Where has our fans passion gone?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

borg elite said:
The decline in atmosphere began long before the current season and Covid. It began with the sanitising of G and H blocks on the South Stand well over fifteen years ago. Getting to only a few games a season over the past fifteen years I've noticed the drop off in noise. A bit like when you see someone every now and then and realise they've aged, but when you see someone everyday you don't notice!
Click to expand...
I have to agree with this in the OP I wasn't just talking about this season the noise levels pre game has been declining year on year for a good while now until what we have now at the lane is football in a library. The club has done very little in the last ten years to get the crowd noise levels up I think the last time we saw the big flags passed around the crowd was maybe before kick off at the 2014 semi final at Wembley even small flags are discouraged at the lane unless it is the last home game before being promoted. Their was a time when you had to scream in your mate ear to be heard today you can have a conversation without hardly raising your voice in the middle of the kop. The pre match atmosphere was better last week in the Dog and Duck in Lanzarote which made for a brilliant Saturdays entertainment. It might be me getting old but I'm not getting that buzz any more not just this season I wasn't last season either and we were walking the division along with Burnley. I think I have got to the stage where I can take it or leave it with football and doubt I'd go if I didn't have the season ticket, it has become a chore not entertainment. We might moan about the Palace ans Arsenal flag wavers but at least they are trying something to drum up support for their teams our crowd is like cardboard cut outs just waiting to moan when it goes wrong.
 

bibbity bobbity boo said:
I sit at the back of the Kop behind the nets. It's like a creche, full of little kids about 6-7 years old more interested in picking their noses and looking at their mums phone. Atmosphere is really crap up there nowadays, no idea why they don't sit in the family stand.

Before you all start having a go, I know there is nothing wrong with picking your nose, I do it too.
Click to expand...
The point people started thinking nothing of bringing little kids up there probably overlaps pretty closely with it turning to complete shit

But at least the little kids actually turn up! Sections of the back of the Kop were half empty at the start of the game, before any of the goals went in. Not for the first time. These are the areas that are supposed to create an atmosphere. Yet not only are most of the fans up there not there in spirit..... up to half of them aren't even there at all!

It would take a major, co-ordinated effort at reshuffling season ticket holders just to create the conditions to give us half a chance. Never happen

A Kop extension with the new available areas might be the only thing that could provide an opportunity. But that'll probably never happen either
 
Valley Blade said:
A great summary. I hope you don't pack it in. We need people like you. People who care.
UTB
Click to expand...
Really appreciate that VB but I don't want to feel like that and will not risk taking it home. Maybe I surprised myself a bit in that I do care a bit more than I thought I did. I'm an 'all in' kind of bloke and I'm not seeing that at our club at the moment. It's my problem and I'm disappointed in myself really. Maybe I just need a break but I'll get back.

raul said:
I posted this after Villa. Didn't bother on Sunday. I didn't miss it.
_______________________________
I'm just tired.

I'm tired of the effort needed to get to and from games, with almost weekly train cancellations ( didn't actually get home one week and had to stay in Leeds overnight )

I'm tired of trying to talk up our chances in the pub pre-match when my heart isn't in it.

I'm tired of leaving after the 4th goal and going to drown sorrows

I'm tired of having to resort to gallows humour when chatting with opposing fans

I'm tired of watching players I wish weren't here and tired of adding to the list every week.

On seeing the Arsenal game moved to Monday night, "fuck" was joined with "thank" rather than bookended by "for" and "sake".

Tired.
Click to expand...
I completely feel for you Pal. It's easy for me as I'm only in Burncross and getting to and from BDTBL is easy for me. Bloody nightmare at the moment for you and all exiled Blades so I'm with you 100% on this. I'm different as I'm not tired, I'm angry with what is happening and I don't like myself for it at the moment. Unfortunately, none of my mates are Blades so I'm on my own home and away and, therefore, I don't get the social side of things like most Blades do. I've even gone back to playing cricket this coming season as I miss the social drinking and banter so much.

Maybe what no club owner will ever understand is the 'need' of the supporter to constantly feel pride in his/her club. Joy, reward, apathy, disappointment, achievement, ecstasy, anger, all these feelings are temporary and enjoyed/tolerated by fans supporting their club. Pride is a MANDATORY factor.

The pride is not there for most Blades (imo) Mr Owner. Act!

utb
 
Just about all contributing factors have been given above. I'll add it will need a decent run of half decent performances to build back any level belief/pride. Right now we're utterly hopeless and would almost sound weird to hear endless terrace golden oldies being belted out whilst routinely and repeatedly capitulating.
 
SUFC Guy said:
This year's atmosphere is flat as a fart, but it's only down to us getting pasted most weeks. Last years' promotion season was very different atmosphere wise.

The lane will be rocking again next year if we are off to a flyer and in the top 3 or 4 every week.

UTB
Click to expand...
Tbh it wasn’t good at all last year and we were flying For me when H bloc changed that was the end of the hostile lane we all loved and away fans and players hated
 
I had to go for a piss before HT at the last home game. I was shocked how many were down the back knocking back pints. If that's what they want to do why bother going to the game the beer is cheaper in the pub and much better too.
 
The club's over zealous monitoring of younger supporters hasn't helped. Not allowed to stand together, no pyros, they've lost interest. Younger fans have always started the chants and everyone else used to join in. It's become sanitised and boring.
 
FredZeppelin said:
Really appreciate that VB but I don't want to feel like that and will not risk taking it home. Maybe I surprised myself a bit in that I do care a bit more than I thought I did. I'm an 'all in' kind of bloke and I'm not seeing that at our club at the moment. It's my problem and I'm disappointed in myself really. Maybe I just need a break but I'll get back.


I completely feel for you Pal. It's easy for me as I'm only in Burncross and getting to and from BDTBL is easy for me. Bloody nightmare at the moment for you and all exiled Blades so I'm with you 100% on this. I'm different as I'm not tired, I'm angry with what is happening and I don't like myself for it at the moment. Unfortunately, none of my mates are Blades so I'm on my own home and away and, therefore, I don't get the social side of things like most Blades do. I've even gone back to playing cricket this coming season as I miss the social drinking and banter so much.

Maybe what no club owner will ever understand is the 'need' of the supporter to constantly feel pride in his/her club. Joy, reward, apathy, disappointment, achievement, ecstasy, anger, all these feelings are temporary and enjoyed/tolerated by fans supporting their club. Pride is a MANDATORY factor.

The pride is not there for most Blades (imo) Mr Owner. Act!

utb
Click to expand...
Brilliant post again. Have to agree with all of it. I find comfort that our history, tradition, fan loyalty and love for the club are things to be proud of though.
UTB
 
As l’ve stated in previous posts, I try very hard to not let what happens on the field affect my day at the match…But sadly it does, and the apathy I’m feeling now at being humiliated week in, week out is starting to take it’s toll.
Against Villa I walked out at half time and it felt great, and at the Brighton match I spent most of the match scrolling on my phone looking for an holiday…Anyone who knows me would be shocked at this, as I’m usually that annoying cunt sat on the edge of his?seat, thinking out loud and giving a running commentary on every kick of the ball…But all that pent up excitement and nervous energy we should all feel when we enter BDTBL simply isn’t there at the moment.
 
It can't be related to winning, as we won most weeks last season and the atmosphere was still bobbar. It's deeper than that.

For me I think it's at least partly down to the fact that it feels like we peaked in 2019/20 (and everything else since has felt a bit shit), but we never experienced what we deserved. It almost feels like that was the one chance for us to actually do something and it's sods law that it was robbed from us, so there won't be another chance and it's the same old mediocrity from now on.
 
It's been coming a while and reflects the huge need for change from the top down. Promotion last season was barely celebrated, (certainly compared to the last time), away tickets getting to general sale both last season, (during a promotion push) and this, away atmosphere shite, (getting outsung by the likes of Coventry and Derby last year).....etc, etc.

Unfortunately supporting SUFC has become a bit boring....and it is reflected in the atmosphere.

Place needs a huge rocket up its arse at all levels.
 
SUFC Guy said:
This year's atmosphere is flat as a fart, but it's only down to us getting pasted most weeks. Last years' promotion season was very different atmosphere wise.

The lane will be rocking again next year if we are off to a flyer and in the top 3 or 4 every week.

UTB
Click to expand...

No it won't. We were in the top 2 pretty much all last season and the atmosphere was embarrassingly shit.

Time to accept that it's gone and it's never coming back. I wouldn't even be confident of it being decent the next time we play Wednesday.
 
Everyone slags off the new grounds but the atmosphere at Coventry, Derby, Stoke, Sunderland etc. where they put vocal home fans right next to the away fans works.

They did the same at Burnley last season.

For some reason it’s only BDTBL where we need a 400 mile gap between opposing fans in case something kicks off. Everyone else seems to manage a line of stewards and entrances/exits next to each other.
 
Houston_Blade said:
Everyone slags off the new grounds but the atmosphere at Coventry, Derby, Stoke, Sunderland etc. where they put vocal home fans right next to the away fans works.

They did the same at Burnley last season.

For some reason it’s only BDTBL where we need a 400 mile gap between opposing fans in case something kicks off. Everyone else seems to manage a line of stewards and entrances/exits next to each other.
Click to expand...

Where would you put them at BDTBL then? Only solution would be giving away a third of the South Stand...

And our fans wouldn't go in the BLLT as the view is shit....
 

FredZeppelin said:
It's pretty difficult to generate an atmosphere when half the crowd are leaving their seats early as the team are being thumped and thoroughly humiliated most home games. That is, if the fans are turning up at all looking at the empty seats at the start of last Sunday's match.

I don't know about anyone else but I think in recent weeks - and especially on Sunday - this season is changing me for the worse for the first time in 40-odd years of supporting the Blades. I'm usually a pretty level-headed bloke who doesn't take the football 'too' seriously provided I feel the required effort has been put in, we haven't been cheated, or no one has acted like a knobhead sat around me. On Sunday I changed.

Walking to the ground I got really angry at a few BHA fans who were acting like cocks. I honestly felt like smacking one of them at one point, I admit it. That really isn't me. During the game I got annoyed at some of the idiots sat around me who couldn't understand "why we weren't like Brighton". I left at 0-4 and then took some of the anger home with me. I never do this.

As a result I've decided to stay away from now on. I feel humiliated at home games due to the fact that we just aren't even competitive and I refuse to take away that frustration and let it affect other people. I don't expect us to win lots of games this season but I also don't expect us to be smashed on the field and feel like leaving the stadium at half time.

Maybe other people are feeling the same and staying away. No one can possibly expect a positive atmosphere this season due to the complete surrender most weeks at BDTBL. There is an atmosphere though. It's a horrible, resigned and frustrating one, tinged with potential nastiness and a feeling of being let down.

utb
Click to expand...
Can completely agree with all of the above. I packed it in for this season a few home games ago, wouldn’t normally let a football match annoy me to the point of taking it home but after some of the matches this season I’ve struggled to get out of that pissed off state of mind. Seen my Dad do when I was younger and there’s no way I’m being a prick to others throughout the week over football.
 
Torrix1889 said:
Where would you put them at BDTBL then? Only solution would be giving away a third of the South Stand...

And our fans wouldn't go in the BLLT as the view is shit....
Click to expand...
This is part of the issue, the away fans have to go where they are because it’s shit and no self respecting Blade would want to go there.

Stadiums like ours are now not conducive to creating a good atmosphere.
 
Nelson1889 said:
It's really not a hard equation to work out

Team is playing shit/doesn't put any effort in to look even half respectable = atmosphere is shit

Team plays well/looks like they'd die for the badge = atmosphere is great.

Twirling a few scarfs about like a bunch of twats isn't going to make fuck all difference until the team give us something to shout about.
Click to expand...
That, unfortunately, is a big part of the problem. That people believe this line of argument.

Taking this attitude, it logically results in the conclusion that the fans have no agency. That they are incapable of acting independently of the team.

My other team, whose games I am able to attend, haven't won a game since the middle of November. They were 2-0 down in 12 minutes at the weekend and that's how the game finished. The atmosphere, however, was still great. At no point did the fans stop singing/twirling scarves/waving flags, etc. It's fairly obvious evidence if any was needed, that the fans are able to make a decision on their own behaviour independently of how the team is performing.

Arguably, the only thing that we (as in Blades) can come out of this season with is that as fans, we don't give up. It doesn't require being delusional, just that irrespective of what is happening on the pitch, I am going to give my largely irrelevant all for the team. I'd say it is more impressive to see a set of fans continue to give their all when a team is down than because the team is 'sing-when-you're-winning performing well.

And then you get into the structural obstacles for individuals to take action without being told to sit-darn-shurrup and safe-standing in unassigned sectors is an obvious answer.
 
I came away on Sunday totally deflated. Was going to bin off S24SU and just insulate myself from all the disappointment.
As they say it's the hope that kills you.
I walked to the ground quite optimistic we might have turned a corner at Luton away, and thinking we could get a result v Brighton. Maybe a narrow win, maybe a draw.
15 minutes in I was giving the ref and VAR absolute dog's abuse when they first booked then sent off Holgate for my team for what I genuinely thought was an innocuous tackle. Then when our goal just before HT was disallowed I was apoplectic. Both decisions ultimately looked correct. Why do I care so much? I just do.
Then going home I'm thinking I can't do this anymore. Do the players even care? I think they do but just make mistake after mistake.
Bogle and Larouchi? Jeez your prime job is stopping crosses. They never get near. Cross after cross after cross comes in from both sides. Then Robbo, Anel, Trusty. WTAF. Your job is to head the fucking ball away anywhere if crosses do get in the box. That's 3 of you, and you lose out to the lone attacker every bastard time. Fucking spineless. What's up with you?
Ok there were some lucky deflections here and there but our defence has absolutely no desire to protect our goal.
So I've avoided spending hours on here while I recover some composure but trying my patience these fuckers are.
Hope Wilder gets stuck into them and if they won't respond gets rid of them all and starts again with a complete revamp of the defensive lineup.
I know we miss Baldock, RND, Bash and Eggs to a degree but at best only one of those are the future at their ages.
Rant over. Therapeutic? No not really but I've got it off my chest at least.
 
Last edited:
BarcaBlade said:
That, unfortunately, is a big part of the problem. That people believe this line of argument.

Taking this attitude, it logically results in the conclusion that the fans have no agency. That they are incapable of acting independently of the team.

My other team, whose games I am able to attend, haven't won a game since the middle of November. They were 2-0 down in 12 minutes at the weekend and that's how the game finished. The atmosphere, however, was still great. At no point did the fans stop singing/twirling scarves/waving flags, etc. It's fairly obvious evidence if any was needed, that the fans are able to make a decision on their own behaviour independently of how the team is performing.

Arguably, the only thing that we (as in Blades) can come out of this season with is that as fans, we don't give up. It doesn't require being delusional, just that irrespective of what is happening on the pitch, I am going to give my largely irrelevant all for the team. I'd say it is more impressive to see a set of fans continue to give their all when a team is down than because the team is 'sing-when-you're-winning performing well.

And then you get into the structural obstacles for individuals to take action without being told to sit-darn-shurrup and safe-standing in unassigned sectors is an obvious answer.
Click to expand...
Was that Bohemians vs Plzen by any chance??? I was there too, stood on the terrace braving the elements. The singing is orchestrated by a guy with a megaphone and three drummers who never let up. But winning, drawing or losing it doesn't matter, the chanting and noise remains the same. I went to the away game vs Hradec the week before and the atmosphere from the Bohemians fans was incredible - banners, flags, all wearing green and white, pyros the lot. But it was again led by a guy on his megaphone starting all the chants.

Would we want that at the Lane? Drummers? Megaphones? Or is it at least better than silence and apathy?
 
PragueBlade said:
Was that Bohemians vs Plzen by any chance??? I was there too, stood on the terrace braving the elements. The singing is orchestrated by a guy with a megaphone and three drummers who never let up. But winning, drawing or losing it doesn't matter, the chanting and noise remains the same. I went to the away game vs Hradec the week before and the atmosphere from the Bohemians fans was incredible - banners, flags, all wearing green and white, pyros the lot. But it was again led by a guy on his megaphone starting all the chants.

Would we want that at the Lane? Drummers? Megaphones? Or is it at least better than silence and apathy?
Click to expand...
Yep - that's the one.

The guy who leads the 'choral' is basically the third person in that position over the past 20 years that I've been going. Initially, there wasn't the podium for the leader/drummers, that has arrived and expanded in more recent seasons.

I've mentioned before that a big problem in the UK game is that perhaps English fans would struggle to 'take orders'. They're as likely to start having a go at the person leading the singing as to join in. But I guess I'm acclimatised and it just makes sense.

The job of the leader of the 'choral' isn't just to start songs, but also to pick up from the crowd which song is coming next, to sense one section of the crowd starting something and to make sure it transmits to the rest. I sounds like Palace have moved in this direction and fair play to them.
 
Any attempt to do anything at all to improve the atmosphere at Bramall Lane is met with derision and piss taking from fellow supporters and no help whatsoever from the club.

The people that used to generate the atmosphere 20 years ago are all older now and no longer care for it. Yet they still occupy the same crucial areas to get anything going.

Essentially the lane has become a retirement home
 
Atmosphere has gone atm due to a season long pathetic attempt at premiership survival, thats what it was always going to be the minute we were promoted, clueless or injured under Hecky, now after a couple of game under Wilder we're heading the same way, if Arsenal tank us I can almost see the stadium being half empty for the remaining games. I go home not even thinking of football now, not even when Newcastle tanked us, just drve home feeling nothing , there's no ambitiion in the club, no money in the kitty, and then reappointing a man who left after a disastrous spell last time was the last straw, and to think he's in charge next year of recruitment and game plan ,jeez, his whole recruitment evolves around championship reserves at best, surprised he hasn't mentioned John Swift and Jed Wallace before now, sorry but we need new blood in the boardroom and management, think possitive instead of moaning at refs, var etc, media see him and therefore us as dirty little northerners who they're not interested in, he's dumbing down the club, get someone with ambition in, then the atmosphere will come back, you never know,someone might buy us!. Sorry, rant over, but I guess it's getting to me
 
bladesmanluke said:
Any attempt to do anything at all to improve the atmosphere at Bramall Lane is met with derision and piss taking from fellow supporters and no help whatsoever from the club.

The people that used to generate the atmosphere 20 years ago are all older now and no longer care for it. Yet they still occupy the same crucial areas to get anything going.

Essentially the lane has become a retirement home
Click to expand...
Think this is harsh-

Bramall Lane still rocks - just needs something to ignite it, being down to 10 men on Sunday was a massive dampener; but last year there were lots of times the place was jumping.

Fair play to Brighton - they certainly sang their hearts out- but they had plenty to get themselves roused.

Don't need Drums/ Klaxons or Flares - just need something anything to get it going. WE go ahead against Arsenal (if only) and this thread will be a whole lot different.
 
vas borbokis said:
Bogle and Larouchi? Jeez your prime job is stopping crosses. They never get near. Cross after cross after cross comes in from both sides. Then Robbo, Anel, Trusty. WTAF. Your job is to head the fucking ball away anywhere if crosses do get in the box. That's 3 of you, and you lose out to the lone attacker every bastard time. Fucking spineless. What's up with you?
Click to expand...

I mean you can make the argument that the centre backs did not do a good job of clearing crosses, not going to counter that, but let's at least try to be logical here - they were playing with one striker, who in terms of aerial presence isn't Traore but he isn't exactly Andy Carroll either, and we were playing with three centre backs. They were also playing with two wingers who were arguably the best players they had on the pitch. Them chucking crosses into an area where we have a huge numerical advantage, particularly if we are able to limit the quality of the cross, is exactly what we should be wanting them to do. What we don't want them to do is to be able to take on our wing backs because they have lost defensive discipline, and allow Mitoma/Adingra to race into the box (both of whom clearly have the skill and quality to easily take on and beat defenders), and either take a shot on themselves or be in a spot where they can tee a team mate up very easily. It's exactly the same principle as why good teams do not listen to fans shouting "shooooooooooot" any time a player gets within 40 yards of goal, because shooting there is low percentage bullshit which just gives up possession 99% of the time
 
VAR has killed atmosphere at all premier league grounds. Pointless getting up to celebrate when three minutes later the goal is ruled out.
the same applies to fouls or any incident which used to generate a response from the crowd as it is likely to be curtailed by Var.

the game as entertainment and subsequently something which generates crowd enthusiasm is unfortunately being eroded.
 

Berkshire Blade said:
we were kicked in the bollocks before the season began. We were doomed from day one. 2019 we had a "we are back and will enjoy regardless" attitude this year only the deranged thought we stood a chance
Click to expand...
Momentum and a used to winning mentality oh those days
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

Back
Top Bottom