Honest discussion about the atmosphere

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yorkshiresufc

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I have seen this crop up a few times on here, particularly since COVID, but we need to start having a proper, open and honest discussion about the atmosphere at Bramall Lane at the moment and we need to do it without getting touchy and defensive.

I know this is quite a delicate subject because it is not a nice thing to have to admit and I think that is probably why the recent posts about this have been met with some negativity and so many excuses.

We need to come to the terms with the fact that the atmosphere at home games over the past 3/4 years has just not good enough and it is becoming borderline embarrassing.

I know people want different matchday experiences and it is not for everyone to be stood in the Kop singing for 90 minutes, and I know that many bring their young families and do not want it to be too rowdy.

But since COVID, for the most part, it has been truly awful and I think over the past year or so even the sections of the ground that have been doing their best to inject a bit of noise have slowly started to give up.

I personally want a raucous atmosphere for my matchday experience and I, like many others, probably fell in love with this club as a kid for that reason.

I know our identity as blades is built around the fact we support a proper club, with proper, honest down-to-earth, loyal fans, hailing from what I think is the best stadium in the world and I love us and our fans to bits. But the fiery cauldron, which only 9 years ago, Mauricio Pochettino described as the best atmosphere has ever experienced in England, is slowly becoming a myth that at the moment feels so far away.

I completely get that it can’t be amazing every week and when its 0-0 or cold or a midweek game it might not lend itself to being lively in the stands but since COVID I can probably count on one hand the amount of times when I have left thinking wow that was class today. And why should we only make noise when Man City are in town or when our centre half is clattering someone or the ref is bad? Or only when we are playing a brand of football we deem ‘proper’? I just don’t see it as valid to say ‘ah well we need to be entertained first…’.

What are we going to do about it? Obviously a club like ours should and would never go down the cringe faux ultras route of clubs like Boro, which is just not compatible with English fan culture in my opinion. But this issue is not going to be resolved by excuses and getting touchy about this.

I think the only solution I can see is if safe standing is brought in, which by all accounts is absolutely miles off, but at least this way, those that want this sort of matchday experience can be catered for and those that don’t can also be catered for.

Would be good to hear some honest thoughts on this.

UTB
 

Have we forgotten how to be loud after the awful depressing seasons in the prem? Some games it gets going, normally when the ref is crap and it seems like going against us or if the opposition are shithousing and then there are some games like last night when it’s really flat - you can sense it even before kick off. It’s not just us though is it - most grounds that you visit are fairly quiet. The ones that stand out as seeming to be quite loud are Leeds and Newcastle.
 
I don’t think it’s any different to anywhere else, watched WBA v Boro, terrible atmosphere, same as loads of other games on TV, but we know when we’re on it it’s one of the best atmospheres across the UK.
 
yorkshiresufc said:
yes because nothing changes
Click to expand...
Do you think whining about it on a message board full of 50+ year olds is going to fix anything?

For what it's worth, I think it's just a symptom of modern football, and the fact that you're probably getting a bit older yourself and it's not what it used to be. Things move on, you don't want them to or don't understand that things are changing around you. Some games we have a good atmosphere if it's exciting and there's something at stake, or if the refs a cunt. But some games are flat. Like last night.

I watched the Arsenal PSG on Tuesday and Arsenal had 1 song consisting of one word. It's sad, I wish things were different. But I don't think repeated threads on the same topic will fix it.
 
Every 5 or so years, this gets brought up, COVID or not.

A 'singing section' gets formed, it lasts for a couple years, then the process repeats itself.

The fact is football (in this country at least) has changed, people who want to create an atmosphere and sing are a dying breed. Most people who attend are families or professionals who just want to watch football. Might besad but true.

Football for me is going with my mates to the pubs before and after, not worry about if a military care if I sing a song or not.
 
It's a deep rot that goes beyond football

Standing areas would be the best chance of salvaging something, very preferably with unreserved seating. But firstly, that is no complete solution, as anyone already stood at the back of the Kop will attest. Secondly, Sheffield is the last place on earth where even the safest of 'safe standing' areas will be permitted
 

The youngsters who are in, and participating in, the more organised English Ends, Middlesbrough, Bristol City, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, will be having the time of their lives.
It's self fulfilling. Get a fan set up which people love, other people will want a piece of it.

But. It's not for us ... apparently.
 
WorksopBlade86 said:
A full capacity safe standing Kop would solve all of the atmosphere issues.
Click to expand...
I agree that would help but it doesn't explain the lack of atmosphere. As many have already said in the other thread, the Lane in the early noughties, including the kop, was possibly the most raucous it has ever been.
 
What is it about Ultras that we English supporters don't like? Can't be just the silly name

I went to Rayo de Vallecano Vs Atleti the other week (1-1), the Ultras were what made it amazing
 
Like the game itself, all aspects of football are becoming sanitised.
Can't tackle, can't express your frustation at inept officials.
VAR sapping out the spontaneity of celebrating goals.
SKY ruining the experience with ridiculous kick-off times.
Add to that the crazy pre-match volume through the speakers at BDTBL and we start the game having to be coaxed into singing the GCB so we can sit back, relax and enjoy the entertainment.
I used to HATE the violence before, during, and after the games, but we've rinsed out so much of the 'unpalatable stuff' that we've destroyed what is, at the end of the day, a tribal, in it together, us against the rest environment.
We have stopped defenders defending (arms behind your back when an attacker is coming at you, really?) midfielders penalised for tackling (it's supposed to be a physical, contact sport FFS) and refs giving fouls for cheats play-acting.
Football is no longer a sport, it's an industry, and we want to be entertained with increasing depth and regularity.
The paradox is though, even if you are Man City winning everything, it doesn't create a celebratory atmosphere, just an entitled expectation.
Fail to deliver and you're ripping us off.
Do what your paid to do and you're doing nothing more than your job.
Where's the tribal need for that?
 
When there's an expectation to win, or when the prize on offer (promotion) has been achieved several times recently, it does take away the crowds 'edge'.

Last really good atmosphere we had was Blackburn in the FA cup, but even during the last promotion season it was muted.

It did pick up yesterday around 55-70 mins once our game picked up.
 
It’s exactly the same no better no worse than 80% of all premier/championship stadiums in the country. The lane was good for a season or 2 , brilliant in big games borderline intimidating when H bloc was active and big clubs were in town , Leeds Man Utd’s Liverpool’s pigs villa spurs etc. Nobody liked coming but that’s all gone. It’s now very much same as every other club in English football. The exceptions are possibly Pompey , Leeds , Newcastle dare I say it .. forest. But English football is fucked atmosphere wise. Look no further than Germany to learn. But we never will
 
Ricky put considerable time and effort into setting up a singing section hoping to get something like they have at Palace etc. l wonder how many of those whining backed him by turning up? Not many seeing as it quickly died a death.

Awaits Kop excuse.
 
At a recent England game, I sat with two Manchester United fans. I had a long chat with them about how their Club and Fan Groups had worked to reclaim and improve the atmosphere at Old Trafford.

The Club were able to identify whole blocks in the Stretford End for the 2024/25 season. Up to 2,700 seats. 500 were allocated to existing 16-25 year old season ticket holders. Those were priced at £304. For 1,300 seats, applications were invited from existing season ticket holders who had been to more than half of away matches in the last three seasons.

And also Manchester United invited applications from groups of existing season ticket holders who wanted to be together, but were scattered around the ground.

The idea is to get younger fans, and AwayDay fans all together in the same blocks. So they can generate the AwayDay atmosphere at Home games.

It's a strategy of relocating existing season ticket holders.

Additional things like agreeing to stop piping in music into those sections from fifteen minutes before kick off until after all the players have left the pitch after the whistle have been implemented.
 
103SecondsOfMagic said:
What is it about Ultras that we English supporters don't like? Can't be just the silly name

I went to Rayo de Vallecano Vs Atleti the other week (1-1), the Ultras were what made it amazing
Click to expand...
I think one it’s just not our football culture, it’s trying to be a copy of something from abroad, and two I think reactive crowds when they’re up for it are far better than someone banging the same tune on a drum for 90 minutes. It’s very noticeable if you’ve ever been to a home CL game when it’s English vs ultras. I think the reaction and roars to sustained pressure are far more enjoyable than Dortmund fans doing the same tune for 90 minutes no matter what is happening in the game.
 
Personly I think if you're someone that likes a good atmosphere and loves to chant and wants to be part of the solution to the current problem... then the answer is to get yourself a seat at the back of the kop and lead by example.

I currently attend with people who refuse to move seats so I'm not able to do that, but if it wasn't for them I definitely would.

Also if you sit at the back of the Kop and no longer want to get involved with the chanting, do the decent thing and start sitting elsewhere.
 
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In my humble opinion, after the absolute embarrassment that was last season it’s completely up to the playing staff and management to win the fans back (Saturdays became the most depressing day of the week for me). Arguably though, being unbeaten and third should be enough to win the majority, but let’s be honest it’s dull and we can barely score. That being said give it some time and we carry on this form then more will be won over and fall back into love with football etc… the atmosphere will return I have no doubt. I think it’s a bit harsh to slag off any fan base after the last 4 years we’ve all had.
 
WorksopBlade86 said:
A full capacity safe standing Kop would solve all of the atmosphere issues.
Click to expand...
Just a central section towards the back would cure it. The kop is now fill of older people (me included) most of who sit where they used to stand and create an atmosphere, and now behave like cardboard cutouts. Those who want to build an atmospthere (and there are plenty) are pushed out in small separate sections.
 
Ball_Sup (Phil) said:
At a recent England game, I sat with two Manchester United fans. I had a long chat with them about how their Club and Fan Groups had worked to reclaim and improve the atmosphere at Old Trafford.

The Club were able to identify whole blocks in the Stretford End for the 2024/25 season. Up to 2,700 seats. 500 were allocated to existing 16-25 year old season ticket holders. Those were priced at £304. For 1,300 seats, applications were invited from existing season ticket holders who had been to more than half of away matches in the last three seasons.

And also Manchester United invited applications from groups of existing season ticket holders who wanted to be together, but were scattered around the ground.

The idea is to get younger fans, and AwayDay fans all together in the same blocks. So they can generate the AwayDay atmosphere at Home games.

It's a strategy of relocating existing season ticket holders.

Additional things like agreeing to stop piping in music into those sections from fifteen minutes before kick off until after all the players have left the pitch after the whistle have been implemented.
Click to expand...
Sadly, it seems many of our fans would pour scorn on any attempt to do anything about it.
 

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