StrutterBlue
Well-Known Member
This right here, is why I'm not renewing next season. We have billions at our disposal but rinse the fans and force out the diehards for tourists and family's. At the derby there was an Asian lad wearing a united shirt (under his jacket) in 109 and was waving at the rags while they were warming up, it took a steward removing him to avoid him getting his head caved in. A proper city fan would have killed for that ticket, but no doubt he got through one of the clubs sponsored packages. As much as I laughed it of on weds against Brighton I do feel the club I supported all my life isn't there anymore. I really feel were becoming g everything we mocked the rags for a couple of decades ago.Talking about the atmosphere feels like Groundhog Day for me.
It’s not acoustics.
It’s not position of singers.
It’s not the type of song.
It’s not the style of play.
It’s not the KO time.
It’s not the opposition.
It’s not nerves.
It’s not overconfidence.
These are all variables that affect every stadium whether it’s La Bombanera or Craven Cottage.
The difference between our atmosphere being brilliant and awful is down to the monetisation of us fans by the club.
We have had a decade of price rises.
Our match day tickets are extortionate.
We have vast, vast amounts of rarely occupied corporate seats. We have LED advertising boards. Adverts blaring at 150 decibels. The club don’t give a shit about the atmosphere as long as the money keeps flooding in and it shows. Fuck getting a bunch of 17/18/19 year old lads in when you can charge a family £200 + whatever they spend in the club shop and on food/drink.
The issue we have is that the club have rid our stands of the type of person who’s likely to create an atmosphere and replaced them with families/tourists/corporates. In a 55k stadium, we have around 5k fan(atic)s who will sing. The rest are purely spectators.
It’s so short sighted and as you said, it will cost us fans (and subsequently money) in the long run.
Simply put, we can organise singing sections and all sorts of incentives, but there will always be a limit on what we achieve when we’re treated as cash cows rather than supporters.