Atmosphere At Home For Season 2016/17

[Kemp]

A point that gets discussed here a lot, but never really with enough to put a plan in place: the shite atmosphere at home.

I don't think I am exaggerating to say that unless something is done about this, it is going to cement our place as a minnow in Scottish football. I just can not see any young kids coming along to St Mirren Park (or Paisley 2021 or whatever) and falling in love with the place like I did with Love Street, with running up and down the old terracing, with the chants and characters of the North Bank or the old Main Stand. There was something special about the place, you all know what I'm talking about, and it wasn't the football: first Saints teams I saw were Fitzy's then Davie Hay's!)

The new ground is no Love Street but surely it is not beyond us to manage to get an area for 200 or 300 Buddies committed to making some noise of a matchday. I'm not talking about "ultras", or organised fun pish with flags or drums. Just a return to the half way line crowd at Love Street, an area that you knew you could go to, get some chants going, abuse the lineseman, and say c**t as often as you damn well pleased.

We manage to make a good noise at many away games, so why can't that hardcore sit together at home matches? Get them close to the away fans and get some atmosphere going.

The trials that have been run on this before have all been rather last minute, which obviously returned poor results. There are problems with season ticket holders not wanting to move, not being able to get decent seats next to your mates, folk cant see if some stand up etc, so lets try and come up with some solutions...

To start off with some ideas;

1. Start planning now for next season and properly inform the fans of what we are trying to do and why.

2. No allocated seating in the West Bank, if you really need the same seat every week then buy a Main Stand season ticket. This way folk can bring 4 or 5 mates along with them and be sure to sit together.

3. Encourage the various supporters buses, clubs etc to sit together within the same block of the West Bank. These guys make lots of noise on away days but at home are dotted around the stadium and nowadays drowned out by moaning faced bastards.

4. Get the fans pished, get that beer tent outside for all home games. Screw the elitist members club.

5. Allow standing in certain areas (turn a blind eye to it at least), again if everyone is aware this section will be getting up and down a lot then they will know not to sit behind them.

Above ideas may be pish, its just to get the ball rolling. Lets get a B&W Army campaign going to bring some atmosphere back to our home and help the team make it a place we can win.

What do you think?

(Please can we have this conversation without "if there is a winning team on the park then the atmosphere will come", its clearly not true. And yes, we are assuming Ian Murray will be sacked soon and by the start of next season we have a team worthy of support on the field. There are plenty of other threads to moan that you "won't be back next season".)

[shull]

A point that gets discussed here a lot, but never really with enough to put a plan in place: the shite atmosphere at home.

I don't think I am exaggerating to say that unless something is done about this, it is going to cement our place as a minnow in Scottish football. I just can not see any young kids coming along to St Mirren Park (or Paisley 2021 or whatever) and falling in love with the place like I did with Love Street, with running up and down the old terracing, with the chants and characters of the North Bank or the old Main Stand. There was something special about the place, you all know what I'm talking about, and it wasn't the football: first Saints teams I saw were Fitzy's then Davie Hay's!)

The new ground is no Love Street but surely it is not beyond us to manage to get an area for 200 or 300 Buddies committed to making some noise of a matchday. I'm not talking about "ultras", or organised fun pish with flags or drums. Just a return to the half way line crowd at Love Street, an area that you knew you could go to, get some chants going, abuse the lineseman, and say c**t as often as you damn well pleased.

We manage to make a good noise at many away games, so why can't that hardcore sit together at home matches? Get them close to the away fans and get some atmosphere going.

The trials that have been run on this before have all been rather last minute, which obviously returned poor results. There are problems with season ticket holders not wanting to move, not being able to get decent seats next to your mates, folk cant see if some stand up etc, so lets try and come up with some solutions...

To start off with some ideas;

1. Start planning now for next season and properly inform the fans of what we are trying to do and why.

2. No allocated seating in the West Bank, if you really need the same seat every week then buy a Main Stand season ticket. This way folk can bring 4 or 5 mates along with them and be sure to sit together.

3. Encourage the various supporters buses, clubs etc to sit together within the same block of the West Bank. These guys make lots of noise on away days but at home are dotted around the stadium and nowadays drowned out by moaning faced bastards.

4. Get the fans pished, get that beer tent outside for all home games. Screw the elitist members club.

5. Allow standing in certain areas (turn a blind eye to it at least), again if everyone is aware this section will be getting up and down a lot then they will know not to sit behind them.

Above ideas may be pish, its just to get the ball rolling. Lets get a B&W Army campaign going to bring some atmosphere back to our home and help the team make it a place we can win.

What do you think?

(Please can we have this conversation without "if there is a winning team on the park then the atmosphere will come", its clearly not true. And yes, we are assuming Ian Murray will be sacked soon and by the start of next season we have a team worthy of support on the field. There are plenty of other threads to moan that you "won't be back next season".)

Had a Teenager in front of us spouting " cnut " the whole game at Ibrox.

Myself, son, 2 daughters ( one aged 7 ) and another girl in our party were far from impressed with him.

Add on his chants about incest directed towards the opposition fans were well out of order.

As for the rest of the post above .....

New Manager

Playing attacking football

Scoring goals

Winning games.

THEN WE WILL ALL SING OUR HEADS OFF.

simple

Edited December 1, 2015 by shull

[ScotstounSaint]

Any club can have fans that sing when they're winning. It's having an atmosphere regardless of the score that separates the 'good' clubs from the minnows.

It won't be too long before young folk are picking and choosing a handful of games per season, and it won't be an afternoon at the morgue on Greenhill Rd they're choosing.

[shull]

Any club can have fans that sing when they're winning. It's having an atmosphere regardless of the score that separates the 'good' clubs from the minnows.

It won't be too long before young folk are picking and choosing a handful of games per season, and it won't be an afternoon at the morgue on Greenhill Rd they're choosing.

How "good" a Club was the one we played at Ibrox ?

They sang the whole match.

As did the " good " club who played Inverness on Sunday.

You might find fans of " minnow " Clubs sing also.

St Mirren fans have given the Team great support over the years despite the shite churned out from the players.

THEY PLAY

WE SING

[shull]

Meantime, all they deserve is BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!

[Dave The Buddie]

Any club can have fans that sing when they're winning. It's having an atmosphere regardless of the score that separates the 'good' clubs from the minnows.

It won't be too long before young folk are picking and choosing a handful of games per season, and it won't be an afternoon at the morgue on Greenhill Rd they're choosing.

Many clubs do you know that don't win a home game until half way through a season in the last two seasons fans create a good atmosphere. Our record at the new ground is shocking.

Away fans are always the noisiest at any club. They are hardcore fans who make the away trips days out

[Evil_Panda]

A point that gets discussed here a lot, but never really with enough to put a plan in place: the shite atmosphere at home.

Fans have done more than just discuss the subject, they have even pressured the club into introducing standing/singing section trials.

From just last season:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/st-mirren-fans-can-bring-4452270

and before that, way back to 2010:

http://www.stmirren-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/sing_and_stand_for_saints_560999/index.shtml

The problem is that no one was interested.

[Kemp]

Fans have done more than just discuss the subject, they have even pressured the club into introducing standing/singing section trials.

From just last season:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/st-mirren-fans-can-bring-4452270

and before that, way back to 2010:

http://www.stmirren-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/sing_and_stand_for_saints_560999/index.shtml

The problem is that no one was interested.

In my original post I highlighted why these were not successful.

I'd be very surprised if there wasn't a real interest in getting a good atmosphere going in the stadium.

[shull]

The Football is f**king tragic.

Hee Haw tae sing about.

You would need every Fan in the STADIUM OF DESPAIR , absolutely pished.

[DougJamie]

If I was an away fan the one match I would go to is us. Less than 10% win rate at home is what kills us. If we go back to our glory days under Fergie, Clunie and MacFarlane, we had a positive home record. Yes I know all teams can spout off when it was better, but as a 14 year old it was pretty intimidating getting near the North Bank and the wire that split the fans, Have to say it was great. When you move to any new ground its hard to have the I was there moment.

I so miss Love Street, and even when I stop to get petrol at the Caledonian end I still get goosebumps from the days of the high terracing..

Lets be honest here, we play QOS, the yoyo team of the division, lost 4-1 to Livi at home, and who honestly believes we can beat them. Well we could we should.

I remember not that long under Danny, thinking we could win any home game, in fact any game bar Tic away.TC got a 2-2 draw away at Dons, he also got a 2-1 win over Thistle, idf we can get 6-9 points next 3 games, the atmos will change, but it could get a lot quieter trust me, The turn out versus Ton was appalling from us

[Evil_Panda]

In my original post I highlighted why these were not successful.

I'd be very surprised if there wasn't a real interest in getting a good atmosphere going in the stadium.

Send your original post to the fans council and see what kind of reply you receive.

If anyone is willing to help then it should be them. See what ideas they come up with.

[Drew]

It is mainly about the shite on offer.

At Falkirk a few weeks back, the atmosphere was crap despite a healthy Saints support. Away atmospheres are generally better, but such was the abysmal showing, no-one could muster up enthusiasm.

The new stadium is wretched when it comes to atmosphere, though. No doubt about it.

[Mr Zo]

I think winning something like 4 or 5 home league games out of our last 50 has taken its toll on most fans.

We must be close to having the worst home league record in the last 2 and half years.

All very depressing stuff.

Edited December 1, 2015 by Mr Zo

[saltcoatsbuddie]

sorry op ,but fans only interested when things are going well.lucky to muster up 2 claps in the same 10 minutes at home,,crowd try to get involved if we create a chance but its an age before we create another ,our style under murray is snails pace and opposition always on top ,how that approach is supposed to encourage us to get right behind the team is the problem,but try asking the bod as they interviewed murray so they should be able to advise as to how they appointed someone with such a limited ability but was obviously good at bullshitting

[proudtobeabuddy]

Crap football, no goals, getting beat most weeks = Crap atmosphere.

[LoganSMFC]

Re-sign Andy Dorman, John Sutton and Billy Mehmet. When they left so did our 3 loudest chants.

BOD take note.... Please enforce a rule where we only sign players which you can easily throw into the usual anthems such as winter wonderland, no limit by 2 unlimited or the other one which should legally be renamed Do Do Do Do Andy Dorman.

Shankland , Agnew , Gow ... These names are UN-putintoasongable.

Edited December 1, 2015 by LoganSMFC

[Ayrshire Saints]

Stadiums don't generate atmosphere, fans do. Away end sounds pretty loud to me when it's well populated so it's not the stadiums issue it's ours. Fans are choosing not to attend and those that do go are choosing not to sing thus there is no atmosphere. We are the original "sing when your winning" crowd so hence we ain't singing. Given a decent crowd numbers wise and those fans then deciding to sing, an atmosphere would be generated. It's not rocket science.

[Mid Calder Saint]

I believe we have a good modern stadium I certainly am happy with my viewpoint in the main stand.However I am of the opinion that the stadium in general is on the dull side and could do with brighter colouring.Also I think we should utilise advertising on the roofs of the stand due to close proximity forty the Airport.Alas Phil could do more on the music scene perhaps playing 60s/70s music for us oldies.I always think Crystal Palace playing Glad All Over when the teams come out generates great atmosphere.Just a few thoughts.

[Big Jake]

I believe we have a good modern stadium I certainly am happy with my viewpoint in the main stand.However I am of the opinion that the stadium in general is on the dull side and could do with brighter colouring.Also I think we should utilise advertising on the roofs of the stand due to close proximity forty the Airport.Alas Phil could do more on the music scene perhaps playing 60s/70s music for us oldies.I always think Crystal Palace playing Glad All Over when the teams come out generates great atmosphere.Just a few thoughts.

I don't think that song would be appropriate at our ground just now though.

[Kemp]

Ok, f**k it.

Maybe we can revisit this idea when there is a little less gloom about the place.

[ScotstounSaint]

How "good" a Club was the one we played at Ibrox ?

They sang the whole match.

As did the " good " club who played Inverness on Sunday.

You might find fans of " minnow " Clubs sing also.

St Mirren fans have given the Team great support over the years despite the shite churned out from the players.

THEY PLAY

WE SING

Obviously I'm no fan of the bighot brothers, but if they sing and generate atmosphere then that's to their credit. I wouldn't know as I haven't been there in years.

As the song goes, we have a sh*#ey home support. Nor really sure why or how to fix it. Tends to be the younger fans generally that do that if you look at other clubs. I'm starting to think we are losing that age group.

[shull]

Ok, f**k it.

Maybe we can revisit this idea when there is a little less gloom about the place.

We are St Gloom FC

[Herbie]

Re-sign Andy Dorman, John Sutton and Billy Mehmet. When they left so did our 3 loudest chants.

BOD take note.... Please enforce a rule where we only sign players which you can easily throw into the usual anthems such as winter wonderland, no limit by 2 unlimited or the other one which should legally be renamed Do Do Do Do Andy Dorman.

Shankland , Agnew , Gow ... These names are UN-putintoasongable.

Do do do do...Gow's an arsehole...

There ye are.

[windae cleaner]

Obviously I'm no fan of the bighot brothers, but if they sing and generate atmosphere then that's to their credit. I wouldn't know as I haven't been there in years.

As the song goes, we have a sh*#ey home support. Nor really sure why or how to fix it. Tends to be the younger fans generally that do that if you look at other clubs. I'm starting to think we are losing that age group.

We are losing that age group

Most folk who still go are ones who have seen decent St Mirren teams

The young ones see a team who rarely win at home and even rarer a team giving out a pumping to someone

[Doakes]

Myself and a few other guys drafted up some proposals a while back regarding this, but it never really took off. The “singing section” trial worked to an extent, but we didn't have the numbers required to take it forward.

The overall consensus was that you can’t manufacture an atmosphere – it must happen organically. Many supporters don’t want to be labelled as part of a singing section. (It does sound a bit shite tbf)

That being said, the suggestion of an unallocated section (not labelled as a singing section) is not the worst idea in the world.

Our latest idea was similar - something along the lines of "Away Support Home". Encouraging more vociferous/vocal fans to stand together at home games, like we do away from home. Would be happy to take the proposals we had to the fans council/club – if others are genuinely keen on the idea.