View from the Südtribüne in Dortmund. Europe’s largest single safe standing tier.
Last week I took a trip to The Emirates stadium along with 9,000 other Chelsea. I had never been to what should really be called Ashburton Grove but I had many preconceived ideas about the glossy new edifice as well as the atmosphere that may reside in it. Much of this was down to knowing the area a little and having, maybe unjustifiable, a rough idea of what your average Arsenal fan may be like on a Capital One Cup evening. Much of these ideas were confirmed. Of course, I can only talk in generals, and whilst almost certainly unfair, I would be very surprised if The Emirates and its type inspire a generation of football fan. The home atmosphere was poor. Very poor. It got me really thinking about what I want my football club to be. At the forefront of everything has to be the atmosphere created by your fans.
Arsenal, like a lot of Premier League clubs, have big issues when it comes to creating an atmosphere when playing at home (whilst their away support has always thrived). Basing this on a ‘meaningless’ midweek game in the face of 9,000 genuinely excellent away fans would be churlish but the supporters themselves know the problem exists. A group called The Black Scarf Movement has been created to tackle the issue asking for dedicated ‘singing sections’ (more on this later) and to create a dialog with the club.
Much of the responsibility and blame has to be with the clubs themselves and the Sky culture that has been created ever since Rupert’s invasion into the game. I’m not unrealistic or xenophobic towards the type of fan who wants to be entertained for the day and ‘Check In’ at Stamford Bridge on Facebook for the accolades – in some form it’s always existed – but it’s becoming more and more apparent that the product of a Premier League match is being diluted by this culture. It’s just so very quiet out there.
New soulless stadia don’t help and the disconnect between clubs, their players and their support, for most clubs, may well be terminal. The blame-game, however, is futile. The problem exists. For me, there are two main solutions that supporters themselves can push for. The most important and achievable is the introduction of Safe Standing. Most would inherently know the benefits for the supporter – if not, don’t worry, it’s not for you and there’ll be plenty of places to sit as usual. The benefits for the clubs are, to me, just as obvious: increased capacity, extra revenue, better atmosphere and product (which in turn creates more revenue). It also has the real danger of giving the illusion that the club actually cares for its fan and maybe repairing some of that terminal disconnect.
Celtic are keen to implement Safe Standing due to popular demand in Scotland. But yet no official discussion has taken place in England despite official support from 6 Premier League clubs and over two-thirds of the Football League’s 72 clubs. Aston Villa, Cardiff, Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Hull and Swansea have officially backed the Football Supporters’ Federation’s plans while Manchester City, Stoke, Tottenham and West Brom are all open to discussions. West Ham co-owner David Gold has given his personal approval, as has Arsenal’s Ivan Gazidis. Yet still no discussion with the FA and the Premier League. Possibly the biggest game changer has been the recent announcement by Ed Woodward that Manchester United would consider it. Whilst it may not be official backing, having a club with the clout of United on board should give the campaign the momentum it needs.
Letter to United fans who stood in the singing section
The second, and maybe less fashionable possible solution, is the introduction of a ‘singing section’ in home grounds. A couple of weeks ago, news that Manchester United were promoting a specific section of the ground for fans to sing was met with mass cynicism by both United and opposition fans alike. Shouldn’t all fans be singing anyway? Probably. But they don’t. In general, it seems English football fans associate organised support with a lack of authenticity. Spontaneity, however, just isn’t happening enough. I can understand the almost embarrassment that it’s had to come to this but what are the other options? As much as it’s become a cliché, the very much organised support of German football clubs is some of the most revered in Europe. Did you hear the singing section at The Emirates when Dortmund were in town? They were all in yellow. By all accounts, the singing section at United v Real Sociedad was a big success. The difference on the television alone was audible. David Moyes, local press, United fanzines and individuals at the game I have spoke to all praised the difference it made to an otherwise routine Champions League group game. Maybe this isn’t the solution for some clubs. They and we are all different. But don’t let this not be the answer to save face. Every little bit helps. And it needs helping.
INTO ROW Z 