Tonight's Emotions.

[FuzzyDuck]

Actually quite a bit of dope is also smoked on the Bierkurve, but I don't recommend it for atmosphere.  We once scored at the far end about 30s into the second half.  I went up and everyone else kinda looked at me, then looked down the other end.  We got there.....eventually!

On the stadium announcer and the teams, agreed - its crap.  Heres a couple of alternatives

1. The stadium announcer announcer the Rovers team by just saying the shirt number and the christian name.  The crowd shout back the surname.  (This is done in Germany)

or

2. But on a backing track with a bit of rhythm.  The stadium announcer then announces the team as normal (no sponsors) with the crowd clapping the rhythmn

Both could also be done!

A bit of investment from the club and we could get a decent scoreboard that can put up pics and video.  Use that showing each players best moments in a Rovers shirt during the team announcements would also be good.

Anyway is anyone going to do something here?  Its important!  I know it OK for me sitting in Switzerland but you should talk about it.

[RobTheRover]

It needs to come from the fans,  Fuzzy,  and therein lies the challenge. Has last season's disappointment evolved into apathy?

I don't buy for a minute the "the player's need to give us something to get behind"  argument. It's a cop out. I bet your singing section at Winthi start as the player's warm up,  don't they?

The unallocated seating and pay on the gate ideas will help,  though. Once the singers can all congregate in one spot that will work better.

Safe standing needs to come in too. Sitting down kills singing. 

[FuzzyDuck]

Warm-up not so much actually.  It all really starts with a big reception when they come out of the tunnel. Then it basically doesn't stop.  Lulls perhaps but not stopping.

Every attack or shot is greeted with a chant "Vorwarts Winterthur" (our equivalent would be C'Mon Rovers).  A free-kick in a dangerous position gets them singing Darth Vader's theme from Star Wars (sense of humor too you see).  They've only got chants / songs for three players though.  They need to work on that.

Anyway, you're right about the standing. Sitting isn't an excuse for not singing but standing is better.  Interestingly, I've visited 8 stadia in Switzerland so far and not one has been an all-seater (though I could be wrong about Basel).  The safety could be better at some mind!

Getting the singers together is also a must. 

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I don't buy for a minute the "the player's need to give us something to get behind"  argument. It's a cop out. I bet your singing section at Winthi start as the player's warm up,  don't they?

Have to differ slightly with you there Rob. Most home games the South stand with the drummer start off with reasonable enthusiasm and then the play tends to dictate what happens next.

Cast your mind back to the Notts County game when people said the singing/standing area was a failure. Well as we know, it all started very well until matters on the pitch knocked the stuffing out of us.

I'm all for trying anything that improves the atmosphere and I think Fuzzy has reported some worthy initiatives there. 

 

[RobTheRover]

But that's down to the fans mentality,  Baz.

If we collectively said "whatever happens we sing for 90 mins. If we go behind we sing louder"  the player's would find an extra gear and the opposition would lose one.

[FuzzyDuck]

ABSO-BLOODY-LUTELY Rob!

Baz - I'll share something with you and all.

A couple of seasons ago, Winti had a shit season.  They dropped to one place above  the relegation zone at one point after a home defeat to Yverdon-Sport FC.  I assure you, even in Switzerland they say WHO???!! Yverdon were the team below us, eventually relegated.  This relegation would have put Winti out of National Leagues and into regional leagues.

I was at the Yverdon Sport game.  We needed the win really as the next 3 games were tough.  The score was 1:1 at half time.  For the ENTIRE 2nd half, the Bierkurve sang to the theme of Indiana Jones "FC Winti FCW" (remember in german W is pronounced Vay") and you've got it.

We lost 1:2.

After the game. the Winterthur players came over to the Bierkurve and for the only time I can remember were roundly booed.  The Bierkurve was right to do so.  They had given everything.  The players genuinely had no excuse. 

If the fans were not behind them from minute 0 to minute 95, they could have said something.  But the fans were behind them so they could say nothing.

The photo you see there is the Winti players coming to the fans and apologizing for their performance and trying to explain (believe me, I heard it, you see how close I was, they were apologizing).  HOW CLASSY IS THAT???!!!

The fans hugged them and patted them on the back.

The next game was away at second in the table, Lugano.  Winti won 3:2 coming back from 2-down.  Anyone going to tell me the fans had nothing to do with that?

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