Match Day Experience Becoming a Circus

[backrower8]

This is mainly an issue with the use of the announcer/MC (who is very good overall) but the key issue is how poor match etiqutte is detracting from the sporting experience...

The announcer/MC has far too much to say. Half time is next to impossible to have a conversation with the people around you between marriage proposals, world records, the minis, etc.

Worst of all is announcing ticket sales for the Exeter game while a scrum is reset!!!!!!!!!

As for fellow punters. Having to stand up and down well over 10 times to allow people through...same people every week...late for start/retart...bringing back pints....going to the toilet after pints....going to toilet after more pints.....AND THEN LEAVING EARLY...with 10 minutes and at least bonus points still on offer!!!!

My point is that while I welcome and enjoy and participate fully in the modern era, I regret the lack of real respect and interest in the game we are there to enjoy

The atmosphere around the match is hindered by the interruptions be they announcer or supporter based - the crowd don't get into the match either. IMHO this is worse in the Aviva than the RDS where the stadium sound system & screens dominate far too much.

There were 5 tries and 5 points last Saturday but the crowd was very subdued. Interruptions to the sport's flow of one sort or another (the referee was also pretty intrusive) affect the crowd's spontaneity.

A good crowd atmosphere and more interest in the match is what I would like to experience - for m that means two things:

1. Less interruptions by the announcer - leave people to fill the time through their own conversations
2. Much more respect for the match and other match goers - can we have an OLSC campaign for good supporter etiquette? (including thos who boo kickers)

Anyone know of sports or venues where it is done really well - the crowd is more respectful for the game and less interrupted by the organisers/MC?

[StrangeButBlue]

Anyone know of sports or venues where it is done really well - the crowd is more respectful for the game and less interrupted by the organisers/MC?

I have seen a lot worse:
Come on you Irish
Right Said Fred
Breasts on a Chariot (maybe not worse but the title complains of a circus)
Maybe get Tiny Tempeh for the half time show?

There is a price to be paid for >40,000 to a club match in Europe

[Logorrhea]

Anyone know of sports or venues where it is done really well - the crowd is more respectful for the game and less interrupted by the organisers/MC?

Thomand Park, the RDS, Sportsgrounds, Ravenhill ......

Dont judge the average matchday experience by what goes on in the Aviva.

[sid]

Generally quite happy with it in the RDS. The minis are an important part of it and it's great for them to play in front of (at least some of) the crowd. I'd get quite fed up of it if we had someone proposing at HT every week but as a once off thing I didn't mind.

That coin toss thing did get on my nerves though.

You're right about the atmosphere being cr@p and the lack of interest shown by a lot of people in the game - particularly a section of people in the north stand who were trying to start that Mexican wave chyte. Maybe it's just a sign of how we're starting to take this fixture for granted.

[suisse]

I really miss going to see my team play in Dublin but I don't miss the announcing that happens. I still cringe listening to "Your Leinster team" and "wave those flags". Dumb it down, make it simple.

I never had a problem with the fans, tbh. I know booing kicks is not cool but I love a biting atmosphere. When there is a sense of injustice in the air. But I agree that the announcer is a tiresome, even in the RDS.

[fourthirtythree]

I never had a problem with the fans, tbh. I know booing kicks is not cool but I love a biting atmosphere. When there is a sense of injustice in the air. But I agree that the announcer is a tiresome, even in the RDS.

Despite what has been said here, and probably elsewhere, that wasn't really a problem at the weekend. I heard a couple of individual dicks somewhere in the ground but that tends to be the case in Lansdowne. You could argue one of them interfered with Sexton and he missed but I wouldn't. The atmosphere was more subdued than anything. Bring back the days of Munster bringing 5k to the RDS. Now that could be some atmosphere.

[johng]

I really miss going to see my team play in Dublin but I don't miss the announcing that happens. I still cringe listening to "Your Leinster team" and "wave those flags". Dumb it down, make it simple.

I never had a problem with the fans, tbh. I know booing kicks is not cool but I love a biting atmosphere. When there is a sense of injustice in the air. But I agree that the announcer is a tiresome, even in the RDS.

He got the bullet a couple of seasons ago

[sid]

I really miss going to see my team play in Dublin but I don't miss the announcing that happens. I still cringe listening to "Your Leinster team" and "wave those flags". Dumb it down, make it simple.

I never had a problem with the fans, tbh. I know booing kicks is not cool but I love a biting atmosphere. When there is a sense of injustice in the air. But I agree that the announcer is a tiresome, even in the RDS.

He got the bullet a couple of seasons ago

I got a laugh out of the way it went from "Your Leinster Team!" to "Your Leinster!" I was half expecting to come back the next season to hear "Now let's hear it for... Your!"

[OTT]

Leo the Lion starting up on his drums trying to get the fans chanting just at the south stand just as ROG was about to kick a peno was a bit ridiculous. I dont think it was malicious the person doing it just clearly has no interest in the rugby and didnt realise what was going on on the pitch. The other stuff I can take or leave as long as Leinster are producing on the pitch.

[Mickado]

I never had a problem with the fans, tbh. I know booing kicks is not cool but I love a biting atmosphere. When there is a sense of injustice in the air. But I agree that the announcer is a tiresome, even in the RDS.

Despite what has been said here, and probably elsewhere, that wasn't really a problem at the weekend. I heard a couple of individual dicks somewhere in the ground but that tends to be the case in Lansdowne. You could argue one of them interfered with Sexton and he missed but I wouldn't. The atmosphere was more subdued than anything. Bring back the days of Munster bringing 5k to the RDS. Now that could be some atmosphere.

Ah leave it out!

That one?

[TheBear]

I agree that something seems a bit off about the atmosphere. It seems that it is simultaneously too quiet (not enough crowd involvement in the match, singing, etc) and too noisy (talking during kicks, etc).

Perhaps the perception depends on the area of the ground you are in, but I know that the people sitting behind us in the RDS appear to be completely oblivious to the notion of staying quiet for kicks. I was always told to sit down and shut up for kicks when at schools matches and at any inter-pro or international matches I went to back in the day; is it that there isn't a high enough proportion of people in the RDS crowd who are part of this tradition to enforce it anymore? (By 'enforce', I don't mean with violence, simply with peer pressure.)

[suisse]

I really miss going to see my team play in Dublin but I don't miss the announcing that happens. I still cringe listening to "Your Leinster team" and "wave those flags". Dumb it down, make it simple.

I never had a problem with the fans, tbh. I know booing kicks is not cool but I love a biting atmosphere. When there is a sense of injustice in the air. But I agree that the announcer is a tiresome, even in the RDS.

He got the bullet a couple of seasons ago

When I saw Phil06's video of the Nevin Spence tribute and as the Leinster team were running out the guys was asking people to wave the flags. What do you think of it?

[fourthirtythree]

I never had a problem with the fans, tbh. I know booing kicks is not cool but I love a biting atmosphere. When there is a sense of injustice in the air. But I agree that the announcer is a tiresome, even in the RDS.

Despite what has been said here, and probably elsewhere, that wasn't really a problem at the weekend. I heard a couple of individual dicks somewhere in the ground but that tends to be the case in Lansdowne. You could argue one of them interfered with Sexton and he missed but I wouldn't. The atmosphere was more subdued than anything. Bring back the days of Munster bringing 5k to the RDS. Now that could be some atmosphere.

Ah leave it out!

That one?

Facepalm

[Dexter]

I honestly didn't hear any booing and thought the atmosphere was okay- although the absence of Munster fans seemed to make things a bit low key - maybe I was paying too much attention to the game
I have experienced being in front of a bunch of people who don't seem to realise there is a game going on though..and it is annoying allright

[Darce]

I have to agree with Backrow about most of his points, especially the carry on of some spectators. Its ridiculous, the amount of faffing about that goes on, in and out for pints, the jacks, Food, back out for the jacks, back in, back out for more pints. For God sake, can people not sit down for 40mins watch the rugby and do their cr@p at half time.

Its beyond a joke in my row in the RDS and the ignorant f%~ks seem incapable of saying excuse me or thank you, despite me reminding them.

I'd move seats only mine are too good to just give up for ignorant sods

[nc6000]

We had 3 seats by the aisle and the amount of times we had to stand up with people going in and out was ridiculous.

The guy beside me turns up 15 mins into the game, heads out well before halftime and comes back 5 mins into the second half and left before fulltime, if this wasn't enough I still had to let him out and back in a couple of times during the game.

[bluemagic]

I have to agree with Backrow about most of his points, especially the carry on of some spectators. Its ridiculous, the amount of faffing about that goes on, in and out for pints, the jacks, Food, back out for the jacks, back in, back out for more pints. For God sake, can people not sit down for 40mins watch the rugby and do their cr@p at half time.

Its beyond a joke in my row in the RDS and the ignorant f%~ks seem incapable of saying excuse me or thank you, despite me reminding them.

I'd move seats only mine are too good to just give up for ignorant sods

I agree with you that its slightly irritating for supporters who are big Leinster fans like all of us on this forum. But at the end of the day it brings in a lot of money and its a great advertisement for Leinster rugby (especially the heineken cup matches)... Its a neccessary irritant Im afraid

[Sauvignon Blank]

I never had a problem with the fans, tbh. I know booing kicks is not cool but I love a biting atmosphere. When there is a sense of injustice in the air. But I agree that the announcer is a tiresome, even in the RDS.

Despite what has been said here, and probably elsewhere, that wasn't really a problem at the weekend. I heard a couple of individual dicks somewhere in the ground but that tends to be the case in Lansdowne. You could argue one of them interfered with Sexton and he missed but I wouldn't. The atmosphere was more subdued than anything. Bring back the days of Munster bringing 5k to the RDS. Now that could be some atmosphere.

Ah leave it out!

That one?

The very one! Heard that gobshite, sounded like the East lower near the corner flag?
Just as johnny was about to strike the ball.

Didn't hear any booing mind.

[Smeehank]

It was the east upper, over towards the corner.

I'd agree with the sentiment here about all the fanfare but at the end of the day it is days like saturday (where we attract 40k+ fans) that mean we can keep the big names, both players and coach.

I will also admit that I went out during te first half for a p*** and a pint despite usually being the one giving out about others doing this. I did wait for an appropriate break in play to do so though.

[simonokeeffe]

the people who leave early, anything up to 20 minutes early, in the RDS when we're winning well wreck my head, or go with 10 minutes left when there's only a score in it, that's like walking out on the last 10 minutes of a movie

aisle seats in LR are bad with so many people going up and down steps, few seats further in and its ok though
think there's a perception that it'll be too busy to get in and out at halftime

are HC halftimes 15 minutes again this year as that should hopefully alleviate it a bit?