Anthem

[sam_]

Sorry, what? Haha

[AustrianAndyGull]

Ignore him sam, he's a bit simple.

[sam_]

Hahaha!

[Dutchgull]

How about a retro feel to it ? This i think was the original Torquay United anthem in the 1960s. Of course i am too young to confirm this as my first game was in 1971 !

[Glostergull]

How about a retro feel to it ? This i think was the original Torquay United anthem in the 1960s. Of course i am too young to confirm this as my first game was in 1971 !

I think I remember that being played but The crowd didnt really get much involved. Mind you they dont today either.
This old thread seems to come up time and time again. There have been several good song over the years which we could claim to own. The Brixham Hymn abide with me. Yellow. The tune we come out to. And wIdecombe fair are good suggestions. But none will catch on unless the crowd pick up on it and sing it till their blue in the face. That's assuming any of then want to sing anyway. I love to join in or even lead a good sing song, But the last few years it seems as if I have arrived at a funeral.
Come on Guys. Lets sing something. anything. well almost anything.

[Kit_robin]

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.

[AustrianAndyGull]

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.

I know your post probably refers to games at home Kit Robin but certainly at away games we sing all the highlighted songs plus a few others (we love you, we love you, we love you and anywhere we'll follow, we'll follw, we'll follow coz we support the torquay , the torquay, the torquay and that's the way we like it, we like it, we like it, nah nah nah nah nah naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah) so away is generally fine, obviously it helps the more southerly our away games as the more fans are there to participate. I just don't understand when at home there are 2500 fans supporting a common goal yet only about 8 prepared to sing and create and atmosphere.

[sam_]

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.

Loved 'A Banda', not sure why it isn't our run out our run out song

[Oil Beef Hooked]

Hucking fell - that A Banda song sounds like the intro theme to a Carry On film

I know we've done this before, but we should put a poll up for fans to decide what our anthem/ tune should be and ask Andrew Candy to play the winning song, (during the pre-match warm up, when the players come onto the pitch and at half time), on a trial basis to see if it engages with everyone at Plainmoor.

We certainly won't know how successful any new anthem will be unless we try something!

[sam_]

Great idea. I love clubs that have songs that are in no way a football song, Delilah for instance. Something with a catch, easy to sing chorus. Sweet Carloline?

[sam_]

And who's mr Candy?

[Glostergull]

Mr Candy is our esteemed member of the board who visits this forum to engage with the fans and take on any suggestions he thinks may be viable. or ignore the ones put up by nitwits. he is the best link we have had for many a year.

[sam_]

Ok great

[taxilady]

Mr Candy rules ok ! Many thanks for the Gilbert dance !

[taxilady]

Mr Candy rules ok ! Many thanks for the Gilbert dance !