Question The North Bank and your thoughts?

[sufc4life21]

I didn't attend yesterday so ended up watching it on dazn. Good to see the north bank with Southend fans there, nice to see fans celebrating a couple goals at that end. My experience of the north bank about 10 odd years ago is the view is better than the west stand and the legroom isn't that bad interms of sitting there but I do prefer to stand in the north bank. I noticed number fans sitting down at that end, was that just day trippers or was that enforced by stewards?

 

[rigsby]

I still think the best spot for away fans is the NW corner (Y&Z blocks) with them entering from Fairfax Drive. Then we get the blue and most of the yellow seats in the NB.

Home fans enter from the East car park. Stick another food truck out the back of the North for home fans to use. Job done.

The way it’s being done now seems completely the wrong way round.

Not sure the police would agree to away fans in the NW corner. Would certainly be a challenge to fit Narm in there with a suitable gap each side.

I would prefer it to be open so people can migrate like we could back in the 70's

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

"I was born under the North Bank shed". One for the older generation perhaps.

 

[It'sGrimUpNorth]

Loads of banter from west to North yesterday

We're the west stand of roots Hall
Your support is ****ing ****
No noise from the north bank boys

Love it…..so good to hear.

 

[RHB]

We were there, and still totally stuffed after Toulouse on Xmas Day. That was a fabulous meal. Glad you made it.

 

[It'sGrimUpNorth]

Just a few teething problems on the opening day. Now stick away fans in the South lower or the blue seats and play games on Friday night. We would still make the play-offs even without signing anyone this January.

And don’t forget the Firholm shirts!!!

 

[Smiffy]

Not sure the police would agree to away fans in the NW corner. Would certainly be a challenge to fit Narm in there with a suitable gap each side.

I would prefer it to be open so people can migrate like we could back in the 70's

For large away turnouts give them X block as well if needed, shut W block and relocate to the NB. It really shouldn’t be hard to manage?

Absolutely agree with the roaming option. Pack the NB out when shooting towards.

 

[* ORM *]

There were some permanently standing towards the front of the block nearest the goal. It wasn’t a problem for me (I moved) but It was for the elderly group behind me. However it gave me a thought. If W block move then this would be the ideal place and possibly ‘permit’ standing all match.

As I posted on the post match thread I was pleasantly surprised by the view, comfort etc and would have no hesitation doing it again if needed, though my personal preference would still be the West.

 

[Scamps]

Couldn’t really hear the north bank and I was in the east blue. They need to be more central. Also I think the club should switch it round so the away fans have the yellow seats so they can enter and exit via fairfax drive and the home fans in the blue seats so it frees up the car park and no need then for the barriers.

 

[HertfordshireBlue]

I think the club need to make a definitive decision about the north bank; either they dedicate it as an overflow stand for tourists (as it was yesterday) or they dedicate it to a recognised and established standing ‘atmosphere’ stand - because I think a lot of families with young children, who don’t regularly attend, weren’t aware to the north bank being an atmosphere stand and i think this is because it wasn’t made clear at any point whilst buying their tickets.. if this is to become a more boisterous stand, these families need to be advised there may be more appropriate seats elsewhere in the ground.

I’m of the opinion supporting the latter, I think if we look around the grounds nationwide, many clubs will dedicate one stand, normally behind the goal, to a large singing section (e.g. Liverpool kop, Portsmouth fratton end, even Oldham’s stand behind the goal). We’re lucky to have a stand with extraordinary acoustics and we should fully utilise this.

I know it will take time to fully adjust to the change but the club should be supporting the move, especially if they aim to boost the roots hall match day atmosphere and I agree with many points raised on this thread; dedicate the entire north bank to home fans with away fans in the corner and TBV situated central to the north bank. Recognise the entire north bank as an established standing section and those who wish to sit and be close to the atmosphere can utilise the northern parts of the west stand or east stand. Yesterday the move was rushed and will require many tweaks by first of all opening the gate between north and west and supporting the move, not making us pay..

It’s as simple as TBV either have W and X block standing, or they have the north bank standing, either way, don’t rush the move and communicate and support it properly.

 

[teabee1]

From the East, I thought the atmosphere was a bit flat, the blue voice in the west seemed unusually quiet and considering the amount of people in the North (which usually only needs a handful to make a racket) it didn’t really appear to be very loud..

Probably sounded better from elsewhere but overall given the size of the crowd I was surprised how subdued it seemed..

 

[sufc4life21]

this is imagine of brentford away section at there stadium. I would like to see Southend allocate away fans similar to what brentford do next season providing the north bank surges interms of number of fans who attend matches in that stand. This is the way forward imo, with corner section and block x given to away fans with possibly a couple blocks of the north bank added for big away following but I doubt will need to do that in this league. That also gives Shrimpers fans have the majority of the north bank going forward.

 

[Danshrimper]

Whilst it was good to see people in there, I’m not sure it had the desired effect. A half empty, half a stand, where 95% were sat down, and no real decent noise was made during any point of the game.

As much as I’m sure it sounded good to those in there, I personally don’t think it made any improvement to the atmosphere at all. Which is a shame as it’s the main reason people have argued that we need home fans back in there. All I could really hear was the drum.

If done properly, it could be good. But I don’t think that’s fully possible until next season. It needs to be allocated as a blue voice stand/area, not used as an overflow area to sell last minute tickets to people who go to 1 or 2 games a season.

I would like to move there next season. But if it’s not done properly and is going to be like it was yesterday and everyone is going to be sat down, I won’t bother.

 

[Blues4LifeDan]

I thought the atmosphere was a reflection of how bad the results have been in home games tbh. The 600 fans away at York made more noise. I think it will take a succession of good/positive results to get the noise cranked up again.

We have to remember that the NB was an experiment yesterday. It was clear that it contained the overflow and many of the blue voice stayed in the w block. We also have to remember that for the vast majority of the blue voice, the w block is probably their spiritual home, not the NB. It's not as easy or simple as saying, let's all just go there now. Unless it's undoubtedly correct to move there, people won't.

It will take a collective effort in the summer to say, the 'singing/standing' section are going to the NB. Before then, it will be like yesterday I feel.

 

[Shrimper]

Just a few teething problems on the opening day. Now stick away fans in the South lower or the blue seats and play games on Friday night. We would still make the play-offs even without signing anyone this January.

Would putting them in the South Lower even be possible? Isn't the entrance through the East?

 

[Holy Joe]

Would putting them in the South Lower even be possible? Isn't the entrance through the East?

South stand has it's own entrance under the east stand - but it's not possible to access the East via the entrance. The issue would be how to allow access to the South Upper for home fans whilst having away in the lower.

There could also be some issues with segregation in the car park as the steps down to the South turnstiles are next to East Stand turnstiles and also the Shrimpers bar entrance. Although given there is next to no segregation outside many NL stadiums not sure why it's an issue at Roots Hall

 

[Pak Power]

we ain't had a fight since we don't know when"
we don't give a p****e and we don't give a w**k
we are the Southend NORTH BANK

 

[hlane17]

All the barriers up in the car park affected dispersal of fans post game, forced people out into the road and had people walking amongst cars on the way out of the main car park.

All to ensure segregation between home and away fans. Not particularly safe to say the least.

A rethink needed, put away followings in the corner between North and West, access via Fairfax drive. rest of the North for home fans who want to make a proper atmosphere of it.

 

[Cricko]

we ain't had a fight since we don't know when"
we don't give a p****e and we don't give a w**k
we are the Southend NORTH BANK

I think you hit the nail on the head there. The original North Bank was like many other similar fan ends at other clubs and those were the days where punch ups between fans was weekly. Rivals were huge and we had lads who are unlike anything we see today. Culture has changed.

I think the football experience has also changed a lot over the years, it is more of a family thing now. Gone are those heady days and I personally think the North Bank will be very hard to resurrect, it might work under a different guise but it will never be the same as it once was. People who love singing etc have made X block their home and it will be hard to change that after so many years.
People feel nostalgic about those days gone by but they are exactly that. Gone.

 

[sufc4life21]

I think you hit the nail on the head there. The original North Bank was like many other similar fan ends at other clubs and those were the days where punch ups between fans was weekly. Rivals were huge and we had lads who are unlike anything we see today. Culture has changed.

I think the football experience has also changed a lot over the years, it is more of a family thing now. Gone are those heady days and I personally think the North Bank will be very hard to resurrect, it might work under a different guise but it will never be the same as it once was. People who love singing etc have made X block their home and it will be hard to change that after so many years.
People feel nostalgic about those days gone by but they are exactly that. Gone.

I get where your coming from but there are plenty of shrimpers who would welcome being at that end of Roots Hall. Let's be honest here the atmosphere hasn't been great since those days. We have only 1 block which is prepared to get behind the team, apart from that it's poor. We need full backing behind the goal to make real difference. Iv just seen the Halifax game that shrimpers fans can buy tickets in the north bank so I will be purchasing my ticket there. Nothing dead as you put it but I get where your coming from interms of the atmosphere which could be generated. I agree it probably won't be the same years ago what it is today.