I don't think the club have helped by giving the South Stand the tag 'Family Stand'.

For the small area in the East stand that the club have designated for singing, the club have made this reserved seating for big games - which again doesn't contribute to creating an atmosphere (if you're stuck next to people who don't like or want to join in any singing you tend to just keep quiet so as not to get a tut or a dirty look).

After discussing this with some of my male early twenties relatives (in my opinion, the most likely type of group who would start any singing etc..), they just see a 'family' stand as a 'naff/uncool' place to be.

It just conjures up an image of sitting with a load of middle aged people with flasks, & kids with painted faces.

Also, from what I can see, the average age of our fan base is far too old, & there aren't enough teens, twenty, or thirty year olds turning up at games.

The West stand appears to be a place where OAPs go for a quiet afternoon & a kip when the library is shut. The East stand isn't much better (apart from the occasional 'Wigan, Wigan fingerpoint special' chant - why do they only ever join in one song?), & for the 'Family' South stand - see above.

The club seem hell bent on trying kill any atmosphere and discourage the type of people who are most likely to bring the passion and enthusiasm to try to create an atmosphere. Although I don't think you can artificially generate an atmosphere, the club could certainly put things in place to encourage a better atmosphere - just a few obvious examples off the top of my head (I'm sure there are many others):

- Get rid of the family tag in the South stand & all of its trimmings (face painting/kids club etc.. - or limit it to a couple of sections in, for example, the East stand).

- If one or two people want to bring a drum to designated areas of the ground, let them bring a bl**dy drum. They are hardly the greatest H&S risk. As far as I'm aware no one has ever suffered a serious injury at the DW due to a drum. Surely the stewards can manage to 'steward' this.

- Make the two sections of the South Stand nearest to the East Stand singing friendly areas (ie make it clear that anyone who doesn't like singing, drums, flags, people standing up more than usual - don't sit there), and ensure unreserved seating in that section for all matches.

If the club wants to reverse the current trend of an ageing fanbase, and the impression of watching Wigan at the DW being a 'naff/uncool/boring' place to come to where after paying your £20 quid or whatever, there is a chance you'll get moaned at for not sitting quietly while the game is on, or for accidentally knocking someone's flask over (surely these potential lethal weapons should be banned under H&S rules), the club needs to get serious about attracting a younger age group.

Also, it seems to me that every individual fan is responsible for their part in generating an atmosphere. I know it's not easy when it's a boring, one-sided game, or you can comfortably fit the entire away following in the seats that spell out 'DW' in the North stand. But it's a simple choice really. We can either choose to sit in silence, or make some noise/sing up. At Wigan I do think we generally have a mindset that we will leave it to someone else to create the atmosphere, or worry about what people will think if you start a tune off (or at least try to join in). I know many people may disagree with the above, but it's my honest opinion.

I don't think the sound tends to carry well either, you don't have to be that far away from the people who are singing before you sound out of place joining in

Great summery of the situation even though I do not go to the DW so often these days ( you can pick the atmosphere up from the TV.

The whole game-day experience is poor these days. What even happens at half time? A little raffle then 2 people may run around a pole. Needs a complete rethink.

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www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/default.asp

There will be twice as much atmosphere on Sunday at Cas with half the attendance. But then people want to get rid of old grounds in favour of identikit grounds like we have at Wigan, Widnes and Hull. I prefer Cas, Bradford and Leeds any day.

Personally I'd go back to Central Park tomorrow. I prefer to stand. Sitting down at games isn't good for generating atmosphere. Although having said that, to be honest I go to the game to watch the Rugby - not to make noise.

To be fair to the club, they did produce a questionnaire at the end of last season (I can't remember if it was on the official site or e-mail) and it was from the replies that they went with the family & singing sections.
If people didn't respond and now complain it's unfair to blame the club.

If the questionnaire wasn't publicised enough then the club needs to look at its communications.

I agree that the atmosphere will be much better at Castleford, although I'm not sure it's because its standing. The atmosphere is usually created by the interaction between the opposing fans in the stadium. When we played Wakefield there were very few away fans so there was very little atmosphere. At Castleford we will take a large number therefore generating a better atmosphere, I suspect the atmosphere at Cas would be different if London were playing.

I agree with other posters though about certain sections of the crowd I sit in the West stand and normally enjoy the game from there, but I remember one game being dragged back into my seat when I stood up applauding a try, needless to say they won't do it again. As for the half time entertainment it is an "It's a Knockout" throwback quite embarassing really, we need modern stuff if we are to attract younger fans.

Go to a well know website and check out a certain Russ Abbot hit single, "Atmosphere", sure to get the place bouncing!!!!!

I should add, that my tongue is very firmly in my cheek...

E.g. Friday.

IL using half-time to market that Animalates thing was poor.

Half time wasn't the best
But there was some singing and crowd interaction, it's a start

It's not only your place, it's often dead at the HJ, especially when there aren't many away fans or when it's not going our way on the pitch.

Hopefully, Thursday should be like the good old days.

All seater stadiums knackered up atmosphere.

Hell, even United with massive crowds is devoid of 'atmosphere'.

After today it will be more devoid.

I fist posted this on Mike's other Wigan message board.

I have my theory what has killed the atmosphere. I have thought this for a while.

It is I don't think the fans can identify with half the Wigan players on the pitch. Many are too new for this.

I also think it reflects a disappointment they don't get a chance to cheer on their heroes who (last season) won the double because quite a few left but this is not new. Joel T went after the great CC try season. The Madge GF winning side didn't last that long either.

I really do think the fans have a bit of an identity crisis over the team.

Compare to how it was in the past when players like Shaun Edwards had long careers but so did plenty of others.

I really don't think the constant turnover of players helps fans identify with the team.

Who are our current legends? Well for me its Lockers and no one else. That has never been the case in past years.

I also think this turnover of players means instead of going to games optimistic in that the fans should be watching a Champion team kick on from where they left off the expectation is the team will have actually gone backwards and so people are nervous, not optimistic. So at the first setback everyone is deflated.

Instead of basking in the glory of 2013 the fact the team is so different means the double winning side is already history so its back to square one.

I don't think you are that far off tbf.

I think Wigan fans have waited a long time for another top team to come along. The arrival of Madge signalled a new dawn and we had a team that was doing the business on the field and wetting our tastebuds for success again. Since that GF win i personally think we've slowly started slipping - btw i know we won the double last year but it was hardly an vintage/enjoyable season for many months. When you then factor in the constant stream of players moving away and some uninspiring signings it may have generated a level of apathy with the fans.

I know that i don't enjoy many of the games anymore. Take the last two home games where our performances, imo, have been seriously poor defensively. I don't want to pay to see performances like that knowing that only a few seasons ago we were smashing and hurting people in defence and it was a joy to watch.

It's annoying that we've seen a side that had it all with a mixture of top players and excellent youth slowly being picked apart until we get to the stage where we are shipping in soft tries.

It's not good enough for Wigan and the level of apathy is rising. Wigan need to realise that it's not all about the future but it's about the here and now as well. The fans have tasted the success and they want what Leeds had with a prolonged period cheering on a settled a winning side.

I didn't think of it like that, but your right.
Looking back to the season after the GF win against saints, I turned up that season looking for more of the same and really optimistic.
The last couple I have turned up wondering who's going to play where and how we will fit together.

Funny you should say that post GF win was the season i'd be the most excited about in a long time. It also helped that we'd signed Hoffman, Lima and Finch going into the year.

Sadly the Gleeson saga got us off to a shaky start and moving Joel to cover him weakened us in both the backrow and centre spots.

It was embarrassing, there were a lot of people saying "WTF is this?".

The whole match day experience is flat for me. There's no build up to kick-off, no anticipation. It's only a small thing, but why have they stopped announcing the team right before kick off, like 2 mins before it?

The cheerleaders sprinting and cartwheeling towards the East Stand was a start

I think there's definitely an identity crisis going on. We've lost 3 fan favourites in Sam, Pat and Hansen who were all massive players for us, two of which were two of our longest serving players. We are the champions but we've not even had an opportunity to celebrate it with not even having a homecoming. Our 'Champion' title doesn't feel real and feels so long ago. It was a also a completely different team. Not only that but it seems as though there's no cohesion of people who want to sing. Some will sit in the South as it's cheaper and you can choose where you sit, but from what I can gather the drum has been banned. The rest are dotted all over the stadium in reserved seats surrounded by others who don't want to chant or sing.

They do announce the teams (well they did v HKR) but yes the experience is flat and half time [iwas[/i embarrassing. I'd also say "Entry of the Gladiators" is just the wrong music to bring the team onto the pitch to. Maybe it was because it was the heritage game but I am sure they played it v Hudds as well (I missed Wakey due to a Christening so don't know if it was played then).

It is outdated and just won't appeal to the younger supporters. Just about every other bit of entrance music used since we went to the DW has been more modern, more exiting and better than that.

I certainly do and Leeds have just announced they have extended Hal's contract.

Funny how Leeds manage to sign up arguably their star player in the face of rumours about a move by an NRL club for him and over this side of the Pennines at our club the talk tends to be when, not if, Charnley will leave.

When rumours start about our best layers leaving they have a nasty habit of coming true.

At Leeds they have had a settled squad for years so retaining their players is not a new thing and now they are doing it an era when it is supposed to be impossible in the face of NRL and RU competition and with one of the best players in the UK game who would attract the interest of any NRL side.

IL has done a lot of good at this club and we have certainly have had success in recent years but if he has ANY ambition to maintain this success he needs to work out how to follow Leeds example. He can't rely on other clubs facing a player drain so we end up the top of a bad bunch.

At the moment the horse has bolted as bar Charnley I am not sure who would be of interest to the NRL at this time but if several of the young players realise their potential he can't expect to sell them and keep Wigan in the SL top flight never mind successful.

Time to take the "For Sale" sign down.

A lot of not keeping a settled squad together, particularly since 2010, has come down to players retiring or moving back to Australia as much or if not more so than it has players being sold to NRL or Union. Realistically only Joel Tomkins, Sam, Mossop and Hansen are the players who would still be playing from 2010 . Other than Tommy and Hoffman, the Aussie players who left largely went back to play bit-part roles for one extra season - e.g. Finch, Piggy, Richards, or retired (Carmont, Roberts). Players like Coley, Fielden, Deacon, Prescott are long retired. Hock and Gleeson were binned for disciplinary reasons.

People need to stop making out as though we are sufferring from a mass exodus of players to the NRL when in reality we aren't. Players like Hall, Briscoe and Roby have been linked with the NRL and knocked back offers and decided to stay, and the big clubs are consistantly buying the better players from the smaller clubs, so this "why is it only happening to us" mentality is well wide of the mark IMO. The major question mark is over Wigan's recruitment policy when replacing departing players, not who is leaving.

You'll see an atmosphere v wire on thurs

It is two sides of the same coin.

Wigan know which players are going to see their contracts out and which ones are likely targets for bids. It is up to the club to mange the departures (and when people leave) so as we don't end up with a team of strangers as has happened this year. Compared to Leeds we do not do this as well nor as well as the club has done in the past.