Etihad Atmosphere - 2022/23

[plattlanebenches]

The bottom line is other than the high profile games where something is on the line the home vocal support isn’t all that. Having a bigger 2nd tier in the north stand will not magically make our version of the yellow wall appear. It was exactly the same at Maine road. The away support is great but unless all those relocate to one area the atmosphere will remain the same. Tottenham have a one tier end and it makes absolutely no difference to the old WHL. It’s the way it is in English football, away support is generally louder than the home.

 

[LEXSTARproject]

Other clubs are now moving on forward with ultra fans with drums etc, just look at Arsenal not known for their atmosphere, even Bournemouth.

ttps://twitter.com/sportbible/status/1607473972379267072?s=61&t=ivltLVCsXNZ75MwyUJ_atg

City really needs to sort of atmosphere at the ground, easy solution is to make the North Stand the new home end, with loads of different supporters' sections coming together to form a union of supporters clubs.

The PA guy is trying his best yesterday with his Haaland and Benardo's

 

[jrb]

The bottom line is other than the high profile games where something is on the line the home vocal support isn’t all that. Having a bigger 2nd tier in the north stand will not magically make our version of the yellow wall appear. It was exactly the same at Maine road. The away support is great but unless all those relocate to one area the atmosphere will remain the same. Tottenham have a one tier end and it makes absolutely no difference to the old WHL. It’s the way it is in English football, away support is generally louder than the home.

There’s one fundamental thing about the yellow wall. Lets call them ‘singers’ instead of ‘Ultras’, as that word scares a few posters on here. There is a large group of singers placed strategically in the yellow wall. They are located above the front of the stand, and in the centre of the stand. That is their area. Nobody else is allowed to go in there. That’s where the chants start from and ripple out across the yellow wall. It’s takes a nucleus of singers to get other fans around them singing.

As it our singers are mostly located at the back of 115, or were before being moved on, behind the disabled section, under the concrete overhang, as well as being scattered across SSL1, 111 and 110. A complete and utter mess. The difference between both setups is night and day.

We will never replicate the yellow wall. I fully accept that. It’s a totally different setup and mindset in Germany when it comes to singing and supporting your team for the whole of the match. But we can with the help of the club(that’s the important bit!), create our own version of the blue wall(arf!), if level 2 of the expanded North stand was large enough, and if a block at the front and centre of level 2 was given over to (500) singers. But for some thing like that to happen the club would have to buy into it 100%, which I don’t think they will do. In fact, they won’t do.



We’ll see what the club have proposed when they reveal the plans for the North stand expansion.

 

[Prophet of Doom]

It would appear you have missed the point with regards to the complaint of ticket prices for the Spurs game (deliberately or otherwise I’m not sure). It is one example of an upcoming game used to illustrate a wider point that the club are pricing out local working class and young supporters from attending. Whilst this continues there is no point in having a discussion around atmosphere because it won’t change.

Is it too much to expect the 40,000 season ticket holders Do we have to wait the 80-odd years left on the stadium lease before we can build a new one?

Nuclear option obviously, but sometimes feels like best bet is starting from scratch, with a proper plan for singing sections etc, good acoustics, and somewhere with satisfactory transport links while we’re at it!

And no, I don’t blame the current atmosphere purely on acoustics. There is a long list of factors.

Good grief !!! Now the suggestions are to build a new stadium !!

A new stadium will be filled with the same people that were sat in silence yesterday

Other clubs are now moving on forward with ultra fans with drums etc, just look at Arsenal not known for their atmosphere, even Bournemouth.

ttps://twitter.com/sportbible/status/1607473972379267072?s=61&t=ivltLVCsXNZ75MwyUJ_atg

City really needs to sort of atmosphere at the ground, easy solution is to make the North Stand the new home end, with loads of different supporters' sections coming together to form a union of supporters clubs.

The PA guy is trying his best yesterday with his Haaland and Benardo's

’Union of supporters clubs’ !!!! Haha

I think this thread has just jumped the shark.

 

[Blue Floyd]

Is it too much to expect the 40,000 season ticket holders Do we have to wait the 80-odd years left on the stadium lease before we can build a new one?

Good grief !!! Now the suggestions are to build a new stadium !!

A new stadium will be filled with the same people that were sat in silence yesterday

’Union of supporters clubs’ !!!! Haha

I think this thread has just jumped the shark.

CITY BOOM BOOM BOOM CITY BOOM BOOM BOOM
Think I'd rather dance round Moss side in the 70's with NF on me forehead

 

[blue b4 the moon]

one of the lads i know had some smoke bombs ready to let off but was 'advised' by a steward not too as there was bit more of a focus on south stand yesterday due to what went on last week.

I know its not everyones cup of tea but imo it does help the atmosphere and if done correct in certain sections it would't cause any issues.

think city are trying there best to sanitise it even further, emails before every home game telling you what you can and can't do, report any offensive chanting etc.. (one persons take on offensive is someones else's 'just banter' ) so bit of a grey area.

won't be too much longer until the whole of the 2nd tier is corporate with different levels of packages. (like Wembley) maybe why the push for 3rd tier north stand expansion so they can boot legacy fans out of their prime seats and charge 3x as much.

Smoke bomb's just get into people's throats & cause breathing issues for some (not me).

I often have a croaky voice after the game from singing/shouting etc so I'm certainly no killjoy but SB's are shite.

I do agree on most of your post.

 

[Eric Hitchmough]

Is it too much to expect the 40,000 season ticket holders Do we have to wait the 80-odd years left on the stadium lease before we can build a new one?

Good grief !!! Now the suggestions are to build a new stadium !!

A new stadium will be filled with the same people that were sat in silence yesterday

’Union of supporters clubs’ !!!! Haha

I think this thread has just jumped the shark.

Nope, didn’t suggest we do it, and mitigated it with the description ‘nuclear option’. I was interested in the remaining length of the lease, and exploring the potential benefits of starting from scratch.

What are your positive solutions out of interest?

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Is it too much to expect the 40,000 season ticket holders Do we have to wait the 80-odd years left on the stadium lease before we can build a new one?

Good grief !!! Now the suggestions are to build a new stadium !!

A new stadium will be filled with the same people that were sat in silence yesterday

’Union of supporters clubs’ !!!! Haha

I think this thread has just jumped the shark.

It’s Supporters Club groups who travel in on coaches together to Dortmund, who make most of the noise on the Yellow Wall. I thought a know it all like you would be aware of that.

Do you have any solutions or suggested improvements of your own. Yes, a new ground is far fetched but what are your suggestions for improving the atmosphere.

 

[Betterdeedthan red]

Other clubs are now moving on forward with ultra fans with drums etc, just look at Arsenal not known for their atmosphere, even Bournemouth.

ttps://twitter.com/sportbible/status/1607473972379267072?s=61&t=ivltLVCsXNZ75MwyUJ_atg

City really needs to sort of atmosphere at the ground, easy solution is to make the North Stand the new home end, with loads of different supporters' sections coming together to form a union of supporters clubs.

The PA guy is trying his best yesterday with his Haaland and Benardo's

Against Everton I was surrounded by tourists

 

[blue44]

To me
all this thread is mostly people that desparately want the atmos to improve,me too.
But its just simple really,our support just isn't arsed and passionate to get involved in most games anymore,its as simple as that.Nothing is going to change that.

 

[red 2 hats]

To me
all this thread is mostly people that desparately want the atmos to improve,me too.
But its just simple really,our support just isn't arsed and passionate to get involved in most games anymore,its as simple as that.Nothing is going to change that.

Spot on.
We've become sanitised to fuck, not enough people sing or make a noise, on the rare occasion the fans are up for it, the atmosphere can be alright, but doesn't happen enough.
Look at the noise some opposition fans make, especially in European matches, non stop singing, so we can't blame the acoustics.
Our away support is up there with the best, most home clubs have similar issues with atmosphere, think we're head and shoulders above every one else in respect of early leavers, but that's a different topic.

 

[Stevieatlasblue]

It is weird. But it’s not even about just singing. Singing is only a small part of an atmosphere, the major part of an atmosphere is when fans give it all the ‘GO ON’s, ‘COME ON’s, ‘FUCK OFF’s, ‘YYYEEESSS!’s ‘BOOOOO!’s and ‘AAAAAAHHHH’s.

Yesterday - similarly against Brentford - it was 1-1 late in both games and City were shit and sort of trying to get a winner but playing very slowly and negatively for us, constantly going backwards… but while half a dozen of us were giving it the ‘COME ON CITY, WE NEED TO WIN THIS!’ and just getting on our feet and clapping while bellowing ‘COOOOOOOOOME OOOOOOOOOOOOON’ every time a fresh attack looked like starting… hundreds of people around us were just sat there, utterly emotionless. They weren’t contributing anything to get behind the team whatsoever.

Most of our songs are player songs or celebratory songs or songs that take the piss out of ourselves and aren’t the kind of songs that would get the whole stadium singing to get the team going when we aren’t playing well or aren’t winning, so we kind of struggle in terms of songs in games like yesterday as we lack proper City songs… but there’s no excuse for not joining in with the general atmosphere and the peaks and troughs of the game.

I hear you bro.. hundreds of people sat there emotionless..these guys I don’t get.I’m just telling you in my post for how it was back then. Folk all around me in the Kippax used to jump on me starting songs. It was so easy to do. No effort whatsoever. If I heard someone starting something I’d jump on there’s with a few hundred others. I wasn’t at the Liverpool game so I can’t really comment but seen some you tube clips of their fans and what I heard was them jumping in songs. Can’t stand them like most in here but if they’re creating atmosphere then fair play to em.. not sure the answer is .. I think Didsbury Dave alluded to all singers 3rd tier to sort our atmosphere out.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

Spot on.
We've become sanitised to fuck, not enough people sing or make a noise, on the rare occasion the fans are up for it, the atmosphere can be alright, but doesn't happen enough.
Look at the noise some opposition fans make, especially in European matches, non stop singing, so we can't blame the acoustics.
Our away support is up there with the best, most home clubs have similar issues with atmosphere, think we're head and shoulders above every one else in respect of early leavers, but that's a different topic.

It’s difficult to compare European support to ours. When dortmund come over for example, it’s mainly large groups of young lads all stood together and singing. They are organised as well. Imagine if we had that. Like we used to.

 

[Jazzyblue]

It is weird. But it’s not even about just singing. Singing is only a small part of an atmosphere, the major part of an atmosphere is when fans give it all the ‘GO ON’s, ‘COME ON’s, ‘FUCK OFF’s, ‘YYYEEESSS!’s ‘BOOOOO!’s and ‘AAAAAAHHHH’s… but there’s no excuse for not joining in with the general atmosphere and the peaks and troughs of the game.

Exactly this. I like a sing, not everyone does, fair enough. But to go to a football match and to sit there passively, to not want to raise your voice at all...that's much harder to get.

But I do not blame tourists. There simply aren't enough for them to change the atmosphere - they take the lead from what they see around them.

Ours is just a fanbase where large numbers of ST holders have got more inhibited as they've got older, one where the uninhibited people who go are unable to sit together in large enough groups to make an impact beyond our little area of the ground.

Plus, it's England...it's not unusual these days in this country to go to a club or a festival, that's playing DANCE music, and to look around at a load of people nodding their heads, off their faces, and not actually...dancing. Or look at Glastonbury on the telly and half the time you just see a load of kids hemmed in, not moving, not cheering, just passive in a way you would never see at an R&B night in a million years.

Back on topic, the club gets a lot of things right but I suspect this just will not be a priority until the lack of atmos in large chunks of the ground starts to interfere with how they want us to perceived by the non-legacy fanbase. I quite like the razzmatazz they've put in around the game to give fans a proper day out FWIW...but noise is fundamental, it's adrenaline...and live football is all about adrenaline, no good having all the frills if you're neglecting the basic atmos.

 

[Bluesince1979]

Ask me a year ago and id have told you if have stopped going if some **** started banging a drum but to be honest id be happy if an ‘ultra’ group organised stuff , including a drum, just to get it going.

Not sure how it works for other clubs though. Do they allow a group to take over a small section, moving others away from their season tickets to accomodate?

Just watched a bit of the old firm and the rangers ultras are grouped together in a corner. That must have been planned for them to be grouped together so

I think there are multi issues with our crappy atmosphere but its not all on us fans. I dont think the club give a flying fuck and dont go out of their way for the fans. In fact, i think they show us a lot of contempt, on many levels

 

[LEXSTARproject]

Is it too much to expect the 40,000 season ticket holders Do we have to wait the 80-odd years left on the stadium lease before we can build a new one?

Good grief !!! Now the suggestions are to build a new stadium !!

A new stadium will be filled with the same people that were sat in silence yesterday

’Union of supporters clubs’ !!!! Haha

I think this thread has just jumped the shark.

@jrb is right, the PC brigade is out , oooo Ultra's we can't have that, oooo we cant have banging a drum oooo the noise it is a football stadium there is supposed to be noise

Prophet of doom you are so spot there!

"A new stadium will be filled with the same people that sat in silence yesterday"

Every club around is embracing Ultra fans, Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Rangers, Celtic the list is endless



The ultra fans is not the ultra that break in training grounds in Italy

We talking about fans who march to the stadium banking a drum, make TIFOs have megaphones try and encourage other parts of the stadium to make noise



Here is a video of ultra fans

The football culture in this country is now changing with new stadium designs, safe-standing sections and the introduction of capo stands



Looks like CITY are going to get left behind if they don't embrace change

 

[PPT]

To me
all this thread is mostly people that desparately want the atmos to improve,me too.
But its just simple really,our support just isn't arsed and passionate to get involved in most games anymore,its as simple as that.Nothing is going to change that.

But when did we lose our passion and why?
Some people on here may not like it but for me it has happened since the takeover. Kicking lifelong match going fans out of their seats to shoehorn in a few more corporate seats. Those fans who sat together, sang together, cheered together are now not going anymore or are dispersed all over the stadium. The relentless increase in ticket prices has driven out a lot of hardcore fans and will continue to do so. The clubs disneyfication of stadium and its cringeworthy pre and halftime match day ‘entertainment’. The idea that you have to have a ‘match day experience’ (whatever that is) as to just attending the game and supporting the team. The club have to take a significant slice of the responsibility for what the Etihad has become on match days which is a sanitised, homogenised, flat, family day out experience. And as I have said previously, regardless of what they say the club don’t give a fuck as long as the pound notes keep rolling in. They actually give more thought and consideration to the away fans than they do us. It’s just to easy to blame the fans and say they don’t sing, shout and support the team when the environment has been deliberately designed to ensure it’s extremely difficult for them to be heard. You reap what you sow and we are now experiencing the harvest of the focus on corporate money. Until that changes, and I don’t believe it ever will, the atmosphere on match days (with the exception of the United & Liverpool games) will simply continue to get worse. We won the lottery with the Sheik rocking up - we all know that and I for one will always be eternally grateful for what he has done. But there is always a price to be paid and this is part of it unfortunately.

 

[MrCheeseGrater]

Not sure how it works for other clubs though. Do they allow a group to take over a small section, moving others away from their season tickets to accomodate?

That's why it would be a perfect opportunity when the North Stand is extended, how ever that will be done, to do this as nobody will have to worry about moving long term season ticket holders being forced out of their seats.

 

[Jazzyblue]

But when did we lose our passion and why?
Some people on here may not like it but for me it has happened since the takeover. Kicking lifelong match going fans out of their seats to shoehorn in a few more corporate seats. Those fans who sat together, sang together, cheered together are now not going anymore or are dispersed all over the stadium. The relentless increase in ticket prices has driven out a lot of hardcore fans and will continue to do so. The clubs disneyfication of stadium and its cringeworthy pre and halftime match day ‘entertainment’. The idea that you have to have a ‘match day experience’ (whatever that is) as to just attending the game and supporting the team. The club have to take a significant slice of the responsibility for what the Etihad has become on match days which is a sanitised, homogenised, flat, family day out experience. And as I have said previously, regardless of what they say the club don’t give a fuck as long as the pound notes keep rolling in. They actually give more thought and consideration to the away fans than they do us.

I hear what you're saying, but if the club doesn't appeal to families it will die. It's got two ways of doing this - either being cheap, which it won't/I'm sure they would say can't do - or by making people with young ones feel like they've got value for their ticket. A young family with children born after the takeover would be lucky to get four STs together these days, so for mum, dad and two kids you're talking £200 for the day out, tickets, food, transport. I'm guessing City either know they have to bulk out the day with some razzmatazz to justify that, or are packaging the game a particular way for the non-legacy fan who has a massive choice of distractions. My kids are old school and just come for the footy but in this day and age some will want more, and with what I'm paying, if it's laid on I'll enjoy it. But agree, the club does have to work harder on the balance. Nothing wrong with being family friendly and safe but not at the expense of everything that makes matchgoing what it is.

 

[John Wayne]

But when did we lose our passion and why?
Some people on here may not like it but for me it has happened since the takeover. Kicking lifelong match going fans out of their seats to shoehorn in a few more corporate seats. Those fans who sat together, sang together, cheered together are now not going anymore or are dispersed all over the stadium. The relentless increase in ticket prices has driven out a lot of hardcore fans and will continue to do so. The clubs disneyfication of stadium and its cringeworthy pre and halftime match day ‘entertainment’. The idea that you have to have a ‘match day experience’ (whatever that is) as to just attending the game and supporting the team. The club have to take a significant slice of the responsibility for what the Etihad has become on match days which is a sanitised, homogenised, flat, family day out experience. And as I have said previously, regardless of what they say the club don’t give a fuck as long as the pound notes keep rolling in. They actually give more thought and consideration to the away fans than they do us. It’s just to easy to blame the fans and say they don’t sing, shout and support the team when the environment has been deliberately designed to ensure it’s extremely difficult for them to be heard. You reap what you sow and we are now experiencing the harvest of the focus on corporate money. Until that changes, and I don’t believe it ever will, the atmosphere on match days (with the exception of the United & Liverpool games) will simply continue to get worse. We won the lottery with the Sheik rocking up - we all know that and I for one will always be eternally grateful for what he has done. But there is always a price to be paid and this is part of it unfortunately.

Pretty much all of that is spot on.

There is no single reason as to why the atmosphere has worsened over the years, but it does appear to be the case for most clubs.

Where City haven't helped themselves is with the turfing of a lot of Platt Lane old boys from the North Stand back in 2010. Having a whole end for families is just a bad idea.

Sometimes too, you just have to admit that prolonged success brings about more blasé attitudes.

It appears to be a demographic issue at the club. There simply aren't enough young fans in a concentrated part of the ground to whip things up. It used to be the case that CL nights were quieter, but the knockout games with a more cosmopolitan support seems to generate a better atmosphere.

Two years ago I'd have said no to an ultras group but I've now changed my mind. We need a better atmosphere and if that involves orchestration then so be it. We had a drummer at Hyde Road so it's not without precedent.