Atmosphere at Home Games

[Cholo 428]

The last time I went to the Bridge, I was shocked. You could hear a needle fall.

Do you guys remember the Supercup against Bayern? Mourinho was desperately trying to animate our fans but the only ones who could be heard were the Bayern fans. German media really mocked the Chelsea fans and made fun of us the following days.

[avstu™ 5]

As you can tell by my username, I am in fact a Villa fan.

I always keep an eye on all things Chelsea because of knowing David and Jim from this forum to talk to for a good while now.

The comments Jose made yesterday IMO were spot on BUT I don't believe you are the only fans who are poor at home. In fact apart from maybe Crystal Palace I would say all Premiership home crowds are poor and have been for some time.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

No, I don't think he was trying to take pressure off the team, because if he was he wouldn't have emphasized first and in several interviews that he thought that the performance was bad and our worst this season. Not everything is mind games. I think he was just genuinely upset.

[Chelsea? 892]

more high tempo stuff will get the fans invloved i think

[kellzfresh 7,229]

We all knew this is true for all epl teams. Someone else would have said it sooner or later even if it sounds harsh.

Move on and maybe we should sing more than only 5 -10mins after when we score. Hopefully the fantastic away fans stay as good.

[Polo7 3,496]

I was at the game yesterday and Jose is a 100% correct. No one was singing or cheering except for goal opportunities. Alot of people leave with 5-10 minutes to go so they can have a beer or catch an early train. Its pathetic. And when you stand up to cheer, you get told to sit down by some tourist who is taking photos. Urgh.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

One of the best home support I have ever seen at Stamford Bridge was in Napoli game. You could feel everyone were behind the team that day. One historical night.

[chelseafc9010 224]

Meh it's true for all teams really, but here it is awful. Even when we score or put on pressure, the crowd is silent, the crowd doesn't start to build as we build our pressure to help the team, they just clap every now and again, quite pathetic really. I don't go to watch chelsea but I know if the travel and ticket costs were cheaper I'd go a lot more if I was allowed and would chant in every game, like others say the pricing in a problem. However it's hard to fix this considering the FFP rules, the high tax in england, high costs for the club in england and the fact that we don't produce youngsters means we have to buy new players, which really burries the coffin on any chance of the prices being as low as teams in german.

Like I said before, maybe we can put in chant lyrics in the match booklet, or offer out big flags to buy in the shop for matchday or something, just anything really. Also like someone else mentioned, about the trumpet and drum noises. I don't think they're banned because I hear them at the Etihad sometimes, I think we just don't use them but we should, makes it sound like a warzone at times like suggested.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

Yep but I can just see the banter we would get from here if we put lyrics in the booklets.

Personally I think we should make MH and SE standing, making the Shed home only, and moving away fans into the West Stand, and putting up the price of general sale tickets and perhaps match day packages to subsidise member tickets and beer prices. It doesn't help atmosphere when I pay £60 for a ticket, make a 2 and a half hour round trip to get to the ground, walk through the turnstiles and then have to pay nigh on a 10er for some chips and a drink. Ends up being £100 for a night. In the end it's cheaper (and easier) to go watch the game on a stream off Wiziwig.

Of course, the ultimate solution is stadium upgrades: Breaking news, in a world class and worldwide club, a 40,000 seater stadium will be high in demand.

Unfortunately, with a world wide fan club brings a 'posher' demographic. In this way, it would almost be good to have a slump, as then it will be in less demand, prices go down, core fans can get tickets again.

On the flags: Surely it wouldn't kill Chelsea to give them away...

[dee25 1,044]

I much prefer these 'mind games' when there're directed towards rival managers....and Wenger. Honestly, Chelsea supporters (particularly match going fans) are already such a vilified group in the press and these comments by Mourinho only gives ammunition to that negativity. Next game, opposition fans will be singing "even Mourinho thinks your shit". There're other ways he could have gotten his message across. The comments were out of order plain and simple.

And seriously if he's so bothered by the atmosphere at the Bride to the point that he finds it so unbearable then maybe he should be helping the Chelsea supporters trust to champion safe standing. Maybe he should be working with the club to introduce less stern ban policies - when I was in Uni in London, I knew many fans that were issued lengthly bans for standing. How can you moan about the home support when the stadium regulations in place are so restrictive? When stadium regulations aren't fan oriented?

[Amblève. 4,995]

I was at the game yesterday and Jose is a 100% correct. No one was singing or cheering except for goal opportunities. Alot of people leave with 5-10 minutes to go so they can have a beer or catch an early train. Its pathetic. And when you stand up to cheer, you get told to sit down by some tourist who is taking photos. Urgh.

Wtf. Tell them to fuck off and go to a zoo or museum or do the stadium tour if they wanna take pics. Fucking idiots.

[Styles 9,790]

Blues fans rep in price plea

Jose Mourinho's complaints about the lack of atmosphere at Stamford Bridge are a consequence of younger fans being priced out, according to a Chelsea fans' representative.

Jose Mourinho's complaints about the lack of atmosphere at Stamford Bridge are a consequence of younger fans being priced out, according to a Chelsea fans' representative.

The Portuguese said it had been like "playing in an empty stadium" in the Barclays Premier League game against QPR on Saturday and believed the tepid atmosphere has contributed to the way his players are approaching home games.

Chelsea Supporters' Trust chair Tim Rolls was sure Mourinho's intention in speaking out was to spark a loud response from fans at the next home game against West Brom on November 22, but argued that the demographic of the crowd is the biggest issue his club, and others, need to address.

"We've got a situation at Chelsea and at other grounds where the atmosphere probably isn't as good as it used to be," Rolls told Press Association Sport.

"But there are clear reasons for that around the age of the supporter base. It's £50-plus to go, and young people - who are the most likely to sing and make noise - have been priced out of the game.

"Until the clubs recognise that and do something about affordable pricing for young people and creating sections of the ground where they can sing and make some noise then the situation is unlikely to improve."

The cheapest general sale adult tickets for the QPR game were £46, going up to a top price of £75, with the cheapest generale sale tickets for juniors (under-18s) priced at £18, although these discounted junior tickets are only available in certain sections of the stadium.

Rolls added: "It would be good to have a 16-25 section with reduced prices where people are actively encouraged to sing. The only way (to improve the atmosphere) is to have a dedicated section and have it cheaper.

"It's unrealistic to expect eighteen, nineteen-year-old kids on the minimum wage to come to Stamford Bridge or any other Premier League ground - this isn't just an issue at Chelsea, it's an issue across the board.

"(Mourinho) is very calculating - he didn't just say it off the cuff I'm sure. He's doing a fantastic job in terms of where we are and the season we're having, but it's difficult with the demographic we have to get people to show the same vocal passion than if you had a lot more people in their teens and in their early to mid-20s (attending matches)."

Rolls also felt the introduction of safe standing might have a positive impact.

"We did a survey of our members, 96 per cent thought that, if possible, safe standing should be introduced to Stamford Bridge but it's a wider issue than just Chelsea, it's not going to happen overnight," he said.

A spokesman for Chelsea was not immediately available for comment.

Tim Rolls also did a big piece about ticket prices a while ago if anybody is interested in reading it - http://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2014/9/19/6412279/chelsea-fc-the-changing-cost-of-football-at

[iseah100 5,612]

Jose says what he wants

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Jose just think that actually all the fans in the stadium could do it better to show their support for the team. That's the only reason, I believe. Not with a purpose to 'hurt' the fans, imo.

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,920]

West Brom? If anything it will be worse. He's criticized the fans before and it made no difference. Personally, even if he is trying to deflect attention away from a piss poor performance he should shut his gob about the fans. Maybe if he was on the wage most regular fans are who pay £55 to watch Mo Salah miscontrol a 10 yard pass he can genuinely claim to have this connection with the fans but while he is on a few million a year not knowing how difficult it is to afford to go he can shut up.

[The Chels 2,502]

the BBC couldn't help themselves could they

[Fulham Broadway 17,333]

Fan reaches out to JT re Joses comments

joecfcdavies

Hi JT, I thought I would write to you because I feel you're someone in the club who would understand, because you're a fan like us and many of us believe something needs to be done. As much as we all love Jose, his comments yesterday was not called for and was completely bang out of order for people who pay ridiculous prices each week to watch Chelsea. Here lies the first issue, pricing. It has become so expensive following football now that many proper fans are being priced out of going to Stamford bridge and being replaced by tourists who of course won't be singing or making noise. Another one problem is the stewarding, the problem is as soon as people try to stand up and make an atmosphere (you're obviously not gonna have atmosphere sitting down) we get threatened with ejection if we don't sit down so no one wants to make an atmosphere now in fear of getting chucked out. Another problem is the away fans in the famous shed end. If the away fans were in the west upper or East upper then they wouldn't be heard as much as we have a bigger platform to make noise. There are many solutions to the atmosphere problem like singing sections, safe standing, cheaper tickets but the club has done nothing. As you know John our away support is brilliant, because we are standing all game, not being threatened to be kicked out and tickets are generally cheaper. The whole point i am trying to get across is ths all well and good Jose slagging off our support but will he actually do anything about it?

because

down thing needs to be done rather than just slagging off people who pay loads of money to be told to sit down or face ejection from the stadium. Sorry to bother you JT but as our greatest ever player and a fan yourself, I feel you have influence and understand what we are feeling.

Regards, Joe.

johnterry.26

Joe

I'm just about to go and train but will contact you after training today.

Please send your number. JT.

Mr. Davies' points are well made. Chelsea's home support is widely considered poor, but the away fans are magnificent, and the problem, therefore, cannot be solely, or even mostly, down to the fans themselves. Blues fans have long complained about the stewarding at home, and as Mr. Davies says, being threatened with ejection for standing up and making noise is a good way to ensure that there is no noise.

The real story here, of course, is that the captain is willing to get involved. John Terry has won three Premier Leagues and the European Cup, but is still responsive enough to fans to get involved in this sort of issue. It's fantastic that Terry's still close enough to the community to recognise that this is an issue to be taken seriously and talked about. I'm sure Mr. Davies isn't the only fan who's reached out to Chelsea, but good work in talking to the captain. He's just the kind of ally supporters need here.

I have no idea what happens next, but I imagine that both captain and manager will be all aboard the 'increased support' train, and I hope that some of Chelsea's policies are re-evaluated. If Jose's words spark real change, then I think we can all agree that they're for the best, regardless of the slightly tone-deaf way in which they were delivered.

[zolayes 14,489]

I think Jose is handling this very badly .. Programme notes ASKING for more noise would have been better

[Fulham Broadway 17,333]

JT probably just ensured his contract doesnt get renewed by getting involved

[CHOULO19 24,332]

As I said in his thread, I don't think JT has enough influence at the club anymore to change anything.

Although, change in this matter is now probably much possible with Gourlay gone.