Home truths

[dave.woodhall]

Fans in the Witton Lane exit as normal.

How many games was there actually any sort of pavement dancing in last season? One, this being against the Albion?

I really don't see the difference between having fans at the top of the Witton Lane as opposed to them being at the bottom as they are now. In the vast majority of cases they will exit as normal and mingle with Villa fans on the lower end of the Witton lane heading towards the station. Games where there is a risk, the police split Witton Lane in half anyway. On the off chance that we play the Noses again this century, the 30 coaches they all arrive on can be used as a physical barrier if needs be.

People point at each other at games and give it the big one; they probably wouldn't if they could actually get at each other. Whatever, it happens, but that's not the issue. Completely neutralising the away fans making any noise, by putting them next to the Holte, may give us an extra percentile. Breaking all the light bulbs in the away dressing room, hiding some rotten fish in the ceiling space, hypnotherapy on our players all might be necessary too.

Yes, I'm sure coach companies would love their multi-million pound glass-covered fleets being used as barriers - presumably parked nose to tail across the road to prevent anyone from going round them.

One minute you're saying there would be a need for metal barriers, the next you're saying everything would be fine. I've got a great idea - we leave things how they are now, how they've been proved to work for years for the benefit of all concerned and in order to maximise safety and don't try to change the entire configuration of the ground just for some spurious increase in atmosphere.                           

[Clampy]

Another couple of things to consider is there's not a great deal of room when you walk down Witton Lane after the game as it is and it would be worse with a line of possibly up to ten coaches parked down there. Also, to me it increases the risk of trouble if you got supporters sitting in coaches with rival fans walking past. A lot of away grounds now have coach parks or the coaches are parked away from the ground. Besides, i'm not sure the police would go for it anyway.

[Ads]

Why is it suprious? You've got a couple thousand away fans drowning out a few hundred people in the North. There is nothing superious about it. Having the away fans by the Holte would improve the atmosphere. The away fans would hear the Holte and Holte would hear the away fans, something you don't get at the moment.

You're focussing on rare examples of when the risk increases. WMP have used metal barriers at the Molineux and Villa Park before to usher fans in certain directions. If needs be WMP can replicate what they do with the vans outside the away end heading to the Coventry Road; but that is for the one risk game we have a season. The rest of the time there are no real issues.

If you look at Goodison, White Hart Lane, Old Trafford etc, then you alight with the home fans, I don't see why mixing would be an issue.

[dave.woodhall]

Why is it suprious? You've got a couple thousand away fans drowning out a few hundred people in the North. There is nothing superious about it. Having the away fans by the Holte would improve the atmosphere. The away fans would hear the Holte and Holte would hear the away fans, something you don't get at the moment.

You're focussing on rare examples of when the risk increases. WMP have used metal barriers at the Molineux and Villa Park before to usher fans in certain directions. If needs be WMP can replicate what they do with the vans outside the away end heading to the Coventry Road; but that is for the one risk game we have a season. The rest of the time there are no real issues.

If you look at Goodison, White Hart Lane, Old Trafford etc, then you alight with the home fans, I don't see why mixing would be an issue.

How is it going to improve atmosphere? Do you really think that people at football matches need to see the opposition supporters in order to enjoy themselves? It's adding unnecessary problems, extra expense and inconvenience for what you think is a bright idea without thinking of the drawbacks.

[Jimbo]

A winning home side will give us all the atmosphere we need.

[kippaxvilla2]

In order for us to improve at home or at least give ourselves a chance I would;

1. Spend some decent money from the £60m received from this seasons TV deal.
2. Spend at least s portion of that money on experienced Premier League players - say Gareth Barry.
3. Stop buying unproven young (particularly overseas) players for the moment at least.
4. Instead of getting one area of the team right (say the forward line) and leaving two areas of the team wrong (the defence and creative midfield), how about getting all three right at once?
5. Think of a plan b, when the inevitable happens and we go 1-0 down and can no longer simply play on the counter attack.
6. Stop saying stock phrases like 'I thought we were excellent' (when clearly we were not) and 'We pick ourselves up and go again on Monday.'

[freethinker]

I don't like the away grounds where the more boisterous home fans are allowed to congregate as close as possible to the away fans. It inevitably leads to hundreds of idiots trading 'banter'* throughout the game rather than actually watching the football and getting behind the teams. It's atmosphere of a sort, but of a shit sort.

* for 'banter' read wanker signs, threatening gestures, coins etc

[Ads]

Why is it suprious? You've got a couple thousand away fans drowning out a few hundred people in the North. There is nothing superious about it. Having the away fans by the Holte would improve the atmosphere. The away fans would hear the Holte and Holte would hear the away fans, something you don't get at the moment.

You're focussing on rare examples of when the risk increases. WMP have used metal barriers at the Molineux and Villa Park before to usher fans in certain directions. If needs be WMP can replicate what they do with the vans outside the away end heading to the Coventry Road; but that is for the one risk game we have a season. The rest of the time there are no real issues.

If you look at Goodison, White Hart Lane, Old Trafford etc, then you alight with the home fans, I don't see why mixing would be an issue.

How is it going to improve atmosphere? Do you really think that people at football matches need to see the opposition supporters in order to enjoy themselves? It's adding unnecessary problems, extra expense and inconvenience for what you think is a bright idea without thinking of the drawbacks.

Yes, I genuinely think a proper to and throw between fans makes for a better atmosphere. Fans in the Holte cannot hear the away fans and vice-versa, so you're left to be inspired with what is on the pitch.

I don't understand why away fans are able to walk out of Stamford Bridge, straight into the home fans, walk for what must be a few hundred yards, around a corner (all the while with the home fans) to the area of road where the coaches are parked. It must be the same length of walking from the top of the Witton down to the bottom where the coach park is located.

Goodison, you leave the ground, walk up to the main road, cross the main road, walk around a corner and then a few hundred yards by the park before you get to the coaches. At Anfield, you walk a fair distance with home fans. At Old Trafford it is the same, whether you've come on the coach or are heading into town to catch the train. There are lots of examples of fans mingling without an issue, why would moving the away fans create one at Villa Park?

I fail to see why it would create a big problem and I think the atmosphere would improve as a consequence.

[freethinker]

A winning home side will give us all the atmosphere we need.

This.

[dave.woodhall]

God forbid that you should have to take note of what happens on the pitch and anyone who can't hear the other end of the ground should get their ears tested.

At the moment away supporters are situated where they can get to their transport most conveniently, as they are everywhere else. If you want to go to all the trouble explained above so that, as also explained above, a few hundred idiots can enjoy their afternoon then good luck to you.

[saunders_heroes]

One way to shut the away fans up would be to play some decent football at home and win some games. We wouldn't be seeing opposition fans running on the pitch and having a jolly time at our expense then.

[Ads]

God forbid that you should have to take note of what happens on the pitch and anyone who can't hear the other end of the ground should get their ears tested.

At the moment away supporters are situated where they can get to their transport most conveniently, as they are everywhere else. If you want to go to all the trouble explained above so that, as also explained above, a few hundred idiots can enjoy their afternoon then good luck to you.

My argument is that the atmosphere would improve by having the two areas of the ground who create it sat by one another. I am not talking about creating a playground for idiots who don't want to watch the game and I don't like your insinuation that I am some moron who ignores what happens on the pitch because I am at the game for the “bants”.

I don’t personally see why singing and watching the game are mutually exclusive, I know that you don’t either, but its worth saying in any case given the way you’re trying to frame my argument.

Convenience for away fans on coaches is a negative towards what I am suggesting, but I don’t think it makes the idea unworkable, by having fans walk less than a hundred yards further to their coach. But then you’re talking about the convenience of the minority of the away fans anyway.

[saunders_heroes]

It would be absolute carnage having away fans next to the Holte. No thanks. Lets get a decent team at home. That'll keep the away fans quiet 

[PeterWithesShin]

The Lower North has as much atmosphere at The Holte these days. Atmosphere wise I actually prefer the LN now.

As for moving away fans nearer the Holte, considering how away fans and R1 "create atmosphere" it is a ridiculous idea. I'm sorry but i'm out.

[Ads]

It would be absolute carnage having away fans next to the Holte.

Why?

Does that particular corner of the Witton Lane have some sort of tear in the space time continuum that leads people back into the 1980s?

Why do we have no trouble leaving other grounds next to the main end, mixing, mingling, but suddenly think that we’ll have a war-zone on our hands if away fans go near the Holte? Are our trouble makers really that lazy that they cannot be bothered to walk 80/90 yards down the Witton Lane to have a go at away fans?