29 Aug 2011

The Sad Tale Of The Fading Stadium Atmosphere







If there is one old tradition in the English game of football that seems to be disappearing at an alarming rate, it has to be the stadiums match day atmosphere in my opinion. I have been a regular spectator at Old Trafford over the last twenty plus years, and have recently been trying to get to the bottom of why the atmosphere in the English stadiums has changed so much as to my early experiences, when I was a young child standing in the Stretford end with my father.

The first main contributing factor to the change in the English stadium atmosphere has to be that we now have all seater stadiums throughout the top tier of the English football. I remember my experiences as a youngster with my dad in the Stretford end very fondly, and remember that the atmosphere was always electric, it was like being in the standing section of a concert. You would not want to be in the seating section of a rock and roll gig would you? Standing instantly creates its own atmosphere.

So I started to ask people the question, do you think that we should look at bringing back standing sections at English football games, and at least give the supporters the option to stand? And it got a mixed response. The majority were in favour of it and agreed with me, but I also had people who were very sceptical of it, mainly explaining that their reason for disagreeing with me was the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, which resulted in the death of ninety six people, and seven hundred and sixty six injuries.

My argument was that surly we could look at bringing back “safe” standing areas in the lower tiers behind the goals? Many Man Utd away trips that I have been on result in me paying for a seat that I never use? We all stand for ninety minutes without any trouble or security issues so why could it not work? If you had a designated standing area, and purchase a ticket that corresponds with a row and a number to stand at, with a safety bar running along each row, what problems could arise?

I am also not that naive to think that this will ever be introduced back into our stadiums. It is something that would cost the clubs financially to do, and they will bring up the safety aspect of it but it has worked successfully in the German Bundesliga so why not at least consider it and get the supporters thoughts on it?

The second contributing factor to the change in the English stadium atmosphere has to be the corporate side to our football stadiums. Corporate bigwigs use our stadiums to wine and dine clients at football fixtures. I would say the majority of these fat cats are more concerned with sealing business deals and what cheese and wine will be on the half time menu than the outcome of the teams result. This is something that worries me because our stadiums are now changing to accommodate these business men.

So how can you expect to create an atmosphere from the corporate sections of our stadiums? Simple answer, you cannot. Because these are the people who tell others to sit down when they stand up in front of them from the comfort of their heated padded seats.


Roy Keane knocked the nail on the head when he addressed the problem back in 2000. Keane was quoted as saying “Away from home our fans are fantastic, I'd call them the hardcore fans. But at home they have a few drinks and probably the prawn sandwiches, and they don't realise what's going on out on the pitch"

I always thought it was ironic that Old Trafford was given the name “The Theatre of Dreams” as most of the people in the corporate section would probably be better suited to going to the theatre!

It is not just Old Trafford that suffers this problem, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal all spring to mind.
Our football clubs are well aware that these are the people who they make the most revenue off each season, so looking at it money is another big factor on how our stadium atmosphere has changed. Many dedicated fans are being put off by rising ticket prices that will continue to rise with the rise in players wages.

Unfortunately this is the way that the English game has turned out to be, it’s a rich mans playground, and billionaire owners are buying clubs as play things. But as the price of season tickets increases every season, the demand to watch football is still strong and attendances are not affected. It is just the clientele that is attending the games that has changed, and that has had a massive decline in our stadium atmosphere.

So to sum this up, your average working class person is now being priced out of going to watch the team that they are so passionate about, by corporate bigwigs who sit on padded seats, eat prawn sandwiches, and could not care less if the team win, lose or draw. All that matters to them is that their business meeting, at our football stadium is successful and that the wine and cheese board was up to their usual high sophisticated standards.



Kevin Ashford
@kevinashford7

5 comments:

  1. Thanks for the comment and taking time to read it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good article mate, it's a shame isn't it. I noticed this especially against Newcastle.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great article, Kevin! I read this article some months ago, But recently came across it again after seeing a couple of retweets on twitter, I'll chip in now and leave my thoughts.

    I absolutely agree about bringing safe standing into the English game, As you said and rightly so pointed out it has been implemented successfully in Germany. Dortmund's South stand, 'Die Südtribüne' is a thing of beauty, Largest free-standing stand in Europe. There is no reason why England can't adopt a similar approach as Germany, Yes it will cost lots of money but the benefits would be immense for the game, For the fans more importantly. The heart and soul of many big, even smaller clubs is no longer there and it's only going to get worse, That is the state of this modern game.

    I look around Europe and I witness incredible support and atmosphere within the grounds, Yes the way of thinking and cultures are different, But I honestly believe support in England, And more importantly a section within Old Trafford should adopt the Ultras philosophy, Forget the bad reputation some groups come with and let's focus on the obvious benefits they provide.

    Vocal support in large groups throughout the 90+ minutes and the displaying of banners both prior and during matches, Incredible tifo choreography, Drums, Pyro displays that create a formidable atmosphere, Yes the latter would be a no go in England but the rest is a must, But you know all that. Adopting the Ultras culture at Home is so much more deeper than that, I have followed the Ajax Ultras (VAK410 for example) for the last 5/6 years and their work within their club is inspiring and incedible, A giant of European football, Like us! At one point they suffered from the same thing we're suffering from now under the strict rules and corporate bullshit that is modern football. It goes far beyond atmosphere. Obscene ticket prices for example. Together they are making a change. Together we can do the same.

    I understand the older United lads may not like this suggestion, But I reckon the young lads would be more willing, Because as it stands this is the final option. Without us the fans, The clubs around the Europe are hollow.

    Adopting this approach and fighting together against the modern game can make a change, If the Ajax boys can do it, We sure as hell can.

    My opinion and thoughts may mean absolutely nothing to you, But I hope you appreciate and understand the view I am coming from!

    Cheers, David.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks very much for your input mate, you make some good points & suggestions.

    ReplyDelete