Has Bramall Lane lost it's Buzz this season? - RS Comments

[Bladesway]

Our fans are second to none

This is bullshit. We are fans like any others. We may like to think we are better than some others but frankly thats not true. We are just people watching and supporting our team. The fact we are usually shit doesnt give us a right to say we are better than others. Im guessing Blackpool fans think they wish they were where we are for example. Things can always be much worse we just dont like to see it that way.

 

[Deleted member 875]

Just a point but how much booing was there, as I can confirm I was present but don't recollect hearing any apart from a few murmurs at Half time

 

[EddieColquhoun]

Just a point but how much booing was there, as I can confirm I was present but don't recollect hearing any apart from a few murmurs at Half time

It seems just the caller on Radio Sheff heard the booing.

 

[SB_90]

Just a point but how much booing was there, as I can confirm I was present but don't recollect hearing any apart from a few murmurs at Half time

For me it wasnt at ht or ft, more during the game while we trying to play a patient passing game & some fans obviously wanting route 1 football

 

[blade too long]

weve scored 14 goals in the last 4 home games , should be buzzing

if its not our fans cant be that good after all

 

[TJB.]

If results are inconsistent, the atmosphere is inconsistent.

If we were playing with swagger and beating teams by 2 or 3 goals every home game, the Lane would be buzzing. Equally, if we often saw games in which both sides were playing well and really going for it, the kind which usually end in a draw or a 1-goal margin, the tension of the game cranks the volume up.

So far this season neither of these things have really happened. We still get superb crowds at this level but many are pretty sick of being here. It's hard to generate good atmosphere when you're sat across from 100 fans from Fleetwood on a cold Tuesday night.

These things work in cycles. The good times will come again. Just a waiting game!

 

[blade too long]

If results are inconsistent, the atmosphere is inconsistent.

If we were playing with swagger and beating teams by 2 or 3 goals every home game, the Lane would be buzzing.!

weve scored 14 in last 4 home games
thats 3.5 per game

seems like only 6 and 7-0 wins will get us going

 

[bladesmanluke]

For those who live away from Sheffield it is class. Take a lot of it with a pinch of salt and think they do trot out the same old callers, but believe you me if you leave the region you realise Radio Sheffield coverage is a different class.

This. Radio Sheffield is the best in the country for football coverage

 

[1danewhitehouse]

There was definitely some booing going on during that first half and there were quite a few at it. I didn’t hear any at half time or full time though. I think plenty of us were also unimpressed by the booers though. I think what more of us need to be doing in that scenario is to make more positive noise to drown out the boo boys.

I thought Lee made an interesting point on FH last night that those who turn up and sit silently through a game instead of getting behind their team are as bad as the boo boys. I don’t entirely agree and there will always be fans that just want to go and watch a game of footy and don’t want to chant and sing and that is their prerogative. But, there are plenty that clearly will sing up in the right circumstances. I implore those fans to bring themselves to do it more and not only in the “right” circumstances. Your team need your support in every game, not just the big ones against exciting opposition. I completely understand the argument that the players are being well paid to go out there and give us something to sing about but if they’re struggling to do so, what does it cost us to make the first move? We should sing our hearts out and get behind them regardless and see where it takes us. If it makes no difference and we still fail then are we any worse off than if we’d sat there grumbling through every game? But, if it does make a difference and gives a couple of players that extra 5% in their game and wins us a match, it could be the difference between promotion and being stuck in this league for another year. Wouldn’t you all prefer to know that you had done everything in your power to help us escape this league?

As for the lane losing it’s spark, I agree but it’s not exclusive to this season. It’s been a gradual thing that has coincided with our decline from the Prem in 2007 with the odd bit of respite along the way such as our first season down here as this league was a bit of a novelty, we were hammering teams and we had a striker scoring for fun as well as the direct rivalry with Wednesday and their pantomime villain manager. It happened again in the 2013-14 season when Clough gave us the cup runs and the 10 match run. There was briefly a buzz about the place again. Unfortunately, he couldn’t build on it.

I think the loss of spark is down to a few factors.

1. Opposition- As I said, it was novel for a season, 5 years on it’s just tedious.

2. Frustration- At player sales, player mistakes, being nearly there so many times but always failing.

3. Entitlement- As someone touched on. When we win there’s a feeling of “so we should in this shit league” and when we lose it’s more “how the fuck can you lose to these shitheads on half your wage you bunch of spineless wankers!!!!”

4. Anxiety- I didn’t mind our first half display on Tuesday. We got the early goal, they were very deep so we just retained possession safe in the knowledge that they would have to come out at some point and we could pick them off when the opportunity arose. The problem is, we make so many defensive mistakes that fans are always nervous when we’re only 1 goal up having seen us throw points away from seemingly comfortable situations too many times. Therefore, in the first half, they didn't trust the team to see the game out and kill it off in the second half the way they did.

5. The bigger picture- We’ve been down here 5 years now and it feels like we’ve been underachieving forever. The club pisses fans off every year by making and breaking promises and many blades fans default state is pissed off.

6. Lack of optimism/momentum- In the 4 and a bit years we’ve been down here, I think we’ve spent a grand total of about 2-3 weeks at the top of the league and not been there at all since Christmas 2012 (nearly 3 years ago). We go into every season as bookies favourites yet constantly fail to hit the ground running getting momentum and breeding optimism .We always seem to be playing atch up or trying to stay in touch.

So there are many genuine reasons for the lack of a good atmosphere at the lane these days but despite understanding the reasons why, I would like to repeat paragraph 2 of this post. It costs us nothing to get behind them. Let’s do it and see where it takes us. It has to be better than the alternative and if it inspires us to win one more game than we otherwise would have, that might be the difference between success and failure.

 

[TJB.]

weve scored 14 in last 4 home games
thats 3.5 per game

seems like only 6 and 7-0 wins will get us going

You're ignoring my 'play with swagger' comment, there.

We beat Fleetwood 3-0 the other night, but nobody can deny that it was a very boring game in-between the goals. It's the reason some boos were heard from some fools. I'll take the points any day and if every game plays out that way we'll be laughing to the top of the table. Atmosphere, however, is usually generated by good attacking football or two teams going at it full pelt.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

There was definitely some booing going on during that first half and there were quite a few at it. I didn’t hear any at half time or full time though. I think plenty of us were also unimpressed by the booers though. I think what more of us need to be doing in that scenario is to make more positive noise to drown out the boo boys.

I thought Lee made an interesting point on FH last night that those who turn up and sit silently through a game instead of getting behind their team are as bad as the boo boys. I don’t entirely agree and there will always be fans that just want to go and watch a game of footy and don’t want to chant and sing and that is their prerogative. But, there are plenty that clearly will sing up in the right circumstances. I implore those fans to bring themselves to do it more and not only in the “right” circumstances. Your team need your support in every game, not just the big ones against exciting opposition. I completely understand the argument that the players are being well paid to go out there and give us something to sing about but if they’re struggling to do so, what does it cost us to make the first move? We should sing our hearts out and get behind them regardless and see where it takes us. If it makes no difference and we still fail then are we any worse off than if we’d sat there grumbling through every game? But, if it does make a difference and gives a couple of players that extra 5% in their game and wins us a match, it could be the difference between promotion and being stuck in this league for another year. Wouldn’t you all prefer to know that you had done everything in your power to help us escape this league?

As for the lane losing it’s spark, I agree but it’s not exclusive to this season. It’s been a gradual thing that has coincided with our decline from the Prem in 2007 with the odd bit of respite along the way such as our first season down here as this league was a bit of a novelty, we were hammering teams and we had a striker scoring for fun as well as the direct rivalry with Wednesday and their pantomime villain manager. It happened again in the 2013-14 season when Clough gave us the cup runs and the 10 match run. There was briefly a buzz about the place again. Unfortunately, he couldn’t build on it.

I think the loss of spark is down to a few factors.

1. Opposition- As I said, it was novel for a season, 5 years on it’s just tedious.

2. Frustration- At player sales, player mistakes, being nearly there so many times but always failing.

3. Entitlement- As someone touched on. When we win there’s a feeling of “so we should in this shit league” and when we lose it’s more “how the fuck can you lose to these shitheads on half your wage you bunch of spineless wankers!!!!”

4. Anxiety- I didn’t mind our first half display on Tuesday. We got the early goal, they were very deep so we just retained possession safe in the knowledge that they would have to come out at some point and we could pick them off when the opportunity arose. The problem is, we make so many defensive mistakes that fans are always nervous when we’re only 1 goal up having seen us throw points away from seemingly comfortable situations too many times. Therefore, in the first half, they didn't trust the team to see the game out and kill it off in the second half the way they did.

5. The bigger picture- We’ve been down here 5 years now and it feels like we’ve been underachieving forever. The club pisses fans off every year by making and breaking promises and many blades fans default state is pissed off.

6. Lack of optimism/momentum- In the 4 and a bit years we’ve been down here, I think we’ve spent a grand total of about 2-3 weeks at the top of the league and not been there at all since Christmas 2012 (nearly 3 years ago). We go into every season as bookies favourites yet constantly fail to hit the ground running getting momentum and breeding optimism .We always seem to be playing atch up or trying to stay in touch.

So there are many genuine reasons for the lack of a good atmosphere at the lane these days but despite understanding the reasons why, I would like to repeat paragraph 2 of this post. It costs us nothing to get behind them. Let’s do it and see where it takes us. It has to be better than the alternative and if it inspires us to win one more game than we otherwise would have, that might be the difference between success and failure.

IMO good post . As it takes two to tango ( quoting Woodward ) , it would be good if the board , manager and players take on board the whys and what for , of the atmosphere at BDTBL , as it is a two way street where collectively we all have a part to play . Who has the leading role , the fans or the players , we may find out on Saturday.

UTB

 

[Deleted member 1486]

The problem at Bramall Lane isn't the fans in the stands, it's that garbage we've been served up on the park. There is absolutely no passion or energy, no zip in their play going forward or bite when defending and that is in every area on the pitch. They are playing like England of the '80s under Bobby Robson, plenty of square and back passes, under the pretence of passing football, before the inevitable boot forward.

Part of the problem is a carry over from the Clough era, where we're stuck with a load of nice guys who wouldn't say boo to a goose. If people are pointing the finger at the lack of atmosphere in stands they should be looking at the team on the pitch first, there is absolutely nothing there (bar perhaps Sharp and Collins), no talking, no proper team spirit, no disputes (with the opposition, each other, the officials), plenty happy treading water, on the park you could here a pin drop at the Lane last night. Late on in the game Billy Sharp had a set too with their keeper, if there'd been proper team spirit 2 or 3 of the others would have been backing their team mate, of course no one backed him up, says it all really.

Just noticed the picture of the book as your avatar. Bought one of those from some chap in the Old Crown before (I think) the Rochdale game, was that you by any chance?

 

[1danewhitehouse]

You're ignoring my 'play with swagger' comment, there.

We beat Fleetwood 3-0 the other night, but nobody can deny that it was a very boring game in-between the goals. It's the reason some boos were heard from some fools. I'll take the points any day and if every game plays out that way we'll be laughing to the top of the table. Atmosphere, however, is usually generated by good attacking football or two teams going at it full pelt.

I started a thread on Blades Mad back in the David Weir days about whether Swansea were really the role model for us and whether our fans would have the patience for that type of football. If you watch Swansea on MotD, they look very slick and the goals they score tend to be well constructed goals from good passing moves. But, do you remember watching them when they came to the lane each year that both sides were in the championship?

I think they lost every game without scoring and probably averaged about 1 shot at goal per game in those matches. They had a lot of the ball but not much of it in the final third. I thought they were quite boring to watch. Donny were the same under O Driscoll. Both sides have had lots of plaudits for the football they play but for large portions of the game, it involves keeping the ball without going anywhere.

Even Spain, when winning back to back major tournaments passed the ball a lot between their defenders and were accused of boring teams into submission.

That's the thing about that brand of football. It looks brillaint if you just see the highlights but it does requre a lot of patience. Not just in terms of the players learning the style and it taking a while to produce results but also within a game. There is a temptation to wanting the ball played forward when you have it but there are advantages to knocking it around in defence and midfield particularly if you have already got an early goal:-

1. The opposition know they have to get the ball back to try to get back into the game and you can tire them out making them chase it.
2. Having lots of touches and playing lots of short passes seemingly for the sake of it can help players settle into games and improve their confidence having had a few decent touches.
3. Changing the angle of attach can lead to a better opening.
4. Knockign it about for a long time can lead to the opposition switching off and losing their discipline thus creating an opening. At that moment, you step up the tempo, a couple of players look to make runs and you suddenly create something much like our 2nd goal the other night.

If you just watch the goals back, they are well crafted from good passing moves (especially the 2nd, we had the ball for ages in the build up). Other parts of the game are dull to watch but that is excactly the style of football that so many fans have asked for over the years. It requires a degree of patience but if executed properly like it was the other night, it can be very effective.

 

[Darthblade]

Maybe my hearing is not that good then, heard some booing at the end of the Oldham game last week, didn't hear any last night

The team deserved to be booed after the Oldham game and after several others this season ...... they're all paid well, they've had unbelievable levels of support behind them for the last 5 years and they now need to "man up", be embarrassed at where they've sunk to, and bloody well do something about it !!

They were booed at half time, quite understandably on Tuesday, because the performance was crap first half despite scoring early. Fleetwood, to their credit, worked hard to close us down but we didn't show our ( supposed ) quality in passing and movement to break them down again and the crowd reacted to pedestrian, unimaginative, poor play in the first half.

Second half was a different game and our passing and movement was better and the crowd reacted positively to this. I heard no booing at full time, nor should there have been based on the second half performance.

What is notable though; is that Done had a poor game, Adams wasn't much better despite scoring twice, JCR was appalling, Howard was unconvincing and our ability to pass to one of our own players was bad. Collectively, we had the ball control of a JCB which didn't help and given our habit of putting the Atlantic Ocean on the pitch before every game, we need to work harder on the basics like passing and ball control, or it becomes a liability for us as well as the opposition.

I do sometimes wonder what we actually do in training given that we didn't deliver a single decent corner or free kick either ???
UTB & FTP

 

[Darthblade]

weve scored 14 in last 4 home games
thats 3.5 per game

seems like only 6 and 7-0 wins will get us going

Nah !!
I think committed players, decent performances and exciting attacking football will get us going .....
UTB & FTP

 

[Hague Blade]

1danewhitehouse Was Christmas 2012 when we beat Scunthorpe 3-0? Miller fractured his cheek? If that was the last time we were top of the league, I might have the answer - that's the only game my kids have ever been to at the Lane (they've lived abroad all their lives before anyone doubts my parenting). I'm happy to fly them back from South East Asia more often if it'll help.

Mind you, I might need to work on my daughter a bit - as we walking down Bramall Lane on a typically wintry South Yorkshire afternoon, she said to me, "It's a bit cold, Dad - there will be heating in the ground, right?"

We've never let her forget that one...

 

[Lane Ender]

The team deserved to be booed after the Oldham game and after several others this season ...... they're all paid well, they've had unbelievable levels of support behind them for the last 5 years and they now need to "man up", be embarrassed at where they've sunk to, and bloody well do something about it !!

They were booed at half time, quite understandably on Tuesday, because the performance was crap first half despite scoring early. Fleetwood, to their credit, worked hard to close us down but we didn't show our ( supposed ) quality in passing and movement to break them down again and the crowd reacted to pedestrian, unimaginative, poor play in the first half.

Second half was a different game and our passing and movement was better and the crowd reacted positively to this. I heard no booing at full time, nor should there have been based on the second half performance.

What is notable though; is that Done had a poor game, Adams wasn't much better despite scoring twice, JCR was appalling, Howard was unconvincing and our ability to pass to one of our own players was bad. Collectively, we had the ball control of a JCB which didn't help and given our habit of putting the Atlantic Ocean on the pitch before every game, we need to work harder on the basics like passing and ball control, or it becomes a liability for us as well as the opposition.

I do sometimes wonder what we actually do in training given that we didn't deliver a single decent corner or free kick either ???
UTB & FTP

I noticed that what is it with all that water going on the pitch they really flood it.

 

[Ted Danson]

I do really miss us playing Tom Hark or Seven Nation Army when we score though, that was always great for a bit of an extra buzz.

Its that bullshit coupled with the 'family club' image thats responsible for the complete lack of atmosphere, fans only know to sing when its on the bloody tannoy.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

1danewhitehouse Was Christmas 2012 when we beat Scunthorpe 3-0? Miller fractured his cheek? If that was the last time we were top of the league, I might have the answer - that's the only game my kids have ever been to at the Lane (they've lived abroad all their lives before anyone doubts my parenting). I'm happy to fly them back from South East Asia more often if it'll help.

Mind you, I might need to work on my daughter a bit - as we walking down Bramall Lane on a typically wintry South Yorkshire afternoon, she said to me, "It's a bit cold, Dad - there will be heating in the ground, right?"

We've never let her forget that one...

I think it was then. At least that's what I was referring to in my post. I'm not sure if we briefly went top again after winning at Bournemouth (1-0- Jamie Murphy) but if we did, it didn't last.

 

[metalblade]

The moaning twats on the JSS have got what they wanted a sterile atmosphere, little Johnnie will be able to hear the angry birds on his game pad and wont be scared by a bit of industrial language ................ live with it or tell the club to recruit some American style rah rah girls

 

[Fjortoft's Aeroplane]

Its that bullshit coupled with the 'family club' image thats responsible for the complete lack of atmosphere, fans only know to sing when its on the bloody tannoy.

But we've not been doing it this season, and this is the season we've lost our buzz. So what you're saying doesn't add up.

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

It has and there's a number of reasons why:

1. This is our 5th season in the 3rd Division. It's full of crap teams (we're one of them unfortunately) who aren't the sort of teams you'd get excited about watching (have you ever looked forward to playing Gillingham?) and who bring pitiful followings (most of them).

2. We haven't played good football since our first season in this league. It seems so slow and pedestrian and we can't even do the basics right a lot of the time.

3. I don't always see enthusiasm from the players. Some do every game i.e. Sharp, Freeman. Some I don't think seem that bothered.

4. We have a bloated squad full of poor footballers and this doesn't fill people with confidence. The Lane was buzzing during the Triple Assault season where we had quality players who you knew would take the club somewhere. Do you have any confidence in this set of players?

5. I think a lot of fans think that we will be here this time next year. I know we're currently fifth but we chuck so many points away against poor teams and don't seem to be improving very quickly. There doesn't seem to be lots of signs of a promotion team and the prospect of having to play Oldham again next season is enough to depress anybody.

In my opinion that about sums up the answer to the question, end off. It was flat the other night due to the gash football that was served up for the vast majority of the game, alright you can get a bit of an atmosphere with a visit from Barnsley or Donny, but you can't get much rapport going with a mini bus load of Fleetwood supporters. The caller the other night to RS was right in most aspects of what he said except for his call for the return of the corny, dreadful, icy-hockyish Tom Hark shite.

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

The moaning twats on the JSS have got what they wanted a sterile atmosphere, little Johnnie will be able to hear the angry birds on his game pad and wont be scared by a bit of industrial language ................ live with it or tell the club to recruit some American style rah rah girls

Oh that's right Metal, blame the JSS

 

[Ted Danson]

But we've not been doing it this season, and this is the season we've lost our buzz. So what you're saying doesn't add up.

It adds up perfectly

we used to be shite and sing our heads off whatever the league / game

then we started playing crap like Tom Hark to instruct the crowd when to sing

Now theyve stopped playing it the crowd has forgotten how to sing without being prompted and hence they dont.

Makes perfect sense

Also one of the few songs that used to get going naturally last season was 'shoreham boys' now the PC brigade has ruined that too by trying to make up different words or just stopping singing at the controversial bit so now nobody knows when to sing and no one knows whats acceptable to sing so we all sit down, shut up and moan like bitches

 

[Kian_barlow00]

I feel that one problem with the atmosphere is that they have removed the songs after the goals, that seemed to put everyone in good spirits

 

[Fjortoft's Aeroplane]

It adds up perfectly

we used to be shite and sing our heads off whatever the league / game

then we started playing crap like Tom Hark to instruct the crowd when to sing

Now theyve stopped playing it the crowd has forgotten how to sing without being prompted and hence they dont.

Makes perfect sense

Also one of the few songs that used to get going naturally last season was 'shoreham boys' now the PC brigade has ruined that too by trying to make up different words or just stopping singing at the controversial bit so now nobody knows when to sing and no one knows whats acceptable to sing so we all sit down, shut up and moan like bitches

So in the current reality, the best solution would be to re-introduce the music then? Like you say, they're not singing without it and surely its better to have prompted singing than no singing?

Totally agree on Shorham boys chant, one of my favourites but even at away games it goes quiet at the all important "shag your women and drink your beer" line. It's like the old song starters have faded away an passed the mantle on to some unworthy randoms.

 

[Rodley]

I feel that one problem with the atmosphere is that they have removed the songs after the goals, that seemed to put everyone in good spirits

Agreed. The roar of "You're gonna get your fucking heads kicked in" when we used to concede a goal definitely pepped me up a bit. Bring it back!

 

[Rodley]

So in the current reality, the best solution would be to re-introduce the music then? Like you say, they're not singing without it and surely its better to have prompted singing than no singing?

Totally agree on Shorham boys chant, one of my favourites but even at away games it goes quiet at the all important "shag your women and drink your beer" line. It's like the old song starters have faded away an passed the mantle on to some unworthy randoms.

How about Sinclair and Phipps as a Chas & Dave type arrangement on the touchline? I can see them whipping us into a frenzy with the opening bars of "My Old Man"...

 

[Ted Danson]

So in the current reality, the best solution would be to re-introduce the music then? Like you say, they're not singing without it and surely its better to have prompted singing than no singing?

Totally agree on Shorham boys chant, one of my favourites but even at away games it goes quiet at the all important "shag your women and drink your beer" line. It's like the old song starters have faded away an passed the mantle on to some unworthy randoms.

certainly not, people are starting to notice and comment on the drab atmosphere and so people will have to learn to sing off their own bat again or just get used to watching the game in a library.

I want there to be singing for most of the game but I certainly dont want Garry Siclaire having to play music over the PA system all game, it would turn into some crap like the Steelers with choreographed routines, mexican waves and fucking blow up guitars

 

[bladesmanluke]

I think if you sit on the Kop it should be a requirement to sing for 90 minutes, else go somewhere else