 | Forum
Reply | Have Southampton Fans Finally Lost Faith With The Club
at 21:39 19 Feb 2025
This is not the season to judge whether the Northam has worked or not. Are people really saying the atmosphere would’ve been better if we still had the old set up in this most dire of seasons?? In terms of needing to be next to the away fans to make noise, this only really applied to the Itchen as the Northam couldn’t really be seen or heard by the away fans and vice versa, and the Northam was in any case drowned out and insignificant in vocal support during matches. The Itchen North was also not influential on the setting the atmosphere around the ground and was also drowned out by larger away followings and people seem to forget it often felt like the away fans sucked the ball into the net when they were behind the goal. Lack of songs/stupid songs has been an issue for years and not a new phenomenon this season. When it’s got going the Northam has been louder than in the past and quite frankly there is a section of this board who never wanted it to happen (Nick included) and have been desperate to see it fail and tell everyone they were right. I’m middle aged too and I think some people of our age just can’t handle not setting fan culture/behaviour anymore. It’s not The 1990s anymore I’m afraid. |
| Forum
Reply | Frustrating
at 18:41 27 Dec 2024
I’m not sure our forwards would have scored it. Watch his late movement ahead of 2 of our ball watching players (Lesley and JB I think) to get into the position to score. We don’t have forwards with that level of anticipation. Tap ins are rarely lucky, but the result of intelligent movement and instinct. |
| Forum
Reply | 5 Things About The West Ham Game
at 16:10 27 Dec 2024
Maybe being in the Northam gives a different perspective. From where I sit I assure you it’s much better. When we in the PL 2 seasons ago was the worst I’ve known- at least with a full ground. Where were you before Pat? If it was the mighty Itchen arising, it didn’t sound so mighty where I am. |
| Forum
Reply | 5 Things About The West Ham Game
at 14:44 27 Dec 2024
From my perspective in the Kingsland, the noise generated by the Northam has got better as the season has progressed. I think it will take time but the noise generated surpasses what came from
The Northam before which died years ago anyway. The Itchen North may have been vocal at times but with only 750 or so tucked in a corner it had little impact..The biggest issue for me is different sections singing different songs but at least that dispels the notion that we don’t have enough singers to fill an end. I’ve always sensed that plenty wanted this to fail from day one for a variety of reasons. Ie they had no input into the decision, they want to be next to the away fans, too many muppets in the Northam etc etc. Nick there are no English grounds I’ve visited where singing is sustained. British crowds are largely reactive to the match. When attacking the Northam there is more noise generated by any section since being at SMS. With a failing team it’s been not bad,with a decent side to get behind I’m sure it would be much better. I’ve haven’t heard many fans sing ‘is this a library?’ etc this season which tells you something I think. I don’t think those in the Northam and Itchen previously appreciated how dire the atmosphere around the ground was and I can only imagine how bad it would’ve been this season. |
| Forum
Reply | The Red Wall!
at 19:12 27 Aug 2024
Thank you for your fair and balanced response FT. I didn’t know that the club viewed the Itchen North as a necessary evil but I wouldn’t have thought that was the primary motivation for the change. Regarding a separate standing area in the ground, I’m not sure where that could be?
Ultimately I’ve become bored and frustrated by the poor atmosphere in the ground and I don’t know else you could try to improve it. I agree that generating atmosphere is far from just singing and I just wish we had more passion in our crowd generally. I’m sure the crowd has become significantly more passive in the years since we moved to SMS, as someone said we have a theatre audience in most parts of the ground. I remember some raucous atmospheres generated in SMS in the early days, even in the Kingsland but now when I shout people will sometimes look at me in disdain. So many people buy the merch, tell everyone that they are super fans but become mute once they step inside. I felt an initiative to gather those who will actually open their mouths is worth a go. Perhaps it won’t work but I thought the ‘I told you it wouldn’t work’ narrative to be unnecessary after 1 poor match. I felt there was triumphalism in that. Let’s review it as the season goes on.
I am probably of a similar age to you and I do despair of the same old Pompey/sh@thole/library etc etc songs but I don’t know what can be done without an influential leadership group within the support that can change the culture. Like you say I’m sure some of the older folk found us a pain in the @rse in the 90s but it’s definitely plummeted to new depths. |
| Forum
Reply | The Red Wall!
at 09:27 27 Aug 2024
Fair points Nick but in the absence of any fan group taking leadership I think the club were right to take the lead. This has been a talking point for years with logistical reason trawled out for why it couldn’t be done. The club have then made an effort to do something positive and it’s derided by some because ‘we’ve never had a proper home end’ and therefore status quo must persist. Its a shame we have no fan group to initiate changes as in the pre St Mary’s days and I have no problem with what Palace fans did- some might say it’s cringy but they’ve since established a reputation for their vociferous support. I always got the sense you were against it Nick but let’s at least give it a chance. We’ve got it, it’s not going away and I reckon that if the players actually turn up the volume from it could be impressive. |
| Forum
Reply | The Red Wall!
at 09:01 27 Aug 2024
If it’s not about bantz then why did the Itchen North establish itself in the corner adjacent to the away fans and why did the Itchen North spend most of the time facing the away fans and surging across? The notion that the closure of the Itchen North was a motivation for the change makes it sounds more significant than it was although I’m sure it was a pain in the @rse for the club to deal with. I read this forum a lot and you talk a lot of sense but on this point I can’t agree. You talk disparagingly about our fans a lot and I sympathise although it does come across as rather superior. But you seem to focus on your own enjoyment of the match day rather than what would make a difference to the atmosphere. It has been awful for years, the players notice it and something needed to be done. The point you miss I think is that whilst the Itchen North and Northam might’ve seemed decent inside them, the overall impact for the team and within the ground in general was negligible and attacking the Chapel never gave us any advantage in terms of helping with building some momentum, influencing refs etc. Surely you want your crowd more involved in the game rather than cultural pockets as you put it that have zero impact to what goes on on the field? |
| Forum
Reply | The Red Wall!
at 21:17 26 Aug 2024
It was entirely predictable that all those were against the wall and condemned it from the moment the concept started would be writing it off after one game to make their point. From what I could see from the Kingsland, all sections were involved in singing at some point, if not at the same time. That should improve. The noise as we attacked that end for 20 minutes after half-time was a big improvement on anything the previous Northam setup produced which had little if any impact on the games/players/refs. Saturday’s game was dire and there was nothing to get the crowd going, you cannot condemn it after one poor game. The influence of the away fans was undoubtedly diminished and that is something the players wanted to see; this was also part of the rationale for the change. It seems to me that those who don’t want the wall are the type who above all go to the games to ‘banter’ /goad away fans.
From my position in the Kingsland over the years, I found the noise generated in the old away
the away end embarrassingly loud and influential and the combined efforts of the Itchen and Northam have always been drowned out. Those of you who lament the loss of the Itchen North should be aware that you could barely be heard on the opposite side. To say the previous setup worked would, I am certain, be disputed by the players. For once I commend the club for trying to do something to give us an end that might just make the difference on occasions in terms of affecting the decisions we get from officials, helping with momentum building when attacking that end, getting under the skin of opposition players etc. I find the negativity on this so bizarre- why on earth would people give up on it after one game? Whilst crowds don’t win games, players need the crowd with them and having 2 small sections either side of the away fans never helped with that. It appears to me that a large number who congregate next to the away fans are just as motivated by telling them that they live in a shithole as they are seeing Saints win. A question: would people be happier if the Chapel could have been the safe standing area with the away fans where they are now so they could continue the ‘banter?’ |
| | hortonsaint
|
Site Scores| Forum Votes: | 4 | | Comment Votes: | 8 | | Prediction League: | 0 | | TOTAL: | 12 |
|
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.