I went to that final too, and yes it was a fantastic atmosphere. I was much younger then though and a trip to Wembley wasn't the norm for us then. You are probably right with the fan mentality comment. I went to the replay too, on a supporters coach that appeared to contain the world's supply of drunks. I arrived home at an ungodly hour heartbroken and then had to go into college for my geography A level mock. I can't have told my parents about the exam as I certainly wouldn't have let my 17 old son do the same thing, so yes mentality, maybe it's that.
im going to sound like a stick in the mud here but the club do a lot to help with the atmosphere, i couldnt ask for more support off them in doing the displays. The guys from the club that work with us at 1894 do more than a lot of fans. Of course you get to the top of the tree and they dont quite understand fans and will care more about revenue in, but that is their role.
I know after reading this some might think well cheap tickets / beer in seats / KO times and other pointers, i have a list as long as my arm of things that p****s me off about the modern game. But im still there belting songs out, getting to the ground 2 hours before KO and leaving half hour after. I wouldnt expect people to be as daft as me, but i think the singers in the stadium have to make more effort, group together, put phones down, get behind the team.
A few posts today have got it right in that we have changed how we view football, it is almost like some fans are sat in their arm chair watching the game.
One interesting comparison of todays fans to 70s & 80s. Take Wembley for example, apart from taking flags down there it has little appeal to me, the atmosphere is terrible. I went to 1981 fa cup Vs spurs, the noise in the there half hour before KO was better than any game at wembley ive been to when the game is being played. During the game in 1981 it was loud, seriously loud, the whole 25k in that end holding scarves up, bringing 100's of home made banners to the game, it was a sea of blue for 90 mins. Im not going to accept for one minute that the stadium at that time was old style, the attitude of fans overall was different.
Yes, I went to the replay and remember it was a great atmosphere as were the QFand replay and semi final. I was 16 and all those games left an impression, often which kept me going through the bad days or as I like to call it, “the Phil Neal nightmare” But the point about those games is that they were all EVENTS. And that’s what’s great atmosphere can create, it helps make the game an event. The other very good point people have made is that we can all see City every game on TV if we want and, coupled with the prices, it tends to take the magical aspect away, especially for younger people. We all know that there is a quid pro quo between success and losing the soul out of football and despite the great efforts of some fans perhaps that old style atmosphere will be forever list. All seaters definitely don’t help either. But tomorrow is a massive EVENT for us, PL or no PL, I just hope the fans who go can back the team with a wall of sound and it turns out a momentous win. It just takes the will to do it.
