Before the recent Barrow game JJ was asked what he was like as a youngster watching from the terraces. Perhaps his on the terrace behaviour was slightly better than a certain WDSA correspondent. My sources won’t who apparently was caught on TV just after our goal against Salford making derogatory gestures in the direction of a certain opposition manager. Let’s just say he’s slightly embarrassed but thoroughly enjoyed the experience! Whether JJ ever did something like this is best kept in the past, but he knows what a raucous and visceral home crowd brings. He showed real emotion after the 3-0 home demolition of our nemesis earlier in the season. JJ admitted that when the crowd gets behind the team, it really helps them put in that extra effort.
There is criticism of the Plough Lane atmosphere. We talk about a “fortress”, but until recently it occasionally has been made of wet cardboard. There’s no doubt that when the place is rocking, it’s an intimidating place. Players can play their part. I wish more would. There are precious few who do. Josh Neufville is one, and I love him for it. It always gets a reaction. Opposition players say they shut out the crowd, but that’s impossible. Plough Lane crowds are a bit of a mixed bag. There are days when it really rocks, but there are plenty of others where it disappoints. Results have a lot to do with this of course. Lee Finch of the Wombles had a dream podcast regularly travels to Europe to watch football. He eulogises about the atmosphere at grounds, with the pyrotechnics, flags, and singing. It’s clear watching football to him is more about the atmosphere than the game itself, but he has a point. A good atmosphere allows spectators to become as one with the club. It adds that connection that is likely to get them coming back again and again.
At Plough Lane Lee Willett’s team of flag hangers do their bit before a game. The number and variety of flags in recent seasons is impressive. It adds colour, but that only goes part of the way. We need songs, and plenty of them. As someone who also likes a good sign song, the problem for me is getting the right chant. There are some that are turgid, boring, and downright dull. One prime suspect is the “AFC Wimbledon” chant as the teams come onto the pitch. Anyone coming out of a coma as that’s sung will probably go back under. It’s simple but it doesn’t meet the intimidation brief. Maybe we could learn from other European clubs? The recent game against Cheltenham saw 50-100 PSV Eindhoven fans take a detour to Wimbledon enroute to Highbury the following day. Clearly out for a good time, well what else is there to do when you’re trying to overturn a 7-1 first leg defeat, they brought a real European atmosphere to Plough Lane. They may not have been many of them, but they encouraged others around them to join in. Positioned in the north stand, the noise they created attracted some fans from the east stand to join them, despite the best efforts of the stewards. The result was a noisy collective teaching each other their club’s songs and generating a good atmosphere. It was like having two home ends. The proximity to the away fans also created a degree of fan baiting.
Going back to our songs, simplicity is key for one to catch on. It has to be easy to learn and enjoyable to sing. A few new ones have started to catch on at recent games. Mostly they’re short, easy to pick up, and sung in the round. The “bounce around if you love the Dons” is a good one and can even get some members of the West Stand out of their seats. Whilst I’m talking about songs, let’s stop signing the “Champagne” song. I know it’s a right of passage for teens to want to swear, but we’re not Millwall. We do care that people like us, and the song’s lyrics belong more on a bawdry night out in SE16 than SW17. It belongs in the era of lads mags and should be assigned to the same sexist dustbin as them. If we’re to continue to attract families to games, we need to suppress elements of the game that don’t fit this brief. It’s a tough challenge, as it is the passion of fans that makes for a good atmosphere. Now let me go and complete my homework.
I must not make rude gestures to opposition managers.
I must not make rude gestures to opposition managers.
etc.
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