I was in the east Stand on Saturday (Block G) and can say that this was the first time I heard the RRR clearly. Think this was more to do with the attendance than anything else!!. If the problem is with the PA system degrading, then there isn't much the club can do other than prioritise and schedule it in with the other work that's got to be done. I would suggest trying on a match day around kick-off to have a few spotters placed to see where the low spots on the PA are and see if there is something short term that can be done, but that may have already be done.
I've spent half my life believing in conspiracy theories, but as I've got older, I've realised that its only on TV that everybody is trying to do everyone else over. 99.99% of people are genuinely trying to do the right thing for everyone's enjoyment. Give people a break, and help them with constructive feedback.
Money only grows on Russian Oligarch Trees, so we have to plan and tackle things in the right order.
Now if someone could fix that sodding light above us in Block G that has been switching itself off every 15 minutes for the last 6 years........................:-)
On the subject of this thread, well done guys on listening to the feedback here. It wont all get addressed overnight, but good to see you are taking on-board what we are saying.
BTW - Is there a specific CAFC twitter account (seperate from the main one) where the guys could post out the line-ups and changes, whilst we wait to get these back on the screens?
I use the BBC Sport page as this has full team lists, shows substitutions, goal scorers etc.
No. UoG. But I am responsible for providing the filming team, along with other areas where we are trying to provide content and support to CAFC.
I am not well versed in these matters, but I assume 'not just film, we can do most things from networking, computer security, software development, data analysis, law, architecture, copywriting, events management' is where you input along with University of Greenwich students.
It is interesting that part of the culture you reference is 'Charlton reinventing itself' with a focus on getting in 'new young fans'.
You also go on to say 'There is a view that the older fan will, for the most part, continue to turn up because the evidence suggests that is what they tend to do. So they are doing things aimed at a different, long term cohort and not worrying so much about existing fans.' which I assume was information you gleaned when liaising with the club (and you are ambivalent as to whether it will be a success or not).
The stuff about the older fans resonated with the partially translated interview with Katrien highlighted last week in that our money is welcome, we will turn up willy nilly so we can be taken for granted, but the traditions and things that attract us are getting in the way of a reinvention (as with Red Red Robin).
It isn't you, but the glaring mistake it seems to me is that the older fans hand on support generation by generation to the younger ones, and the strategy of active alienation or curled lip dismissal towards to long standing fan is going to damage that process.
There are not many grandparents who will say to a young 'un:
'c'mon I'm taking you to football, they aren't keen on me being there actually, but they'll love you'. It doesn't work that way in my experience.
The young people working at the club may be brim full of ideas, but they don't have the monopoly as to what is a good idea, and the desire to shove those ideas down our throats for good or bad is a kind of brick through the window approach.
In your work for UoG and Charlton to what extent do the students actually engage with the fans to know what we're like and what we would want?
Seth there is no active plan to alienate older supporters, nor is there one to take them for granted.
We are trying to encourage a new younger fan base, but then again so is every football club for the simple fact the club relies on the next generation of supporters.
I'm a Charlton fan myself, was a season ticket holder since 5 years old right up until I started working for the club and as a S/T holder I was attending approximately 18 away games per season as a fan. This club has some amazing history but there's no history without any of the fans. My fathers friend had a season ticket for 25 years and then took a break so I know there's no guarantee that just because you have supported Charlton all your life doesn't mean you will buy a season ticket - there needs to be the incentive there.
Also I'm not sure about the reference regarding Red Red Robin, as previously stated multiple times accross this forum RRR is still playing and we are trying to get it as load as we can
Steve, do take note that some older supporters are feeling marginalised though. This is the generation that helped keep the club going in the exile years, got them back to the Valley, helped develop the club over 2 decades. The types of message that are being heard are 'I don't care about our history' and 'Like it or lump it' - if you can acknowledge the fans and the history are inextricably linked, that might be something the hierarchy needs to hear loud and clear. After all, if long term supporters were umming and ahhing as to whether to take a break, I think those messages have the potential to tip the balance.
I think most of us would accept it's sensible to target younger generations - the supporters clubs need to do it, CAST is working on it too - but your comment about incentive for all is spot on the money. The club can do both.
As regards the screen, I'm struggling to understand who thinks it's a good idea to stick with the live feed when the game is being played out in front of you! Filming is no reason - you don't need to display it on the screen to film it and we never have before. Maybe I'm wrong, but I bet my bottom dollar that the majority of fans contacting you about the screen are saying, where's our line ups?
I understand that the speakers are old and knackered, but I'm not sure I fully accept that is the only reason that the Red Red Robin is such a quiet and shy creature. There are other things that can be heard at much greater volume and there's no other audio at The Valley that is as regularly reported as being sub-sonic. It seems to me that the simplest solution would be to crank up the volume for this one song. I realise that the DJ won't want to have to do this manually every match, so I've had a go at recording a couple of louder versions. Please feel free to have a play with these and if you'd like me to re-do them in other formats or other volumes, please let me know.
In regards to the Red Red Robin, we actually play it from a CD as we have done the last few years as we have found that CD content seems to play slightly louder than MP3 versions. It's impossible to truly test in an empty stadium as we can't truly replicate match conditions, however I will look at the version which was posted on this, as well as speak to a few people to see if we can get this boosted and improved.
It's played at a very loud level, as Steve quite rightly pointed out it's played from CD as the level from the PC when using MP3's is not as loud. We do have to turn it down when BIG DL is doing his bit, macots, team line up's etc.
Being a Charlton fan like Steve I would not want to do the job if they decided to get rid if RRR, it's part of our tradition and when in the booth seems pretty loud to me. In fact on the mixer the levels hit the red and if I was go any louder starts to distort.
I have noticed that in a stadium where there are empty seats the music is louder as it's able to bounce around the stadium, next home game I'll push it too the max and let's see what happens but I suspect it will distort badly.
Been asking for a new PC/Speakers etc for ages, hopefully now I'll get some new toys ;-)
No need to distort it, but maybe there are ways of testing the system even without a crowd in, or at different times prior to kick off. possibly with something like this:
I accept that RRR is not being deliberately killed off, but maybe there is a withering on the vine effect happening because the speakers are shot. Audio has deteriorated as the speakers have aged. Would it need new cables as well as new speakers? Surely the existing cables can still be used without replacement?
It's played at a very loud level, as Steve quite rightly pointed out it's played from CD as the level from the PC when using MP3's is not as loud. We do have to turn it down when BIG DL is doing his bit, macots, team line up's etc.
Being a Charlton fan like Steve I would not want to do the job if they decided to get rid if RRR, it's part of our tradition and when in the booth seems pretty loud to me. In fact on the mixer the levels hit the red and if I was go any louder starts to distort.
I have noticed that in a stadium where there are empty seats the music is louder as it's able to bounce around the stadium, next home game I'll push it too the max and let's see what happens but I suspect it will distort badly.
Been asking for a new PC/Speakers etc for ages, hopefully now I'll get some new toys ;-)
It should have been deafening on Sunday then!
But glad you support the RRR, just turn it up to 11 next time!
I genuinely thought that this thread popping up again tonight would be the good news that all the budget cuts on the playing staff had enabled the club to download a trial version of a larger fonts pack for the screen. Apps not.
At least you could hear the RRR tonight, which was one improvement.
Please leave the opposition team up when announcing it, it was up for 3 seconds, then we cut to some players warming up
We leave it up for the entire time that the teams are being read out however today just as we switched over to the computer displaying the team the computer cut out. I'm not sure why but it was odd as the team was displaying for the previous 45 minutes after it had initially been inputted fine. Sorry to any fans - just bad luck that the display went down then.
At least you could hear the RRR tonight, which was one improvement.
Please leave the opposition team up when announcing it, it was up for 3 seconds, then we cut to some players warming up
We leave it up for the entire time that the teams are being read out however today just as we switched over to the computer displaying the team the computer cut out. I'm not sure why but it was odd as the team was displaying for the previous 45 minutes after it had initially been inputted fine. Sorry to any fans - just bad luck that the display went down then.
By a strange coincidence the the whole team went down at the same time as the display.
We definitely need the teams back up on the screen. I missed the team being read out and spent the most of the first half thinking we had a left back playing right midfield, which clearly isn't right.
I haven't read all of this, team selections are on twitter, bbc sport, sporting life, and the club provides free wifi, so why would you need it spoiling the screen? you have your android device in your pocket.
Any reason the This Is The Valley was shown 5 mins before the teams came out? It's good to have that to build up the atmosphere, but playing it too early then going back into music was poor.
Comments
I think most of us would accept it's sensible to target younger generations - the supporters clubs need to do it, CAST is working on it too - but your comment about incentive for all is spot on the money. The club can do both.
As regards the screen, I'm struggling to understand who thinks it's a good idea to stick with the live feed when the game is being played out in front of you! Filming is no reason - you don't need to display it on the screen to film it and we never have before. Maybe I'm wrong, but I bet my bottom dollar that the majority of fans contacting you about the screen are saying, where's our line ups?
When does the trial period end?
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/25smfsg334k2pjd/AABGJTK2Wk-DROX56bBDwnP0a?dl=0
There needs to be more space between the letters for the viewing distance on the big screen.
It's played at a very loud level, as Steve quite rightly pointed out it's played from CD as the level from the PC when using MP3's is not as loud. We do have to turn it down when BIG DL is doing his bit, macots, team line up's etc.
Being a Charlton fan like Steve I would not want to do the job if they decided to get rid if RRR, it's part of our tradition and when in the booth seems pretty loud to me. In fact on the mixer the levels hit the red and if I was go any louder starts to distort.
I have noticed that in a stadium where there are empty seats the music is louder as it's able to bounce around the stadium, next home game I'll push it too the max and let's see what happens but I suspect it will distort badly.
Been asking for a new PC/Speakers etc for ages, hopefully now I'll get some new toys ;-)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mercury-Digital-Sound-Level-Meter-Black/dp/B000LNJ0IO
I accept that RRR is not being deliberately killed off, but maybe there is a withering on the vine effect happening because the speakers are shot.
Audio has deteriorated as the speakers have aged. Would it need new cables as well as new speakers? Surely the existing cables can still be used without replacement?
But glad you support the RRR, just turn it up to 11 next time!
They've gone off track and started to talk about the tannoy.
Admin should ban the lot of them...
Please leave the opposition team up when announcing it, it was up for 3 seconds, then we cut to some players warming up