GET THE PINTS IN! Easter Road visit and thoughts from visiting German fans.

[Albert Kidd 86’]

Took a couple of St. Pauli friends along to the Livi game, some interesting thoughts from their first experience of Scottish football live.

- They thought there would be a better atmosphere inside and outside the ground, they turn up hours before the game, beer sellers outside, street food,festival atmosphere, horns going off all sorts.
- They thought we were good and Livi were pathetic, singled out Youan, Cadden, Maolida and Alf.
- They are fed a diet of ugly sister matches only in Germany for Scottish football and I think expected all games to have that intensity.

Overall, we agreed that we in Scotland go the game waiting to be entertained, before singing etc, whereas on the continent they are all amped up and singing hours before kick off and during (kinda like the Swiss were against us over there).

Cultural differences I suppose, and I think I might prefer our way, it seems a little forced or stage managed to start chanting etc hours before the start, at every game, but maybe that could be changed by beer being sold outside or inside the ground….

Or, if we were like them; at or near the top of the league! But they claim it is the same no matter what the league position. (The beer option being the more likely,.)

Regards the beer selling, it works like this, the club get nothing, the sellers are street folk who go and buy slabs of cans from Aldi/lidl etc and sell it outside the ground for 1euro profit a can so the fans get beer the the sellers make some dosh, everyone is happy! (and singing as they go into the game). Can you imagine that outside and around Easter Road…..

here is a short film about st pauli, love their message, fan based identity, total commitment, i think I now have a second team! Fantastic stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTwrCEN2L5w

If you think about it there are thousands of Hibees boozing before the match, but all in separate boozers dotted around, if the club could get all those thousands concentrated somewhere like outside the East stand with beer kegs, street food, music etc the mass would probably begin singing and a more upbeat atmosphere could emerge? Been discussed before I know, could it happen, do we want it to happen?

Any thoughts? I think Ron Gordon was looking at something like that?

[BILLYHIBS]

Think it was the Groningen fans who came down Easter Road back in the summer with slabs of beer in a Sainsbury’s trolley acting like it was normal behaviour 😀

[tonyrougier123]

Could you imagine the hassle in Scotland trying to get a good upbeat festival feel around the stadium pre game. Football is considered an inconvenience in this country. Germany do things right for the football fans across Germany. Different gravy over there.

[Jones28]

I think a merger of the two cultures would be great. I’m not turning up and singing at ER 3 hours before kick off but it would be great to have the option to go to the stadium and buy a few beers and build the atmosphere, particularly before derbies.

[Hibby Kay-Yay]

I guess a negative could be that local Hibs boozers lose out on match days, and I’m not sure what it would be like having bevy more accessible in and around the ground. The council would no doubt want their slice of the action (somehow) on the slabs of beer too, like some sort of mafia cut!

[Pretty Boy]

I don't think there is any reason we couldn't have beer tents behind one or more of the stands now, particularly if it was on property Hibs own. It would need to be licensed but that's par for the course. Rangers have permission to do it in a car park before the next OF game.

I'm not sure how likely I would be to change my pre match routine to stand in a tent 2 hours before the game anyway. A HT beer on the concourse would be more appealing tbh, I like the pub pre match but it would still be a nice option to trial.

[Broken Gnome]

I'd be well out my comfort zone launching myself into 90 minutes of singing, but despite how good we were I thought yesterday was right dull atmosphere wise - to the point it wouldn't have been very enticing to any football tourist/neutral.

People will then say 'it was only Livi' and that the game was done and dusted early on, but that doesn't happen very often. It was a fairly poor crowd, particularly in the East, If that's a good reason for the ground to be quiet so be it, but that means it's a pretty small category of games where there's going to be a good atmosphere. Felt like the much improved performance went a bit unappreciated to be honest - largely empty ground at full time as well.

Scottish football strikes me as quite a tough sell in terms of how you'd rate it against other fan experiences. That's due to the law and restrictions around football fans, but also feels like the general character and demographic of your average fan doesn't lend itself to impressing outsiders. Outwith derbies at least.

[MKHIBEE]

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I don't think there is any reason we couldn't have beer tents behind one or more of the stands now, particularly if it was on property Hibs own. It would need to be licensed but that's par for the course. Rangers have permission to do it in a car park before the next OF game.

I'm not sure how likely I would be to change my pre match routine to stand in a tent 2 hours before the game anyway. A HT beer on the concourse would be more appealing tbh, I like the pub pre match but it would still be a nice option to trial.

I was at Lincoln yesterday in the “ fan zone” behind one of the stands. Open air, with several outlets selling drink and food. The Bratwurst sausage and chips was spot on! I remember when that space had absolutely nothing and it was soulless and uninspiring. Fair play to the club for making the most of the limited space they have around the Bank. For me it made the day about more than just football.

[FastEddieFelson]

The queues in the concourse are bad enough when people are queueing up to buy ridiculously overpriced, poor quality food . Imagine what they'd be like if there was beer for sale...

[Pretty Boy]

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I was at Lincoln yesterday in the “ fan zone” behind one of the stands. Open air, with several outlets selling drink and food. The Bratwurst sausage and chips was spot on! I remember when that space had absolutely nothing and it was soulless and uninspiring. Fair play to the club for making the most of the limited space they have around the Bank. For me it made the day about more than just football.

That does sound good.

There are so many small brewers, food outlets etc in Leith and beyond that you would think it would work at ER. Plenty companies would be happy to pay to have access to a captive market of a few thousand every other week.

[Renfrew_Hibby]

I read somewhere yesterday that Rangers have been granted permission to set up marquees and sell beers before the next old firm game. They will be looking to do this at all games going forward.
I also notice that 'fan zones' with beer, street food and live music are now very common at probably the majority of grounds down south. People are are starting to make a day out of it.
Man City are taking it to a different level by building a whole street within their new stadium/hotel expansion but even the likes of Tranmere Rovers are building permanent structures on land adjacent to their stadiums.

[Renfrew_Hibby]

If we could magic up some space to park cars elsewhere then the NE corner would be perfect for a fan zone. Done correctly, like down south and we would coin it in.

[Se7enUp]

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I don't think there is any reason we couldn't have beer tents behind one or more of the stands now, particularly if it was on property Hibs own. It would need to be licensed but that's par for the course. Rangers have permission to do it in a car park before the next OF game.

I'm not sure how likely I would be to change my pre match routine to stand in a tent 2 hours before the game anyway. A HT beer on the concourse would be more appealing tbh, I like the pub pre match but it would still be a nice option to trial.

There was a beer tent outside the East, maybe 10 years ago. I've no idea why it got canned, it seemed pretty successful at the time

[hibbie02]

I remember going to see Ajax many years ago, long before they got the new stadium. Although they played big games in the Olympic Stadium, they had their own ground too. That was where I went and you were immersed into the Ajax football culture. All the bars near the stadium were proper football bars decked out with scarves and banners from teams around the world. All were rammed full of fans singing and getting plastered. The wierdest thing was that people were selling tickets for the game from sheds at the end of their garden to fans walking up. Superb day out and 7-0 to Ajax!

[Pagan Hibernia]

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Took a couple of St. Pauli friends along to the Livi game, some interesting thoughts from their first experience of Scottish football live.

- They thought there would be a better atmosphere inside and outside the ground, they turn up hours before the game, beer sellers outside, street food,festival atmosphere, horns going off all sorts.
- They thought we were good and Livi were pathetic, singled out Youan, Cadden, Maolida and Alf.
- They are fed a diet of ugly sister matches only in Germany for Scottish football and I think expected all games to have that intensity.

Overall, we agreed that we in Scotland go the game waiting to be entertained, before singing etc, whereas on the continent they are all amped up and singing hours before kick off and during (kinda like the Swiss were against us over there).

Cultural differences I suppose, and I think I might prefer our way, it seems a little forced or stage managed to start chanting etc hours before the start, at every game, but maybe that could be changed by beer being sold outside or inside the ground….

Or, if we were like them; at or near the top of the league! But they claim it is the same no matter what the league position. (The beer option being the more likely,.)

Regards the beer selling, it works like this, the club get nothing, the sellers are street folk who go and buy slabs of cans from Aldi/lidl etc and sell it outside the ground for 1euro profit a can so the fans get beer the the sellers make some dosh, everyone is happy! (and singing as they go into the game). Can you imagine that outside and around Easter Road…..

here is a short film about st pauli, love their message, fan based identity, total commitment, i think I now have a second team! Fantastic stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTwrCEN2L5w

If you think about it there are thousands of Hibees boozing before the match, but all in separate boozers dotted around, if the club could get all those thousands concentrated somewhere like outside the East stand with beer kegs, street food, music etc the mass would probably begin singing and a more upbeat atmosphere could emerge? Been discussed before I know, could it happen, do we want it to happen?

Any thoughts? I think Ron Gordon was looking at something like that?

Ron spoke regularly about making Easter Road a more special and fun experience on matchdays. Plenty of good ideas on this thread (and elsewhere in europe) as to how that may be achieved. Where there's a will there's a way.

[Smartie]

I loved the German match day experience as a tourist, by far the best match day experience anywhere imo.

Scottish football sort of fulfils a different role for me now though - more often I’m wanting the football and a quick in out to be getting on with other things in life, with maybe one or two “days out” per season.

I realise it’s not all about me but if we have 15000 people at a game, we’ve probably got 15000 different sets of criteria that folk are wanting fulfilled.

[yonder1875]

The thing I like about the atmosphere at football games in the UK is that it rarely feels forced. So when it is actually a big game, it’s far better than what you see in the Bundesliga as theirs doesn’t seem to fluctuate too much.

Not sure if that makes sense but I feel our big moments, goal celebrations and intense atmospheres are better than theirs for the biggies.

But on the other hand, been to a few games in Germany (Dortmund and St Pauli) and the run in the mill league games are more fun.

[Since90+2]

The atmosphere in Scottish football is generally pretty crap. I think most people accept that.

I don't think it will change much to be honest.

[Fuzzywuzzy]

When murrayfield is open it's a good few hours before kick off. Generally good spirited but annoying as **** getting all your cans opened when you buy them.

[Lago]

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The atmosphere in Scottish football is generally pretty crap. I think most people accept that.

I don't think it will change much to be honest.

Reluctantly have to agree, it's dull.

[MKHIBEE]

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I loved the German match day experience as a tourist, by far the best match day experience anywhere imo.

Scottish football sort of fulfils a different role for me now though - more often I’m wanting the football and a quick in out to be getting on with other things in life, with maybe one or two “days out” per season.

I realise it’s not all about me but if we have 15000 people at a game, we’ve probably got 15000 different sets of criteria that folk are wanting fulfilled.

I tend to agree with that, although Nantes was a good experience with plenty of food and drink outlets around the stadium and a decent atmosphere.

[Frogga]

I went to St Pauli on my stag doo. The game was awful (2nd tier v Duisburg), 0-0, only one or two shots on target...

However, the atmosphere was incredible. It felt like a derby game would here, but the fans weren't as reactive to what happened on the pitch (eg. If the opposition striker balloons it over the bar there wasn't any of that "waaaaaayyyyyyyyy" you'd get here). It felt largely positive as well, not quite as aggressive as you'd get in some other countries.

Strangely despite the standard of football and no goals I would happily take it for that atmosphere. Not sure what the Germans do but they seem to have nailed the fan experience aspect.

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[bod]

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I read somewhere yesterday that Rangers have been granted permission to set up marquees and sell beers before the next old firm game. They will be looking to do this at all games going forward.
I also notice that 'fan zones' with beer, street food and live music are now very common at probably the majority of grounds down south. People are are starting to make a day out of it.
Man City are taking it to a different level by building a whole street within their new stadium/hotel expansion but even the likes of Tranmere Rovers are building permanent structures on land adjacent to their stadiums.

If the the rangers get that up & running & there’s no hassle then what’s to stop every other team doing it ? Get a marquee behind the east & west car park for home fans only

[Forza Fred]

Always interesting to read how people from outside Scotland view the Scottish football scene.
Totally get the diet of Rangers/Celtic bit

Here in Oz it’s similar…..if you stopped people and asked them if they could name a Scottish fitba team other than Rangers or Celtic most probably couldn’t.

[BILLYHIBS]

Went to Murrayfield to watch Scotland v Italy friendly at the start of the season

Was a totality different experience

Vans selling Street Food Fish and Chips Pizzas Burgers and Beers

Was a totally different civilised experience beers inside the ground family friendly Scottish pop songs and everyone having a good time

The thing that impressed me was how physically fit both teams were going at it hammer and tongs straight from the first whistle even though it was only a friendly

[Centre Hawf]

I'm all for us trying something different as I think it can't hurt having both an extra revenue stream but also something to help build overall fan enjoyment.

But I think we'll never get to a place where it's even remotely like Germany as it seems far too engrained in their culture from even a systemic point of view. Our powers that be don't really have that mind set about them so you're always going to be up against it to get some things approved, could you ever imagine getting a cheaper ticket on a ScotRail/Lothian Bus because you have a ticket to a Hibs game for example? More likely to tell you to sit in your own segregated section with a 24/7 guard watching you.

I do think though a beer tent/food market type of scenario out behind the East or West stands or in some of the industrial estate car parks around the Famous Five could actually work logistically, they would need to nail the cost and service of it though or else you're just going to end up with folk staying in the pubs.

[NAE NOOKIE]

It seems to me that German football fans have become of the mindset that you go to games to support your club come what may. You might walk away after 90 minutes most weeks moaning about how pish the team is, but you'll be back next week, because the team being brilliant, average, or utter pish, isn't the main consideration ... being a loyal supporter of 'your club' is. It probably has little to do with the fact that you can buy a lovely bockwurst and a can of beer from a van outside the stadium 3 hours before the game.

That is a mindset that does not apply to a good number of fans in Scotland, in Hibs current run of form we can't even get a lot of our season ticket holders to support the team on a Saturday. Is it any wonder the atmosphere is pish for some games?

But it also has to be said that decades of football fans being treated like a massive inconvenience by the authorities and stadiums being sanitised to the max hasn't helped ... perhaps standing areas will help change that.

But like others have said, I prefer the organic nature of our crowds, where the atmosphere is good when the circumstances are right. One of the reasons I find this 'everybody wear black' nonsense the Scottish ultras have adopted because that's what they do in Europe rather tedious. Be different to them, wear your club colours, what could be more 'ultra' than that? .... football is all about colour FFS.

Oh and as for Murrayfield. Let Scotland play 22 games a year at home losing half of them, with fans so invested in the teams fortunes that losing buggers their weekend and see if 67,000 with their jolly japes still turn up .... I'm willing to bet no amount of street food, craft beer, balloon animals and face painting for the kids 3 hours before kick off would make a blind bit of difference.

Comparisons to what happens at Murrayfield are hardly relevant here IMO. In fact the only thought I give it is why don't Hibs play at home on the Friday or Sunday when Scotland are at home ... we should.

[GreenCastle]

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There was a beer tent outside the East, maybe 10 years ago. I've no idea why it got canned, it seemed pretty successful at the time

Possibly residents in the local flats being affected ?

I think it’s one thing having football fans turn up between X hours for a game then suddenly a pop up pub being outside your windows for longer hours.

Assume it will be linked to council denying permission.

[Keith_M]

Big games aside, the atmosphere at ER is mostly subdued until the players give the fans something to be excited about. Even then it's not guaranteed. Even winning 3-0 on Saturday, it was quite subdued for most of the game.

I don't think that's anything new, as it's mostly been the same for as long as I remember.

[Crunchie]

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That does sound good.

There are so many small brewers, food outlets etc in Leith and beyond that you would think it would work at ER. Plenty companies would be happy to pay to have access to a captive market of a few thousand every other week.

Drink should never make its way back into a football stadium in Scotland if we’re seriously going along the lines of encouraging families to go. The sad reality is Scots and alcohol don’t mix very well