Fucking horrendous. I was at the back of 304, I've never seen so many people not know where their seat is when a lot of seats up there should be auto cup seats that realistically should have been filled 3-4 times already that season. I don't even blame those people, it seemed obvious that a lot of people who are 'regulars' in our area at least, had sold their ticket on for that match and with it being the first leg, assumed simply that we'd qualify and they could enjoy the second leg of the semi final. Of our own 10, only 5 of us were there, so I'm not even attacking anyone personally, it permeated in our group too. It was spare central, for a fucking European Quarter Final. I was joining in with whatever I could, which I find embarrassing sometimes when my accent is very much not Liverpudlian but it is what it is. I left knowing I had little to no voice but it was infuriating trying to get something to take off from 306 on our side, and looking to my left and people just staring at the pitch. I wondered if they were mute, but then we'd miss a chance and they'd all make noise. I mean it's anecdotal and only in our area, but I felt like there were loads of people there to experience the Kop and a European night rather than contribute to it. I mean "Liverpool" isn't difficult to sing if you don't know the words to the others.
I think the complacency was happening from the line up, to the stands. I'm not sure the flags had an impact but they do help set the tone for the atmosphere from the very beginning, but needless to say I back the protest and put back bringing out a big banner of mine with poles in made for the run in that I needed to get fire treated ahead of Atalanta which may not see the Kop now till next season. Come full circle really under Klopp. I remember how Dortmund and Villarreal meant everything. Admittedly the Dortmund game was a second leg, but still. We felt like we just needed to turn up and that's not how it works.
Sunday really important now. Fail to win there and the end of Klopp really has just imploded.
It has been strange with the Auto Ticket Scheme. Where my ST is, there used to be probably 90% STs.
Around me now in match games, I'd say that was maybe 60-70% - many have gone.
In the League Cup ACS was probably around 30% - The FA Cup 10% and The Europa League 5%
That seems to go against the grain (Where I sit anyway) that it's the fault of the Season Tickets that there is no atmosphere as the Cups really seem to have fallen off a cliff where STs are concerned - very possibly due to the cost of living crisis - but many people aren't going to/can't afford the tickets.
To be fair to some of the Cup peeps around me, they had a go at singing and making atmosphere, but where I am if you sing or shout (I shout quite a lot and sing a bit) - you get glared at/laughed at - as if shouting or singing or getting behind your team was some kind of wacky thing.
It does seem the club has got the ticket prices wrong - as people have said, it's not the match going fans that bring the money in - and further, the TV companies and the Club profit from a boistrous excited and exciting Anfield - f you price everyday people out and it affects the atmosphere for a few quid they could find down the back of the sofa and the atmosphere is muted/shite - then who actually wins? Does the Club win if it affects the players? Do the fans win if they are pissed off that they are getting taken advantage of? Do the media win if it's a boring, flat game on the telly?
I go to Germany to watch Leverkusen once in a while with our friends we met there and it's very, very cheap. You can stand throughout and you are in a section that's caged off - but with an entrance that you can only go in with the right ticket that's twice as big as it needs to be - so plenty of room - you can take ale in and the experience is great.
Make football available for all - get more local kids in - another Boys Pen - give locals a discount if you live within x miles - it's all very well having OOTs and they are very, very welcome - but the club is in Liverpool and some appreciation of the locals might be a good move for everyone. They could even make the tickets free from what I've seen of the figures - but would that then mean that touting gets worse - people flogging free tickets for wonga and not bothering to go 'because it's free and I can't be arsed with this game..'
So.. It seems it needs to be a balancing act and SoS seem best placed to help organise that. The thing that I do find a bit annoying is that the club don't seem to have engaged with the supporter groups which I find a bit shite.
I wasn't happy about the idea of any protests with such a big game though because I was worried pre-game that it would batter the atmosphere and affect the players because we've been fairly shite for a few games now. The atmosphere was shite. The fans at the game were shite. The team was shite. Atalanta and their fans were great.
