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Why is it so quiet at St. Mary's?


saintedwill

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Huge expectations mixed with several years of struggle and - so far this season - slightly disappointing results, throw in a pinch of people realising how vital promotion is this year and you have a nervy home crowd.

 

This is made even worse by being at the "business end" of the season. (Maybe we always start the season so badly because we think of August and September as the "leisure end" of the season?)

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I've done plenty of football league grounds and I think it's one of the best home atmospheres. A lot of grounds don't even have whole groups standing, whereas we have 2-3,000 in the Northam and Kingsland corner.

 

We could do with singing when the team aren't on top and things aren't going our way rather than groaning every misplaced pass or shot.

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I thought it was pretty decent today. Bit too much of the moaning and groaning at 1-1 but otherwise good.

 

Northam was not to bad vocally. Quiet at the end but the game did seem to go on for ages. I will put it down to playing well for 15 minutes then crap for 45 minutes then good for 30.

 

Although never a fan of moaning when we conceded that goal we were poor and Hammond was shocking so a good moan had to be done. Plus after that we scored 2 goals in 3 minutes so I personally think it was justified.

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We have a great fan base and the attendance was excellent - plenty of noise in the second half. I don't think we're any different to most other clubs. If you're team plays crap and below their potential then the fans are bound to show frustration, in the same way we go mental when we score.

 

Last week charlton had to give their tickets away at £5 to get an attendance of 24k, we managed nearly as many without needing to discount.

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There is nothing wrong with the atmosphere at SMS.

 

What made me laugh yesterday was the Swindon fans. "Only sing when you're winning" // "your support is F******* S****""// "Swindon till I die" etc etc. When they scored they celebrated as if they had won the League,

 

Then with 5 minutes to go I looked up & realised that most of them had gone. I know that some of our fans leave a little early but I do not think I have seen the away end empty that quickly before the end.

 

Presumably in future they will sing "I am Swindon till we go 2 goals down when I will P888 off home"

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I've done plenty of football league grounds and I think it's one of the best home atmospheres. A lot of grounds don't even have whole groups standing, whereas we have 2-3,000 in the Northam and Kingsland corner.

 

We could do with singing when the team aren't on top and things aren't going our way rather than groaning every misplaced pass or shot.

 

this. yesterday wasn't as loud as usual though - and we did seem to have a problem getting behind the team immediately after swindon equalised. credit to the players for digging it out despite such a negative environment

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Years of troubles on and off the pitch coupled with the over expectant feeling of being a big fish in a little pond who isn't getting his own way.

When we are in a higher league (eventually) we will once again become the underdogs,the plucky little family club from the south coast and with that the feelings of punching above our weight,the Dunkirk spirit,the downtrodden little club etc etc will return.

I think we all really miss struggling in the prem week in week out and the atmosphere that brings.

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this. yesterday wasn't as loud as usual though - and we did seem to have a problem getting behind the team immediately after swindon equalised. credit to the players for digging it out despite such a negative environment

The Northam was like a morgue yesterday (or perhaps more like the Chapel). Completely out sung by a bunch of moonrakers. Really wondered what was the problem, had word got around about Deano? 2nd half was a bit better. Swindon supporters were right yesterday when they were singing to us "your support is ****". Sorry if this offends anyone but sometimes the truth hurts, it was quite embarrassing to have about 20k supporters sitting in almost silence. Nothing wrong with the numbers, just the atmosphere and the singing. I don't recall one sustained "OWTSGMI".

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- and it also helps if you have away fans to compete with. I heard the Swindon lot once yesterday.

You are joking, right? Before the game, 1st half and until they went 3-1 down they were very impressive with their vocal support. OK after that they were like church mice as they sneaked out hoping not to be seen, all the tractors had gone from the car park before the final whistle.

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You are joking, right? Before the game, 1st half and until they went 3-1 down they were very impressive with their vocal support. OK after that they were like church mice as they sneaked out hoping not to be seen, all the tractors had gone from the car park before the final whistle.

 

Nope, I honestly only heard them once. I was sat in block 42, what about yourself?

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Nope, I honestly only heard them once. I was sat in block 42, what about yourself?

Was in Block 4, no noise at all from the Northam, and Swindon were very loud. One of the major problems of having a split end, whole of Northam should be Saints, with away supporters in the Itchen or Kingskand corner.

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thought Swindon were no better or worse than any other away crowds at our place. The,y like every other away support, simply do not hear the Northam end to its full effect because they are next to rather than situated perpendicular or opposite it.

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Block 4 was rockin' !!!!!!!!!!!

saw you lot bouncing around a few times but didn't hear you from the Northam & only heard Swindon a couple of times.

my mate was sat in the chapel & he thought they were a bit quiet this time. last year i sat in block 4 & they were very loud but i suppose being directly in front of them they would.

oh, anyone near back of block 42 who was in ear shot of my mate i would just like to say sorry! the tw*t would not shut up, trying to get everyone on the pitch,the bench & even some of the back up staff to "give us a wave!" :blush:

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I was in 37 and heard the Itchen today for the first time in a while!

 

On a more general point the Northam/Kingsland probably holds as many as some of the grounds we go to in this league and is generally excellent in comparison with the home support when I go to away matches. We'll have our work cut out next week at the soul-less Weston whatever it is stadium...the only atmosphere created last year was the fog that came down.

 

We're pretty good overall but would love the voume and frequency to go up.

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There is nothing wrong with the atmosphere at SMS.

 

What made me laugh yesterday was the Swindon fans. "Only sing when you're winning" // "your support is F******* S****""// "Swindon till I die" etc etc. When they scored they celebrated as if they had won the League,

 

Then with 5 minutes to go I looked up & realised that most of them had gone. I know that some of our fans leave a little early but I do not think I have seen the away end empty that quickly before the end.

 

Presumably in future they will sing "I am Swindon till we go 2 goals down when I will P888 off home"

 

I remember when we first went down and hosted Plymouth, they went absolutely mad at the final whistle when they had a 0 - 0 draw and walked around town afterwards as if they owned the place. Can't say I'm too sympathetic for their current problems, given that game and how they moved in on SaintsForever and acted all Billy Big B*llocks.

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I think that everyone is so on edge at the moment, and worried that a couple of poor results could screw our season up. To be honest this is what it feels like. We really need a good run of 3/4 straight wins and everyone will relax again and match days will be louder. So much up for grabs and no one wants another season in league 1.

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I think that everyone is so on edge at the moment, and worried that a couple of poor results could screw our season up. To be honest this is what it feels like. We really need a good run of 3/4 straight wins and everyone will relax again and match days will be louder. So much up for grabs and no one wants another season in league 1.

 

Yeah agree with that.

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st mary's atmosphere is actually decent for football league grounds. when you follow us away you notice how rubbish everyone elses supporters are. was sat in huddersfield end for bournemouth hudders last week and that was dead for a big game

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Years of troubles on and off the pitch coupled with the over expectant feeling of being a big fish in a little pond who isn't getting his own way.

When we are in a higher league (eventually) we will once again become the underdogs,the plucky little family club from the south coast and with that the feelings of punching above our weight,the Dunkirk spirit,the downtrodden little club etc etc will return.

I think we all really miss struggling in the prem week in week out and the atmosphere that brings.

 

 

This is why. We need to be the club that upsets the big teams in the prem. Not the club who sort of used to be big but now are feeling like we have the right to win every week, and get frustrated when we don't.

 

That and we need ultras.

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I normally stand in the Kingsland/Northam corner and it's very rare to be able to hear the away fans at all when there are less than 1k or so.

 

I imagine, from the Chapel end, the Northam doesn't sound all that loud either. That said, there are few home grounds I've been to at non-Prem level that have better support than we do.

 

Also Echo the point about nerves. IMO, what our recent experience has taught me is that the pressure at the top is greater than at the bottom. When we were battling against relegation I used to think that was ********, but I now think it is true. Luckily players generally have more bottle than fans.

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I normally stand in the Kingsland/Northam corner and it's very rare to be able to hear the away fans at all when there are less than 1k or so.

 

I imagine, from the Chapel end, the Northam doesn't sound all that loud either. That said, there are few home grounds I've been to at non-Prem level that have better support than we do.

 

Also Echo the point about nerves. IMO, what our recent experience has taught me is that the pressure at the top is greater than at the bottom. When we were battling against relegation I used to think that was ********, but I now think it is true. Luckily players generally have more bottle than fans.

 

Except for when we got kicked out the premiership.

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Them these "loud home grounds" benji-i've been to a lot of away games in the championship and league 1 and am struggling to think of any that are louder than the northam.

 

There may be a couple but i can't think of any!

 

Not getting into a 'who is the loudest' arguement but you will see/hear decent support at: Bristol City, Cardiff, Leeds, Burnley, Po***y, Sheff Utd, Forest.

 

Bit more of a 'family' type atmosphere but Derby, Ipswich, Norwich usually have something going on.

 

Decent crowds that don't make much atmospere: Sheff Weds, Palace, Charlton, Notts County, and Millwall.

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Sandwich-have to disagree about your first list.

 

Skates were loud against us at their dump but are moaning about the lack of atmos these days-leeds are good in big games and the others you mention are average and no louder than us.

 

I'm afraid most English club grounds these days are pretty quiet-compare them to the opposition in European games.

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It's so easy to make more noise. Look how the other clubs do it.( Leeds, Everton, Man Utd for example)

 

Firstly make the away fans suffer. Squeeze them into blocks 48 Northam and 1&2 itchen. (it can be done with minor alterations and can be safely policed)

Have small segregation strips.(not complete blocks)

Close the two chapel corners and make chapel the family end.

 

Finally and probably controversially, ban all kids under 16 from the northam blocks 41 - 47.

 

EASY

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Sandwich-have to disagree about your first list.

 

Skates were loud against us at their dump but are moaning about the lack of atmos these days-leeds are good in big games and the others you mention are average and no louder than us.

 

I'm afraid most English club grounds these days are pretty quiet-compare them to the opposition in European games.

 

I wouldn't disagree with that at all, in fact if you turn it round and say 'we are average and no louder than them' then that would probably be right.

 

'The Northam' are nowhere near as loud/'passionate' as they were 4 or 5 years ago, and the other three sides of the ground have never been particularly vocal.

 

I'm pretty sure if you polled 'all football fans' and asked them 'Which are the 5 best-supported non-Prem teams?' Saints would be pretty comfortably off that radar; I'd suggest they would go for Leeds/Cardiff/Po***y/Sheff Weds/Derby/Norwich/Millwall as being the 'best supported'... with Saints somewhere in the next tier along with Palace/Charlton/Ipswich/Bristol City/Burnley.... not saying that's what I think or that I agree with it, just what I think a neutral's perception might be.

 

Agree English grounds are a lot quieter than they were 20 or 30 years ago, but not sure it's got worse in the last 10 years; it's been a long time coming and all seater stadium and dearer tkt prices have been a factor in this for a long time.

 

As others have said, the atmos at SMS would be greatly improved if the away fans were pushed into 48-1-2 and the Northam was extended right across past the goal. Not sure about a kop in the Chapel, I don't think a lot of the current Northam / Itchen corner would move away from the away fans?

 

But what would be even more effective in the short term would be to S-L-O-W T-H-E B-L-O-O-D-Y S-O-N-G-S D-O-W-N !!!!!!

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I think when we are playing and passing well, most of the fans get into a zone of watching the football and ignore everything around them. The amount of times my Missus or mates have been talking to me and for want of a better term, I am away with the fairies, in my own little world watching the game.

Arsenal use to be called the Library and I think that was for the same reasons folks totally engrossed in the football.

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Huge expectations mixed with several years of struggle and - so far this season - slightly disappointing results, throw in a pinch of people realising how vital promotion is this year and you have a nervy home crowd.

 

This is made even worse by being at the "business end" of the season. (Maybe we always start the season so badly because we think of August and September as the "leisure end" of the season?)

Totaly agree with this comment.

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