atmosphere at games

suzisausage

what was the atmosphere like on saturday? were charlton trying their best to sing? were chelsea creating a good atmosphere? or was it full of rich foreigners?

after my experience in the winter at the roma v lazio game, i never thought i'd experience such a show of passion for a team again. however, this saturday i went to everton v liverpool, and I know it was a derby atmosphere, but, that was amazing.

singing throughout for 90 mins. every time a decision went against everton, (which was often as the ref was ridiculously bias) i swear every 3rd persons arm went up in protest and annoyance. I honestly beleive at charlton if a decision goes against us. its probably less than 1 person in every 3 rows that would be annoyed!

I know it was a local derby so meant more to them, and i don't believe we have a local derby that would even get near to how evertonians felt about that (dont think it would have been as good at anfield as the atmosphere there disappoints me) but coming away from that game, made me want charlton to some how concentrate on making fans want to be there, want to stay to the end and clap and sing, and cheer until all the players have gone before they even start moving from their seats. rather than filling the ground with passionless faces that couldn't care less if we win or lose as they just fancy popping down to watch a game of 2 premiership teams.

charlton, love em, have concentrated too much on making charlton gain support from here there and everywhere advertising the love of the game rather than the love of the team, this has worked against us and is why we take shockingly small crowds to away games, although, give me 300 at middlesboro shouting their hearts out over 3000 at norwich sitting down and clapping along any day!

AFKABartram

when Everton are 'on the up' there is no more passionate a place in this country.

From what i heard at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, it was a complete morgue.

That's what you get when you price out the working class fans.

suzisausage

this game also cost just £35....... which for a derby, is mighty fine value.

worked out that if we'd have got a £15 return to liverpool in advance for the day. we could have gone to the game and travelled for the same price than just a ticket for the chelsea game. thats alarming.

PassItToLeaburn

I think we've got a few problems on this front;

Firstly, being in London we don't have one true London derby. We're never going to be in the position where half the City are Reds and the other half Blues, even looking around schools in the Charlton area a lot of kids will be Tottenham, Arsenal, Manu, Liverpool. It's not the case of a stright choice between the Charlton/Millwall and/or Palace. It always means more when you're playing for bragging rights at school/work/down the pub.

Secondly, we don't have the same fanbase - we could fill the ground for a derby but they wouldn't all be diehards unlike probably 95% of the Everton crowd that were there on Saturday. I'm not anti the JCL's, I'd rather fill the seats than not but they're never going to support the team in the same way as the diehard fans.

Thirdly, it's been some time since the team produced the goods on the pitch that deserved an atmosphere like that. I think on many occasions over the past couple of seasons I've felt that the fans are starting to rally only for it to be dampened by a particularly dull or poor passage of play for the team. In an ideal World we'd all get behind the team passionately however they're playing, on many occasions over the past couple of years though it'd be a tremendous show of blind loyalty not to have found yourself grumbling at them!

AFKABartram

all good points PITL, the first two in particular.

However, on the third point i think its too easy to blame the players. We could win the bloody league and the bloke behind would still be telling me to 'siddarn'...

Stone

Dare to jump up and swear at the ref at The Valley and you get some mumsie female steward come and give you a finger wagging for using foul language.
Ain't that true McMoist?

Forza N Block

CUUUUUUUUM OOOOOOOOOOOON YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDS

Rothko

agree with ya PiTL, the atomosphere in two club city derbies will always be better then in most of the London derbies, as you said, cities like Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester are polarised by the game, in London, you've got 6 or 7 in a season, and unless you really give a monkeys about the opposition, it didn't matter, who cared about the bragging rights against QPR or Brentford?

Only Millwall and Palace matter, and the atmosphere against Palace both times in the league was pretty hot.

AFKABartram

lol,

did i tell you that the steward by me pulled me aside and said that someone had complained about me standing up and being loud ? He told them he don't know where they had been, but they can't have much of a problem as i've been doing it for years now.

Could of bought him a pint

_MrDick

[cite]Posted By: Stone[/cite]Dare to jump up and swear at the ref at The Valley and you get some mumsie female steward come and give you a finger wagging for using foul language.
Ain't that true McMoist?

Forza N Block

CUUUUUUUUM OOOOOOOOOOOON YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDS

Mate...I'm back on Saturday. N Block Ultra's are back in Business

suzisausage

understand your point about the london derby's and not having the passion, but christ, we can't even muster up enthusiasm re any team. 3 songs and people leaving in their droves as soon as the clock ticks 80 minutes.

what makes people stay at matches, not just at the derby at the weekend but other games.
another point:
there were liverpool fans sitting amongst the everton crowd in their shirts. i thought it was great that they can do that, it could have been different if liverpool had scored, but there were loads of them scattered around. hardly any stewards and not many police considering what it was. people were smoking on the wooden stands, whether it was allowed or not, there was not even a sniff of the nasty police/stewards that you seem to have at charlton. for a family club we have about 1 steward per every 10 people!!

i can't help feeling that it was a better, relaxed fun atmosphere because you weren't prevented from doing anything (within reason)

les_says

and as much as people laugh at goodison with it's 20 odd posts in the way of your view and wooden seats i think it lends loads to creating that atmosphere, it felt like an 80s time warp in the upper gladys. and for the first time in years i was at a top flight league match that didn't stink of sky sports (despite it being televised) and the premiership corporate brand. an experience we sadly won't get many times again.

Rothko

Goodison is the last of the old grounds, and when Everton are flying or got something to play for it's one of the best grounds in the country for atmosphere, be interesting too see what the atmosphere will be like when they move to Kirby though

StanmoreAddick

[cite]Posted By: Rothko[/cite]Goodison is the last of the old grounds, and when Everton are flying or got something to play for it's one of the best grounds in the country for atmosphere, be interesting too see what the atmosphere will be like when they move to Kirby though

My first visit to Goodison was when they beat us 4-1 and that ensured they stayed up ( and unfortunately pretty well relegated us) The noise was amazing- but could be something to do with the fact that the away fans aren't just tucked away in a corner somewhere but actually amongst the thick of it.

suzisausage

from where we were sitting, you couldn't see any liverpool fans, and certainly couldn't hear them

jimbrannin

was in upper tier at chelsea atmosphere seemed ok but being in middle of it you think it is. About 30 standing at the back but most others dont want to know.