Woeful Home Atmosphere

It's what becomes of replacing fans with customers I'd presume.

Need a drum to shut the away fans up plus get the Itvhen and Northam singing together.

 

Btw I’m not suggesting a drum fir 90 minutes, just to kick start the fans every 15 minutes.

Funny enough the media proclaimed "fantastic" palace fans were pretty quiet whilst they were behind. It's what happens when things are poor.

Unfortunately for us it's pretty poor most of the time and everyone watching is pretty certain, even when we are in front that it's going to change any minute.

Producing an atmosphere would be great but it's 50/50 IMO. The players need to do their bit too.

We have also lost most of our songs as everyone with a song pretty much leaves...and when was the last time we sang a managers name? RK probably.

It's going to take a really big personality to change anything quickly I am afraid.

Due to poor health I haven't been to St Mary's for years and anyway as a pensioner cannot justify spending well over £100 on the round trip.

However I was very gratified to hear a few hundred Saints away fans completely outsing about 65000 Man-Ure fans (well I suppose most of them are really away fans as well) on TV. That match was the first time I have been happy with a Saints TV match this year, and I was really happy.

I was livid when I got saw the result against Palace.

However a couple of reports I read suggested it was extremely difficult to play against the wind, and I remember from my playing days decades ago that it was usually best to have the wind in your favour when players started to tire.

It's what becomes of replacing fans with customers I'd presume.

The atmosphere at most grounds is pretty **** these days. Not all and certainly not at every game, but by and large its was better in days gone by. I put it down to all-seat stadiums, the price of tickets and beer. Lots of half cut, working class men standing in a crowd (enabling them to throw off their usual inhibitions) created a special atmosphere at football grounds. That is replicated on occasion in modern stadiums, especially at big games, but there really has to be an edge to the game. Even Man United away followings have been relatively reserved in recent times and they have usually been the most exuberant since our move to SMS.

If we are just talking recently, then its probably just a matter of the enthusiasm/life being drawn out of Saints fans due to the now long term poor home form.

These threads seem to pop up very often on here. However, it doesn't seem as though any actions are made to improve the atmosphere. Only the obvious problems are pointed out. So, why don't some of those on here that seem very committed to improving actually take it on, and work to do so. We could start some sort of fan group dedicated to improving the atmosphere, as I believe Leicester have. More threads on Saints Web could be started, to come up with new ideas for songs. We could start bringing more flags, banners, and even drums to matches if it helps. Honestly, even an ultras group could be beneficial, as seen at Palace and other clubs in the country.

I am in the States, so the most I can do is come over every couple years and sing in the Northam, but obviously it would be hugely beneficial for our club as a whole to drastically improve the atmosphere.

I'm broadly with the OP on this. I'm exiled in the Family Enclosure these days and remember thinking to myself after about 5 minutes, Christ, all I can hear is a background noise of chatter, it felt like a reserve game. Now you may say I'm hypocritical because apart from the very rare OWTS, I don't sing much anymore, but I do agree that the Northam needs to step up. That's where our "hardcore" noisy support is and they need to turn the volume up. I do remember when I was there seeing posts saying it wasn't that loud when we thought we were making a hell of a racket. It's definitely quieter now, but I think there is still the mentality that "we're really loud" when in reality we could barely hear a thing on Tuesday night. Yes there are problems with where the away fans are located, but we can't do anything about that. Yes, the football is sh*te at the moment, but I do think by starting each game as a blank slate, with hope, with a lot of noise it can only help lift the players, but the Northam has to be the heart of all this, then other parts of the ground will join in.

The post above asks for some ideas, how about;

1) EVERY corner we have an ear splitting "Come On You Reds"

2) OWTS was too quick, now it's too slow, let's find the middle ground and keep it going

3) More variety, not just OWTS and that bl00dy Pompey song - e.g. "Marcus Liebherr's Red & White Army", songs for all players not just a couple of favourites, every time they do something good let's sing it. Why not surprise the hell out of Redmond and sing his name early in the game!

4) My eldest has a massive gob so will get him to start a few in the Family!

As its been said on here already, the atmosphere for the cup match sounded amazing, at least from my viewing. Doesn't seem to be anything new either, that our away support thoroughly outclasses our home support. Any thoughts on why this is, as I am generally curious?

As its been said on here already, the atmosphere for the cup match sounded amazing, at least from my viewing. Doesn't seem to be anything new either, that our away support thoroughly outclasses our home support. Any thoughts on why this is, as I am generally curious?

6 or so pints before the game often helps people become more vocal.

As its been said on here already, the atmosphere for the cup match sounded amazing, at least from my viewing. Doesn't seem to be anything new either, that our away support thoroughly outclasses our home support. Any thoughts on why this is, as I am generally curious?

A few reasons. The away support demographic is more suited to making a bit of noise than the home support. Yes there's less of us but a higher % of younger blokes on the lash than at home.

There's the "them against us" factor. We have a few thousand, they have 5, 10, 15 times more fans than us but we're going to try and outsing them and make them know we are here.

Less daytrippers at away games and everyone stands up which is more conducive to singing.

You also have the people that sing at home all bundled into one section, so Northam, Itchen North, Kingsland North come together. Even those of us who normally sit in the family stand like to make a bit of noise at away games.

A few reasons. The away support demographic is more suited to making a bit of noise than the home support. Yes there's less of us but a higher % of younger blokes on the lash than at home.

 

There's the "them against us" factor. We have a few thousand, they have 5, 10, 15 times more fans than us but we're going to try and outsing them and make them know we are here.

 

Less daytrippers at away games and everyone stands up which is more conducive to singing.

 

You also have the people that sing at home all bundled into one section, so Northam, Itchen North, Kingsland North come together. Even those of us who normally sit in the family stand like to make a bit of noise at away games.

Yesterday helped too as there were loads of tickets and allowed a few old faces to make the trip.

As its been said on here already, the atmosphere for the cup match sounded amazing, at least from my viewing. Doesn't seem to be anything new either, that our away support thoroughly outclasses our home support. Any thoughts on why this is, as I am generally curious?

The acoustics at Craven Cottage may also be a factor - it’s well known that the away end sounds better than other other stands. Plus all the other general reasons people have given.

http://fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2017/11/19/matchday-atmosphere-report.html

Half of the problem is most of our fans are more interested in sticking mars bars on their heads and being wacky or slagging off their own players all game rather than getting behind the team.

The solution is really quite simple and that is for everyone who wants to sing to be in one place and move to the chapel end and create a home Kop and people actually sing support to the team.

Unfortunately it's not as simple as logistics as it'll need a complete culture change inside our fan base.

Sadly a lot of people think they need to be near the away fans so they can have bantz with them with a hilarious repertoire of songs like singing "Liverpool" to man united fans, telling Man City fans they're just a small club near united, or rhinking they are insulting Chelsea/Spurs/arsenal fans by telling them they aren't going to win anything this season, forgetting that neither will we.

As its been said on here already, the atmosphere for the cup match sounded amazing, at least from my viewing. Doesn't seem to be anything new either, that our away support thoroughly outclasses our home support. Any thoughts on why this is, as I am generally curious?

I'm going to have to disagree here, I'm afraid. Sure, there were some periods of good support, but there were also a lot of periods of nothing. Don't get me started on the sheer idiocy of singing "We scored a goal". Nice support there, lads.

I guess I just don't understand most people who go to football. One bloke behind us went apoplectic at the slightest mistake, bellowing insults left, right and centre. I genuinely don't get what his thought processes are; how does losing it at someone help the situation? I'd love to follow him round his job for a day, and lose it at him every time he makes a mistake, and see if the penny drops (I fear not).

And before the usual suspects trot out the "I pay my money, I can say what I want" line, I'm not saying that you can't act like this, I'm saying that you shouldn't; it makes players worse, makes them fearful of making mistakes, and if you can't see that, I genuinely hope you either never have kids, or at least realise that you can't treat them like that.

As for booing Redmond *as he came on the pitch*, my mind boggles as to the level of moronic stupidity that involves. Seriously, do you not want the player to try his best for us? Or do you think that basically saying to him, before he's even touched the ball, that you think he shouldn't even be on the pitch, is going to motivate him to play better?

Seriously, people, we're called supporters, and, for the duration of the game, how about we try supporting the team. The second the final whistle goes, you can berate them as much as you want, but whilst the ball is in play, how about we roar the team on a bit. It can't make our situation work. You never know, it might even help...

The acoustics at Craven Cottage may also be a factor - it’s well known that the away end sounds better than other other stands. Plus all the other general reasons people have given.

 

http://fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2017/11/19/matchday-atmosphere-report.html

It's common for away fans to outdo home fans at CC, and the acoustics do make a big difference. Sitting on the halfway line yesterday though it felt like a home game for Saints with the opposition fans locked out of the ground - couldn't hear the Hammersmith End at all. Scoring an actual goal helps of course...

Fulham are an odd club though - not just because of the neutral zone but because they include in their match programmes reports of things like Saints hammering Fulham in olden times (the seventies). That and the decent food - and a suburban house planted in corner of the ground - make the whole experience pretty idiosyncratic. In a good way.

If we stopped clapping through every chant it'll be a lot better

I'm going to have to disagree here, I'm afraid. Sure, there were some periods of good support, but there were also a lot of periods of nothing. Don't get me started on the sheer idiocy of singing "We scored a goal". Nice support there, lads.

 

I guess I just don't understand most people who go to football. One bloke behind us went apoplectic at the slightest mistake, bellowing insults left, right and centre. I genuinely don't get what his thought processes are; how does losing it at someone help the situation? I'd love to follow him round his job for a day, and lose it at him every time he makes a mistake, and see if the penny drops (I fear not).

 

And before the usual suspects trot out the "I pay my money, I can say what I want" line, I'm not saying that you can't act like this, I'm saying that you shouldn't; it makes players worse, makes them fearful of making mistakes, and if you can't see that, I genuinely hope you either never have kids, or at least realise that you can't treat them like that.

 

As for booing Redmond *as he came on the pitch*, my mind boggles as to the level of moronic stupidity that involves. Seriously, do you not want the player to try his best for us? Or do you think that basically saying to him, before he's even touched the ball, that you think he shouldn't even be on the pitch, is going to motivate him to play better?

 

Seriously, people, we're called supporters, and, for the duration of the game, how about we try supporting the team. The second the final whistle goes, you can berate them as much as you want, but whilst the ball is in play, how about we roar the team on a bit. It can't make our situation work. You never know, it might even help...

This.

Much better today and suprise, suprise, it helped the players.

People at the club know they have made bad decisions, taken too long to spellcheck pledges and sign players etc but supporting the actual players on the pitch is always going to be more conducive to getting a better result than stupid protests.

Fans were better, Manager was better, players were better.

It was better today but then people could see the players really trying and fighting for it, something that has been lacking for a while, and responded in kind.

I guess the club are never going to address the problem of away fans larging it in the Itchen North boxes. Sad to see they're only fussed about banning and removing home fans.

Support sounded excellent today.

That’s more like it.

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It was better today but then people could see the players really trying and fighting for it, something that has been lacking for a while, and responded in kind.

^this

How much did the drummer cost? £75?

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May have been helped by the spuds singing oh when the spurs at same time because saints/spurs merged into one, was better mainly because players putting in massive effort

Much better yesterday, even had a sing in the Family enclosure. Think partly fuelled by who we were playing, but mainly due to the players attitude and how up for it they were. Was nice to see so many stay behind at the end to applaud the team and even sing, long time since that happened.

Yep, the fans did a great job yesterday. So loud on Sky and the players responded.

Also better because the fans realise the sh1t we're in which gets the adrenalin going.