Etihad Atmosphere - 2022/23

[Didsbury Dave]

Not knocking you. All good ideas. If you offered half price season tickets to the fans in the singing section which is officially Block 115, you’d get plenty of people who stand in 115 but don’t sing applying for those half price season tickets, which is pretty pointless if we all want a new and larger singing section full of singers. You’d also piss a lot of singers off in 114, 116, 117, 111, 110 and 109 who wouldn’t be eligible for a half price season ticket as they aren’t officially in the singing section.

One of the ways the club could weed out the singers from the non-singers and insure singers fill a new singing section in the expanded North stand is by pushing a new singing section constantly on the OS, via emails, via social media. having info stands on the concourses on match days at the back of SSL1, 111, 110, the family stand, SSL3, etc, with City staff talking to the fans, getting them to sign up to relocate by taking their names and supporters number, sending club officials to OSC meetings, etc. The club will have 3 years to do this before the expanded North stand opens.

City need to speak to the Rags and find out how they created their successful singing section. No shame in that. Then they need to see if that or some thing similar could be implemented at City, even if it means tweaking it.

A bit dated, but an interesting read, Q&A, about United fans and United worked together to create a new singing section, which has since grown (1500 United fans?) and is located between the main stand and the Stretford End.

Jonathan Shrager talks to SEF’s Andrew Kilduff, better known as ‘Tufty’, about the second singing section trial and more generally about the group’s work.

The club have been very refreshing in their approach to the singing section and welcoming our ideas and input. I think they realise that something has to be done, and the weight of various fan groups behind Fans United also helped them buy into the idea. We have spent almost two years talking to the club, with the outcome being two trials so far this season. The club is also keen for this to be led by the fans, taking on board our ideas and suggestions. We also stated that the acoustics within the stadium don’t help the atmosphere and the club commissioned a study into this. It is the result of this study that has led to the trials.

The story behind Old Trafford's singing section

Formed in 2005, Stretford End Flags (SEF) is an independent supporters group, which was initially set up to provide the banners that adorn the front of the Stretford End. The group has since branched out, often organising mosaics at Old Trafford and elsewhere, and is at the forefront of the...

www.sportskeeda.com

When I say that first refusal should be offered to the existing singing areas I mean all the areas which are currently railed seating. That’s probably about 3000 fans or more at a guess

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Not knocking you. All good ideas. If you offered half price season tickets to the fans in the singing section which is officially Block 115, you’d get plenty of people who stand in 115 but don’t sing applying for those half price season tickets, which is pretty pointless if we all want a new and larger singing section full of singers. You’d also piss a lot of singers off in 114, 116, 117, 111, 110 and 109 who wouldn’t be eligible for a half price season ticket as they aren’t officially in the singing section.

One of the ways the club could weed out the singers from the non-singers and insure singers fill a new singing section in the expanded North stand is by pushing a new singing section constantly on the OS, via emails, via social media. having info stands on the concourses on match days at the back of SSL1, 111, 110, the family stand, SSL3, etc, with City staff talking to the fans, getting them to sign up to relocate by taking their names and supporters number, sending club officials to OSC meetings, etc. The club will have 3 years to do this before the expanded North stand opens.

City need to speak to the Rags and find out how they created their successful singing section. No shame in that. Then they need to see if that or some thing similar could be implemented at City, even if it means tweaking it.

A bit dated, but an interesting read, Q&A, about United fans and United worked together to create a new singing section, which has since grown (1500 United fans?) and is located between the main stand and the Stretford End.

Jonathan Shrager talks to SEF’s Andrew Kilduff, better known as ‘Tufty’, about the second singing section trial and more generally about the group’s work.

The club have been very refreshing in their approach to the singing section and welcoming our ideas and input. I think they realise that something has to be done, and the weight of various fan groups behind Fans United also helped them buy into the idea. We have spent almost two years talking to the club, with the outcome being two trials so far this season. The club is also keen for this to be led by the fans, taking on board our ideas and suggestions. We also stated that the acoustics within the stadium don’t help the atmosphere and the club commissioned a study into this. It is the result of this study that has led to the trials.

The story behind Old Trafford's singing section

Formed in 2005, Stretford End Flags (SEF) is an independent supporters group, which was initially set up to provide the banners that adorn the front of the Stretford End. The group has since branched out, often organising mosaics at Old Trafford and elsewhere, and is at the forefront of the...

www.sportskeeda.com

That’s an interesting read, particularly this bit which is EXACTLY what a few of us on here keep saying:

“For the Sociedad trial we tested the L-stand area, which is usually home to the away supporters. This area worked well, however it was felt that South Stand didn’t really join in and that the area also didn’t allow United chants to flow upwards to the upper tier due to the location of the section. For the next singing section trial against Fulham on February 9th we will be using the other quadrant where North Stand meets East Stand – the old J and K Stand areas. This section should allow all of East Stand upper and lower to join in with the singing and for those in North Stand to also join in. With the roof of North stand also trapping the noise we feel that this will improve the atmosphere and volume within of Old Trafford”.

Their acoustic experts notes that songs don’t “flow upwards”. Our ground is even worse because of the high roof and its angle. And our situation is much worse because songs can’t “flow” through away supporters so only “flow” one way. That brings us back to crowd psychology: people will sing if those around do. It takes a pissed up or unself conscious to stand up on their own in a block and join in with a song being sung 100 yards away.

 

[JOGAMIGMOG]

At City we have always had the singers next to the away fans and that will never change. If you’re wanting the singers to relocate to a new home end in the NS then you’re wasting your time. At the Swamp their singers have always been too shit scared to go anywhere near the away section. Same too for Liverpool. Probably because they know they’d get rinsed for being JCL foreigner types.

 

[jrb]

When I say that first refusal should be offered to the existing singing areas I mean all the areas which are currently railed seating. That’s probably about 3000 fans or more at a guess

OK.

But the problem is identifying singers and people who only want a cheaper season ticket.

The club has to find a way of targeting fans who want to move to a new North stand singing section because they want to sing. Offering season ticket incentives doesn’t guarantee that, even though cheaper season tickets are a good idea. TBH I doubt the club would even consider that. There has only been 1 season ticket freeze in 11 years, never mind a season ticket price reduction.

 

[Eric Hitchmough]

At City we have always had the singers next to the away fans and that will never change. If you’re wanting the singers to relocate to a new home end in the NS then you’re wasting your time. At the Swamp their singers have always been too shit scared to go anywhere near the away section. Same too for Liverpool. Probably because they know they’d get rinsed for being JCL foreigner types.

The Rags’ singing section is right next to the away fans now isn’t it?

 

[JOGAMIGMOG]

The Rags’ singing section is right next to the away fans now isn’t it?

No it’s at the corner of the Stretford End and Main Stand

 

[Eric Hitchmough]

No it’s at the corner of the Stretford End and Main Stand

Ah right okay

 

[jrb]

That’s an interesting read, particularly this bit which is EXACTLY what a few of us on here keep saying:

“For the Sociedad trial we tested the L-stand area, which is usually home to the away supporters. This area worked well, however it was felt that South Stand didn’t really join in and that the area also didn’t allow United chants to flow upwards to the upper tier due to the location of the section. For the next singing section trial against Fulham on February 9th we will be using the other quadrant where North Stand meets East Stand – the old J and K Stand areas. This section should allow all of East Stand upper and lower to join in with the singing and for those in North Stand to also join in. With the roof of North stand also trapping the noise we feel that this will improve the atmosphere and volume within of Old Trafford”.

Their acoustic experts notes that songs don’t “flow upwards”. Our ground is even worse because of the high roof and its angle. And our situation is much worse because songs can’t “flow” through away supporters so only “flow” one way. That brings us back to crowd psychology: people will sing if those around do. It takes a pissed up or unself conscious to stand up on their own in a block and join in with a song being sung 100 yards away.

Singing section at the top and the back of the stand with a low flat roof above.



Some of you will cringe at this letter. Only just see the picture of the letter myself. But it worked and probably wasn’t needed again.

Fans United, a collaboration of Manchester United supporters groups and Fanzines, were keen for those sat in the new singing section to set an example to the rest of the stadium and improve the atmosphere at Old Trafford.

2013.

In the letter, fans were urged to 'make it a night to remember' and told: 'You know why you're here. To make a difference, to make Old Trafford better.'

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Singing section at the top and the back of the stand with a low flat roof above.

View attachment 65180

Some of you will cringe at this letter. Only just see the picture of the letter myself. But it worked and probably wasn’t needed again.

Fans United, a collaboration of Manchester United supporters groups and Fanzines, were keen for those sat in the new singing section to set an example to the rest of the stadium and improve the atmosphere at Old Trafford.

In the letter, fans were urged to 'make it a night to remember' and told: 'You know why you're here. To make a difference, to make Old Trafford better.'

View attachment 65179I

I hate to say it but they’ve always had better organized fan groups than us. Ours tend to end up falling out with each other. City fans are perhaps a bit more individually minded.

 

[jrb]

I hate to say it but they’ve always had better organized fan groups than us. Ours tend to end up falling out with each other. City fans are perhaps a bit more individually minded.

True.

Similar to the Dippers.

We’ve got fan groups. They need to come together on this. So do the OSC branches. There’s quite a few young lads in the Branch I’m in. Always loud and boisterous at away games.