AVB vs. the home support

[Fig Newton]

I'm glad AVB has brought this up. The negativity is the elephant in the room.

Now we'll see if his words can reach far enough to make a difference or if nothing changes and we continue until we become known by fans/media/other players for our terrible home support. Once it reaches the stage to where we're synonymous with terrible home fan support, it will be difficult to shake.

 

[felmani26]

I guess whether we believe Andre was right to bring this into the public domain or not, it has sparked a great and necessary debate.

Certainly won't have heard the last of this.

 

[Spurger King]

I guess whether we believe Andre was right to bring this into the public domain or not, it has sparked a great and necessary debate.

Certainly won't have heard the last of this.

Well, at least until the next home game...where all you'll hear is a pin drop, and the occasional "for fucks sake Kyle".

 

[JerryGarcia]

Maybe we're overcomplicating this by taking sides over who is right and wrong? The message simply needs to be spread amongst Spurs fans that at the next home game we go all out to see how good we can make the atmosphere.

 

[jambreck]

Won't debate the validity argument with you but I disagree but what I will say is that the atmosphere today was no worse than many many other games recently so surprising he chooses now to come out with this on the back of a squeaky win .... maybe he is feeling the pressure

Best time to make such a criticism is after a win, surely?

If he did it on the back of a loss, he would rightly and inevitably be accused of making lame excuses. Making this point now, after a win, it might be taken seriously and some good might come of it.

 

[Mr Pink]

I guess whether we believe Andre was right to bring this into the public domain or not, it has sparked a great and necessary debate.

Certainly won't have heard the last of this.

He's right all day long for me solely because we've all discussed it at some point over the last year or two. He's certainly not imagining it or being hasty with his comments. He wants it to change, and obviously felt it was worth the risk to say - and I think that shows balls.

We know it, he knows it...everybody knows it. As the old saying goes, time to wake up and smell the coffee.

 

[Nocando]

Maybe we're overcomplicating this by taking sides over who is right and wrong? The message simply needs to be spread amongst Spurs fans that at the next home game we go all out to see how good we can make the atmosphere.

Exactly, but it's more of a case we need to stop looking at the reason (i.e not being entertained) and concentrate on the remedy.

I alluded to the atmosphere at Palace recently and that seemed to be feeding off the 'conductor' who stood facing the crowd and worked them up into a frenzy. Its something that works well in Europe and perhaps we could introduce a lot more.

Going forward I think for our new ground we definitely need an 1882 stand, where members and ST alike can choose to relocate into this section to make noise (it's important the seats in this area aren't allocated out as such - in order to prevent people getting attached to a seat or those around them).

 

[felmani26]

Well, at least until the next home game...where all you'll hear is a pin drop, and the occasional "for fucks sake Kyle".

And that's just Spurs_Bear!

 

[jambreck]

Seen the full interview with AVB, really damning words, saying the players were talikng about the crowd at half-tine and how difficult it is to play at theLane these days. I agree with them 100%, I said on here 2 weeks ago that IMHO we now have the worst home support in the league, and now we clearly know that the players don't even enjoy playing at home anymore.

That really is damning.

And worrying.

Which player will want to hang around when other ambitious / top clubs come calling?

 

[weststandvoice]

The atmosphere is a reflection of what is happening on the pitch. Its common practice to quiet a home crowd with uneventful possession.

When the home teams style mimics this tactic you get a shit atmosphere.

You're describing an opera, or a play, mate...

 

[dimiSpur]

We'll never know.

I can't speak for others but I can speak for myself. I'm a season ticket holder. Have been for 20 years or so. Member for years before that and first attended a game at WHL in 1979.

And I agree fully with AVB.

Without a shadow of doubt, the atmosphere at the Lane is the worst that it has been in the nigh on 35 years since I first started going to games. This is the best team that we have had in 25 years. Maybe more. Yet going to games at the Lane has never been less fun. Seriously.

And here lies the problem!

I don't think it's any one problem that leads to a poor atmosphere, I think it's a coming together of mutliple reasons.

Firstly, as you pointed out yourself, you've been going for 20 years. That would make you at least 35-40? I think you are identifiable as the vast majority of ST holders at the Lane. We are lucky to have a heavily loyal fan base. This also means that our fans, in their majority, are middle aged men that have been going for years. This is a great thing but it leads to some negative results. Given our low capacity stadium, it means limited availability for younger supporters and what little tickets are available are out of a younger person's price range due to the high demand. That means those that are in the ground on a regular basis are of a more mature age and less likely to go mental over Hull at home or have "seen it all before" and are more cynical of the club's fortunes, as everyone is given how we've thrown CL football away two years on the trot.

We also have to consider the prices. They are extortionate. The ground fills up, so can't argue that they ought to be lower, from a financial aspect (from the Club's perspective) the high prices work. However it means sacrifice to get there, not enjoyment. These are times of economic hardship, yet prices are going the other way and hiking upwards. That means going to see your team on a regular basis is not a "nice day out", it's something you have to fit in to your budget. I'll give myself as an example. I'm a student. I've been living away from London up until 3 years ago despite being born here. I've had a ST for the time I've been here. As I said above I'm a student and my dad's not a rich oil baron. That means to get that ST I don't party in the West End every week like most students do. It means I cut back in other areas. It means if I want to do something I'll save up and then do it. You let go on the ticket and tighten up elsewhere. I'm not saying Spurs owe me 5-0 wins, but you certainly get very frustrated after a 3-0 thrashing from West Ham (not that I wouldn't have been furious had I watched at home!). Now apply that example to a family man with a teenage son. To take his son every week, he's looking at over £1500 a year? That's a huge amount of money for the average person, even on a London wage. There's inevitably going to be an air of expectancy from the fans.

That leads me nicely into another point, the lack of relationship between fans and players. A player now earns over £40k a week. Spurs lose. He'll drive home in his Bentley, the fan will go home on the Tube with the opposing fans taking the piss and singing. Huge difference. The player will go to training for a few hours, the fan will go to work from the morning and his week will feel heavier than Tom Huddlestone's arse. They live different lives and they're flash about it too in most instances. So when he's playing like a ****, that fan will be sure to let him know. Not saying it's the right thing, just an inevitable truth.

These factors are all subconscious. Most people won't realise these are reasons that contribute to how they feel until they really think about it. Obviously that's not an exhaustive list of reasons why the Lane is becoming more and more like the Emirates, but I'd say they're pretty important ones.

How do you remedy that? Well a bigger stadium will help one would hope, but that's still miles away. If it took us 5 years to buy a forward for £25m imagine how long it will take for a stadium of £400m!

 

[jonathanhotspur]

I certainly don't enjoy going to the lane as much any more, really think this will be my last season ticket season. The fan has turned into a consumer, and I really don't fucking like it.

Fuck off to Argentina, then.

 

[The Spurs Lad]

Which rivals?

The ones that are below us in the table or the ones that are one, two or even a giant three points above us?

The ones that look like winning each week and will be above us at the end of the season.

Just because we are high in the table in October having struggled through an easy run of fixtures means very, very little in the long run.

 

[felmani26]

He's right all day long for me solely because we've all discussed it at some point over the last year or two. He's certainly not imagining it or being hasty with his comments. He wants it to change, and obviously felt it was worth the risk to say - and I think that shows balls.

We know it, he know its....everybody knows it. As the old saying goes, time to wake up and smell the coffee.

I do have a feeling he'll be pillared in the press for it and no doubt Adrian Durham will bring it up and rope in some supposed Spurs 'fan' who just wants AVB rid (probably Babylon).

But you're damn right and whilst we love to criticise the shitty Emirates atmosphere, we really don't have the moral high ground anymore and the coralation between us becoming more competitive and the atmosphere worsening is increasingly stark and worrying.

 

[THX2208]

How can some of our own fans call us dross? 9 games gone 19 points, best start to a Premier League season, hardly dross!

 

[dimiSpur]

The fan has turned into a consumer, and I really don't fucking like it.

Exactly that, fans are consumers and football is a product. So in a sense, the people that sell us this product should watch their words when addressing us because they've turned it into what it is.

 

[JerryGarcia]

Exactly, but it's more of a case we need to stop looking at the reason (i.e not being entertained) and concentrate on the remedy.

I alluded to the atmosphere at Palace recently and that seemed to be feeding off the 'conductor' who stood facing the crowd and worked them up into a frenzy. Its something that works well in Europe and perhaps we could introduce a lot more.

Going forward I think for our new ground we definitely need an 1882 stand, where members and ST alike can choose to relocate into this section to make noise (it's important the seats in this area aren't allocated out as such - in order to prevent people getting attached to a seat or those around them).

I've lost count of how many times I've seen people suggest on here that we bring back the drummer/use conductors/1882 etc only to be shot down by people saying that we don't need any of it and that "real fans don't need gimmicks".

The time has come to try something new though. As others have said, this isn't only happening at Spurs. I think it's more a result of what's happening to the modern game at many Premier League clubs and we shouldn't accept it.

 

[SargeantMeatCurtains]

I fear we are slowly turning into the thing we fear most.

The prawn cocktail lot down the road.

 

[Spurger King]

If anyone wants to buy me a season ticket I'll be happy to beat a drum for 90 minutes at every home game.

I'll also need a drum.

 

[jonathanhotspur]

Exactly that, fans are consumers and football is a product. So in a sense, the people that sell us this product should watch their words when addressing us because they've turned it into what it is.

Hear, hear! You only need to take a look at the club shop on matchdays.