If You Hate The Gas....

[everreddy]

A heartfelt plea:

This season, can we all try to turn ALL our energy into supporting OUR team, and not waste time and effort into mindless chants about irrelevances?

It pains me to hear the sad, mournful chant cropping up in every game: "If you hate the Gas, stand up!"

I'm indifferent about the Gas.

I'm at AG to support our team, to help get it out of this poxy division, and two divisions (at least) above our neighbours.

[Guest WillsbridgeRed]

Cant say that was sung much in the E block, only to annoy stewards and to be fair it was normally started as "If you love City stand up"

[everreddy]

...perhaps its worse in the Atyeo, blocks F/G?

Certainly irritating - as indicated by all those in close proximity to my seat.

[Guest MaloneFM]

...stand uuupp if you hate this post..stand uuupp...etc

[Sir Colby-Tit]

A heartfelt plea:

This season, can we all try to turn ALL our energy into supporting OUR team, and not waste time and effort into mindless chants about irrelevances?

It pains me to hear the sad, mournful chant cropping up in every game: "If you hate the Gas, stand up!"

I'm indifferent about the Gas.

I'm at AG to support our team, to help get it out of this poxy division, and two divisions (at least) above our neighbours.

←

What's the big deal? If you don't want to join in then don't, but surely it's up to the individual to sing whatever they like (as long as it's not racist etc).

I personally can't stand people eating stinking burgers next to me, or pretending to cough when I light a fag, or getting up early to leave and spoiling my view, but these are all things I accept happen.

Each to their own - it would be boring if we were all the same

PS It's "Stand up if you hate gas"

[everreddy]

...stand uuupp if you hate this post..stand uuupp...etc

←

Do I read from this, MaloneFM old bean, that you are indeed one of the sad sag haters?

[Redtilldead]

A heartfelt plea:

This season, can we all try to turn ALL our energy into supporting OUR team, and not waste time and effort into mindless chants about irrelevances?

It pains me to hear the sad, mournful chant cropping up in every game: "If you hate the Gas, stand up!"

I'm indifferent about the Gas.

I'm at AG to support our team, to help get it out of this poxy division, and two divisions (at least) above our neighbours.

←

If you'r indifferent about the Gas, then why worry about getting two divisions (at least) above our neighbours. ??

[RedTop]

A heartfelt plea:

This season, can we all try to turn ALL our energy into supporting OUR team, and not waste time and effort into mindless chants about irrelevances?

It pains me to hear the sad, mournful chant cropping up in every game: "If you hate the Gas, stand up!"

I'm indifferent about the Gas.

I'm at AG to support our team, to help get it out of this poxy division, and two divisions (at least) above our neighbours.

←

Sorry, my inbred dislike of anything Gas-like is such that I would never even buy a BMW because I couldn't bear driving something with a blue and white quartered badge.

I will continue to stand up when the "If you hate the Gas" song is sung because...well...I do. This game and the atmosphere it creates depends on tribal rivalries. If we all sat there shouting "jolly well done" and clapping whenever our opponents put together a decent move and scored, or cheered when the half-time results were announced if the Gas or Cardiff were winning, what a dull place Ashton Gate would be.

If you just want to watch people play a sport at the most skilful level and appreciate that, you'd be better off going to Chelsea - or watching badminton or table tennis for that matter. But football is more than that. It's built on emotions which are, by their very definition, irrational. My love of City is pretty ridiculous really. I spend thousands a year following home and away a club that isn't very good by professional worldwide standards and has brought me a fair amount of misery and disappointment. Over the years I have foregone the opportunity to actually play sport because I wanted to watch others in red shirts play it instead. I've supported players that I've adored, and then booed simply because they've come back to the ground wearing a different coloured top. I've shouted and screamed obscenities at other presumably normally perfectly rational and polite people I would probably enjoy sharing a beer with in any other circumstances, just because they're on the other side of a fence. And they've done the same to me with equal glee. I've been p***ed on from above at grounds like Notts Forest, I've been charged by the police while trying to get out of a ground and minding my own business, I've been abused by a policeman on a train just because I was wearing a City shirt. I've taken a day off to travel to Northampton and support them in the play-offs against the Gas because I didn't want to see them going up, and celebrated with the Cobblers in unabounded joy as we watched the Rovers players sink tearfully to their knees in defeat. I've nearly been attacked by City fans while I was on a bus with a load of Wigan fans which was surrounded as we tried to get away from the JJB stadium to catch a train. I've paid handsomely for the privilege of all this. And I consider it money well spent because of the joy it's brought me along the way, however illogical and however anyone might suggest the money could be better spent.

And some of that delirious joy has come out of beating the Gas and watching them suffer. In fact I happen to know a few Gasheads whose own miserable existence as things have disintegrated at the Mammary Ground has been made just about bearable by revelling in our disastrous relegation a few years ago, and from our annual abortive attempt to hoist ourselves back up again. Part of the energy that you argue should be going into supporting City goes into disliking other clubs because that is all part of being partisan. And I am most definitely partisan. I do not sanction violence, I hate hooligans and think they are scum which our game needs to be rid of by whatever means. But I do not want our game Disney-fied and disinfected to take away the tribal element of 'them' and 'us' which makes football and its crowds unique.

So if it's all right with you, I will sing "If you hate the Gas stand up." And I'll mean it.

[Redtilldead]

Sorry, my inbred dislike of anything Gas-like is such that I would never even buy a BMW because I couldn't bear driving something with a blue and white quartered badge.

I will continue to stand up when the "If you hate the Gas" song is sung because...well...I do. This game and the atmosphere it creates depends on tribal rivalries. If we all sat there shouting "jolly well done" and clapping whenever our opponents put together a decent move and scored, or cheered when the half-time results were announced if the Gas or Cardiff were winning, what a dull place Ashton Gate would be.

If you just want to watch people play a sport at the most skilful level and appreciate that, you'd be better off going to Chelsea - or watching badminton or table tennis for that matter. But football is more than that. It's built on emotions which are, by their very definition, irrational. My love of City is pretty ridiculous really. I spend thousands a year following home and away a club that isn't very good by professional worldwide standards and has brought me a fair amount of misery and disappointment. Over the years I have foregone the opportunity to actually play sport because I wanted to watch others in red shirts play it instead. I've supported players that I've adored, and then booed simply because they've come back to the ground wearing a different coloured top. I've shouted and screamed obscenities at other presumably normally perfectly rational and polite people I would probably enjoy sharing a beer with in any other circumstances, just because they're on the other side of a fence. And they've done the same to me with equal glee. I've been p***ed on from above at grounds like Notts Forest, I've been charged by the police while trying to get out of a ground and minding my own business, I've been abused by a policeman on a train just because I was wearing a City shirt. I've taken a day off to travel to Northampton and support them in the play-offs against the Gas because I didn't want to see them going up, and celebrated with the Cobblers in unabounded joy as we watched the Rovers players sink tearfully to their knees in defeat.  I've nearly been attacked by City fans while I was on a bus with a load of Wigan fans which was surrounded as we tried to get away from the JJB stadium to catch a train. I've paid handsomely for the privilege of all this. And I consider it money well spent because of the joy it's brought me along the way, however illogical and however anyone might suggest the money could be better spent.

And some of that delirious joy has come out of beating the Gas and watching them suffer. In fact I happen to know a few Gasheads whose own miserable existence as things have disintegrated at the Mammary Ground has been made just about bearable by revelling in our disastrous relegation a few years ago, and from our annual abortive attempt to hoist ourselves back up again. Part of the energy that you argue should be going into supporting City goes into disliking other clubs because that is all part of being partisan. And I am most definitely partisan. I do not sanction violence, I hate hooligans and think they are scum which our game needs to be rid of by whatever means. But I do not want our game Disney-fied and disinfected to take away the tribal element of 'them' and 'us' which makes football and its crowds unique.

So if it's all right with you, I will sing "If you hate the Gas stand up." And I'll mean it.

←

That is an absolutely superb post Red Top, I couldn't agree with you more,

Well said !!!

[Niall]

Sorry, my inbred dislike of anything Gas-like is such that I would never even buy a BMW because I couldn't bear driving something with a blue and white quartered badge.

I will continue to stand up when the "If you hate the Gas" song is sung because...well...I do. This game and the atmosphere it creates depends on tribal rivalries. If we all sat there shouting "jolly well done" and clapping whenever our opponents put together a decent move and scored, or cheered when the half-time results were announced if the Gas or Cardiff were winning, what a dull place Ashton Gate would be.

If you just want to watch people play a sport at the most skilful level and appreciate that, you'd be better off going to Chelsea - or watching badminton or table tennis for that matter. But football is more than that. It's built on emotions which are, by their very definition, irrational. My love of City is pretty ridiculous really. I spend thousands a year following home and away a club that isn't very good by professional worldwide standards and has brought me a fair amount of misery and disappointment. Over the years I have foregone the opportunity to actually play sport because I wanted to watch others in red shirts play it instead. I've supported players that I've adored, and then booed simply because they've come back to the ground wearing a different coloured top. I've shouted and screamed obscenities at other presumably normally perfectly rational and polite people I would probably enjoy sharing a beer with in any other circumstances, just because they're on the other side of a fence. And they've done the same to me with equal glee. I've been p***ed on from above at grounds like Notts Forest, I've been charged by the police while trying to get out of a ground and minding my own business, I've been abused by a policeman on a train just because I was wearing a City shirt. I've taken a day off to travel to Northampton and support them in the play-offs against the Gas because I didn't want to see them going up, and celebrated with the Cobblers in unabounded joy as we watched the Rovers players sink tearfully to their knees in defeat.  I've nearly been attacked by City fans while I was on a bus with a load of Wigan fans which was surrounded as we tried to get away from the JJB stadium to catch a train. I've paid handsomely for the privilege of all this. And I consider it money well spent because of the joy it's brought me along the way, however illogical and however anyone might suggest the money could be better spent.

And some of that delirious joy has come out of beating the Gas and watching them suffer. In fact I happen to know a few Gasheads whose own miserable existence as things have disintegrated at the Mammary Ground has been made just about bearable by revelling in our disastrous relegation a few years ago, and from our annual abortive attempt to hoist ourselves back up again. Part of the energy that you argue should be going into supporting City goes into disliking other clubs because that is all part of being partisan. And I am most definitely partisan. I do not sanction violence, I hate hooligans and think they are scum which our game needs to be rid of by whatever means. But I do not want our game Disney-fied and disinfected to take away the tribal element of 'them' and 'us' which makes football and its crowds unique.

So if it's all right with you, I will sing "If you hate the Gas stand up." And I'll mean it.

←

Great post and all that - impossible to argue against something so passionate. But what would the Forum be without opposition, so for whats it worth, here's a different point of view.

Because I didn't grow up in Bristol, I don't share the visceral hatred of Rovers that so many of you do and so you'll forgive me if I am a little detached from the argument. My love of City has no counterpoint in any harted of Rovers. (Not that its prevented me from suffering the kinds of slings and arrows that RedTop describes - anyone who ever went to the Old then will know exactly what I mean).

And from that perspective, I tend not to stand up when the song gets sung. I'm just not interested in slagging off a team that are an irrelevance to the game I'm watching. We're not alone in this - I'm going to the Palace/Inter Milan game tonight and I guarantee that the Palace fans will chant for half the night about Mark McGhee's wife and how much they hate Brighton. Ignore the fact that one of Eurpoe's premier clubs is visiting their crappy corner of South London, what'll be more important will be slagging off a team in blue and white from down the road (sound familiar?).

I'd be interested what our players, most of whom, despite the success of the Academy are not Bristolians, think. Why aren't we encouraging them to play better? Why are we seemingly wasting our time singing about a club who might be playing 300 miles away?

Don't get me wrong, a bit of hatred every now and again getds the blood flowing - but surely we have more relevant targets than Rovers! I'll stand up for MK Dons, Man United or any other team that sheets on its fans. I'll even stand up for Cardiff because they did for us a couple of seasons ago. I know I'll never understand it like you born and bred Bristolian's do but from where I sit, disdain is the more approriate response to Rovers.

[annanimo]

That is an absolutely superb post Red Top, I couldn't agree with you more,

Well said !!!

←

Well, everybody's different.

There seems to be some unwritten rule that if you support Bristol City, you hate the Rovers.

I understand it to a point, but I would say being proud of your own team doesn't necessarily mean you develop an irrational hatred of local opponents. It definitely doesn't mean you find your identity in "hating" another team.

There are a lot of teams I don't care for (strangely, I dislike Man U, Blackpool, Leeds, and Boston United more than Rovers) but I wouldn't go as far as to say i hate them. It's a strong word. Besides, I've got better things to do with my time that worry about Bristol Rovers. I couldn't care less.

Being a Bristol City supporter is about taking a pride in BCFC and getting behind the team. Or am I missing something?

[Guest b.doug]

Sorry, my inbred dislike of anything Gas-like is such that I would never even buy a BMW because I couldn't bear driving something with a blue and white quartered badge.

I will continue to stand up when the "If you hate the Gas" song is sung because...well...I do. This game and the atmosphere it creates depends on tribal rivalries. If we all sat there shouting "jolly well done" and clapping whenever our opponents put together a decent move and scored, or cheered when the half-time results were announced if the Gas or Cardiff were winning, what a dull place Ashton Gate would be.

If you just want to watch people play a sport at the most skilful level and appreciate that, you'd be better off going to Chelsea - or watching badminton or table tennis for that matter. But football is more than that. It's built on emotions which are, by their very definition, irrational. My love of City is pretty ridiculous really. I spend thousands a year following home and away a club that isn't very good by professional worldwide standards and has brought me a fair amount of misery and disappointment. Over the years I have foregone the opportunity to actually play sport because I wanted to watch others in red shirts play it instead. I've supported players that I've adored, and then booed simply because they've come back to the ground wearing a different coloured top. I've shouted and screamed obscenities at other presumably normally perfectly rational and polite people I would probably enjoy sharing a beer with in any other circumstances, just because they're on the other side of a fence. And they've done the same to me with equal glee. I've been p***ed on from above at grounds like Notts Forest, I've been charged by the police while trying to get out of a ground and minding my own business, I've been abused by a policeman on a train just because I was wearing a City shirt. I've taken a day off to travel to Northampton and support them in the play-offs against the Gas because I didn't want to see them going up, and celebrated with the Cobblers in unabounded joy as we watched the Rovers players sink tearfully to their knees in defeat.  I've nearly been attacked by City fans while I was on a bus with a load of Wigan fans which was surrounded as we tried to get away from the JJB stadium to catch a train. I've paid handsomely for the privilege of all this. And I consider it money well spent because of the joy it's brought me along the way, however illogical and however anyone might suggest the money could be better spent.

And some of that delirious joy has come out of beating the Gas and watching them suffer. In fact I happen to know a few Gasheads whose own miserable existence as things have disintegrated at the Mammary Ground has been made just about bearable by revelling in our disastrous relegation a few years ago, and from our annual abortive attempt to hoist ourselves back up again. Part of the energy that you argue should be going into supporting City goes into disliking other clubs because that is all part of being partisan. And I am most definitely partisan. I do not sanction violence, I hate hooligans and think they are scum which our game needs to be rid of by whatever means. But I do not want our game Disney-fied and disinfected to take away the tribal element of 'them' and 'us' which makes football and its crowds unique.

So if it's all right with you, I will sing "If you hate the Gas stand up." And I'll mean it.

←

had tears in me eyes mate

[Guest BCFC_JOHNERZ_88]

Sorry, my inbred dislike of anything Gas-like is such that I would never even buy a BMW because I couldn't bear driving something with a blue and white quartered badge.

I will continue to stand up when the "If you hate the Gas" song is sung because...well...I do. This game and the atmosphere it creates depends on tribal rivalries. If we all sat there shouting "jolly well done" and clapping whenever our opponents put together a decent move and scored, or cheered when the half-time results were announced if the Gas or Cardiff were winning, what a dull place Ashton Gate would be.

If you just want to watch people play a sport at the most skilful level and appreciate that, you'd be better off going to Chelsea - or watching badminton or table tennis for that matter. But football is more than that. It's built on emotions which are, by their very definition, irrational. My love of City is pretty ridiculous really. I spend thousands a year following home and away a club that isn't very good by professional worldwide standards and has brought me a fair amount of misery and disappointment. Over the years I have foregone the opportunity to actually play sport because I wanted to watch others in red shirts play it instead. I've supported players that I've adored, and then booed simply because they've come back to the ground wearing a different coloured top. I've shouted and screamed obscenities at other presumably normally perfectly rational and polite people I would probably enjoy sharing a beer with in any other circumstances, just because they're on the other side of a fence. And they've done the same to me with equal glee. I've been p***ed on from above at grounds like Notts Forest, I've been charged by the police while trying to get out of a ground and minding my own business, I've been abused by a policeman on a train just because I was wearing a City shirt. I've taken a day off to travel to Northampton and support them in the play-offs against the Gas because I didn't want to see them going up, and celebrated with the Cobblers in unabounded joy as we watched the Rovers players sink tearfully to their knees in defeat.  I've nearly been attacked by City fans while I was on a bus with a load of Wigan fans which was surrounded as we tried to get away from the JJB stadium to catch a train. I've paid handsomely for the privilege of all this. And I consider it money well spent because of the joy it's brought me along the way, however illogical and however anyone might suggest the money could be better spent.

And some of that delirious joy has come out of beating the Gas and watching them suffer. In fact I happen to know a few Gasheads whose own miserable existence as things have disintegrated at the Mammary Ground has been made just about bearable by revelling in our disastrous relegation a few years ago, and from our annual abortive attempt to hoist ourselves back up again. Part of the energy that you argue should be going into supporting City goes into disliking other clubs because that is all part of being partisan. And I am most definitely partisan. I do not sanction violence, I hate hooligans and think they are scum which our game needs to be rid of by whatever means. But I do not want our game Disney-fied and disinfected to take away the tribal element of 'them' and 'us' which makes football and its crowds unique.

So if it's all right with you, I will sing "If you hate the Gas stand up." And I'll mean it.

←

ye to right mate

next they wil be asking us to be silent when the match is being played

i do h8 the gas and thats a good thing aint it

[Guest Neo]

Can I crawl up your arse too RedTop?

[Lordofthebling]

Can I crawl up your arse too RedTop? 

←

Can I crawl up yours?

Slowly?!

[Guest Neo]

Can I crawl up yours? 

Slowly?!

←

Well you won't be the first.

Hmmmm, how do you edit again?

[everreddy]

Sorry, my inbred dislike of anything Gas-like is such that I would never even buy a BMW because I couldn't bear driving something with a blue and white quartered badge.

I will continue to stand up when the "If you hate the Gas" song is sung because...well...I do. This game and the atmosphere it creates depends on tribal rivalries. If we all sat there shouting "jolly well done" and clapping whenever our opponents put together a decent move and scored, or cheered when the half-time results were announced if the Gas or Cardiff were winning, what a dull place Ashton Gate would be.

If you just want to watch people play a sport at the most skilful level and appreciate that, you'd be better off going to Chelsea - or watching badminton or table tennis for that matter. But football is more than that. It's built on emotions which are, by their very definition, irrational. My love of City is pretty ridiculous really. I spend thousands a year following home and away a club that isn't very good by professional worldwide standards and has brought me a fair amount of misery and disappointment. Over the years I have foregone the opportunity to actually play sport because I wanted to watch others in red shirts play it instead.

I've supported players that I've adored, and then booed simply because they've come back to the ground wearing a different coloured top. I've shouted and screamed obscenities at other presumably normally perfectly rational and polite

people I would probably enjoy sharing a beer with in any other circumstances, just because they're on the other side of a fence. And they've done the same to me with equal glee. I've been p***ed on from above at grounds like Notts Forest, I've been charged by the police while trying to get out of a ground and minding my own business, I've been abused by a policeman on a train just because I was wearing a City shirt. I've taken a day off to travel to Northampton and support them in the play-offs against the Gas because I didn't want to see them going up, and celebrated with the Cobblers in unabounded joy as we watched the Rovers players sink tearfully to their knees in defeat.  I've nearly been attacked by City fans while I was on a bus with a load of Wigan fans which was surrounded as we tried to get away from the JJB stadium to catch a train. I've paid handsomely for the privilege of all this. And I consider it money well spent because of the joy it's brought me along the way, however illogical and however anyone might suggest the money could be better spent.

And some of that delirious joy has come out of beating the Gas and watching them suffer. In fact I happen to know a few Gasheads whose own miserable existence as things have disintegrated at the Mammary Ground has been made just about bearable by revelling in our disastrous relegation a few years ago, and from our annual abortive attempt to hoist ourselves back up again. Part of the energy that you argue should be going into supporting City goes into disliking other clubs because that is all part of being partisan. And I am most definitely partisan. I do not sanction violence, I hate hooligans and think they are scum which our game needs to be rid of by whatever means. But I do not want our game Disney-fied and disinfected to take away the tribal element of 'them' and 'us' which makes football and its crowds unique.

So if it's all right with you, I will sing "If you hate the Gas stand up." And I'll mean it.

←

Just got in from work, RedTop, and read your post. Thanks for your thoughts, and believe me I share your passion for our team.

But I can't agree with your negative, narrow tribalism.

Surely, the atmosphere in any ground depends on the energy and passion being generated by supporters of the two teams playing - not what might be happening elsewhere? That was the main point I was making - which I think, perhaps, you've missed?

The tribal, antisocial behaviour you refer to helps no-one's cause - certainly not the balance sheet of clubs like ours, where potential supporters, maybe wishing to bring along families, make the decision not to come because they don't particularly enjoy being sworn at, "p***ed on from above", or attacked!!!

I'm all for being partisan, and I'll follow and support our team home and away as passionately as you - but I see no point at all in wasting time abusing others, and getting my head kicked in for the pleasure!

[loader_red]

Do I read from this, MaloneFM old bean, that you are indeed one of the sad sag haters?

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So i suppose you've never joined in on the odd sag chant then ? Course you havent , its called rivalry a bit of banter never did any harm. Anyways why are you singling out the sag chants? You a sag in disguise ?????

[everreddy]

So i suppose you've never joined in on the odd sag chant then ? Course you havent , its called rivalry a bit of banter never did any harm. Anyways why are you singling out the sag chants? You a sag in disguise ?????

←

Certainly not!!!

Please be more respectful!

[loader_red]

I'm all for being partisan, and I'll follow and support our team home and away as passionately as you - but I see no point at all in wasting time abusing others, and getting my head kicked in for the pleasure!

←

Not everyone that chants get a kicking , not everyone that chants are mindless thugs , ive seen kids chant the sag song ( what does that make their parents?)....

[loader_red]

Certainly not!!!

Please be more respectful!

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It wasnt abusive and i wasnt chanting so how am i being disrespectful ?????

[Guest Neo]

Not everyone that chants get a kicking , not everyone that chants are mindless thugs , ive seen kids chant the sag song ( what does that make their parents?)....

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Not virgins for one

[loader_red]

Not virgins for one 

←

Very Clever

[BlokeCDP]

I'd rather we tried to lift our team then concentrate on mocking a non existent opposition rival but to some that is all that matters.

[Keepers Ball]

I just hope we don't embarrass ourselves by singing "You're not famous anymore" when Forest come to visit.

[everreddy]

400 police at Monday's match...another needless drain on resources, all due to their anticipation of senseless, deep seated tribal attitudes being demonstrated by some on both sides...though, fortunately, minimal violence, on this occasion.

[everreddy]

I'd rather we tried to lift our team then concentrate on mocking a non existent opposition rival but to some that is all that matters.

←

Thanks, BlokeCDP - at last someone's got a grasp of the point I was making in the original post!

[BlokeCDP]

Thanks, BlokeCDP - at last someone's got a grasp of the point I was making in the original post!

←

Some people's attitude towards Rovers is quite outside the scope of football, I expect I will get slated for that

[loader_red]

400 police at Monday's match...another needless drain on resources, all due to their anticipation of senseless, deep seated tribal attitudes being demonstrated by some on both sides...though, fortunately, minimal violence, on this occasion.

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But thats life , it happens everywhere in the world unfortunately and it aint going to change ........ Thugs will be thugs !!!

[Guest Neo]

Time to be serious!

Personally, I got no problem with singing anti-Gas songs, provided it is not all the time.

I think a COUPLE of hearty anti-gas songs does no harm and gets the singers going, especially if what we are witnessing before us is particularly poor!

Provided the majority of the time is getting behind Tins and the lads then it is fine with me.