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
. I hate Leeds with a passion but their home atmosphere is electric and intimidating, ours isn’t unless something kicks off in the game at the moment.
