The Atmospheres electric as the teams come on….
The Atmospheres electric as the teams come on….
Then game kicks off and something goes wrong could be a line for much of Ashton Gate and football in general. Thousands gather in expectation all stood waiting for Gods own red and white, cue the fire works, cue the mental Dancing Scrumpy then it kicks off and a hush descends on the now sat crowd. Apart from small pockets around the stadium and the performing circus act tucked away in East End never never land Ashton Gate often feels quite surreal on a match day.
Cider
You do not need to be anthropologist [Chaps who study other man chaps behaviour] to understand how it has got to be so emotionally detached. The reason as are very clear. Football has undergone a seismic shift since the eighties, the demographics [look it up Wurzel!] of who now goes has gone upwardly mobile and is no longer dominated by rough handed blue collar working males smelling of cider and bellowing at the Welsh/Irish/Ginger/Bald/fat/short/lanky bloke playing right side. There's Wimmin now in those stands and Monied chaps who buy seats for Clients not fans in the centre of the Williams! Families are behind the goal all sat in an orderly fashion sharing niceties in what once were terraces which smelt of cider, fags and mobs of sweating males baying and singing songs about that nice Mr Gow being everywhere.
Cider kids
We know all of the mentioned and only the truly selfish would argue that football should be the preserve of solely working class males as they are the real true football loving faith. Football should really be for all. No matter how much some of us fail to understand what we see as inexplicably behaviours like silently supporting [?] the team or missing half the match because of a meal in the Premier club its all necessary and part of the nast finacial beast which creating that evil lucre. Without this support and the cash it generates City would never go forward as a club and without those families there will be less kids to attract into the BCFC family.
Thatchers Cider
We can have a BCFC for all which is for the wider community regardless of how large or small your expendable income is. Bristol City does not have to chuck away the passion and replace it with a bastardised whooping Americanised version of the NFL. Bristol City can be different amongst countless clubs who seem to think the tribal element which makes it the game it is as a spectator sport is bad and the sterilisation of stadiums is good. Fans at Ashton Gate can and are Making a very clear difference.
Cider - you know it makes sense
Match day at the Gate now sees a constant noise coming from several hundred fans tucked away in G and H of the East End. Only fools would deny its worth! That the support is appreciated by Gary Johnson and the players. Unfortunately because of what is a tacit membership scheme where Ciderheads have to possess season tickets you can only get in there if you know one of the Cow Shed brethren as a guest [only one guest mind!]. But you should not have to rely on the East End as being the only part of the ground where excitement and emotion is openly expressed by supporters. The East End demonstrates in its own fashion despite the restrictions put in place by BCFC what the possibilities are.
Drink up thy cider George
A very small group of supporters fed up to the point of embarrassment by the lack of support at Ashton Gate relentlessly lobbied the club, organised petitions, wrote articles, used on line polls, bought banners, handed out flyers, met the Chairman, met other fans, used websites to spread ideas and took eighteen months to finally get to the of point of having that very vocal element in a restricted East End.
Rough Cider
This small group of East Enders are still driving the stand on because they understand the crowd, when to bellow "drink up thy cider george" and the terrace/stand enviroment. Its taken time to develop but a real culture has been deliberately put in place by fans where support entering the Cow Shed are expected to take part in the fun, where the fans attempt to effect the players not the other way round and where the stand promotes BCFC by being a fun, passionate and often bawdy environment. This has been orchestrated by a small group using websites, fanzines, questionnaires, stickers, creating graphics, buying and making flags, chatting to other fans over pints of rough, George the forty foot wide St George, new songs, phrases [an away match at home], open and often quite irreverent thinking, selling Forza East End badges and their network of daft mates attracting the like minded in by above all having a laugh while doing it.
Gallons of Cider
Similar to what is now witnessed in the East End can be done in other parts of the ground as they do have advantages the East End does not. The Atyeo, Dolman or Williams does not have the acoustic setting of the East End or unreserved seating but all have thousands of fans not hundreds in situ. The Atyeo, Dolman or Williams all have fans being able to pay on the day which for decades was the base on which vocal City support was built e.g East End or Dolman A & B [ 80's and 90's]. Each stand offers a bit of stability which the Cow Shed does not have as fans are not moved entire blocks because the City are playing Southampton or Cardiff. Even four or five noisy but motivated fans moving into Atyeo H will make a difference. The East End has a group of older supporterts who lead chants, motivate the crowd and almost work in the manner of Capos [East End CRAPOSS!] seen abroad. When these cider'd up loud mouths are not present the stand does feel different. A small group can and will change a stand.
I am a cider drinker
Unreserved seating is not really the reason for the East End atmosphere it just helps. An unresrved seat does not know the words to "I am a cider drinker ". It's due to its superb ability to accentuate sound and containing fans wanting to make a difference who have banded together to forge a stand with its own identity for the benefit of the team. It did not happen by accident and fans have led the way not BCFC.
Blackthorn Cider
Support in other stands who do not want to move away from their favourite stand can create their own ideas to work with like East Enders e.g. Forza East End http://www.bcfc3lions.co.uk/page3.html or create their own websites to share ideas maybe in the manner of the Forza East End forum www.ziderheads.co.uk.
The Cider house rules
Fans could contact the supporters trust as they will listen and take concerns or observations to the club. The trust could help supporters to work with BCFC to create blocks of stands which could be designated singing areas. This feels artificial but if it helps why not? The trust could help supporters to work with the club to create blocks of unrerserved seating but it is not the be and end all. You will not get anywhere if you do not at least attempt it.
Rivers of cider
Four or five fans in the Atyeo deciding this is not good enough is all it takes. Four or five fans being proactive can get others to rally around them even if it takes having to move seats within their chosen stand. All it may take is a post on a forum stating "Would you be interested in forming a ……Its up to you! All it takes is a printed A4 sheet with a few ideas to act as a clarion call to others. Write some ideas down on how you think your stand and day out
at City can be improved. Pass these ideas on and you may find there are many more fans out there who think in the same manner and want to create something with its own identity and dynamics just the same as you do.
Cider I up Landlord
Those who started the campaign to get the East End open got slagged and abused for it. But it has been a resounding success at improving the atmosphere of Ashton Gate. The East End does not have to replicated, you do not have to mimic others but educate those around you of what can be possible and acceptable in your stand of choice. If any other fans want to piss on your chips and think vocal support is an inconvenience to them point out the players want it and the manager wants it. All it requires to make a difference is your effort.
