Bring the Noise

[Ardwick Green Blue]

Flat as fuck today in the normally noisy SS3. Villa fans all over us even before the mass evacuation.

We can't hear a thing from anywhere else in the ground.

Just fucking sing, you dont need anyone else in the ground to start it, i looked up several times today to ss3 and EVERYONE was sat down ?

That was my point. SS3 can't see or hear anything from the rest of SS so it does its own thing. Normally I'd say it's the best part of the stadium for atmosphere but yesterday it was flat.

 

[Keith Lemon]

Chelsea game will be good
United game even better

It’s just as simple as most aren’t gonna get a hard on about villa at home 1230

 

[manchester blue]

I’ve said it many times and I don’t think it’s going to change, but I’m still going to continue to say it; but you couldn’t put the Singing Section in a worse place in the ground if you tried.

And it’s too small. There are National League (and even National League North/South) grounds with bigger vocal stands than what we have in that couple of blocks in SSL1.

So unless it’s a big game and the rest of the ground are up for it, the Singing Section is too isolated next to the away fans and next to the Colin Bell, and too small in numbers to make any sort of consistent impact on the atmosphere at the Etihad.

Then what doesn’t help is that the poor lads who are always singing in the Singing Section are surrounded by statues with their arms folded not singing at all. YOU’RE IN THE SINGING SECTION - SING!

Our Singing Section is like putting an iPhone speaker next to a giant gig speaker with the way many away fans are up for it in the away section.

And then the rest of the ground are a fucking joke unless it’s a big game. Many just turn up, sit down and go home without doing anything at all to contribute to the occasion. They aren’t supporters, they’re just spectators.

The general trend of the atmosphere is getting worse as well. I also blame the club for the constant price hikes as we see long standing fans dropping away from our support every year. I’d love to know the number of different fans we have now compared to the start of this decade. But it’s not just that, it’s that the Manchester City Football Club fans are becoming ever increasingly apathetic!

When fans used to sing “your support is fucking shit” I used to give it the old “aaaaaaaaahh, wankers” at them, now I’m nodding at them and saying “yep!”

Just excuses mate. Small numbers of away fans constantly out-sing the singing section at City as you say. They're the fans who need to get it started. If only the 1894 lads join in and the rest don't then it's not going to spread.

 

[franksinatra]

I’ve said it many times and I don’t think it’s going to change, but I’m still going to continue to say it; but you couldn’t put the Singing Section in a worse place in the ground if you tried.

And it’s too small. There are National League (and even National League North/South) grounds with bigger vocal stands than what we have in that couple of blocks in SSL1.

So unless it’s a big game and the rest of the ground are up for it, the Singing Section is too isolated next to the away fans and next to the Colin Bell, and too small in numbers to make any sort of consistent impact on the atmosphere at the Etihad.

Then what doesn’t help is that the poor lads who are always singing in the Singing Section are surrounded by statues with their arms folded not singing at all. YOU’RE IN THE SINGING SECTION - SING!

Our Singing Section is like putting an iPhone speaker next to a giant gig speaker with the way many away fans are up for it in the away section.

And then the rest of the ground are a fucking joke unless it’s a big game. Many just turn up, sit down and go home without doing anything at all to contribute to the occasion. They aren’t supporters, they’re just spectators.

The general trend of the atmosphere is getting worse as well. I also blame the club for the constant price hikes as we see long standing fans dropping away from our support every year. I’d love to know the number of different fans we have now compared to the start of this decade. But it’s not just that, it’s that the Manchester City Football Club fans are becoming ever increasingly apathetic!

When fans used to sing “your support is fucking shit” I used to give it the old “aaaaaaaaahh, wankers” at them, now I’m nodding at them and saying “yep!”

I actually think the problem, in relation to atmosphere, if were honest could be because we have longstanding fans who have grown old together. We have not got the new, young fans to pick up the baton from previous generations.

Our support age profile has changed, late 90s our crowd was full if 18-30 year olds, who started following City on the back of the success in the late 70s and those 18 year olds with nothing to worry about than following City, going on the beer, chanting at the matches are still going but were now 40/50 year old with more pressing matters like kids/mortgages, job/money worries. It changes how you behave at the match.

I think that is whats happened at City. The guys from the latest 90s, when City had the best support bar none, are still going but the way we behave has changed. Loads near me are top top blues, who have gone since the 70s/80s but now their match experience is leaving early, going down to the bar 10 mins before and returning 10 mins late. I could never criticise these guys as they have done the hard yards and many are bigger blues than me but it is not conductive to a great atmosphere.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Churn rate on seasoncards is very low. Something like 2%. My block is 100% seasoncard only. I know that all the seasoncard holders who sit around me are long-standing blues who go back to Maine Rd.

I share your frustration too, but I also recall Maine Rd. There's always been games like yesterday in every era. Not really sure that there is a general change going on. After all Atalanta were loud as were Villa.

2% is around 5000 different fans over a decade. And if half of them were people who would sing that’s the away section sized number of fans who could combat the noise made by the away fans.

But I’m surprised that it’s only 10% over the decade. I know over two dozen people who’ve given up their seasoncards. Mainly because of price increases.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

I actually think the problem, in relation to atmosphere, if were honest could be because we have longstanding fans who have grown old together. We have not got the new, young fans to pick up the baton from previous generations.

Over time for many your support changes. As a fanatical 18 year old with nothing to worry about and City being the most important aspect of your life you become a cynical 40/50 year old with more pressing matters like kids/mortgages, job/money worries.

I think that is whats happened at City. The guys from the latest 90s, when City had the best support bar none, are still going but the way we behave has changed. Loads near me are top top blues, who have gone since the 70s/80s but now their match experience is leaving early, going down to the bar 10 mins before and returning 10 mins late. I could never criticise these guys as they have done the hard yards and many are bigger blues than me but it is not conductive to a great atmosphere.

Good point. We do have a lot of older fans.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

2% is around 5000 different fans over a decade. And if half of them were people who would sing that’s the away section sized number of fans who could combat the noise made by the away fans.

But I’m surprised that it’s only 10% over the decade. I know over two dozen people who’ve given up their seasoncards. Mainly because of price increases.

I think it was closer to 10 percent after 2012 (and the Aguero goal) when a lot of long standing Blues thought that was as good as things could ever get.

 

[jrb]

There’s got to be close to 2000 fans in SSL1, up to the corner flag. Block 115 holds in the region of 500 fans. We’ve probably got up to 50 fans who try to get songs going on a regular basis. It’s not difficult to do the maths, and to see why we aren’t creating an atmosphere from SSL1 and the official singing section.

Can’t wait for Tuesday night against Southampton in the League Cup. Should be a cracking atmosphere. :-/

I watched the highlights of Schalke v Bayern last night. Schalke have a similar sized lower stand/tier to SSL1.

It was packed with Schalke fans from side to side, top to bottom, all signing, and many constantly waving flags. I appreciate the flag waving would piss people off over here. But there must have been about 2000 fans in that section of the ground who were signing and supporting the team. I know it won’t ever happen bar the big games, but can you imagine 2000 City fans constantly singing and supporting the team in SSL1. You wouldn’t hear they away fans.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

There’s got to be close to 2000 fans in SSL1, up to the corner flag. Block 115 holds in the region of 500 fans. We’ve probably got up to 50 fans who try to get songs going on a regular basis. It’s not difficult to do the maths, and to see why we aren’t creating an atmosphere from SSL1 and the official singing section.

Can’t wait for Tuesday night against Southampton in the League Cup. Should be a cracking atmosphere. :-/

I watched the highlights of Schalke v Bayern last night. Schalke have a similar sized lower stand/tier to SSL1.

It was packed with Schalke fans from side to side, top to bottom, all signing, and many constantly waving flags. I appreciate the flag waving would piss people off over here. But there must have been about 2000 fans in that section of the ground who were signing and supporting the team. I know it won’t ever happen bar the big games, but can you imagine 2000 City fans constantly singing and supporting the team in SSL1. You wouldn’t hear they away fans.

Spot on JRB

 

[PabloM]

Just excuses mate. Small numbers of away fans constantly out-sing the singing section at City as you say. They're the fans who need to get it started. If only the 1894 lads join in and the rest don't then it's not going to spread.

It doesnt help that those guys sing obscure, in-joke songs most of the time that noone else either knows or is interested in joining in with. They also actively sing against other songs that are generated rather than joining in.

In addition, most of their songs are just reactionary, copycat songs singing our version of the tune the away fans are singing. There's no creativity or humour, it's just embarrassing.