Opposition fans back from the game - 24/25 page 225 onwards

[Norfolk Royal]

I remember going to the Goldstone back in the late 70s to see them play us and we lost two-nil due to goals from Peter Ward as I recall.

The interesting thing that day, and I think it was either an old third or fourth division fixture, was that the crowd was around 26,000, which was very big for the lower leagues at that time, still is. Our average crowd at Elm Park would have been some way less than 10,000 at that time.

All very well I hear you say, but what is the point?

Well, in the intervening years our attendances have grown steadily while Brighton's has oscillated wildly, admittedly partly due to the Withdean, down by thousands etc.

When we do well our crowds increase very quickly and for big games like play off finals etc, an extra 20,000 appear from nowhere as if by magic, but we're pretty much bedrock 17k at home.

It's also true that our crowds in the latter years at Elm Park were steadily increasing. Why that is no so sure, we certainly had a better team, that helped. But the move to the MadStad is not the only reason our attendances are generally on the up in recent times. Contrast that with the spectacular increase in attendance Brighton achieved by moving to the TexMex or whatever it is.

So it seems that we have a lot of latent glory hunting support and Brighton have latent support who at the moment go to the games but will more as likely fire drill it as soon as they drop down the league again.

[handbags_harris]

So it seems that we have a lot of latent glory hunting support and Brighton have latent support who at the moment go to the games but will more as likely fire drill it as soon as they drop down the league again.

Fair assessment overall, but just to highlight this specific point - Brighton 0-1 Millwall last season, on the tellybox. 30k stadium, they can't have had any more than 14-15k in there. Even their STH's weren't turning up for it. Endemic with all clubs, although I distinctly recall Brighton fans insisting they'd continue filling their ground even when they weren't playing well. Of course chaps...

[genome]

It happens to any club. Even a team with a support base as wide and as passionate as Newcastle - did you see all those empty seats at St. James' Park on Saturday?

[Green]

As ever, Brighton fans seem to think the because they get a few thousand or so more fans and are a bit noisier away they're a bigger club with more potential. History would suggest otherwise.

Anyway, seems a pertinent place to put this here...

http://www.royals.org/news/166/Seaside_Rendezvous

Nice article

[sloughroyal123]

Let's be honest our support was pretty poor on Saturday

[JC]

Let's be honest our support was pretty poor on Saturday

Let's be honest so was theirs.

[Ian Royal]

I thought they were both quite good, but with slightly frustrating, but understandable, periods of sustained quiet.

[bobby1413]

Let's be honest our support was pretty poor on Saturday

Eh?

I personally thought the support from us was decent

I also think their support was alright, not amazing but not terrible

[semtex1871]

You have to agree with them making a comment about one kind of discrimination whilst they use a offensive term like "mongo"? The moment they use language like that is the moment they lose their moral high ground.

You're a mong.

Semtex......You're a cock.

Nice bit of white-knighting there mong boy.....

[Brum Royal]

As ever, Brighton fans seem to think the because they get a few thousand or so more fans and are a bit noisier away they're a bigger club with more potential. History would suggest otherwise.

Anyway, seems a pertinent place to put this here...

http://www.royals.org/news/166/Seaside_Rendezvous

Nice article

'Greed. Very good article that Floyd

[Franchise FC]

Now that I've listened to Gillette Soccer Special tonight I want us to go up (obviously), but with Brighton.

The patronising bunch - "Brighton are top but look at the bunch of big clubs behind them", "of course they won't stay there"

Come on Brighton (but don't get anywhere near 106)

[From Despair To Where?]

Now that I've listened to Gillette Soccer Special tonight I want us to go up (obviously), but with Brighton.

The patronising bunch - "Brighton are top but look at the bunch of big clubs behind them", "of course they won't stay there"

Come on Brighton (but don't get anywhere near 106)

[Green]

[Royal Ginger]

Thought i'd drag this thread back up. Bristol City:

Gutted. We outfought reading and for were the better team, especially in the 2nd half....our defence was very solid including Frankie from 15 mins onwards and Reading didn't look like scoring.

Must've been at a different game to me fella. On another day Vydra would've had 4 himself.

Just seen the highlights,there were no chances for us and they could have scored 4 or 5.How you can say we were the better team is baffling,surely if we were better than them their keeper would have had a save to make.

Awful game between two poor sides, they had the one moment of quality near the end, so edged it. Could not take many positives from that.

What a load of cods wallop, as for the applause all I saw was city fans trying to climb into the reading end in anger... Poor..

One other thing that annoyed me today - the idiots at the front who thought it was funny to not give the ball back during the first half. Juvenile beyond belief. In a game we needed to win, what was the point of time wasting? I've paid to watch the ball on the pitch, not in the stands.

As for the trouble at the end (the same group), the less said the better. An embarrassment.

Their posters seem to have their heads screwed on for the most part, which is more than can be said for that small group of them who seemed intent on causing trouble.

Thought their lot created a decent bit of noise.

[bobby1413]

Thought i'd drag this thread back up. Bristol City:

Gutted. We outfought reading and for were the better team, especially in the 2nd half....our defence was very solid including Frankie from 15 mins onwards and Reading didn't look like scoring.

Must've been at a different game to me fella. On another day Vydra would've had 4 himself.

Just seen the highlights,there were no chances for us and they could have scored 4 or 5.How you can say we were the better team is baffling,surely if we were better than them their keeper would have had a save to make.

Awful game between two poor sides, they had the one moment of quality near the end, so edged it. Could not take many positives from that.

What a load of cods wallop, as for the applause all I saw was city fans trying to climb into the reading end in anger... Poor..

One other thing that annoyed me today - the idiots at the front who thought it was funny to not give the ball back during the first half. Juvenile beyond belief. In a game we needed to win, what was the point of time wasting? I've paid to watch the ball on the pitch, not in the stands.

As for the trouble at the end (the same group), the less said the better. An embarrassment.

Their posters seem to have their heads screwed on for the most part, which is more than can be said for that small group of them who seemed intent on causing trouble.

Thought their lot created a decent bit of noise.

Agree that their comments on the forums appear really sensible and accurate - fair play to them for that.

As for the noise, I was stunned at how dead the whole ground was for the first half. My m8 suggested it was due to the poor game, but there's been a good atmosphere at other games which were sh*t. Not sure what happened.

Those fans at the front... anyone with 1% of football experience could see that brewing from the 1st minute.

[genome]

"You're shagging your sister"

[Sutekh]

Nice to see a small proportion of City support have not progressed since 7 April 1984. Least this time there wasn't any loose concrete about.

Oh well, all clubs still have them I suppose.

[semtex1871]

"You're shagging your sister"

I didn't realise that Ke......no, too obvious

[Mr Optimist]

Loved all the hold me back, and see you outside business at the end. I am guessing what happened after the game is the gorky 15 year old kid with the glasses got back on a supporters club coach. The baldy 55 year old walked back to his parked car muttering his disgust loudly under his breath, while the other 25 or so hard men got on Reading buses back to the station intimidating women, kids and a few old boys by being drunken oafs.

[bobby1413]

Did they hang around in town for long? I did think there would be issues of the stone island crew were hanging around for the evening