North Stand Construction Discussion

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

This is where we’re going wrong.

A big problem right now is that the atmosphere is broken up over multiple tiers rather than congregated within the same area where the noise can be channeled.

There’s absolutely no point in having an expanded 2nd tier if the singers are broken up over multiple tiers. That’s exactly the same situation as we have now where we have a block is SS1 and people in SS3.

If it’s over two tiers we’ll have people in NS1 singing one song and people in NS2 singing another. It’ll be crap and a complete waste of a great opportunity.

Unfortunately it sounds like egos and a lack of knowledge, understanding or know how will kill this chance at an atmosphere.

I agree with this. If we have safe standing in level 1 north stand we won’t have a proper home end. We’ll have a huge 2nd tier where everyone will be sat down..

We need the home end to be in the 2nd tier, with safe standing in. Get all the singers into one place

The post your talking about also mentioned about Tifos being easier to make in tier 1, surely they would be miles better in across a larger stand.

 

[jrb]

I agree with this. If we have safe standing in level 1 north stand we won’t have a proper home end. We’ll have a huge 2nd tier where everyone will be sat down..

We need the home end to be in the 2nd tier, with safe standing in. Get all the singers into one place

The post your talking about also mentioned about Tifos being easier to make in tier 1, surely they would be miles better in across a larger stand.

It’s a view and opinion like many others that have been expressed throughout the thread.

The poster that posted those views and opinions does have connections at the club. He puts a lot of his own time and effort into the displays, etc. He’s well respected by the people at the club who he works with on the displays, etc.

But that doesn’t mean his views and opinions on the North stand expansion will be acted upon by the club.

I keep on saying. Until the North stand expansion proposal is made public, non of using know the actual plans for the North stand expansion. 2 tiers, a hotel, a museum, and a covered City Square are rumoured, but that’s about it, unless somebody who is really ITK is going to spill the beans before the club make the North stand proposal public.

Even then the club won’t be announcing any specifics like a singing section, season ticket prices, match day tickets prices, etc. All that is years away and will only be made public during the construction of the North stand expansion.

 

[Manchester33]

This is where we’re going wrong.

A big problem right now is that the atmosphere is broken up over multiple tiers rather than congregated within the same area where the noise can be channeled.

There’s absolutely no point in having an expanded 2nd tier if the singers are broken up over multiple tiers. That’s exactly the same situation as we have now where we have a block is SS1 and people in SS3.

If it’s over two tiers we’ll have people in NS1 singing one song and people in NS2 singing another. It’ll be crap and a complete waste of a great opportunity.

Unfortunately it sounds like egos and a lack of knowledge, understanding or know how will kill this chance at an atmosphere.

If you’re insinuating that I have an ‘ego and lack of knowledge’ you can do one! I’m posting off an anonymous account ffs!

Im just making the point that we shouldn’t limit a ‘singing section’ to a handful a blocks in one tier and pray that it makes the Etihad the most raucous ground on the planet. More of the stadium should be geared towards atmosphere. There needs to be a holistic approach that goes beyond ‘expand a stand and call it a singing section’.

You’re right that the expansion is a great opportunity to improve the atmosphere. If you feel as strongly about the atmosphere as I do, then make sure you get involved with the consultations. The club genuinely want to hear from passionate fans about the subject.

 

[Manchester33]

I agree with this. If we have safe standing in level 1 north stand we won’t have a proper home end. We’ll have a huge 2nd tier where everyone will be sat down..

We need the home end to be in the 2nd tier, with safe standing in. Get all the singers into one place

The post your talking about also mentioned about Tifos being easier to make in tier 1, surely they would be miles better in across a larger stand.

Having safe standing in NSL1 doesn’t mean seats in L2.

 

[HelloCity]

Having safe standing in NSL1 doesn’t mean seats in L2.

Surely you must realise though that splitting up the fans across tiers is an issue we have at the moment? The entire point of an extended 2nd tier is that it can bring everyone together. When you have fans split across multiple tiers you get some fans singing one song and some fans singing another. Then both tiers complain that they can’t hear each other. We’d just be swapping the south stand for the north stand.

Also, just imagine how good the banners and things would look laid out from the top to the bottom of an expanded 2nd tier. They’d look awesome.

 

[Manchester33]

Surely you must realise though that splitting up the fans across tiers is an issue we have at the moment? The entire point of an extended 2nd tier is that it can bring everyone together. When you have fans split across multiple tiers you get some fans singing one song and some fans singing another. Then both tiers complain that they can’t hear each other. We’d just be swapping the south stand for the north stand.

Also, just imagine how good the banners and things would look laid out from the top to the bottom of an expanded 2nd tier. They’d look awesome.

Lots of fans/singers simply won’t go in level 2 (want to be close to pitch). Others will want to stay next to away fans. There are singers in SSL1 and SSL3 who won’t move because they can’t be bothered or they like the people they sit round or some other excuse.

So no matter what, singers are going to remain split up. I do agree we need a section that leads the stadium, and I agree that an expanded NSL2 would be the perfect place. But we do need to be realistic. Without a holistic approach it won’t make a big enough difference.

I believe more of the stadium needs to be geared, so that crowd psychology encourages more ‘regular’ fans to be noisy. For example, more rail seating sections would help. There is no need for a labelled ‘family stand’ (there should be cheap kids tickets everywhere). We shouldn’t have corporate sections in the middle of two blocks that make all the noise etc.

Yes, banners/displays would be good in an extended NSL2. We need to ensure fans relocating to the new stand buy into that though. Even in block 115 we get people complaining if we wave flags before kick off. Again, I’d encourage you to offer your suggestions to the club when they do the fan consultations. More fans explaining that the atmosphere is important to them would make it difficult for the club to prioritise other aspirations for the extension.

 

[There is a Light]

The club need to get some real experts in to advise on this. Let’s face it, everyone got it wrong last time and it was a massive opportunity missed.

 

[Manchester33]

For what it’s worth, I’d happily move towards the back of the extended North Stand upper tier and organise (through the club) as many proper singers together to help lead the atmosphere.

I’m sure I’ll be doing this in the not too distant future.

I’ve organised around 20 singing sections for European games and trips to Wembley. I’ve recently requested permission to organise a singing section at the back of SSL3 (if the away team returns their tickets and frees up the space) to trial what type of difference the acoustics make (still waiting on the right opportunity though).

I’m not against making NSL2 the spearhead - but I’m just being realistic. Singers will ALWAYS be split up.

 

[Manchester33]

The club need to get some real experts in to advise on this. Let’s face it, everyone got it wrong last time and it was a massive opportunity missed.

‘Everyone’ didn’t get it wrong. 1894 spent months working on that relocation. The information we had prior to that relocation was:

- Security wouldn’t allow standing in level 3 (and would actively police it).

- Ticket prices would cost the same in both SSL1/SSL3 (or cheaper in SSL1).

- Flags on poles wouldn’t be permitted in upper tiers.

- Existing singers in blocks 117 onwards would remain there.

We also didn’t appreciate the difference the roof would make to the acoustics.

We had around 6/700 fans relocating to a singing section. Half of that number relocated to SSL3 when the club announced tickets were cheaper there and pulled the rug from under us!

It’s easy to look back with hindsight, but it’s not like 1894/supporters clubs made rash decisions - it was MONTHS of work including dozens of consultations with all kinds of different people.

Even though it could have gone better - the atmosphere is consistently better now thanks to the singing section in 115. I think people are deluding themselves thinking it was brilliant 10 years ago.

 

[HelloCity]

It sounds hokey but even just calling the expanded upper tier ‘The Kippax’ would make a lot of singers want to move there. It provides an instant emotional connection and people will feel good about telling others that they’re ‘in the Kippax’. You can imagine people saying ‘I wouldn’t mind moving to that new Kippax they’re building’ compared to ‘fancy moving to that new north stand?’.