South Stand home end? (3 Viewers)

[Flying Fokker]

That was kind of the thinking behind my original post years 3 years ago, but it's never happened. I wonder if it would be harder to police / get away coaches securely in & out?

It’s not a good look. 3k away supporters pissing up JH statue, using the casino before the game etc. It can’t be done there.

 

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[Calista]

Not arguing against your point of view, but given an already full stadium, how will your changes pay for themselves?

I revived this old thread, and made that comment 3 years ago, so things have moved on a bit

There's no financial gain to be had now we are selling out all the time. However I still think having City fans directly behind each goal is an advantage for the team and the atmosphere. That's an unmeasurable benefit but if it translates to 3 points somewhere in the season it could be priceless.

 

[Calista]

As was said at the time the rest of the stadium isn't design for away fans, rememember you will have to give them food and drinks kiosks and male and female toilets and anywhere but the South stand this is a large area that will include the entry way to home sections.

Just not doable

I'm sure you're right, like I said it's frustrating. We may well be looking at away fans behind the South Stand goal again. It probably ramps up the to and fro between rival fans, but I honestly don't think it's ideal for the team on the pitch. Better if away fans can be more marginalised...

 

[Hobo]

In all the talk about segregating fans etc., a point that usually gets missed is that ridiculously we don’t have a real home presence behind either goal! As mentioned by DadGad and others, the North Stand is exposed to the sun, prevailing winds and rain, and even in the earlier days of the Ricoh when it was regarded as our end, to me it always felt more like an open terrace than a covered home end. It’s not a particularly compelling place.

Can anyone remind me if there is an overriding reason why the club couldn’t allocate part of the North Stand to away fans, and give us the whole of the South Stand? Would it present any kind of new policing issues getting fans in and out of those areas? I can see a few other potential questions (whether to move the big screen, where the JSB’s should be; access to the Anecdote etc.), but nothing that couldn’t be sorted out. It seems some CCFC fans might be annoyed not to be close enough to the ‘enemy’, but I could imagine the South Stand recreating something more like the old West End, which would be brilliant. And the ideal place for a safe standing area.

Traditionally fans chose the home end or side (as at Birmingham and Burnley). Allocating it doesn't always work. Not sure how or why we ended up with singers corner? Probably they were the cheapest tickets initially and near the away fans would be my guess.

People wanted safe standing, fans didn't like where it was put. The away fans were moved further across the South stand to increase capacity, fans didn't like that as they said it moved away fans further away killing the atmosphere.

If you moved away fans, a lot of Singers Corner would probably want to relocate if they could.

Atmosphere is best left in the hands of the fans. As we have found out in the past, it is better to have one full stand than three sparsely populated stands.

This season, I think the whole ground has felt like the City End at certain games. I don't particularly like The Enemy as a band or Live and Die In These Towns as a song. But it makes a great football chant to kick the game off. It unites the fans; young and old join in. It is ours and gets the whole ground singing. It is our Haka.
Fans choose where they stand or sit they choose the songs they sing, one thing they have full control of is creating the atmosphere. Establishing traditions takes time.

 

[Calista]

Traditionally fans chose the home end or side (as at Birmingham and Burnley). Allocating it doesn't always work.

In a modern arena it has to be allocated.

It's pretty much established that it's not possible to relocate the away fans to a different part of the stadium, there are inbuilt constraints.

For quite a few years, we had a barmy situation where we basically gave the away team the South Stand as an away end because of SAG's ridiculous insistence on massive separation from Singer's Corner. That's what my post was about 3 years ago.

It's good that we've reclaimed the area behind that goal for City fans, and it's been great this season. But because the Prem require us to provide 3k for away supporters, they will probably be back behind that goal again. I don't think fan choice comes into it much unfortunately.

 

[Travs]

Traditionally fans chose the home end or side (as at Birmingham and Burnley). Allocating it doesn't always work. Not sure how or why we ended up with singers corner? Probably they were the cheapest tickets initially and near the away fans would be my guess.

When the Ricoh first opened, most of the West End lot congregated in the upper part of the Telegraph (north?) stand.

However there was a concerted effort from club/security/police to get everyone to sit..... unfortunately due to the size of the stand, there were a lot of "normal" fans mixed in with the hardcore lot, and the prevention of standing worked to a degree.

Pretty much killed off the atmosphere from day one.... and after a season or two, people had enough and started moving over to the corner to generate some atmosphere.

Thats my recollection anyway.

 

[itsabuzzard]

I revived this old thread, and made that comment 3 years ago, so things have moved on a bit

There's no financial gain to be had now we are selling out all the time. However I still think having City fans directly behind each goal is an advantage for the team and the atmosphere. That's an unmeasurable benefit but if it translates to 3 points somewhere in the season it could be priceless.

Apologies. I have trouble remembering what I read yesterday, never mind three years ago! I'm all for your proposal, by the way.

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

Could someone post the diagram showing the number of seats in each block? I can't find it. Ta.

 

[Hobo]

In a modern arena it has to be allocated.

It's pretty much established that it's not possible to relocate the away fans to a different part of the stadium, there are inbuilt constraints.

For quite a few years, we had a barmy situation where we basically gave the away team the South Stand as an away end because of SAG's ridiculous insistence on massive separation from Singer's Corner. That's what my post was about 3 years ago.

It's good that we've reclaimed the area behind that goal for City fans, and it's been great this season. But because the Prem require us to provide 3k for away supporters, they will probably be back behind that goal again. I don't think fan choice comes into it much unfortunately.

"It's a modern stadium it has to be allocated"
Well the home areas will be allocated, but the vocal fans will choose what area they want to establish as "their end"

 

[Joy Division]

I'm sure you're right, like I said it's frustrating. We may well be looking at away fans behind the South Stand goal again. It probably ramps up the to and fro between rival fans, but I honestly don't think it's ideal for the team on the pitch. Better if away fans can be more marginalised...

As I've said before above, 3,000 away fans don't need to be directly behind the goal, it will be split down the middle just like it was last season.

Leeds fans were given 3,000 tickets for this game in 24/25



There has only been a slight change to the barrier this season. 25/26

 

[Calista]

As I've said before above, 3,000 away fans don't need to be directly behind the goal, it will be split down the middle just like it was last season.

Leeds fans were given 3,000 tickets for this game in 24/25

View attachment 50698

There has only been a slight change to the barrier this season. 25/26

View attachment 50699

That first picture is encouraging if it really is 3000 Leeds fans (albeit not quite as good as this season's setup). Just need to keep the separation zone as small as possible so it still feels like "our" goal?

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

That first picture is encouraging if it really is 3000 Leeds fans (albeit not quite as good as this season's setup). Just need to keep the separation zone as small as possible so it still feels like "our" goal?

I assume that they will reduce the netting by block 5/6 to squeeze extra seats. It’ll need modifications but there’s Prem stadiums that have one line of stewards segregating the fan.

If anyone who’s been to Norwich away, this is what I mean.

 

[TomRad85]

I assume that they will reduce the netting by block 5/6 to squeeze extra seats. It’ll need modifications but there’s Prem stadiums that have one line of stewards segregating the fan.

If anyone who’s been to Norwich away, this is what I mean.

Yes you can just build in the segregation and the stewards line up along it, there is no need to net off any seats if its built in properly.

 

[COVKIDSNEVERQUIT]

It’s not a good look. 3k away supporters pissing up JH statue, using the casino before the game etc. It can’t be done there.

Away fans not allowed in the Casino anymore.

 

[Flying Fokker]

I assume that they will reduce the netting by block 5/6 to squeeze extra seats. It’ll need modifications but there’s Prem stadiums that have one line of stewards segregating the fan.

If anyone who’s been to Norwich away, this is what I mean.

Yep. The Norwich set up has been mentioned a few times over the years. It works.

 

[Broken Hearted Sky Blue]

If you all look the away section already holds nearly 3000

 

[tommydazzle]

Interestingly there are proposals at Norwich to move the away fans to the River End resulting in the relocation of 3000 home fans.

 

[Calista]

If you all look the away section already holds nearly 3000

Nearly but not quite, hence various people saying that the block (9?) behind the goal will need to change from all City (as now) to half & half?

 

[Frank Sidebottom]

Nearly but not quite, hence various people saying that the block (9?) behind the goal will need to change from all City (as now) to half & half?

Segregation can come out of the away allocation though which has got to be getting on for 1000 seats.

 

[Calista]

Segregation can come out of the away allocation though which has got to be getting on for 1000 seats.

But 1000 is pretty much a block isn't it?

 

[Flying Fokker]

If you all look the away section already holds nearly 3000

2185 at the moment. 900 were lost from block 9. Plus there are the covers either side.

 

[eyesee]

we should push the expansion of the away end back around the corner into the west stand. they deffo shouldn't get to go behind the goal.
it must be easy enough to cut a couple of holes in the breeze block walls, or put a new couple of walls up to make it work.
we're not talking about a grade 1 listed building here.

 

[Calista]

we should push the expansion of the away end back around the corner into the west stand. they deffo shouldn't get to go behind the goal.
it must be easy enough to cut a couple of holes in the breeze block walls, or put a new couple of walls up to make it work.
we're not talking about a grade 1 listed building here.

Unfortunately it's not just cutting through breeze blocks. The South Stand entrances and concourse are way below (maybe 30 ft??) all the others I think.

 

[eyesee]

Unfortunately it's not just cutting through breeze blocks. The South Stand entrances and concourse are way below (maybe 30 ft??) all the others I think.

yeah, it's similar in the south/east corner, i think.
i'd hope they could still do it, even if it meant having separate entrances and facilities.

if they are all in the south stand that gives them more of an advantage than us, with our noisiest fans in the corner.

 

[Calista]

Unfortunately it's not just cutting through breeze blocks. The South Stand entrances and concourse are way below (maybe 30 ft??) all the others I think.

(Which is what made me wonder whether it might be possible to achieve what you said by accessing those corner blocks at seating level via the existing South Stand entrances. Bound to be reasons why not I expect.)