Singing section/Atmosphere

[Danamy]

You know what the real issue is ?

People are too engaged in watching the fantastic football we are playing, when we were shite we had nothing better to do.

That said, I don't remember the atmosphere being that fantastic under Pearce, nor under Alan Ball/Frank Clarke, or even the early part of Joe Royle.

Just about to post the same thing, I used to sing all the time during games through the years but now it's different, don't get me wrong I still have a blast now and again when the Adrenaline and beer kicks in during away games but the football being served up now has everyone's attention.

I want to watch, appreciate and cherish what i'm seeing. I want to study Silva's movement, be mesmerised by KdB sixth sense and applaud Ederson's distribution, it's different now but I wouldn't change it for the world.

 

[There is a Light]

Yep true, I felt a little sorry for him.. he looked a little deflated at the fact nobody was joining in. I commented to the fans around me "Doesn't he know we don't sing in this stadium?" I don't really know what happened to the atmosphere in the stadium, I know it was a lot better when we were going for the league under Bob - and that was with less fans in the ground. I think we've fucked up with this offering fans the incentive to move to the 3rd tier of the South Stand by making it cheaper. I was in block 116 for years and for me that was the only bit that sang properly.. now even that section appears quiet. Too many fans moved up to the third tier.. so it broke up the effective 'singing section'.

All the old theories (excuses) are going fast on 'what happened to the atmosphere'. It has to be the vast majority of supporters who either can't be arsed or don't care about the atmosphere.

Tickets too expensive - wrong, we've had plenty of low prices matches with no real improvement
Singers spread over the ground - wrong, overall the atmosphere has got worse since introduction of singing section
One end - we have three full ends which don't make a noise and when we have a full end at cup matches, no improvement
Acoustics - the noise travels just fine in the SS third tier but the atmosphere is no better
Tourists /new fans - no, the traditional fans let the atmosphere down as much if not more than anyone else
No groups of young fans - again, I see plenty of lads of all ages, no real difference
Need a good team to inspire the atmosphere - again that one's out of the window

 

[cleavers]

I want to watch, appreciate and cherish what i'm seeing. I want to study Silva's movement, be mesmerised by KdB sixth sense and applaud Ederson's distribution, it's different now but I wouldn't change it for the world.

Totally agree, and like you I still regularly join in anyway.

I get fed up with these threads, "empty seats", and "no atmosphere". Its almost like some like to crank them up for some reason....

We've never regularly filled a stadium like we do now, and when the atmosphere kicks off, its still pretty good, just like the football.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Totally agree, and like you I still regularly join in anyway.

I get fed up with these threads, "empty seats", and "no atmosphere". Its almost like some like to crank them up for some reason....

We've never regularly filled a stadium like we do now, and when the atmosphere kicks off, its still pretty good, just like the football.

That’s all good and it’s down to personal choice how people watch the game / support the team. Each to their own.

That said, if the lads don’t get enough vocal support then we are not making the most of home advantage. Pep has said as much. We usually get away with it in the League because of our superior quality but can fall short in a Champs league and some other Cup games.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

Totally agree, and like you I still regularly join in anyway.

I get fed up with these threads, "empty seats", and "no atmosphere". Its almost like some like to crank them up for some reason....

We've never regularly filled a stadium like we do now, and when the atmosphere kicks off, its still pretty good, just like the football.

its because people are fed up with the etihad being like a morgue. atmosphere is a big deal for a lot of fans, including myself and is one of the main reasons people like going. even pep himself and our players say how much of a difference it can make. i think people just want to vent there frustrations about it and try and come up with solutions on here. i think its a big deal for a lot fans.

 

[cleavers]

its because people are fed up with the etihad being like a morgue.

Maine Road often was, in fact sometimes it was positively toxic.

If you want it to be better, then sing more, and louder.

The issue with the singing section, as I've said many times on here, is its in the wrong place. In SS3 we can't hardly ever hear it , if you were up there you would be far louder, you'd have a better view, and it'd be cheaper too :-) win, win, win.

 

[There is a Light]

don't agree at all with those two points. the singers are spread all around the ground. we have a tiny singing section thats split between away fans. the south pretty much the entire time we've been at the etihad has been poor. most clubs have bigger sections swell. its makes a huge difference
i you think there are plenty of young fans ( 18-25 year olds) at the etihad than you are at a different ground- most people are middle aged- 50-60 years old.

those two things a lone would make a huge difference imo. a properly placed and big enough home end and more younger people. id agree with your point not enough people can be arsed, but all those factors do contribute to that as well.

I can only say what I see. There are plenty of lads in their late teens / early twenties who go to the match. They also put 500 singers together in the singing section. It might be better in that little area, but as a stadium as a whole not at all.

The atmosphere shouldn't have to be organised, under a roof, in one end or at the front or back of a stand. We are watching the best attacking football anywhere, and for whatever reason there is only the same old apathetic atmosphere to match it.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

Maine Road often was, in fact sometimes it was positively toxic.

If you want it to be better, then sing more, and louder.

The issue with the singing section, as I've said many times on here, is its in the wrong place. In SS3 we can't hardly ever hear it , if you were up there you would be far louder, you'd have a better view, and it'd be cheaper too :-) win, win, win.

i feel like the maine road comparison is a bit of an excuse as to why its bad now. I only went near the end of maine road, but for me it was miles better then anything we have now. yes it wasnt some cauldron of noise very game. At maine road we didnt always watch amazing football and the atmosphere was better imo then now - when we are competing for the league. we haven't come anywhere near matching it noise wise at the etihad. we had a proper singing area and didn't have acoustic problems. i sing my voice off when i go most games. some of the suggestions on here are really good imo and the discussion is good.

i agree with your other point too mate.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

I can only say what I see. There are plenty of lads in their late teens / early twenties who go to the match. They also put 500 singers together in the singing section. It might be better in that little area, but as a stadium as a whole not at all.

The atmosphere shouldn't have to be organised, under a roof, in one end or at the front or back of a stand. We are watching the best attacking football anywhere, and for whatever reason there is only the same old apathetic atmosphere to match it.

fair enough. it might just be where I'm sat. I'm in my early twenties and the vast majority of people i sit near are in there 50s +, even in cheesys videos look how old our away support is. most grounds have always had home ends or areas where the singers go. we dont really have that now ( tiny section). i think it could make a big difference. i agree with your last point.

 

[cleavers]

i feel like the maine road comparison is a bit of an excuse as to why its bad now. I only went near the end of maine road, but for me it was miles better then anything we have now. yes it wasnt some cauldron of noise very game. At maine road we weren't competing for titles/ didnt watch amazing football and the atmosphere was better imo then now when we are. we haven't come anywhere near matching it noise wise at the etihad. I reckon if we were at maine road now competing for titles it would be miles better. we had a proper singing area and didn't have acoustic problems. i sing my voice off when i go. some of the suggestions on here are really good imo and the discussion is good.

It really isn't an excuse mate, I was there for nearly 30 years before we moved, it was sometimes very good, but often it wasn't, and over the years it was often more than half empty (or worse).

We've matched and surpassed the noise many times at the Etihad, but its only in a certain type of games. The best atmosphere I've ever experienced (other than at Wembley or a very small few away games), in well over 40 years, has been at the Etihad, the United home game in 2012, not to mention the Agueroooooo moment, though that game was patchy for obvious reasons, there have been others too.

I don't romanticise about atmosphere, simply because I've been going long enough to have experienced the good the bad and the ugly, and the empty seat argument is even worse, because we regularly fill many more spaces than we ever have. Yes we've had bigger crowds in our history, but never consistently, there were maybe 2000 missing yesterday, so even if we only counted those in the stadium it was well over 50,000, as are most of our crowds, in most competitions, and I've been at LC semis with far less than against Bristol C for instance.