Etihad Atmosphere - 2022/23

[Deleted member 77198]

The EPL is no where near the best haha

At our best we are by far the best. It’s not even contest!

No drum lead atmosphere anywhere beats proper English atmosphere like this:



Or Anfield at its best, or Elland Road over the last two years (it was fucking wild there on Saturday!), or Newcastle in the last year (especially when they beat Arsenal late last season)…

Palace at their best don’t come close.

Copenhagen fans were very enthusiastic a few weeks ago, but they aren’t as good as English atmospheres when we’re at our best.

We just aren’t as consistent as the Europop stuff.

Leeds last week:

(some fantastic footage of the Leeds fans on this video, the sort of thing I’ve mentioned about filing our fans but not from smartphones of fans in the stand, getting a proper camera filming fans from the back or foot of stands).

Newcastle v Arsenal:


Ours above^ proper atmospheres that are as intertwined with the game as the football itself.

 

[SJT]

It was rocking for Fulham - we should be behind more often ;-)

 

[Deleted member 77198]

It was rocking for Fulham - we should be behind more often ;-)

I always hope for a shit ref and an opposition team who are up for it because we’re mint in the stands when that happens.

 

[jrb]

Have you ever posted a video of City fans singing mate?

I get the impression that a lot of people who go to City these days are not interested in City fans, City songs and City fan culture. They want to be part of something that is not part of North West football culture at all. I always think that City United Everton and Liverpool have got strong enough fan cultures that we don’t need to copy the Ultras shite.

It’d be great if this thread would throw the fucking ‘Ultra’ (even that word is stupid!) shit in the bin and get interested in City fans, City songs and City fan culture. If we actually started getting interested in City and not some fucking Croydon or German band dweebs acting like trolls standing under bridges all the time and filming themselves going ‘oooah oah oh oh ooooooah ooh oah oah’ like it’s something unique and special… it’s fucking boring! The reason clubs turn to it is because they haven’t got a culture within their fanbase to be proud of and want to take forward into the future.

We’ve got 128 years of fan history. People are acting like that must now end and we have to adopt the cheesy Europop bollocks just because Palace and Arsenal are… fucking Cockneys who - like the Europeans - haven’t got an ounce of cool in them.

Don’t copy others. Be original. Stick to our own fan culture, make up our own chants, sing our original songs, have pride in what we’ve done well in the past instead of constantly ignoring it and pretending it’s never happened and never highlighting it. Be brave enough that we can still have great original proper football fan culture in this country enough not to get a drum involved just because stripey Nigel and his daft dozen mates who all wear black t-shirts and all live at home with their Mams in South London have a few songs that some people seem to think are impressive when there are more fans singing in the away end than their whole home parts of their stadium.

We are City, Manchester City Football Club. 128 years old. We have great atmospheres at times and great chants about our club that don’t need anything else doing to them other than sing them more and maybe make some others up that use the word ‘City’.

Someone saying to me, ‘we should adopt the Ultras style’ is the equivalent of saying we should adopt this and put it into our fan culture:


It doesn’t suit people from the North West. Between just the two cities of Manchester and Liverpool we’ve produced more good bands and modern music culture than every city in mainland Europe put together. That’s why they’ve got no fucking style and all do the same shite in football stadiums. They’ve got no originality or uniqueness… that’s why Cockneys are copying them because those Southern softies are the same!

You also wouldn’t catch Leeds or Newcastle fans pining for this shit. Two sets of fans with great atmospheres who sing all their proper old schools chants and haven’t felt the need to divert from that and try and be something they’re not.

The answer to your first question is yes.

Then I stopped reading your post after ‘Ultra shites’. Mind made up! I’m sure the rest of your post was good.

You’ll have noticed I’ve tried to play devils advocate in my posts, acknowledging our traditional English support, whilst trying to highlight the benefits of Ultra support in comparison. I’ve tried not to make out one type of support is better than the other, but to try and show that both types of support can work together given the right mix.

Rather than banging my head against the brick wall on the matter I’m going to wait for the North stand expansion, a proper singing section, and to see what ideas the club and the fans can come up for the singing section. In the meantime I’ll carry on supporting City the traditional English way, led by the highs and lows of the game, noise and quiet, and the constant arguments and disagreements about our home support on here. Our vocal away support is great.

 

[Edghill OG]

It was rocking for Fulham - we should be behind more often ;-)

We weren't behind on Saturday. It's definitely an issue though. We generally dominate games and losing the 'same old city' ability to make a hash of the most promising positions in games. Even when we go behind I think most of the stadium believe we will turn it round. Those of a more tender age the worst they've seen us finish is 4th and consider it a catastrophic year whereas to a lot of us 4th from bottom was almost an acceptable season.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

The answer to your first question is yes.

Then I stopped reading your post after ‘Ultra shites’. Mind made up! I’m sure the rest of your post was good.

You’ll have noticed I’ve tried to play devils advocate in my posts, acknowledging our traditional English support, whilst trying to highlight the benefits of Ultra support in comparison. I’ve tried not to make out one type of support is better than the other, but to try and show that both types of support can work together given the right mix.

Rather than banging my head against the brick wall on the matter, I’m going to wait for the North stand expansion, a proper singing section, and to see what ideas the club and the fans can come up for the singing section. In the meantime I’ll carry on supporting City the traditional English way, led by the highs and lows of the game, noise and quiet, and the constant arguments and disagreements about our home support on here. Our vocal away support is great.

My mind has been made up about the ultras shite for years and years. It is shite.

I’ve never found it impressive, I’ve never wanted it, it’s plastic as fuck on the whole, it’s not part of our culture (our fan culture is strong enough not to have it or need it, leave it to the English fans with a lack of fan culture who need to copy it because they haven’t got their own identity as a set of fans… have you ever wondered why United Liverpool Everton Leeds Newcastle etc. never seem to be pining for it?) and apart from the odd sets of fans it’s monotonously boring and repetitive (and that’s coming from someone who likes techno!).

We don’t need to work it together into our own style, we just need to do our style better like on our good days. Like the second half on Saturday. Our home vocal support is great when we sing the right songs at the right times and get the stadium singing songs it likes to sing… Newcastle Liverpool Villa Bournemouth Forest United Fulham(second half) home games all in the last six months have been great.

Our good atmospheres show that it’s not about a singing section. The singing section often hampers the stadium-wide atmosphere for the lesser games by singing songs the rest of the ground don’t join in with, and often aren’t the main instigators of the atmospheres when we’re at our best in the big games because the whole ground takes care of itself for those or follows SSL3 when they sing the classics.

Anytime we have a bit of a shit day like Brighton or the CL nights this season, ultras shite gets brought up and people seem to forget all the good atmospheres we’ve had of late.

 

[jamielowndes]

Our good atmospheres show that it’s not about a singing section. The singing section often hampers the stadium-wide atmosphere for the lesser games by singing songs the rest of the ground don’t join in with, and often aren’t the main instigators of the atmospheres when we’re at our best in the big games because the whole ground takes care of itself for those or follows SSL3 when they sing the classics.

Anytime we have a bit of a shit day like Brighton or the CL nights this season, ultras shite gets brought up and people seem to forget all the good atmospheres we’ve had of late.

Agree completely. Give me organic reaction to what's going on over pre organised overly regimented singing every day of the week.

 

[jrb]

My mind has been made up about the ultras shite for years and years. It is shite.

I’ve never found it impressive, I’ve never wanted it, it’s plastic as fuck on the whole, it’s not part of our culture (our fan culture is strong enough not to have it or need it, leave it to the English fans with a lack of fan culture who need to copy it because they haven’t got their own identity as a set of fans… have you ever wondered why United Liverpool Everton Leeds Newcastle etc. never seem to be pining for it?) and apart from the odd sets of fans it’s monotonously boring and repetitive (and that’s coming from someone who likes techno!).

We don’t need to work it together into our own style, we just need to do our style better like on our good days. Like the second half on Saturday. Our home vocal support is great when we sing the right songs at the right times and get the stadium singing songs it likes to sing… Newcastle Liverpool Villa Bournemouth Forest United Fulham(second half) home games all in the last six months have been great.

Our good atmospheres show that it’s not about a singing section. The singing section often hampers the stadium-wide atmosphere for the lesser games by singing songs the rest of the ground don’t join in with, and often aren’t the main instigators of the atmospheres when we’re at our best in the big games because the whole ground takes care of itself for those or follows SSL3 when they sing the classics.

Anytime we have a bit of a shit day like Brighton or the CL nights this season, ultras shite gets brought up and people seem to forget all the good atmospheres we’ve had of late.

If you think it’s sh*te you’re entitled to your opinion.

 

[MCFCOK2305]

The answer to your first question is yes.

Then I stopped reading your post after ‘Ultra shites’. Mind made up! I’m sure the rest of your post was good.

You’ll have noticed I’ve tried to play devils advocate in my posts, acknowledging our traditional English support, whilst trying to highlight the benefits of Ultra support in comparison. I’ve tried not to make out one type of support is better than the other, but to try and show that both types of support can work together given the right mix.

Rather than banging my head against the brick wall on the matter I’m going to wait for the North stand expansion, a proper singing section, and to see what ideas the club and the fans can come up for the singing section. In the meantime I’ll carry on supporting City the traditional English way, led by the highs and lows of the game, noise and quiet, and the constant arguments and disagreements about our home support on here. Our vocal away support is great.

Thing is if City create a big singing section in the North Stand i dont think it will be any louder than what we currently have in the South stand. What makes the south stand fans loud are the away fans driving them on!

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Thing is if City create a big singing section in the North Stand i dont think it will be any louder than what we currently have in the South stand. What makes the south stand fans loud are the away fans driving them on!

I don’t believe that at all. Often loud and persistent away fans stop the two singing areas from hearing each other or being heard and they give up.

The key to any signing section is a low roof. They missed an open goal with the south stand development but could try again at the other side athough they’ll have to incentivise relocation for a lot of people.

 

[StrutterBlue]

I don’t believe that at all. Often loud and persistent away fans stop the two singing areas from hearing each other or being heard and they give up.

The key to any signing section is a low roof. They missed an open goal with the south stand development but could try again at the other side athough they’ll have to incentivise relocation for a lot of people.

This, in most grounds the away fans are normally at the opposite end of the ground to the more vocal supporters at clubs

For example:
The holte end
The victims kop
The stenchford end
The shed end
Etc etc

 

[jrb]

Thing is if City create a big singing section in the North Stand i dont think it will be any louder than what we currently have in the South stand. What makes the south stand fans loud are the away fans driving them on!

We won’t know until it happens. We’ve not had a proper home/end stand since leaving Maine Road for the Etihad.

Liverpool, United, Everton, Arsenal, Spurs, Wolves, Newcastle, Chelsea, Leeds, Brentford, Fulham, Villa, Forest, etc all have proper home ends at the other end of the stadium from the away fans. Stand corrected. Only City in the PL have 2 singing sections either side of the away fans at the same end. Down the line we might end up with a proper home end in the NS and a continued singing section next to the the away fans in the South stand? (United have a singing section between the main stand and the Stretford End, singers in the Stretford End, and singers in the K Stand next to the away fans)

 

[jrb]

I don’t believe that at all. Often loud and persistent away fans stop the two singing areas from hearing each other or being heard and they give up.

The key to any signing section is a low roof. They missed an open goal with the south stand development but could try again at the other side athough they’ll have to incentivise relocation for a lot of people.

If City do create another singing section in the North stand after the expansion, I’d like to see the club vet fans who want to go in there. How they would do that is the problem. Another relocation similar to 115 is a waste of time. We’ll just end up with fans who want to sing and fans who don’t want to sing once again in a new singing section.

Maybe a ballot to get into the singing section? Maybe give a larger percentage of the singing section over to males aged 16-30? A general email questionnaire about a new singing section taking into account the answered questions and feedback. I appreciate people can lie. A few open days to gauge interest and to take names, supporter details, etc. City only have to get 500-1000 interested City fans to fill 1 or 2 blocks. At least time and blocks of empty safe standing seats are on the clubs side to get it right for a final time to create a proper singing section at the Etihad.


Good night. :-)

 

[Didsbury Dave]

If City do create another singing section in the North stand after the expansion, I’d like to see the club vet fans who want to go in there. How they would do that is the problem. Another relocation similar to 115 is a waste of time. We’ll just end up with fans who want to sing and fans who don’t want to sing once again in a new singing section.

Maybe a ballot to get into the singing section? Maybe give a larger percentage of the singing section over to males aged 16-30? A general email questionnaire about a new singing section taking into account the answered questions and feedback. I appreciate people can lie. A few open days to gauge interest and to take names, supporter details, etc. City only have to get 500-1000 interested City fans to fill 1 or 2 blocks. At least time and blocks of empty safe standing seats are on the clubs side to get it right for a final time to create a proper singing section at the Etihad.


Good night. :-)

Allocate the new top tier of the north stand as a singing/atmosphere area.
Clad the roof in a sound reflecting material
Allow banners to hang off it.
Market it heavily as "The New Kippax". Get everyone talking about it in advance.
Make some kind of bar system that caters for lots of pints in a quick time. Maybe even cheap beers before the game.
Offer the 1894 group a block together in the middle towards the back.
Give first refusal on season tickets to those in the existing singing areas AT HALF PRICE.
Have some kind of marketing campaign to attract back the Maine Road blues who've been priced out,
Offer the rest of the tickets as the cheapest in the stadium with a guarantee they will remain the cheapest.

It's all about City being proactive and loud about this. Once it's established, people will come. It's fine that some vocal fans will stay near the away fans. They will join in anyway and make the sound fill the bowl.

 

[celf]

The EPL doesn't even have the best atmosphere in England.

Ok

 

[Man_City_Loyal]

My mind has been made up about the ultras shite for years and years. It is shite.

I’ve never found it impressive, I’ve never wanted it, it’s plastic as fuck on the whole, it’s not part of our culture (our fan culture is strong enough not to have it or need it, leave it to the English fans with a lack of fan culture who need to copy it because they haven’t got their own identity as a set of fans… have you ever wondered why United Liverpool Everton Leeds Newcastle etc. never seem to be pining for it?) and apart from the odd sets of fans it’s monotonously boring and repetitive (and that’s coming from someone who likes techno!).

We don’t need to work it together into our own style, we just need to do our style better like on our good days. Like the second half on Saturday. Our home vocal support is great when we sing the right songs at the right times and get the stadium singing songs it likes to sing… Newcastle Liverpool Villa Bournemouth Forest United Fulham(second half) home games all in the last six months have been great.

Our good atmospheres show that it’s not about a singing section. The singing section often hampers the stadium-wide atmosphere for the lesser games by singing songs the rest of the ground don’t join in with, and often aren’t the main instigators of the atmospheres when we’re at our best in the big games because the whole ground takes care of itself for those or follows SSL3 when they sing the classics.

Anytime we have a bit of a shit day like Brighton or the CL nights this season, ultras shite gets brought up and people seem to forget all the good atmospheres we’ve had of late.

United and Liverpool have organized singing groups who actually sit together in the stand and are finally creating an atmosphere (United mostly)

We pushed the club to sort something out, had a section sorted out and we still have majority of games where its quiet, or its the same old sings about players who left years ago.

the songs start and then it just filters out into nothing as the rest dont want to join.

PLus we already have some form of the ultra aspect to the games, with the Tifos/flags

 

[celf]

if it works and used properly with the atmosphere then why not?

Not for me mate, noise pollution, save it for the music halls and marches.

 

[Man_City_Loyal]

If City do create another singing section in the North stand after the expansion, I’d like to see the club vet fans who want to go in there. How they would do that is the problem. Another relocation similar to 115 is a waste of time. We’ll just end up with fans who want to sing and fans who don’t want to sing once again in a new singing section.

Maybe a ballot to get into the singing section? Maybe give a larger percentage of the singing section over to males aged 16-30? A general email questionnaire about a new singing section taking into account the answered questions and feedback. I appreciate people can lie. A few open days to gauge interest and to take names, supporter details, etc. City only have to get 500-1000 interested City fans to fill 1 or 2 blocks. At least time and blocks of empty safe standing seats are on the clubs side to get it right for a final time to create a proper singing section at the Etihad.


Good night. :-)

you already know like I do it will be full of those not interested in singing. like the fans who go in SS level 1 and moan about the standing

 

[Man_City_Loyal]

Not for me mate, noise pollution, save it for the music halls and marches.

Looks like we can sit in silence then.

Il start taking my headphones and listen to a gig

 

[Didsbury Dave]

United and Liverpool have organized singing groups who actually sit together in the stand and are finally creating an atmosphere (United mostly)

We pushed the club to sort something out, had a section sorted out and we still have majority of games where its quiet, or its the same old sings about players who left years ago.

the songs start and then it just filters out into nothing as the rest dont want to join.

PLus we already have some form of the ultra aspect to the games, with the Tifos/flags

Because the singing area basically has no roof the songs which start there tend to be the clap clap clap clap looooong ones which will eventually catch on around that area but nowhere else. If you get a few singers under a roof with vocal people on both sides you'll get much better results because the songs will spread.

Its' still not going to be spine-tingling against Fulham or Brentford but it would be noticeably better. The stadium needs one voice and one leader. The South Stand lower tier can't be it. It's basically like trying to put your Kop on an open terrace. Anyone who went in the old days knows you never get any noise on an open away end.