Etihad Atmosphere - 2021/22

jrb said:
The club gave over Block 115 for a new singing section. My memory is a bit vague on how it all unfolded though. Trev will know. Fans were asked to move in there, but the response wasn’t great from what I remember. Those fans that did move into 115 were a mixture of people who wanted to sing as much as they could, sometimes, or not at all.(why move into 115 then?) We’ve ended up with a singing section that isn’t a really singing section.

There are a few issues.
1. We have an ageing fan base.
2. We have a fan base that doesn’t really want or like change regardless of the positives.
3. We have a growing younger fan base, late teens, twenties, early thirties, who prefer drinking on the concourse, having a laugh, staying with their mates, and doing some recreational activities. ;-) (party time)

I’ve always thought the club could have done much more to create a better and proper singing section.(club officials reading this sigh) Yes, the club gave over block 115, and pushed the singing section to an extent, but I don’t think at the time they were really committed about it about one way or another. They probably had bigger issues at the time. That’s not to say the club in conjunction with 1894 and the OSC branches didn’t try to fill 115. Whatever happened, it clearly didn’t work for some reason. Maybe it needs to be revisited again in the near future?

To this day we’re still left with scattered singers in 116, 115, 114, 111, 110, 109. Unfortunately those singers are mixed in with people who only sing after a goal, or don’t want to sing at all.(not having a pop at them) Until all those singers in those blocks are brought together, and they make the effort to come together in 1 block, nothing will change at the Etihad.

United.

United have worked much more closely with their various fan groups over a long length of time to create a proper singing section, which is located in the top corner, under the roof, between the main stand and the Stretford End. United encouraged fans through various channels to apply to go into the singing section. It was over subscribed. United also encouraged fans who didn’t want to sing and didn’t want to remain in the new and proposed singing section to relocate to another part of the stadium. United also have a much younger fan base with many in their late teens, twenties, and early thirties. The different United fan groups are more structured, work more closely together, and work with the club more.

United's new singing section holds 2000 fans. As you can see from the pictures the vast majority of United fans in the singing section are male, young and vocal. The type of fan you you’d associate with a proper singing section. TBH I don’t like giving United fans any credit, but the United fans that have moved into and filled their singing section have improved the atmosphere at Old Trafford.

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No denying that United's singing section were singing throughout the game when we played there the other week but I thought overall the whole of OT wasn't as vocal as it has been in the past.

I'm at the back on 117/118 and I don't really have much intention to move from there one because I've been there for over 10 years and (on the whole) like the people around me but secondly I think that we do alright at getting songs going from time to time that carry round the corner to the Colin Bell Stand, and if it goes a bit flat in 114/115 (as it will do) it's good to have another section try and start songs - I know where I stand you're not going to get more "fringe" shall we say songs going but people will generally join in with the classics.
 
True_Blue69 said:
We have haven't we? Extended South Lower and made it an official singing section, just the ones in 111 didn't move.

Ive always been of the opinion that the season card holders are the most important fans, but am starting to change my mind. Maybe we need more members tickets available and reduce the number of season ticket holders.
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Not sure how to reduce season tickets tho? Maybe when people give a ticket up dont re sell as a season ticket
 
marcus said:
I was there and it was quiet.

the singing section was having a bash but at times the stadium was silent but for people talking amongst themselves
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I have to take my share of the blame. I had a serious hangover and coupled with the weather it was sending me under. Even the delightful lager at half time couldn’t spruce me up
 
Not sure why yesterday has generated this much conversation. It was about par for a cold, early afternoon Sunday kick off in a ground that some of us had been to three times in a week. Which isn't to say it was good, but it was about what I expected.
 
True_Blue69 said:
We have haven't we? Extended South Lower and made it an official singing section, just the ones in 111 didn't move.

Ive always been of the opinion that the season card holders are the most important fans, but am starting to change my mind. Maybe we need more members tickets available and reduce the number of season ticket holders.
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there’s is a big difference in champions league games and cup games. Large groups of young lads are going. Those same groups you never see at prem matches. They help reduce the age and create noise.
Our average season ticket holder age is quite old and I think people go out of habit, not because they enjoy it
 
A few points:

1 - Yesterday was quite quiet, but it was also loud on occasions when we got going. It wasn't the worst atmosphere we've had and I'd say it was quite good given the weather, opposition, game itself, KO time etc.

2 - The atmosphere vs PSG was brilliant and got about 2 pages worth of comments. It's interesting that people come on here to moan when we're poor in the stands, but don't say much when we're great.

3 - Our repertoire of songs isn't brilliant. We need new ones, but we've struggled to get any decent ones going. We need something that the whole ground can join in with - so that means slower, repetitive, simple.

4 - The North Stand L1 should not be a family stand. It often feels like we (the south stand) are singing constantly and nothing comes back the other way. We're the 'singing section' so we're expected to lead, but the whole ground should be a singing section!

5 - The atmosphere has been much improved in general this season. I think rail seating has undoubtedly helped.

6 - The videos of Legia, Dortmund and Ajax fans are brilliant. I love flares and smoke bombs, but there's not a chance in hell I'd do one because I couldn't be doing with the ban/being arrested for it. You can't say 'We should do pyro' if you're not willing to do it and face the repercussions yourself.
 
I'm in Colin Bell Level 3, and thought we were quiet for the first 25-30 mins, then got sick of the piss-taking by WHU fans, and started giving it back.

They then went quiet and I thought the atmosphere was ok from that point on.

Obviously, it could be better, but I think we're beating ourselves up a bit too much about this.
 
Manchester33 said:
A few points:

1 - Yesterday was quite quiet, but it was also loud on occasions when we got going. It wasn't the worst atmosphere we've had and I'd say it was quite good given the weather, opposition, game itself, KO time etc.

2 - The atmosphere vs PSG was brilliant and got about 2 pages worth of comments. It's interesting that people come on here to moan when we're poor in the stands, but don't say much when we're great.

3 - Our repertoire of songs isn't brilliant. We need new ones, but we've struggled to get any decent ones going. We need something that the whole ground can join in with - so that means slower, repetitive, simple.

4 - The North Stand L1 should not be a family stand. It often feels like we (the south stand) are singing constantly and nothing comes back the other way. We're the 'singing section' so we're expected to lead, but the whole ground should be a singing section!

5 - The atmosphere has been much improved in general this season. I think rail seating has undoubtedly helped.

6 - The videos of Legia, Dortmund and Ajax fans are brilliant. I love flares and smoke bombs, but there's not a chance in hell I'd do one because I couldn't be doing with the ban/being arrested for it. You can't say 'We should do pyro' if you're not willing to do it and face the repercussions yourself.
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1 agreed
2 it was and i praised the atmosphere. I particularly enjoyed as all the usual old farts werent around me in cb3 and were a few younger fans so we even joined in with a bit of singing
3 the edin dzecko song should be banned. Gets on my nerves. I loved edin bit large sections moaned about him. But they now sing his name.
as you say, too fast, irrelevant and no one knows the words
Where as a slow loud SERGIO had people joining in
4 you are always going to get singing sections and non singing sections
5 agreed but i still think could be better
6 totally different fan mentality
 
At Maine Rd when things went quiet the Kippax used to sing "North Stand, North Stand, give us a song". This encouraged the North Stand to respond as they got roundly booed if they didn't and cheered when they did. Then both stands would sing "Platt Lane, Platt Lane give us a song" and so on. Even the Main Stand were roused into activity on occasion.

The competition between stands always improved the atmosphere. I think it would work these days too.
 
The point being made about boring old farts not singing means the North stand, being full of noisy enthusiastic young fans should be rocking shouldn't it? It isn't, it's as dead as a dodo.

As a slightly (cough) older fan myself who moved into the south stand some years ago as it was designated the singing stand it can be disappointing, but is a bit better this year. The three tiers don't help, so if the club want an actual proper vocal area it has to be one large non segmented stand. I've been stood next to young mid twenties lads this season due to some regulars either cancelling or deferring and they often won't sing. Perhaps singing is an old fashioned relic from years ago and not seen as cool for some?

Finally 3,000 away fans are often more vocal and sound louder than much larger home sections. This is true at almost every ground. Yesterday the rags fans totally out sung Chelsea all game. Surely if we get 3,000 like minded fans together at home like we do away this would work? Someone in the know in the singing section may be able to answer why it isn't happening. Are there 3,000 in there?
 
paulchapo said:
The point being made about boring old farts not singing means the North stand, being full of noisy enthusiastic young fans should be rocking shouldn't it? It isn't, it's as dead as a dodo.

As a slightly (cough) older fan myself who moved into the south stand some years ago as it was designated the singing stand it can be disappointing, but is a bit better this year. The three tiers don't help, so if the club want an actual proper vocal area it has to be one large non segmented stand. I've been stood next to young mid twenties lads this season due to some regulars either cancelling or deferring and they often won't sing. Perhaps singing is an old fashioned relic from years ago and not seen as cool for some?

Finally 3,000 away fans are often more vocal and sound louder than much larger home sections. This is true at almost every ground. Yesterday the rags fans totally out sung Chelsea all game. Surely if we get 3,000 like minded fans together at home like we do away this would work? Someone in the know in the singing section may be able to answer why it isn't happening. Are there 3,000 in there?
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I've said it a million times and will say it again.

There are about 800 active singers on one side of the away fans and about 1500-2000 on the other.

If they operated as one the rest of the ground would join in more.

The chance to do was when the new SS upper tier opened but they blew it. the noise would have been double from there because it is under a roof.
 
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