The players don't inspire the crowd and vice versa. A vicious circle.
Jose has a dig at the crowd
- Thread starter Pavl3n
- Start date
Can't sing when it's raining. There's a risk of drowning.
Good post
It wasn't great to see and hear but is anyone surprised? As sad as it is to say the home fans will not want to scream and shout throughout a routine group game.
The crowd was the only let down for me tonight.
I think the club should cancel all season ticket holders next year and sell to new fans because whoever is going to OT must be the most boring people on the planet!
It says something when our away fans can be heard at away matches but the home fans remain silent.
Tonight was a joke, what did Basel bring, 1000? Yet they could be heard singing their hearts out, fair play to them.
I think the club should cancel all season ticket holders next year and sell to new fans because whoever is going to OT must be the most boring people on the planet!
It says something when our away fans can be heard at away matches but the home fans remain silent.
Tonight was a joke, what did Basel bring, 1000? Yet they could be heard singing their hearts out, fair play to them.
Have you ever been to an away? Genuine question. Have a think how sound works
There's always one.
Sadly I have only been to home games, but when I watch the games on TV you can always hear the away fans singing their hearts out.
If I can hear a few thousand away fans im sure its possible to hear 70,000 fans at OT.
The home fans need to get involved or give up their tickets to fans who would make more effort.
Couldn't be there today so I don't really feel like I can criticise anyone who was at the game, but one thing makes me really frustrated, especially lately - bloody cellphones. Call me bitter, but I remember games - and this applies to quite a few countries - six or seven years ago where people were actually watching the match instead of watching it via their smartphone's screen making the videos. Sure, we get those billions of fan videos and their views on goals - which are never as good as the official replays - but my inner bitter old man always gets quite irritated seeing literal crowds of people focused more on capturing that goal/celebration in order to get few retweets or whatever than on cheering for your club.
No matter where you are, a group of 1000, 2000 or 3000 in a small space all singing will always be louder than pockets of 20-30 singing in a block. OT has traditionally a few larger areas where everyone will sing, but even then... it's pockets of people.
Until they allow fans to go in with mates or families with a ticket to a block and not to a reserved seat, this will always be the case. Everyone I go to aways with, bar people we've met at OT around us are all over the ground.
Big games are always much louder because you'll have even the most placid of fans involved and getting involved because of the occasion. It also helps, from my experience anyway, that the stewards allow more standing and therefore more signing at larger games
How do we find these fans who make the effort?
Away fans (in any club) are a special subset of fans. They do not represent the average fan. Beyond being particularly excited by the club and atmosphere (enough to lose tons of time, comfort and money to follow their club around) they tend to travel in large groups and occupy small concentrated areas at stadiums, which make it a lot more easy to coordinate chants etc. It's quite common for away fans to be heard better than home fans in many stadiums throughout Europe, at least through certain moments of the games, and in many cases throughout almost the entire match.
You cannot find 70000 that will equal the behaviour of those 3000 (which represent the extreme of some sort of gaussian distribution for "involvement" with the game).
I try to not criticise the crowd since it's the easy thing to do, but I don't remember it being as it was tonight. Not sure if the rain had something to do with it or what
It was shite tonight... loads of empty seats until well after kick off too.
So many season ticket holders sold on their tickets to the game too as I noticed a lot more unfamiliar faces and plenty of fans trying to sell on their tickets prior to the game. The Old Trafford atmosphere really is becoming a big disappointment for anything other than the biggest matches.
So many season ticket holders sold on their tickets to the game too as I noticed a lot more unfamiliar faces and plenty of fans trying to sell on their tickets prior to the game. The Old Trafford atmosphere really is becoming a big disappointment for anything other than the biggest matches.
Ty would like you
Safe standing is the solution
There was a moment when fans from the Stretford End were singing Mourinho's Red Army. Our fans at SAF stand were mute. One guy at the SAF stand was encouraging everyone to sing, facing the crowd behind him. He literally said, "What the hell is wrong with all of you?" He got laughed at by our fans and told to feck off.
Some fans are literally just spectators and have no intention of singing, just how it is. I see a good amount of people who watch the whole game in the Manchester lounge inside OT getting pissed, instead of standing outside with the rest of the crowd.
Some fans are literally just spectators and have no intention of singing, just how it is. I see a good amount of people who watch the whole game in the Manchester lounge inside OT getting pissed, instead of standing outside with the rest of the crowd.
In fairness what do you expect? They're advising fans to turn up 1hr before hand to get in because of the security checks. So that's 6.45. If you finish work at 5.30 that's going to be a bit of a job to get in on time.
The crowd sleeps from time to time.
I've already said this once already in the thread but what is so wrong with this? What is this obsession with singing? Sing if you bloody want - stop giving people grief if they'd rather just watch the game.
I'm not trying to be confrontational - I just know I've been to large stadiums watching football or other sport and despite not singing, me and the people around me were certainly glued to the pitch and very much vocal (i.e. celebrating a goal or encouraging the team).
Guess I just think it's perfectly normal to tell some random stranger to feck off if he shouts 'What the hell is wrong with you?!'.
Theatre of Dreams innit?
Agree with this.
The problem I have at Old Trafford is when I start singing / chanting, in my section its normally like 5 people. And then it just fizzles out. And then you have some who dont want to be the only ones singing (whereas in a crowd its easier / better to do so).
The SAF stand is the worst for this.
I agree with you in principle, but atmosphere is important. Frankly, its a bit embarrassing for our home support to get drowned out by travelling supporters for our first CL match of the season.
Personally, I think there needs to be better organisation from those who do want to sing and support their team. When I was a season ticket holder for Sydney FC, there was a very clear understanding; if you were in the Cove (the area behind the goal), you stand up for the entire 90 minutes and sing your fecking heart out. You don't want to do that? That's fine, but sit somewhere else in the stadium. If you want do be stood up and sing, don't sit with people who just want to be spectators; get in the active support section. There's nothing wrong with being either of those things, but if you're going to be a singer rather than a spectator, you need to get organised and get involved with the other singers so you can add your voice to the noise.
Security checks have already slackened a bit. It takes as long as it used to to get in the ground now. Evening kick-offs are always hard for people to get to unless you live really close to the ground, especially with traffic. I live an hour away but have to set off four hours in advance to allow for the hell that is the M6/M62. I know a lot of people who have to book the day off work for a night game.
There were definitely a lot of empty seats tonight but it did fill up as the game went on. Not that it improved the atmosphere at all.
On a side note, Uefa's insistance on no alcohol being served certainly plays a part in dampening the atmosphere, as daft as that sounds.
Evening kick off, relatively easy opposition, pissing down with rain + no alcohol is a recipe for a poorer atmosphere than usual, sadly.
Just wait for Burton next Wednesday!
Do you think if we were to stick all away game eligible fans in the Stretty it would improve the overall atmosphere?
Yeah.....
Whatever.
Did you guys experience the traffic getting to the ground tonight?
did you have to walk through torrential rain to get the ground trying to make sure you were there for the champions league theme tune to kick in before kick off?A simple thing to you but a big deal to us.
Did any of you have to dump your car in Sale and get a tram because it was grid locked on motorways from north,South and East Manchester,knowing full well the trams might not run after the game because of a predicted storm that was gonna hit during the game?
Did any of you wonder why the ground was still filling up,even after 20 minutes into the game?
No,most of you won't because you wanna post about shit atmospheres. And to be fair I can be critical of the atmosphere as well because sometimes it is embarrassing,but tonight was horrendous getting to the ground and weather was atrocious leaving. If you guys think you can do better than us season ticket holders,who 'should sell their tickets to those who do care',maybe for one second spare a thought for those of us who do go and what circumstances they face getting to the ground in the first place. You try dragging your family through torrential rain and road blocks,roadworks and accidents.
I stand as much as im allowed and was repeatedly told to sit down tonight by stewards who clearly were told to clamp down tonight (different subject altogether) who does think the atmosphere needs to change for the better and is infuriated by the lack of singing and chanting,but I will not criticise anyone for tonight,because it was just so bad getting there.
This thread will many valid times complain about atmospheres, and ill be one of them,but believe me,in my opinion,this isn't one of them. Kids have school and adults have work in the morning and tonight was as rough as it gets in anyone's book.
So have a think before slagging us season ticket holders who 'don't care'
Guess I'll see you all for Burton Albion next week eh?
Last edited by a moderator:
Fair points, but it is not just this game , the old Trafford crowd have gone quite since sir alex retired. Rain or no rain crowd should have been pumped up for it. You don't see other european club fans complaining when it is raining. I have never seen Dortmund fans quite or Bayern fans quite.
Maybe I may be harsh but I expected some banners or something special today from fans. Also, one question why do our fans don't do any banners and ultras ( w/o flares) , honest question.
I was very much looking forward to the anthem tonight. Set off way earlier than normal after a long day at work. Got obliterated by traffic and rain and made it into my seat 2 seconds before kick-off, missing everything beforehand.
Not so relevant to the thread but at least you'll understand my disappointment
Still sang but it's hard to get properly going when there's a flatness, a lack of intensity in the crowd. Partly due to the circumstances, partly because spectators and the club let themselves down with the atmosphere.
Good job to everyone that turned up tonight and sang.
Fair play to those who turned up and didn't sing, but make more noise next time if you can.
To those who didn't show up and want to complain, I'll probably just ignore your post.
Also it is not about season ticket holders vs others. It is for the good of the club. That is why I asked you an honest question, why don't our fans ever do any banner or ultras ?
Ultras?
How does a banner add to the atmosphere? There are shit loads all over the ground. Ever been to Old Trafford? You can't even take a bottle of coke in there without it getting confiscated, though the Basel fans somehow managed to smuggle flares in. Just shows how crap the so called increased security has become already.On the one hand, the club want vocal support and people to get involved in making the atmosphere better. On the other, they don't allow proper flags/banners and are getting stricter on people not sitting in their seats. I feel the club have one foot in and the other out. They want to make as much money inside the stadium but want everyone creating atmosphere at the same time. I live in Ireland and don't have a season ticket. When I get the rare opportunity to go, I get fleeced by a season ticket holder but I make it count and will again in a few weeks. I make as much noise as I can, get involved with chants and try to influence others and encourage the team in the most positive way I can. I couldn't care less about dirty looks for singing or people telling me to not stand up. I know that I can only get over a few times and want to show my support for the team I love. I know season ticket holder's that go to the big 4 games, Liverpool, man city, Chelsea and Arsenal and basically make a disgusting profit the rest of the year. I have sat everywhere in the ground and the further you go from the Stretford end, the shitter it is in my opinion.
This is my theory on how to make things better. You make half of tier 1 and 2 of the SAF standing, split it in half. You make the tickets for it that anyone can stand anywhere, mate's beside each other and all. Make it 18 up to 40 years old, let them take what ever flags and banners they want in. Have a huge safety net like they do in Germany. Let people sell plastic cups of beer throughout the game and watch the atmosphere go. I know people will disagree but we need a hardcore element back at OT. Can you imagine what the stadium would be like if we had a few blocks of our away fans.
This is my theory on how to make things better. You make half of tier 1 and 2 of the SAF standing, split it in half. You make the tickets for it that anyone can stand anywhere, mate's beside each other and all. Make it 18 up to 40 years old, let them take what ever flags and banners they want in. Have a huge safety net like they do in Germany. Let people sell plastic cups of beer throughout the game and watch the atmosphere go. I know people will disagree but we need a hardcore element back at OT. Can you imagine what the stadium would be like if we had a few blocks of our away fans.
Never got people's obsession with Champions League anthem, it's essentially a marketing tool. Means feck all to me personally, although admittedly it is a good jingle.
Some better organization is needed for the Stretford end. They've tried before but it wasn't good enough.
Once you have a vocal section the rest will feel better about joining in but right now it's in pockets.
What was great about AC Milan fans was how they secured the second tier above the goal.
Once you have a vocal section the rest will feel better about joining in but right now it's in pockets.
What was great about AC Milan fans was how they secured the second tier above the goal.
Quite funny people watching on their Sky box or through a stream then giving it about the fans at the game in the pissing rain.
I've been to many United games but today was only my second time in the upper Stretford End (the vocal bit). The first time was at home to Swansea in the 15/16 season opener, and the atmosphere was a lot better. Tonight was still good - but it's a Tuesday night at home to Basel, and there really wasn't that much to get excited about. There were quite a few empty seats too, especially for United's standards.
I hope this thread doesn't turn into a slating the OT crowd thread or something, because although they can be shit there's still sections that sing their heart out, even on freezing cold, slow moving matches like tonight.
I hope this thread doesn't turn into a slating the OT crowd thread or something, because although they can be shit there's still sections that sing their heart out, even on freezing cold, slow moving matches like tonight.
What do you mean "Do ultras"??
By that extent, if we are not playing on the pitch for the shirt, can we criticise the players form then from our armchair?
Wow, I didn't expect my post to get quoted after so long.
However, the fact that this thread has been resurrected is not surprising. You'd think that Old Trafford would be rocking given that we're FINALLY back in the Champions League. Instead, the atmosphere was more akin to Rio Ferdinand's testimonial against Sevilla.
Why was the Old Trafford crowd generally quiet? There were some chants going around on occasions, but they were more isolated instances. Was it the fact that the rain was so heavy that made the atmosphere a bit more subdued? Was it the massive expectation from Old Trafford that we should destroy Basel even though we've generally struggled in Europe? Honestly, I probably expected a bit too much given what Old Trafford's been like in Europe for the past 8 years.
I don’t go to as many games as some on here only 2 or 3 times a year. I do the usual get my ticket usually of a season ticket holder and gain access to where he would normally sit, me and my gang of mates. Or i go through some travel agent and we get a block booking of seats. Trouble is...
To nearly every game i have been at. I am surrounded by people who are not there to watch United win. Yea, away supporters, or "neutrals" speckled though out the what would be home support. I would say in these sections its one in five or one in six. It absolutely infuriates me sometimes. The amount of times we have conceded a goal and people have been restrained by their friends to not let them celebrate to much I cannot even begin to count. And to say it has increased in the last few seasons especially since SAF retired is an understatement.
Just one example: I was at the arsenal game at OT last season. People round me or near me, I could notice obviously celebrated the arsenal equaliser and after the game while queuing up for the tram we had 6 arsenal fans, laughing at us talking crap and making sheep noises at the united fans for being corralled on to the platform way OTT. I really wanted to go, I looked around, to see if anyone was up for it or what the backup would be like and all I saw was kids/teenagers and family’s and people who'd rather look anywhere else than look these guys in the eye. People just did not want to know. To be fair my own situation not much better 3 men and 3 women but more like 2 men and 4 ladies. It killed me to say nothing, I was looking for just 2 guys who were as angry as me and were up for it but there was none to be seen. Well not within the 20-foot circle round me.
See even my situation was an example of it, I'm as guilty as anybody else. These days Old Trafford is just a lovely place to go and watch a match its safe and well ran and while there are more match day arrests at Old Trafford than any other ground in England the club does a good job of not highlighting this fact. So away fans have no fear of getting any ticket they won’t get any bother or even a slagging for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Of course, it should be safe for all people to watch the game and there should be a welcome for the "neutral" but the amount of them is not funny anymore. It creates dead zones of supporters you can hear the few people around you are singing along to the chants most of which the others don’t know or will never sing.
It has always been that midweek games have a much better atmosphere. And if you think about it yesterday’s game was the first in the CL in a while and probably considered a banker. So, it would attract the tourist supporter. You know the one, “I was there the night…” Like me I suppose, but I am more financially governed and happy to get to what I can as opposed to who we play.
So reading about the conditions, the traffic, the extra checks, the no beer on sale and tourist attraction I think it’s no surprise it was a bit dead this evening of all evenings. It seems like a kinda perfect storm. I expect it to come back towards normal for the next few midweek home games.I wouldn't judge today too much.
To nearly every game i have been at. I am surrounded by people who are not there to watch United win. Yea, away supporters, or "neutrals" speckled though out the what would be home support. I would say in these sections its one in five or one in six. It absolutely infuriates me sometimes. The amount of times we have conceded a goal and people have been restrained by their friends to not let them celebrate to much I cannot even begin to count. And to say it has increased in the last few seasons especially since SAF retired is an understatement.
Just one example: I was at the arsenal game at OT last season. People round me or near me, I could notice obviously celebrated the arsenal equaliser and after the game while queuing up for the tram we had 6 arsenal fans, laughing at us talking crap and making sheep noises at the united fans for being corralled on to the platform way OTT. I really wanted to go, I looked around, to see if anyone was up for it or what the backup would be like and all I saw was kids/teenagers and family’s and people who'd rather look anywhere else than look these guys in the eye. People just did not want to know. To be fair my own situation not much better 3 men and 3 women but more like 2 men and 4 ladies. It killed me to say nothing, I was looking for just 2 guys who were as angry as me and were up for it but there was none to be seen. Well not within the 20-foot circle round me.
See even my situation was an example of it, I'm as guilty as anybody else. These days Old Trafford is just a lovely place to go and watch a match its safe and well ran and while there are more match day arrests at Old Trafford than any other ground in England the club does a good job of not highlighting this fact. So away fans have no fear of getting any ticket they won’t get any bother or even a slagging for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Of course, it should be safe for all people to watch the game and there should be a welcome for the "neutral" but the amount of them is not funny anymore. It creates dead zones of supporters you can hear the few people around you are singing along to the chants most of which the others don’t know or will never sing.
It has always been that midweek games have a much better atmosphere. And if you think about it yesterday’s game was the first in the CL in a while and probably considered a banker. So, it would attract the tourist supporter. You know the one, “I was there the night…” Like me I suppose, but I am more financially governed and happy to get to what I can as opposed to who we play.
So reading about the conditions, the traffic, the extra checks, the no beer on sale and tourist attraction I think it’s no surprise it was a bit dead this evening of all evenings. It seems like a kinda perfect storm. I expect it to come back towards normal for the next few midweek home games.I wouldn't judge today too much.