Supporters First - Replacing The Scourge of Stadium Announcers

[backrower8]

Can nothing be done about the scourge of stadium announcers in rugby stadia? Whether it is the Aviva, Stade Velodrome or the RDS we are made to suffer through overy-hyped babble from announcers seemingly high on something as they screeeeeeeeeaammmmm the same manufactured enthusiasm for the most inocuous and brilliant of events, be they on or off-field.

There were two screamers on duty at the RDS yesterday. One was the usual 70s radio DJ-styled guy, telling us that everythig we were going to experience would be the best ever...like a cross between Donald Trump Alan Partridge on acid. Just embarrassing.

Then another easier spoken announcer called the match scores. His derisory tone in mentioning Glasgow's points total only served to embarrass Glasgow even more than they had already done to themselves already. Just say the number, no need to take the piss out of it.

Then he embarrassed himself by actually undercutting Glasgow's score by two points when he forgot to add their second conversion, before correcting himself.

He also didn't seem to know the names of our players. He even referenced Harry Byrne's jersey number '22' after he slotted as conversion...WHY?!

I know it is SHOWTIME at match venues and the crowds need to be convinced that they are having a good time, but we need a lot more subtlety. If you leave some more space, a crowd will fill the void with their own superior, organic sub-culture.

It was notable in Marseille how the announcer there (you couldn't really hear sentences as they echoed asroud the architecture) partnered very well with the La Rochelle supporters when calling out their team. The announcer called the christian name and let the crowd own the surname. They do this at home games as well. Simple. Brilliant. Effective.

The sound of an energised crowd having fun under its own direction will always be superior to a screaming DJ who doesn't seem to have a connection to anything other than the marketing team's script.

We also need some chants with tempo to go with LEEINSTER-LEEEEINSTER-LEEEEEEEINSTER and COME ON YE BOYS IN BLUE. That said, a lot of us Leinster fans are too posh to cheer, but even the poshest will join in a well curated bandwagon. La Rochelle gave us the template with their ICI - ICI - C'EST LA ROCHELLE. Akin to Toulouse's - TOULOSAINS - TOULOSAINS - TOULOSAINS!!

It is up to the OLSC to create the space and the raw materials for the die hards in the Anglesea Stands Terraces to start a new approach working with the LR Marketing team, so that we can also lay claim to being one of the 3 best supported teams.

[alanair]

Yesterdays RDS announcers were particularly bad - Leinster - please listen to your supporters ( ie those that support the team by turning up every week) - and dont let the clowns that were on duty yesterday, darken the doors of our hallowed stadium again. Thank you

[Oldschool]

Never thought "C'mon you boys in blue" was up to much tbh.
We should have commandeered "The Molly Malone" once it fell out of favour with the national team.
That's Molly Malone's chances of ever making it into the RDS done and dusted - the power of reverse psychology.
Fair play to you BR8 for raising this issue.

[alanair]

I must disagree re Molly Malone- I find that its as annoying as ‘ the mighty quinn’ sung by Harlequin fans

[JohnB]

If Clermont Auvergne can get away with "Ici, ici c'est Montferrand" why can't we use something that we can jump up and down to like, "We're blue, we're white, we're Leinster day and night". Nothing profound but it would have an easy rhythm to it.

[Barry]

Yesterdays RDS announcers were particularly bad - Leinster - please listen to your supporters ( ie those that support the team by turning up every week) - and dont let the clowns that were on duty yesterday, darken the doors of our hallowed stadium again. Thank you

They were embarrassing, can they be returned to wherever they were found and left there.... permanently.

Hopefully the normal announcer is available next Friday

Sent from my VOG-L09 using Tapatalk

[Ruckedtobits]

Can nothing be done about the scourge of stadium announcers in rugby stadia? Whether it is the Aviva, Stade Velodrome or the RDS we are made to suffer through overy-hyped babble from announcers seemingly high on something as they screeeeeeeeeaammmmm the same manufactured enthusiasm for the most inocuous and brilliant of events, be they on or off-field.

There were two screamers on duty at the RDS yesterday. One was the usual 70s radio DJ-styled guy, telling us that everythig we were going to experience would be the best ever...like a cross between Donald Trump Alan Partridge on acid. Just embarrassing.

Then another easier spoken announcer called the match scores. His derisory tone in mentioning Glasgow's points total only served to embarrass Glasgow even more than they had already done to themselves already. Just say the number, no need to take the piss out of it.

Then he embarrassed himself by actually undercutting Glasgow's score by two points when he forgot to add their second conversion, before correcting himself.

He also didn't seem to know the names of our players. He even referenced Harry Byrne's jersey number '22' after he slotted as conversion...WHY?!

I know it is SHOWTIME at match venues and the crowds need to be convinced that they are having a good time, but we need a lot more subtlety. If you leave some more space, a crowd will fill the void with their own superior, organic sub-culture.

It was notable in Marseille how the announcer there (you couldn't really hear sentences as they echoed asroud the architecture) partnered very well with the La Rochelle supporters when calling out their team. The announcer called the christian name and let the crowd own the surname. They do this at home games as well. Simple. Brilliant. Effective.

The sound of an energised crowd having fun under its own direction will always be superior to a screaming DJ who doesn't seem to have a connection to anything other than the marketing team's script.

We also need some chants with tempo to go with LEEINSTER-LEEEEINSTER-LEEEEEEEINSTER and COME ON YE BOYS IN BLUE. That said, a lot of us Leinster fans are too posh to cheer, but even the poshest will join in a well curated bandwagon. La Rochelle gave us the template with their ICI - ICI - C'EST LA ROCHELLE. Akin to Toulouse's - TOULOSAINS - TOULOSAINS - TOULOSAINS!!

It is up to the OLSC to create the space and the raw materials for the die hards in the Anglesea Stands Terraces to start a new approach working with the LR Marketing team, so that we can also lay claim to being one of the 3 best supported teams.

Totally agree. Yesterday's offering was particularly poor.

[Ruckedtobits]

Double post

[Dexter]

Can nothing be done about the scourge of stadium announcers in rugby stadia? Whether it is the Aviva, Stade Velodrome or the RDS we are made to suffer through overy-hyped babble from announcers seemingly high on something as they screeeeeeeeeaammmmm the same manufactured enthusiasm for the most inocuous and brilliant of events, be they on or off-field.

There were two screamers on duty at the RDS yesterday. One was the usual 70s radio DJ-styled guy, telling us that everythig we were going to experience would be the best ever...like a cross between Donald Trump Alan Partridge on acid. Just embarrassing.

Then another easier spoken announcer called the match scores. His derisory tone in mentioning Glasgow's points total only served to embarrass Glasgow even more than they had already done to themselves already. Just say the number, no need to take the piss out of it.

Then he embarrassed himself by actually undercutting Glasgow's score by two points when he forgot to add their second conversion, before correcting himself.

He also didn't seem to know the names of our players. He even referenced Harry Byrne's jersey number '22' after he slotted as conversion...WHY?!

I know it is SHOWTIME at match venues and the crowds need to be convinced that they are having a good time, but we need a lot more subtlety. If you leave some more space, a crowd will fill the void with their own superior, organic sub-culture.

It was notable in Marseille how the announcer there (you couldn't really hear sentences as they echoed asroud the architecture) partnered very well with the La Rochelle supporters when calling out their team. The announcer called the christian name and let the crowd own the surname. They do this at home games as well. Simple. Brilliant. Effective.

The sound of an energised crowd having fun under its own direction will always be superior to a screaming DJ who doesn't seem to have a connection to anything other than the marketing team's script.

We also need some chants with tempo to go with LEEINSTER-LEEEEINSTER-LEEEEEEEINSTER and COME ON YE BOYS IN BLUE. That said, a lot of us Leinster fans are too posh to cheer, but even the poshest will join in a well curated bandwagon. La Rochelle gave us the template with their ICI - ICI - C'EST LA ROCHELLE. Akin to Toulouse's - TOULOSAINS - TOULOSAINS - TOULOSAINS!!

It is up to the OLSC to create the space and the raw materials for the die hards in the Anglesea Stands Terraces to start a new approach working with the LR Marketing team, so that we can also lay claim to being one of the 3 best supported teams.

We were commenting on this during the game, it was comical. The lad in Stade Velodrome was pretty nauseating too, but maybe it's because he was pandering to La Rochelle.

The French teams all use the same few generic chants, just insert the name of their team. Nothing imaginative about it at all.

[Logorrhea]

Thought the guy did alright for his first day on the job. He emphasised Leinsters score and announced Glasgows. it sounded ridiculous because Glasgow were shite, not because he ridiculed them.

This is a bit of an unnecessary dig given it was obviously his first run at it. They days of "there are no changes to either side" are long behind us. Just deal with it and move on.

Also, "die hards in the Anglesea Stands Terraces"? Because they stand up?

[neiliog93]

Thought the guy did alright for his first day on the job. He emphasised Leinsters score and announced Glasgows. it sounded ridiculous because Glasgow were shite, not because he ridiculed them.

This is a bit of an unnecessary dig given it was obviously his first run at it. They days of "there are no changes to either side" are long behind us. Just deal with it and move on.

Also, "die hards in the Anglesea Stands Terraces"? Because they stand up?

Let's see those flags!...

[Logorrhea]

Let's see those flags!...

Yeah, though I do like to see those flags myself My own pet hate is the "lets cheer the team on their run around", pre match.

Look, I'm not defending the script, just the person being asked to perform it, especially one who has only done it once.

That script, though I know a lot of it is not aimed at me, does get the crowd to make noise at pre-rehearsed times throughout the game. Given how slow we can be to make noise for a lot of the regular matches its not an absolute negative. For the bigger matches the crowd takes over anyhow so its not that much of an issue.

[Flash Gordon]

Contrived chants and singing sections have been tried before, they don't work. We had a singing section on one of the open stands previously. At the final in Marseille, we were outnumbered and La Rochelle weren't particularly imaginative to be honest, every French club uses the "Ici" chant. We have Leinster/Boys in Blue/Allez les B/Molly - no shortage of chants but in the URC we've been so far ahead there's never much tension to get the crowd going and in the final in Marseille we were simply outnumbered and the crowd was as nervous as the performance!

On a plus point, the trumpeter last weekend was very good!

[backrower8]

Contrived chants and singing sections have been tried before, they don't work. We had a singing section on one of the open stands previously. At the final in Marseille, we were outnumbered and La Rochelle weren't particularly imaginative to be honest, every French club uses the "Ici" chant. We have Leinster/Boys in Blue/Allez les B/Molly - no shortage of chants but in the URC we've been so far ahead there's never much tension to get the crowd going and in the final in Marseille we were simply outnumbered and the crowd was as nervous as the performance!

On a plus point, the trumpeter last weekend was very good!

There you go. A little bit of innovation/copying the French is all I am talking about, allied to leaving more space for the crowd to shape the occasion themselves.

I am not saying delete the announcer's script, just dial it back, a lot and look to create footholds for the crowd to get involved. Like when announcing the team and naming the scorer - try scored by Jordan.......[LARMOUR!!]....converted by Harry....[BYRNE!!!]....

At key key scrums have the announcer call "H-E-E-E-E-E-A-A-A-A-V-V-E

At key defensive sets, have the announcer call D-FENCE...D-FENCE...D-FENCE with Leo the Lion positioned banging his drum in front of the liveliest crowd segment.

Little things.

[backrower8]

Thought the guy did alright for his first day on the job. He emphasised Leinsters score and announced Glasgows. it sounded ridiculous because Glasgow were shite, not because he ridiculed them.

This is a bit of an unnecessary dig given it was obviously his first run at it. They days of "there are no changes to either side" are long behind us. Just deal with it and move on.

Also, "die hards in the Anglesea Stands Terraces"? Because they stand up?

This is about the mainly role and the script, not the individual. But there is no excuse for a first-timer at a pro event pausing as they check the name of a player, or calling the score wrong. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse before letting them out on a live 'show'.

This post is about wanting somethign better (like other clubs) and trying to deal with a sub-standard, slavish assualt on our senses at every match and the need to find ways to build better crowd engagement by respecting the crowd's intelligence.

The reference to the Anglesea Terrace fans reflects my perception that they generate the best atmosphere and chants week-in-week-out. I sit opposite them.

[Logorrhea]

This is about the mainly role and the script, not the individual.

Fair enough. Your post made it about the individual if you ask me. Just came across as both personal and unnecessarily harsh. No big deal really.

[Laighin Break]

I was up in Ravenhill years ago and the stadium announcer was great craic and got the crowd involved.
It was a Stephen's Day game, where BOD was making a come back from injury (got a great reception from the Ulster fans. There were a few late withdrawals from the Leinster side and, after listing them, the announcer added "a bit too much Xmas turkey I assume".
He would also turn on the mic at different stages of the game and get "Stand up for the Ulstermen" chants going.

[ronk]

In American Football the ref has a button where he can explain decisions to the crowd over the PA system.

Simple, effective, useful.

[Flash Gordon]

Contrived chants and singing sections have been tried before, they don't work. We had a singing section on one of the open stands previously. At the final in Marseille, we were outnumbered and La Rochelle weren't particularly imaginative to be honest, every French club uses the "Ici" chant. We have Leinster/Boys in Blue/Allez les B/Molly - no shortage of chants but in the URC we've been so far ahead there's never much tension to get the crowd going and in the final in Marseille we were simply outnumbered and the crowd was as nervous as the performance!

On a plus point, the trumpeter last weekend was very good!

There you go. A little bit of innovation/copying the French is all I am talking about, allied to leaving more space for the crowd to shape the occasion themselves.

I am not saying delete the announcer's script, just dial it back, a lot and look to create footholds for the crowd to get involved. Like when announcing the team and naming the scorer - try scored by Jordan.......[LARMOUR!!]....converted by Harry....[BYRNE!!!]....

At key key scrums have the announcer call "H-E-E-E-E-E-A-A-A-A-V-V-E

At key defensive sets, have the announcer call D-FENCE...D-FENCE...D-FENCE with Leo the Lion positioned banging his drum in front of the liveliest crowd segment.

Little things.

No offence mate but if the stadium announcer starts yelling D-Fence over the intercom I'm cancelling my season ticket.

[FLIP]

Contrived chants and singing sections have been tried before, they don't work. We had a singing section on one of the open stands previously. At the final in Marseille, we were outnumbered and La Rochelle weren't particularly imaginative to be honest, every French club uses the "Ici" chant. We have Leinster/Boys in Blue/Allez les B/Molly - no shortage of chants but in the URC we've been so far ahead there's never much tension to get the crowd going and in the final in Marseille we were simply outnumbered and the crowd was as nervous as the performance!

On a plus point, the trumpeter last weekend was very good!

There you go. A little bit of innovation/copying the French is all I am talking about, allied to leaving more space for the crowd to shape the occasion themselves.

I am not saying delete the announcer's script, just dial it back, a lot and look to create footholds for the crowd to get involved. Like when announcing the team and naming the scorer - try scored by Jordan.......[LARMOUR!!]....converted by Harry....[BYRNE!!!]....

At key key scrums have the announcer call "H-E-E-E-E-E-A-A-A-A-V-V-E

At key defensive sets, have the announcer call D-FENCE...D-FENCE...D-FENCE with Leo the Lion positioned banging his drum in front of the liveliest crowd segment.

Little things.

No offence mate but if the stadium announcer starts yelling D-Fence over the intercom I'm cancelling my season ticket.

Near infinite levels of cringe at the thought of such things.