purplenose
Well-Known Member
Such and interesting topic this one....
Logic would tell you that in a stadium of 50k plus people the atmosphere would be electric. We would certainly have thought so back standing on the Kippax when there was an attendance of perhaps 20k against a team that perhaps didnt get the adrenaline flowing, say a match v Southampton midweek. Yet even at those games the atmosphere was much better than at a full Etihad...or for that matter any other premier league ground of today. Back in the 80s and 90s I came fairly close to doing all 90 league grounds. I can think of numerous lower league matches where the atmosphere was far better than what we have in the Premier league grounds of today.
Some blame the new stadiums and acoustics and the fact that they are all seater, all seating doesnt help but there is no reason why there could not be a great atmosphere at the Etihad.
The bottom line is its the people who go into the stadium who make the atmosphere. Back in the 70s 80s and 90s being a football supporter was about raw passion, you would scream shout sing, yes you may well swear and shout obscenities that was part and parcel of what made those atmospheres. Now if you do those things you are likely to at best have someone tell you to sit down and be quiet, at worst get nicked and served with a banning order. The kind of people who go these days are people with money in their pockets a career. More kids go its a safer enviroment. Alot more women. Is that a bad thing? No of course it isnt.....but if its atmosphere you want it certainly is.
Smaller away followings are also a big factor....remember games back in the 80s, when 10k Geordies, or Leeds would arrive, 95% blokes all singing and shouting, likewise when City took big followings to other grounds, but of course despite being a brilliant atmosphere, there were drawbacks...think i have mentioned before how thrilling it was to stand at Elland Road listening to 20k singing your going to get your fucking heads kicked in...and knowing that if you didnt keep your wits about you, you would indeed get your head kicked in.
Safe standing priced like Dortmund might help, but even then only if enthusiasm passion and emotion were allowed, and letting Saturdays ref know that it was your considered opinion that he was infact a bent cheating rag ****....without some fucking nimby reporting you for swearing and getting chucked out and a banning order.
Logic would tell you that in a stadium of 50k plus people the atmosphere would be electric. We would certainly have thought so back standing on the Kippax when there was an attendance of perhaps 20k against a team that perhaps didnt get the adrenaline flowing, say a match v Southampton midweek. Yet even at those games the atmosphere was much better than at a full Etihad...or for that matter any other premier league ground of today. Back in the 80s and 90s I came fairly close to doing all 90 league grounds. I can think of numerous lower league matches where the atmosphere was far better than what we have in the Premier league grounds of today.
Some blame the new stadiums and acoustics and the fact that they are all seater, all seating doesnt help but there is no reason why there could not be a great atmosphere at the Etihad.
The bottom line is its the people who go into the stadium who make the atmosphere. Back in the 70s 80s and 90s being a football supporter was about raw passion, you would scream shout sing, yes you may well swear and shout obscenities that was part and parcel of what made those atmospheres. Now if you do those things you are likely to at best have someone tell you to sit down and be quiet, at worst get nicked and served with a banning order. The kind of people who go these days are people with money in their pockets a career. More kids go its a safer enviroment. Alot more women. Is that a bad thing? No of course it isnt.....but if its atmosphere you want it certainly is.
Smaller away followings are also a big factor....remember games back in the 80s, when 10k Geordies, or Leeds would arrive, 95% blokes all singing and shouting, likewise when City took big followings to other grounds, but of course despite being a brilliant atmosphere, there were drawbacks...think i have mentioned before how thrilling it was to stand at Elland Road listening to 20k singing your going to get your fucking heads kicked in...and knowing that if you didnt keep your wits about you, you would indeed get your head kicked in.
Safe standing priced like Dortmund might help, but even then only if enthusiasm passion and emotion were allowed, and letting Saturdays ref know that it was your considered opinion that he was infact a bent cheating rag ****....without some fucking nimby reporting you for swearing and getting chucked out and a banning order.