I thought the energy and the volume of our support was good. It was certainly the best of our 3 games at home in the Champions League. By contrast the Madrid fans were the quietest of the three, despite having been given something to shout about early on. Our fans to either side of them seemed in good voice for most of the time and I was on the other side of the ground. We are doing ok on and off the pitch, a win in Madrid to kick us off would have seen a different/ more confident team and fans in the other matches in my opinion. This environment is something we have to grow into as a club, but I do believe we are going in the right direction.
I too have noticed that the profile of the fans differs quite a lot to what we get on a typical Saturday but it has to be a good thing. The 'daytrippers' of today could turn into regular bums on seats if we continue to enjoy success. The evil empire over the road has milked this for years, they almost have a reserve crowd available to fill seats on those nights when it's hard to get up from Milton Keynes or over from Dublin. As hard as it will be for some to take, we have to create and tap into this resource if we are to fill up every game. This would become even more important if the ground was developed up to 60k.
I too have noticed that the profile of the fans differs quite a lot to what we get on a typical Saturday but it has to be a good thing. The 'daytrippers' of today could turn into regular bums on seats if we continue to enjoy success. The evil empire over the road has milked this for years, they almost have a reserve crowd available to fill seats on those nights when it's hard to get up from Milton Keynes or over from Dublin. As hard as it will be for some to take, we have to create and tap into this resource if we are to fill up every game. This would become even more important if the ground was developed up to 60k.