Atmosphere Saturday….

I

Ilderton Wanderer

Well-known member
….was really poor, again. What is the reason? The club keep putting out the blurb that it’s all fantastic but us old timers know that compared to before it’s fucking terrible. For long periods on Saturday the game was played out in near silence and at times it was hard to believe that we’re sitting in a playoff spot with a handful of games to go.

I’ve sat through many a crap game at The Den, old and new but these days it feels different, that undercurrent of intimidation just isn’t there. I’m not sure if it’s because a lot of older fans have fucked it off because of financial reasons or because modern football is, well, a bit shit because of over zealous stewards, microphones, cameras, phone grasses, tourists, YouTubers and podcasters etc but slowly we are becoming no different to our other London neighbours who we’ve taken the piss out of for years.

It’s ironic but the club is undoubtedly better run these days, the team is doing better than for many years and our attendances are as good as ever but something is missing down there. I honestly can’t remember a proper full on 90 minutes buzzing atmosphere at a home match since before covid.
 
Ilderton Wanderer said:
….was really poor, again. What is the reason? The club keep putting out the blurb that it’s all fantastic but us old timers know that compared to before it’s fucking terrible. For long periods on Saturday the game was played out in near silence and at times it was hard to believe that we’re sitting in a playoff spot with a handful of games to go.

I’ve sat through many a crap game at The Den, old and new but these days it feels different, that undercurrent of intimidation just isn’t there. I’m not sure if it’s because a lot of older fans have fucked it off because of financial reasons or because modern football is, well, a bit shit because of over zealous stewards, microphones, cameras, phone grasses, tourists, YouTubers and podcasters etc but slowly we are becoming no different to our other London neighbours who we’ve taken the piss out of for years.

It’s ironic but the club is undoubtedly better run these days, the team is doing better than for many years and our attendances are as good as ever but something is missing down there. I honestly can’t remember a proper full on 90 minutes buzzing atmosphere at a home match since before covid.
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I think it was anxiety - so near, so far to some extent.
 
Ilderton Wanderer said:
….was really poor, again. What is the reason? The club keep putting out the blurb that it’s all fantastic but us old timers know that compared to before it’s fucking terrible. For long periods on Saturday the game was played out in near silence and at times it was hard to believe that we’re sitting in a playoff spot with a handful of games to go.

I’ve sat through many a crap game at The Den, old and new but these days it feels different, that undercurrent of intimidation just isn’t there. I’m not sure if it’s because a lot of older fans have fucked it off because of financial reasons or because modern football is, well, a bit shit because of over zealous stewards, microphones, cameras, phone grasses, tourists, YouTubers and podcasters etc but slowly we are becoming no different to our other London neighbours who we’ve taken the piss out of for years.

It’s ironic but the club is undoubtedly better run these days, the team is doing better than for many years and our attendances are as good as ever but something is missing down there. I honestly can’t remember a proper full on 90 minutes buzzing atmosphere at a home match since before covid.
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Totally get that and all the reasons you state are valid. I can't explain it, but I've missed a fair few games because of train strikes this season, I'd have been gutted in years gone by, but I genuinely haven't missed it. Strange with the club doing so much and the league position. I know all the stuff behind the CBL is money making but to me it is a bit plastic and to be honest gets on my tits. It's like a fucking street party not Millwall. It's just too 'nice' now and that's not for me.

Not knocking anyone or anything, probably just means I'm a miserable old fucker, but the the first time in many years, I'm not planning on renewing my ST.
 
Ilderton Wanderer said:
….was really poor, again. What is the reason? The club keep putting out the blurb that it’s all fantastic but us old timers know that compared to before it’s fucking terrible. For long periods on Saturday the game was played out in near silence and at times it was hard to believe that we’re sitting in a playoff spot with a handful of games to go.

I’ve sat through many a crap game at The Den, old and new but these days it feels different, that undercurrent of intimidation just isn’t there. I’m not sure if it’s because a lot of older fans have fucked it off because of financial reasons or because modern football is, well, a bit shit because of over zealous stewards, microphones, cameras, phone grasses, tourists, YouTubers and podcasters etc but slowly we are becoming no different to our other London neighbours who we’ve taken the piss out of for years.

It’s ironic but the club is undoubtedly better run these days, the team is doing better than for many years and our attendances are as good as ever but something is missing down there. I honestly can’t remember a proper full on 90 minutes buzzing atmosphere at a home match since before covid.
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I think it was two things.

1st : We are/were all aware that as stated we were it was a possible banana skin. Had Voglsammer shot gone in on six minutes it would all have been different. And we all would have relaxed. But I’ll he magerli happened and it just wouldn’t go in. Que, us all just waiting for them to have one shot, and we would lose.
We have all seen it and lived it time and time again
It was most definitely a de ja vue moment.

2nd : it extremely difficult to clap and do the wank££ sign with the foam hands that are slowly creeping in

I was in the West upper and observing people coming in.
I said to myself quite a few times “there’s no way they are Millwall” we are a dying breed
I W .........
Maybe those of us a certain age, should donate our toe nail clippings, so that they can recreate our DNA when we are in the Old Den in the Sky.
 
Ilderton Wanderer said:
Yeah definitely was an element of that. I’m not sure it explains everything but I wouldn’t disagree that there was a nervousness around the fixture mainly because anyone who has followed us for more than six months saw Saturday as a potential great big fuck off banana skin.
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Somethings not been right at Millwall post Covid. Rowetts football don’t help but the club as whole seems to have changed quickly. Tourists everywhere, that poncey fan zone, and we seem to be attracting absolute mongs as well. We always knew the Millwall we all grew up with one day would go but not yet….!! It’s the weirdest chance of promotion season ever, the higher our gate the worse our atmosphere, when it’s around the 12-13k mark it pisses all over a sell out. If this is a taste of what us as a club would be in the Premier league then fuck that.
 
Maybe our support at home need something for them to shout and get excited about?

Since the Huddersfield defeat a lot of posters on here have expressed their opinions about how poor the teams performances have been recently, and there’s probably something in that as to why the atmosphere isn’t great at home! It’s hard for supporters to get themselves off their seats when they’re watching players playing head tennis a lot of the time, or getting frustrated that the same players, when getting the ball, won’t do something positive with it, choosing instead to just boot the ball quickly away up field, thereby absolving themselves of any responsibility should they be dispossessed and the opposition score from their mistake!

Long gone are the days of the flair players we used to watch at the old and new Dens! Today we don’t have players of the calibre of an Alex Rae, a Terry Hurlock or a Tim Cahill bossing midfield, who would often pass the ball to pacy/tricky wingers like Jimmy Carter, Paul Stephenson or Paul Ifill, that would then terrorise defenders by putting pin point crosses over to the likes of great forwards in Sheringham, Cascarino, Sadler, Harris and Morison!

Those players pretty much played consistently well throughout a season, but today that consistency is very hit or miss with our current squad, with some players playing a blinder one game, and completely disappearing in the next! Personally, I feel we have too many similar type players, none of whom have any creativity to control and dictate the midfield, or unlock stubborn defences when needed.

Nothing will change unless GR wants it to change, and with 8 games to go, and currently sitting pretty in a play off position, it’s doubtful that the manager will want to shake things up and upset the status quo at this point in time!
 
leFerne said:
We need a drum to get us going. I'll bring one along to the next game *
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Those old enough will remember we had a drum many years ago, the old gaff, halfway line. Late 70s I reckon.
One geezer holding some big base drum and his pal banging the life out of it.
Drove everyone fucking mad.
 
We've had our moments. WBA and Sheff U were decent atmospheres in my opinion, and the last 10 minutes of the Norwich game. On the whole though I agree that things have not been the same since the covid break. It's odd though, as the group of people I sit near in block 5 are pretty much the same, just not getting into the game as much.
 
Ilderton Wanderer said:
….was really poor, again. What is the reason? The club keep putting out the blurb that it’s all fantastic but us old timers know that compared to before it’s fucking terrible. For long periods on Saturday the game was played out in near silence and at times it was hard to believe that we’re sitting in a playoff spot with a handful of games to go.

I’ve sat through many a crap game at The Den, old and new but these days it feels different, that undercurrent of intimidation just isn’t there. I’m not sure if it’s because a lot of older fans have fucked it off because of financial reasons or because modern football is, well, a bit shit because of over zealous stewards, microphones, cameras, phone grasses, tourists, YouTubers and podcasters etc but slowly we are becoming no different to our other London neighbours who we’ve taken the piss out of for years.

It’s ironic but the club is undoubtedly better run these days, the team is doing better than for many years and our attendances are as good as ever but something is missing down there. I honestly can’t remember a proper full on 90 minutes buzzing atmosphere at a home match since before covid.
Click to expand...
It can be flat at times but compared to the away support & noise it does not come close ,maybe it is all the armchairs etc which help fill the ground at home but nothing like the old den..now that was intimidating for both away teams & their supporters
 
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