It seems every country in the world have groups of fans who organize themselves to support their team with banners, flags, flares, etc.... I know security is tighter in england but surely if fans got together with clubs they could make the atmosphere better in england. I've stopped going to watch matches now because the atmosphere is terrible, and its not just my local side I've travelled to over 50 grounds up and down the country over the past 15 years and there's only a handful of games in recent years that I can remember a good atmosphere. Do you think its the english reserved nature that stops us organizing things like that, strange when you think how many people attend matches compared with other countries but the atmosphere is much worse. I know the prices of games has turned a lot of fans away replaced by families who don't really care about supporting their team and sit on their hands all game. Just wondering?
banners are banned. in countries where they are allowed you tend to get offensive banners alot of the time .especially in italy. flares are banned ...supposed to be a fire hazard . flags are banned....can be used as weapons. well the flagpoles can be. pretty much everything is banned. alot of these ultra groups in europe are laughable anyway .
No Yes, Villa Park and St. Andrews multiple times. I've even seen fights at the local youth team Callowbrook Swifts.
So a fight breaking out means its a good atmosphere? Were the villa games local derbies? You can't compare them to week in week out games.
Personally, I don't like seeing a bunch of shit scattered all over the field. I've never been to an English match...as I've never been to England...but from what I've been able to gather, they watch and react to what happens, rather just get all lathered up. To me, ultras are like the American football fan who paints himself pewter and red to go to a Bucs game. He makes a spectacle out of himself, and makes for good television. Personally, I like to become engrossed in the game. A good example of English, cerebral spectatorship was last year's Newcastle v. Tottenham Hotspur match. I forget what Jermaine Jenas did to raise their ire (I think it was a bit of a melodramatic dive) but the Newcastle fans began booing every time he touched the ball. Then, they started doing it every time a Tottenham player touched the ball...only louder when he did. The announcers picked up on it right away and said "wait 'til Jenas touches the ball" and, sure enough, as soon as he does, the boos got louder. To me, that's much more entertaining than making the stadium look like Toomer's Corner after Auburn wins a game or beating on some drum incessantly.
I went to the Hawthorns in March and Upton Park as well....I found them to be quite lively & vocal. If you are born and raised in the US, then I would think you'd find English footy to be quite a treat as I do.
Those so-called ultras are overrated. They light a few flares, put up a few neo-nazi banners, then sit on their hands for 90 minutes. At England we're more concerned with actually watching the match, and the noise we produce is directly related to what's happening on the pitch.
I am a minority that agrees with you, but it appears that a lot of people enjoy football because of teh crowds instead of the football... Atmosphere of course can't be quite as bad as (for example) non Chivas L.A. Galaxy games have become recently, but don't quite need to be crazy like Copa Libertadores fixtures at Boca Jrs.
Yes and a huge roar after a great play and especially a goal is a much better way of showing your apreciation to players then singing in a choir with flares in hand causing so much smoke that noone any longer watches the game.
Maybe I was a bit harsh. I still think matches in the premiership produce atmospheres that rival anything in other countries, I've seen matches in europe that have rubbish atmospheres as well. I actually went to a few MLS matches in the states when I spent 3 years in the US and obviously the atmosphere is not as good but their league is only 10 years old with a population who would rank soccer way down the list. It also seemed to be dominated by mexicans and spanish people. I just thought being our national game the actual game should be more of a celebration and colourful occassion its just a bit dull. Theres no question the english fans are the most knowledgeable in the world and get involved with the game more than any other country where fans are more interested in putting a colourful show than supporting there team throughout the match, but I thought england who have the support already in place could produce some amazing atmospheres if they were allowed to.
I don't like the way that some groups of Ultras have such a big influence in club affairs in Italy, Spain and South America. While it is good to have a close relationship between fan and clubs, I do not think it is a healthy state of affairs when Ultras can influence team selection and can threaten players at the training ground.
There are some ultra clubs in Scotland. The English groups are from the lower leagues, so you don't hear much about them.
OK then to see how good this ultra thing is, on the first day of the season let's all take a bog roll and throw it onto the pitch when the players come out. See if it inspires the players. If that doesn't work then start throwing scooters.
I believe the Ultras could mount an huge show very enjoyable to everyone in the stadium and watching at home, they can create an hostile atmosphere to the opponents and this can make a difference on the pitch but the problem is when they keep bringing flares, "very lights" and other dangerous stuff, not to mention the racist banners or chanting, here in Portugal fortunatly the rules are tighter for the ultras and most of the terracing was eliminated but this organized groups still have too much weight on the clubs affairs and can influence club decisions, after all no club president wants a group of 2000/3000 supporters angry in the stadium and constantly insulting him...the same goes for the coachs and players.
for the first part at least, I would (amazing at it may seem) guess that you don't know what you are talking about. Having been to a few games on the continent I can say easily that the idea that they put on a bit of a show pre-match then sit silently for the rest of it is nonsense. Support can, and usually is, loud, proud and enthusiastic. The difference is that the singing is somewhat disconnected from the actual play and doesn't ebb and flow with the game like it does here.
you need to get down to Fratton Park. we have what is probably the closest thing to Ultras in the Premiership. Mianly as a result of watching shit football for so long we had to find another way to amuse ourselves
lol I'm not a fan of flares - I remember the Milan derby match in the Champions League a couple of seasons ago when one of the goalkeepers got their necks burnt because the other team's fans threw a flare at him. I also remember flares being thrown onto the pitch in other matches quite regularly.