Matches Stop Knocking the Supporters Rosie.

[holdsteady]

Football fans in dish it out but can't take it back shocker! Boo hoo!

Well if its quiet we are not dishing it out?

We are a quiet crowd, thats just how it is. The players are still paid to play football and win games, whether we are loud or not using that as an excuse for falling away is pathetic, the club encouraging that excuse isn't going to help the players. They are actually lucky, more vocal fanbases would be tearing these players to pieces for the way they have fallen away this season, given they moan about it being quiet I really can't see how they could handle that.

We are not on a poor run because our fans are quiet, we are on a poor run because we give away a lot of stupid goals.

 

[Wandering Yellow]

Imo if the football on the pitch is exciting the noise in the stands is much better if the football is boring people get bored in the stands the two go hand in hand

I think we need more colour maybe the club could provide mini flags on seats or scarfs maybe those things they have at Leicester it wouldn't cost much but would add to the atmosphere

Yesterday I moaned about smoke bombs but I'm not against them just don't appreciate people chucking them where my kids are stood but they also add to the atmosphere

Going to watch Oxford isn't fun atm I think club and fans need to work together to make the best of what we currently have because it could be much better

I'd be all for the young lads with the telescopic flags allowed to wave them during the game at times, and a bucket of smaller hand flags in the East stand available, take one and put it back in the bucket at the end of the game.

As long as they're not thrown no issue with smoke bombs although clubs act like it's the worst thing in the world, it's just a bit of colour. Compared to most of Europe the atmospheres in the UK are dead no matter how good the football is.

I find it hard to get behind the lads vocally with how sh!te the football is but there could be some "quick wins" for the club. Some fans in the North Stand behind me have complained the manager in the stand is horrible, don't know if that's true or not.

The ball is a little in the clubs court after how badly they shafted the OUFC vocal support with the treatment of the ultras.

 

[Wandering Yellow]

Well if its quiet we are not dishing it out?

We are a quiet crowd, thats just how it is. The players are still paid to play football and win games, whether we are loud or not using that as an excuse for falling away is pathetic, the club encouraging that excuse isn't going to help the players. They are actually lucky, more vocal fanbases would be tearing these players to pieces for the way they have fallen away this season, given they moan about it being quiet I really can't see how they could handle that.

We are not on a poor run because our fans are quiet, we are on a poor run because we give away a lot of stupid goals.

Despite some on here (without naming names) claims moaners don't even support the club, the OUFC support is very patient and forgiving.

Some of the football we have served up would be hammered by other fanbases as you say. That Orient second half performance would have caused riots at places like Millwall, Leeds, Everton or Sunderland.

 

[holdsteady]

I'd be all for the young lads with the telescopic flags allowed to wave them during the game at times, and a bucket of smaller hand flags in the East stand available, take one and put it back in the bucket at the end of the game.

As long as they're not thrown no issue with smoke bombs although clubs act like it's the worst thing in the world, it's just a bit of colour. Compared to most of Europe the atmospheres in the UK are dead no matter how good the football is.

I find it hard to get behind the lads vocally with how sh!te the football is but there could be some "quick wins" for the club. Some fans in the North Stand behind me have complained the manager in the stand is horrible, don't know if that's true or not.

The ball is a little in the clubs court after how badly they shafted the OUFC vocal support with the treatment of the ultras.

I actually enjoyed the smoke bomb, gave a bit of colour and atmosphere or once. Had a few people near me act as if they were in a trench and someone had thrown mustard gas but then were miraculously ok 30 seconds later, but then that's modern life, people are soft.

Actually hope more smoke bombs are thrown in the east stand, it will get rid of a few who should have moved to the south stand lower years ago, one of the reasons for the poor atmosphere is the fact that its got to many old codgers, couples, familys who moan at anyone who does anything a bit rowdy, you can't have an atmosphere if you your behind the goal area has Bill, Frank and Maud tutting at everyone because they are interrupting their nap.

 

[MustardYellow]

Well you could decide to do something about it instead of waiting for something to fix it for you The fans can actually make an improvement if enough of them get together and decide to do it - as we saw with the Ultras. It isn't purely down to how the team is doing at this moment in time, that's too simplistic.

I can't do anything about the football we play I'd say there's a general consensus that watching us is pretty boring and has been for a while. It's very difficult to pretend to be excited or motivate yourself to make good noise when you're uninspired and bored by what you're watching. It's like trying to laugh at a comedy show that isn't funny.

This isn't something that's unique to Oxford, though. Go to any ground in the country and 99% of the time the atmosphere is directly linked to what's happening on the pitch. A crowd is far more likely to be on their feet chanting and shouting when their team are piling on pressure and they believe a goal is coming than a crowd who's watching their team pass the ball around the back, waiting to concede. Our lack of expectation as a fanbase is down to the players and management.

 

[OUFCGav]

I don't necessarily get the poor footy = bad atmosphere thing. I've been to lots of football around the world where the team is poor and the standard of football is poor, but there has been 90mins of noise.

But one thing I will say is that if the club insist we are customers rather than fans, then don't be surprised if we become more demanding and more fickle.

 

[Big Ron]

Despite some on here (without naming names) claims moaners don't even support the club, the OUFC support is very patient and forgiving.

Some of the football we have served up would be hammered by other fanbases as you say. That Orient second half performance would have caused riots at places like Millwall, Leeds, Everton or Sunderland.

Name them. Are there actually people here who have accused you and others of not being fans?

I think most of the criticism is aimed not at critics in themselves but the constant, repetitious labouring of the same points.

 

[SteMerritt]

I can't do anything about the football we play

Didn't say you could, but you (by 'you' I mean any group of people in the crowd) absolutely can do something about the atmosphere. Blaming it all completely on the football is just an excuse. I've been in many crowds watching football a lot worse than we have today where atmospheres were generated. Granted, the LRT had much going for it that the Kassam doesn't, for instance being a terrace, having a low roof which amplified noise, but if you wait for the team to raise the crowd all the time you could be in for a long wait.

 

[holdsteady]

Despite some on here (without naming names) claims moaners don't even support the club, the OUFC support is very patient and forgiving.

Some of the football we have served up would be hammered by other fanbases as you say. That Orient second half performance would have caused riots at places like Millwall, Leeds, Everton or Sunderland.

English football fans in general are the easiest going, and we are among the easiest of the lot. Fabio Cappello's assistant once gave an interview where he couldn't believe that English fans clapped teams off after a loss, losing a final, the end of the season where they have come mid table say, said that would never happen in Italy, also said it made our players soft, getting praise for nothing and he felt it contributed to the national teams failure. Its an interesting point.

Its fine for the players, manager etc to comment on it because its true, but, it has no bearing on our results and is a very weak excuse for tumbling down the league, plus if you they can comment on that because its true then they can't moan when we turn around and say they are s**t at defending, because that is equally true, can't have it both ways.

 

[SteMerritt]

I don't necessarily get the poor footy = bad atmosphere thing. I've been to lots of football around the world where the team is poor and the standard of football is poor, but there has been 90mins of noise.

But one thing I will say is that if the club insist we are customers rather than fans, then don't be surprised if we become more demanding and more fickle.

Completely agree.

 

[holdsteady]

I don't necessarily get the poor footy = bad atmosphere thing. I've been to lots of football around the world where the team is poor and the standard of football is poor, but there has been 90mins of noise.

But one thing I will say is that if the club insist we are customers rather than fans, then don't be surprised if we become more demanding and more fickle.

I agree with nearly all of this, except for the very last bit, we have become less demanding and the crowds are up, so if anything life has got easier for players.

We are a prime example of that, we have had better atmospheres with smaller crowds and in a lower division playing worse football, but at the same time the players got far more abuse than they did now when they were s**t, atmosphere has always been a double edged sword like that. Buckingham has had very little abuse in the ground, Robinson never really got much stick despite what happened.

 

[Scotchegg]

Rosie is right to call out some fans. This forum is a depressing place at times and some bring that to games. I hear people moaning before a ball has been kicked. Others who can only scream "forward" every 3 minutes! Those that still coat off Murphy despite him being head and shoulders above most others in recent weeks. And especially those who scream abuse at players and the manager in a manner that is frequently disgusting and wouldn't be accepted in any other walk of live.

There will always be those who rush on to say "I pay so I can say what Iike", but take some responsibility for your own actions. We are supporters, we support. So get behind everyone from the first minute to the last. Sing, even if only "Yellows, Yellows". Encourage. We have 9 games to get in the playoffs and then it's pot luck about potentially getting to Wembley and the Championship.

Someone guessed that Bolton will be right up for the game tomorrow. But the one thing that I can guarantee is that the fans of the clubs around us will be right up for it and you won't find the negativity and flat atmosphere at Stevenage, Blackpool, Lincoln or Leyton Orient.

Stop pointing at others and start looking at yourself and how you can improve the atmosphere and help get the results that we so desperately want.

 

[holdsteady]

Rosie is right to call out some fans. This forum is a depressing place at times and some bring that to games. I hear people moaning before a ball has been kicked. Others who can only scream "forward" every 3 minutes! Those that still coat off Murphy despite him being head and shoulders above most others in recent weeks. And especially those who scream abuse at players and the manager in a manner that is frequently disgusting and wouldn't be accepted in any other walk of live.

There will always be those who rush on to say "I pay so I can say what Iike", but take some responsibility for your own actions. We are supporters, we support. So get behind everyone from the first minute to the last. Sing, even if only "Yellows, Yellows". Encourage. We have 9 games to get in the playoffs and then it's pot luck about potentially getting to Wembley and the Championship.

Someone guessed that Bolton will be right up for the game tomorrow. But the one thing that I can guarantee is that the fans of the clubs around us will be right up for it and you won't find the negativity and flat atmosphere at Stevenage, Blackpool, Lincoln or Leyton Orient.

Stop pointing at others and start looking at yourself and how you can improve the atmosphere and help get the results that we so desperately want.

Yeah it will be the fans fault if we don't get in the play offs this season, its not deflection by the club at all.

 

[MustardYellow]

I don't necessarily get the poor footy = bad atmosphere thing. I've been to lots of football around the world where the team is poor and the standard of football is poor, but there has been 90mins of noise.

But one thing I will say is that if the club insist we are customers rather than fans, then don't be surprised if we become more demanding and more fickle.

Overseas sure, football culture is different. Noise is a given regardless of what actually happens on the pitch (I'm personally not a fan of this though I know a lot of people are).

English crowds are much more reactive. If not much is happening then fans tend to be quiet - this is true is almost all English stadiums.

 

[Scotchegg]

Yeah it will be the fans fault if we don't get in the play offs this season, its not deflection by the club at all.

Well done for missing the point!

 

[MustardYellow]

Didn't say you could, but you (by 'you' I mean any group of people in the crowd) absolutely can do something about the atmosphere. Blaming it all completely on the football is just an excuse. I've been in many crowds watching football a lot worse than we have today where atmospheres were generated. Granted, the LRT had much going for it that the Kassam doesn't, for instance being a terrace, having a low roof which amplified noise, but if you wait for the team to raise the crowd all the time you could be in for a long wait.

But the argument against that is why would you go through all that effort of forming a group, preparing flags, chanting all game (I don't have the lungs for that anyway lol) to ultimately just be bored? You need to think about what fans would be getting back for their efforts - it isn't much.

Essentially, you have to make the product worth it. I've done a lot less away games this season (I've done all that I could've for 7/8 years prior) because I don't think the product is worth the time and money anymore. I watch Oxford of course for my love of the club, but also because I want to be entertained. I think you'll struggle to find anyone who's genuinely entertained watching us. That all directly relates to atmosphere.

 

[BDJ]

To me, it's very simple: give us fans something to cheer and we will cheer.

Saturday was a great example. The performance was, quite frankly, boring until Cheltenham scored. As soon as the players started having a go, the fans went up several notches.

It's not rocket science.

 

[SteMerritt]

But the argument against that is why would you go through all that effort of forming a group, preparing flags, chanting all game (I don't have the lungs for that anyway lol) to ultimately just be bored? You need to think about what fans would be getting back for their efforts - it isn't much.

Essentially, you have to make the product worth it. I've done a lot less away games this season (I've done all that I could've for 7/8 years prior) because I don't think the product is worth the time and money anymore. I watch Oxford of course for my love of the club, but also because I want to be entertained. I think you'll struggle to find anyone who's genuinely entertained watching us. That all directly relates to atmosphere.

I'd counter your first part with if you go through all of that, you are creating a bond with likeminded people and are saying 'we are here to have fun, sing, and drive the team on'. Being part of the group is part of the fun. A lot of the time groups form in times of adversity or when the football isn't going well as a reaction to what is going on in front of them.

You will of course get an uplift in general atmosphere if the team are on the front foot and playing well, but I've seen it countless times where listless performances by the team have been transformed by crowds suddenly lifting the team from nowhere. Can't remember the opponents, in the season we got relegated to the Conference late in the season we were drifting towards another home 1-0 defeat when somewhere in the East Stand a group had obviously had enough of what they were seeing and conjured an atmosphere from nowhere, on their feet, banging seats, singing. More of the stand responded to them, then the team picked up their performance, got an equaliser and suddenly were on top from nowhere, the opponents suddenly hanging on having been in a position of relative comfort. Ultimately we didn't repeat the noise in subsequent games, but it did prove if you can get a group together then they can make a difference despite the level of football being played.

It can be done, to put the flat atmosphere entirely at the feet of the squad and not look at yourselves as well isn't really on.

 

[Foley]

I don't necessarily get the poor footy = bad atmosphere thing. I've been to lots of football around the world where the team is poor and the standard of football is poor, but there has been 90mins of noise.

But one thing I will say is that if the club insist we are customers rather than fans, then don't be surprised if we become more demanding and more fickle.

I totally agree.
Even Readings home support was an awful lot louder than ours ( and they have been going through an awful lot of sh1t)
In some foreign countries the support is far more vocal and passionate than English crowds, but I reckon that even some L1 crowds for clubs doing a lot worse seem to generate a lot more noise.

The Ultra thing definitely didn't help, but that was a while ago and hopefully some of the younger supporters could reignite some of the colour and atmosphere they helped to generate

 

[holdsteady]

Well done for missing the point!

Did you have one other than the usual?