Why are we so crap at home?

The table below shows the percentage of our points we get at home. It's been 10 years since we've managed over 60%! But that used to be the norm and if you go back to the 70s we were picking up 70% of our points at home.

1967-1968     73%
1968-1969     52%
1969-1970     63%
1970-1971     70%
1971-1972     63%
1972-1973     74%
1973-1974     70%
1974-1975     76%
1975-1976     84%
1976-1977     80%
1977-1978     65%
1978-1979     57%
1979-1980     64%
1980-1981     63%
1981-1982     50%
1982-1983     72%
1983-1984     64%
1984-1985     65%
1985-1986     71%
1986-1987     52%
1987-1988     50%
1988-1989     64%
1989-1990     58%
1990-1991     61%
1991-1992     46%
1992-1993     66%
1993-1994     59%
1994-1995     66%
1995-1996     61%
1996-1997     61%
1997-1998     58%
1998-1999     64%
1999-2000     75%
2000-2001     65%
2001-2002     68%
2002-2003     54%
2003-2004     70%
2004-2005     59%
2005-2006     54%
2006-2007     63%
2007-2008     47%
2008-2009     61%
2009-2010     48%
2010-2011     53%
2011-2012     57%
2012-2013     53%
2013-2014     52%
2014-2015     46%
2015-2016     52%
2016-2017     53%
2017-2018     53%
2018-2019     20%

If you break it down per decade

70s 71%
80s 61%
90s 60%
00s 60%
10s 53% (excluding this season)

It's too simplistic to blame it on the default scapegoat of the directors (although I am sure some will). Are we getting better away, or just worse at home? It's clearly a long-term trend, but why???

And let's not forget that six of those most recent seasons were in the tinpot which makes it even worse.

Whilst in the conference, for the last few years anyway, we were picking up a high number of points overall. Therefore I see the lower percentage as representing that we were good both home and away. For the other seasons in the last ten years, we simply haven't been very good and inconsistent. Therefore having home advantage counts for less, and there's less of a disparity between home and away performances.

BP is that depressing

Time for a new stadium eh?  

It’s a good question and I think it’s us the fans that are the problem. We get on the players backs with (at times) some really nasty comments. I live near London and over the years I’ve been to nearly all if not all the grounds in London with friends. I’ve noticed the home fans are nowhere near as nasty as ours can be. Also ours is a small ground with the pitch right next to the stands, so the players can hear most of these comments. Would you be playing to your full capacity if that was happening to you? I also think it’s worth mentioning that the away support is the opposite. They shout and cheer their hearts out from start to finish. It therefore appears (to me) that those getting on the players backs only go to home games. Ok that’s a generalisation but I don’t think I’m far off the mark. UTM

Quoted from GrimExile

It’s a good question and I think it’s us the fans that are the problem. We get on the players backs with (at times) some really nasty comments. I live near London and over the years I’ve been to nearly all if not all the grounds in London with friends. I’ve noticed the home fans are nowhere near as nasty as ours can be. Also ours is a small ground with the pitch right next to the stands, so the players can hear most of these comments. Would you be playing to your full capacity if that was happening to you? I also think it’s worth mentioning that the away support is the opposite. They shout and cheer their hearts out from start to finish. It therefore appears (to me) that those getting on the players backs only go to home games. Ok that’s a generalisation but I don’t think I’m far off the mark. UTM

I think it's well known that opposition teams come with a plan to frustrate our fans. Truth is that they often succeed and that, more often than not, we don't seem to be able to combat it.

I know I'll get grief for this, but I honestly believe the atmosphere and feeling around the place has a negative impact on the team, and this has been getting worse in the last 10 years or so, in my experience.

You all know what I mean - the place is full of people who can't wait to start getting on players' backs and digging the manager out. It was mentioned by an opposition player or manager probably a couple of seasons ago (might've been when Hartlepool beat us 3-0?) that players knew if they could frustrate the team for the first half hour, the fans would start getting at players and the atmosphere would turn in their favour. They're not wrong.

Before you all start about how the fans have stuck with the club - that's right, and should be commended. How we sold over 3k season tickets this year I'll never know, and its a testament to the fans that we continue to turn up week after week after getting dished up absolute turd for two decades straight.

But the atmosphere is very, very rarely one of unconditional support and encouragement. Everything's tinged with expectancy (perhaps rightly), and when people do go start to really vocally support the team, a lot of the time it seems like it's out of frustration and people are being forced to drag the players along. It never seems like fun, it's a chore.

You've got pockets around the ground - on the left of the Pontoon, on the Osmond side of the Findus & Main stand - but it's like some people need to be beaten with a massive stick to get any kind of support out of them. Up to them I suppose, not everyone goes to shout & sing and jump up and down, but it seems like half the ground just want to get in, moan to the people around them, and get out as quickly as possible.

Why's it like this? The same reasons we go over every few months. The stewards are overbearing little Hitlers. The sound doesn't carry around the ground and gets lost out of the open corners. You've an aging crowd as young people are priced out or have better options on a Saturday like sitting in the pub watching Jeff Stelling. When there's the opportunity to do something different and open the Osmond to get a bit of atmosphere going, the club aren't even remotely interested. Year after year of turgid performances, even with decent teams (Hurst, Slade in 05/06), haven't helped - functionality help might get results but it hasn't been easy on the eye.

I also think the club really need to take a look at how they're pitching themselves to fans and the town more generally. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I'm sick to death of being told how we're the 12th man, how the club need us, how  we can get them over the line, we're a big team with a great following...blah blah blah balderdash. Frankly, the club have worn that line out in the last few years, and their actions don't show they particularly give a stuff about us. Bignot and Jolley clearly have had this "pipe the fans off" line drilled into them, but it wears off very quickly. Look at this from the club on Friday, just 5 games into the season -

[tweet]1035516014585413633[/tweet]


Maybe save the begging and pleading for a little later on in the season. Maybe try and say something that might get fans excited about coming to BP, don't try and force it on us like some kind of moral obligation.

There are plenty of other clubs  and other grounds where fans are miserable and moan, but I couldn't care less. This is about GTFC and clearly there's a problem at home.

Quoted from ska face

I know I'll get grief for this, but I honestly believe the atmosphere and feeling around the place has a negative impact on the team, and this has been getting worse in the last 10 years or so, in my experience.

You all know what I mean - the place is full of people who can't wait to start getting on players' backs and digging the manager out. It was mentioned by an opposition player or manager probably a couple of seasons ago (might've been when Hartlepool beat us 3-0?) that players knew if they could frustrate the team for the first half hour, the fans would start getting at players and the atmosphere would turn in their favour. They're not wrong.

Before you all start about how the fans have stuck with the club - that's right, and should be commended. How we sold over 3k season tickets this year I'll never know, and its a testament to the fans that we continue to turn up week after week after getting dished up absolute turd for two decades straight.

But the atmosphere is very, very rarely one of unconditional support and encouragement. Everything's tinged with expectancy (perhaps rightly), and when people do go start to really vocally support the team, a lot of the time it seems like it's out of frustration and people are being forced to drag the players along. It never seems like fun, it's a chore.

You've got pockets around the ground - on the left of the Pontoon, on the Osmond side of the Findus & Main stand - but it's like some people need to be beaten with a massive stick to get any kind of support out of them. Up to them I suppose, not everyone goes to shout & sing and jump up and down, but it seems like half the ground just want to get in, moan to the people around them, and get out as quickly as possible.

Why's it like this? The same reasons we go over every few months. The stewards are overbearing little Hitlers. The sound doesn't carry around the ground and gets lost out of the open corners. You've an aging crowd as young people are priced out or have better options on a Saturday like sitting in the pub watching Jeff Stelling. When there's the opportunity to do something different and open the Osmond to get a bit of atmosphere going, the club aren't even remotely interested. Year after year of turgid performances, even with decent teams (Hurst, Slade in 05/06), haven't helped - functionality help might get results but it hasn't been easy on the eye.

I also think the club really need to take a look at how they're pitching themselves to fans and the town more generally. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I'm sick to death of being told how we're the 12th man, how the club need us, how  we can get them over the line, we're a big team with a great following...blah blah blah balderdash. Frankly, the club have worn that line out in the last few years, and their actions don't show they particularly give a stuff about us. Bignot and Jolley clearly have had this "pipe the fans off" line drilled into them, but it wears off very quickly. Look at this from the club on Friday, just 5 games into the season -

[tweet]1035516014585413633[/tweet]


Maybe save the begging and pleading for a little later on in the season. Maybe try and say something that might get fans excited about coming to BP, don't try and force it on us like some kind of moral obligation.

There are plenty of other clubs  and other grounds where fans are miserable and moan, but I couldn't care less. This is about GTFC and clearly there's a problem at home.

I think you've got it spot on Ska. There's no actual feeling of enjoyment, it's like a duty to turn up because we sort of don't know any different.

I feel that the board have got to realise that the '12th man', 'making some noise for the boys' marketing is tired & stale - like the ground and the board themselves. We pay to support our club and a little bit of mutual respect wouldn't go amiss. The responsibility appears to have passed to the manager whilst the board appear to have taken a vow of silence.

Quoted from GrimRob

The table below shows the percentage of our points we get at home. It's been 10 years since we've managed over 60%! But that used to be the norm and if you go back to the 70s we were picking up 70% of our points at home.

1967-1968     73%
1968-1969     52%
1969-1970     63%
1970-1971     70%
1971-1972     63%
1972-1973     74%
1973-1974     70%
1974-1975     76%
1975-1976     84%
1976-1977     80%
1977-1978     65%
1978-1979     57%
1979-1980     64%
1980-1981     63%
1981-1982     50%
1982-1983     72%
1983-1984     64%
1984-1985     65%
1985-1986     71%
1986-1987     52%
1987-1988     50%
1988-1989     64%
1989-1990     58%
1990-1991     61%
1991-1992     46%
1992-1993     66%
1993-1994     59%
1994-1995     66%
1995-1996     61%
1996-1997     61%
1997-1998     58%
1998-1999     64%
1999-2000     75%
2000-2001     65%
2001-2002     68%
2002-2003     54%
2003-2004     70%
2004-2005     59%
2005-2006     54%
2006-2007     63%
2007-2008     47%
2008-2009     61%
2009-2010     48%
2010-2011     53%
2011-2012     57%
2012-2013     53%
2013-2014     52%
2014-2015     46%
2015-2016     52%
2016-2017     53%
2017-2018     53%
2018-2019     20%

If you break it down per decade

70s 71%
80s 61%
90s 60%
00s 60%
10s 53% (excluding this season)

It's too simplistic to blame it on the default scapegoat of the directors (although I am sure some will). Are we getting better away, or just worse at home? It's clearly a long-term trend, but why???

It's the fans fauit, no atmosphere any more, can't see the trend changing for a while yet if ever

No wonder the fans are miserable. The ground hasn't changed for decades and the team is mediocrity personified, season after season. I agree with Codger, in that i attend merely out of duty now, because it's my team and maybe just maybe, someday, we will get a manager and players that make us get out of our seat now and again. I'm not a vocal supporter at games, but neither do i boo and shout obscenities at the players or manager. Exciting games at BP are very few and far between, and it's wearing down the fans. For those of us raised on McMenemy, Kerr and Buckley, it's been a thin gruel for a very long time.

Is it the fault of the fans for not encouraging the team enough, or is it the fault of the team for not giving us much to get encouraged about? I think you could argue that point forever.

God it's depressing going to BP these days, I also go only through duty now.

I suppose it could be worse, imagine being a York fan.

I agree it very hard work watching town after all these years of torture i have to think twice about going.

Imagine that - we pay out of a feeling of duty to support a regime synonymous with failure with very little expectation of being entertained - what a sorry situation.

It's not all doom and gloom though. The performance against Lincoln was superb and we played very well at MK, two of the fancied sides in this division. Problem is, we can't seem to finish teams off when we have them there for the taking, and it's very frustrating. Hopefully, when we get everyone back fit and firing, we will start to pick up more points. We have also played a few sides who have started the season very well, so there is cause for optimism when we come up against some of the sides in and around us. I don't feel we have got the points we deserve, and could easily have had 2 or 3 more.

A decline in winning at home is actually an across the board trend, away teams are performing better than in the past on average. Remember reading an article on it a year or two ago. Just looking at our results in isolation doesn't tell the whole story. It might be that we have declined more than most tho.

http://www.skysports.com/footb.....myths-home-advantage

Here's an article on it - our performance across the latest decade at home is actually above average! Fewer than half of home games won on average and the lower down the leagues you go, the fewer home matches are won (just 40% in league two).

Oops just realised your figures were for points gained, not win percentage, so two different ways of looking at it. The general point remains the same tho - it's not just us.

Quoted from ska face

I know I'll get grief for this, but I honestly believe the atmosphere and feeling around the place has a negative impact on the team, and this has been getting worse in the last 10 years or so, in my experience.

You all know what I mean - the place is full of people who can't wait to start getting on players' backs and digging the manager out. It was mentioned by an opposition player or manager probably a couple of seasons ago (might've been when Hartlepool beat us 3-0?) that players knew if they could frustrate the team for the first half hour, the fans would start getting at players and the atmosphere would turn in their favour. They're not wrong.

Before you all start about how the fans have stuck with the club - that's right, and should be commended. How we sold over 3k season tickets this year I'll never know, and its a testament to the fans that we continue to turn up week after week after getting dished up absolute turd for two decades straight.

But the atmosphere is very, very rarely one of unconditional support and encouragement. Everything's tinged with expectancy (perhaps rightly), and when people do go start to really vocally support the team, a lot of the time it seems like it's out of frustration and people are being forced to drag the players along. It never seems like fun, it's a chore.

You've got pockets around the ground - on the left of the Pontoon, on the Osmond side of the Findus & Main stand - but it's like some people need to be beaten with a massive stick to get any kind of support out of them. Up to them I suppose, not everyone goes to shout & sing and jump up and down, but it seems like half the ground just want to get in, moan to the people around them, and get out as quickly as possible.

Why's it like this? The same reasons we go over every few months. The stewards are overbearing little Hitlers. The sound doesn't carry around the ground and gets lost out of the open corners. You've an aging crowd as young people are priced out or have better options on a Saturday like sitting in the pub watching Jeff Stelling. When there's the opportunity to do something different and open the Osmond to get a bit of atmosphere going, the club aren't even remotely interested. Year after year of turgid performances, even with decent teams (Hurst, Slade in 05/06), haven't helped - functionality help might get results but it hasn't been easy on the eye.

I also think the club really need to take a look at how they're pitching themselves to fans and the town more generally. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I'm sick to death of being told how we're the 12th man, how the club need us, how  we can get them over the line, we're a big team with a great following...blah blah blah balderdash. Frankly, the club have worn that line out in the last few years, and their actions don't show they particularly give a stuff about us. Bignot and Jolley clearly have had this "pipe the fans off" line drilled into them, but it wears off very quickly. Look at this from the club on Friday, just 5 games into the season -

[tweet]1035516014585413633[/tweet]


Maybe save the begging and pleading for a little later on in the season. Maybe try and say something that might get fans excited about coming to BP, don't try and force it on us like some kind of moral obligation.

There are plenty of other clubs  and other grounds where fans are miserable and moan, but I couldn't care less. This is about GTFC and clearly there's a problem at home.

I agree by and large but obviously you are not going to get "unconditional support" in the ground after nearly two decades of dross. It is unrealistic.

Look at the euphoria in the ground when we have had our moments of success in all that time - remember the opening game when we got back into the league - the atmosphere was fantastic from start to finish but that is too few and far between because of a chronic  lack of success.

All atmospheres are built on success or at least a togetherness but you cannot ask for it when we have no success or indeed plan so fans and players feel together in a mission.

Look at clubs who had success and and are now failing - for eg  Hull who had great atmosphere in the stadium when things were going well, but now it is like a morgue apparently.

Success breeds success as they say, and until we get some we are stuck with it as the club seem unable to raise themselves from their stupor to do anything positive at all.

Quoted from ska face

I know I'll get grief for this, but I honestly believe the atmosphere and feeling around the place has a negative impact on the team, and this has been getting worse in the last 10 years or so, in my experience.

You all know what I mean - the place is full of people who can't wait to start getting on players' backs and digging the manager out. It was mentioned by an opposition player or manager probably a couple of seasons ago (might've been when Hartlepool beat us 3-0?) that players knew if they could frustrate the team for the first half hour, the fans would start getting at players and the atmosphere would turn in their favour. They're not wrong.

Before you all start about how the fans have stuck with the club - that's right, and should be commended. How we sold over 3k season tickets this year I'll never know, and its a testament to the fans that we continue to turn up week after week after getting dished up absolute turd for two decades straight.

But the atmosphere is very, very rarely one of unconditional support and encouragement. Everything's tinged with expectancy (perhaps rightly), and when people do go start to really vocally support the team, a lot of the time it seems like it's out of frustration and people are being forced to drag the players along. It never seems like fun, it's a chore.

You've got pockets around the ground - on the left of the Pontoon, on the Osmond side of the Findus & Main stand - but it's like some people need to be beaten with a massive stick to get any kind of support out of them. Up to them I suppose, not everyone goes to shout & sing and jump up and down, but it seems like half the ground just want to get in, moan to the people around them, and get out as quickly as possible.

Why's it like this? The same reasons we go over every few months. The stewards are overbearing little Hitlers. The sound doesn't carry around the ground and gets lost out of the open corners. You've an aging crowd as young people are priced out or have better options on a Saturday like sitting in the pub watching Jeff Stelling. When there's the opportunity to do something different and open the Osmond to get a bit of atmosphere going, the club aren't even remotely interested. Year after year of turgid performances, even with decent teams (Hurst, Slade in 05/06), haven't helped - functionality help might get results but it hasn't been easy on the eye.

I also think the club really need to take a look at how they're pitching themselves to fans and the town more generally. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I'm sick to death of being told how we're the 12th man, how the club need us, how  we can get them over the line, we're a big team with a great following...blah blah blah balderdash. Frankly, the club have worn that line out in the last few years, and their actions don't show they particularly give a stuff about us. Bignot and Jolley clearly have had this "pipe the fans off" line drilled into them, but it wears off very quickly. Look at this from the club on Friday, just 5 games into the season -

[tweet]1035516014585413633[/tweet]


Maybe save the begging and pleading for a little later on in the season. Maybe try and say something that might get fans excited about coming to BP, don't try and force it on us like some kind of moral obligation.

There are plenty of other clubs  and other grounds where fans are miserable and moan, but I couldn't care less. This is about GTFC and clearly there's a problem at home.

Maybe if the board try and DO something that may get the fans excited more's the point. We're way past shallow words that the fans know the board don't believe in but it serves their purpose of bringing in income that they can gladly spend and take the credit for rather than change the whole dynamic of the club by bringing in extra investment or sorting a new stadium.

Every bit of responsibility for the well being of the club is being loaded on the fans year by year. A set of loyal fans that have suffered enough over the past two decades. A set of loyal fans who are generous enough to blame themselves in this thread regarding how crap the team are at home due to atmosphere, yet BP was voted best for atmosphere in League Two in a recent fan survey. BP was a morgue on Saturday, but fans should not be blamed for everything that's wrong at the club and they should not feel responsibility or guilt for everything that's wrong at the club too, the ultimate responsibility lays elsewhere..

Quoted from Bigdog

Maybe if the board try and DO something that may get the fans excited more's the point. We're way past shallow words that the fans know the board don't believe in but it serves their purpose of bringing in income that they can gladly spend and take the credit for rather than change the whole dynamic of the club by bringing in extra investment or sorting a new stadium.

Every bit of responsibility for the well being of the club is being loaded on the fans year by year. A set of loyal fans that have suffered enough over the past two decades. A set of loyal fans who are generous enough to blame themselves in this thread regarding how crap the team are at home due to atmosphere, yet BP was voted best for atmosphere in League Two in a recent fan survey. BP was a morgue on Saturday, but fans should not be blamed for everything that's wrong at the club and they should not feel responsibility or guilt for everything that's wrong at the club too, the ultimate responsibility lays elsewhere..

If the board resigned it would be a good start  

I think when the away end is packed and we have someone to chant at then BP can be a fortress. For the last ten years though the away end has been fairly empty. In that case the supporters tend to find fault on the pitch, or those that do can at least be overheard

Quoted from GrimExile

It’s a good question and I think it’s us the fans that are the problem. We get on the players backs with (at times) some really nasty comments. I live near London and over the years I’ve been to nearly all if not all the grounds in London with friends. I’ve noticed the home fans are nowhere near as nasty as ours can be. Also ours is a small ground with the pitch right next to the stands, so the players can hear most of these comments. Would you be playing to your full capacity if that was happening to you? I also think it’s worth mentioning that the away support is the opposite. They shout and cheer their hearts out from start to finish. It therefore appears (to me) that those getting on the players backs only go to home games. Ok that’s a generalisation but I don’t think I’m far off the mark. UTM

At yesterdays match in the Upper Findus there was this guy who is not a season ticket holder effing and blinding at the top of his voice throughout Towns "good spell " in the first half. He has done the same whenever I have seen him but yesterday he was on the row end about 3 rows above the stairs. I was tempted to tell him but then he was unusually quiet for the rest of the match. Stood at the top of the stairs were 3 stewards who must have heard him-wouldn't it have been part of their job to tell him to cut out the swearing. It's fair enough shouting but the language this guy was using was disgraceful. If you are the one and you are reading this "grow up" there were women and children within 5 yards of you-have respect.

Quoted from golfer

At yesterdays match in the Upper Findus there was this guy who is not a season ticket holder effing and blinding at the top of his voice throughout Towns "good spell " in the first half. He has done the same whenever I have seen him but yesterday he was on the row end about 3 rows above the stairs. I was tempted to tell him but then he was unusually quiet for the rest of the match. Stood at the top of the stairs were 3 stewards who must have heard him-wouldn't it have been part of their job to tell him to cut out the swearing. It's fair enough shouting but the language this guy was using was disgraceful. If you are the one and you are reading this "grow up" there were women and children within 5 yards of you-have respect.

I have it on good authority that Mr Fenty has promised not to do it again  

Quoted from Bigdog

Maybe if the board try and DO something that may get the fans excited more's the point. We're way past shallow words that the fans know the board don't believe in but it serves their purpose of bringing in income that they can gladly spend and take the credit for rather than change the whole dynamic of the club by bringing in extra investment or sorting a new stadium.

Every bit of responsibility for the well being of the club is being loaded on the fans year by year. A set of loyal fans that have suffered enough over the past two decades. A set of loyal fans who are generous enough to blame themselves in this thread regarding how crap the team are at home due to atmosphere, yet BP was voted best for atmosphere in League Two in a recent fan survey. BP was a morgue on Saturday, but fans should not be blamed for everything that's wrong at the club and they should not feel responsibility or guilt for everything that's wrong at the club too, the ultimate responsibility lays elsewhere..

Problem is now that any positive (whenever it happens) input by the board is likely to be met with cynicism.

Let's just remember that this is the board that weren't very resolute post-Stevenage, organised the bullying of Matt Dean, accused some fans of bullying over Checkatrade, promised a new stadium by November 2019 and Championship football in 5 years. Not to forget that 'Operation Promotion' was the 'worst thing that's happened'.

I don't know if Michael Jolley reads The Fishy but please don't believe all you've been told! It's not just us that raise expectations.

They had their chance to get the fans excited approx 1.3 million for Bogle and 700.000 for dembele so why the f*ck didn’t they buy a goalscorer who can put the ball in the net, It’s been needed long since Bogle left and we’ve not replaced him we’re has all the money gone ? Ok we’ve signed a couple of players who could be on good money ie welsh Hess macca whitehouse but surely all that money hasn’t been spent on wages it’s amazing how 3000 season tickets have been sold AGAIN but yet we still never got that one goalscorer that we all so badly wanted, Ive never had a problem with fenty and the board but they are now starting to p*ss me off and a lot of other fans also wondering were the money has gone this season hasn’t been great as yet and I hope it gets better because the fans are showing already that there not happy with what they are watching especially at home UTM ⚫️⚪️

1.3 million for Bogle and 700k for Dembele?! Where'd you get those figures from??!

Quoted from Mendonca1995

They had their chance to get the fans excited approx 1.3 million for Bogle and 700.000 for dembele so why the f*ck didn’t they buy a goalscorer who can put the ball in the net, It’s been needed long since Bogle left and we’ve not replaced him we’re has all the money gone ? Ok we’ve signed a couple of players who could be on good money ie welsh Hess macca whitehouse but surely all that money hasn’t been spent on wages it’s amazing how 3000 season tickets have been sold AGAIN but yet we still never got that one goalscorer that we all so badly wanted, Ive never had a problem with fenty and the board but they are now starting to p*ss me off and a lot of other fans also wondering were the money has gone this season hasn’t been great as yet and I hope it gets better because the fans are showing already that there not happy with what they are watching especially at home UTM ⚫️⚪️

I fully agree with you but no way did we get £2m for Bogle and Dembele, more like around half of that.

Sorry if this has been said before but we are so poor at home because we never replaced Boglem

If you can not score you will not win,

As soon as the away side score first you know we will not score 2,

Lets hope with Thomas Pringle and the young lad from Sunderland change things for the better.

Quoted from chaos33

1.3 million for Bogle and 700k for Dembele?! Where'd you get those figures from??!

Yeah clearly nonsense. I heard we got £1.4m for Dembele plus 50% sell on.

Quoted from Abdul19

Yeah clearly nonsense. I heard we got £1.4m for Dembele plus 50% sell on.

You are joking Abdul we got 20 million and 99% sell on clause.

Someone said it's 3 wins in the last 15 home games.
Don't know how true it is but it feels like that ☹️☹️☹️

Quoted from TAGG

Someone said it's 3 wins in the last 15 home games.
Don't know how true it is but it feels like that ☹️☹️☹️

3 in 16 i make it. After we beat FGR at the beginning of December, we didn't win at home (or away for that matter) until we beat Chesterfield in April. We won the next one too against Notts County, and that was the last home win. Pretty important one though.

Not pleasant reading is it?

Wow 3 in 16 that’s about 4.5 wins a season at home.

Since we got promoted there have been 55 games at BP in all competitions. We have won 15, drawn 18 and lost 22.

Quoted from GrimRob

Since we got promoted there have been 55 games at BP in all competitions. We have won 15, drawn 18 and lost 22.

That sounds disgusting !!!!!

Quoted from GrimRob

Since we got promoted there have been 55 games at BP in all competitions. We have won 15, drawn 18 and lost 22.

Yep, and those 15 were league games. Not won a cup game at all.

9 wins in our first season back and only 6 last season. No wins yet this season at home.

Quoted from GrimRob

Since we got promoted there have been 55 games at BP in all competitions. We have won 15, drawn 18 and lost 22.

Good God!!!

A home win ratio, since returning to EFL football, of 27%. Cack.

Quoted from GrimRob

The table below shows the percentage of our points we get at home. It's been 10 years since we've managed over 60%! But that used to be the norm and if you go back to the 70s we were picking up 70% of our points at home.


If you break it down per decade

70s 71%
80s 61%
90s 60%
00s 60%
10s 53% (excluding this season)

It's too simplistic to blame it on the default scapegoat of the directors (although I am sure some will). Are we getting better away, or just worse at home? It's clearly a long-term trend, but why???

I think someone else pointed out this is a nationwide trend, not just a Grimsby thing. And the big drop came in the 80s when 3 points for a win was introduced. Before that hanging on for a draw was worth doing. Since then there's more incentive to go for that win. Which is riskier home and away. There was more to lose at home and more to gain away, so the results home and away have tended to the mean.

Quoted from GrimExile

It’s a good question and I think it’s us the fans that are the problem. We get on the players backs with (at times) some really nasty comments. I live near London and over the years I’ve been to nearly all if not all the grounds in London with friends. I’ve noticed the home fans are nowhere near as nasty as ours can be. Also ours is a small ground with the pitch right next to the stands, so the players can hear most of these comments. Would you be playing to your full capacity if that was happening to you? I also think it’s worth mentioning that the away support is the opposite. They shout and cheer their hearts out from start to finish. It therefore appears (to me) that those getting on the players backs only go to home games. Ok that’s a generalisation but I don’t think I’m far off the mark. UTM

This struck me the other week at Wimbledon. Despite giving two soft goals away the home crowd were tolerant and quickly got back to being vocally supportive. I was moaning more than them and it's not even my team! It is a Grimsby thing after all. And some of it is our fault. Made me question myself.

I thought given the abject display the fan`s stuck with the team on Saturday and gave good support especially 2nd half? Our home display`s have been poor for a long time I remember as a kid early-mid 80s we turned up and expected to win regardless of opposition and a home defeat seemed rare. I was bitterly disappointed with the lack of attacking options on Saturday and the substitutions where very underwhelming.I expect better but I always felt it was going to take whilst around Xmas for us to settle down and start on a run? I am hoping MJ can get us on a cup run and we pull out a plum tie that will be a good turning point.UTM

There is a small group near where I sit in the Pontoon, who seem to get more satisfaction (if that's the right word) from us losing, they are definitely more vocal.  "Rubbish" is their favourite cry.



I've noticed on occasions when we do start to get a bit of atmosphere going, we'll concede and it's sucked out of us again.

When I first started going as a kid, BP seemed hostile and uncomfortable towards away teams. Big cheers when we won the ball or made a tackle, grief whenever the oppo missed a shot or misplaced a pass. I mentioned unconditional support earlier on, maybe that was the wrong phrase, but it seems like we need to appreciate the away team are the ones who should fear playing at BP, not us, and we need to make it that way even if people don’t really want to give any praise to our players or manager.

That’s how it felt in the first few conference years, like it or not we were a big club down there and fans & players from some of the pub teams seemed to raise it against us and revel in it whenever anything went against us. I know it’s difficult for some to get that buzz against Yeovil or Morecambe, but that’s what’ll start helping us grind results out. Bring the opposition down.

BP can be very hostile when the home crowd get going.I can`t think of anywhere I have been to see Town where gates of 4k make so much noise when the home team are on top.The GY crowd want to give vocal support but seldom get the chance before the team are on the back foot of late.A home team coming out and setting a fast tempo will set the crowd off and if that`s what MJ wants to lift the player`s he needs to address how the team start games.

Last time I remember us ripping a opposing team a new hole at BP was in Mr Bignots short ill fated reign ?

Misery loves company. Perhaps because we have been so poor for so long, there is mostly only the cynical and pessimistic fans left going to games.  

There just seems to be this perpetual malaise around the place that is proving very hard to shift. I also think there is an ever aging fan base that have been raised on a much better standard of football and excitement level, and they are just sat waiting for something to happen. I'm often staggered by players inability to control a football, or see a simple pass and execute it. It seems an age since i saw a winger put over a perfect cross and a centre forward rise above a centre back to power an header into the net. I can only think of a handful of truly pulsating games from the last several seasons, and two of those were cup games against Scunthorpe and Huddersfield. Come from behind wins are rare as rocking horse sh1t. Games where we come out of the blocks from minute one and batter the opposition are even rarer. Avoiding relegation by the skin of our teeth last season, was actually quite thrilling in a scary way, and about the most excitement we've had for a while.

There is going to have to be a catalyst at some point. A moment or period that you look back on and think, that's where the tide started to turn. Something that reconnects the team with the fans. I think Jolley is trying hard to up the intensity levels but as yet it is a little patchy. I said in my earlier post that it's debatable whether it's the fans job to get the players going or the players job to get the fans going, but i think it's a mutual thing. They need to feed off each other. For that to happen, the fans need to trust the team. Trust they they are more often that not going to prevail, especially at home. 6 home wins last season, and only 15 in two and a bit seasons is not the stuff to build trust. An half decent cup run wouldn't hurt either.

I live in hope as ever.

Ah....the old 'chicken and egg' concept......back every few weeks for debate when there's no real on-pitch excitement or success.  

1

Quoted from chaos33

Ah....the old 'chicken and egg' concept......back every few weeks for debate when there's no real on-pitch excitement or success.  

I purposefully stopped myself using the words 'chicken and egg', though they were prominent in my mind.  

Quoted from ginnywings

Misery loves company. Perhaps because we have been so poor for so long, there is mostly only the cynical and pessimistic fans left going to games.  

There just seems to be this perpetual malaise around the place that is proving very hard to shift. I also think there is an ever aging fan base that have been raised on a much better standard of football and excitement level, and they are just sat waiting for something to happen. I'm often staggered by players inability to control a football, or see a simple pass and execute it. It seems an age since i saw a winger put over a perfect cross and a centre forward rise above a centre back to power an header into the net. I can only think of a handful of truly pulsating games from the last several seasons, and two of those were cup games against Scunthorpe and Huddersfield. Come from behind wins are rare as rocking horse sh1t. Games where we come out of the blocks from minute one and batter the opposition are even rarer. Avoiding relegation by the skin of our teeth last season, was actually quite thrilling in a scary way, and about the most excitement we've had for a while.

There is going to have to be a catalyst at some point. A moment or period that you look back on and think, that's where the tide started to turn. Something that reconnects the team with the fans. I think Jolley is trying hard to up the intensity levels but as yet it is a little patchy. I said in my earlier post that it's debatable whether it's the fans job to get the players going or the players job to get the fans going, but i think it's a mutual thing. They need to feed off each other. For that to happen, the fans need to trust the team. Trust they they are more often that not going to prevail, especially at home. 6 home wins last season, and only 15 in two and a bit seasons is not the stuff to build trust. An half decent cup run wouldn't hurt either.

I live in hope as ever.

I think this is only part of the malaise Ginny. The fans that still go and those that now don't need something for them to reconnect to the CLUB. The fans flocked back at the end of last season because the club was in trouble. It would have been the club that had got relegated not the team as everyone knew the vast majority of those players were gone at the end of the season. Yes, if performances were better, then turnout would be better, but the team and MJ cannot do it on their own. There's a massive cloud of non-progression hanging over our club and along with it a frustrated bitterness that has built up over what is now an extremely long time. That bitterness dilutes the loyalty. Fans of GTFC have shown a lot of patience over a very long period of time without getting anything at all back other than more of the same or the club just doing what it's always done. It's a shame because MJ deserves more patience than he's getting but it's much more complicated than a couple of poor home performances driving the home support down by 35%. At some point we need belief in the team coupled with belief in the club, then we'll be firing again. Will we ever get it? I doubt it in the near future because the board seem so settled in what they're doing. It's a shame because we're going to and have already lost generations of fans to the Premier League clubs. As long as one man lives out his dream of running GTFC and still insists we do our PR on the pitch, patience is going to wear thinner and thinner as the years and decades go by. It's no fun being a loyal Town fan and something has to change quickly for things to turn around. Putting all hope on a Jolley Revolution is unfair on MJ, and by the looks of it floating fans have had a look and summised after a couple of poor home performances that they don't like the look of everything the club has to offer, because all the club have offered is a Jolley Revolution and nothing else. They've dipped their toe in from time to time but with a winning home percentage of around one in four the chances are they've got a good chance of being disappointed when they've dragged their heels back to BP. Going out on an all dayer to an away match is a different matter, but there are signs that the away support we have prided ourselves is dwindling too. We've got so many problems at the club and it all needs fixing before we have a chance of the really good times of decades past returning..

It's a very good question and whoever has the answer to it is sat on a gold mine.
It seems to me that the vociferous home fans can quickly turn to negativity if the games starts to move in a pattern that leads us to a dour performance capped with potential defeat. This transfers to the team, staff and other fans. Already noted by MJ in his FG post match interview.
Are our expectations too great because of our success in the relatively recent past, when we were fighting well above our weight for a long time?

When you give visiting fans the end with the best acoustics ( sitting in the main stand we can hardly hear the pontoon), what do you expect. Yeovils 72 were louder even when the pontoon was in full voice. Give the osmond stand back to home support, oh sorry we can't because we may get some away fans. That's lit the blue touch paper.

Q: Why are we so crap at home?
A: Years of practise.  

Do you know something? I have an ST but could not go on Sat as I was away but I have to say I did not miss being there. Now that just cannot be right can it?

As mentioned earlier the 3 points for a win encourages away teams to go for it more, but also after Hillsborough and grounds became all seated this also effects the atmosphere which would mostly be in favour of the home team, even places in the premier, Arsenal, Man Utd to are like a library at times.

Many have commented about the general malaise around the club. Like others i think i attend more out of a sense of duty than excitement. Again i am in the long in the tooth group (60+) and see few youngsters in the Upper Findus
I noticed on Twitter that there is an interview on ifollow from Pringle. Why should fans have to pay to listen to an interview from a player? Short termism again

Quoted from Gaffer58

As mentioned earlier the 3 points for a win encourages away teams to go for it more, but also after Hillsborough and grounds became all seated this also effects the atmosphere which would mostly be in favour of the home team, even places in the premier, Arsenal, Man Utd to are like a library at times.

What I hate about our conversion to all-seater in the mid-90s, was getting rid of the corners either side of the pontoon.

I hate those corners. It looks horrible having such massive spaces. The Main Stand doesn't start till half way up the half-way line and the Findus the other side somewhere around the edge of the 18 yard line.

Wouldn't be so bad if the space was actually used for anything but it's just open space serving no purpose. When you watch highlights on tv now it looks very, dare I say non-league, seeing us attack the Pontoon and just seeing some cars parked in the corner of the ground.

I agree.

You know what we need..?
New stadium.

Can't believe nobody has suggested it 😉

Wouldn't it be nice to see a Grimsby Town team go out at BP and get a couple of goals in the first 15-20 minutes and send the fans home entertained after a 4 or 5 goal performance.

When was the last time we won a league game by 4?

Quoted from Tommy

What I hate about our conversion to all-seater in the mid-90s, was getting rid of the corners either side of the pontoon.

I hate those corners. It looks horrible having such massive spaces. The Main Stand doesn't start till half way up the half-way line and the Findus the other side somewhere around the edge of the 18 yard line.

Wouldn't be so bad if the space was actually used for anything but it's just open space serving no purpose. When you watch highlights on tv now it looks very, dare I say non-league, seeing us attack the Pontoon and just seeing some cars parked in the corner of the ground.

Completely agree. A lot of press photos that are taken show a backdrop of cars/food outlet and maybe a steward with no sign of a crowd or proper stadium. Can't we do what Arsenal did that time and have a mural painted backdrop showing a full house in the corners?

Nothing is done. Nothing at all to make us look any better than bottom of league 2 at best.

Quoted from GrimRob

I think when the away end is packed and we have someone to chant at then BP can be a fortress. For the last ten years though the away end has been fairly empty. In that case the supporters tend to find fault on the pitch, or those that do can at least be overheard

was going to post similar myself....having 80 supporters from Yeovil in the away end hardly builds an atmosphere....plus its Yeovil.....now it might seem strange to some on here but when i consider Yeovil....they are non league country bumpkin outfit....now thats my perspective as thats what they were...
i dont think we realise it but i do think a certain generation hold a grudge/chip/big time charlie attitude when attending BP...those that have seen Div 2 , Championship, Cup runs, promotions etc expect more/better and almost refuse to get involved ...and i include myself in that....its difficult to swallow where we are at times and very difficult to swallow teams that were virtually unheard of 20 yrs ago playing divisions above us now.

Quoted from moosey_club

was going to post similar myself....having 80 supporters from Yeovil in the away end hardly builds an atmosphere....plus its Yeovil.....now it might seem strange to some on here but when i think consider Yeovil....they are non league country bumpkin outfit....now thats my perspective as thats what they were...
i dont think we realise it but i do think a certain generation hold a grudge/chip/big time charlie attitude when attending BP...those that have seen Div 2 , Championship, Cup runs, promotions etc expect more/better and almost refuse to get involved ...and i include myself in that....its difficult to swallow where we are at times and very difficult to swallow teams that were virtually unheard of 20 yrs ago playing divisions above us now.

Aye it's tough. Watching MOTD and some games in the Championship, you see teams we used to play regularly, in new stadiums, with players of a level we could only dream of. Watford unbeaten in the Prem for instance. Remember when they were a lower league long ball outfit.

Interesting stats - note no promotion season is over 70% and some are under 60%. The seasons of 80% in the 70's plus were struggling seasons - our home record saved us from relegation.

Maybe the increased professionalism at lower levels in the game has had an impact - better fitness, tactical analysis, sports science techniques and maybe sometimes travelling night before for really long hauls, means that the freezing dressing room, scruffy unglamourous surroundings / stadium, freezing fog and fish meal stench drifting off the humber etc. etc. all has a lesser impact on the mentality of the away team. I remember some games in those 80% plus seasons and the promotion chasings southern softie fancy-dans like Palarse and Brighton turning up at BP and not fancying it - even M'wall as well...

We need a new stadium with a safe-standing Pontoon and german-like ultra support from it...

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

Completely agree. A lot of press photos that are taken show a backdrop of cars/food outlet and maybe a steward with no sign of a crowd or proper stadium. Can't we do what Arsenal did that time and have a mural painted backdrop showing a full house in the corners?

Nothing is done. Nothing at all to make us look any better than bottom of league 2 at best.

Exeter's ground only has two sides and an open corner between the two stands. They don't seem to be doing to bad do they?

Quoted from mimma

Exeter's ground only has two sides and an open corner between the two stands. They don't seem to be doing to bad do they?

You cannot seriously be suggesting Exeter as a benchmark can you? So we don't make any improvements, leave it looking tinpot and maybe one day, we will be as good as Exeter?

No wonder we are were we are if that is the ambition of Town fans.

No I am not. What I am saying is that some on here have said that the open corners at Blundell Park are responsible for poor atmosphere and performance. I am merely pointing out that Exeter ground is worse but it isn't having the same effect on their performances. It's just another stick to beat Town with when things don't go right on the pitch.

I remember when I first started going to watch Town, if we were losing or not playing particularly well, the fans would sing ATTACK ATTACK......ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK and it would sometimes inject some energy.

I don't know why the atmosphere feels, sometimes flat, what was the atmosphere like vs Lincoln?  I think there is a multitude of things -

- Fans relationship wih JF & Board
- The Town dying with lack of investment
- Our expectancy based on yester years leaving fans dissapointed when things do go well on the pitch
- The age group of our fans. Actually that would be quite interesting to know the average age of fans that attend.  

Oh, I am by no means blaming the fans here.   I have however seen my Dad become transformed during the years of watching Town, I think his patience has worn thin and just a minor bad pass would get him starting to moan (but not at the players).  It kinds upsets me as i'm more reasoned about things like that.  He's 68 and is not a regular but I wonder if there are others that maybe similar age and appear negative.