The ground will definitely lose some of it's intimidating atmosphere when (and if) the new south stand is built. Speaking as a North Stander, I'd be quite happy if our current stand remained with an upgrade of the toilet facilities.it also has a good atmosphere that will be lost with the proposed smaller, more open stand.

I wasn't specifically referring to the ground developments, just saying I have seen many people on here complaining about the band and people they call 'yobs' and seem to want a more 'family friendly' atmosphere
I was pointimg out that unless KC is just making excuses then our intimidating atmosphere helped win us a game

On a related point, I do love it when two sets of fans are slating each other, and I will credit the away support for coming in numbers, I wish every game at headingly had the same feel, with real passion shown for the game

He said hostile atmosphere. He didn't say Southstand. Not everything revolves around the Southstand. There was plenty noise in other areas of ground. The Saints fans were making as much noise as the Southstand.

The development works will have no effect on the atmosphere, except for when there is no stand, which would happen regardless of all standing, all seating, or half & half.

The atmosphere at Headingley will be much improved. There will be far fewer decibels around the pitch on account of the acoustic properties of the new stands, particularly the South. And the proposed new terracing will stop roughly midway up in the current South Stand, roughly where the back of the current vomitories are. These measures are designed to strangle what many of you consider to be an "atmosphere"

But there's much more to atmosphere than an incessant drunken din. The club are hoping the new terrace will be member's only so casual drunken fans can't ruin things, and the area can be better monitored for uncivilised behaviour, tasteless chanting and drunkenness. They can restrict supply to charge a premium and attract new fans who are otherwise put off by the South Stand, which is a throwback to the dark days of soccer violence and has no place in contemporary society

Civilising the Southern side is long overdue. This is a premium vantage point and shouldn't be home to drunken fools paying a pittance when it could be used to attract a better class of supporter and family who will put more money into the club. Thank God the club finally saw sense and have commited to this gentrification. I'm sure the player will still win matches without the current drunken "intimidation", probably more as the new ethos will be one of encouragement and enjoyment

Its exactly these comments I was talking about, there are plenty of families in the southstand if you actually had a look down from your pedestal
Its the 'intimidation' that caused the saints to start badly according to KC, and without that bad start Saints would probably had won the game, and its atmospheres like that that top players want to play at

It woz drunken plastic fanz wiv plastic carton of beers wot won it.

Keep southstand real, keep band in place, keep it mint, keep it buzzin'.

O we are weeeee...
O we are weeeee...

It's ridiculous in the extreme to compare the South Stand to the dark days of football. It's nowhere even close. There are plenty of kids and families in the south stand and the worst they are exposed to (except for one-off incidents) is bad language. Now I agree the bad language can be too often in the South Stand but other than that it's fine. They seem to have managed the problem of a few years ago with idiotic teenagers at the back of the stand too.

Having said that, I don't know why people are getting their knickers in a twist. The standing capacity of the new south stand will be roughly similar to what it was a few years ago before the club spent several hundred K on structural repairs.
I don't think the atmosphere particularly suffered then, the only problem was it was full every game and it wasn't always stewarded particularly well.

Im not really bothered about the changes but I actually think the seating in the southstand will probably be pointless anyway, as like many 'die hard' stands at football stadiums, I expect fans to be stood up all the way through the game anyway.

I didn't say there weren't families. But it has to be pointed out that the families that do frequent the South Stand tend to be toothless types paying very little to occupy a premium area. The club are trying to attract a better class of family, one that won't tolerate their children being subjected to the filth that comes from the Sough Stand and one that will pay extra for better seating, facilities and a more family-orientated atmosphere. Perhaps even having a civilised meal before kick off. We're trying to move onwards and upwards

The new terrace will have a capacity of circa 5,000. That's 1,000 down on what it is today and 3,000 down on what it would be if Health and Safety hadn't demanded a reduction. The structural repairs didn't restore the capacity of the South Stand to 8,000. Overall the stadium will hold just under 1,000 less than today

If what I'm led to believe is true, and the club need to value engineer the stands to meet the costs, and reduce the South Stand height to satisfy planning officers, then it will be the terracing and not the seating that gives way. Realistically we might be looking at a 3 or 4,000 capacity terrace when that couple of feet of height is reduced. This would be just about right in my opinion, with passive provision to make it all seater within the next 5 hopefully

Football fans stand up throughout the game because there are no terracing options. I'd be very surprised if anyone would pay £35 to sit in the new South Stand and stand anyway, especially when it will be largely North Standers like me in there as well as families. They certainly wouldn't last a whole game standing anyway, you can count on that

You really are a massive snob. Tried Carnegie it has fewer working class chavs to distort your middle class paradise.

'A better class of family'- behave yourself mate, RL is a sport for everyone, if you wanna go on like that then go watch polo
Theres loads of families down at the bottom where the kids can see, I love that they still let kids sit on the wall like they have done for years
I also have no problem if a few people want to blow of some steam and get drunk with their mates at the rugby on a Friday night, as long as they dont cause any trouble then no harm done

Mostly agree with this & whilst having been a regular in the SS for over 35yrs it's also fair to say there have also been a fair few s and chavs drunk.
As for the seating debate imo it's a great idea people that have been regulars in the SS can stay there but sit without relocating to the some-what timid North stand or inconsistent (atmosphere wise) seating of the Carnegie.
One final point which the "we dont sit down" choir have missed/ignored is the new capacity of the NS will be reduced so it makes even further sense to offer seating in the SS.

Hostile by booty. The atmosphere is better than most grounds but if a pro RL player is put off by a 50p drum & a bit of singing he is in the wrong sport. Hostile is playing amateur in front of a couple of hundred beered up morons in Knottingley with nothing between the touchline & pitch.