Post by brett on Dec 14, 2006 11:35:03 GMT 10
Good thread by the way ladies and gents. I feel there are disagreements, but fairly so with a complicated issue, and we're getting somewhere.
In my opinion the 'hole' in the middle of the bay is a comfort zone that gets smaller each match. It's a comfort zone because there are still enough likeminded youngsters who have no intentions to join in for them to group and survive. With more coming to the front each week, we're squashing these people in and suddenly they are the ones struggling for seats whereas they have previously caused us that problem by sitting in front of us. The fact we have filled around them makes them a hole rather than a frontal barrier.
I agree with those who say abusive or embarassing chanting is not the way to go. The ethos from the start of the season was to get more people in Bay 16, regardless of who they were. Now that they are here, we have the much easier task of getting them to join in. By telling people to leave we defeat the original purpose and go back to square one. We face the risk of booting out potential Marinators and also creating a terrible name for ourselves that wont help with future growth, particularly when these youngsters turn 18, find the Kendall Bar and lose themselves to the Marinators culture.
So I see the best immediate solutions as these:
- Constant Encouragement.
Firstly, on an individual level. If you see someone not joining in any of the 3 main actions (standing, singing, yellow) talk to them about it in a friendly way. Tell them they should get into the spirit and wear yellow next time because they look are the ones who look silly, not us. Tell them not to be afraid to get into it and make them join in the next song with you. If they ignore you, they can do so if they like. Tell them they smell and move on.
Secondly, on a group level. A few 'stand up for the mariners' each game. 'Stand up or find another bay' was well received last week but it's borderline - only once per game. More obvious songs like mariners clap clap clap when we have an attacking set piece at our end.
- Box them in!
If we get in amongst them and break them up, they wont stay. Get to the ground, move down the front and stand in the seats directly in front of anyone who doesn't look like a Marinator. Telling them to leave, we don't have a right to do. Blocking their view in Bay 16, we do. If they don't join in, try the encouragement. If they refuse to join in, and be nasty about it, sing very loudly in their direction and make sure your scarf and clapping actions are above your head.
You don't even have to get there that early to do this, there's always plenty of seats 30-45 mins before kick off. But the earlier we get there, the more we can infiltrate their core in the hole and gradually nullify their negative effects. Even if Perm and Goldenboy and their loyal followers managed to stand right in the middle of the hole, chants would carry from the front the back very easily and really, that's all we want.
In the end, we don't have enough numbers to have a loud, passionate, yellow-wearing, every-song-joining, die-hard support in every seat of Bay 16. Other people are going to fill the gaps. Let's do what we have to to get the Marinators working to their full potential, ie one-to-a-seat and well coordinated and not broken up, and let the rest take care of itself.
In my opinion the 'hole' in the middle of the bay is a comfort zone that gets smaller each match. It's a comfort zone because there are still enough likeminded youngsters who have no intentions to join in for them to group and survive. With more coming to the front each week, we're squashing these people in and suddenly they are the ones struggling for seats whereas they have previously caused us that problem by sitting in front of us. The fact we have filled around them makes them a hole rather than a frontal barrier.
I agree with those who say abusive or embarassing chanting is not the way to go. The ethos from the start of the season was to get more people in Bay 16, regardless of who they were. Now that they are here, we have the much easier task of getting them to join in. By telling people to leave we defeat the original purpose and go back to square one. We face the risk of booting out potential Marinators and also creating a terrible name for ourselves that wont help with future growth, particularly when these youngsters turn 18, find the Kendall Bar and lose themselves to the Marinators culture.
So I see the best immediate solutions as these:
- Constant Encouragement.
Firstly, on an individual level. If you see someone not joining in any of the 3 main actions (standing, singing, yellow) talk to them about it in a friendly way. Tell them they should get into the spirit and wear yellow next time because they look are the ones who look silly, not us. Tell them not to be afraid to get into it and make them join in the next song with you. If they ignore you, they can do so if they like. Tell them they smell and move on.
Secondly, on a group level. A few 'stand up for the mariners' each game. 'Stand up or find another bay' was well received last week but it's borderline - only once per game. More obvious songs like mariners clap clap clap when we have an attacking set piece at our end.
- Box them in!
If we get in amongst them and break them up, they wont stay. Get to the ground, move down the front and stand in the seats directly in front of anyone who doesn't look like a Marinator. Telling them to leave, we don't have a right to do. Blocking their view in Bay 16, we do. If they don't join in, try the encouragement. If they refuse to join in, and be nasty about it, sing very loudly in their direction and make sure your scarf and clapping actions are above your head.
You don't even have to get there that early to do this, there's always plenty of seats 30-45 mins before kick off. But the earlier we get there, the more we can infiltrate their core in the hole and gradually nullify their negative effects. Even if Perm and Goldenboy and their loyal followers managed to stand right in the middle of the hole, chants would carry from the front the back very easily and really, that's all we want.
In the end, we don't have enough numbers to have a loud, passionate, yellow-wearing, every-song-joining, die-hard support in every seat of Bay 16. Other people are going to fill the gaps. Let's do what we have to to get the Marinators working to their full potential, ie one-to-a-seat and well coordinated and not broken up, and let the rest take care of itself.
;D