I know this has been discussed before, but I haven't felt the need to comment on the issue until now.
I was at Derby yesterday and was annoyed to find out that my tickets were in the block to the right where no one could stand because of a few near the back that insisted on sitting down. Personally I go to games, away games specifically, to support the team via singing and clapping. Both of which are physically easier to do standing up. I don't much like the type like the guy sat next to me who sit there with a radio and headphones doing nothing to create an atmosphere. Of course these people have a right to be at games and if they enjoy their day out then fine, but it frustrates me so much that they impact on my experience by not letting me stand up. I do realise that if I refused to sit down then I'd be impacting on their experience by not letting them sit. I've created a poll to try and find out what people prefer on the whole, the link to it is here:
http://strawpoll.me/5229246Is there some way the club can let us choose whether we want tickets at the back or at the front? (sitters at the front, standers at the back.) If I had rung the ticket office to book my tickets would they have let me choose?
Comments
Draw up a bingo card and see how long it takes to call house!
1) these people have paid for their ticket and you should respect that
2) standing is against the rules in an all seater stadium
3) old and infirm go to away games too don't you know
4) you can sing and clap just as well siting down
5) the club have no say on where the tickets are allocated
5 phrases/arguments/viewpoints there should take 30 posts maximum ;-)
2. This isn't enforced. The whole of Derbys south stand stood for the 90 minutes.
3. Same as first point, happy to respect that they need to sit down.
4. No you can't, it's a lot more comfortable standing up.
5. They physically get the tickets in their hands and can see what seats those tickets are for.
The club probably isn't allowed to label tickets as standing tickets because of the above posters 2nd point but there's surely a better way to allow people to stand than the current situation which just pisses off standers and sitters.
From my point of view I can't stand for the whole game, I got two knackered knees and hips however I still enjoy the away games, but if I can't sit then how am I to get my enjoyment, the easy answer is for me not to attend when we sell out, which is what I now do.
I had a much better time at Leeds last year when there were just 300 of us as it meant I could stand near likeminded people who wanted to create a good atmosphere for the players.
The supporters trust should come up with a good way to solve this problem. I genuinely think it would attract more people to away games.
Now I am ill and can't stand any more, the opposite is true so I seek seats at the front. Saturday was no problem in that respect because there was room and there were some empty seats if you needed them.
Remember you could get old or ill; have consideration for your fellow fans and you won't go far wrong. The basic rule is stand behind those who want to sit. Not rocket science as they say.
2. You don't much like the type of like the guy sat next to you with a radio and headphones. Well I do he was one of only a few hundred that made the effort to attend and pay a lot of money for the privilege.
3. Are you to important that you could not have moved to one of the hundreds of empty seats where the likes of me stood.
4. I hope next time you attend an away game there are no children behind you that will have there experience ruined by looking at the back of you. May be they are not your kind of person and should be made to sit at the front
I didn't stand up. I sat down because everyone else behind me was doing the same and I didn't want to ruin their game. I'm just saying it would've made the experience better if I could've stood up so I was hoping there would be a way I could ensure this was possible at future away games.
But if everyone had stood it could have been agg because I doubt there was an easy 5 seats together for us to go and sit in near the front
Because of this situation I won't be taking them to a busyish away end again , will go to a filthy northern away one where there's a few hundred in a few thousand seats so everyone can go where they want
Hopefully within a few more seasons, the people who run our game will see sense and we will have safe standing areas so this debate can become a thing of the past.
The ones that want to sing and stand go to the back, whilst the rest who want to sit and(sometimes) enjoy the game can do.
I like to sit down, but would not be able to if we had support like Leeds or Man United who en masse stand throughout the game.
Gets his rocks off over ultras and slagging off Charlton fans. Likes to make it look like he's a uber cool fan who knows all about euro footie and fan culture but doubt he's done more than watch a few videos.
Doubt he's even a Charlton fan as has never posted about the team or club.
When i was a kid i went to various West Ham away games as i have as an adult and there away support is on a different planet , same as Leeds, Everton etc.
And guess what?
They all stand.
Saying all that most away games you can stand anyway. The big away games everyone seems to stand as well.
We just aren't very good at the away day thing.
We saw at least 100 empty seats, nearest to where the Derby fans were and where our most vocal fans appeared to be, so we joined them and there were untold empty seats in front of us.
At HT we went to the concourse and came back. We stood in the same place, with a multitude of empty seats in front of us again.
Keep 'em peeled
Anyway, the Trust can't get involved. You are "supposed" to sit in your allocated seat, so a Trust can't overrule this.
It can only be done unofficially with the agreement of all fans.
I gather Millwall fans just sit where they want ie treat it as unallocated seats.