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I've seen a few people comparing this season's transfers with the window where we got the likes of Oli Hawkins in. It is a staggering comparison between two different eras at the club.
Might not get universal agreement saying this but the club have fulfilled their part of the bargain, both in the summer window and now this one. With the leaders in town on Saturday, it's up to us to turn up prepared to get behind the team and create an intimidating atmosphere for Plymouth - like they did for us at their place.
People talk about acoustics, stadium design etc, and there is some credence in that, but the main reason we struggle to create an atmosphere at Portman Road sometimes is that the ground holds more than 29,000 people, and only one tier - the SBR lower - sings. That's about 4,000 people, and not all of them join in.
Organisations like Blue Action are doing what they can, but there comes a point where the rest of the fanbase has to shake off their inhibitions and get involved.
I've been struggling with this lack of atmosphere issue for most of my time supporting the club (first match 1972). Over the years I've stood or sat in every stand and enjoyed the relatively few times when most of the crowd do drop their inhibitions for once. I think it's about creating a disconnect. Most people are in some way or other, naturally reserved and have inhibitions in their daily life. It's then about getting those people to drop their natural behaviour and let them selves go. For me that's always been easy, shouting and singing a natural release, watching the game that you've built up to all week, the tension building as each day ticks down to kick off. OR is this a matter more present in Suffolk? Is it true or a stereotype that Suffolk people are more withdrawn and reserved, lacking natural exuberance?
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Club have done (are doing) their bit, now over to us on 10:23 - Jan 10 with 3289 views
Ipswich have always been known as a family club, with a large contingent of kids and old timers at games, which makes it more than a little bit tricky to create an intimidating atmosphere. We would need to make a few supporter loan signings from Millwall, Leeds etc to make PR anything but "friendly and welcoming".
Club have done (are doing) their bit, now over to us on 10:29 - Jan 10 by TalkingBlues
Ipswich have always been known as a family club, with a large contingent of kids and old timers at games, which makes it more than a little bit tricky to create an intimidating atmosphere. We would need to make a few supporter loan signings from Millwall, Leeds etc to make PR anything but "friendly and welcoming".
It does work. Intimidation works
Look at the Sheffield Wednesday game away. I’m certain the officials bottled it and we lost 2 points
Crowd needs to be up for it - wish I could be there
Club have done (are doing) their bit, now over to us on 10:37 - Jan 10 by Metal_Hacker
It does work. Intimidation works
Look at the Sheffield Wednesday game away. I’m certain the officials bottled it and we lost 2 points
Crowd needs to be up for it - wish I could be there
I have no doubt that an intimidating atmosphere can affect some teams, but equally it can galvanise others. Either way, Ipswich doesn't have a physically intimidating team, or supporters, quite the opposite in fact, we've always been a family club, with family values and I'm glad for it tbh, we do our talking on the pitch, where it should be. I don't think the place will be short of noise, we always produce a good atmosphere at the big games.
I also fully get the reason why the fans are on edge when games are on a knife edge or it looks like we’re potentially going to throw points away. Supporting ITFC has been year upon year of false dawns and let downs and, as much as any rational person can see how different the club is now, that is going to stay in the back of people’s minds for many years to come. ‘This is Ipswich, things will fall apart any minute.’
But yes, we need to start to fully believe now, we need to start to trust the club again, we need to anticipate set backs whilst also understanding that the people in charge now will put them right. Everyone in the stands should be capable of clapping, cheering, getting out of their seats if they can. Not everyone is going to sing all the songs but there’s many other ways to support the team and they fully deserve that now.
A week or so ago, someone on here suggested that a song by The Adicts should be played at games to get the place jumping , (- and as someone else commented, what's not to like about that?) .
But perhaps the tannoy should also play this, to remind the crowd of Bobby Robson's famous remark about Town's support and shame it into life:
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Club have done (are doing) their bit, now over to us on 10:53 - Jan 10 with 2967 views
Club have done (are doing) their bit, now over to us on 10:29 - Jan 10 by TalkingBlues
Ipswich have always been known as a family club, with a large contingent of kids and old timers at games, which makes it more than a little bit tricky to create an intimidating atmosphere. We would need to make a few supporter loan signings from Millwall, Leeds etc to make PR anything but "friendly and welcoming".
Intimidation doesn't have to be nasty and vitriolic. A solid wall of supportive noise for the home team can be just as effective.
Cheer our own team up - kids, oldsters and all - rather than just throwing jibes at the opposition (which can fire them up anyway).
I was listening to a Football Ramble podcast this morning and they interviewed Neil Warnock, someone asked him which clubs he wished he'd managed and he said he loved Portsmouth, Ipswich and Bristol City and the way the fans get behind the club
Whilst sometimes the fan base could do a lot more, we are also on the flip side not a fan base who drags down the players
Maybe singing less of the songs that some people are not comfortable singing would help over time too. I think it's improved a lot over the years, but there are still things which a lot of pweople are never going to join in singing.
Having said that, we also do ourselves down, we're never going to be a vitriolic bile filled stadium that creates that intimidating cauldron, but we do create a decent noise and atmosphere at times, it gets remarked upon often enough by opposition players. Not saying it couldn't, and probably should be better at the moment.
No idea when I began here, was a very long time ago. Previously known as Spirit_of_81. Love cheese, hate the colour of it, this is why it requires some blue in it.
Club have done (are doing) their bit, now over to us on 10:37 - Jan 10 by Marshalls_Mullet
Is that different to other clubs?
I suspect most home grounds are the same with one section that sings.
It's rare to go to big grounds and say the atmosphere was amazing, and when it is, it's usually a reaction to what's happened on the pitch.
Absolutely. I have to go back to the West Ham playoff fixture to remember a decent atmosphere anywhere. I average about 10 to 12 away fixtures a season!
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Club have done (are doing) their bit, now over to us on 13:56 - Jan 10 with 1926 views
Club have done (are doing) their bit, now over to us on 13:37 - Jan 10 by Coastalblue
Maybe singing less of the songs that some people are not comfortable singing would help over time too. I think it's improved a lot over the years, but there are still things which a lot of pweople are never going to join in singing.
Having said that, we also do ourselves down, we're never going to be a vitriolic bile filled stadium that creates that intimidating cauldron, but we do create a decent noise and atmosphere at times, it gets remarked upon often enough by opposition players. Not saying it couldn't, and probably should be better at the moment.
Good point.
Even 'We've got super KM.....' is a bit rubbish if we're honest about it.
Club have done (are doing) their bit, now over to us on 11:38 - Jan 10 by Guthrum
Intimidation doesn't have to be nasty and vitriolic. A solid wall of supportive noise for the home team can be just as effective.
Cheer our own team up - kids, oldsters and all - rather than just throwing jibes at the opposition (which can fire them up anyway).
Agreed. I don't think we'll be quiet, far from it, new signings on display, biggest game of the season to date, I'd imagine it will be very noisy indeed.
Club have done (are doing) their bit, now over to us on 13:25 - Jan 10 by RegencyBlue
Goes back to at least Sir Bobbys day. Remember his ‘zombies’ comments after a game in the eighties against Crystal Palace?
Don’t know what the answer is generally but if fans can’t be up for Saturdays game there’s not a lot of hope!
Think it was Coventry 1980. It’s a combination of things from the thick ‘Furher Bunker’ type design of the lower North, to the traditional Suffolk malaise in the upper West and Cobbold stands. Just let yourselves go, worry about upsetting your neighbours later.
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