The EE

[cider head]

I'm definately not against the EE being open and love the atmosphere that it creates but feel that after one day of it being open no one can claim that has been a success. Robbored for all of his negativity asked a valuable question and the only response is for more people to go in, create a cracking atmosphere and lead the team to promotion.

it was a success for me as i din't sit near anyone slagging off the team

and moaning for 90 minutes or trying to punch our players, it made my day

more enjoyable.

question is if they won't open the EE again then give us a area to put the 688 fans

in ashton gate who want to support the lads though 90 minutes together.

thats the real point, we picked out the eastend as it was a empty area for us to do this

''support thing'' without upsetting un-like minded people who want to sit there moaning

at the players.

[Stylus]

Great Day Lads. Bring Back The East End vs. Yeovil, Swansea and Forest!

[phantom]

I won't go in there though. Shit view.

[zookeeper]

£20,000 for the remaining 4 home games would be outstanding value for money given the rich rewards of promotion.

The surprising thing to many of us is that the club cannot manage their own stadium/do not appreciate that better atmosphere will bring more people. The fans of the East End can see what is needed

If you have been to any of the concerts at Ashton Gate you will have seen how brilliantly outsiders manage the stadium for one-off events. The club seem stuck in some backward facing time warp.

The fundemental question is does it guarentee anything?

I gree with the second part though and I do believe that long term a better atmosphere will attract more people whatever league we are in.

It would be good to see it given a few more goes and for those that use it to have a level of self policeing in order to prove to both the board and the police that the fans that go in there are there for the atmosphere and not because they can get closer to the away fans.

How they would do this I don't know and it may well be an impossible task but it would be good to see something like fans stewards who are appointed by the fans to control situations and to have a quiet word with those who are in danger of removing the opportunity for us.

[zookeeper]

it was a success for me as i din't sit near anyone slagging off the team

and moaning for 90 minutes or trying to punch our players, it made my day

more enjoyable.

question is if they won't open the EE again then give us a area to put the 688 fans

in ashton gate who want to support the lads though 90 minutes together.

thats the real point, we picked out the eastend as it was a empty area for us to do this

''support thing'' without upsetting un-like minded people who want to sit there moaning

at the players.

Yeah, I agree! I think that is the real point. People want to go somewhere to be with like minded individuals. As they have smoking areas and non smoking areas they should also have moaning areas and non moaning areas.

I don't think that anyone can say that it caused us to win or it helps generate revenue (in this situation) but people can say that it improved their enjoyment of the game and long term it may attract more people.

[cider head]

Yeah, I agree! I think that is the real point. People want to go somewhere to be with like minded individuals. As they have smoking areas and non smoking areas they should also have moaning areas and non moaning areas.

I don't think that anyone can say that it caused us to win or it helps generate revenue (in this situation) but people can say that it improved their enjoyment of the game and long term it may attract more people.

it's hard to put a price on happy fans.

it does help the players in tough games if your behined them, they try harder

and i'm pleased to see lee johnson applaued the crowd than coup his ear to them

and thats the difference it makes, it stops this them and us thing and you all feel part of something

as a club from the board room to the fans in the EE.

[Guest North Street]

Were these 150 people attracted to the game though just because the East End was open or were they going and wanted anyway and the added bonus was the East End?

If not it will still have a net effect of a £5k loss. Unless we attract 300 fans purely on the basis that the east end is open it will cost the club money. It may not seem a lot but works out at about £130k over a season.

Also I sort of agree with Ashtonmate in that how much difference did it make on the result. To turn it around if we lose when the EE is open is that the fault of those that support from there?

I'm definately not against the EE being open and love the atmosphere that it creates but feel that after one day of it being open no one can claim that has been a success. Robbored for all of his negativity asked a valuable question and the only response is for more people to go in, create a cracking atmosphere and lead the team to promotion.

I note that you or Robbored did not answer some of my earlier points regarding the timing of the announcement and the clubs promotion. Away from here the club had to be pushed on both issues. If yesterday was a success it was because of fans pushing it along and it left a large question what could have been achieved if the club had truly entered into promoting this with half the enthusiasm of many of those linked to Subcider /the 3 Lions pub and the supporters trust. As for the Bristol City "supporters " club maybe i will just bite my thumb in their direction.

I understand partially the clubs stance but yesterday was an example of exactly why fans have implored their club to reopen the East End. for many of us footabll is about passion not just simply pontificating about 4-4-2 up in the Dolman.

Benefits the club? Fans knowing that they will be surrounded by others sharing the same desire to take part in creating a vibrant atmosphere and spectacle surely has to attract other like minded put off by the sanitised feel of the rest of the ground.

Off the pitch City fan showed their true colours and this allowed to evolve would forge a sense of identity. Some of the flags proclaimed East Enders, the club could sell that.

When the Chairman was met life long fans spoke of promoting a dynamic and vibrant club but also of being embarrassed by the atmosphere at Ashton Gate. Yesterday any club should be looking at what was transpiring in the East End thinking we should be selling that. I want more people to come to our ground mate and in the past I would have struggled to sell City to anyone sincerely but yesterday all because of that stand I knew it would be different.

Here i get a bit a touchy feely but b***ocks to it. As i tried getting out at half time with my smoking friends I saw a man well into retirement age sat with what was I expect his Grandson. The East End may have been that kids first ever City game and maybe just like Me it will be the start of a life long journey of supporting City.

For me yesterday was what football should be about and when my Son is old enough i hope what i have experienced still exists otherwise i doubt he may stick around.

UP THE CITY

[Wilksi]

why are people arguring about money???

If i remember rightly Steve L's exact words in the EE about money being a factor of opening up the EE said:

"its cost 5k a game, 5k is nothing and is not anysort of factor in not opening up the EE"

So i think some peoples arguments on here are ###### pointless you werent at the meeting so wouldnt of known this. so shut up

[gamon]

I thought he said 4k to 5k so I am going with 4k.

[zookeeper]

I note that you or Robbored did not answer some of my earlier points regarding the timing of the announcement and the clubs promotion. Away from here the club had to be pushed on both issues. If yesterday was a success it was because of fans pushing it along and it left a large question what could have been achieved if the club had truly entered into promoting this with half the enthusiasm of many of those linked to Subcider /the 3 Lions pub and the supporters trust. As for the Bristol City "supporters " club maybe i will just bite my thumb in their direction.

I understand partially the clubs stance but yesterday was an example of exactly why fans have implored their club to reopen the East End. for many of us footabll is about passion not just simply pontificating about 4-4-2 up in the Dolman.

Benefits the club? Fans knowing that they will be surrounded by others sharing the same desire to take part in creating a vibrant atmosphere and spectacle surely has to attract other like minded put off by the sanitised feel of the rest of the ground.

Off the pitch City fan showed their true colours and this allowed to evolve would forge a sense of identity. Some of the flags proclaimed East Enders, the club could sell that.

When the Chairman was met life long fans spoke of promoting a dynamic and vibrant club but also of being embarrassed by the atmosphere at Ashton Gate. Yesterday any club should be looking at what was transpiring in the East End thinking we should be selling that. I want more people to come to our ground mate and in the past I would have struggled to sell City to anyone sincerely but yesterday all because of that stand I knew it would be different.

Here i get a bit a touchy feely but b***ocks to it. As i tried getting out at half time with my smoking friends I saw a man well into retirement age sat with what was I expect his Grandson. The East End may have been that kids first ever City game and maybe just like Me it will be the start of a life long journey of supporting City.

For me yesterday was what football should be about and when my Son is old enough i hope what i have experienced still exists otherwise i doubt he may stick around.

UP THE CITY

It's a good response showing the passion that sitting amongst like minded people who want to cheer on the team creates and the enjoyment that you have gained from it.

Unfortunately this alone doesn't cover the costs and that was my main reason for replying to you specifically.

I wasn't expecting to answer any of your previous posts about this. I don't agree wholehearedly with Robbored by any means but feel that he made a point about the numbers of people in there and the total attendance. Hats off to those who did go into the EE and for those that promoted it but I would still have expected more to be in there. I understand the reasons behind this and it is dissapointing that these openings seem to be one off events. Only with an opportunity for it to be available for a few games in a row will we be able to judge the effect that it causes.

There are so many reasons why people do or do not attend that nothing can be an exclusive reason. If their was an extra 1000 people attending it could be said that it was exclusively because of the EE being open nor could a lack attendance be the EE fault.

As stated in previous emails I think the fans need to prove the EE to be a safe venue but this requires the club giving the fans an opportunity and here lies the viscous circle that we are in.

[Barrs Court Red]

Ha, when I was walking back to the car yesterday I said that the esteemed chairman of the drinking comfy club would be posting about the East End trying to provoke a row.

Cracking day yesterday.

[zookeeper]

why are people arguring about money???

If i remember rightly Steve L's exact words in the EE about money being a factor of opening up the EE said:

"its cost 5k a game, 5k is nothing and is not anysort of factor in not opening up the EE"

So i think some peoples arguments on here are ###### pointless you werent at the meeting so wouldnt of known this. so shut the **** up

What a delightful reply.

So how do we prove that it won't cause trouble which appears to be the main issue?

[cider head]

What a delightful reply.

So how to we prove that it won't cause trouble which appears to be the main issue?

i think yesterday proved there was no trouble.

[Drew Peacock]

why are people arguring about money???

If i remember rightly Steve L's exact words in the EE about money being a factor of opening up the EE said:

"its cost 5k a game, 5k is nothing and is not anysort of factor in not opening up the EE"

So i think some peoples arguments on here are ###### pointless you werent at the meeting so wouldnt of known this. so shut the **** up

I can see why your profile says you come from the bottom of the pit.

[zookeeper]

i think yesterday proved there was no trouble.

Again I go back to paradox that we are within - it needs to be judged over a few games, with a variety of away teams on a weekly basis, but will the club be in a position to allow this to happen. Can they just call up the required number of police or can the police state that they will not provide the extra numbers that they have stated for the EE to be opened for both sets of fans?

[cider head]

Again I go back to paradox that we are within - it needs to be judged over a few games, with a variety of away teams on a weekly basis, but will the club be in a position to allow this to happen. Can they just call up the required number of police or can the police state that they will not provide the extra numbers that they have stated for the EE to be opened for both sets of fans?

I guess it all depends on how many tickets the away team asks for or sale

which with so called high risk games such as millwall the club and police

would know what was coming.

[Guest North Street]

It's a good response showing the passion that sitting amongst like minded people who want to cheer on the team creates and the enjoyment that you have gained from it.

Unfortunately this alone doesn't cover the costs and that was my main reason for replying to you specifically.

I wasn't expecting to answer any of your previous posts about this. I don't agree wholehearedly with Robbored by any means but feel that he made a point about the numbers of people in there and the total attendance. Hats off to those who did go into the EE and for those that promoted it but I would still have expected more to be in there. I understand the reasons behind this and it is dissapointing that these openings seem to be one off events. Only with an opportunity for it to be available for a few games in a row will we be able to judge the effect that it causes.

There are so many reasons why people do or do not attend that nothing can be an exclusive reason. If their was an extra 1000 people attending it could be said that it was exclusively because of the EE being open nor could a lack attendance be the EE fault.

As stated in previous emails I think the fans need to prove the EE to be a safe venue but this requires the club giving the fans an opportunity and here lies the viscous circle that we are in.

The East End has no history of trouble! Other stands have more "history" full stop.

How do prevent something which has not happened happening? That's a pardox!

The East End has been proved to be safe venue and due to prompting by a member of the supporters trust Mr Lansdown admitted at that point there was no evidence of even one punch being thrown. At a meeting with the the club trouble was defined as "banter" and standing.

Supporters met the Chairman to discuss the East End and talked of a run of games with momentum building and got ninety minutes of football with restrictions which were not discussed on that occassion and only transpired later.

A true test would be the club working in unison with it's support next week promoting a further opening of the stand as soon as possible and those less than convincing costs would be met.

UP THE CITY

[zookeeper]

A true test would be the club working in unison with it's support next week promoting a further opening of the stand as soon as possible and those less than convincing costs would be met.

UP THE CITY

Yes, absolutely. That would be a true test and one that I would love to see.

My experiences of the EE (nearly always enjoyable) have not always shown it to be a "safe" environment but a bit of self policing could easily have calmed the situation.

I am slightly confused as to the reason behind the non opening of the EE if both the costs aren't a problem and that it is deemed safe. I guess that it's not the board that needs convincing but rather the police.

[Flaxbourton Red]

why are people arguring about money???

If i remember rightly Steve L's exact words in the EE about money being a factor of opening up the EE said:

"its cost 5k a game, 5k is nothing and is not anysort of factor in not opening up the EE"

this is true

steve lansdown said exactly that.

[old spot]

question is if they won't open the EE again then give us a area to put the 688 fans

in ashton gate who want to support the lads though 90 minutes together.

thats the real point, we picked out the eastend as it was a empty area for us to do this

''support thing'' without upsetting un-like minded people who want to sit there moaning

at the players.

Excellent point!!

What is required is an area of unreserved seating, that is known as an area for singers.

The EAST END is ideal for this as it always was in the days of terracing. It is just unfortunate that we now have the away fans in there so some fans like to get where they can see them and engage in banter, but that is all that it is!!

The reason many of us moved to E block of the WILLIAMS stand a few years ago was simply that there were a lot of us that had congragated in the EAST END when it had been opened and decided we would like to get together in the ground to replicate the atmosphere. E block was chosen as there were no existing season ticket holders in there that would have felt invaded and may not want to be in the middle of very noisy fans!!

The same reason we moved to G block when we were forced out of the WILLIAMS was that it was the only area left with enough seats available not already allocated to existing season ticket holders.

The E block worked very well and a decent understanding existed with the stewards, and great atmospheres generated with quite small numbers. G block has been awful in my view. Many people have not helped by being overly antagonistic with the stewards but the stewarding has been poorly handled, petty and pedantic.

What is needed if a new stand is built is an area of unreserved seating set aside somewhere in the ground well away from the away fans, and policed in a sensible manner!!

[Robbored]

My experiences of the EE (nearly always enjoyable) have not always shown it to be a "safe" environment but a bit of self policing could easily have calmed the situation.

I am slightly confused as to the reason behind the non opening of the EE if both the costs aren't a problem and that it is deemed safe. I guess that it's not the board that needs convincing but rather the police.

Spot on - My understanding of the situation is that A&S Constabularly determine whether or not any particular match requires thier supervision.Obviously games that might have potential for trouble are easily predicted and those are the ones that incur police costs.

But...A&S police insist that thier officers are present if the EE is open to home fans - regardless of who the opposition is.Yesterdays game for example would have had no police if the EE had remained closed but due to the close proximity to the away support the police insist that they are present when its open. As far they are concerned its a public safety issue and what they say goes.The club have no say in the matter but have to cover the costs.

[Rob k]

Spot on - My understanding of the situation is that A&S Constabularly determine whether or not any particular match requires thier supervision.Obviously games that might have potential for trouble are easily predicted and those are the ones that incur police costs.

But...A&S police insist that thier officers are present if the EE is open to home fans - regardless of who the opposition is.Yesterdays game for example would have had no police if the EE had remained closed but due to the close proximity to the away support the police insist that they are present when its open. As far they are concerned its a public safety issue and what they say goes.The club have no say in the matter but have to cover the costs.

How much are coppers on these days if its costs £5000 to police? There were no more than 10 police officers so that means they must be on about £250 per hour! They must have spent a load of money on the camera which was videoing the city fans standing up - Pathetic!

[Robbored]

How much are coppers on these days if its costs £5000 to police? There were no more than 10 police officers so that means they must be on about £250 per hour! They must have spent a load of money on the camera which was videoing the city fans standing up - Pathetic!

You must have missed the police horses then.

[Rob k]

You must have missed the police horses then.

well they were not in the Fing east end were they, they would have been there anyway outside the ground.

[scootered]

You must have missed the police horses then.

The horses get paid overtime!! Blimey

[bringbacktherobin]

Yep the horses get extra carrots!

[Guest DanC]

well they were not in the Fing east end were they, they would have been there anyway outside the ground.

I think I remember reading that the club only covers the policing costs for inside the stadium, However outside of the stadium it is covered by us tax payers, So as there was no horses inside the stadium I would guess that the club wouldn't have had to pay for them.

[bucksred]

I like many mature fans spent years standing in the EE - from 1967 right through to about 1993. Thats over 25 years. Its not that I have an issue with the EE.If fans want to go there thats upto them.Personally, these days I prefer the brilliant view afforded by the Dolman Stand.

No doubt the atmosphere was improved by the EE being open today but as I said at the start of this thread - I was disapointed with the take up especially after all the hype and publicity in the past around the issue.

Robbored, give it up. stick to your cosy drinking club. You have no idea what the fans really want, or really need.

Stick to the club, and let the EE fans enjoy themselves, summat you obviously don't.

[LSN]

I think I remember reading that the club only covers the policing costs for inside the stadium, However outside of the stadium it is covered by us tax payers, So as there was no horses inside the stadium I would guess that the club wouldn't have had to pay for them.

ooopsey, robored, your running out of arguments... :noexpression:

[Portland Bill]

I was very suprised to the EE with so few in there today - around 650 I think.With all the publicity and those thousands of signatures on the 'open the EE' petition I was expecting a complete sell out.

Still, the hardy few made a good deal of noise - it was good to hear.

Shame it cost the club arounf £5k in police costs as the police insist that if the EE is open it has to be policed by thier officers due to the close proximity of the away fans.

I was in there for the Northampton game and there was NOT ONE policeman in there