message from hilly

I'm sure we will all look forward to seeing him on the popside and sure many will get to a game at Dorchester. So once again thanks Kev you have been a pleasure to watch and a true great professional

I think you have a valid point Buster, circumstance limits my visits back home these days, but when I sit down and think about it; I've often come away from Plainmoor feeling short changed in the lack of atmosphere and general lack of backing for the team that I witness (particularly last season at Aldershot and Cambridge) at certain other venues.

Having been a Shots' player himself, Paul Buckle obviously realises the benefits of this, and throughout last season he was encouraging the crowd and players to interact, ensuring the players always reciprocated the fans' efforts after a match and "banged that particular drum" in the match day programme and on the website.

I've seen that interaction with the fans utilised to very good effect at Dagenham & Redbridge where (under Garry Hill) the squad would turn their warm down after the match into a "lap of honour" so that over a period of time a generally moribund "crowd" (they don't attract a lot!) were slowly but surely transformed into a far bigger percentage of "shouters and singers" than "moaners"

In Germany I've witnessed the PA announcers encouraging the fans to utilise their vocal talents by only announcing the first name of a sub or scorer and leaving the crowd to respond with the surname. To a greater, and far more "typically Arien" extent; I've been the recipient of a song sheet with a list of ditties to be sung complete with accompanying "times of the match" at St Pauli; of a set of yellow and black streamers to be thrown when instructed by cheerleaders at Dynamo Dresden; and the absolute "corporate branding" of the rather unique club colours at Erzgebirge Aue so that not only were the vast majority of the fans (young and particularly old) a sea of colour, but the surrounding athletics track also resplendent in(err hem) lilac!

I think the essence of encouraging a partisan and [b]"uniquely Plainmoor" [/b]atmosphere is to study and take from the best seen on travels rather than slavishly copy - the frankly rather pathetic and short lived "Jorvic Ultras" effect complete with giant sized flags in a twee little ground was an embarrassment to witness at York and certainly akin to comparing the Model Village to the San Siro - and I would suggest the first item in the tool box would be the acquirement of a half decent PA system, the courage and self confidence to really "crank it up" and the appointment of someone with enough personality and "street awareness" to get the crowd going.

Fred Jago and Pete Wiley are part of Plainmoor's history now and I'm afraid Andrew Sennick (am I right there?) just doesn't cut it for me in this age of a somewhat "soporific, sit down and be quiet" culture.

Yes, I too have senior moments Buster!