For every yob we get rid of, we gain a family of four

[wehateoxford]

see above post about old irishman. i expect to be a royal for a long time, although i concede i wont be the same type of fan, i dont think fans who once stood and shouted will be the type to ask people to sit down as much, unless it genuinely was an all match affair.. The only thing i really expect to change over time, will be my cynicism towards the sport but it wont stop me from supporting my team 100% on match day.

basically i think im saying the same thing as you, im just on the other side of the arguement

[westendgirl]

basically i think im saying the same thing as you, im just on the other side of the arguement

If you are saying the same as me there is no other side to the arguement other than intolerance of others.

I am not saying that the older fans are right just that they have a point of view.

If you think of the changes that have happened in football since say 1966, who can say what the game will be like in 2046 when you become a veteran supporter. It may have a snooker type atmosphere by then

[Andy M]

I just wish people would use a little imagination to put themselves in others shoes and cut them some slack. As I said before this applies equally to the shut up brigade as to the stand up brigade.

In a crowd of several, if not tens of thousands, of course you're going to get support demonstrated in countless different ways.

What I object to (and I think I can also speak for the members of Stand Up Sit Down) is the prevailing thought the "livelier" supporters will put off families or the newer supporter from attending games and that therefore they should be priced or managed out of the game.

The Football Licencing Authority use the weird notion that standing will put off woman from the game, for example. The comment about families replacing yobs, while open to interpretation of course, to me smacks of a club wanting rid of the more vocal supporter so mum, dad and kids can attend safe in the knowledge they're more likely to spend in the club and that the kids won't be corrupted by bad language.

I certainly wouldn't say that somebody's support is "less valid" if they didn't want to stand up (especially because our campaign is as much as about them as those who want to stand) or make a noise or enjoy a beer or wear a Burberry cap.. but I have very little time for the new fan who hasn't got a first class clue and who is disparaging about those around him who are passionately supporting their team.

It is this type of supporter that rightly or wrongly is getting the blame of the increasing sanitisation of the game as the behaviour this sort of "fan" exhibits is exctly the sort of behaviour that the FA would like to see in all stadiums...

As somebody else said the authorities are striving for some sort of utopia in stadiums. Unless standing areas are introduced I really don't think that any happy medium can be found and while there are a handful of clubs who'll always get bums on seats I know of plenty of clubs that are alienating the very support that they desperately need and who sooner or later won't have any fans left, apart from of course those think supporting their club means only turning up when Chelsea or Man Utd are in town.

http://www.standupsitdown.co.uk

[Jerry St Clair]

AndyM

The standupsitdown site doesn't appear to have been updated since May. Is the campaign struggling to keep up momentum?

[Andy M]

There has been a bit of a lull as family and work commitments have taken over but we're very much alive and planning for next season.

Sky Sports News will also be doing a feature on us early next season.

Of course with the closed season there isn't a huge amount to talk about but have a look at a new forum:

http://s12.invisionfree.com/StandUpSitDown/

[Red]

Call me old school, but give me quarter of the number of fans any day.

[West Stand Man]

In other words:
Get rid of a passionate fan, and bring in four plastics.

Can I correct that. Get rid of one foul mouthed prat and open the doors to someone (or 4 someones) who is (are) keen to see football rather than gob off at the opposition fans and make threats to the stewards.

[RoyalBlue]

In other words:
Get rid of a passionate fan, and bring in four plastics.

Can I correct that. Get rid of one foul mouthed prat and open the doors to someone (or 4 someones) who is (are) keen to see football rather than gob off at the opposition fans and make threats to the stewards.

Just one major flaw in your approach. Those someones aren't exactly trying to break down the Mad Stad gates to get in, despite the fact that there are loads of seats available for every game well away from the few foul mouthed prats that might still exist.

[West Stand Man]

In other words:
Get rid of a passionate fan, and bring in four plastics.

Can I correct that. Get rid of one foul mouthed prat and open the doors to someone (or 4 someones) who is (are) keen to see football rather than gob off at the opposition fans and make threats to the stewards.

Just one major flaw in your approach. Those someones aren't exactly trying to break down the Mad Stad gates to get in, despite the fact that there are loads of seats available for every game well away from the few foul mouthed prats that might still exist.

True, my tongue is now firmly out of my cheek. My point is that it is so childish to suggest that 4 new fans are just fly by nights who won't become more loyal (and actually may be just as loyal as the hobby hobby one to start with)

[Svlad Cjelli]

The real problem is that all of the hooligans have long since been weeded out )and there never were that many at Reading, anyway).

But still the attitude persists that those who make noise, stand up at the exciting bits, show passion & commitment - and generally don't show their support in the club-approved way - are holligans/yobs and should be dealt with in the same way as they are.

In reality, they're just passionate and over-excitable, and anything but yob/hooligans - but many in the stewarding team aren't able to distinguish this and react to them in the same way they'd react to a genuine hooligan.

[Red]

The real problem is that all of the hooligans have long since been weeded out

A controversial view but I certainly see where you're coming from.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

In other words:
Get rid of a passionate fan, and bring in four plastics.

Can I correct that. Get rid of one foul mouthed prat and open the doors to someone (or 4 someones) who is (are) keen to see football rather than gob off at the opposition fans and make threats to the stewards.

Just one major flaw in your approach. Those someones aren't exactly trying to break down the Mad Stad gates to get in, despite the fact that there are loads of seats available for every game well away from the few foul mouthed prats that might still exist.

They have no idea where such people are likely to be sat though.

In an ideal world we'd encourage family fans to sit in the north and west stands, and your more "typical" fan to go in the east.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Sadly that type of seat marketing does not seem to occur to the club.

[Svlad Cjelli]

Sadly that type of seat marketing does not seem to occur to the club.

They've made the mistake of designating the whole stadium a "family area" - so there's no guidance for new attendees on where they should buy tickets if they either want to sit quietly en famille or if they want to be a bit more raucous.

[melonhead]

In other words:
Get rid of a passionate fan, and bring in four plastics.

Can I correct that. Get rid of one foul mouthed prat and open the doors to someone (or 4 someones) who is (are) keen to see football rather than gob off at the opposition fans and make threats to the stewards.

Just one major flaw in your approach. Those someones aren't exactly trying to break down the Mad Stad gates to get in, despite the fact that there are loads of seats available for every game well away from the few foul mouthed prats that might still exist.

think he may be proposing that th efewer loudmouthed sweary twats at teh game, th emore families of four will be banging on teh doors

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

think he may be proposing that th efewer loudmouthed sweary twats at teh game, th emore families of four will be banging on teh doors

Assuming they've been to games and stopped going due to people swearing, how would they know when it'd be OK for them to go back?

Besides, how many actual families do you ever see at football ever?

[Red]

think he may be proposing that th efewer loudmouthed sweary twats at teh game, th emore families of four will be banging on teh doors

Assuming they've been to games and stopped going due to people swearing, how would they know when it'd be OK for them to go back?

Besides, how many actual families do you ever see at football ever?

I think the answer to that is a damn sight more than I used to.

And I don't go to many matches these days.

[Ian Royal]

Sadly that type of seat marketing does not seem to occur to the club.

They've made the mistake of designating the whole stadium a "family area" - so there's no guidance for new attendees on where they should buy tickets if they either want to sit quietly en famille or if they want to be a bit more raucous.

Think the problem was partly caused by the fans, with some South bankers deciding to go with North and some going for East. That's the impression I've got, but I don't have a lot to prove it with it.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Sadly that type of seat marketing does not seem to occur to the club.

They've made the mistake of designating the whole stadium a "family area" - so there's no guidance for new attendees on where they should buy tickets if they either want to sit quietly en famille or if they want to be a bit more raucous.

Think the problem was partly caused by the fans, with some South bankers deciding to go with North and some going for East. That's the impression I've got, but I don't have a lot to prove it with it.

North stand was pretty empty in the early days at the Madstad Ian, the obvious area for loud Southbankers was Y25.26 as was closest to away fans

[RoyalBlue]

Can I correct that. Get rid of one foul mouthed prat and open the doors to someone (or 4 someones) who is (are) keen to see football rather than gob off at the opposition fans and make threats to the stewards.

Just one major flaw in your approach. Those someones aren't exactly trying to break down the Mad Stad gates to get in, despite the fact that there are loads of seats available for every game well away from the few foul mouthed prats that might still exist.

think he may be proposing that th efewer loudmouthed sweary twats at teh game, th emore families of four will be banging on teh doors

And I was pointing out there were already massive 'clean language areas' that those families could move into if they were interested in watching the team play. Truth is poor/indifferent performances are far more likely to be putting them off than the (small) risk of hearing a very occasional bad word.