The Pontoon

Not sure if it’s been mentioned, but fair play to the Pontoon yesterday. Atmosphere was a bit flat at times, but the Ponny was pretty loud at times yesterday from where I was sat in the Upper Youngs.

Make it standing and things will get louder

If  man ure  get safe standing then so can we in the new stadium .

Totally agree that it wasn’t as loud as the old standing days, it never will be. But credit to those in there yesterday, louder than what it has been for a while.

To be fair i have thought for quite a long time we don't get a great atmosphere an BP anymore. Not sure if its the seating or what has been served up for best part of 20 years.
Away you cant fault it its superb and loud.

Best atmosphere I've known was the Fulham playoff game and that was all seater.

I think it's more to do with other reasons (not that I've been to BP this season!).

I think the atmosphere is lacking generally because of a multitude of reasons. I don’t think it’s much to do with seating or standing.

On the issue of safe standing, if Utd do get it pushed through that could be a massive step forward in English football. A big club like that who will no doubt have a great legal team and the likes, could be instrumental in changing views and regulations.

Out of interest, let’s say they did put safe standing in the pontoon, would folk who sit elsewhere move so they could stand again?

Honestly?  

No.

Personally I prefer a side view to behind the goal at home games and I've got used to sitting.  Not an issue with standing when everyone stands at away games, like Bradford was and no doubt Scunny will be.  But I've got a bit comfortable with the luxury of having a seat.  

I think the other thing with bringing back standing (and I'm all in favour of it) is that it's great when it's packed and everyone is bouncing.  But it can be crap when the crowd is sparse and it's a February night game.  In the new stadium, if we do get a safe standing option I would quite like it to be in similar style to how the old Osmond was.  The upper part seating and the lower standing.  That would work better than having a block or two in my eyes.

Quoted from monkeyboy

To be fair i have thought for quite a long time we don't get a great atmosphere an BP anymore. Not sure if its the seating or what has been served up for best part of 20 years.
Away you cant fault it its superb and loud.

It has been the shocking standard of football, and a feeling the club weren't going anywhere.

The atmosphere has been excellent when something depended on it - that match for survival against Notts County for example was great; also not having enough away fans has had a lot to do with it.

We have not been two or three goals up often enough for the fans to be in party atmosphere, too often we have had to endure endless passages of play which barely got us out of our own half.

I don't think seating matters - people get on their feet anyway when  things get exciting and I can make as much noise sitting as standing. The Fulham game springs to mind with an electric atmosphere when we had all seating, but nothing will match the big games in the 60's and 70's when ocasionally 22,000 plus were in the ground - obviously the number of fans also makes a difference.

I think if we are challenging next season the atmosphere will return naturally - but this sort of thing should be a consideration if and when we design the new stadium so that the noise is kept within the ground.

As a doddery old soul at the best of times I find myself harking back through black and white glasses to the 1970s a lot nowadays. From the 1971-2 season onwards there very often used to be a truly fantastic atmosphere in the Pontoon.

What looked like a huge mob was actually disparate groups of fans who usually had their own spot in the stand. When the singing and clapping started though it could be mesmeric as thousands of fans just came together as one. Don't know whether it was just me, but cup games always seemed to have that extra edge, especially the likes of Norwich City in the League Cup.

As I graduated out of the Pontoon into the Barratt Stand that was the place I will always remember as being the best. When the old MARINERS chant started in there it was amazing.

I was in the Pontoon on a milk crate when Brolly scored two against Everton.  As I get older standing seems less appealing.  Would be alright but the idiots with no idea about football will be back.

I think the safe standing debate has been done to death, but I was just curious if folk would move from a seat to a standing position. Personally I’d move, whilst I do prefer to sit down the side at home games, and have done all my life, the opportunity to stand would help me make the decision.

The success of safe standing is there for all to see and surely, if the technology and evidence is there, choice should be given to folk.

We all know it’s unlikely it’ll ever appear at BP but there has to be some consideration for the new ground. Not a corner or some section tucked away either, a more prominent spot would be useful.

Orlando have a singe stand, and whilst you can freely wander around the entire ground, again, something not seen in England so much but seemed logical. Understanding that your mates me be sat elsewhere but you can still enjoy a beer etc with them. You can’t enter the standing area without a wristband to stop over crowding etc. but it worked.

It has to be about choice, seating hasn’t enhanced atmosphere in stadia and arguably, it’s not the seating that’s improved safety, more that stands have better facilities and buildings were improved etc.

The Pontoon has always been a bit crap for acoustics , The Osmond stand is life better with the closed corner .
If we ever see a new ground in my life time I hope the close the corners at the home end and leave them open at the away , A bit like Stokes ground

We definitely need a song like Liverpool and Hibs. With the whole ground singing it out, it would be awesome..... been topicked before but nothing been done yet, gotta be next on our list

I sincerely hope that anyone who wants to stand gets the chance sooner rather than later. Unfortunately I doubt I could stand regularly for 90 minutes these days.

Quoted from grimps

The Pontoon has always been a bit crap for acoustics , The Osmond stand is life better with the closed corner .
If we ever see a new ground in my life time I hope the close the corners at the home end and leave them open at the away , A bit like Stokes ground

100% right for me.

I was in the Osmond (rare event) for the Notts County cup match after Paddy Hamilton passed away.
My ears may yet recover from the experience!

The Pontoon is a great example of making things more difficult than they need to be.
Which is part of our club's DNA.
I kinda love that too...

Our recent history and results etc has naturally contributed to the poor atmosphere.

We can bemoan the poor design etc but plenty of stadiums that are worse than ours for acoustics across Europe but atmosphere remains. Pisa for instance have an old, decrepit stadium from the old days...zero roof...still an amazing atmosphere.

Generally, or certainly more recently, atmosphere in the UK tends to link to performances (although top flight games have been ruined by tourists with little actual connection to a team) and possible the implementation of all seating...but again, stadium all over the world have all seating yet still generate atmosphere.

Naturally numbers also have an impact, people talk of good atmosphere at BP and they generally link to full houses, games from 80s, 70s when 10k were packed in to a small space so naturally you’ll get more noise...

I’d agree with the osmond stand...great acoustics...

I was in the main stand at the Res. game today, those bloody seats in there have that much of a forward slope you are almost standing.

[quote=228]I sincerely hope that anyone who wants to stand gets the chance sooner rather than later. Unfortunately I doubt I could stand regularly for 90 minutes these days.[/quote

Like you I can't stand for 90 minutes and wouldn't choose to even if standing was avaiable. I want to sit down if the rude fornicator in front of me will allow it

I sincerely hope that anyone who wants to stand goes in a standing area and does not occupy the seat in front of me and does not spend the entire game leaping to his feet like a lunatic every time Town get the ball

When there is no sizeable away support put them in the corner and open up the Osmond on non allocated system to allow the boys in the corner to congregate behind the goal with their drums bugles this would help to generate the atmosphere in the ground

Quoted from WOZOFGRIMSBY

Best atmosphere I've known was the Fulham playoff game and that was all seater.

I think it's more to do with other reasons (not that I've been to BP this season!).

Totally agree. The Pontoon was electric that night.

Was sat in the corner of the Osmond near the Fulham fans, never seen so many opposition fans in shorts and with their sunglasses on the top of their heads, got the impression they thought they were going to Marbella not Cleethorpes.