easy now, this is edging towards an 'It's a knockout' style half time entertainment.

In fact, wasn't stuart hall here for someones testimonial year before last?

Surely it should be 'Huzzah' ?

Bang on!

B-Zinga !

Hey nonny nonny.

The Wilderspool atmosphere was/is a myth, like SEB said there were very few games that were electric in terms of atmosphere, the final season was pretty good though which is what sticks in peoples minds, mainly due to Graham Appo turning into Benji Marshall for about 11 weeks. The big games will always have a good atmosphere but most of the games are predictable 40+ drubbings.

It always amazes me these days when you go to Wilderspool the Fletcher Street stand is so....tiny!

That last season the atmosphere was generally good and for the last match it was amazing, I've still got all the press cuttings. Apart from that, there were times when it was just awful.
My all time favourite was back in the early seventies when we had a midweek cup replay against Cas with a 2.00pm ko (because of nationwide strikes there were fuel shortages and we couldn't use the lights). Wilderspool was absolutely packed out, mostly with kids like me who had wagged off school (for the one and only time). It really was electric. The other game I can remember was Wigan in 2001 when we won 47-38. Wilderspool was rocking that night and it's a game I'll never forget.
Unfortunately there were also times when the place was dead, atmosphere was non-existant. Let's face it, it's always the good times that you really remember.

I suppose what you say is correct however when when Wilderspool was rocking it really was rocking. But now even for the big games like saints, Wigan and Leeds. In recent years we get a decent 'Warry Warry Warrington' (I absolutely despise that song as well) and that's it. I struggle to think of a time when our entire home support has been going out of control.

SL 6 v bradford. Half time the place was like a morgue as it looked like we were heading for a pasting by Bradford. Second half the fans got behind the team and turned it around. bit of biff thrown in as well. My daughter still refers to it as "that game".

I think the Leeds game (Johns debut) was the best I've seen at the HJ for atmos.

Yes - have to agree with that for the HJ, but the very first game was special too.

For Wilderspool there were many games that were special.
v Saints when Davies kicked to Sullivans wing and simply destroyed him 20-0 up at half time - special.

Beating Wigan was always special - although it didn't happen too many times unlike now !

One of the best nights was at Wilderspool when we momentarily won the league even though the attendance wasnt massive.

Bouncing.

I tore my ankle ligaments when I fell off the increasingly crumbly terrace in front of the BB stand as everyone went mental for our last try at 'that game'!

It's a shame there don't seem to have been that many big days/nights at the HJ, but the opening night & Joey's debut were both pretty special. The lack of importance for regular season games, and the increased emphasis of season ticket attendees (and consequentially lower crowds at knock-out games) has led to this IMHO - however, at least we now have regular finals to look forward to, so it seems everyone is saving their voices for these

I went to watch FC United on Saturday in their play off final. If anyone wants to know how to generate an atmosphere, that's the place to go to learn. The crowd was 4500. Of which I'd say there were 2500-3000 FC fans. There was non-stop singing from half an hour before the game, right to the very end and beyond. Almost all the songs are originals and not ripped off from some other clubs. There were flags, scarves, smoke bombs and flares. There were kids singing, teenagers singing, middle aged and old people singing.

They went one nil down in the first minute, but the singing didn't stop. They went two nil down and there was no moaning or booing. Just more singing and support of the team. There was no retro day, no fancy dress, no drums, no copying what Wigan/Celtic have been coming up with, no Bermuda shorts, no wacky hats, no goal music, no face painted adults, No Helen Lovejoy deriding that there were smoke bombs, flares, swearing or fans on the pitch at the end and no ear splitting pre game music. Just support.

Good luck to anyone who wants to get together in an area of the ground and make some noise but I wouldn't expect it to spread to the masses of the South Stand. Warrington fans and Rugby fans in general just don't have it in them. Not when one of the opposition might be half a yard offside.

I don't think smoke bombs would go down too well though personally I don't see any harm in them what-so-ever.

I really don't get it at all. WHY? What do they achieve? It is a bit of coloured smoke which just gets in the way of watching a game, stinks and scares kids. Some plonker set one off near me in Wheldon Road last year, of all places. What did achieve? If they were hoping it would lead people into a passionate drum led rendition of Cas is a hole... it did the exact opposite. It just made everyone head for the gate instead of staying to clap the players off, and probably put a few kids off going to away games for a good while. Brilliant, lets turn the place into a smog filled bowl and throw a shredded copy of the midweek Guardian into the air, it will have the foundations rocking. Or people could just grow up, stop trying to replicate idiotic soccer fans and enjoy the standard of football which we are being treated to every week!

You really mean the second part of that statement, don't you?

If it was at the end of a game or before the start and it went off next to me I must say i honestly couldn't care less. I'm not saying I would personally set one off I'm just saying it wouldn't bother me.

Depending on which type of flare is used , they are either a) illegal to set off as they are intended to be used in an emergency (eg:- maritime flare), b) they are illegal to set off as they actually count as an explosive device or c) they are illegal to set off in a public place as they are a matter of public nuisance. Which would you prefer to argue to the judge?

No worse than the moron continually banging a big bass drum in the match vs Salford....not uplifting not inspiring just bloody annoying...We were in the north stand and goodness knows how much more irritating it must have been to those stood near him in the south stand.

atmosphere and halliwell ? somehow those two words dont seem to match up!

Okay, I've just read this entire thread and the only post I can relate to in any way whatsoever without shaking my head is latchfordbob's. Not for the first time either. Nonetheless I agree with every word he said, and FCUM are absolutely the benchmark for atmosphere locally (and I hate their "parent" club, so there's no bias from me there).

I do have some sympathy with the original poster, but I believe you're going about things all the wrong way, and it's not entirely your fault because you aren't helped by the mentality that has been expressed by the majority in this thread. You don't get "It's a family game! Put that cigarette out! Stop swearing! Keep off the aisle! It was him there who set the smoke bomb off officer - please eject him immediately!" attitudes at FCUM games, or in Man United away ends which is where their mentality originates. Obviously most in this thread will condemn that and so be it. Some will understand and some won't, but it will definitely make your job harder if you want a passionate and fiery atmosphere all across the South Stand because it won't happen.

First of all, please stop using Green Brigade Youtube videos as your guide book. I know about the GB, I'm registered on their forum, and I've been in their section at Parkhead. What they do is absolutely brilliant in my opinion, but a few lads in Mackenzie trackies banging a drum and singing The Great Escape tune with the odd GB copycat chant thrown in is as far removed from what they do as you can possibly get. Either go to Glasgow, speak to them, and learn properly, or just stop it! I strongly recommend the latter option!

Now in terms of location I think you need to be in the South West corner next to the away fans. I used to stand in the West for years before the SE corner was built and I could barely hear the South from there. I now stand in the SE and won't join in with a load of dum de dum chants started by drummers. Many of the faces around me now are the same faces that I used to see in the West and I don't think many of them will join in either. If you stand at that end of the South Stand the away fans will hear you and they will respond. You will play off each other and it will make the overall noise in the ground louder. From the SE Corner they won't hear a peep out of you and if they score will simply sing "You're not singing anymore" at those in the South nearest to them who weren't singing in the first place!

Finally, Warrington desperately need at least one real "song". I'm not saying it has to been an anthem like You'll Never Walk Alone because very few clubs have that (other than the many who just sing YNWA themselves and the Mancs/Blues in our support won't allow that here!) However, we need something other than dum de dum drumming noises. The best song in RL is Old Faithful. Leeds have copied Leeds United and adopted Marching on Together. Salford copy the vast MUFC/FCUM songbooks and adapt a few songs to suit them which do work. Wigan have copied the Green Brigade and some European football clubs, and although they haven't made a brilliant job of it they have done it marginally better than anyone else and their atmosphere has improved. Saints rewrote "You fill up my senses" and it works for them. We need something. I don't know what, but we need something. For now I strongly recommend getting back to "Give me a W", "Come on Wires Come on", and "Warrington Warrington Warrington" ('Here We Go' tune) WITHOUT a drum. Do it without an instrument and the stewards can't dictate where you have to be. Do it near the away fans and they will actually hear you. Keep banging a drum in the SE Corner and chanting to The Great Escape and you will do nothing more than my head in!

Good luck and good on you for trying though, seriously.

Out of interest, what is this club's demographic? Do many women/children/OAPs go to their games? I ask as I had never heard of them until someone mentioned them on here.

I've only been to one game, in their first season of existence, because much as I love their principles and reason for being, I have never supported Manchester United so I am not their demographic.

However, there was people of all ages, colours, creeds and sexes there, and I'm led to believe that has never changed.

If you really want to know what it's like at their games though, then go to one and find out. I'd strongly wager they're the most enjoyable club to follow on a week to week basis anywhere in the UK in any sport though.