Not so FANtastic

[twosips]

I'm not old enough to remember what it was like before the Kippax was demolished, but i am old enough to remember what it was like in the mid to late 90s, and i can hand on heart say its a fuck load better than the CoMS. It was fun. Stands sung to each other... "North stand give us a song, North Stand North Stand give us a song" etc.... you don't get anything like that anymore. It was jovial and it was a good day out. Literally find the CoMS boring as fuck. As i said, I don't know what Maine Road was like when there was standing, but if it was as good as all you lot said it was then its pretty clear there has been a very gradual decline since then culminating in the current library that we live in.

All did go tits up when we moved to the CoMS though - same fans in there as ever when we moved there so its not even as if that was the problem. It just didn't feel like home and its never recovered. It's not helped by the fact that we live in the most passive and disinterested generation in a long long time. Blame the internet and the 'on demand' culture. People expect these days. They don't wait patiently...they demand entertainment cos everything in life is on demand. Same goes for football. They turn up, stare at the game and cheer when something good happens... "You entertain ME"..it's all me, me, me. People like to fucking moan too and that's it (lol, irony) No responsibility is taken from the fans to get behind the team. It's sad really.

[mcfc1632]

I agree that the 1990s Kippax was a better atmosphere by a massive margin over the new stadium - but I can also assure you that the old Kippax was better than the 'new' Kippax by probably at lease the same margin.

I do not think that it too difficult to understand the reason why: When I started to be part of the Kippax (1969) I immediately became part of a 'throng' that had been singing together for decades - so it just continues. When the new Kippax was built that throng got split over 3 tiers and became several (more than 3) smaller groups and the 'nucleus' that got the singing going was lost.

Then we moved to the new stadium and we were all further dispersed - with no longer any momentum existing for really vocal support at home games - and our vocal support has just petered out. It will not come back IMO unless the club recognise the need to actively rebuild it - introducing a 'standing section' and whatever else they can think off to get fans singing - at the swamp they actually pipe the songs for the fans to sing along to - although I find that cringeworthy it at least works.

It is for the same reason that the Liverpool volume is so significant - they have not been 'broken up' - also the same reason that our away support is 2nd to none - we are - and have always been - a 'throng' together.

[twosips]

Not surprised it's gone down since the 70s as that was a very, very long time ago...i think my point was more along the lines that i think Maine Road was still vastly better than the vast majority of stadiums at the times in the 90s which was relatively recent. It was a very, very good atmosphere. Not 10 out of 10, no, but at least an eight compared to the four at best you get now. I think we'd all settle for the 90s Maine Road atmosphere now week in, week out.

[mcfc1632]

Agreed - but the point I meant to make was my view of the cause for the reduction in crowd involvement/vocal support - this being due to the 'dispersal' - twice- of the singing sections. Such sections are cultural and established over years.

At the Etihad it is no longer the 'norm' to sing and sing - people look at you like "..oh one of those..." whereas it used to be everyone singing along and those that did not that seemed out of place .

So having happened once - with the change to the Kippax it happened again with the move to the new stadium.

The good news is that (perhaps strangely) it would be more possible in the new stadium to recreate a great atmosphere than in the new Kippax. This (IMO) is because we were not only separated but split over three levels and there was no 'group' feel to get things back to the way they were. I know that the new stadium is also on 3 levels - but it does not seem quite so 'obvious' as the Kippax did.

Having taken part in some fans surveys I get the impression that the club are going to seek to develop the singing section - they are certainly concerned about the poor atmosphere.

The Liverpool fans massively take the piss out of the CITY atmosphere - but frankly if they relocate to a new stadium and do not recognise and deal with the risk it will happen to them as well (albeit not to such a dramatic extent). With hindsight we should have taken steps to get the singing section fans from the Kippax having first call on an identified section of the new stadium - hindsight is marvellous.

We do need something dramatic to be orchestrated now as frankly our fans are 'too timid' and feel awkward it seems and nights like Hamburg are very rare

[Original Dub]

I don't know how to influence a "Hamburg" night regularly at the Etihad, but with the resources we have, there has to be some experts working on it.

I was one of the lucky ones to be there that night and I'll never forget it. The atmosphere was that good, that even though we had lost the tie, we had goosebumps leaving the stadium.

As a mainly arm chair fan, I have to say, I think we have the best away support in the league, so it's not merely because our fans are quiet. It's either orchestration, acoustics or both, but it will be sorted as time goes on.

The good thing is right now, our toughest games are our three away ones and the fans will lift the team for them, no doubt about it.

[AG7]

I hate the early leavers too ... I think club should just announce the gates to exits won't open till 10 mins AFTER the final whistle ... actually I am going to write to them and suggest this right away, and if others want to do the same, pls. do ...

[Wonderwall]

I hate the early leavers too ... I think club should just announce the gates to exits won't open till 10 mins AFTER the final whistle ... actually I am going to write to them and suggest this right away, and if others want to do the same, pls. do ...

That will just cause mass congestion. I think opening them on 90 mins will be OK, if people need to leave early they can but need to be let out by stewards

[Breks]

Let them leave early. They will miss out. Like some nobheads missed Aguerooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

[Grimble101]

Come on then fellow city fans. I'm no hero but I'm more than happy to try and get that hamburg nights back how do I start a post for only people up for getting our ground rocking again and not moaning. And see who's up for it in numbers we can only TRY fuck it come on real blues

[Twobob]

That will just cause mass congestion. I think opening them on 90 mins will be OK, if people need to leave early they can but need to be let out by stewards

I agree

[Nick]

I'm not old enough to remember what it was like before the Kippax was demolished, but i am old enough to remember what it was like in the mid to late 90s, and i can hand on heart say its a fuck load better than the CoMS. It was fun. Stands sung to each other... "North stand give us a song, North Stand North Stand give us a song" etc.... you don't get anything like that anymore. It was jovial and it was a good day out. Literally find the CoMS boring as fuck. As i said, I don't know what Maine Road was like when there was standing, but if it was as good as all you lot said it was then its pretty clear there has been a very gradual decline since then culminating in the current library that we live in.

All did go tits up when we moved to the CoMS though - same fans in there as ever when we moved there so its not even as if that was the problem. It just didn't feel like home and its never recovered. It's not helped by the fact that we live in the most passive and disinterested generation in a long long time. Blame the internet and the 'on demand' culture. People expect these days. They don't wait patiently...they demand entertainment cos everything in life is on demand. Same goes for football. They turn up, stare at the game and cheer when something good happens... "You entertain ME"..it's all me, me, me. People like to fucking moan too and that's it (lol, irony) No responsibility is taken from the fans to get behind the team. It's sad really.

bang on. and im only 25.

we cheer, they score should be the attitute. its like people have to force themselves to the game. and thats coming from someone that suffers even worse insomnia purely after going to city (adrenaline fatigue/cortisol levels - i dont know what it is) but alcohol and city both mess up my insomnia by almost double.

[Nick]

three points

1) the traffic is always a nightmare until 30-60 minutes after the game - so go to the pub afterwards, even if your not drinking or in a rush, whats the point in sitting in traffic?

2) don't be a numpty and park RIGHT next to the ground

3) i dont buy this 'nucleus' of hardcore fans going being that critical. If I was on my own; at an away game/cup final/ anywhere and I hear one fan on my wave length - you join together. This happened at wembley for the cup final. I was LAST row third tier, with aload of quiet numpties. In fact before we've kicked off some village idiot said ''can you move your arm mate i cant see'' when i was singing blue moon. And in face the bloke a few rows in front of that looked least likely to be a 'sing'er was stood lone in his bloke and ended up jumping up all the rows towards the end to join in with me.

The cup final summed it up to me. Absolute shower of supporters for the first half then started ''singing when we were winning''. Its embarassing really. It causes friction.

Fair play people move on - already in 109/110 good lads have moved either further to 111 or south stand (which i actually think are bobbins considering they are all ''allowed'' to stand up without constant bullshit from Showshec. But all you need is 1 or 2 like minded blues and already the atmosphere of the block doubles.

[Slim]

Why not move people who consistently leave early to a less desirable part of the ground under the guise of causing less disruption to other patrons.

[ENIAM NAM]

Why not move people who consistently leave early to a less desirable part of the ground under the guise of causing less disruption to other patrons.

The top of the 3rd tier sounds like a plan!

They really do need to think about the away fans though cos a south stand full of home fans would go a long way to stopping the atmosphere being so disjointed.

[Ted Hughes]

I had to miss the game due to not being in the country.

If the other few thousand who failed to attend were similarly inconvenienced, then it would lead me to believe that was a fair reason for so many empty seats, & just a coincidence that it was an early kickoff on tv, rather than believe that a decent percentage of season ticket holders can't be fucking arsed if the match kicks off at an awkward time.

As it was, having just seen a recording of the game, it's nothing short of a fucking embarrassment & it's possible that some fans don't deserve what is happening at our club.

Bring on the glory hunters, at least they will realise what they have on offer.

[Wonderwall]

City fans seem to be apathetic in the main. Maybe this is the curve of expectation, they will get round this corner and understand that the 11 on the field need their backing every game, whether it is Norwich at home or Chelsea, or even Barca.

I remember I used to be proud of our support and other clubs used to talk of our support in a good way, however its deteriorating at a rate of knots.

[Twobob]

City fans seem to be apathetic in the main. Maybe this is the curve of expectation, they will get round this corner and understand that the 11 on the field need their backing every game, whether it is Norwich at home or Chelsea, or even Barca. I remember I used to be proud of our support and other clubs used to talk of our support in a good way, however its deteriorating at a rate of knots.

After decades of backs against the wall, all grit and little talent - we're almost more comfortable with poor displays and when we go a goal down or need to overturn a result when odds are against (Hamburg as someone mentioned, old derby games etc) - when we're 'expected' to win or we score first and seem in control of the game the atmosphere often just peters out.

Is it that we still don't know how to celebrate success and some of our biggest celebrations have been when we've just clawed our selves out of oblivion?
Even the title win was a case in point, we looked down and out until the last seconds.