The atmosphere (or lack of) v Gillingham

[Supa Shrimpa]

Was it me, or was the atmosphere really dire the other day ?

After singing along in the North Bank all season, I returned (with my kids) to the Family Enclosure against the Gills.
It's been a while since we've been in there, but to be honest, I fancied the cheaper option, with so many games coming at once.

In my opinion, the atmosphere was nothing like it used to be. I tried my best to generate some songs, in line with TBV, who are could hardly hear (Not a dig...bad acoustics, I think), but they fell on death ears. To be fair, the young kids really looked like they wanted to join in with "Blue Army" etc, however the parents weren't as enthusiastic, which resulted in silence throughout most of the game.

When I first took my kids we would blow up balloons, throw around an inflatable football, wave flags, shake Sammy the Shrimps hand...but now, nothing. We had a big crowd, with the perfect opportunity to get their support for the next few games - or for life, even ! Surely, the kids are the future of our football club.

I don't want to lay blame. I'm just wondering if this was a one off ? If not, is there anything we can do to help ?

 

[Phippsy]

I think its more to do with the lame way we started the game and the early conceded goal which clearly knocked the stuffing out of the home fans. shame though as it was nice to see the stadium quite full again.

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

I take your point, but it shouldn't have anything to do with it. Should we teach kids to only sing when we're winning, or should they be brought up to be loyal supporters and encourage the team when they need us the most ?

 

[southendwill]

Really doesn't help when you go behind in the 3rd minute and are awful in the first half

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

What about pre-match ? Before a ball is kicked ?

 

[Angell Delight]

We were behind after two mins and it was also an early k.o. on New Years Day when a lot of people woluld have been nursing hangovers. No surprise the atmosphere was flat!

 

[LeedsSUFC]

As much as I support TBV, having a drum is pretty pointless if you only use it for 10 minutes of the whole game. Of course, it changes when in North Bank.

In my opinion, we should be singing regardless of what's happening on the pitch...

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

Did the Gillingham supporters stay in on New Years eve ?

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

As much as I support TBV, having a drum is pretty pointless if you only use it for 10 minutes of the whole game. Of course, it changes when in North Bank.

In my opinion, we should be singing regardless of what's happening on the pitch...

Exactly ! TBV have done a magnificent job trying to create a better atmosphere in Roots Hall. I just feel it's time the rest of our support base lent a hand.

 

[Shrimper]

It's nowhere near as good when the TBV aren't in the North Bank.

They do the best they can but with the acoustics in the West it's not easy.

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

I'm talking about the rest of the supporters. I've known the West to be rocking before...even when we're losing. The kids wanted to sing along !!

 

[Angell Delight]

Did the Gillingham supporters stay in on New Years eve ?

Not really a fair response is it. For a start they were one up after two mins not one down, secondly the vast majority of supporters are more vocal away from home than they are at home (hell its been like that at Blues ever since the away fans stole the North Bank) and thirdly we had no fans in the North - the part of the Hall that is substantially better than anywhere else in the ground acoustically.

So no again I'm not surprised the atmosphere was flat. We had a dreadful start and were appalling during the first half. It's much easier to shake off a New Years hangover if you're on the front foot.....we weren't. Second half we were better, as was the atmosphere. Simple.

 

[Lester Bangs]

1.00pm on New Years Day? I imagine 75% of the crowd were hungover, I know I was.........

 

[TrueBlue]

Its a number of factors.....

1. Early Kick off time
2. New Years Day (hangovers)
3. Minimal time in boozers (for some people having a drink makes them feel a lot more free to be able to sing)
4. No North Bank - Noise generated in the west is 3 times harder then it is in the North
5. Direction - in the north we face the other stands and project towards them in the west we only really hit East blue / Yellow and couple of surrounding blocks in the west
6. Away Support - Gillingham for the numbers they brought I thought were shocking at times with the noise they made it sometimes takes a loud away support for the home support to raise its game
7. The Match - going 1-0 down so early and being under the cosh killed the game for many - had corrs effort gone it I think it would have picked up well.
8. Seating in west - Not an excuse here but the spacing of seating in the west coupled with the slight change in shape of the new drum makes positioning difficult

 

[Blues 'n twos]

Did the Gillingham supporters stay in on New Years eve ?

I think most of them must have been nursing hangovers too, 100 Accrington made more noise than them, I thought they were quiet for the numbers they brought.

 

[Firestorm]

Adam Barratt certainly played the crowd, He won the Toss and changed ends, and then they got at the opposition from the start , shut the crowd up and he knew how the RH crowd would be if they took the lead.

 

[BrettieAngell]

Good point firestorm, even though most of the action was at the end I sit i never like it when we shoot towards the south stand in the first half.

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

"he knew how the RH crowd would be if they took the lead"...that's my point. I accept it was New Years Day and we didn't have the North Stand, but I don't want that to happen every time we have a big game.
Guys, i'm just trying to be pro-active and encourage a better atmosphere, in particular, for little kids that want to have fun and enjoy their first experiences of RH. When I was a kid (many moons ago) we used to all run down to the front of the West to get the players signatures on our programmes. Didn't always work, because there was too many of us, but my dad always got me a programme in case it was my lucky day. I saw none of that in the Family Enc. No players. No Sammy. No balloons. No fun.

 

[WESTY_SUFC]

I blame True Blue. Poor atmosphere = a very bad performance from the team & almost certain defeat.

 

[Bolton Shrimper]

I think its more to do with the lame way we started the game and the early conceded goal which clearly knocked the stuffing out of the home fans. shame though as it was nice to see the stadium quite full again.

Same thing happened at Burton. All the support ebbed away as the game unfolded........I spent the last 75 mins just getting angrier and angrier. I then exploded.