What can we do to have a better atmosphere

[Houston_Blade]

It's because in the majority of games we are expected to turn up and win so fans can't be bothered. I've said before that we used to berate opposition teams at their grounds in the PL for a poor atmosphere but they were actually thinking "Sheffield United are here, we should dick these and we'll save ourselves for the meaningful games", it's the same with us now in League 1. There is also a level of apathy at the situation we are in, if/when we get back to a decent level and have exciting games against exciting/dirty teams the atmosphere will come back.

 

[JohnDenver]

It's because in the majority of games we are expected to turn up and win so fans can't be bothered. I've said before that we used to berate opposition teams at their grounds in the PL for a poor atmosphere but they were actually thinking "Sheffield United are here, we should dick these and we'll save ourselves for the meaningful games", it's the same with us now in League 1. There is also a level of apathy at the situation we are in, if/when we get back to a decent level and have exciting games against exciting/dirty teams the atmosphere will come back.

The obvious mystery in all this apathy is the fact we get 20000 who want to watch our games. Are we all going to games on autopilot?

 

[larkymasher]

Rubbish

Really?

 

[Grizzly blade]

Last season and those before it we were told that it's was the teams fault for the lack of atmosphere as the football was shit and they had no passion for the club.
Well that can hardly be an accusation this season so why hasn't it been better?

Well this is why,
the Kop is all seating and has people on there who want to sit down, and get offended by loutish behaviour intermingled with those who want to make a noise. Other areas of the ground are similar.

Solutions-
1- remove those bloody pillars from the kop roof minimum. Make the kop a good place to watch football.
2- market research. Every fan who buys tickets at United is on a database. That database should be used to clarify the experience each fan wants at the game by questioning them. Offer incentives for a completed survey.
3- use that information to portion the areas of the ground where remaining seated and good behaviour are mandatory. And enforce it there with good stewarding. Sell tickets making sure fans are aware the areas they are getting and advise accordingly.
4- make those other areas where folk want to stand, chant, swear, sing a free for all. Do what you like without sanction....bar pyrotechnics which are illegal sadly. But make sure it's in the right areas of the ground. So Kop....kop ends of South and John street and the rows from back to front.
5. Make the "fun" areas full of offers....cheaper ale before 2, cheaper tickets.

Once we have fun areas full, it's down to the fans to make it work. The club can do no more, dancers, musicians would all bomb. Maybe supply flags....or controlled pyro's? Perhaps that would work.

 

[JohnDenver]

Last season and those before it we were told that it's was the teams fault for the lack of atmosphere as the football was shit and they had no passion for the club.
Well that can hardly be an accusation this season so why hasn't it been better?

Well this is why,
the Kop is all seating and has people on there who want to sit down, and get offended by loutish behaviour intermingled with those who want to make a noise. Other areas of the ground are similar.

Solutions-
1- remove those bloody pillars from the kop roof minimum. Make the kop a good place to watch football.
2- market research. Every fan who buys tickets at United is on a database. That database should be used to clarify the experience each fan wants at the game by questioning them. Offer incentives for a completed survey.
3- use that information to portion the areas of the ground where remaining seated and good behaviour are mandatory. And enforce it there with good stewarding. Sell tickets making sure fans are aware the areas they are getting and advise accordingly.
4- make those other areas where folk want to stand, chant, swear, sing a free for all. Do what you like without sanction....bar pyrotechnics which are illegal sadly. But make sure it's in the right areas of the ground. So Kop....kop ends of South and John street and the rows from back to front.
5. Make the "fun" areas full of offers....cheaper ale before 2, cheaper tickets.

Once we have fun areas full, it's down to the fans to make it work. The club can do no more, dancers, musicians would all bomb. Maybe supply flags....or controlled pyro's? Perhaps that would work.

Fun areas.... We need a ball pit and a super happy fun slide.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Fear not Blades...We'll discover our "mojo" when we finally get out of this "dog shit" league.
Football ground atmospheres should not be manufactured. But I think we'll see a natural improvement in our next 2 big home games.

 

[I should coco]

2- market research. Every fan who buys tickets at United is on a database. That database should be used to clarify the experience each fan wants at the game by questioning them. Offer incentives for a completed survey.

I want to see United win, ideally paying a fast passing game.

I will put up with queues for bogs/ over priced pies/ very over priced ale and my crap seat with no legroom on the Kop.

I do not want a 'match day experience'
I do not want a picnic from the back of a Range Rover in the car park.
I do not want cheer leaders or big felt hands or any other yank shite
I do not want prearranged singalongs or cheesy choreographed dancing
I do not want a selection of fine wines, tacos, donuts.

I JUST WANT TO SEE UNITED WIN CONSISITENTLY.

(You could drop these views into the ticket office if you like)

 

[blade too long]

we will get a better atmosphere when people put aside the fear of failure and start enjoying it for what it is

a fucking game

its not chemo therapy we are attending , but some look like they are in a waiting room fearing the worst



lets go and enjoy winning , while we are looking decent
I believe thats the jist of it

 

[mattbianco1]

Scunthorpe and Bolton will be big games and the atmosphere will be as good as it's been all season against those. It will be electric if we take the lead.

 

[blade too long]

Scunthorpe and Bolton will be big games and the atmosphere will be as good as it's been all season against those. It will be electric if we take the lead.

like what youve done with your hair matt in your photo

 

[mattbianco1]

like what youve done with your hair matt in your photo

Thanks mate.

 

[FlamingLip]

it's drab, but will get better. memories of recent(ish) cup games v Charlton and Forest should be reminder of what the place can return to.

only change i'd immediately make is to get rid of the Annie Song prompt. It's now competing with the early noughties 'der der der der' post goal ritual for cringe-worthiness.

 

[Dnblade]

It needs all the singers from the back rows A To G to get in one section(and put their phones away),preferably in the middle like it used to be instead of spread out along the back.
We've ran out of excuses,if we were judging another club on the same basis,we'd be saying they 're a joke..i hate to say it,but really is piss poor.
I do think it's a problem at most grounds though..a return to standing somewhere down the line would help.

 

[Tezza1889]

Make the bl lower standing for home fans, season ticket only though in case of pitch incursions so they can have them revoked, i for one would be over there like a shot because if you remember standing and surging you'll know there's nowt finer, plus, a lot of lads got split up when the kop went all seater, not everybody wanted to get a season ticket and some couldn't afford one so couldn't sit with the people they'd been stood with..

I've chosen that stand due to its size, the risk of an incident -- would be much lower because of the ticketing.. we'll never see standing on the kop again, and that's the real solution to bringing back the noise..

 

[Dnblade]

Make the bl lower standing for home fans, season ticket only though in case of pitch incursions so they can have them revoked, i for one would be over there like a shot because if you remember standing and surging you'll know there's nowt finer, plus, a lot of lads got split up when the kop went all seater, not everybody wanted to get a season ticket and some couldn't afford one so couldn't sit with the people they'd been stood with..

I've chosen that stand due to its size, the risk of an incident -- would be much lower because of the ticketing.. we'll never see standing on the kop again, and that's the real solution to bringing back the noise..

It's not a bad idea Tezza,but my fear is it would kill the Kop.

 

[Grecian2000]

I think we should have a thread on here after every game asking the question with slight re-wording.

That'll do it.

 

[Tezza1889]

It's not a bad idea Tezza,but my fear is it would kill the Kop.

I think after the adkins season it's a bit flat and the great expectations are exactly that, sad but true and we need a few more games under our belts, a bit nearer to the light at the end of the tunnel before it starts to sink in that we might just do it..

It'll pick up as the nerves begin to fade.. bit early to be counting chickens and getting over confident, was talking Saturday with loads of lads in boozers, everybody has learned a lesson in overconfidence, nobody is banging a drum saying we've pissed the league, our feet are firmly on the ground and we have perspective... it's a funny owd game there will be twists and turns, and most are forgetting we are not the underdog in this league, next season however should we be successful and get up we will be, I think it'll be great to do a bit of giant killing again.... and there be a quite a few games where it will be very loud on the kop

 

[Tezza1889]

I think we should have a thread on here after every game asking the question with slight re-wording.

That'll do it.

Wasn't that bad in the second half on the kop, might have been the fact that the sun was so low and nobody could see fuck all, that could have had an effect on the lack of singing.. in the first half

 

[Sean Thornton]

Wasn't that bad in the second half on the kop, might have been the fact that the sun was so low and nobody could see fuck all, that could have had an effect on the lack of singing.. in the first half

Right at the back?

 

[Grizzly blade]

I want to see United win, ideally paying a fast passing game.

I will put up with queues for bogs/ over priced pies/ very over priced ale and my crap seat with no legroom on the Kop.

I do not want a 'match day experience'
I do not want a picnic from the back of a Range Rover in the car park.
I do not want cheer leaders or big felt hands or any other yank shite
I do not want prearranged singalongs or cheesy choreographed dancing
I do not want a selection of fine wines, tacos, donuts.

I JUST WANT TO SEE UNITED WIN CONSISITENTLY.

(You could drop these views into the ticket office if you like)

And neither do i.

My marketing point was referring to a simple...."do you prefer to sit during the game" "do you get frustrated when others stand around you" "would you prefer to be in an area surrounded by like minded people who want to sit back and enjoy the match" "do you have an issue with foul language at a game" or questions on that subject.

The idea being to put the right people together in the right areas to encourage those who want to make a row so on to do so without pissing off others and spoiling it for both types of fan.

I have NO wish for us to have cheesy gimmicks.


I also pointed out that we ARE seeing United win consistently, and we do see an exciting style of play with it. This was heralded as the solution to poor atmosphere...yet here it is and now it's cos we are nervous it's going to go wrong.....it's bullshit.
Before all seater stadia, like minded folk would congregate and bounce off each other to make a noise, be abusive, take the piss etc etc.....it's gone. We need to find a way of getting that back despite the seats in the way.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Again this fallacy about this starting when all seating was introduced. No lack if atmosphere on the Kop then. Ongoing decline is the reason and it won't come back week in week out overnight. Still there though deep down as some cup games have shown.

 

[Maidenhead]

I sit right in the middle of the kop about two thirds of the way back and despite my advancing years I'm always up for a good chant.

Biggest problem I have is the those behind me to my right will try and get a chant going and just as I'm about to join in with others around me, those at the back to our left start a different bloody song and suddenly were competing with ourselves!

If we could get these two sections singing the same songs at the same time the atmosphere would improve immeasurably

 

[Dnblade]

Remember the days when you would bring someone along for the first time and they were hooked by the atmosphere...different times I suppose,but i live in hope.

 

[Maidenhead]

Remember the days when you would bring someone along for the first time and they were hooked by the atmosphere...different times I suppose,but i live in hope.

That's me you're talking about.

August 1971

 

[Dnblade]

I sit right in the middle of the kop about two thirds of the way back and despite my advancing years I'm always up for a good chant.

Biggest problem I have is the those behind me to my right will try and get a chant going and just as I'm about to join in with others around me, those at the back to our left start a different bloody song and suddenly were competing with ourselves!

If we could get these two sections singing the same songs at the same time the atmosphere would improve immeasurably

You'll have to get up with one of those loudspeakers Maidenhead,with your back to the play like they do on the continent and conduct things haha...on second thoughts maybe not,

 

[Northyorksblade]

AS LONG AS NO ONE DECIDES THAT THOSE FUCKING AWFUL CLAPPER THINGYS ARE A GOID IDEA, THEY'RE NOT. THEY ARE JUST FOR PLASTIC CLUBS. and before anyone says stop shouting, I was shouting, really, really loudly. Now balloons, I don't mind those.

 

[Sean Thornton]

I refuse to sing while anyone continues to suggest its"maggots".

 

[bladesmanluke]

Really?

Yes, I think we'll mess it up too, but it doesn't stop me singing and backing the team

 

[Ricky]

The 'nerves' excuse is the weakest and most pathetic one I've ever heard.

 

[South Bucks]

I spent 2 hours this morning buying a ticket from utd for bristol rovers, pathetic. Web site initially insisting on 16/17 membership when they are supposed to be on general sale and the ticket office phone line queue just not moving several times when I tried.

Imagine the atmosphere at the lane if all the casual fans who would half like to come could actually buy tickets in a few minutes instead of needing the patience of a saint, it might be 30 k each game and loads of atmosphere.....