RFC to become family club of the year?

[cmonurz]

I used to love standing beered up on the South Bank, that was a cracking atmosphere. But times change. Making RFC more affordable would be good for the fans, and could increase our crowds (of all types). But it won't impact on the image of the club.

The only thing that can do that is the fans themselves. We are known for being a quiet lot. Why is that? Are our 'lads' now all keyboard warriors? The stadium isn't full, they aren't locked out.

You can't blame a lack of atmosphere on the fact that more families are coming to RFC.

Boy1985 - you didn't actually answer the question. Why would lower prices improve the atmosphere?

[The Rouge]

We just dont have enough scum who go. We need more scum for the atmosphere. We need the kind that intimidate women and children and make people move out of train carriages. We need to see more Stone Island clothing and people drinking bad lager. The people who can bang on bus windows, maybe do a pub over if passion dictates. Who cares if they upset people - its about noise, its about fear. Cmon.

[Sarah Star]

because you lack the ability to understand that you do not = everyone else?

If they are intimidated at mad stad they must get terrified going through the Oracle on a saturday

Maybe they haven't been to the Mad Stad yet because they think it's worse than it is?

I know plenty of people who think that football crowds are all about swearing, drinking and violence/pack mentality and are put off by it.

What's wrong with drinking and swearing?

Well, drinking can make some people a bit more violent/uncontrollable than they would be normally if they indulge too much and swearing offends some people.

[brendywendy]

It's a fair point boy1985. Why do lower prices make the atmopshere better?

Go back ten fifteen years, lower prices, better atmosphere. Not just Reading, most clubs

no, you mistakenly attribute the atmosphere decline to increases in price over ten/15 years
when in fact its far more likely to be- modern stadia, uncompetetive leagues, generally less poverty and unhappiness in the population, changes in crowd demographic, loss of terraces.

the cost would be the least of the causes IMO

[who are ya?]

If the Madejski Stadium is made much more family friendly to attract a few weasels who are scared of their own shadow, it would completely kill my interest in showing any kind of "passionate support" to my team and probably a lot of others too. The club have even in the past made it known they would like more vocal backing to make it a harder place for teams to come, which will inevitably bring out the more "intimidating" side of people. Yet the kind of fans that will actually make that wish come true are targeted by stewards to sit down or stop swearing and also have the new age fan telling them to sit down.

[brendywendy]

I couldn't care less about attracting fcuking businesses! Its the prawn snadwich brigade that's killing football

prawn sandwich brigade is a term for hospitality people, not bothering watching the game, and staying in their box eating and drinking

ive never seen a prawn sandwich in the stands

exactly, that empty seat could be filled by someone who wants to watch the football and have a good time

what? in a hospitality box?
why would someone who loves watching football do that?

[Skin]

football changes around me but i cannot change around it. why should i? it would be shit.

[Sun Tzu]

I haven't really had much choice about where to sit when I bring family/friends so I'm not sure that there are any family areas at the Mad Stad.

I think one of the good things about the ground is that there aren't 'family' areas.

You can fairly happily take kids to an part of the ground, there is no need to set aside a corner where you force people who want to take kids to sit.

Perhaps we have the biggest family area in the country !

[brendywendy]

because you lack the ability to understand that you do not = everyone else?

If they are intimidated at mad stad they must get terrified going through the Oracle on a saturday

no, because one is a shopping centre, and the other is a stadium filled with mostly men, shouting and swearing at the top of their voice

i fail to see whats so hard to understand that working class teenage boy likes differnt things to middle aged man, or middle class woman, and football clubs should probably do their utmost to appeal to both sets of people

[Sun Tzu]

The club have even in the past made it known they would like more vocal backing to make it a harder place for teams to come, which will inevitably bring out the more "inimidating" side of people. Yet the kind of fans that will actually make that wish come true are targeted by stewards to sit down or stop swearing and also have the new age fan telling them to sit down.

That's simply wrong.

Huge, passionate vocal support does not have to equate to violence or be physically intimidating. I've been to games where there has been superb support but the atmosphere has been enjoyable.

I think there is confusion here between supporting your team and swearing.

[brendywendy]

I know plenty of people who think that football crowds are all about swearing, drinking and violence/pack mentality and are put off by it.

What's wrong with drinking and swearing?

nothing if you are just asking me, i love a bit of it

but like i said, many people are intimidated by it, therefore, thats whats wrong with it


and you cant even hear it, no wonder your not intimidated!

[cmonurz]

Disagree, who are ya?. I've had people tell me to sit down/stop swearing, and in 100% of cases it is someone old enough to be my grandad. Whilst of course I don't know where they have come from, it's a reasonable assumption that they have been watching Reading longer than me.

Why would more families in the stadium stop you from giving passionate support?

You mention the stewarding, has to be an entirely separate issue to the crowd demographic, unless stewards have been told to crack down on swearing/standing as a result of a changes in that demographic, but I don't think that is the case.


What I have noticed is that when the atmosphere does pick up, really pick up, people all around me, young and old, will join in. There aren't large clumps of families sitting still. It's arms in the air, jumping around, joining in.

The distinction really being made by 'who are ya?' and 'boy1985' is not about the volume, or proportion of the crowd willing to join in, but the type of people at the games. It's a return to 'lad culture' that they are after. That's not going to happen, and doesn't need to.

[brendywendy]

We just dont have enough scum who go. We need more scum for the atmosphere. We need the kind that intimidate women and children and make people move out of train carriages. We need to see more Stone Island clothing and people drinking bad lager. The people who can bang on bus windows, maybe do a pub over if passion dictates. Who cares if they upset people - its about noise, its about fear. Cmon.

LOL

yeah

[Skin]

The club have even in the past made it known they would like more vocal backing to make it a harder place for teams to come, which will inevitably bring out the more "inimidating" side of people. Yet the kind of fans that will actually make that wish come true are targeted by stewards to sit down or stop swearing and also have the new age fan telling them to sit down.

That's simply wrong.

Huge, passionate vocal support does not have to equate to violence or be physically intimidating. I've been to games where there has been superb support but the atmosphere has been enjoyable.

I think there is confusion here between supporting your team and swearing.

whys everyone assuming that standing and singing/ generating an atmosphere/ whatever you want to call it, equates to violence all of a sudden?

this is bullshit

[brendywendy]

If the Madejski Stadium is made much more family friendly to attract a few weasels who are scared of their own shadow, it would completely kill my interest in showing any kind of "passionate support" to my team and probably a lot of others too. The club have even in the past made it known they would like more vocal backing to make it a harder place for teams to come, which will inevitably bring out the more "intimidating" side of people. Yet the kind of fans that will actually make that wish come true are targeted by stewards to sit down or stop swearing and also have the new age fan telling them to sit down.

therefore RFC gain a few weasel families and lose one moron.

theyre up on the deal, which is why they do it

[brendywendy]

The club have even in the past made it known they would like more vocal backing to make it a harder place for teams to come, which will inevitably bring out the more "inimidating" side of people. Yet the kind of fans that will actually make that wish come true are targeted by stewards to sit down or stop swearing and also have the new age fan telling them to sit down.

That's simply wrong.

Huge, passionate vocal support does not have to equate to violence or be physically intimidating. I've been to games where there has been superb support but the atmosphere has been enjoyable.

I think there is confusion here between supporting your team and swearing.

wolves was a pretty decent example of that, cracking atmosphere, but little or no intimidation, sweary songs, or antagonistic singing at the away fans

[Sun Tzu]

The club have even in the past made it known they would like more vocal backing to make it a harder place for teams to come, which will inevitably bring out the more "inimidating" side of people. Yet the kind of fans that will actually make that wish come true are targeted by stewards to sit down or stop swearing and also have the new age fan telling them to sit down.

That's simply wrong.

Huge, passionate vocal support does not have to equate to violence or be physically intimidating. I've been to games where there has been superb support but the atmosphere has been enjoyable.

I think there is confusion here between supporting your team and swearing.

whys everyone assuming that standing and singing/ generating an atmosphere/ whatever you want to call it, equates to violence all of a sudden?

this is bullshit

They aren't.

Why are you assuming that anyone has a problem with vocal support ?

The trouble is that people who claim they want to 'create an atmosphere' seem to think that they can only do that on their terms, whereas it's quite possible to do it without getting into conflict with the authorities. But of course the conflict is quite a big part of it for some.....
Sadly football fans just aren't smart enough to come up with ways of having a good time, supporting their team etc that does just that without all the negative aspects.

[who are ya?]

Huge, passionate vocal support does not have to equate to violence or be physically intimidating. I've been to games where there has been superb support but the atmosphere has been enjoyable.

I know we don't need seats flying from each stand and batton charges by riot police.
But it's also pretty hard sometimes to keep on vocally supporting if you're surrounded by this new type of fan who look at you like you're a Gorrila that's escaped from the zoo and never join in.
So a fan like me, who has put a hell of alot more money into the club than the newbies should start acting completely different, which in turn ruins my enjoyment of a match day?

[brendywendy]

The club have even in the past made it known they would like more vocal backing to make it a harder place for teams to come, which will inevitably bring out the more "intimidating" side of people.

wrong wrongedy wrong wrong.

[who are ya?]

therefore RFC gain a few weasel families and lose one moron.

LOL @ talking as if I'm a Football hooligan.