Answers from Peter Jones

[Floating Fox]

That's pure conjecture. Personally I think the lack of atmosphere in the Kop demonstrates just how little the majority care about being next to the away fans. The silent majority rules all when it comes to football. Pay yer money, fill out yer survey saying you're happy with yer seat, JUST DON'T UPSET THEM WHATEVER IT TAKES!

I disagree.

I think that saturday showed that the "kop" can make a fair bit of noise. If all the fans congregated into one area where the chants would start (Instead of being spread out accross the back like It is now) then I think we could regularly produce a good atmosphere.

Personally, as a bit of a sweetener to the club, I would say Nblock would be season ticket holders only if the switch went ahead. That way you could advertise it as the singing section still (Well if my dreams came true - Standing section ) but also keep costs down.

[breadandcheese]

If people don't want to move from the Kop they don't have to, they'd just be sitting the 'New Family Stand'. The only people that would need to move would be those in the family stand which looks pretty empty most matches anyway. Maybe asking how many ST holders there are in the Family Stand would be a good starting point.

You're right and you know that those who didn't want to move because they like the status quo would quickly move when after a few games, they were surrounded by kids in the family stand. All this noise about people not wanting to move is rubbish. If the club agreed with the idea, they would force it on fans regardless, as they have done with countless other intiatives like the oney year shirt cycle (although admittedly this was revoked), goal music celebrations, the new post horn gallop, etc.

If you can get a petition or make enough noise that the club feels pressured to move the kop, it will be done and people will adapt to it.

[Jimmy]

I disagree.

I think that saturday showed that the "kop" can make a fair bit of noise. If all the fans congregated into one area where the chants would start (Instead of being spread out accross the back like It is now) then I think we could regularly produce a good atmosphere.

Personally, as a bit of a sweetener to the club, I would say Nblock would be season ticket holders only if the switch went ahead. That way you could advertise it as the singing section still (Well if my dreams came true - Standing section ) but also keep costs down.

and if some of the younger singers do what we all did and shut up for a second and listen and learn the older songs, such as when you smiling (which for so many years was almost anthem like) it would improve as they wouldn't have to compete with other people around them

[Simi]

and if some of the younger singers do what we all did and shut up for a second and listen and learn the older songs, such as when you smiling (which for so many years was almost anthem like) it would improve as they wouldn't have to compete with other people around them

Depends what you're classing as younger singers.

I try and start WYS every game, rarely do more than 20 people join in. There's a small group in F1 about half way up that always join in and start old songs, I join in, but rarely does it spread, due to the amount of space between singers.

[Jimmy]

Depends what you're classing as younger singers.

I try and start WYS every game, rarely do more than 20 people join in. There's a small group in F1 about half way up that always join in and start old songs, I join in, but rarely does it spread, due to the amount of space between singers.

mainly the people at the back of E3 who EVERY TIME I try and get it going with a fair number joining in, feel the need to drown us out with that boring "Leicester Leicester Leicester ..." or for like a month EVERY game they would sing about the Chelsea game completely ignoring the match in progress

more people would join in if they didn't drown us out all the time meaning people get the "What's the fooking point" attitude

[Bert]

I don't, that's exactly it.

Which is why I contacted him to look further into this and actually find out what people want.

But making a sweeping generalisation like he has done is wrong.

Surely you're doing the same by assuming that everyone wants the "kop" moved over?

Bit of a shitty reply really, but it just goes to show that, at the end of the day, they don't care about the fans as much as they say they do.

Move to L1 next season son. Only choice.

[Simi]

Surely you're doing the same by assuming that everyone wants the "kop" moved over?

Bit of a shitty reply really, but it just goes to show that, at the end of the day, they don't care about the fans as much as they say they do.

Move to L1 next season son. Only choice.

Not at all mate, it was more to get a REAL judgment of the numbers that would say yes and no.

Not a survey sent out to members of the fans groups etc.

I would of been in L1 from the start of this season if there was any room.

[Bert]

Not at all mate, it was more to get a REAL judgment of the numbers that would say yes and no.

Not a survey sent out to members of the fans groups etc.

I would of been in L1 from the start of this season if there was any room.

At the end of the day, it'll be almost impossible to please everyone. PJ don't really seem bothered in helping either, what a great "supporter relations" officer we have.

Most people would have gave up by now, keep hassling and maybe, something good will come from this.

[Sods]

Depends what you're classing as younger singers.

I try and start WYS every game, rarely do more than 20 people join in. There's a small group in F1 about half way up that always join in and start old songs, I join in, but rarely does it spread, due to the amount of space between singers.

I join in

I know exactly who you mean as well, i think their wasted down where they are sat and should really be at the back. Though i dont think they would make it due to how much they drink. They always try standing as well, but their is a huge gap from them all the way to me. That would rather sit, clap and stare at people who sing. And then every now and again join in when it is at its loudest.

I agree with Andy as well about if one block was put together the noise would be louder, rather then everyone being scattered. I think F1 and E3 make the loudest noise to be honest and are where the main singers are. Although i think there is a small group at the back E2, and E1. I think these people should just move over and have F1, E2 and E3 the main singing areas. After all, when their is standing from a particular block. It is F1 and E3.

[foss1884]

I disagree.

I think that saturday showed that the "kop" can make a fair bit of noise. If all the fans congregated into one area where the chants would start (Instead of being spread out accross the back like It is now) then I think we could regularly produce a good atmosphere.

Personally, as a bit of a sweetener to the club, I would say Nblock would be season ticket holders only if the switch went ahead. That way you could advertise it as the singing section still (Well if my dreams came true - Standing section ) but also keep costs down.

You could hear The Kop on occasions on Saturday, but it was hardly ear-splitting. It was more background noise every now and again. Any solutions involving the concentration of singers in The Kop is unworkable beacause of the large numbers of season-ticket holders and families already in the area. There is no room for manoeuvre. Most in The Kop prefer to savour an atmosphere rather than create one. Southampton have the right idea. Despite an attendance of 20,000, the two vocal bands of supporters at St. Mary's around the away fans is highly effective and noisy. Our stadium even lacks a roar like other grounds, which i find very peculiar! Our fans just seem strangely lacklustre when it comes to noise.

[davieG]

You could hear The Kop on occasions on Saturday, but it was hardly ear-splitting. It was more background noise every now and again. Any solutions involving the concentration of singers in The Kop is unworkable beacause of the large numbers of season-ticket holders and families already in the area. There is no room for manoeuvre. Most in The Kop prefer to savour an atmosphere rather than create one. Southampton have the right idea. Despite an attendance of 20,000, the two vocal bands of supporters at St. Mary's around the away fans is highly effective and noisy. Our stadium even lacks a roar like other grounds, which i find very peculiar! Our fans just seem strangely lacklustre when it comes to noise.

Then they don't need to move!

[orod]

ched good on you m8 for thrying to make a difference.

you should meet him and show him the results of the poll into whether music should be played after goals are scored and say that this shows there is support for the idea. and maybe another one could be set up to show that the music should be switched off before kick off. that really would make a difference because we dont get a chance to get the atmoushphere going.

i love standing up myself but since hillsborough and the lot, the government is very sentivite on the issue so i dont think city will publically allow us to stand up until more is said politically. i think the sports minister has said publically that it is safe in germany (they stand & its legal) and gordon brown mightve said something aswel.

but the music thing is defo something that we might be able to influence the club with.

[SamL]

mainly the people at the back of E3 who EVERY TIME I try and get it going with a fair number joining in, feel the need to drown us out with that boring "Leicester Leicester Leicester ..." or for like a month EVERY game they would sing about the Chelsea game completely ignoring the match in progress

more people would join in if they didn't drown us out all the time meaning people get the "What's the fooking point" attitude

To be fair, I sit at the back of E3 and this isn't the case. What gave you this impression?

I'd say we sang a little about Chelsea at the Barnsley game i.e. Bring on the Chelsea as did the majority of the Kop and for the rest of the cup games.

[Jimmy]

To be fair, I sit at the back of E3 and this isn't the case. What gave you this impression?

I'd say we sang a little about Chelsea at the Barnsley game i.e. Bring on the Chelsea as did the majority of the Kop and for the rest of the cup games.

because I was there and you sang "bring on the Chelsea" all the bloody time ignoring the match in progress, and half the time you sing about Forest most of the game as well, which annoying most of the time but even worse when we're playing Cov (ok didn't hear too many Saturday but in the past you have), you never hear anti-forest from us when playing Derby.

and what i said about you lot drowning us out is certainly true (maybe not you personally) at times its as if you cant bare that someone else would start a song

[C-man]

If you did arrange this meeting with PJ, maybe one of the points you could ask him is whether or not there is really any need for a 'family stand'?

If small children are going to be let into the kop anyway, whats the point of having a family stand? Especially when its only half full at most, ever. If they wanted to keep a family area, why not move it to a corner where supporters are most sparse? The likely response to this would be 'family season ticket holders won't want to move'. Your response should be 'well they might welcome a chaneg from looking into the sun'

That was my first post this year

[SamL]

because I was there and you sang "bring on the Chelsea" all the bloody time ignoring the match in progress, and half the time you sing about Forest most of the game as well, which annoying most of the time but even worse when we're playing Cov (ok didn't hear too many Saturday but in the past you have), you never hear anti-forest from us when playing Derby.

and what i said about you lot drowning us out is certainly true (maybe not you personally) at times its as if you cant bare that someone else would start a song

I'm not gunna bother arguing with you but I think you're wrong. We sang about Forest around the time when we were playing Forest but not much since. We don't exactly have a great song repertoires do we? I haven't heard alot of what you're talking about to be fair.

[Kilworthfox]

I'm not gunna bother arguing with you but I think you're wrong. We sang about Forest around the time when we were playing Forest but not much since. We don't exactly have a great song repertoires do we? I haven't heard alot of what you're talking about to be fair.

Depends where you sit I suppose & who is around you.

[Lillehamring]

Be nice to see if you could wring a comprimise out of him. Push the music back a few minutes. Push the goal celebration music back 5-10 seconds and, more importantly, don't have it so fooking load that it drowns out everything.

At least if he actually meets with him you can argue your point and he can't bullshit you as is so easy with indirect contact like e-mail.

Standing is probably way beyond his control, unfortunately.

i think this would be a more than reasonable compromise, and lets face it a compromise is about all you are going to get...

i would suggest you keep the standing area thing in the debate, the easiest way to expedite a compromise is to offer something as a sacrifice, standing areas is just sucj a thing, so jones can offer the changes to the music, whilst adamantly refusing the standing, without losing face - you may also have to offer up the kop-swap thing too...to be honest tho, with that, your energies would probably be better spent starting a campaign to get all wannabee singers to move to L1, the club could do nothing to prevent this and the key element of close proximity to others and sheer volume of singers will be achieved -

i think it is up to the fans, really, to arrange themselves as best as they can in a particular area, so everyone gets their ST's as close as possible, and if non-singers get stuck in the middle they will soon move, and their seats can be taken over by singing fans. yes, it will take time to build up, but the seeds are already sewn...

[Raj]

Did you guys expect a letter from PJ saying "Thanks we will do everything you say"???

You do realise he and the club probably get loads of these sorts of letters/emails a week.

Do you think he has anything to do with any of the decision making?

The thing about Music and stuff could go on all year...some people like it some dont...you will never please everyone.

Some people aint bothered about music after a game,some hate it.

As regards standing and stuff,its beyond the clubs control at the moment,otherwise dont you thin other clubs would be doing standing areas.

If and when it gets the go ahead from higher levels,clubs will do it.

He has asked to meet you,so why dont you meet him face to face and see what THE CLUB (And not him!0 has to say about the issues.

Its easy to slag him of,but he is just a representative of the club and doesnt have any final say.

Good luck.

[The Reverend]

Perhaps you ought to send a letter off to Milan.

He seems fairly receptive to letters. Just a thought.....

[Guest]

So they can still sit in the same seat cant they? All they have to do really is rebrand the north stand the kop and name the south stand as the family stand??

It has been suggested...

What I'd like to know is how he came to the conclusion "Fans in the Kop enjoy where they sit".

Nice little generalisation there.

They did a vote on this at the time unfortunately they also took into account the views of the East & West Stands no doubt to ensure that they got a majority that either said no or simply just didn't care enough to vote and were therefore classed as NOs.

This is true. I think I posted something on here, and got a few more numbers up, but there was a pitiful response.

To be honest, they know who has a ST in the Kop; it wouldn't be beyond the wit of man to contact just those individuals with a questionnaire that could be posted into a box at a designated home game. Or is it?

If small children are going to be let into the kop anyway, whats the point of having a family stand?

I think that there needs to be an area where the easily offended can take their precious offspring, yet giving those parents who don't mind their kids hearing bad language the opportunity to sit (or stand) where the atmosphere is. My solution would be to move the Family stand to the South West corner, give the North Stand to those who want to, perhaps make it unreserved seating (it would be more easily policed in terms of preventing fans migrating from other parts of the stadium, as you can only access it from the West Stand). That way, the STHs who don't want to leave their seats in the South stand can stay there, there is an area for nice behaviour, and the North Stand could be similar to the Kop at Filbo when it first went all-seater.

[Joe.]

I think we've got to be brutally honest here.

1. The club aren't going to stop music after goals- the majority of fans inside the grounds like Chelsea Dagger and the club know this.

2. At the same time they're not going to switch the Family Stand and The Kop as well. Like Peter Jones said in his reply, many fans wouldn't like the idea of moving seats after they've sat there since the beginning.

3. The safe stading issue. I just can't see it happening unfortunately. The club aren't going to accomodate and pay money for safe standing areas when they have what is in theur eyes a perfectly good seating arranagement.

I'd personally like all three of these things to happen, as a lot of you would. But for the reasons stated above I just can't see any of them realistically happening unfortunately.

[Jimmy]

We don't exactly have a great song repertoires do we?

we do actually it's just you lot don't seem interested in learning them, the same way we all did, by listening to them then actually joining in instead of just singing over everyone else

[Guest]

2. At the same time they're not going to switch the Family Stand and The Kop as well. Like Peter Jones said in his reply, many fans wouldn't like the idea of moving seats after they've sat there since the beginning.

3. The safe stading issue. I just can't see it happening unfortunately. The club aren't going to accomodate and pay money for safe standing areas when they have what is in theur eyes a perfectly good seating arranagement.

I would like to take issue with these two points.

2. The only stats the club has is the result of a survey, which had a piss poor response.

3. The club's not going to pay money for a safe standing area because they will not be granted a safety certificate to use it.

Apologies for the pedantry.

[Jimmy]

I think we've got to be brutally honest here.

1. The club aren't going to stop music after goals- the majority of fans inside the grounds like Chelsea Dagger and the club know this.

2. At the same time they're not going to switch the Family Stand and The Kop as well. Like Peter Jones said in his reply, many fans wouldn't like the idea of moving seats after they've sat there since the beginning.

3. The safe stading issue. I just can't see it happening unfortunately. The club aren't going to accomodate and pay money for safe standing areas when they have what is in theur eyes a perfectly good seating arranagement.

I'd personally like all three of these things to happen, as a lot of you would. But for the reasons stated above I just can't see any of them realistically happening unfortunately.

they don't need to pay anything to let us stand, most people would just stand in front of their seat, which they would probably use during half time so they don't need to be removed