Atmosphere since away fans moved

[23rdSaint]

What’s the Northam been like since the away fans were moved? Is it still the noisiest part of the ground (if/when the fans are given a reason to be vocal, of course)?

Brentford was my first game of the season (🙃). Discounting the completely justified shell-shock and apathy of supporters, it was interesting to see how much noise was generated from the away end and made me wonder what the atmosphere is like in more competitive games. I was a Kingsland North ST holder until this summer and always thought the atmosphere was at its best when both sets of fans in the Northam and corners were “interacting”. 

Although still 9 months away, I'm interested by the effects of the skates turning up next season…

Edited Tuesday at 19:31 by 23rdSaint
Typo

[Saint_Jonny]

You used the word competitive in your post and Saints have been anything but for the vast majority of games at St Marys so far this season, so it isn't really fair to judge the "home end" noise levels based on the absolute dish water we've been served up on the pitch. 

Will hopefully be fun next year if can win some games again... 

[23rdSaint]

21 minutes ago, Saint_Jonny said:

You used the word competitive in your post and Saints have been anything but for the vast majority of games at St Marys so far this season, so it isn't really fair to judge the "home end" noise levels based on the absolute dish water we've been served up on the pitch. 

Will hopefully be fun next year if can win some games again... 

Totally fair point. I had the Everton, Ipswich and Liverpool games in mind (even West Ham) which must have had their moments

[ant]

Yes, it is.

Our support's been OK this season, relative to the football served up. There's an argument to be made that it's been too good. The sell-outs and vocal support perhaps played part in a longer grace period than Martin and the players deserved.

Now, I think many people (myself included) are trapped in a state of quiet inevitability. With the odd moment of reverting to chanting, but mostly to stave off the worst of the boredom. Generally tinged with gallows humour.

In the majority of matches the away support's barely registered for me. Brentford were near-silent until they'd stuck a couple of goals away (with many of them sat down?!) If consistently decent from that point onwards.

[Bob60]

Sorry to report that from the other end of the stadium we barely hear the 'wall' at all and sadly noise we hear is only the away fans celebrating.

[franniesTache]

it's pretty dire to be honest, no one can keep in time, there's way too many noddy songs and the lack of away fans to interact with means it's quiet a lot of the time. The less said about the cheap as fuck scaffold "safe standing" the better too, reckon they just got someone nick a job lot from Trants one evening and stick it in.

It's going to be seriously embarrassing next season when we play the skates and we have The Wall singing noddy songs they can't hear and the Chapel and Kingsland full of people who don't give it back, they're going to think our support is soppy as anything.

[OldNick]

Well IMo its a vast improvement. Of course there has little to be excited about and I feel that the Northam and the whole fanbase has been excellent considering. Onwards and upwards

[23rdSaint]

2 hours ago, ant said:

Yes, it is.

Our support's been OK this season, relative to the football served up. There's an argument to be made that it's been too good. The sell-outs and vocal support perhaps played part in a longer grace period than Martin and the players deserved.

Now, I think many people (myself included) are trapped in a state of quiet inevitability. With the odd moment of reverting to chanting, but mostly to stave off the worst of the boredom. Generally tinged with gallows humour.

In the majority of matches the away support's barely registered for me. Brentford were near-silent until they'd stuck a couple of goals away (with many of them sat down?!) If consistently decent from that point onwards.

I probably should have added that I was Kingsland South for the Brentford game. From the Kingsland North before, a lot of away fan noise would have often been distilled somewhat by the Northam and Itchen North. Particularly feistier games. 
 

I'd agree with @Bob60 on my very limited experience, and share @franniesTache's concerns on a team like Pompey visiting next year. 

[die Mannyschaft]

Was in block 24 last season. Also been in 37 and 13 for season tickets. Originally when ground built, in block 42 row 5 then atmosphere was top notch especially v Skates etc.

Its not bad in Northam and standing much better as seats toʻ small and rows too close. Some games the noise has been very good. The boring football sends fans to sleep so it's not all fans fault 

[Saint_clark]

3 hours ago, Bob60 said:

Sorry to report that from the other end of the stadium we barely hear the 'wall' at all and sadly noise we hear is only the away fans celebrating.

Well as the away fans are closer that's no surprise at all. 

The home fans have sounded pretty decent on TV/streams.

[hypochondriac]

We've been absolute shite all season. You can't make any sensible comparisons until we've had a period of real success. Maybe if we get a playoff semi again we can see what it's like compared to West brom. 

[EssEffCee]

Largely been disappointing in my view. Said before on here that it's full of atmosphere tourists; people who want to be in an atmospheric area but do very little to actually contribute to it.

From what I can tell the front third of the stand doesn't really contribute much, probably two thirds on the old away end side.

Loads of people spend most of the game after ten minutes playing games/checking bets on their phones. There's even a sizeable amount of people who spend chunks of the match sat down!

It can be loud when it gets going but that's rare and generally different parts are singing different songs at the same time.

For example the left side will start a rendition of 'oh Southampton we love you' and sing two rounds of it. On the second round the middle will join in and start their two rounds, the latter of which the right side will join in who then sing their second round on their own.

Our lack of songs and inability to maintain them means most songs just fizzle out and it's not really an 'end' at all.

The best it's been all season is probably the second half against Spuds which says it all.

[EssEffCee]

All that being said, I've not been particularly impressed by any home supports this season at away games so I don't think it's just an us problem. Top flight atmospheres have been getting steadily worse for years now and are at an all time low.

Wolves probably the best if games I've been to.

[gammon cheeks]

Northam has been great considering how shit we have been!

[LuckyNumber7]

Valid pov's from both ends of the spectrum.

I was Kingsland North for years until this season. It used to be good, but got worse and worse over the last few years, as did the Northam. Something needed to change as the atmosphere in general has been pretty shocking for a while.

I'm now in the Northam, block 44 and I'd say it's been mixed. Really good at times but crap at others. Agree about too many people not singing. And also the cheap nature of the safe standing. And different areas singing different songs.

But I also think it's really hard to judge this season as we've been so pathetically poor. 1 win, 7 goals and most games we've not even been competitive and barely looked like scoring. Think we've only scored twice in front of the Northam?! I'm generally very vocal, but even I can't be bothered most of the time atm. When it's properly got going it's been good.

In conclusion so far I'd say it's no worse than the last few years, but probably not much better either. But has potential. We just need something to feel positive about and get behind. Not likely any time soon!

[Nordic Saint]

5 hours ago, OldNick said:

Well IMo its a vast improvement. Of course there has little to be excited about and I feel that the Northam and the whole fanbase has been excellent considering. Onwards and upwards

I agree. Considering we've experienced the worst set of results in our entire history, it's been very good. With the old setup, you wouldn't have heard the home fans at all. Now, it's the away fans who are stuck in a corner, where the acoustics are worst. 

 It feels good to have a proper home end at last: one of the few positives to come out of this season.

Edited Tuesday at 22:23 by Nordic Saint

[saintwbu]

I think the Northam has been pretty underwhelming, even from the first few games of the season when there was a small bit of hope.

The move of the away fans has definitely quietened them though, so that’s good - hopefully a good season in the championship will breathe life into the Northam. 

[EssEffCee]

Anyone else considering moving to block 20/21 next season? I'm giving it some real thought but won't be worthwhile unless there's a sizeable amount doing so.

[Saint_clark]

20 hours ago, EssEffCee said:

Anyone else considering moving to block 20/21 next season? I'm giving it some real thought but won't be worthwhile unless there's a sizeable amount doing so.

For Christ sake, don't start doing this. Utterly pointless. You'll go there, be the only person singing and be forced to sit down by the stewards. Stick with the Northam and wait until we have a run of form and judge the atmosphere then.