How to increase the volume

[TomBustler1884]

I've seen a few comments on here since Saturday about the (lack of) atmosphere at the ipro, and in particular about the South Stand, so I thought it would be a good idea to have a thread for it.

My personal take on it is this - 

The idea behind the South Stand was a great one, but unfortunately wasn't executed well enough. I know having spoken to Nick that the club was unable to create the intended "singing section" and instead it become a free for all, which has given us the situation now which is a bit of a mix up of all sorts of fans.

In my experience with the 1884 Group, there are A LOT of people in the South Stand who want to do what they and their mates think is cool, they don't want to wave a flag, hold up a card, and instead leave them on the floor. These tend to be the same people who spend half the match on their phones. That's fine, it's a free world after all!

BUT

In my opinion, the attitude that "no-one tells me what to do" or "I'm too cool to wave a flag, it's tinpot" is the same attitude that means the ground goes silent after 10 minutes or boos our own players.

People put up videos of Huddersfield or Middlesbrough or Palace fans and say why can't we do this, well, there are 2 reasons. The first is that those fans are organised, led by the drums and follow what the people at the front sing. Can you see some of our fans allowing themselves to be dictated to like that?

The second is that those clubs had grounds which weren't full. They were able to work with the club to get a block in their stadiums where they could organise and get together. The iPro has nowhere we could go to start that. In my mind, a block in the South Stand with flags going all game, a megaphone and drums at the front would be fantastic, but it would involve reallocating a part of the ground, and somehow controlling who is able to get tickets in that block. That would cause major issues for the club with fans unhappy that they had to move and whoever has to decide who gets into it. 

So, I am happy to do whatever it takes to get the ipro bouncing, and to my mind we have done an alright job so far, but we have not cracked how to keep it going after the first 10 minutes, beyond the team playing well!

Answers on a postcard!

[Day]

Mistake #1 - The club making the South Stand the cheapest ticket in the ground when they launched the idea. The incentive to move into the South Stand should have been to help create an atmosphere, not it's X £'s cheaper here with my family.

Don't get me wrong, I don't blame any of them, would have done the same myself but it's too late now. Or is it?

Lower ticket prices more in the North Stand, encourage those that are looking for the best deal to move there. Subsidise the cost and tinhat on here by increasing the South Stand cost to cover the loss if needed. 

I would also look to make it unreserved seating although I'm not sure the club would be behind this at all, it would allow groups to get together without any help from the club. This would also encourage fans to be in the stand earlier, not outside supping on the plastic bottled rats piss that they call Carlsberg.

If they really want the South Stand to take off they do need to fix the balls up at the start with prices. 

Saying all that, I think it would be fair to say the South Stand has been a success, there is a noticeable difference than when the SE corner was the place to be. Was always going to take time to really get things rocking.

[Duracell]

5 minutes ago, David said:

Mistake #1 - The club making the South Stand the cheapest ticket in the ground when they launched the idea. The incentive to move into the South Stand should have been to help create an atmosphere, not it's X £'s cheaper here with my family.

Don't get me wrong, I don't blame any of them, would have done the same myself but it's too late now. Or is it?

Lower ticket prices more in the North Stand, encourage those that are looking for the best deal to move there. Subsidise the cost and tinhat on here by increasing the South Stand cost to cover the loss if needed. 

I would also look to make it unreserved seating although I'm not sure the club would be behind this at all, it would allow groups to get together without any help from the club. This would also encourage fans to be in the stand earlier, not outside supping on the plastic bottled rats piss that they call Carlsberg.

If they really want the South Stand to take off they do need to fix the balls up at the start with prices. 

Saying all that, I think it would be fair to say the South Stand has been a success, there is a noticeable difference than when the SE corner was the place to be. Was always going to take time to really get things rocking.

Think that's thread over before it's really began, I agree with every word. Raise the prices and you'd soon find out who really wants to be there.

8th August 2016. Remember the date. The day I agreed with David.

[eddie]

Tin roof, paint 'Offilers Ales' on it.

[GeneralRam]

I went to the game Saturday for the first time in about 2 years (At the back of the south stand) and I couldn't believe how awful the atmosphere had become. The football was crap, the atmosphere was crap and everything else about the day was just crap.

I don't even think a song managed to travel to the area where I was sitting, or at least I can't recall one.

[Mostyn6]

the ones who want to sing shouldn't advertise it. They should organise it amongst themselves, get the block they want from the club and let it gradually build up naturally.

These things are organic and cannot be forced.

[Day]

1 minute ago, GeneralRam said:

I went to the game Saturday for the first time in about 2 years (At the back of the south stand) and I couldn't believe how awful the atmosphere had become. The football was crap, the atmosphere was crap and everything else about the day was just crap.

Blame @uttoxram75, was away galavanting in the North Stand so the whole atmosphere suffered as a result.

[YouRams]

The prices are low because the view isn't as good as other parts of the ground. People aren't going to pay a premium to have a sing song in a worse viewing location, a few hundred maybe. At the end of the day people are there for the football, atmosphere comes with good performances on the pitch.

Having a snipe at your own fans calling their "attitudes" really wont help either.

[Day]

3 minutes ago, YouRams said:

The prices are low because the view isn't as good as other parts of the ground. People aren't going to pay a premium to have a sing song in a worse viewing location, a few hundred maybe. At the end of the day people are there for the football, atmosphere comes with good performances on the pitch.

Having a snipe at your own fans calling their "attitudes" really wont help either.

Still make the South cheaper than both the premium West and East stand blocks but having the North Stand which is the family stand cheaper. Not talking hundreds of pounds either.

At the moment you have the North Stand is currently a cat C/D, South Stand a cat D/E, just need to flip them around. Exact same view.

[YouRams]

1 minute ago, David said:

Still make the South cheaper than both the premium West and East stand blocks but having the North Stand which is the family stand cheaper. Not talking hundreds of pounds either.

At the moment you have the North Stand is currently a cat C/D, South Stand a cat D/E, just need to flip them around. Exact same view.

I didn't realise North wasn't the same as South tbh never really looked at those prices. It would be better to have both stands as a D/E imo. Both have the same views and you'd think people would want the youngsters away from the swearing etc in the south. 

[sage]

Of course singing one of the 3-4 songs that everyone in the crowd knows and are appropriate for everyone to sing could help.

 

[Day]

6 minutes ago, YouRams said:

I didn't realise North wasn't the same as South tbh never really looked at those prices. It would be better to have both stands as a D/E imo. Both have the same views and you'd think people would want the youngsters away from the swearing etc in the south. 

You're looking at £509/£465 For the North Lower & Upper, £465/£419 for South. Makes no sense at all but I totally understand why people would opt for the South Stand. Sadly it's working against what people like Nick and 1884 Group wanted to achieve. Probably should have just said flip the categories in my opening post, raising and subsidising sounded scary.

Also agree with a part of your part earlier. One big way of improving the atmosphere would be to improve the football on the pitch. Only need to look back at 2014 on YouTube and see the videos of it rocking.  

[TomBustler1884]

Price changes is the obvious answer, although also a difficult one for many to get on board with! Unreserved seating, again I think that could work, but people would be furious about not having their allocated seat.

@YouRams It's not a snipe about our own fans when I talk about attitudes, I said it's each to their own, and right from the start I have said I don't see someone down the front with a megaphone working, as much as I'd like it to! I'm just making the point that it can be frustrating that in a stand supposedly set up to make some noise, it's a bit depressing imho to see hundreds on their phones or hurling abuse at our own players to get a laugh from their mates. However, if that's how they enjoy the match, fair play to them, just not sure that's why the South Stand idea was started?

[UTFR]

Good atmosphere comes from watching your team, scoring, winning or being (relatively) successful... NOT the other way round.

That's why United's fans have been the loudest for the past 25 years. 

It's why Boro's atmosphere last year was 10x better than the previous season.

It's why Palace's ground actually has people in it, a stark contrast to when they were in the championship.

I even heard people complimenting Leicester's atmosphere last season, which has GOT to be a first. 

Our atmosphere would have been great Saturday if we had won. AND it would have been even worse if got drubbed 3-0.

It's the same for every team. And a few flags (as great as it is of you to do all of this) wont change that.

Forest had an empty bit in their ground, moved like minded some fans in there, got some flags etc, the whole shebang. But It petered out because they are shyte. Though I'm sure the lower bridgford would quickly fill up and become loud, if they were to be top of the league around may. It's just the way it is.

[WestLondonRam]

I don't think the Atmosphere will change at all whilst we aren't playing well. 

The only way the noise will heighten is if we are winning and the team is playing well. I believe it will click, it took a while to adjust to a new style last season and it will this season. 

I do think then when we start going on a run and playing better football the noise will increase. Lets be honest there wasn't much for us fans to sing about on Saturday was there. 

 

[TomBustler1884]

Totally agree that good, winning football makes it much easier to sing. But I don't agree that the atmosphere should be determined solely by what happens on the pitch, in my view.

Love talking atmosphere, I find it fascinating, and everyone always has an opinion on it!

[Seth's left foot]

I always find the groans loud enough 

The atmosphere will be fine if we start winning. One scenario not mentioned is having a full,vocal away end. The Villa game will be a good atmosphere.

[Bald Eagle's Barmy Army]

What I don't understand is why all the focus is pointed to the SS. Why put all the cards in there on Saturday, why not put them in the East Stand and mix it up a bit. or put them in the North Stand where the family bit is, they are sure to be used by the children more than the adults.

Ask the club to turn the music down slightly for just before the teams come out so the crowd can start to build the atmosphere up. Personally I think Steve Bloomers watching has had its day and starts to slow the atmosphere down just when it needs cranking up.

Something Benfica did which I thought was good was include the opposite stand, for e.g. the East stand shouted 'BENFICA', and then it went to the West Stand 'BENFICA', and it was as if they was doing it to see which stand could do it the loudest. it was very good and got all supporters involved.

Was the drum there Saturday? maybe the drum needs to be floating around the ground like it used to be to get the crowd going. It's not difficult to get people involved but it needs to be well thought out. Each time we get a corner we should have something that the supporters all do to get the team going, something simple like 'COME ON DERBY, COME ON DERBY'. Instead of just a little clap to whoever is taking that corner.

[Inverurie Ram]

Safe standing in the section next to the away fans and the volume will go up in that section and then it would be up to the rest of the ground to join in, so hopefully volume would then increase all round, a knock on domino effect. Some might say this is what the South Stand are trying to do and other stands just can't be @rsed.

I suppose it's always been a case of trying to replicate the noise Derby fans make when at away games and making the IPro a  ground with a great atmosphere that just doesn't have Derby fans talking and typing about it, but fans from all other teams around the world, and just like the football team you follow it's all about how much work you and I are prepared to put into the team you support.

If you can't be @rsed, your mates can't be @rsed, your club can't be @rsed then your eventually heading in the same direction as York City and the like. So well done to Nick, David and The 1884 Group and the like to give us all a wonderful platform to do so, but it's up to us lazy @rses to make a lot of positive noise to help our club to be able to compete with the likes of Man Utd, Chelsea, Leicester City, Man City, Celtic, Rangers, and the like in Britain, and then abroad be it the Milans, Madrid, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Dortmund and the like, where Derby County Fans can go and watch and have a fantastic sing song, a wonderful time and feel so proud that our football club are on the World Stage. If poxy Leicester City can do it, we can do it 10 times better, as long as you lot can be @rsed!

 

 

[Bald Eagle's Barmy Army]

How much do the small flag on a stick cost to make? @The 1884 Group could you sell these at cost to people around the ground instead of laying them out on seats, let them keep them and bring them back .Also, what about the stick clappers or whatever you call them, they do help raise the noise in the ground.