Monkey Hangers 🐒 v Town preview/matchday thread

[Jimmy HaveHave]

The best atmosphere I've witnessed at the County ground is from the late 70's up until the early 90's when the Shrivenham Road stand was knocked down and seats installed in the Town End. We're also forgetting how much noise used to come from the away fans in the corner of shrivenham road/Stratton bank with home fans next to them and only separated by a pen who would then interact with the hordes in Town End.

[RedRag]

I feel like 'the team must play in an exciting way all the time in order to gain my support' is an incredibly entitled view. Whatever happened to supporting your team for the sake of it?

I'm with you.

Obviously some will be more vocal than not but quit the moaning.  Players making mistakes or being too timid need positive encouragement.  

[Peter Venkman]

The atmosphere at the County Ground has not been any good since the late 80s(about the time we went all seater TBH), I agree with DOB, the home sound was a wall of sound, it used to be up with the best in the country back in the 70s and 80s, it used to be worth a goal head start.

Away from home we were a bit shit but the CG was an absolute fortress partly due to the atmosphere, everyone hated coming to us.

I dont always enjoy the way we play but i also dont expect us to win in an exciting way, but Swindon have historically been a football playing side bar a few seasons under Flitcroft and Beamish but in the main we have ALWAYS played good attacking football not the percentage long ball game, even under Macari we also played some great passing football.

Even if we play shit I wont stop watching us or supporting us, its in the blood no matter how shit it is on the pitch, after nearly 50 years its too deep ingrained now. I don't now or ever understand "fair weather fans" for me its Swindon Till I Die.

We will have some good, some bad, some indifferent but you always watch in the hope it will be a great game and a memory that will stay with you forever, thats why we go to games.....that hope of a lifelong great memory.

In the last few years the really happy memories from performances have been very few and far between for me, even under Wellens the amount of memorable great performances could be counted on the fingers of 1 hand. You have to go back to PdC to find the better ones for me.

I never ever watch games expecting us to win now, or expecting us to win with a fantastic performance but always in the hope that we will indeed win and win with aplomb.

I do think we need to get the players mindset in the right place for home games, of course there is an expectation for home games, where historically we have been so solid. Maybe we need to do a Hoddle and get in someone who will work with the players minds, Mental Game Coaching Professional who will work on any hang ups and concerns the players have, get even more from McKirdy too.

[JoeMezz]

McKirdy is spot on. Yes it works both ways but the crowd could do so much more to help. 2 home games left, win them both and we have a shot at the playoffs. Time to get behind the team!

[Jimmy HaveHave]

Man City at home is proof that the home crowd can get behind the team even when getting outplayed.

[Peter Venkman]

McKirdy is spot on. Yes it works both ways but the crowd could do so much more to help. 2 home games left, win them both and we have a shot at the playoffs. Time to get behind the team!

Damn right mate.

If we are to stand any chance of play offs then we need the fans behind us from the off, not just when 2 goals up, we have the crowds but don't seem to muster an atmosphere in the last few years barring Man City game.

If the players feel loved then I am sure they will perform for us, and maybe just push us to the next level.

[JBZ]

If crowd support is really that significant ( professionals should perform without it) then FGR's achievements this season are even more impressive.

[Jilted John]

If crowd support is really that significant ( professionals should perform without it) then FGR's achievements this season are even more impressive.

You really do like to twist things dont you

Perhaps FGR have a better atmosphere in a tiny ground than we have in an actual stadium?

Maybe they dont have the pressures of a large fanbase as we do?

Maybe they have better motivated players who are motivated by a huge salary whereas ours are budget limited to about £1500 a week whereas they pay about £5000 per player according to their accounts with around £4 million in wages being paid out.

Maybe they dont have players who have ever had to play in front of crowds of over 2,500 week in week out so dont have the pressure our players do?

Maybe they have a manager who has managed at international age levels before who can motivate players?

I hope the forest gumps get relegated next season even if you seem to be a huge fan of theirs, maybe you should go watch them next season?

[JBZ]

You really do like to twist things dont you

Perhaps FGR have a better atmosphere in a tiny ground than we have in an actual stadium?

Maybe they dont have the pressures of a large fanbase as we do?

Maybe they have better motivated players who are motivated by a huge salary whereas ours are budget limited to about £1500 a week whereas they pay about £5000 per player according to their accounts with around £4 million in wages being paid out.

Maybe they dont have players who have ever had to play in front of crowds of over 2,500 week in week out so dont have the pressure our players do?

Maybe they have a manager who has managed at international age levels before who can motivate players?

I hope the forest gumps get relegated next season even if you seem to be a huge fan of theirs, maybe you should go watch them next season?

Good post, my friend.  It seems I continue to (inadvertently) trigger you.   I have previously expressed my remorse regarding comments made about my place of birth.

[Batch]

Man City at home is proof that the home crowd can get behind the team even when getting outplayed.

Sorry Jimmy but that's horseshit.

It was a one off game against the league champions, live on prime time TV. A celebration game with no expectation beyond loss.

To compare it against a normal l2 game is nonsense.

That said, Tuesday is massive. I'm hopeful the atmosphere will be ok

[Jimmy HaveHave]

I wasn't compairing just saying how good that atmosphere was even though we were poor at the back and getting outclassed. It would have been easy for the fans to give up irrespective being on the TV or not.

[JBZ]

I wasn't compairing just saying how good that atmosphere was even though we were poor at the back and getting outclassed. It would have been easy for the fans to give up irrespective being on the TV or not.

The atmosphere was good as it was akin to having the Harlem Globetrotters in town. 

[Jimmy HaveHave]

The atmosphere was good as it was akin to having the Harlem Globetrotters in town. 

I get that at the start but it could have dropped off when we conceded two goals and weren't in the game.

[TheDukeOfBanbury]

The atmosphere at the County Ground has not been any good since the late 80s(about the time we went all seater TBH), I agree with DOB, the home sound was a wall of sound, it used to be up with the best in the country back in the 70s and 80s, it used to be worth a goal head start.

Away from home we were a bit shit but the CG was an absolute fortress partly due to the atmosphere, everyone hated coming to us.

I dont always enjoy the way we play but i also dont expect us to win in an exciting way, but Swindon have historically been a football playing side bar a few seasons under Flitcroft and Beamish but in the main we have ALWAYS played good attacking football not the percentage long ball game, even under Macari we also played some great passing football.

Even if we play shit I wont stop watching us or supporting us, its in the blood no matter how shit it is on the pitch, after nearly 50 years its too deep ingrained now. I don't now or ever understand "fair weather fans" for me its Swindon Till I Die.

We will have some good, some bad, some indifferent but you always watch in the hope it will be a great game and a memory that will stay with you forever, thats why we go to games.....that hope of a lifelong great memory.

In the last few years the really happy memories from performances have been very few and far between for me, even under Wellens the amount of memorable great performances could be counted on the fingers of 1 hand. You have to go back to PdC to find the better ones for me.

I never ever watch games expecting us to win now, or expecting us to win with a fantastic performance but always in the hope that we will indeed win and win with aplomb.

I do think we need to get the players mindset in the right place for home games, of course there is an expectation for home games, where historically we have been so solid. Maybe we need to do a Hoddle and get in someone who will work with the players minds, Mental Game Coaching Professional who will work on any hang ups and concerns the players have, get even more from McKirdy too.

Superb and refreshing post.

[RWB Robin]

This thing about atmosphere and whovsings and who doesn't is really difficult. I sit in the Arkells when I am able to come, which is very rare these days because of distance, and feel quite isolated from the noise. It is difficult, if there is not a decent-sized group sound you, to join in. I'm not a soloist! But even the Townend seems to lack the energy. Yesterday, 400+ altogether started at the beginning and kept a selection going (not ALL the time) for most of the match, and I was glad to join in.
But the other problem is what to sing....I cannot translate what some of the chants are - probably just as well!! But it creates a problem at home if the reticent Arkells people don't know the songs.
The great experience at Anfield, for instance, is that everyone knows one song, and they all join in before the match begins, setting everyone up for the rest of the match.....