Drum

[AustrianAndyGull]

Great to hear that Danny was the skinsman at Plainmoor on Saturday and I hope he will choose to play the drum every home game. It definitely gets fans going and IMO it is a necessity.

I am hoping to buy a drum and take it to away games to play which would be a help when we are at some grim northern cesspit with a 100 fans and Danny can't get there. It would certainly enhance my enjoyment of our away games especially as mostly we are awful on the pitch and on the terraces. It might get people more active and involved.

I don't know when I will get the drum. It may be before the Scunny game but definitely not at Bury as I have to source it and buy it and i'm skint at the moment. I go to most away games now but will be absent from some southern ones. Wimbledon forget it and I can't make Plymouth. Those two are definite no-no's.

I just want to have a good craic and get some atmosphere back to quiet away days. I have to be honest and say that I am very anxious about doing it and being exposed as the idiot with a drum and have folk look at me and stuff but i'm willing to confront the fear. We need it, the lads need it and we travel miles around the country following the Gulls and we need to show people we are a superb set of fans all round regardless of result. We need to put to bed the image that most clubs fans have of us as being retired guest house workers and knock out some noise and banter.

LET'S DO THIS!!

What I want to ask and maybe Danny can help me with this is:

When I plan to take the drum to an away ground do I have to get permission from that club in order for me to be allowed in with it? Do I just ring their main number and ask or is there something legal I need to do / sign and someone in particular I need to ask?

Would most clubs allow one in or is a waste of time. Do we let away fans into Plainmoor with drums?

Cheers all.

[ferrarilover]

Andy, if you know you're not going to a game, you could always leave it with someone who is.

Re: permission, do it in writing. The club will say yes, but the stewards will say no. Convincing them you spoke to "Joe" about it won't work. We come across this problem (rarely, but it does happen) with disabled parking. A copy of an official email always has the desired effect.

If they say no, question their grounds for so doing. It might be a fruitless argument, but it might be worth making sensible representations. No one in the history of mankind has ever been injured by a drum at a football match, so H&S is out. It can't be too loud, since Portsmouth's Bell Man takes his instrument everywhere. There is no reasonable argument against a drum, but there are all number of unreasonable arguments, most of them hold less water than Hector's ramblings on here, so they're easily defeated.

Matt.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Thanks Matt, that's really helpful.

So for example I want to take one to Glanford Park. I write to the club (who in particular?) and basically await their response. Can I email them if I can find out the relevant person to contact or does it have to be in writing?

If I get no response can I just take the drum anyway and ask at the club on the day? Probably won't work in most circumstances but I may get lucky once or twice.

If only I could be Sport Billy, I could just magically produce one from a small sports holdall when inside the ground!

[Glostergull]

I would make sure you can play it too Andy. Just banging a drum for it's worth can be irritating to everyone. I have seen plenty of posts on here bemoaning the lack of any skill with the drum in the past. It can be a good reason for getting the drum confiscated by stewards too. They are human despite what some of you think and i am sure they can have headaches too.
Congrats to the guy who did play the drum on Saturday. It sounded good.
Maybe we could have other supporters play an instrument. Trumpet anyone. Bass. Trombone. Anything in fact. well except the vuvezula or whatever it was called.
I know lets go the whole hog. I will bring my piano. and someone can bring electric guitars and who has a P.A system with generator.lets give em all an evening to remember. A Status Quo remembrance evening just to remind Andy what a good band Quo was. eh I can just see it now.

[ferrarilover]

Thanks Matt, that's really helpful.

So for example I want to take one to Glanford Park. I write to the club (who in particular?) and basically await their response. Can I email them if I can find out the relevant person to contact or does it have to be in writing?

If I get no response can I just take the drum anyway and ask at the club on the day? Probably won't work in most circumstances but I may get lucky once or twice.

If only I could be Sport Billy, I could just magically produce one from a small sports holdall when inside the ground!

There'll be an email address on the official sites of every club. Since they're all the same template, once you've found one, you've found them all.

For your ease, I've done the first one for you: [email protected]

E-Mail them, tell them who you are (a mad Austrian ****!), what you want (to make a **** ing racket at their gaff) and when you want it (at the Torquay game). Make sure to do it a fortnight in advance to give yourself time to make reps if they say no.

Matt.

[AustrianAndyGull]

I would make sure you can play it too Andy. Just banging a drum for it's worth can be irritating to everyone. I have seen plenty of posts on here bemoaning the lack of any skill with the drum in the past. It can be a good reason for getting the drum confiscated by stewards too. They are human despite what some of you think and i am sure they can have headaches too.
Congrats to the guy who did play the drum on Saturday. It sounded good.
Maybe we could have other supporters play an instrument. Trumpet anyone. Bass. Trombone. Anything in fact. well except the vuvezula or whatever it was called.
I know lets go the whole hog. I will bring my piano. and someone can bring electric guitars and who has a P.A system with generator.lets give em all an evening to remember. A Status Quo remembrance evening just to remind Andy what a good band Quo was. eh I can just see it now.

I've played in metal / indie bands and experiments for many years GG. If I can't play just the one in tune to yellow army then maybe I AM getting old and I shall retire gracefully. :na:

I should also be able to manage an array of other beats to accompany our simple array of chants.

[AustrianAndyGull]

It could be argued that I am already irritating to everyone regardless of whether I have a drum or not.

[AustrianAndyGull]

There'll be an email address on the official sites of every club. Since they're all the same template, once you've found one, you've found them all.

For your ease, I've done the first one for you: [email protected]

E-Mail them, tell them who you are (a mad Austrian t**t!), what you want (to make a f**k ing racket at their gaff) and when you want it (at the Torquay game). Make sure to do it a fortnight in advance to give yourself time to make reps if they say no.

Matt.

Thanks for all that Matt.

I shall begin episode 1: THE SEARCH FOR A DRUM

[Plymouth Gull]

I took a drum to Accrington when we got relegated in 2007, it was free entry for fans and we had around 700 up there I think. I didn't ring prior to going in or anything, I just took it.

[AustrianAndyGull]

I think if I manage to get one Nick i'll do the same, I will do what Matt suggested in the first instance and take it anyway and any confirmation I get allowing me to take it it i'll just take with me also. Some clubs will be killjoys and not let it in but like you say, some like Accy might not even be bothered.

[Colorado Gull]

Only skim read this thread, but I would email the club to ask what their policy is on drums and if they says yes, then I'd print off the email and show it to any steward if you have problems.

As for home games, I'll be on the drum!

[AustrianAndyGull]

Can't you come to the away games too Danny and save me some money?!