The new season is fast approaching. Three short weeks to go. And less than a month until the first home game. 1,000 season ticket holders will be in the East End for the first home fixture against Derby County, with 1,200 seats available there this season. The East End is the mecurial home of Bristol City faithful. It has been given to away fans since the building of the Atyeo stand. A long campaign to get it back has resulted in a small section being reclaimed by City fans. A key factor in this campaign has been websites such as Three Lions and A Robin website. I have shamelessly reproduced their article here but check out the website. It is rousing stuff.
EASTEND V DERBY
Lets create the most partizan home crowd in the championship!
‘If the normally sing ten songs lets sing fourteen. If they normally sing two players names lets sing eleven. Psychologically all those things can make a difference. If only people realised that’ GARY JOHNSON
From August to March last season even seasoned old skool Eastenders could have been surprised at the level of support generated by only several hundred Eastenders. The vocal intensity witnessed within the Eastend v Hull and Stoke was even beyond the hopes of those who had campaigned to get the stand reopened to City fans and to this fan of thirty plus years rarely equalled. Not only was vocal support of the team utterly positive; it was also incessant. Eastenders last season turned the stand into something rare in today’s sanitised modern football with its plastic seats and jester hats, by simply singing almost without a pause for the entire 90 minutes.
Unfortunately, the impetus built up over the initial months was lost, as City gates grew and the stands dynamics were altered by being housing overflow fans who would have rather gone in the Dolman, Ateyo and Williams stands. Bizarrely those fans elsewhere in the ground that wanted to move to the Eastend, were prevented by the club. The influx of new spectators had a huge detrimental effect on the atmosphere created, as the majority simply did not want to respond to the call from the manager for total support.
‘We’ve said all along that positive support gets through to the players. It’s unbelievable and makes you feel ten inches taller, two yards quicker and work even harder’ GARY JOHNSON
This coming season will see the Eastend accommodating at least 1200 City fans. If these 1200 fans are unified behind the team the rousing atmosphere generated will be everything the manager has consistently called for and a joy to take part in.
We, as fans, can send out a clarion call to the rest of Ashton Gate during the first game against Derby, to send out a statement of intent to be the most partisan home crowd in the championship for the entire season. This can be done by establishing right from the off, an example of how to consolidate all within the Eastend who want to roar on City. During the Derby game Forza Eastend calls on ALL vocal supporters to concentrate around blocks F and G and in turn sing as one. Let’s urge fans to turn up thirty or forty minutes before kick off and occupy the centre and rear of G block. Having the bulk of singers taking centre stage which was, for decades, tacitly observed by fans, would ensure the Eastend realises its wonderful potential again. It’s a 5.20 pm kick off, there’s still plenty of time for cider, none of that Irish
crap With gayers ice mind.
‘There was also the attitude that whatever happened, the crowd were going to get behind the team and give them every bit of support they possibly could. Amazingly this turned almost into a carnival atmosphere at times helped by those in the East End who I congratulate on their contribution on the day’. Stephen Lansdown
Brick by brick, starting with the Eastend, let’s all build fortress Ashton Gate.
