by Kit_robin » 21 Sep 2013, 07:35
It's difficult to artificially "create" an anthem. Clubs have anthems/traditional songs because of tradition and years of repeated playing/singing. Chelsea FC start playing the liquidator at every home game, and eventually it becomes an integral part of the match-day experience.
Closest we've ever had us probably A Banda ( which we played in the 70s (so I've been told, I'm too young to remember), then had a break, and then played for 15 odd years before Mr Buckle pitched up one day with a list of songs he wanted played. The closest thing we've had to a tradition lost to a mans desire to control everything he can.
I've spoken about this with my dad who has been going a lot longer than me, and he said for a good few years the crowd used to sing the wurzels drink up your cider ( Doubt this would go down too well with the younger fans though!
As a wider point about atmosphere/singing etc., I think you can see a watershed moment the year we dropped out of the league. For one reason or another (new jobs, relocation, pissed off with the club) a fair few of the more mature members stopped going, and the responsibility of starting the chanting was left to the, er... Shall we say younger members of the group.
Now, this is in no way meant as a personal criticism of these young guys, after all they are actually bothering to turn up to games and actually bothering to support the club vocally, but the quality , variation and imagination of the chanting has dramatically reduced since that time.
First thing that stopped a lot of people joining in was the sheer pace they sing at. This seems to have got better recently, but I remember being at Salisbury in the first conference season and actually hearing someone turn round and shout at the singers "slow down, for gods sake" during a rendition of 'yellow army' Sang as fast as humanly possible-people just couldn't keep up!
Which brings me on to variety. We only ever seem to sing yellow army, and then come on you yellows at corners. It gets a bit dull singing the same thing over and over again. We used to have quite a few staples that used to get sung at every game - few rounds of come on Torquay, you are my torquay, give me a t..., united clap clap clap after we had had a good attack, and others besides. Where have they gone? It may well be the younger set didn't know them , and that's fair enough.
The other thing that affects the noise, other than pace and lack if variety, is how quick they finish. When I started going regularly in the 90s we used to sing come on you yellows at corners just as we do now - but we used to sing it over and over again until the whole of plainmoor had no choice but to join in. Somewhere along the line it's become the norm to sing it round twice before stopping. I and my group stand just to the away end side of the half way line, so quite close to the singers, and by the time we've heard them start the chant they've finished, and we haven't even joined in. We all want to join in but can't cause it's already finished! If we struggle when standing so close, imagine how people a bit further away feel? They just won't bother. There's also a lack of regularity- for example, when the players ran out we ALWAYS used to do a few rounds of United *clapclapclap*. 'Twas simple but loads of people
Joined in because they knew it was going to happen and went on long enough for people to know it's started.
The imagination is also lacking slightly - even going back not that long ago, say to Leroy era, we had specific songs for tony bedeau, Jo kuffour, Alex Russell, Steve woods, David graham, Martin gritton; and not just shouting their names either. I know it's hard To come up with new chants and then actually get them sung, so
I'm not really criticising here, just making an observation.
This has turned into a long post so I'll stop now, but just to say again that I am really not criticising these young guys who are currently the ones making the noise; it's great that they really want to get the crowd going. But there are issues, and it seems that a few of them post or read this forum, so I hope they take this post in the spirit that it was meant, of some friendly advice. After all, we would all benefit from a louder plainmoor.
It's difficult to artificially "create" an anthem. Clubs have anthems/traditional songs because of tradition and years of repeated playing/singing. Chelsea FC start playing the liquidator at every home game, and eventually it becomes an integral part of the match-day experience.
Closest we've ever had us probably A Banda (http://youtu.be/FCRTMEPw-5U), which we played in the 70s (so I've been told, I'm too young to remember), then had a break, and then played for 15 odd years before Mr Buckle pitched up one day with a list of songs he wanted played. The closest thing we've had to a tradition lost to a mans desire to control everything he can.
I've spoken about this with my dad who has been going a lot longer than me, and he said for a good few years the crowd used to sing the wurzels drink up your cider ( http://youtu.be/7onOJ-QgXY0). Doubt this would go down too well with the younger fans though!
As a wider point about atmosphere/singing etc., I think you can see a watershed moment the year we dropped out of the league. For one reason or another (new jobs, relocation, pissed off with the club) a fair few of the more mature members stopped going, and the responsibility of starting the chanting was left to the, er... Shall we say younger members of the group.
Now, this is in no way meant as a personal criticism of these young guys, after all they are actually bothering to turn up to games and actually bothering to support the club vocally, but the quality , variation and imagination of the chanting has dramatically reduced since that time.
First thing that stopped a lot of people joining in was the sheer pace they sing at. This seems to have got better recently, but I remember being at Salisbury in the first conference season and actually hearing someone turn round and shout at the singers "slow down, for gods sake" during a rendition of 'yellow army' Sang as fast as humanly possible-people just couldn't keep up!
Which brings me on to variety. We only ever seem to sing yellow army, and then come on you yellows at corners. It gets a bit dull singing the same thing over and over again. We used to have quite a few staples that used to get sung at every game - few rounds of come on Torquay, you are my torquay, give me a t..., united clap clap clap after we had had a good attack, and others besides. Where have they gone? It may well be the younger set didn't know them , and that's fair enough.
The other thing that affects the noise, other than pace and lack if variety, is how quick they finish. When I started going regularly in the 90s we used to sing come on you yellows at corners just as we do now - but we used to sing it over and over again until the whole of plainmoor had no choice but to join in. Somewhere along the line it's become the norm to sing it round twice before stopping. I and my group stand just to the away end side of the half way line, so quite close to the singers, and by the time we've heard them start the chant they've finished, and we haven't even joined in. We all want to join in but can't cause it's already finished! If we struggle when standing so close, imagine how people a bit further away feel? They just won't bother. There's also a lack of regularity- for example, when the players ran out we ALWAYS used to do a few rounds of United *clapclapclap*. 'Twas simple but loads of people
Joined in because they knew it was going to happen and went on long enough for people to know it's started.
The imagination is also lacking slightly - even going back not that long ago, say to Leroy era, we had specific songs for tony bedeau, Jo kuffour, Alex Russell, Steve woods, David graham, Martin gritton; and not just shouting their names either. I know it's hard To come up with new chants and then actually get them sung, so
I'm not really criticising here, just making an observation.
This has turned into a long post so I'll stop now, but just to say again that I am really not criticising these young guys who are currently the ones making the noise; it's great that they really want to get the crowd going. But there are issues, and it seems that a few of them post or read this forum, so I hope they take this post in the spirit that it was meant, of some friendly advice. After all, we would all benefit from a louder plainmoor.
