ATMOSPHERE, WHERE ART THOU?

It seems like a prehistoric event now. My first game at Ashton Gate. Naturally, I was taken to the East End for my first taste of all things Bristol City. Didn't take long to impress me, not least that it cost a mere £4 to get into the ground and I could stand as much as I liked. The atmosphere back then was typically loud. It was the East End, it was always like this.

It’s what got me addicted to football, that stand was always something special - great acoustics, terracing (well, back then it was) and the view was okay for that time.

Its now over fifteen years since my first game at Ashton Gate and the one thing that I liked more than anything else, the atmosphere, is at a non existent all time low. The atmosphere at AG sucks, it sucks big time. What's the cause of this? Some would argue that the ending of the aforementioned East End played a big part in it. Well yes, it has played a part but what people are so quick to forget is the first few seasons after the closure of the East End to home fans was that the atmosphere was then generated from the Atyeo. When this stand first opened it was as loud - everyone who wanted to sing would sit in block E.

So many things since then have killed the atmosphere at Ashton Gate. The fact that the band sit in the far corner of the Atyeo can't help. Stick them in the middle of the stand and get everyone around them to join in rather than sitting motionless. Get rid of reserved seating and bring back unreserved seating to all the stands, that would rapidly encourage all those who want to sing to sit together.

The stewarding at Ashton Gate leaves a lot to be desired too. Why oh why do the stewards treat us fans like serial killers - I've seen more people chucked out for singing or standing in the past three seasons that the previous twelve seasons before that. It’s no surprise that fans now greet the stewards with such anger - they are continually over the top.

This neatly brings me onto the subject of the East End. It's been announced by the club that the next 'home' East End opening will be for the Chesterfield game on the 17th January. Tickets will be on sale from the 1st of December, with season ticket holders able to exchange there match voucher for access to the Wedlocks Stand. If nothing else it’s a chance for a few to reminisce about how the East End used to be and to create and atmosphere at Ashton Gate once more.

Come join us, Come join us over ere.

Tomarse

P.S - I am not Luke Wilkshire, okay!