have a small family infront of you, or some muppet sat in your seat who wants to be akward. All seaters may look great on the telly, impress sponsors and be more appealing to the hangers on and bandwagon jumpers, but in reality it's just another way of controling fans. The time to get terracing back is now, before a whole generation miss what was a great part of a saturday afternnon, and sitting is accepted as the "norm" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Portishead Puffin Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 I agree Willsbridge, it's not that I have any great desire to stand (although the seats seem to get narrower or my arse wider!) but I am all for CHOICE! The downside of all the disasters of the eighties and early nineties, is that it gave the state the opportunity to treat us like kids. If a significant section of the support want to stand they should be allowed to, I would suggest the currently almost redundant Atyeo A block as ideal for such a scheme. I saw your posting on the Ask SL forum and would suggest that if their reply cites finances as the main reason for denial, that a fund could be started by those interested. If they cite police or council objections, I believe there precedents for mounting a legal challenge. If they really care........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WillsbridgeRed Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 I can't see why the police would object, council mainly. I forgot to add another point to my view. Ticket cost. £15 to someone people I'm sure is too much to pay to watch their team play. Football should be a community thing, not hust for those that can affored it. £10 for terracing may allow more people to come to the games. The football club should be at the heart of the community it is in, not just in the community. Football should be about fun and enjoyment - IT'S A SPORT. For too long has it been hijacked and turned into a money cow. It should be accesible to everyone, terracing would help that along. This club is for the FANS. We make Bristol City what it is. Bristol council seem intent of ridding this City of sport altogether. It's a shame the Bristol party were a bunch of left wing loonys, I would have thought a Bristol Party would want whats best for Bristol, not whats best for the councils interests Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Portishead Puffin Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 Ticket cost. £15 to someone people I'm sure is too much to pay to watch their team play. Football should be a community thing, not hust for those that can affored it. £10 for terracing may allow more people to come to the games. The football club should be at the heart of the community it is in, not just in the community. Another good point , but it might be harder to implement. You would probably need a separate turnstile or some form of segregation, but I'm still on your side with this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheshire_red Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 A couple of points. 1. Can't see the advantage of the club spending money to provide a terracing area and then charge reduced ticket prices for the section, it would have to be the same cost as seats. 2. I think an area of 1,000 would actually not be big enough, I know a fair few on this board alone who would prefer to watch from such a vantage point, I certainly look forward to games at places like pboro and chesterfield. My son likes it as he is 11 and seating means he can't always see if there is a big chap in front of him. 3. We do need an area for the singers, no doubt. 4. I believe such an area would increase the number of teenagers and even older un's back to the ground on a regular basis. 5. The club continually gives out double messages: please get behind the team; sit down, shut up, stop clapping, stop singing. What, you either want support and atmosphere or you don't. 6. The club stewards continually impose double standards: If there is a sit down rule then is should apply throughout the game and therefore those that stand up to leave early in the last 15 minutes should be instructed to sit back down - or be ejected from the ground! So my preference is for a return to terracing in a section of the ground, problem is where to put it. Can't see how the Atyeo could be utilised, can't see the club or other bodies concerned allowing half the Wedlock to be terraced. So only the bottom tier of the Williams seems the only option remaining unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
City Rocker Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 Without question in my opinion, the demise of the terraces is THE key reason for the lack of atmosphere at the Gate. I well remember turning up for the first game after the installation of seats in the Enclosure & East End, and being horrified at the overnight transformation from a noisy, vibrant arena to a hushed and soulless one. The atmosphere's been poor ever since and my enjoyment of the matchday experience has rarely matched that of the 1980's. But until there's a change in the law I don't believe there's any possibilty of reverting to standing areas at AG. What did annoy me, and still does, is the unneccesary haste with which BCFC installed the seats in the first place - a move surely aimed entirely at justifying the huge price increases we were made to suffer. More than a decade on, many lower league clubs are still able, legally, to provide their fans with the option of standing. If we had that same choice we wouldn't have these endless debates about lack of atmosphere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NailseaRed Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 Just all pretend we're away fans at the next home game, can stand as much as we like down there Would love terracing back, but it just ain't going to happen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhatWill Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 http://www.safestanding.com Get your MP to sign up, mine has! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NailseaRed Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 Anyone know who the MP is for my area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WillsbridgeRed Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 It would be good to get the MP for Ahston on board, and the local counciler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screech Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 Sign me up for terracing straight away, i, like most want to attend a football match at Ashton gate where i can get behind the team (should i wish) without having to look over my shoulder to see if i am a marked man by a steward for standing up. The club/board want it both ways, they want an atmosphere but are not prepared to listen to our soloutions to the problem, leaving the eastend terraces as someone has already said was the first nail in the coffin, the support has never come close to replicating that atmosphere since then and i don't care who tries to tell me different, terracing would bring an atmosphere back once more, but Steve L and the rest of the board wont hear of it so i'm afraid we might as well get used to it even though it stinks. Before long the diehards will have had enough of being spoken to by stewards for standing up and singing, and will walk away from Ashton gate because it just wont be worth the hassle of going anymore, why is it more and more people actually enjoy going to away games these days, because at least you can stand amongst complete strangers and have a laugh and a sing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NailseaRed Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 Totally agree, I wonder how many fans we've lost due to the atmosphere going downhill and the stewards being over zealous. and how many more are we going to lose?! I'm getting totally fed up of it. Away games are totally immense when we get the hard core fans together and really get behind the boys, it shows what noise we can make when we're all together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DolmanDudess Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 Totally agree, I wonder how many fans we've lost due to the atmosphere going downhill and the stewards being over zealous. and how many more are we going to lose?! I'm getting totally fed up of it. Away games are totally immense when we get the hard core fans together and really get behind the boys, it shows what noise we can make when we're all together. I will agree with that. It is TOTALLY frustrating attending every away and home game and seeing the difference in atmoshphere. Even being 3-0 down at Wycombe we sang our hearts out till the end... Just don't know why we cant do it down the gate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest city slicker 71 Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 As you can imagine, I,m all the way with you on this. It,s all change time again and they don't like it they being the local authority and their subservients. I trust you have seen the latest offering from RichardG? Loosely interpreted; " We are quite content to amble along with the Local Authoritys' view,that being, it,s ok to stand if you don,t come from here." We have but not one Academy but two , this one being the Academy of clowns. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NailseaRed Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 Quoted from the same thread city slicker mentioned: "The local authority also know that the Wedlock Stand is very different from the Dolman Stand; it has a flat rake (therefore is less steep). " Guess that means when we get the east end for a game we will be able to stand up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WillsbridgeRed Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 "Guess that means when we get the east end for a game we will be able to stand up " Now you WOULD have thought that's the case, but against Notts County we were told to sit down - Which ######ed alot of people off I can invigage a game where half the east end is ours - City fans forced to sit down while 10 away fans stand through the game. But then thats fine ,the club have already said away fans can get away with it because they'll only be visiting the once. Meanwhile hundreds of people mill around the bottom of the Dolman, but thats ok because they're leaving early! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NailseaRed Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 Well we just need to say that we won't be coming back to ashton gate again when we get the east end and then we can definitely stand up. Such a joke of a response, I like nice solid rules that the whole crowd as to abide by!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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