Clappers at the Forest and Palace games

[BenReadingFC]

STAR's proudest moment.... Just found on my PC

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xq9nyr_raise-the-hoops_sport

[West Stand Man]

Well, now it is all done what is the verdict?

Looking dispassionately on to the way it all panned out here's a view that will upset the 'hard core'.

There was an awesome atmosphere throughout the whole of the final 2 games. ALL of the stadium got involved in making some noise and it was deafening at times. The clappers were very evident throughout that - in parts on the stadium where the chanting/ singing is routine the clappers were less evident but that is unsurprising. The easy conclusion to draw is that they did have an impact on 'quieter' areas of the stadium, helping the self-conscious majority to get involved.

So, horses for courses. If you are one of those who has no problem losing your inhibitions and chanting you don't need (and probably don't want) these aids. Many more do use them and they then relax into the general atmosphere.

Yes, you could argue that the situation was such that there was bound to be a top rate atmosphere all round the Madejski but history shows that not always to be the case. A substantial element of our fans are very self-conscious about getting into the generation of a large wall of sound; any help to lift that is a good thing. We probably don't want or need to have them all the time but once in a while they are not a bad thing to add to the party.

Onwards and upwards. Inflatables next week.

[Royal With Cheese]

If it's any consolation Bayern fans were given clappers in the CL Semi last night.

I suppose they're a lot noisier than flags given out.

[paultheroyal]

Yep, I would agree with that.

Said it before and I will say it again, HNA is about 3% of the fan base who attends matches. Certainly in the minority.

[rob the royal]

Thing is it was the same as at the forest game, sometimes chants would start then get "clappered" out by people who either didn't know the way it went or seemed to think just hammering their clapper as quickly as possible would be a good way to supplement a chant.

If anything at times the constant "I want to get involved I'll just "clapper" to a song in my head was just making a noise and making it hard for any football songs to get going.

The atmosphere at those two games would have been good whatever happened. The atmosphere at some of our more drab games has been poor but in recent weeks it's vastly improved - still of the opinion clappers are a last resort for the less glamourous low attendance games or kid for a quid

The one time the clappers did sound really good was when big bad wolf was on as it seems the beat was pretty much impossible for even a monkey on crack to balls up... unfortunately I don't see us playing matches with big bad wolf on in the background, so yeah, save the clappers for last resort.

I'm all for getting people involved but at games like that they'll get involved anyway, it doesn't take long to learn the words to blue army...

[Big Foot]

Great atmosphere generated by the East Stand who largely ignored them.

I'm sure you'd like to think that, but I can assure you the stand was awash with them. Maybe fewer in Y26 but they were there too.

They might be a bit gimp but as pointed out above, they got the place rocking pre kick off an the noise never let up, with every stand joining in. Once we went ahead it was something special to hear the whole stadium chanting in unison.

They won't be there every match but they were a bit of fun and did a job. Some of you miserable sods need to chill out and give a bit of credit for a change.

^This.
Loathe the idea of them, but they got other parts of the stadium involved last night and i thought the atmosphere was fantastic.

Errrr we got promoted, of course the atmosphere is gonna be fantastic

FWIW, I played my part yesterday by getting one of these god awful items, reading it for a moment or 2 and then ripping it into 8 pieces. Absolute LOL that they've got chant lyrics written on them

[West Stand Man]

Clappers were absolutely fucking awful.

Great atmosphere generated by the East Stand who largely ignored them.

You needed to look at the East Stand from over the pitch. The clappers were in mass usage in all bar the obvious (Y24/25) areas.

[West Stand Man]

Errrr we got promoted, of course the atmosphere is gonna be fantastic

FWIW, I played my part yesterday by getting one of these god awful items, reading it for a moment or 2 and then ripping it into 8 pieces. Absolute LOL that they've got chant lyrics written on them [/quote]


My, you are a toughie!

[STAR Liaison]

I'm all for getting people involved but at games like that they'll get involved anyway, it doesn't take long to learn the words to blue army...

And if it is so easy to get the "quiet" ones involved why are they not every game. I would say that there are a lot of supporters who yell encouragement or at the officials but won't/don't join in chants but are happy to clap. The sneering at blue army on here is all very well but it is the one thing that the whole stadium joins in on and the clapper banners were to build on that.

It will be interesting to see how the atmosphere is next season when we get an influx of newbies - they may be willing to sing or be even quieter as sitting in the armchair is not the best position for chanting

[SLAMMED]

Clappers were absolutely fucking awful.

Great atmosphere generated by the East Stand who largely ignored them.

You needed to look at the East Stand from over the pitch. The clappers were in mass usage in all bar the obvious (Y24/25) areas.

Exactly.

[blueroyals]

STAR are so out of touch with the fans and football in general it's unreal. Clappers? Seriously? I don't think i've heard of another club ever doing such a ghey thing...

[Schards#2]

Well, now it is all done what is the verdict?

Looking dispassionately on to the way it all panned out here's a view that will upset the 'hard core'.

There was an awesome atmosphere throughout the whole of the final 2 games. ALL of the stadium got involved in making some noise and it was deafening at times. The clappers were very evident throughout that - in parts on the stadium where the chanting/ singing is routine the clappers were less evident but that is unsurprising. The easy conclusion to draw is that they did have an impact on 'quieter' areas of the stadium, helping the self-conscious majority to get involved.

So, horses for courses. If you are one of those who has no problem losing your inhibitions and chanting you don't need (and probably don't want) these aids. Many more do use them and they then relax into the general atmosphere.

Yes, you could argue that the situation was such that there was bound to be a top rate atmosphere all round the Madejski but history shows that not always to be the case. A substantial element of our fans are very self-conscious about getting into the generation of a large wall of sound; any help to lift that is a good thing. We probably don't want or need to have them all the time but once in a while they are not a bad thing to add to the party.

Onwards and upwards. Inflatables next week.

I don't think it was half as bad as I thought it would be. In the main, they complimented the singing rather than competed with it and it was great to see all four stands making a noise.

Whilst, undoubtadly, these games would have had the best atmosphere of the season regardless, I can't think of many games where virtually the entire crowd has been engaged. In a perfect world, I'd rather they were engaged without these but we're not there yet.

[West Stand Man]

Exactly.

Exactly what? Your post implied that the East Stand didn't use them. Mine said they did. So how can we have agreed - unless you are Belgian of course?

[West Stand Man]

I don't think it was half as bad as I thought it would be. In the main, they complimented the singing rather than competed with it and it was great to see all four stands making a noise.

Whilst, undoubtadly, these games would have had the best atmosphere of the season regardless, I can't think of many games where virtually the entire crowd has been engaged. In a perfect world, I'd rather they were engaged without these but we're not there yet.

Precisely. I do hope we can get to the point where they are superfluous but, as you say, we aren't quite there yet.

[rob the royal]

Please tell me this isn't true?

There is no need for it. The atmosphere at home games has been superb in recent games. This is EMBARRASSING.

STAR, you really need to sort yourselves out!

Would refer to this post which I totally agree with.

The atmosphere at points during this season was truly appalling but that's more down to Reading fans (in very general terms) expecting to be entertained or for their team to be peppering the goal before they make any noise.

In recent games the atmosphere's been almost back to it's best.

As for newbies not learning the songs - I would disagree, there's been loads of times new faces have turned up near me and not known any of the songs but known some of them by the end. Whereas i noticed some unfamiliar faces this time and they were hammering away with the clappers at some random rate depending on how excited they were and paying no attention to the chants...

That's what was happening near me in the East stand anyway...

[SLAMMED]

Exactly.

Exactly what? Your post implied that the East Stand didn't use them. Mine said they did. So how can we have agreed - unless you are Belgian of course?

The sections of the East Stand I was referring to was the sections with the best atmosphere.

I should have been clearer.