19th Man Ideas

[The Crows Truth]

Oh, I agree that there isn't enough noise during the game. And that's part of my point. All these efforts to generate crowd noise aren't working, so let's piss them off.

In the early days of the Crows the crowds were much louder. There was no music, no ground announcer, no big screen.

Injuries, emergencies... you had to ask the bloke who had the transistor radio with him. Goalkickers... you had to ask the bloke marking them all down in the record. So you actually talked to people around you. There was communication. You used your voice. You got to know people. There was some level of cameraderie in the bays between fans.

You got used to using your voice and, hey presto, when the game was being played you continued to use your voice. The people around you weren't complete strangers so you weren't so intimidated.

Now you arrive 30 minutes before the game, you sit there and listen quietly, you are completely isolated from the strangers around you and have no reason to communicate with them. Then - surprise surprise - our crowds are quiet during the game.

Liverpool at Anfield... Collingwood at the G... they don't do any of the crap before or during the game that we do but their crowds are 10 times louder. Chicken or egg I know.

And thanks to all the razzamataz there will never be any crowd involvement before the game to warm people up. Even the stock standard Adelaide clap-clap-clap chant is impossible due to the wall of noise, music and information being blasted at us. So the crowd is expected to go from 0 to 100 as soon as the ball is bounced. And they don't.

carl, im not sure what % of games you attended in early-late 90's but I hardly missed a game. You are correct in saying that crowds STARTED off very loud -Jesus, remember that opening game against the hawks - it was state of origin game loud - but this noise lasted only a few years. by the mid 90's i was saying to mates how crap our crowd noise was.... 'the quietist 45k crowd in the world' . and that was before the annoying crowd announcer etc. yes modra speccies drew noise but in general play and if the crows were a couple of goals down the crowd always appeared half dead imo. a big part is no doubt the disproportionate older demographic that we have as season ticket holders. compare our crowd noise output to ports/any other sporting game i have seen globally in numerous countries/sports and frankly its embarrassing

i cant see how reducing annoying crowd announcer stuff now would lead to an increase in crowd noise based on the above

 

[XztatiK]

Whoever mentioned stats, great call! The melbourne grounds have the stats flashing up on the big screen all game, it's great!

Shit I can't wait for the game tonight...

 

[Southerntakeover]

Now you arrive 30 minutes before the game, you sit there and listen quietly, you are completely isolated from the strangers around you and have no reason to communicate with them. Then - surprise surprise - our crowds are quiet during the game.

I gotta be honest, this isnt something ive experienced. My pre-game and even during game activities seem to differ slightly before you. I spend before the game with friends in the shed, or at a barbeque, whatever having a few beers and getting amped up for the game.

In the same way, im rarely in my seat at quarter breaks.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

I gotta be honest, this isnt something ive experienced. My pre-game and even during game activities seem to differ slightly before you. I spend before the game with friends in the shed, or at a barbeque, whatever having a few beers and getting amped up for the game.

In the same way, im rarely in my seat at quarter breaks.

Same here I go and have some pre match brews with some mates, half the time we lose track of time and are barely in our seats when the game starts.