Vale Park Atmosphere

[Family Stand Terrier]

A lot of the threads end up with this being debated just lately. I think everyone agrees it needs to improve. A few disagree about the Hamil, the Railway etc but I don't see the point, moving forward we have what we have and it will continue for the foreseeable, which personally I think is the right call.

I know performances dictate a lot re the atmosphere but is there anything fans can do. Those like minded that want to stand and sing to get behind the team. Personally think best case scenario is safe standing blocks. The blocks behind the goal in the Hamil, and the blocks closest to the Bycars in the Railway. They may be a way off though due to cost, so can fans organise themselves in the meantime?

We need the Hamil to become a dedicated "end" for creating an atmosphere. If you go in the Hamil, in this particular block, it's the "singing section" not half way down it changes, the whole block. 

I'm not one for a drum, giant flags etc trying to be European ultras, but something needs to happen. Yes on the pitch it's rubbish, but it is off the pitch too, so time fans did something about it.

[Nippy Naylor]

I see where your coming from family stand terrier but for me it's up to the players to go out there and do the business, the fans want to see passion , pride ,endeavour & desire which for me I've not seen enough of it's been sadly lacking , the fans will back them all the way  if that's what they provide

[eh up nah]

It's an interesting one re the atmosphere. 

Someone (possibly Darren) put something on here the other day about us having a very mixed, very opinionated fan base.  

My take on it is that we don't behave like many other clubs.  Even when I go to away games, when the atmosphere amongst our fans seems a lot better, there is the expectation that they'll sit down, not get too excited and watch the game.

No big following ever comes to Vale Park and remains seated.  Quite the opposite, they're standing and singing all game.

Sadly, I think having various sections for various requirements is the only way to sort it at Vale.  I don't like having a need for singing (cough, standing) sections but can't see another way.

 

[Paul6754]

The atmosphere and singing from Vale park comes over as pretty good on iFollow although this may be due to astutely placed microphones. There are highs and lows as expected.

The atmosphere/noise is notably better/higher in Lge 1 compared to Lge 2 due the the larger attendances in general.

The atmosphere generated by singing "The Wonder of You" at the start of the game is superb.

[Family Stand Terrier]

43 minutes ago, eh up nah said:

It's an interesting one re the atmosphere. 

Someone (possibly Darren) put something on here the other day about us having a very mixed, very opinionated fan base.  

My take on it is that we don't behave like many other clubs.  Even when I go to away games, when the atmosphere amongst our fans seems a lot better, there is the expectation that they'll sit down, not get too excited and watch the game.

No big following ever comes to Vale Park and remains seated.  Quite the opposite, they're standing and singing all game.

Sadly, I think having various sections for various requirements is the only way to sort it at Vale.  I don't like having a need for singing (cough, standing) sections but can't see another way.

 

Agree with every word mate. The best away followings to Vale have all stood throughout the match and sung none stop. Best atmosphere from Vale fans for years was v Swindon. 90% of the Hamil stood up all match. Behind the goal at Wembley, most of us stood up and created a brilliant atmosphere. Without safe standing there's ambiguity about where people expect to stand. We need a whole block so there's clarity, go in there, people will be standing.

[Family Stand Terrier]

25 minutes ago, Paul6754 said:

The atmosphere and singing from Vale park comes over as pretty good on iFollow although this may be due to astutely placed microphones. There are highs and lows as expected.

The atmosphere/noise is notably better/higher in Lge 1 compared to Lge 2 due the the larger attendances in general.

The atmosphere generated by singing "The Wonder of You" at the start of the game is superb.

Agree. The mics I'd imagine though are all from the commentators in the Lorne Street. It's clearly louder this season than last season, before the stand switch. The Railway just doesn't sound loud at all unfortunately unless you're in it. So for me we need both options, a loud Hamil, and a section of the Railway that can be close to the away end for the "banter".

[valiant steve]

The tactics in the first half of games, when we spend the majority of time passing it around the back six, is usually pretty effective at taking the life out of everyone in attendance! 

 

[philpvfc]

Port vale became a morgue when we got rid of standing in the Paddock. I used to got Stoke and Vale in the mid 80s and found a better atmosphere at the Vale and despite lower gates there was more of a hard core supporters base that generated a better atmosphere. Seating suits grounds with far bigger attendances than we get and they need to be close to capacity whereby with the old terraces there was no need for this as everyone used to huddle together. 
 

The only way to generate a better atmosphere in Vale Park is to start filling the stands close to capacity or build a new ground more suiting to our numbers. Good luck with anything else.

[Vale Ball]

A lot of the threads end up with this being debated just lately. I think everyone agrees it needs to improve. A few disagree about the Hamil, the Railway etc but I don't see the point, moving forward we have what we have and it will continue for the foreseeable, which personally I think is the right call.
I know performances dictate a lot re the atmosphere but is there anything fans can do. Those like minded that want to stand and sing to get behind the team. Personally think best case scenario is safe standing blocks. The blocks behind the goal in the Hamil, and the blocks closest to the Bycars in the Railway. They may be a way off though due to cost, so can fans organise themselves in the meantime?
We need the Hamil to become a dedicated "end" for creating an atmosphere. If you go in the Hamil, in this particular block, it's the "singing section" not half way down it changes, the whole block. 
I'm not one for a drum, giant flags etc trying to be European ultras, but something needs to happen. Yes on the pitch it's rubbish, but it is off the pitch too, so time fans did something about it.

It's time the club did something about it like winning games and scoring goals, playing on the front foot and stop boring the life out of everyone especially 1st halves.

Sent from my SM-A217F using onevalefan mobile app

[Family Stand Terrier]

4 minutes ago, Vale Ball said:

It's time the club did something about it like winning games and scoring goals, playing on the front foot and stop boring the life out of everyone especially 1st halves.

Sent from my SM-A217F using onevalefan mobile app
 

We couldn't use that excuse in our promotion season. It was like a morgue most games that season too.

[darren1810]

I made the move from The Bycars to The Hamil. The facilities etc don't come close but I've been disappointed by the atmosphere whilst acknowledging it was non existent in The Bycars.

Other than Swindon already mentioned one of the best atmosphere I have experienced was against Burton. I think we had just gone into administration or something similar lines and the atmosphere made hairs on neck stand up. Wasn't huge gate either.

But also as others have said we need something to feed off. Starting so sluggishly most home games kills it dead .

[Family Stand Terrier]

23 minutes ago, darren1810 said:

I made the move from The Bycars to The Hamil. The facilities etc don't come close but I've been disappointed by the atmosphere whilst acknowledging it was non existent in The Bycars.

Other than Swindon already mentioned one of the best atmosphere I have experienced was against Burton. I think we had just gone into administration or something similar lines and the atmosphere made hairs on neck stand up. Wasn't huge gate either.

But also as others have said we need something to feed off. Starting so sluggishly most home games kills it dead .

We won that 3 - 0. Atmosphere was ok but it really turned up a level 2nd half when stand up if you love the Vale kicked in. The 7 - 1 was a good Atmosphere too, even a few in the boxes were getting involved. I was in the Bycars that night. Remember the super Vale song, the rest of the ground had moved on and the Bycars were taking ages get through du du du du du du du. Soooooo slow.

Like many have said mate, the atmosphere is poor because of a combination of things. Poor football, but also the mix of people in there. It's a family stand, a singing end, and a catch all for the rest of the Bycars folk. 

Best case scenario for me, which we're a long way off, is the Lorne St is finished and becomes a family stand. The Hamil has 2 blocks behind the goal made safe standing. You don't go for the view, you go to stand up and support the team. Then we also put safe standing in the blocks closest to the Bycars for those that want to be close to away fans. Worked in the 90s with a decent atmosphere in both the Bycars and the Railway, with lower attendances too.

[Playa Amodores]

49 minutes ago, philpvfc said:

Port vale became a morgue when we got rid of standing in the Paddock. I used to got Stoke and Vale in the mid 80s and found a better atmosphere at the Vale and despite lower gates there was more of a hard core supporters base that generated a better atmosphere. Seating suits grounds with far bigger attendances than we get and they need to be close to capacity whereby with the old terraces there was no need for this as everyone used to huddle together. 
 

The only way to generate a better atmosphere in Vale Park is to start filling the stands close to capacity or build a new ground more suiting to our numbers. Good luck with anything else.

Phil, it’s the same at every football ground including grounds in the Prem. I’ve been to Anjmfield when the away fans were chanting louder than the home fans, so they turned the tannoy up to YNWA. Sitting separately psychologically takes away the mob mentality and we become individuals.

When the product is right on the pitch then that’ll migrate to the terraces.

[JoeB2]

Several points:

1. Atmosphere decline is a common trend across English football. You see every club say it. The people going to games, and the behaviour at games, aren't the same anymore.

2. We haven't won many games. We've been garbage for 12 months. Wins improve atmosphere

3. Separating the home and away fans as much as possible was a bad move atmosphere-wise. There is now zero goading. They also messily tried to combine it as a family area AND a singing area. One or the other, and keep the two firmly separated.

Combine them together and you get a morgue-like vibe. Best way to solve it is by winning games of professional football.

[Family Stand Terrier]

On point 3. How have home / away fans been separated? Why can't people still in the Railway that want the banter go down the other end?

And on the other general point about performances improving atmosphere. It was <ovf censored> during the promotion season too.