Stuttgart: FAI please take note [Archive]

SUB of the day

04/09/2006, 11:16 AM

soccerc

04/09/2006, 12:32 PM

I'm sure everyone in the stadium on Saturday was impressed by the German FA' presentation of the fixture.After the mayhem in Paris, we got to the ground well in advance of kickoff.Flags, cards, drums, music , every opportunity to give their team maximum home field advantage was exploited to the max.I know the FAI have made efforts in this regard, but the DFB are in a different league.BTW, the German people and fans were fantastic...DANKE.

FYI, the presentation was by the German Fans club who some of us met on Saturday afternoon.

Now for the funny part - they confirmed they got their ideas from the Irish fans having seen the el fans displays in 2003 on TV and approached the German FA saying if the FAI could do it in Ireland why couldn't they.

They communicated by 2 way radio with "cheerleaders" throughout the stadium and with the drummer sand flag bearers.

One of our group was even brought into the stadium at 6pm to hang his Tranmere Rovers tricolour in a spot that would get TV Coverage.

Fans have voices

casso36

04/09/2006, 12:52 PM

I must say, when i walked into stadium i was stunned to see all the german flags around the ground, and said to myself now thats what support is about (although we Irish did pretty good ourselves) the whole country the german FA and the fans etc!! They really showed us in the world cup how to run an event and i as one,wish to thank them all for the kindness and events organisation at the weekend this was excellent!!!
and i had a ball!! And also thank them for the lovely invention of the Litre Beer!!!!:D :D

OwlsFan

04/09/2006, 12:58 PM

I didn't think the German vocal support was that great. Without the music they could seldom be heard. They all waved their flags ok that were on their seats when the music was blaring out but apart from that there wasn't much coming from them. It's all artificially stimulated but I know that's the way of the world but they were pretty dead without the blaring music at the start, when the goal was scored and at the end of the game.

Really peeved at the end of the game that we were drowned out by the music again.

pineapple stu

04/09/2006, 1:01 PM

Yeah, agree with OwlsFan. The German atmosphere was very organised. But there's no harm trying to recreate that ourselves and incorporate it into what we had on Saturday.

monutdfc

04/09/2006, 1:20 PM

Now for the funny part - they confirmed they got their ideas from the Irish fans having seen the el fans displays in 2003 on TV and approached the German FA saying if the FAI could do it in Ireland why couldn't they.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Well done soccerc!

londonirish17

04/09/2006, 1:36 PM

I was there on saturday and I have to say that apart of not having flags (and loosing the game), support for the Irish team was great and as OwlsFan said one could wonder at some point who played at home.
The whole athmosphere before, during and after the game was really positive.
Everything was superbly organized.

Schwalker

04/09/2006, 7:01 PM

Well, cheers for that lads...

I know it´s a bit of a parody but we are good at organisation. As for the "plastic" atmosphere it´s a pity but to be honest only the club games have a real and passionate atmosphere. We are trying to get things working at national games as well..and if unlimited resources can do it someday we will succed.

As some of you might have noticed the fans have power in Germany, mainly because the clubs are owned by their members..meaning that if someone suggested that we should disallow flags, drums, standing room or beer sold on the stands they would get few votes..:cool:

DmanDmythDledge

04/09/2006, 9:45 PM

Poor Student

04/09/2006, 9:48 PM

I posted this somewhere else but I can't find it now. The German singing and waving died within an instant of the song ceasing over the PA system. It died so instantly I couldn't believe it. The flag display was something to behold in full flight but there was no sponteneity.

highlight100

04/09/2006, 9:49 PM

geysir

04/09/2006, 10:36 PM

I forgot to bring my noise suppressor headphones. It's sport USA style.
Decibel blasting noise for 90 minutes before the game interspersed with 2 permanently fixed grin Andy Gray cheerleadertypes shouting on the big screen, interspersed with adverts and one Andy Gray shouts out every 5 minutes lets hear it for the Ireland then lets hear it for Germany.
FFS
Half time, more moronic non stop noise and as soon as the game ends the stadium sound system is again blasting out fan supressant noise.
Sorry to those who think this fan power. This is the biggest heap of contrived shíte that I have ever witnessed. It's an insult to intelligence.
When Germany scored, even that response had to be choreographed.
There is no substitute for naturally aspirated athmosphere.
As for the flag waving, it was like the feckin Nurenburg rally.
The German fans around me suddenly at some secret prompt stand up ramrod straight and wave their paper flags in perfect unison and sit down respectfully after 33.5 seconds.
A big part of "fan power" I'd assume is being able to hear them before and after the game. I couldn't hear diddly from the Irish fans then.
The Stadium was fantastic, facilities first class and everything around it was first class, even the sound system was superb :)

Thunderblaster

04/09/2006, 10:40 PM

Yeah, the Germans were pretty choreographed in their support but the Irish were fantastic. I was on 61d of the Gegentribune, part of a scattered group from Westport, Castlebar and Dundalk and we based ourselves in Weitnau. and I had my "Jambo Jambo Zamunda Supporter & Buddies on Tour" tricolour down the front beside the "It Bites" flag. The "You're Supposed to be At Home" chant was witty but the best of the night was when the eight German bass drum players beat their drums to the effect of "BOOM, BOOM, BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM, Sie", we changed the word to "Cheats"!!:D The Irish supporter beside me from Colonge, originally from Dublin, could not hide her laughter. As the German team were passing by before the game, we waved our flag to them and the policemen got a great laugh. The frisking was something else!!:eek: Even the scrotum gets frisked and by the time the security official was finished with me, I was sexually aroused.:D It was a good trip.

Closed Account 2

04/09/2006, 11:31 PM

I got in the wrong queue and was given the full frisk by a German policewoman on entry to the stadium.

pineapple stu

04/09/2006, 11:34 PM

Sounds like you were in the right queue then...

strangeirish

04/09/2006, 11:38 PM

I got in the wrong queue and was given the full frisk by a German policewoman on entry to the stadium.

How many times did you try getting in...?:D

Fergie's Son

04/09/2006, 11:41 PM

There was absolutely no spontanaity from the German fans. They had officials handing out flags all over the stadium and the German fans only chanted when instructed via the PA system.

Effective but a little cold (not trying to be stereotypical). The music at the end was very annoying. Way to Amarillo? WTF.

I did, however, like how they introduced the German Team:

e.g.:

PA Announcer: Michael!

Crowd: Ballack!!!

Lastly, alcohol free beer? That just sucked the buzz out somewhat.

irish tricky

05/09/2006, 8:24 AM

We out sang them during the anthem. I thought the atmosphere was brilliant, unreal.

Irish fans, best fans in the world, by far!!!

Stuttgart88

05/09/2006, 8:48 AM

It's sport USA style.

The Stadium was fantastic, facilities first class and everything around it was first class, even the sound system was superb :)

That's the way it is these days though. Give me that contrived choreographed atmosphere rather than the empy seats & creaking PA system we have at Lansdowne 15 mins before every game.

I think it had a good effect. In the absence of terraces I don't think we can hark back to the days of the Dalymount Roar anymore. Certainly not at a bowl type ground like Stuttgart. Maybe a Dortmund / Cologne / kaiserslautern style grounds lends itself more to spontaneity.

Fair play to the Irish fans. It's just a shame I couldn't really hear them that much due to (a) my pathetic hoarse attemps at joining in and (b) any response of "Deutschland, Deutschland" from those near me.

Stuttgart88

05/09/2006, 8:50 AM

The "Michael.................... BALLACK" thing was actually done at Palace years ago.

Any time Clinton scored the PA would announce "the goal for Palace scored by Clinton.." and the crowd would yell back "Morrisson". Simple but great.

Ozymandias

05/09/2006, 9:06 AM

OwlsFan

05/09/2006, 10:03 AM

Got a chance to look at the video last night. National anthem was as good as I thought. Didn't realise some woman with a mike was singing it as well. Never heard her at the ground. Lump to the throat stuff.

Pity Stan couldn't learn the words - the manager should sing like everyone else.

SUB of the day

05/09/2006, 11:29 AM

Consider the context of the game, ie Germany 3rd in the world V ROI, 38th and falling.Could you imagine a Lansdowne crowd being in their seats so early, and reacting in practically 100 percent unison to the tanoy prompts, for a game against Latvia or Georgia.BTW, after some away trips I find you develop a soft spot for the hosts if the trip was a blast.For me at least, Stuttgart (the return) is up there with Zagreb and Talinn.

Beavis

05/09/2006, 11:52 AM

I was thrown out of the stadium at half time and then let back in(after some intense puppy dog-I didnt mean it- pleading) just because I was in the wrong seat. I was truly kacking myself at the thought of missing the second half.
Very harsh I really, being ejected without even asking me to move first.

SUB of the day

05/09/2006, 12:02 PM

casso36

05/09/2006, 12:04 PM

There was a post in another thread which showed a picture of Dennis Bergkamp's testimonial where everyone was given a t-shirt to where dependent on where they were sitting. It looked amazing and would be brilliant if we could pull of something like that.

They tried this for game against Swiss(I think) in landsdowne Road, But did,nt work everyone stuck them in there pockets!!! Some wore them but that was all.

Thunderblaster

05/09/2006, 12:05 PM

I...was given the full frisk by a German policewoman on entry to the stadium.

Did she frisk your scrotum?:D Were you sexually aroused by it?:D If the shoe was in the other foot, I'd bet you would like to give some stunning blonde wearing the nearest to nothing the best all over frisk you would give, possibly treble frisk her just to make sure!!:D

Stuttgart88

05/09/2006, 12:11 PM

They tried this for game against Swiss(I think) in landsdowne RoadAnd what crap arrogant shirts they were too. "We'll Roll the swiss" or some naff slogan on them.

The green shirts given to all the bucket seated fans against Holland worked well in 2001. I still have mine & it's a useful alternative to wearing polyester all weekend on these trips.

Lansdowne is such a decrepit old heap that any attempt at co-ordinating colour just looks tame IMHO.

SUB of the day

05/09/2006, 12:15 PM

And what crap arrogant shirts they were too. "We'll Roll the swiss" or some naff slogan on them.

The green shirts given to all the bucket seated fans against Holland worked well in 2001. I still have mine & it's a useful alternative to wearing polyester all weekend on these trips.

Lansdowne is such a decrepit old heap that any attempt at co-ordinating colour just looks tame IMHO.

IRISH ROCK....SWISS ROLL..........UR right, high cringe factor.

Beavis

05/09/2006, 2:00 PM

Were you in Block 70c?

Yeah

(oh oh here it comes....:o )

SUB of the day

05/09/2006, 2:23 PM

Yeah

(oh oh here it comes....:o )

We were 2 rows behind, 5 Germans, locked and stoned, stood, fell, and fought with each other for the entire 1st half.Security arrived twice, but did nothing bar check their tickets.At halftime they came back, and asked Irish guy at end of row to show his ticket( you?).After this he was removed,despite his total innocence.GERMAN MAN NEXT TO ME NEARLY LOST THE PLOT, AT THE INJUSTICE.Security then berated potheads, and they were very quiet boys for the rest of the game.BTW these were the only German ********s we encountered, the rest were fantastic.

Beavis

05/09/2006, 3:04 PM

We were 2 rows behind, 5 Germans, locked and stoned, stood, fell, and fought with each other for the entire 1st half.Security arrived twice, but did nothing bar check their tickets.At halftime they came back, and asked Irish guy at end of row to show his ticket( you?).After this he was removed,despite his total innocence.GERMAN MAN NEXT TO ME NEARLY LOST THE PLOT, AT THE INJUSTICE.Security then berated potheads, and they were very quiet boys for the rest of the game.BTW these were the only German ********s we encountered, the rest were fantastic.

Thats reassuring to hear. It was me alright.

elroy

05/09/2006, 5:37 PM

Ya am a big fan of the announcer leaving the crowd shout the surname, works very well. Not so sure would it work with us.
Atmosphere was class on sat but i think as mentioned above the germans were only responding when music etc was on.......how many chants of theres can you remember???

Super stuff from the irish off the pitch as always, fri nite in particular in the square was one hellva night!

geysir

05/09/2006, 8:23 PM

That call response thing with the goalscorer has been used in the indoor team handball games for years in Germany and elsewhere.
The stadium was sparsely populated when the players came out for the warm-up but even then when the announcer called for a cheer it sounded very loud but not echoey as you might expect.
It only takes a few thousand shouting in the Stadium to create a din.
If the new Landsdowne has even just half the acoustic effect of the Gottleib then that will do nicely.
There were times when all the Irish fans in the allocated area sang it was ear splittingly loud.

German_Tim

06/09/2006, 12:37 AM

If the new Landsdowne has even just half the acoustic effect of the Gottleib then that will do nicely.

Are you crazy? :eek: The Stuttgart stadium is one of those venues with the worst acoustic effect in Germany because it's no real football stadium!

I think you should make a trip to Munich, Dortmund, Mönchengladbach, Kaiserslautern or Cologne...:p

Stuttgart88

06/09/2006, 7:23 AM

I think you should make a trip to Munich, Dortmund, Mönchengladbach, Kaiserslautern or Cologne...:pI was at the last 2 during the summer & agree entirely. Small, architecturally unremarkable, but compact, close to the pitch with great acoustics. Each held neraly 50k too, though you wouldn't think it looking at them.

The aborted "eircom Park" stadium plan was for this type of ground as far as I can recall, whereas Bertie wanted a soulless bowl type structure, like some of the Japan WC stadia like Niigata.

Dortmund is the football ground I most want to visit in the world.

I think the person I hate most in Ireland is the stadium announcer at Lansdowne! Patronising tosser.

Chippy

06/09/2006, 8:45 AM

Fantastic atmosphere by the Irish fans apart from the a**holes near the back of block 61e who spent the whole match telling everybody to sit down!!!!!
Not a bit of green to be seen on them even,if they wanted an un - restricted view they should of stood up like everyone else or go back to the hotel.
I just think of all the supporters down the town without tickets instead these people get in to the stadium.

Gripe over.....

Lucky for you that you weren't in Block 53A. Same story, guys wearing WHITE Irish shirts at a German home game, abusing a few of us for trying to stand & contribute to the atmosphere. Then they had the cheek to post on another thread that we were the ones being abusive .... Too many people going to games now who want to sit & be entertained for 90 minutes instead of giving everything they have to help support the team & create an atmosphere

geysir

06/09/2006, 10:01 AM

Are you crazy? :eek: The Stuttgart stadium is one of those venues with the worst acoustic effect in Germany because it's no real football stadium!

I think you should make a trip to Munich, Dortmund, Mönchengladbach, Kaiserslautern or Cologne...:p
Yes but considering the track and the distance, the sound generated from the Irish fans was loud. My loudometer hit high levels.
I doubt that you would get that sound at Croke park from 7,000 fans in one corner. The anthem singer with that fine sound system was drowned out.

I have only a few minutes of my botched tv recording and it's as loud a noise as I have ever heard it recorded, from away Irish fans.

Stuttgart88

06/09/2006, 10:36 AM

A very helpful poster on this board is sending me the DVD. Am looking forward to hearing it.

Junior

06/09/2006, 11:03 AM

In my opinion, the great atmospheres of the past will be difficult to rediscover because it is now affected by such a varying demographic of fan.

IMO too many fans nowadays are complaining (albeit mainly on forums such as this) about other fans, not wearing the right colour, the right sporting top, the right football league top, for not standing up, for not sitting down, for not singing, for singing the wrong type of songs, for not knowing the words, for being too drunk, for not being drunk enough, because KO times are too early, because they are too late, because the stadium is too old or because its too new and soulless.

Personally I think its a culture thing.

Croatia fans generally make a great atmosphere, They don't all wear the same colours they just generally seem up for making constant noise no matter where or when they play. We just need to get on with making some fcukin noise!!!!!!

Closed Account 2

06/09/2006, 1:52 PM

Croatia fans generally make a great atmosphere, They don't all wear the same colours they just generally seem up for making constant noise no matter where or when they play. We just need to get on with making some fcukin noise!!!!!!

They were pretty shocking in Livorno last month to be honest

http://www.farenet.org/news_article.asp?intNewsID=723

Fubar

06/09/2006, 2:58 PM

Was told by one of the germans I was with that most germans dont know the words of their national anthem! :eek: IMO our singing of our national anthem was the best singing of the match. I didnt even realsie there was a woman singin it! :D

Schumi

06/09/2006, 3:01 PM

Was told by one of the germans I was with that most germans dont know the words of their national anthem! :eek:I'm not surprised, they had to put up the words on the big screen FFS!
IMO our singing of our national anthem was the best singing of the match. I didnt even realsie there was a woman singin it! :DI didn't either. Probably just as well, I hate having one person on the pitch singing the anthem.

OwlsFan

06/09/2006, 3:13 PM

I think the person I hate most in Ireland is the stadium announcer at Lansdowne! Patronising tosser.

Agreed except for me he's second only to Dunphy. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, thank you for behaving yourselves".

I remember he gave the answer to some pathetic trivia question at the end of the Swiss or French game when we were all ready to hang ourselves.

NeilMcD

06/09/2006, 3:15 PM

Great shout there lads, we need to get rid of him and get Joe Duffy in with his

"the Spanish players were suffering from DDD" Damien Duff Dizziness"

Junior

06/09/2006, 4:20 PM

They were pretty shocking in Livorno last month to be honest

http://www.farenet.org/news_article.asp?intNewsID=723

Yeah, I thought about commenting on other aspects of the Croatian support in my original post. Obviously they do have some dubious elements within their support and some very dodgy political persuasions, but I think the general point still stands, lets stop whining about the shirts other Ireland fans wear, the KO times, the types of stadium, the types of songs etc and all the other excuses for why atmospheres aren't what they used to be. There are a lot of folk who seem to be just looking for the perfect, politically correct, fan.

If anything sounds like corporate, johnnie come lately bull$hit, its that.

Desyf

06/09/2006, 7:34 PM

Hey mr stuttgart 88 any chance of loaning the match recording ?

By the way i was in Dortmund during the WC for the Swiss v Togo match.
It is an excellent football stadium.

I was also there for Liverpool 78 v Alaves 77 or whatever the final score was. The atmosphere was great.

Fergie's Son

06/09/2006, 8:08 PM

I will say this, it was nice to see a lot more Irish jerseys and very few Celtic jerseys at the match. Not to cause a sh*tstorm but Celtic jerseys do not belong at an Ireland match.

gypsydownunder

07/09/2006, 2:31 AM

The German atmosphere was very organised.

Best quote so far.
And did you know that the Irish supporters drank a lot.

Desyf

07/09/2006, 7:12 AM

There was nothing wrong with the organised support, just the loud music at wholly inappropriate times.

Well done to the German FA and the German Fan Club for working together on such a large scale.
The organised meet before the game was excellent even though the venue was difficult to get to due to the main road by the stadium being fenced off.

I'm sure we could learn something from them, or at least the FAI should learn something !