It can make a difference. I felt it did at Hillsborough. After the soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment came on at half time with their Barnsley shirts, it seemed to give the crowd a real lift. We pulled one back and we all got really behind the lads. Wednesday looked ragged and we grew in confidence.
As I remember we had won promotion twice in the previous 4 year and in our first season back in the championship started off with a 4-0 win against Shrewsbury, beat 3 first division teams in the league cup and came so close to knocking Liverpool out at anfield and taking the lead at oakwell. finally finishing 6th The week before we had won at Newcastle and the 3-0 down after I think 6 minutes no wonder the crowd got behind them dont you think? PS we also had some of the best players ever at the time
HES TALKING CRAP.... When glavin played for us we were averaging 5 or 6 thousand gates in the league, less than we average now for the same level of football.... The crowd was just as miserable and pedantic as it is now. at half time of the sam Fulham game he mentions i can remember tons of people walking out... the only difference is they were stood up Things werent better in the old days no matter what they tell ya!!!!!
100% correct In fact, during the 1981/82 season, the only clubs with higher average gates than us in the old Second Division were Newcastle United & Sheffield Wednesday. Ours (approx. 15 000) was better than Chelsea, for example, who we beat 2-1 both home and away that season. We never had an actual gate anywhere near as low as 6000 during 1981/82 or 1982/83, never mind an average gate.
Just a couple of points though You completely correct on the gate sizes and at times the atmosphere was really excellent - helped by the fact that most of us were stood up on the terraces But I remember that Fulham game and the crowd werent being that encouraging at 3-0 down in fact I am sure some people even tried to leave But AFTER we started the fight back the crowd really got behind the players One other point there were still the same miserable gits who want to moan. There were some guys near me for who Banks could do no right constantly deriding his lack of tackling power and saying he wasnt good enough for this league etc Not making that up either cos it really used to annoy me
You are talking **** we were getting crowds nearer to 20k rather the 6k we used to take 6k to loads of away games.
One day, I'll post something about football <img src ="http://www.celebutaint.com/images/12807_HQCB.net_Salma_Hayek_Piyal_Hosain_portrait_session_11_122_367lo-thumb.jpg">
We also had "football savy" Chairman, something that I dont think we have now, and thats not a Patrick bash, without whom we wouldnt have a team, but it's something that he hasnt grasped and until he does we will wallow from one upset to another... sorry PC </p> </p>
Comments on here and other message boards Are no different to those made in the clubs, pubs, workplaces and schools from all those years ago. This is just another medium that allows views & opinions to be aired. Anyone who claims that those were simpler times and we were all happy with our lot appear to have convenient memory loss.
RE: Just a couple of points though still have to chuckle when I think of the comments some miserable old gits used to make when sir Ronald first arrived bloody rubbish waste of time etc.
Exactly <img src ="http://www.fatbackmedia.com/nsfw/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/jennifer-ellison-calendar-4.jpg">