Is the Anfield Atmosphere Really a Problem?
Look at social media and you will inevitably find someone moaning about something. It doesn’t really matter what the topic is, you won’t have to look far before you stumble across someone complaining about whatever it is that you’re investigating. In some ways, therefore, it shouldn’t be used as the barometer for anything.
Yet in recent years there has been a definite increase in the number of people using it to complain about the Anfield atmosphere, with many quick to blame ‘out of towners’ for all of the problems that the have decided are taking place. The question is, is it really something worth complaining about?
It Has Never Been Amazing for Every Game
As much as some people might like to claim otherwise, any older supporter will be quick to tell you that the Anfield atmosphere has never been amazing for every game. Society always likes to fetishise the past, with Liverpool supporters just as guilty as everyone else. There is a sense from many that the atmosphere at Anfield is worse than its ever been, but that simply doesn’t hold up to much scrutiny.
The reality is that the Anfield atmosphere tends to be saved for special occasions. It is when the big boys come to town that the Kop can be heard in full voice, but you’re just not going to get that when it’s Brentford, Bournemouth or Nottingham Forest.
@kopitesaway Atmosphere in those 18 months before covid #YNWA #liverpoolfc #fyp #liverpool #viral #football #chants #anfield #chelsea #viral #soccer
It is also the case that at the majority of stadiums in England, the crowd is reactive rather than proactive. That is to say, the crowd will make some noise when it feels as though it is needed or when something on the pitch makes everyone stand up and make their voices heard.
There will be loud moments rather than a constant noise. Whilst opposition fans might like to sing ‘where’s your famous atmosphere?’, if they aren’t hearing it then the likelihood is that they support a club that isn’t deserving of it. Ask the players of Saint-Étienne, Chelsea or Barcelona about the Anfield atmosphere and they’ll let you know it’s raucous when it’s needed.
Changing Demographics
Whilst it is definitely the case that Anfield has never been at its best for every single game that’s played at the famous old stadium, it is also the case that the changing demographics don’t help. Many of the people that went regularly in the 1970s and 1980s, witnessing Liverpool win everything that there was to win, are now much older. They still stand on the Kop, but the desire to sing and shout isn’t there in the same way that it was when they were younger.
The problem is, they aren’t willing to give up their season tickets for someone in a younger demographic to use who would be more likely to make noise, so the atmosphere suffers as a result.
The rising price of season tickets also makes it much more difficult for people to get tickets and when they do there can often be a sense that they are there to be entertained, not to be part of the atmosphere themselves. There will obviously be large numbers of people there to tick a box off a bucket list, soaking up the atmosphere in their first and possibly only visit to the ground.
They can be both people who don’t know a huge amount about the Reds just as they can be lifelong supporters who have had to travel many miles in order to be there. They shouldn’t be criticised simply because they don’t know every word to Poor Scouser Tommy.
Quiet is Better Than Negative
When I attended the game against Chelsea at the weekend, there were two blokes behind me who spent the whole game moaning about everything that Curtis Jones did. In spite of the fact that he was Man of the Match and widely considered to have played one of his best performances for Liverpool, they would not shut up about his touch, his movement and his passing.
For all the ‘tourists’ are criticised for being responsible for the poor atmosphere, both blokes had Scouse accents. They also left on about 85 minutes. Personally, I would rather that they had nothing to say than to spend the entire time being critical of one of the players.
Trent sends Anfield into bedlam yesterday! What an ending to a game Pure passion from the players & fans. Love this club #LFCFUL pic.twitter.com/WK715QLmCM
— ????????????????????'???? ???????????????????????????? (@AnnieHarte21) December 4, 2023
It is something that a lot of people don’t acknowledge, acting as though any type of noise is good. The truth, though, is that negativity towards the players can be harmful to the ultimate goal of seeing Liverpool win matches. The purpose of the crowd is to help the Reds get three points or to progress to the next round of a cup competition.
Spending 90 minutes slagging off players isn’t going to do that, so what do we want from the supporters in the ground? They can make noise when it’s needed, but can also be relatively quiet when it isn’t. Quiet is significantly better than loudly negative. Do we want the boos like they demonstrate at Goodison Park? After all, that’s loud.
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