Ways of improving a ‘behind closed doors’ atmosphere?...

[BestRed]

Ask City how they do it.

 

[Reynoldo]

I think we could have audio of chanting, songs etc - and it would need to be controlled in real time so that audio reflects activity on the field.

Ultimately, it is almost impossible to simulate any decent atmosphere, but would be good to try.

I think they should let AI have a go at it, even it it messes up some situations it would be funny.

Edit: Either that or play audio from classic PES games, they could even edit all the players current names so they are slightly off

 

[Crustanoid]

Alan Green commentary blasted out of all the speakers?

 

[Paul_Scholes18]

Clone RedCafe. Let other teams experience the match day threads.
Put huge screens all over the stands that show the last messages being posted and use Cortana to read them out loud.
"Lingard you useless fecker, sell him!"
[/QUOTE]

That would be so funny. Although if things are going badly it could get messy. Not sure anyone could keep up with it.

 

[Dante]

Play Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers) on full blast every match.

 

[Reynoldo]

Play Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers) on full blast every match.

I’d vote for that

 

[Web of Bissaka]

Use sound tracks,

• "ShoooooT!" track -- every chance to shoot at distance
• Clap track -- for every good play or skills
• Cheer tracks -- ongoing throughout the game
• Hysteric cheer track -- every goal
• "Boooo" track -- each time opposing team touches the ball

Fake atmosphere, but high chance it'll work wonders. Just like the annoying but highly effective laugh tracks watching many sitcoms.

 

[greasemonkey90]

add 760 zoom meetings to ticket holders and fans to get 76,000. Attach loud speakers across the stadium as they watch it live.

 

[dumbo]

A 45-minute version of the Countdown clock music for each half.

I like it.

 

[dumbo]

How about Michael Owen reading from Revelations.

 

[Champ]

Use sound tracks,

• "ShoooooT!" track -- every chance to shoot at distance
• Clap track -- for every good play or skills
• Cheer tracks -- ongoing throughout the game
• Hysteric cheer track -- every goal
• "Boooo" track -- each time opposing team touches the ball

Fake atmosphere, but high chance it'll work wonders. Just like the annoying but highly effective laugh tracks watching many sitcoms.

Can we get the your'rrrrrrrrrreeeeeeee ssshhhiiiiiittttttaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa every time a goalkeeper takes a goal kick too please?
Thanks.

 

[jojojo]

Part of it, is that the stadium sounds so hollow, matches with crowds sound different even when there's no singing/cheering underway. I reckon throwing big carpets over the stands might help flatten the dead echoey effect.

Then you could start experimenting with a background crowd buzz soundtrack. Ultimately a human/AI could start turning the volume up and down depending.

Even the zoom crowd idea might help an AI choose the volume/clap/boo options. Of course during the boring bits you'll have to listen to people discussing why the beer wasn't in the fridge earlier and where the pizza delivery is - but you get that at matches as well.

 

[Rozay]

Part of it, is that the stadium sounds so hollow, matches with crowds sound different even when there's no singing/cheering underway. I reckon throwing big carpets over the stands might help flatten the dead echoey effect.

Then you could start experimenting with a background crowd buzz soundtrack. Ultimately a human/AI could start turning the volume up and down depending.

Even the zoom crowd idea might help an AI choose the volume/clap/boo options. Of course during the boring bits you'll have to listen to people discussing why the beer wasn't in the fridge earlier and where the pizza delivery is - but you get that at matches as well.

I thought of the zoom thing myself, but was thinking that as is always the way with these things - it’s very likely to be delayed/out of sync - which would surely ruin it?

If it could be done in real time, I think it’s a great idea.

 

[hasanejaz88]

I liked Monchengladbach idea of having fans send pictures and they make cardboard cut outs too fill the stadium. Regarding sounds, I'm not sure if the players would like it as it could be distracting to have crowd noises but with no crowd.

They can discuss with the players what they would prefer, if they are not against it you can have someone control noises such as celebrations when a goal goes in and general chants occurring during the match.

 

[Nick7]

Maybe weird, but these days I'd rather not watch football than watch it without fans. I don't knwo why but it just isn't as fun to watch.

 

[Rozay]

Maybe weird, but these days I'd rather not watch football than watch it without fans. I don't knwo why but it just isn't as fun to watch.

Did you feel like that for our game against LASK?

I reckon there’s a difference with watching your own team. The LASK game was totally fine for me, because it was my lot, but the German stuff I’ll admit was no fun at all really.

 

[VP89]

Can't they just pick up T20 cricket sort of vibe where they play some music whenever there's a goal? At least it adds to the impact when it happens. I don't care if its cheesey it just brings an extra element to an otherwise dead atmosphere.

Also allow celebrating as normal, these guys are mixing it up anyway.

 

[Nick7]

Did you feel like that for our game against LASK?

I reckon there’s a difference with watching your own team. The LASK game was totally fine for me, because it was my lot, but the German stuff I’ll admit was no fun at all really.

I did honestly. I watched it but it didn't feel "essential" like other first team games anf found myself bored for a lot of it. The weird thing is, I can watch youth games or even the womens games with small/no crowds. I don't know it must be a mental thing.

 

[Solius]

Hologram fans.

 

[Cloud7]

Surely it can’t be that hard to play some crowd noises and adjust it to different sounds when something happens, like in FIFA? That would add a lot, I think. It’s the silence that makes BCD weird

 

[Botim]

On a balmy Saturday evening inside one of Taiwan’s largest baseball stadiums, the floodlights flickered to life and the players took their positions.
Cheerleaders began their rah-rah routines. Organ music blared through the speakers.

But as the first batter stepped up to the plate and the pitcher took a deep breath, the only fans inside the 20,000-seat stadium in the northern city of Taoyuan were cardboard cutouts and plastic mannequins.
Some wore hot-pink wigs and surgical masks. Others held signs with this cheery message: “We will always be with you!” A five-member band of robots played drums from the stands — a substitute for the usual cacophony of live music.

In Taiwan

 

[fps]

They could have a virtual "people's choir" for each club where they record a few rounds of each main chant to a click, then pump those into the stadium in the round at an approximate volume ratio for the make-up of the crowd. Then they could have a radio dj type with access to a series of virtual "people's choir" Oooos, Sendimoffffs and unpleasant insults/ individual player abuse to put in at appropriate times. Boom. Crowd.

Or get all the sounds from Pro Evo and FIFA and stick those in.

 

[Brightonian]

Someone needs to record the Twelve Days of Cantona chant, expanded to however many 'days' are required so that it lasts for 90 minutes. Then blast that over the loudspeakers, until everyone loses their minds and forgets what football even is.

 

[Brightonian]

Oh hang on, wait wait wait, I've actually got it.

Smooth jazz.

 

[jojojo]

OK zoomers
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52782033

 

[FrankDrebin]

OK zoomers
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52782033

They stole my idea!

 

[Judas]

Surely people will just get their bits out.

 

[Cee90]

Perhaps all members / season ticket holders could get access to a stream with live audio which would be played out on speakers from the stadium?

 

[Paul_Scholes18]

Put up speakers on seats. Then link them each to fans at home.
Could even have people pay for having a voice or give it to people with season tickets.

 

[Rozay]

Surely people will just get their bits out.

I imagine there will be no video if they did it here, just audio.

 

[Offside]

I think in a few months they will have social distancing crowds, stadiums 20% full or something so there is at least some atmosphere. Richard Masters was saying there is optimism for this next season. You can’t have a full season with no fans it would just kill the league for a year.

In the meantime they could try and have recordings of chants playing throughout games and if it’s total cringe just don’t do it again. Having fake goal celebrations wouldn’t work.

 

[Gio]

Any fake noise will sound fake.

What they need to do is get creative with the camera angles. Go pitch side to immerse into the on-pitch atmosphere - the noise of the ball, players tussling, shouting at each other. Get as intimate with the players as possible. Use it as an opportunity to hear the real sounds rather than the soulless tannoy system stuff.

 

[Rish Sawhney]

Honestly I feel like we’re only worrying about this because of status quo inertia. I liked the fact that we could hear players and managers shouting instructions at each other in the LASK game. I’d rather hear than than fake fan noises.

 

[Rozay]

I think in a few months they will have social distancing crowds, stadiums 20% full or something so there is at least some atmosphere. Richard Masters was saying there is optimism for this next season. You can’t have a full season with no fans it would just kill the league for a year.

In the meantime they could try and have recordings of chants playing throughout games and if it’s total cringe just don’t do it again. Having fake goal celebrations wouldn’t work.

This is my hope/expectation too. And preferably from the top of next season too. You don’t want a switch halfway through the season, that will just question the integrity all over again.

 

[Garry Buck]

I think playing a goal song after someone has scored will be cool.

 

[Ali Dia]

The German football really highlights that for a neutral it’s much more boring without a crowd. I personally lose interest after a few minutes. Under normal circumstances when im watching non united matches it’s usually just on in the background unless it’s an important game/the goals start flying in/an underdog is winning/my bet depends on it. United matches without a crowd would still be a lot more interesting for me as I’m interested in our playing patterns and watching players off the ball work. As much as I love United It’s still an inferior product though!

 

[Ace Krampus]

When Dortmund and Wolfsburg came back out after HT, it was so cringey how they had the strobe lights going and music blasting. Just play the games, don't force any of that crap in. It's cheesy.

 

[groovyalbert]

Is it really the atmosphere that's the problem, or the realisation that for the most part football is actually quite dull? Especially when there is zero personal investment in the outcome.

I love the game, but can barely ever bring myself to watch a game that doesn't in some way include/impact Utd/watching a rival fail. I'll try, but I rarely make it past 20 mins or so unless it's a blinder (it rarely is). The exceptions are the World Cup, and maybe the CL final if it's a good match up. Other than that, I'm more than happy to skip.

As amazing as it can be at it's very best, the vast majority is pretty dull.

*Edit - this doesn't include playing it, that's completely different and where my real passion for the game lies.

 

[Fitchett]

Play "Golazzo" whenever we score a goal.
Play the Benny Hill theme tune whever the opposition makes a mistake.
Play soundtracks of the 1930's Nuremberg Rallies to protest against bad refereeing decisions going against us.

 

[Brightonian]

For those letting us know that they'd rather not watch football at all than watch it without crowds, that's absolutely fine and I respect that, but please don't find a way to ruin it for the rest of us.

I'm jonesing for football so badly now I'll settle for two six a-side teams, both managed by Tony Pulis (so that's a keeper, four CBs, and the CF they all keep lumping it up to), battling it out in a league where a draw is worth two points.