Three of our four losses – and hell, some of our most uninspiring performances – have come at home this season. Now, I\u2019ve done some *really* detailed research, and found that there are many more of us at home games than away games\u2026 who knew?<\/p>\n
Now, don\u2019t get it twisted. I\u2019m not asking for people to start coming to games with their own pom-poms. And I certainly don\u2019t want us become a budget version of those Palace fans who pretend to be ultras twice a month. But it is getting harder and harder to watch a home game and ignore some of the bizarre, over-the-top complaints you hear from some fans.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve had this argument a couple of times before – as a home crowd, we\u2019re capable of rising to the occasion\u2026 but that\u2019s only really when things are going our way. I\u2019m just as guilty as the rest, and this is more introspection than it is criticism. I sit there on my fat arse, try and get a few songs going in Upper Bridgford, and usually give up before half-time. If I was in charge of those 300 Spartan warriors, we\u2019d have been mullered good and proper.<\/p>\n
But you only have to look at Saturday\u2019s loss to Cardiff to realise that still, even at this incredible time for the club, we aren\u2019t all on the same hymn sheet.<\/p>\n
Matty Cash is \u201ca waste of space\u201d, one fella claimed. That\u2019ll be the \u00a315 million-rated full-back who is a frequent feature in the EFL\u2019s \u201cBest Team of the Week\u201d. Lewis Grabban is \u201cuseless\u201d, another supporter bellowed. Again, our top scorer and one of the best strikers in the Championship over the past five years has all his talent debased because he couldn\u2019t latch on to one particular through-ball.<\/p>\n
Are Forest fans too negative at home?<\/strong><\/h3>\nThese shouts continued relentlessly in my neck of the woods last weekend, and after consulting Twitter – the bastion of rational debate and fact-based opinions – it would seem a fair few other fans in attendance agreed that there was too much doom and gloom floating about. But these niggling doubters are nothing new.<\/p>\n
We are a grumpy lot. That\u2019s the nice way of putting it. It\u2019s definitely the best way I can say what I want to say without fear of getting my head kicked-in before Boro at home on Tuesday. We\u2019re at our worst when we concede early doors. If we go 1-0 down in the first 30 minutes, it\u2019s not the players dropping their heads we should be worrying about. It\u2019s us. We\u2019re the first to make things easier for the opposition.<\/p>\n
Most misplaced passes are met with moans, groans and individual criticism. A slow start immediately saps the energy from the ground. We\u2019ll give it the odd roar for a corner, but those brief bursts of positivity seem to be offset by our inherent desire to show our disdain.<\/p>\n
I thought I was going a bit mad, but the last home game really triggered something for me. We\u2019ve played that game against Cardiff a hundred times this century. We start well, get caught out, and end up chasing the game. It doesn\u2019t usually go our way, everyone leaves upset. But can we, the fans, genuinely take a bit of responsibility for what happens on the pitch?<\/p>\n
Forest players past and present discuss \u201chome atmospheres\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\nWell, on the condition of anonymity, I\u2019ve spoken with current and former Forest players this week on this issue. I know, I\u2019m one step away from saying \u201cSky Sources\u201d here. But let\u2019s be honest, it\u2019s a dangerous game of roulette for anyone who has donned the Garibaldi – past or present – to come out give an honest reflection of the fans who essentially pay their wages.<\/p>\n
The player currently on our books pointed to the fact that fans can be quite quick to leave games, despite still being within one goal of a positive result. Even accounting for traffic-dodgers and wife-pleasers, the number seems disproportionate. For him, it\u2019s these passive signs of displeasure which have the largest impact.<\/p>\n
\u201cI noticed the \u2018mass exit\u2019 before the end of the Cardiff game – that was strange to me, I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve really been out of a game this season, and we could have nicked a point at the death.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\u201cFor me, individual abuse doesn\u2019t make a difference – we don\u2019t hear much of it – but the collective groans and hums surround the stadium. It\u2019s counter-productive, and it forces players to stray from the game plan to try and force things and excite the crowd.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\nForest\u2019s best-laid plans of drawing Cardiff out wide and running at their full-backs eventually disintegrated – and it\u2019s ever-so-slightly possible that the reaction from the crowd helped influence a few questionable decisions.<\/p>\n
I also had a quick conversation with a player who was with us in the 2013\/14 season. In the miserable depths of the Fawaz years, crowds were dwindling and sentiment towards the players in the squad were reaching new lows. It\u2019s almost bizarre how the \u201changover\u201d from that era still hasn\u2019t really left the City Ground.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs soon Forest go 1-0 down at home you do feel the atmosphere change, but I suppose that\u2019s the same most places. The expectations are big at home, where fans expect them to dominate. Last year, I watched Forest travel to Leeds. The home side were dominating and the place was absolutely rocking, which ultimately drove them on to an equaliser. That’s a good example of how its done.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nHas the 12th man been sent off?<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe testimonies are fascinating: Although supporters being the \u201c12th man\u201d is seen as cliche, a little bit of support goes a long way – and that\u2019s coming from the professionals themselves. Even if you don\u2019t subscribe to the idea that fans can help teams win games, it\u2019s difficult to dispute that they have the ability to unsettle the players they\u2019re meant to be backing.<\/p>\n
Is it possible to find a quick fix? Well, we decided to ask the guys who have been trying to do something about it for the last few years. Forza Garibaldi – responsible for displays that could outclass Selfridges\u2019 shop window Christmas – are often lumped with the blame for flat atmospheres. Then again, people like to blame them for their half-time pies going cold – a subject we\u2019re extremely passionate about in this part of the country.<\/p>\n
FG representative Greg Mitchell is the first to admit that the group aren\u2019t \u201cthe perfect fans\u201d. Nor does he seek to tell anyone how to support their team. He suggests that the fan malaise can be linked to certain stewarding policies, but also praised Forest for what they\u2019ve done to try and liven things up a bit – even if we aren\u2019t 100% there yet:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have had decades now of being told to \u2018sit down and behave\u2019. However, clubs in the UK are now seeing they need the atmospheres some of these European teams get. To their credit, Forest have actively tried to help with this over the last few years. They\u2019ve relaxed the no standing rules in A Block and given half of Lower Bridgford to home fans, <\/em><\/p>\n\u201cIt has definitely helped. We have a small group that\u2019s very slowly growing in Lower Bridgford that want to give that 90 minutes of vocal support but it\u2019s hard, we don\u2019t have enough people willing to keep a song going, and when one does sweep around the gound,\u00a0 it\u2019s incredible.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cBut whether it\u2019s a culture thing, a \u2018too cool to sing\u2019 thing or whatever, we can\u2019t deny there\u2019s not a single one of us who actively get the atmosphere pounding for every minute of every game. I\u2019m as guilty as the rest of us. We have such an opportunity this season to create something special on and off the pitch – there\u2019s no better place to do it than the City Ground.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nAs the stadium refurbishment plans now have the green-light, one idea to crank up the volume is to introduce a designated singing section. If you\u2019re in there, it\u2019s your job to get things going and dictate the atmosphere as if you were part of our incredible away following. It\u2019s either that, or we get a drum – this is how far down the rabbit hole we are.<\/p>\n
What can we do?<\/strong><\/h3>\nBut whatever the solution is, it\u2019s shouldn\u2019t be a case of policing your fellow fans. Nor should we deny someone their right to an opinion. As much as it pains me to say it, the miserable old git calling Lewis Grabban \u201cuseless\u201d is entitled to his freedom of opinion. It\u2019s daft, unhelpful and very flipping annoying. But it\u2019s time we stopped worrying about the behaviour of others and thought about what we can do ourselves instead.<\/p>\n
If you find yourself in a sea of criticism, there\u2019s nothing stopping you from being a positive voice. It doesn\u2019t take much to be the first to stand-up and appreciate the effort, even if the final delivery is lacking. By all means, there have been occasions over the past 25 years where players have deserved nothing more than a fierce rollocking. A genuine lack of talent, application and effort has blighted Nottingham Forest in the 21st-century.<\/p>\n
But sustaining a culture of negativity towards an exciting, relatively-young squad who are clearly getting a lot of things right this year isn\u2019t something we should endorse. We are moving into our \u201cnew house\u201d pretty soon – let\u2019s not turn it into an even worse version of that Ikea advert where the decorations are getting slated.<\/p>\n
Indeed, we can \u201csilence the critics\u201d. We just need to find an extra 10% or so in the stands. And, for the love of God, let\u2019s avoid putting flags on seats and getting the stadium PA announcer to tell each stand when it\u2019s their turn to \u201cmake some noise\u201d. We might have an issue to resolve, but really, we\u2019ll never be as tinpot as that lot down the road.<\/p>\n
![\"Tom-Head-Football-Writer-150x150](\"http:\/\/www.nottinghamsport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Tom-Head-Football-Writer-150x150.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n
*Article provided by Tom Head<\/a> (Nottingham Forest Correspondent).<\/em><\/p>\n
Well, on the condition of anonymity, I\u2019ve spoken with current and former Forest players this week on this issue. I know, I\u2019m one step away from saying \u201cSky Sources\u201d here. But let\u2019s be honest, it\u2019s a dangerous game of roulette for anyone who has donned the Garibaldi – past or present – to come out give an honest reflection of the fans who essentially pay their wages.<\/p>\n
The player currently on our books pointed to the fact that fans can be quite quick to leave games, despite still being within one goal of a positive result. Even accounting for traffic-dodgers and wife-pleasers, the number seems disproportionate. For him, it\u2019s these passive signs of displeasure which have the largest impact.<\/p>\n
\u201cI noticed the \u2018mass exit\u2019 before the end of the Cardiff game – that was strange to me, I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve really been out of a game this season, and we could have nicked a point at the death.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cFor me, individual abuse doesn\u2019t make a difference – we don\u2019t hear much of it – but the collective groans and hums surround the stadium. It\u2019s counter-productive, and it forces players to stray from the game plan to try and force things and excite the crowd.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n Forest\u2019s best-laid plans of drawing Cardiff out wide and running at their full-backs eventually disintegrated – and it\u2019s ever-so-slightly possible that the reaction from the crowd helped influence a few questionable decisions.<\/p>\n I also had a quick conversation with a player who was with us in the 2013\/14 season. In the miserable depths of the Fawaz years, crowds were dwindling and sentiment towards the players in the squad were reaching new lows. It\u2019s almost bizarre how the \u201changover\u201d from that era still hasn\u2019t really left the City Ground.<\/p>\n \u201cAs soon Forest go 1-0 down at home you do feel the atmosphere change, but I suppose that\u2019s the same most places. The expectations are big at home, where fans expect them to dominate. Last year, I watched Forest travel to Leeds. The home side were dominating and the place was absolutely rocking, which ultimately drove them on to an equaliser. That’s a good example of how its done.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The testimonies are fascinating: Although supporters being the \u201c12th man\u201d is seen as cliche, a little bit of support goes a long way – and that\u2019s coming from the professionals themselves. Even if you don\u2019t subscribe to the idea that fans can help teams win games, it\u2019s difficult to dispute that they have the ability to unsettle the players they\u2019re meant to be backing.<\/p>\n Is it possible to find a quick fix? Well, we decided to ask the guys who have been trying to do something about it for the last few years. Forza Garibaldi – responsible for displays that could outclass Selfridges\u2019 shop window Christmas – are often lumped with the blame for flat atmospheres. Then again, people like to blame them for their half-time pies going cold – a subject we\u2019re extremely passionate about in this part of the country.<\/p>\n FG representative Greg Mitchell is the first to admit that the group aren\u2019t \u201cthe perfect fans\u201d. Nor does he seek to tell anyone how to support their team. He suggests that the fan malaise can be linked to certain stewarding policies, but also praised Forest for what they\u2019ve done to try and liven things up a bit – even if we aren\u2019t 100% there yet:<\/p>\n \u201cWe have had decades now of being told to \u2018sit down and behave\u2019. However, clubs in the UK are now seeing they need the atmospheres some of these European teams get. To their credit, Forest have actively tried to help with this over the last few years. They\u2019ve relaxed the no standing rules in A Block and given half of Lower Bridgford to home fans, <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIt has definitely helped. We have a small group that\u2019s very slowly growing in Lower Bridgford that want to give that 90 minutes of vocal support but it\u2019s hard, we don\u2019t have enough people willing to keep a song going, and when one does sweep around the gound,\u00a0 it\u2019s incredible.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cBut whether it\u2019s a culture thing, a \u2018too cool to sing\u2019 thing or whatever, we can\u2019t deny there\u2019s not a single one of us who actively get the atmosphere pounding for every minute of every game. I\u2019m as guilty as the rest of us. We have such an opportunity this season to create something special on and off the pitch – there\u2019s no better place to do it than the City Ground.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n As the stadium refurbishment plans now have the green-light, one idea to crank up the volume is to introduce a designated singing section. If you\u2019re in there, it\u2019s your job to get things going and dictate the atmosphere as if you were part of our incredible away following. It\u2019s either that, or we get a drum – this is how far down the rabbit hole we are.<\/p>\n But whatever the solution is, it\u2019s shouldn\u2019t be a case of policing your fellow fans. Nor should we deny someone their right to an opinion. As much as it pains me to say it, the miserable old git calling Lewis Grabban \u201cuseless\u201d is entitled to his freedom of opinion. It\u2019s daft, unhelpful and very flipping annoying. But it\u2019s time we stopped worrying about the behaviour of others and thought about what we can do ourselves instead.<\/p>\n If you find yourself in a sea of criticism, there\u2019s nothing stopping you from being a positive voice. It doesn\u2019t take much to be the first to stand-up and appreciate the effort, even if the final delivery is lacking. By all means, there have been occasions over the past 25 years where players have deserved nothing more than a fierce rollocking. A genuine lack of talent, application and effort has blighted Nottingham Forest in the 21st-century.<\/p>\n But sustaining a culture of negativity towards an exciting, relatively-young squad who are clearly getting a lot of things right this year isn\u2019t something we should endorse. We are moving into our \u201cnew house\u201d pretty soon – let\u2019s not turn it into an even worse version of that Ikea advert where the decorations are getting slated.<\/p>\n Indeed, we can \u201csilence the critics\u201d. We just need to find an extra 10% or so in the stands. And, for the love of God, let\u2019s avoid putting flags on seats and getting the stadium PA announcer to tell each stand when it\u2019s their turn to \u201cmake some noise\u201d. We might have an issue to resolve, but really, we\u2019ll never be as tinpot as that lot down the road.<\/p>\n *Article provided by Tom Head<\/a> (Nottingham Forest Correspondent).<\/em><\/p>\nHas the 12th man been sent off?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
What can we do?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n