Union FS

All sounds like a good idea. I hope they can get up and going with success.

Atmosphere will benefit when the singing comes from the front to the the middle of the stands and not at the back! Obviously this can't happen while there are people behind you wanting to sit.

Hope to see safe standing in stadia soon

Lots of good thinking here, and well done to all concerned for all the very hard work being put into this worthwhile enterprise.

I have not yet read the whole of the material, but I will sound a note of dissent on one point, which relates to -

"There is no unity and pockets of fans sing different songs even despite being in same block – agreed by all present."

Well golly gee. Setting aside the obvious horror of different people in different places wanting to sing different songs, I have never understood the emphasis which many put on singing at football matches anyway. I don't. Neither do I sing in the bath, in the shower, in church, at midnight on New Year's Eve, at rock concerts, or while tramping on hills. I once upon a time sang, very quietly, to try to get my baby daughter off to sleep. It didn't work. I find risible, and frankly irritating, the ardour with which some fans try to insist that all others should sing at matches, and get umpty when they refuse to do do.

Singing at a match would be as alien to me as playing a trombone or reciting the ten commandments. I go to matches to cheer my side, to boo the opposition and sometimes the ref, to ooh and aah at clever play, to laugh at (whoever's) ludicrous play, and more generally to applaud and lament. I actively avoid those sections of the ground which go in for singing.

Sing if you wish, but don't complain that others don't and DON'T assume that it somehow reflects a lack of passion or feebleness of support. I have been not singing at City games since 1968, and bow to no one in how strongly I support them.

There, I've said it.

PS I cannot bear the drumming either, before you ask.

Malling, I think that's fine. If it's not for you then it's not for you, it doens't make you any less of a fan. However, there is one absolutely key point to your comment:

"I actively avoid those sections of the ground which go in for singing."

And that's part of the point here, to get those who want to be part of a singing section into the same area. There's often complaint when someone stands up or throws around swearwords in an otherwise family area, but equally as bad to me would be someone going to the back of L1 and complaining to the stewards that everyone around them is standing up and too noisy. There's room for everyone in the stadium and the sooner everyone (stewards, club officials, fans on both sides of the coin) realises that and works to get better organised, the happier everyone will be and the better the atmosphere.

So in that way, I applaud what these guys are trying to do. Whether they succeed depends mainly on whether they can keep a collective cool head when they come up against the inevitable barriers.

The approach they plan to take is brilliant. I hope it works out.

Not sure how you could be dead set against singing at the football Mailing. Each to their own but its been in the heart of football from its beginning.

I don't think Malling's against singing at a football ground, he's just against MallingFox being coaxed into singing at a football ground.

As long as there's room for everyone, there's no problem.

Spot on, Dunge.

One of the reasons i don't gp to many away games when i am not in the desert is the standing and singing Fascists. I want to watch the game and applaud and sing an odd city ditty when i want.

I noticed the standing ovation given to our sub's against Bolton please a standing ovation has a meaning when the player has been ourtstanding in my opinion otherwise it loses its value.

Grumpy old git moment over

Well said, Nev. Whenever I can decipher your posts, I find I agree with them.