suggestion for Fan Clubs at home games

Can we do that?

Oh god... Someone from a rival team actually has a pretty cool idea!! AGH! Okay now that i have slammed my hand in my desk drawer to punish myself...

On a semi related note, I have been wondering lately, does anyone know if we would be allowed to bring in a megaphone to the Barra Brava to use to lead the chants in there? (like the ones police use?) It would not really be a noise maker in a nuissance sense and would help us immeasurably in getting the chants and songs started so all could hear, even down to the opposite side of the SE's (something thats always an issue from either side) Who knows it also might help us keep the number of members down off our seats, as thats currently the only way we can get everyone going.

Would we get this past the ticket gate searchers?

 

Megaphones can be very annoying...especially if they're the ones with the siren "feature" on them that plays a siren.

Keep it simple and it has the greatest chance of success.

Try something like busting out the old "DC United, clap clap clap-clap clap" every ten minutes by the scoreboard (so 0 minutes, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90). Add in a chant that starts at 45. The chants at 45 and 90 should take up as much of the stoppage time as possible.

That is probably too much though.

Try starting with those chants in all groups for all stoppage time at the end of both halves and at the beginning of both halves.

That kind of plan seems more likely to succeed.

 

An "F Noel Kenney" chant would be a good one to work out.

 

it seems to me that there are several issues here. let me try to organize our collective thoughts:

(1) how do we get all of the supporter’s groups starting the same chant/song?
suggestions include: using the stadium loudspeaker, flares, using the gameclock and pre-set times, signs, megaphones, and walkie-talkies (i added the last one)

(2) how do we get fans outside of supporter’s groups to take up the chant that the supporter’s groups start?
suggestions include: the stadium loudspeaker, placing a microphone in the supporter’s group, signs, megaphones, pre-set times on the gameclock (if somehow you could get all of the fans to know what chant and when)

(3) how do we get the supporter’s groups organized in the first place?
suggestions: i think there should be a designated chant/leader in the groups that coordinates when the songs should start. they could also be responsible for stopping (or pausing) the mad drumming while they get a song started. maybe we could get soapboxes (or similar) for them to stand on. they would coordinate with the other groups using the signs, megaphone, walkie-talkie etc…

(4) songs or chants?
suggestions: some people (me included) think that chants are easier to get started and will be picked up quickest by large sections of fans. i think that if we start organizing chants that we’ll need to start with simple ones and then if it works after a few games start with some songs. eventually people will catch on to the songs, or we could distribute song sheets to the sections around the supporter’s groups. (i also think we should stay away from doing something over stadium loudspeakers or microphones so we don’t get in trouble for using bad language.)

other than that i think other issues include where do we get any necessary equipment to implement these ideas? and how do we take into account that most people starting/singing chants now (me included) are drunk from tailgate?

-rob

 

Okay, I've wanted to bring this up for awhile now. Why don't the supporter groups cut their tailgates a little early and actually show up before kickoff?

Even when I belonged to one of the groups I was always in to see the warmups, feels like somehthing a fan should do. If the groups show up only 10 minutes earlier, the chants could get going and the atmosphere would pick up. Instead, it's dead quite until about 10 minutes into the game.

 

La Norte used to march in with their flags and drums and it really looked like something. We all (SE/BB/LN) could meet up near the pedestrian tunnel in lot 8 and march in together doing the simple DC United, clap clap, clap, clap clap clap.

The SEs end their tailgate a half hour before game time but maybe we could start and finish earlier so there could be more critical mass entering at 7.

I think I prefer the designated chant at certain points in the game than trying to use signals, I can't see what La Norte is doing from the Nest, a sign would have to be massive. Maybe 3-4 times a half, not too much because it's fun to chant stuff in response to what is going on the field.

Instead of standing on the seats (which the stadium frowns on) maybe we could bring in some milk crates for leaders to stand on (we'd need to arrange this with DCU and the SA). While I like the drumming sometimes it does make it hard to start new cheers or discern which cheer is being done. Some sort of leadership might help.

I agree cheers are easier than songs so they should be the ones we all do at certain times (easier for the others to learn and join in). Maybe next season we could agree on some songs and cheers between the 3 groups and get them printed up in the season opener Free Kick. I don't believe there's any charge to put in there but obviously needs to be done in advance of printing (I think a month before).

Now, do people feel all this is too organized, that cheering should be spontaneous? The SEs often get accused of being too organized. Do folks from La Norte and the Barra think their folks would want to do this?

K

 

I think it's important to bring up this problem with overly organizing chants and/or songs. One of the things that makes singing so much fun is the spontaneity of coining a one-off to fit the situation, and I fear that with all of this organization the ability to do this will be stifled. That is why I think the best thing for everyone to do is to WATCH the match and LISTEN to your surroundings, finally don't be EMBARRASSED to belt out a song, because regardless of how we organize, if people are somehow to modest to sing their vocal chords raw, it will never be a unified force. So, here are my proposals:

1. Widely distribute a songsheet with the old standards with tunes included (Vamos United, Hudson's Army, Dale Dale Dale O, The Wings of an Eagle, etc.) and chants (DC U-ni-ted x-x-xx-x, La Barra Brava, etc.) These are the backbones of all noise-making.

2. Drummers should either be the ringleaders, or stand next to a ringleader and have a particular beat indicate the start of a song/chant. This is the best way to reach the most people because it's easier to hear a drumbeat than to see a handsignal.

3. Allow for some space between songs so that if someone has been waiting to sing something they just came up with, it has a chance of taking off. It usually takes one or two rounds of the song to get a large group singing it.

4. Above all LISTEN to the other singers/chanters.

5. If you come up with a solid, clever song or chant, right that sucker down! Post it here (we ought to have a stuck song/chant thread that is seriously maintained, and distributed to folks who don't post on BS)

 

and another thing...

Fcuk You Ref!

and

Bull-sh!t, Bull-sh!t

Are not, nor have they ever been, clever chants.

 

Yeah, I agree that some of the best stuff comes about during the match and I'd hate to stifle creativity. However I also see how some organization could get folks outside of the supporters groups to get involved and thus create a more exciting atmosphere overall. That's why I like the 3 or 4 chants that are sung at a certain time during the halves. Regulars who come to the game should catch on that these are happening at certain times and just automatically join in and it becomes just part of the game experience (like the 7th inning stretch or the Hockeytown tonight song).

I also agree that F Ref and BS don't aren't clever chants and don't reflect positively on us or the sport (especially during those few games that are actually on tv). We've got a lot of good wordsmiths here who can come up with something insulting without being crass. Obviously you're free to shout out your own invective as needed it's the organized chants we can do without.

K

 

Here are some things that might help with keeping the organization.

1. Set drum rhythms to start the chants. After a few games people will no what to do instinctively.

2. Move the drums to the middle or the back of the section. (I don't know if they already are) It is easier to hear things that are coming from behind and above you than things that are lower and in front of you in a stadium. I also noticed this with the people who start the songs for England in the World Cup.

3. How we decide what chants to do in KC is there is me and two other guys who think of and start chants. We are also the ones the PA guy contacts. Although other chants are started up at random throughout the section. More than one person is great to keep the variety up, and the mental blocks down.

4. Chant/song sheets are great, because sometimes it is hard for the people not in the section to understand (verbaly) what is going on.

 

One thing that can be done to keep a bit of creativity is to let each supporters group start a chant at certain segments.

For instance:

15th minute everyone should quiet down and keep their ears out for La Norte's contribution, and then pick up on it.

30th minute, let the SEs start a chant

60th minute let the Choir (I know they have some creativity!)

75th minute then it is the BB's turn.

Since there is no signals or signs to worry about, then u don't necessarily stifle creativity. Each group can come up with how they will do their chant. The more organized SEs might have a ring leader tasked with leading the chant, while the free flowing BBs might just go with the predominant song of the moment.

The key would be to get the supporters groups to be respectful and shut up/stop drumming for a few seconds to actually hear what the other groups are saying, and then pick it up.

And I agree, the supporters groups should be making it in WAY before game time starts. Its like a cavern in there until about 10-15 minutes into the game sometimes. (Not a good first impression to new fans). If you look at the best fans and stadiums around the globe you'll see that most of the supporters groups are inside the stadium and partying hard as much as 30 minutes before gametime. So when players come out of the lockers there is a vibe going on. Even in the NFL, NCAA, NHL etc you see this. It makes for a hell of an atmosphere when you see that. It was disappointing as hell on opening day when the cheers for the OPENING LINEUP OF THE YEAR was sparse because nobody was inside.

You all know about security, so that shouldn't be an issue. Plan to start going inside (not just cleaning up) 30 minutes before gametime.

 

Can we overcome to important obstacles (as well as maintaining the spontaneity)?

1. IMHO, the different clubs can be a bit competitive with each other about what songs to sing. So maybe we can start talking this out ahead of time as we get ready to walk in to the stadium.

2. I don't believe we can overcome the effects of alcohol, so whatever gets organized will more likely take place earlier in the game.

Michael

 

What ever happened to spontaneity? If I wanted some yahoo with a megaphone telling me what to do all night, I'd go to a square dance!

 

Hey I think we should all come in together, on saturday i saw the barra going in together and wanted to join but they left to quick we should all meet up around 7.00 in the tunnel in lot 8 and just start drumming and singing and walk in together, we need to start getting a better atmosphere before the game so i could build up during the game. by the way who runs The Barra, and heads the eagles what do u all think.

 

All this is great, but the root of the problem is the fact that people in La Norte can't hear the people in the SE/BB section. Use a cell phone or something and coordinate through voice. The listen thing isn't going to work. Secondly, singing at given times is gonna get messed up to. La Norte will not be in sync with SE/BB with that idea. What if La Norte starts two seconds late? the chant will be f'd up from the start. Sorry folks, the only way this problem will ever be solved is to kill the supporter group squabbling and join together...until then, there will be no coordination and no legitimate way to unify chants/songs, except for using cellphones/walkies. It's a great idea to get all the groups synchronized, but extremely difficult given the amount of space that is in between the two main ones(LN & SE/BB). It's just not gonna work. Prove me wrong on the 31st and I'll be happy as hell.

 

Once again try to work with the front office to get your sound pumped over the speakers. That is how it got done in KC. The GM and the head of the mystics got together and brainedstormed and came up with that idea. The spontinaiety is still there, it isn't like their is some chant nazi that who dictates what gets said. Most of the chants are started from people with drums or loud voices. The "ringleader" is just the guy that comes up with chants when the microphone is turned on so that no offensive chants are pumped out. "Who's your father" and "Wings of an eagle" are still done in KC, just not when the mic is on. Try to work with your GM, give Curt Johnson (KC GM) as a person to refer to on the matter.

 

move behind the net with La Norte, even if it's for one game, that would be unbelievable....guaranteed.

 

It might be interesting to see that section loaded up! The first United match I ever went to, I sat in 120, and it was great ('97 United 3:2 Tampa). In the end it will probably be too difficult to coordinate the sideline and the endzone, but it's worth a shot until we have our own stadium or much larger fan groups.

 

I'm telling you, do it one time and people will want it to be like that all the time. can we give this a shot or no?