As mentioned above, those who regularly attended in the 70s and 80s will recall the many shite atmospheres especially when we repeatedly pummelled the opposition so it's nothing new. As Roy Wood sung, " I wish I could be Christmas everday", the reality often is that this isn't the case and there are probably a dozen poor or average atmospheres for every exceptional one. The second half on Saturday felt more like a pre season friendly.
Thanks Andy - I was beginning to think the points I'd made which I'd say lie at the very heart of the entire debate about atmosphere were visible only to the person who'd made them.
Historically, I'd tend to go along with your ratio of a dozen to one although as you'll know yourself it really does depend on the particular circumstances and drama of each game as I'd pointed out.
Also I'd even extend the same principle right back to the '60's.
The Panorama special of the Kop singing 'She Loves You' and 'Anyone Who Had a Heart' and swaying like a cornfield did not happen every week. In fact I'd say it happened as cinematically and dramatically as in the documentary only that once - which just so happened to be that title clinching game against Arsenal at which they had the BBC Panorama TV team. I was at the game a week or so earlier when we pasted United 3-0 and there weren't scenes anything like the Arsenal game.
Which is not to say there was no atmosphere at that game or that as we approached the title winning climax there wasn't a heightened atmosphere. Nor does it lessen the uniqueness in terms of atmosphere that the Spion Kop introduced to the world back then. However, as you rightly say, even going back to the so-called great days of the Kop the great atmospheres much like today simply didn't come along like 26 buses.
The thing is if there weren't so many on this forum so ready to diss the current atmosphere then I'd love to ease off on labouring this point about shite atmospheres going right back to the '60's. I'd certainly prefer to bask in the glory of Anfield and the Kop always being amazing for every game even if the reality is that it wasn't. Add into the equation the pandering to the Dortmund yellow wall that has often permeated this thread. In my view there's only one great yellow wall and it's in fucking China. Big and colourful and impressive as it is, the artificial cheerleader megaphone led post 2005 Kloppie inspired version at Dortmund is exactly that in my eyes. Invented, imitative, bland and artificial. The Kop for all its many uninspired days was 100% organic and spontaneous. And it was within that intrinsic spirit of invention that its real uniqueness, magic , beauty and unparalleled magnificence lay.
So I say to those who can't seem to help themselves from expressing their disappointment whenever Anfield fails to live up to its reputation - which let's face it is most weeks - simply accept that waiting around the corner is a potential Inter Milan, St Ettienne, Auxerre, Chelsea or Dortmund - at which time the Reds, the fans and the planets will align to provide another chapter to add to the peerless bible of atmospheric uniqueness that is Anfield.
