Singing section announced

[Cambridge Away]

I seem to remember that they tried something like this in the Putney end about 15 years ago for some specific games. It didn't work, i don't think, because it's effectively trying to bring a load of people together who don't know each other. If people can lower their aspirations for an inorganic coming together then maybe it will.

Man Utd have handed out song sheets and tape cassettes of all the classics in the past, so maybe there is leg room for something like this in a more corporate match day experience.

I mean, they aren't going to lower the prices for anyone. Half price beer (and safe standing) for any section would be a great idea. Personally i am always at my vocal best when i've had one or two.

[HV71]

I think most fans are at their best when we score one or two........

[ffcthereligion]

Hi all, I helped push for this. Appreciate a lot aren't keen but the atmosphere is flat every game at CC so the thought behind it was this could encourage noise in "quieter" areas of the ground. Negative comments understood but the thought behind it came from a good place in trying to improve things 

Well done mate. Ignore the naysayers

[Southcoastffc]

Why P4? Might it not be better to build on the energy in the HE?  It would be interesting to know how the proposed singing section is/has been selected.  Presumably free or discounted tickets in a block together? And auditions?

But very good idea in principle..Good luck with it.

[C Block]

Will there be clappers to use ?

[Hugh Janus]

This is a good attempt at getting the atmosphere going. I have seen the song list and some real classics in there. I believe they will be mic'd up. Just hold the sound system in the stadium does it's bit.

Looking forward to it and well done the club for trialing it

[SuperFreeman]

Hi all, I helped push for this. Appreciate a lot aren't keen but the atmosphere is flat every game at CC so the thought behind it was this could encourage noise in "quieter" areas of the ground. Negative comments understood but the thought behind it came from a good place in trying to improve things 

With the greatest respect....the idea/proposal is an embarrassment or to be more accurate, a damning indictment of where the club finds itself if FFC is having to establish a so called 'singing section.' First the 'neutral end' and now this?? Will there be a 'hamper and champagne' section for the Henry's and Jocasta-Farlington-Marlington's and their chums so they can enjoy the super spectacle of watching 22 players kick a ball around, but not sure which team is which or who are the players?? Real clubs have Kop's....where all the noise, chants and yes, songs, come from or at least emanate and then the rest of the crowd pick it up and join in as one. That's what happens at 'normal' clubs.
Fulham supporters have never been loud but this just leaves the club open to sheer ridicule by the rest of the PL clubs and their fans. A singing section? The Kop would be a better name, for starters but that's never going to happen in this politically correct/woke world we now live in.
Will the 50 people wear distinct clothing and name badges?? Will they have 'song sheets?' Will there be an adjudicator present to bleep out any potential bad language?? And who are these 50 people and what will they be told to sing?? 
Only at Fulham.

[SuperFreeman]

The club have agreed to trial a singing section in block P4 of the Putney end against Newcastle with 50 tickets put aside .
Good idea or do we become a laughing stock

It's a ridiculous, stupid and embarrassing proposal.
Football is still tribal, despite the woke element trying to destroy our beautiful game.
Football matches were originally attended by vast crowds in big, creaky old stadiums where men stood on terraces and sung and chanted their hearts out- with all the swearing that entailed too. It's what made that special atmosphere at many league clubs. It's why Fulham's record attendance stands at 49,335 for their match against Millwall back on October 8, 1938. Singing section? You would be laughed out of the Borough. No one needed any encouragement to sing!!
Now, as every year passes, the working classes are being squeezed out of watching top-tier football by greedy owners, sky high ticket prices, sky high food, drink and merchandising prices and in their place come the new breed of supporter which is slowly eroding the traditional match day atmosphere. They are not real football people. Just people, maybe tourists, who just want to attend an event, something to do on a Saturday/Sunday or whenever.
Parts of Craven Cottage have never been noisy. The Hammersmith End used to be where it came from- or at least the end which got the singing started. Making or attempting to make a 'singing section' at the Cottage just leaves FFC open to total ridicule. You can't make people sing if they don't want to or they feel uncomfortable singing, which is the truth of the matter. Clubs like Liverpool, where The Kop belt out 'Walk On' before every kick off at Anfield, still gives their fans and the players goosebumps. It sets the tone. It's partisan. It sends out a marker to the opposition.
Fulham doesn't have this, probably because the fans are more reserved and the club's fan base is different, although occasionally, there are some great atmospheres down at the Cottage. Trying to manufacture 'singing' (and only 50 people so who will hear them??) is just a joke and the away section will think so too.

[jayffc]

There are clubs around the world with "ultra" sections and have had them for decades. It's not just Fulham in the regard of having sections of more vocal fans

And in fact we're not even the first in the league to do it. Aston villa have also already trialed such a section this year

Ultimately there may well be a number of people who would sing more if they were surrounded by like minded fans who enjoy that sort of thing and maybe don't jump about and sing for fear of looking silly when people around them don't join in, and so encouraging them to convene in a single area means they'll be more vocal than they might have otherwise, despite wanting to make more noise.

For an American comparison the la clippers created an entire section at their new stadium called "the wall" where you have to apply for to be a part of which consists of the most vocal fans, and for all some might mock, it's been super effective and many players and fans have commented how impressed they've been with it as it has created a much better atmosphere than previously experienced with the same team.

I say absolutely go for it. These aren't some random fans shipped in to make a "fake" atmosphere, they are, presumably, fans who already attend who just want to coordinate and arrange themselves into one area to improve atmosphere in the stadium. And Good for them. The fact it's actually a fan who has helped instigate this means it literally IS an organic movement by fans in itself, just with help organising from the club. So mocking them so harshly says more about the people doing so than the club, or ones wanting to try and improve the atmosphere imo. Don't like it? Don't join in.

[JoeS]

Hi all, I helped push for this. Appreciate a lot aren't keen but the atmosphere is flat every game at CC so the thought behind it was this could encourage noise in "quieter" areas of the ground. Negative comments understood but the thought behind it came from a good place in trying to improve things 

With the greatest respect....the idea/proposal is an embarrassment or to be more accurate, a damning indictment of where the club finds itself if FFC is having to establish a so called 'singing section.' First the 'neutral end' and now this?? Will there be a 'hamper and champagne' section for the Henry's and Jocasta-Farlington-Marlington's and their chums so they can enjoy the super spectacle of watching 22 players kick a ball around, but not sure which team is which or who are the players?? Real clubs have Kop's....where all the noise, chants and yes, songs, come from or at least emanate and then the rest of the crowd pick it up and join in as one. That's what happens at 'normal' clubs.
Fulham supporters have never been loud but this just leaves the club open to sheer ridicule by the rest of the PL clubs and their fans. A singing section? The Kop would be a better name, for starters but that's never going to happen in this politically correct/woke world we now live in.
Will the 50 people wear distinct clothing and name badges?? Will they have 'song sheets?' Will there be an adjudicator present to bleep out any potential bad language?? And who are these 50 people and what will they be told to sing?? 
Only at Fulham.

You are greatly misunderstanding what this is. You mention the Kop as an example, our equivalent is the Hammersmith end. No other areas of the ground sing normally.

This is an attempt to put a few like minded fans in a quieter area of the ground. Nothing will be fabricated in terms of what to sing, what to wear, when to sing etc. It's simply 50 fans that would have made a racket anyway moving to another area of the stadium

[JimmyConway]

The club have agreed to trial a singing section in block P4 of the Putney end against Newcastle with 50 tickets put aside .
Good idea or do we become a laughing stock

Will those fifty fans had to have done a fun run to be chosen to sing?

[JoeS]

The club have agreed to trial a singing section in block P4 of the Putney end against Newcastle with 50 tickets put aside .
Good idea or do we become a laughing stock

Will those fifty fans had to have done a fun run to be chosen to sing?

Good one

It's quite simple, if you'd like to get involved you can. If you don't want to then zero issues at all!

[SimonDaviesEnjoyer]

There are clubs around the world with "ultra" sections and have had them for decades. It's not just Fulham in the regard of having sections of more vocal fans

And in fact we're not even the first in the league to do it. Aston villa have also already trialed such a section this year

Ultimately there may well be a number of people who would sing more if they were surrounded by like minded fans who enjoy that sort of thing and maybe don't jump about and sing for fear of looking silly when people around them don't join in, and so encouraging them to convene in a single area means they'll be more vocal than they might have otherwise, despite wanting to make more noise.

For an American comparison the la clippers created an entire section at their new stadium called "the wall" where you have to apply for to be a part of which consists of the most vocal fans, and for all some might mock, it's been super effective and many players and fans have commented how impressed they've been with it as it has created a much better atmosphere than previously experienced with the same team.

I say absolutely go for it. These aren't some random fans shipped in to make a "fake" atmosphere, they are, presumably, fans who already attend who just want to coordinate and arrange themselves into one area to improve atmosphere in the stadium. And Good for them. The fact it's actually a fan who has helped instigate this means it literally IS an organic movement by fans in itself, just with help organising from the club. So mocking them so harshly says more about the people doing so than the club, or ones wanting to try and improve the atmosphere imo. Don't like it? Don't join in.

Fair play, interesting post.

[KentFulham]

Next thing they will be bringing half time shows, kiss cams and organs!

[SuperFreeman]

Hi all, I helped push for this. Appreciate a lot aren't keen but the atmosphere is flat every game at CC so the thought behind it was this could encourage noise in "quieter" areas of the ground. Negative comments understood but the thought behind it came from a good place in trying to improve things 

With the greatest respect....the idea/proposal is an embarrassment or to be more accurate, a damning indictment of where the club finds itself if FFC is having to establish a so called 'singing section.' First the 'neutral end' and now this?? Will there be a 'hamper and champagne' section for the Henry's and Jocasta-Farlington-Marlington's and their chums so they can enjoy the super spectacle of watching 22 players kick a ball around, but not sure which team is which or who are the players?? Real clubs have Kop's....where all the noise, chants and yes, songs, come from or at least emanate and then the rest of the crowd pick it up and join in as one. That's what happens at 'normal' clubs.
Fulham supporters have never been loud but this just leaves the club open to sheer ridicule by the rest of the PL clubs and their fans. A singing section? The Kop would be a better name, for starters but that's never going to happen in this politically correct/woke world we now live in.
Will the 50 people wear distinct clothing and name badges?? Will they have 'song sheets?' Will there be an adjudicator present to bleep out any potential bad language?? And who are these 50 people and what will they be told to sing?? 
Only at Fulham.

You are greatly misunderstanding what this is. You mention the Kop as an example, our equivalent is the Hammersmith end. No other areas of the ground sing normally.

This is an attempt to put a few like minded fans in a quieter area of the ground. Nothing will be fabricated in terms of what to sing, what to wear, when to sing etc. It's simply 50 fans that would have made a racket anyway moving to another area of the stadium

I really do not misunderstand what you are proposing at all. It's crystal clear and it's totally ridiculous. Surely it's best just to have all the loud, noisy and passionate fans in ONE place....all that will happen is that those 50 fans will be picked on and picked out by the opposing supporters as well as the media and TV cameras, etc, etc as some sort of novelty act and open to ridicule. Didn't Fulham suffer enough with the 'Neutral End' ??? I mean, what club has a 'Neutral End'???  Do you honestly think you are going to whip up the atmosphere in the Putney End ?? What if the rest of the crowd don't join in?? Anyway, what's the point?? You obviously think it's a good idea. Maybe have a karaoke section as well or like I said before, a picnic hamper and champagne section for the tourists and the Julian and Felicity crowd.

[JoeS]

Hi all, I helped push for this. Appreciate a lot aren't keen but the atmosphere is flat every game at CC so the thought behind it was this could encourage noise in "quieter" areas of the ground. Negative comments understood but the thought behind it came from a good place in trying to improve things 

With the greatest respect....the idea/proposal is an embarrassment or to be more accurate, a damning indictment of where the club finds itself if FFC is having to establish a so called 'singing section.' First the 'neutral end' and now this?? Will there be a 'hamper and champagne' section for the Henry's and Jocasta-Farlington-Marlington's and their chums so they can enjoy the super spectacle of watching 22 players kick a ball around, but not sure which team is which or who are the players?? Real clubs have Kop's....where all the noise, chants and yes, songs, come from or at least emanate and then the rest of the crowd pick it up and join in as one. That's what happens at 'normal' clubs.
Fulham supporters have never been loud but this just leaves the club open to sheer ridicule by the rest of the PL clubs and their fans. A singing section? The Kop would be a better name, for starters but that's never going to happen in this politically correct/woke world we now live in.
Will the 50 people wear distinct clothing and name badges?? Will they have 'song sheets?' Will there be an adjudicator present to bleep out any potential bad language?? And who are these 50 people and what will they be told to sing?? 
Only at Fulham.

You are greatly misunderstanding what this is. You mention the Kop as an example, our equivalent is the Hammersmith end. No other areas of the ground sing normally.

This is an attempt to put a few like minded fans in a quieter area of the ground. Nothing will be fabricated in terms of what to sing, what to wear, when to sing etc. It's simply 50 fans that would have made a racket anyway moving to another area of the stadium

I really do not misunderstand what you are proposing at all. It's crystal clear and it's totally ridiculous. Surely it's best just to have all the loud, noisy and passionate fans in ONE place....all that will happen is that those 50 fans will be picked on and picked out by the opposing supporters as well as the media and TV cameras, etc, etc as some sort of novelty act and open to ridicule. Didn't Fulham suffer enough with the 'Neutral End' ??? I mean, what club has a 'Neutral End'???  Do you honestly think you are going to whip up the atmosphere in the Putney End ?? What if the rest of the crowd don't join in?? Anyway, what's the point?? You obviously think it's a good idea. Maybe have a karaoke section as well or like I said before, a picnic hamper and champagne section for the tourists and the Julian and Felicity crowd.

Thanks for your incredibly patronising and unhelpful comments

I think it's worth a try, if you don't then that's fine, nobody is asking you to join.

[SuperFreeman]

There are clubs around the world with "ultra" sections and have had them for decades. It's not just Fulham in the regard of having sections of more vocal fans

And in fact we're not even the first in the league to do it. Aston villa have also already trialed such a section this year

Ultimately there may well be a number of people who would sing more if they were surrounded by like minded fans who enjoy that sort of thing and maybe don't jump about and sing for fear of looking silly when people around them don't join in, and so encouraging them to convene in a single area means they'll be more vocal than they might have otherwise, despite wanting to make more noise.

For an American comparison the la clippers created an entire section at their new stadium called "the wall" where you have to apply for to be a part of which consists of the most vocal fans, and for all some might mock, it's been super effective and many players and fans have commented how impressed they've been with it as it has created a much better atmosphere than previously experienced with the same team.

I say absolutely go for it. These aren't some random fans shipped in to make a "fake" atmosphere, they are, presumably, fans who already attend who just want to coordinate and arrange themselves into one area to improve atmosphere in the stadium. And Good for them. The fact it's actually a fan who has helped instigate this means it literally IS an organic movement by fans in itself, just with help organising from the club. So mocking them so harshly says more about the people doing so than the club, or ones wanting to try and improve the atmosphere imo. Don't like it? Don't join in.

With respect, the proposal to implant 50 home fans wearing anoraks with a Fulham scarf tied around their necks into a section of the ground where tourists and neutrals frequent, is absolutely NOTHING like an ULTRA section on the continent. The Ultras are usually made of violent criminal gangs who congregate in these sections because they are like-minded. It has NOTHING to do with singing! I know because as a senior journalist, I have stood with them and reported on them. Much like the 'razor gangs' at Ibrox and Celtic Park in Scotland, including Hampden Park. The football leagues, especially in Eastern Europe, including Italy, have Ultra sections full of Nazi-loving racist thugs and violence, NOT singing, is at the top of the 'to do list' so that they can earn 'points' for their actions on a typical match-day. So, forget your Ultras comparison. You don't know what you are saying. I think you are an American living in America with no idea of football stadia in the UK or the social make-up of football fans in general? I am not talking about just Fulham supporters. Critics of this idea are traditional football fans used to traditions. And we don't have 'singing sections' in grounds because you would be ridiculed if you did for obvious reasons. No self-respecting football fan wants to be ridiculed by the opposition. It's just how we are. It's just a totally ridiculous idea and will only make FFC a laughing stock and attract negative publicity. Why don't you come over and stand with the 50 and sing songs?? Then tell us how it went.

[JoeS]

There are clubs around the world with "ultra" sections and have had them for decades. It's not just Fulham in the regard of having sections of more vocal fans

And in fact we're not even the first in the league to do it. Aston villa have also already trialed such a section this year

Ultimately there may well be a number of people who would sing more if they were surrounded by like minded fans who enjoy that sort of thing and maybe don't jump about and sing for fear of looking silly when people around them don't join in, and so encouraging them to convene in a single area means they'll be more vocal than they might have otherwise, despite wanting to make more noise.

For an American comparison the la clippers created an entire section at their new stadium called "the wall" where you have to apply for to be a part of which consists of the most vocal fans, and for all some might mock, it's been super effective and many players and fans have commented how impressed they've been with it as it has created a much better atmosphere than previously experienced with the same team.

I say absolutely go for it. These aren't some random fans shipped in to make a "fake" atmosphere, they are, presumably, fans who already attend who just want to coordinate and arrange themselves into one area to improve atmosphere in the stadium. And Good for them. The fact it's actually a fan who has helped instigate this means it literally IS an organic movement by fans in itself, just with help organising from the club. So mocking them so harshly says more about the people doing so than the club, or ones wanting to try and improve the atmosphere imo. Don't like it? Don't join in.

With respect, the proposal to implant 50 home fans wearing anoraks with a Fulham scarf tied around their necks into a section of the ground where tourists and neutrals frequent, is absolutely NOTHING like an ULTRA section on the continent. The Ultras are usually made of violent criminal gangs who congregate in these sections because they are like-minded. It has NOTHING to do with singing! I know because as a senior journalist, I have stood with them and reported on them. Much like the 'razor gangs' at Ibrox and Celtic Park in Scotland, including Hampden Park. The football leagues, especially in Eastern Europe, including Italy, have Ultra sections full of Nazi-loving racist thugs and violence, NOT singing, is at the top of the 'to do list' so that they can earn 'points' for their actions on a typical match-day. So, forget your Ultras comparison. You don't know what you are saying. I think you are an American living in America with no idea of football stadia in the UK or the social make-up of football fans in general? I am not talking about just Fulham supporters. Critics of this idea are traditional football fans used to traditions. And we don't have 'singing sections' in grounds because you would be ridiculed if you did for obvious reasons. No self-respecting football fan wants to be ridiculed by the opposition. It's just how we are. It's just a totally ridiculous idea and will only make FFC a laughing stock and attract negative publicity. Why don't you come over and stand with the 50 and sing songs?? Then tell us how it went.

Just to be clear, you are (quite rightly) frustrated and embarrassed that there was a neutral end, but remain even more frustrated and embarrassed that there is a plan to put more vocal supporters in it to change things?

You are acting as if there will be a giant arrow pointing down on 50 fans who are wearing matching over the top outfits singing from a songbook ffs. This is moving a few vocal fans to a new area to spread out atmosphere which famously doesn't spread normally.

Why would TV cameras focus on a few fans chanting? Why would Newcastle fans ridicule fans chanting? I would argue the latter would ridicule silent fans over that...

You are completely entitled to not agreeing with the idea, but you can't continuously slate it for being something that it isn't.

[akf]

There are clubs around the world with "ultra" sections and have had them for decades. It's not just Fulham in the regard of having sections of more vocal fans

And in fact we're not even the first in the league to do it. Aston villa have also already trialed such a section this year

Ultimately there may well be a number of people who would sing more if they were surrounded by like minded fans who enjoy that sort of thing and maybe don't jump about and sing for fear of looking silly when people around them don't join in, and so encouraging them to convene in a single area means they'll be more vocal than they might have otherwise, despite wanting to make more noise.

For an American comparison the la clippers created an entire section at their new stadium called "the wall" where you have to apply for to be a part of which consists of the most vocal fans, and for all some might mock, it's been super effective and many players and fans have commented how impressed they've been with it as it has created a much better atmosphere than previously experienced with the same team.

I say absolutely go for it. These aren't some random fans shipped in to make a "fake" atmosphere, they are, presumably, fans who already attend who just want to coordinate and arrange themselves into one area to improve atmosphere in the stadium. And Good for them. The fact it's actually a fan who has helped instigate this means it literally IS an organic movement by fans in itself, just with help organising from the club. So mocking them so harshly says more about the people doing so than the club, or ones wanting to try and improve the atmosphere imo. Don't like it? Don't join in.

With respect, the proposal to implant 50 home fans wearing anoraks with a Fulham scarf tied around their necks into a section of the ground where tourists and neutrals frequent, is absolutely NOTHING like an ULTRA section on the continent. The Ultras are usually made of violent criminal gangs who congregate in these sections because they are like-minded. It has NOTHING to do with singing! I know because as a senior journalist, I have stood with them and reported on them. Much like the 'razor gangs' at Ibrox and Celtic Park in Scotland, including Hampden Park. The football leagues, especially in Eastern Europe, including Italy, have Ultra sections full of Nazi-loving racist thugs and violence, NOT singing, is at the top of the 'to do list' so that they can earn 'points' for their actions on a typical match-day. So, forget your Ultras comparison. You don't know what you are saying. I think you are an American living in America with no idea of football stadia in the UK or the social make-up of football fans in general? I am not talking about just Fulham supporters. Critics of this idea are traditional football fans used to traditions. And we don't have 'singing sections' in grounds because you would be ridiculed if you did for obvious reasons. No self-respecting football fan wants to be ridiculed by the opposition. It's just how we are. It's just a totally ridiculous idea and will only make FFC a laughing stock and attract negative publicity. Why don't you come over and stand with the 50 and sing songs?? Then tell us how it went.

Just to be clear, you are (quite rightly) frustrated and embarrassed that there was a neutral end, but remain even more frustrated and embarrassed that there is a plan to put more vocal supporters in it to change things?

You are acting as if there will be a giant arrow pointing down on 50 fans who are wearing matching over the top outfits singing from a songbook ffs. This is moving a few vocal fans to a new area to spread out atmosphere which famously doesn't spread normally.

Why would TV cameras focus on a few fans chanting? Why would Newcastle fans ridicule fans chanting? I would argue the latter would ridicule silent fans over that...

You are completely entitled to not agreeing with the idea, but you can't continuously slate it for being something that it isn't.

JoeS,  I don't think he's frustrated at all, he's making fun, or at best offering perspective as a non-Fulham supporter.  I'd ignore. There is no 'we' in any of his references to Fulham.

[sunburywhite]

If you are one of the 50 do you only have to pay a Tenor to get in?