Wot!  No attendance thread!

Quoted from diehardmariner

Even better if we then got even more revenue by managing to re-sell unused seats.

The club, to their absolute credit, have tried something with the ticket release scheme.  Got to give it time to see if it works. 3 home games, one of which is a Tuesday night and all three in the summer holidays, is not the time to assess it.

No two ways about it, the atmosphere was dire on Saturday.  It's a bit of give and take for me.  Team needs to get the fans going and vice-versa.  I've also absolutely no idea what is said on the PA system, can't hear anything - it's getting worse.

The subscription model is the way to go. Lots of companies push it, it brings in regular income and is easier for the consumer as well as they don't have to keep buying the product. It's the way we buy many things now - music, tv, films, phones, newspapers, magazines etc. Pay As You Go is still an option if you prefer that way. They are incentivising the release scheme though, which is the right thing, not sure how much it is being taken up. People who want to buy match tickets I guess will have to keep checking which seats are available if they want to seat in a certain area.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

Like me you're not the most popular poster on here, but that is correct.

It is very difficult to create an atmosphere when we don't create many chances, we are not on the front foot and like somebody said to me after Saturday they sit in the Pontoon and I can't remember us getting into the box in the second half..

The ground acoustics have been the same for years, but we all have experienced fantastic atmospheres but the football is just so dull at the moment ( and most of last season) it is hard for fans to get excited.

I agree there are things that could be done as well, such as a proper pre match build up with a decent sound system and closing in the corners but pragmatic football is certainly a factor.

Interesting points.

However, in recent memory some of the best home support I’ve seen has not always correlated with the “best teams”.

Hartlepool always seem to have a vocal home support.
Lincoln frustratingly have impressive vocal support.
Was also impressed with Sutton last season.

I have no idea what the answer is. Particularly as the fans voice opposed the idea of a “singing section”. However, something that needs to be thought about as it is currently poor.  

You say fans opposed the singing section.  It was 40% who said they favoured it but 60% who didn't.  The question was a Yes/No to would you favour one.  

It was discussed before but that isn't 60% who were opposed to it, just 60% who didn't favour it.  The question was too binary, it needed to distinguish those who favoured it, opposed it and generally weren't arsed.

For the life of me I can't think why we wouldn't want a singing section, again I think it's something worth trying to see if it works.  Logistically though I think it's difficult. Only place I could think you can put it now, without running the risk of uprooting existing season ticket holders is the corner in the Osmond.  That way anyone with a ST anywhere could transfer it to there, in theory freeing up the seats in the Pontoon, Lower etc. etc.  Numbers would have to be capped and with the knowledge that sometimes you'll be in the corner, sometimes in the actual Osmond itself (depending on who we're playing).  It would also alleviate fears of anyone who doesn't want to be sat in the middle of a singing section as it's designated and unless you buy a ticket there, you're not in it.

Quoted from bradzmilne

Interesting points.

However, in recent memory some of the best home support I’ve seen has not always correlated with the “best teams”.

Hartlepool always seem to have a vocal home support.
Lincoln frustratingly have impressive vocal support.
Was also impressed with Sutton last season.

I have no idea what the answer is. Particularly as the fans voice opposed the idea of a “singing section”. However, something that needs to be thought about as it is currently poor.  

Yes there are obviously quite a few different reasons and the club as a whole should give some serious consideration to the problem. Usually a successful and winning team generates a good atmosphere but we know that can't always be the case.

This season I have a season ticket in the Upper and can't hear the Pontoon at all, but on Saturday sat in the Pontoon and it was very flat but the other stands basically the same.

Looking at the Pontoon from the Upper it is quite open and stands alone which doesn't help. Whether we should reconfigure the ground and leave the stand alone Pontoon for away fans is perhaps a possibility but until we know what plans they have for the stadium if any, we will have to have short term solutions.

Here's what generally causes a problem with singing in the Pontoon:

1. No perseverance. Lost count of the number of times a chant peters out before it's even got going. No-one sticks with a song long enough to get people to join in. Sometimes it barely gets to the second line...

2. Left and right side sing different songs. I'm in the middle, so maybe the left/right can't hear each other. But often I have to pick a side to join which I think will last the longest. Linked to (1) above - who do I think will keep going?

3. Focus on too many "wordy" songs. The simple ones are always the best as everyone knows the words. I've been going for decades and there are still some songs I haven't a clue what half the mumbled words are. The fish and mariners chants work well because they're easy for everyone to join in.

4. Pace. Jesus Christ. Slow it down a bit. Even on simple chants like the fish chat, it's over before it's started. The drummer needs to get his rhythm sorted too. Way, way too fast. The Mariners chant years ago was much slower. Links in to (1) above - give people a bloody chance to join in!

Yes the football helps if it's exciting (I thought the Mansfield match was pretty good myself - they had a lot of the ball, but it was still a good, open game of football). But in the last 10 years or so, it seems the thing that really gets the crowd going is a terrible refereeing decision. I actually welcome rubbish refs who are seemingly against us - gets the crowd proper riled up and creates a real atmosphere.

Whether closing the sides of the Pontoon would help or not, I don't know. It seems like it might, in terms of containing the sound and getting the whole stand singing together.

Can't say I heard much from the Mansfield fans from where I was sitting.

Quoted from EvilFish

Here's what generally causes a problem with singing in the Pontoon:

1. No perseverance. Lost count of the number of times a chant peters out before it's even got going. No-one sticks with a song long enough to get people to join in. Sometimes it barely gets to the second line...

2. Left and right side sing different songs. I'm in the middle, so maybe the left/right can't hear each other. But often I have to pick a side to join which I think will last the longest. Linked to (1) above - who do I think will keep going?

3. Focus on too many "wordy" songs. The simple ones are always the best as everyone knows the words. I've been going for decades and there are still some songs I haven't a clue what half the mumbled words are. The fish and mariners chants work well because they're easy for everyone to join in.

4. Pace. Jesus Christ. Slow it down a bit. Even on simple chants like the fish chat, it's over before it's started. The drummer needs to get his rhythm sorted too. Way, way too fast. The Mariners chant years ago was much slower. Links in to (1) above - give people a bloody chance to join in!

Yes the football helps if it's exciting (I thought the Mansfield match was pretty good myself - they had a lot of the ball, but it was still a good, open game of football). But in the last 10 years or so, it seems the thing that really gets the crowd going is a terrible refereeing decision. I actually welcome rubbish refs who are seemingly against us - gets the crowd proper riled up and creates a real atmosphere.

Whether closing the sides of the Pontoon would help or not, I don't know. It seems like it might, in terms of containing the sound and getting the whole stand singing together.

Can't say I heard much from the Mansfield fans from where I was sitting.

As previously highlighted in national press....our yoofs are all on the powder so the singing speed is always accelerated.

Since all seater best singing in lower divisions is from big side stands - Lincoln and Mansfield are more vocal than most at home because all the fans that want to sing have no option to go the only decent stand in the ground. County were quite loud relative to the library that Meadow Lane is normally, but they had 10k home fans on and the Kop stand was full.

Best option for BP is build out the Harrington corner as coveted safe standing, connected to the Pontoon, and make it the singing section. At the moment best noise is when Block A of the Upper get going.

Quoted from Yoda

A lot of fans now without a season ticket don’t bother going.
22 pounds to sit in the main stand or shoved in a corner with a crap view.
No thanks i’ll pass on that one.
There are 4 of us that don’t bother now there must be loads more.
As earlier poster said we should’ve getting 10K for that game at least.
To say the new owners are supposed to be clever they are throwing away thousands every game because of fans not attending.

You are so right Yoda. If only someone of your intellect was in charge, rather than 2 blokes who apparently worth half a billion between them

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

Since all seater best singing in lower divisions is from big side stands - Lincoln and Mansfield are more vocal than most at home because all the fans that want to sing have no option to go the only decent stand in the ground. County were quite loud relative to the library that Meadow Lane is normally, but they had 10k home fans on and the Kop stand was full.

Best option for BP is build out the Harrington corner as coveted safe standing, connected to the Pontoon, and make it the singing section. At the moment best noise is when Block A of the Upper get going.

I sat there for the Mansfield game and the noise was terrific, and drowned all the other others. Well done to all who sit there.

And yet you couldn't hear a peep on the other side of the ground...

That's the biggest problem, the empty space just kills any noise.

From the Main Stand, once they got going, the Mansfield fans were very loud but that's aided hugely as one side of their stand is connected.   It's not popular, nor really do-able with segregation should we want half the away end of the majority of games.  But the layout of the ground lends itself better to the more open stand (Pontoon) getting used as the away end and the stand with the best acoustics for travelling noise (Osmond) becoming the home end.

I know, I know.  We tried it in the 80's and everyone hated it...