The Library...

where you at the match?

Steve, were you there tonight? If so, where were you sitting - with the Chelsea fans in the lower Bullens?

There was a great atmosphere tonight. The TV footage, I am sure, failed to refect the true atmosphere, it never does. Gwladys hardly stopped, and it spread more often than not throughout the ground. Chelsea were singing pretty constantly, but it was hardly intimidating... the 3,000 empty seats in their allocation was embarrassing. True, we went quiet as frustration set in second half and we conceded, but once we knew we’d lost we sung louder and gave the lads a standing ovation. My throat is raw. If you were there, was your hearing aid on?

I was in the lower Bullens near the Gwladys, and I could not hear Chelsea at any time during the match, even when they scored.

A Chelsea fan was on the Radio saying it was like a library, and that Chelsea were magnificent.

Loads of blues rang/text in to say this was bollocks. The atmosphere was fantastic until the nerves set in late in the first half.

We could have won that game with bolder, earlier substitutions.

Did you go to the game Steve? Before the game and in the early part of the match our support was as it should be....FANTASTIC. On tele, the TV gantry by the Upper Bullens away section gives a distorted impression for obvious reasons. However, there were large parts of the game when we were too quiet. I believe it is a symptom of our desperation for success. We could see that throwing the kitchen sink at Chelsea was not gonna work as we were lacking a cutting edge due to AFCoN absences, Chelsea’s class and their amazing defence. The nerves/ fear factor applied because we knew they could nail us on the break (as they duly did). Evertonians are not a happy clappy bunch of glory hunting twats there to happily sing joyfully whatever. Unlike in 1985, tonight we lacked the firepower up front to break down Chelsea’s fearsome backline and world’s best keeper. We did not get any breaks and it was ’one of those days’. Once we’re on the roll and start picking up trophies (were nearly there) our confidence and exhuberance will grow too and we’ll have the ability to give the support we want to!

I was there, twas no library. We sang all game, we outsung Chelsea, we sung when they scored, we sung when we?d lost.

We will sing when we win something too, which won?t be too far away.

Methinks somebody did not atend the game and watched it on Sky yes?

Any Evertonian who was there will tell you the noise from the old lady was immense.

COYB.!!!!!!!!!!

I wasn’t there last night and had to watch it on the telly. The cameras are right next to the upper bullens, next to where Chelsea were. Obviously, it sounded on the TV like Chelsea were the more vociferous. However, this has always been the case and it strikes me as quite astounding that someone can criticise the crowd last night.

My dad called me just before the game kicked off and I could barely hear him.

A poor result and a pretty average performance but we learn from this and move on.

After going to the game and recording it, I went home and watched the second half. I was amazed by the fact that all you could hear on Sky was the Chelsea fans singing, you would think from the tv coverage that there were no Everton fans at the game. Even at the end of the game when all 4 sides were singing, you could only hear a pocket of Chelsea fans apparently outsinging 37,000 Evertonians. I can only assume that Sky had the levels turned up for the Chelsea fans; any suggestion that the ’old lady’ wasn’t rocking last night couldn’t be further from the truth.

I hate comments like this... to even suggest that Evertonians didn’t give their all at Goodison on a semifinal night is insulting.

I was at the match and for the most the atmosphere was great. Where there was a few lulls during the game (naturally), the noise from all pockets of the ground was immense and I could barely hear the Chelsea fans. There were hundreds of empty seats in the away end which was frankly embarrassing for a ’big 4’ club and the away fans were barracked accordingly.

read any paper review this morning and they all say the atmosphere was loud and intimidating. Please leave these unfair comments at home. please.

obviously this kopite never went the match and he is just trying to wind us up believe me the old lady was rocking last night.

Just got in work now, cant talk as my voice is gone from singing/shouting last night.

I just wanna echo the comments above, especially the one that states that there is NO WAY you were at that game if you think what yousaid is true?? I cant comment on what it sounded like on TV but from experience the noise levels at goodison are never transmitted well, for unknown reasons. I remember watching the Man U match back when Duncn scored in 05 & its sounded average apart from goal but if you were there, you would know the stands was a shakin all the way through, same for Villareal and even the bucharest match.

So, as stated, leave these daft, incorrect comments at home please.

Oh dear Steve,someone didnt go to Goodison,get your facts straight before writtin shit aye,Goodison was rockin last night.

Steve Taylor clearly wasn’t at the game last night. A classic arm-chair fan who comes out to complain.

i went to the game and sat in the main stand and can honeslty say that after 20 minutes in the chelsea fans sounded louder and sang a hell of a lot more.

the acoustics dont help. if you sit in the lower gwlad / bullens, cos of the roof, not much sound leaves or comes in, so if your sitting there you?d leave with the impression that we were singing more.

pains me to say it but i thought for a semi the atmosphere was quite poor. in recent times the villareal and man utd 1-0?s were much better

I wrote a piece on this subject last week. However last night was no library. The support was good and most people stayed until the final whistle to show their appreciation. it wasn’t Bayern Munich of course because of the all-seater stadium and things did get a little quiet in the dying moments but to call it a library atmosphere is simply wrong. But let’s please do it in every game. Every game is important now- finishing fourth would be a great return and we can do it so let’s forget about last night’s result and concentrate of what is left of a season that could still be very interesting indeed.

Unfortunately i couldn’t attend the game, was in the middle of the North Sea and had to watch it on sky. All you could hear was the chelski fans, Possibly because the sky gantry is in the position it is.

Yet another armchair nugget talking absolute shite, how any of these people can attempt to comment on the noise of the crowd is beyond me, yet we have had numerous posts and articles but said nuggets trying to somehow blame the fans for the deat FFS.

Get off your arses and get the game before making a judgment.

Give me strength, you were certainly not at the game last night. The atmosphere was great, I am shattered today and my throat in agony. I like many blues stood on their seats to applaud the blue boys at the end and sung my heart out. As you were probably not there and watched it on sky i think it was due to the fact of the positioning of the microphones- hence you could only hear the Chelsea. Everton tried their best but could not break down a very good team. I am still proud to be a bluenose and will be there next Wednesday. Will you Mr Taylor? Thought not.

This is what the papers had to say..... please note the references to atmosphere.......

"Everton’s cup dream rolls as Goodison rocks
CARLING CUP SEMI-FINAL, 2ND LEG
EVERTON 0 CHELSEA 1 CHELSEA WIN 3-1 ON AGG

Alan Nixon 24/01/2008

It was one small step for Avram Grant but a giant stride for the new Chelsea that owner Roman Abramovich is so determined to build after sacking Jose Mourinho.

Reaching the final of the Carling Cup at Wembley may not exactly match the Premier League and FA Cup-winning feats of Mourinho. But it was the Carling Cup where the great man started his trophy collection.

Grant’s poker-faced desire spurred them to within 90 minutes of more honours and the Special One will surely be watching with envy from his Portuguese retreat.

That it was completed in the blistering atmosphere of a white-hot Goodison says even more about what is to come from this rebuilt Chelsea side. This famous old ground has not seen or heard anything like it for 23 years - and, sad to say, probably won’t witness its like again.

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It was time travel football, transporting those lucky enough to have seen the last semi-final second leg here back to 1985 and THAT night against Bayern Munich.

All that was missing was Andy Gray running through brick walls as Howard Kendall’s hurricanes sent the Germans home with their beach towels around slumped shoulders and under ruffled perms.

There has been a long wait between that European Cup Winners’ Cup semi, possibly the most historic game played here, and the next showdown.

For sheer emotion and frenzy Everton’s rough and ready old home has few equals. It scares and excites at the same time, ordinary players go that extra yard, classy thoroughbreds get twitchy.

With the move to Kirkby and a new future ahead. Goodison may have staged its last passion play. But for one night only it was the Theatre of Screams again. Even if Everton failed to make it to Wembley."

The Chelsea fans were situated directly underneath the cameras have just over half of the upper tier. They were supposed to have almost half of the entire lower tier too, but couldn’t even half fill the normal away fans paddock allocation, with NONE in the lower Bullens. Everton Fans took up their returned places where possible, but this meant that a whole block of the lower Bullens had to remain vacant. Therefore the bulk of the visiting fans, (who could’ve probably all fit into the normal away section) were congregated directly under the roof and the cameras. They sang constantly, and while most of the rest of the ground couldn’t always hear them TV viewers certainly could. An Everton goal would’ve made the place really boil over, it wasn’t far off at times as it was.

People come on this site and bite their lips ,no doubt when reading utter shite because you dont want to call fellow blues , well my lip is sore ,did you go the game last night ?

Cant believe i was at the same match when i got home to watch it on Granada soccer night. Mr Kenwright, please get the microphones relocated, the blues were vociferous and loud & far outsung Chelsea but it didnt come across on tv. Didnt hear the radio, but i bet we sounded better from the Mainstand were the radio commentary is located. Was there a chelsea camera/ sound man working last night by any chance....????

Was deffo Sky that made it seem this way.

I could not make the game last night, so watched it at home. half way through the first half I text a mate who was in the lower street end and asked him what was going on with the atmosphere as all I could here was Chelsea. He said that it was the best atmosphere he had seen in a long time and both the Street and Park End were bouncing.

Gutted could not get there. But well done to everyone one that was there and made the atmosphere what it should have been.

Wasn?t just the singing that was one side on Sky either, The two commentators were biased twats.

I notice you have gone very quiet there Steve you tool. If you actually went to the match you would know better than to make comments like that. I was in lower gladdy last night and I sung all night and i have no voice today to prove it. the atmosphere created by our fans was fantastic and i can honestly say i never heard the chelsea fans once even after they had scored.
Maybe you should get out your fucking arm-chair and go the match mate.
Its knobheads like you who come on here moaning just for the sake of moaning. Prick.

This is mad. The atmosphere was electric.

Steve Taylor

I was there, like most of the posters and you are wrong. The fact that the sky cameras situated near them may make them amplify more, but believe me, even when we gave them a singing inch, we took it back big time.

Only in the imagination of a glory hunting Chelsea fan can Goodison ever be described as a libray.

You need to go to more live matches mate

Lets hear it from a nuetral in ’The Independent’ match report -"And yet the atmosphere had told how badly Everton wanted a victory. Tim Cahill had predicted it would be "ridiculous" and rarely in the 13 years since Everton last appeared at Wembley had Goodison heard noise like it. Amid all this, the silence which suddenly descended in memory of the legendary, late post-war Everton striker Wally Fielding before kick off was stunning."

I was watching it on television and all I could hear throughout the 90mins was the Chelseas fans: mowing meadows, calling our players shite, and us cunts in various droll high-brow songs.

Could have a lot to do with where the microphones were placed, but that?s all that came across for anyone watching at home.

Bentley, do us a favour mate and read the previous comments from the people who were actually there before posting a useless comment that has already been proven to be incorrect.

Yes the TV did not pick up the crowd but we who were there have already told the arnchairs what the atmosphere was actually like.

Sorry if this sounds aggressive but I am just pissed off with the bandwagoners on here trying to slate the fans

The atmosphere was amazing last night, the best for years.

I couldn’t believe it when I got home and stuck on the repeat of the match, alls you could hear was the Chelsea fans. It’s an absolute disgrace because there is no way they were louder than us. The everton crowd was deafening.

Speaking to a Liverpool supporting friend who lives 2.5 miles from GP this morning. He said he was watching the match with his dad and said the Everton fans were crap as he couldn’t hear them. He then put the bins out and couldn’t believe the noise. He called his dad out and said listen to that and they couldn’t belive that it was the same game being played on the TV.

It was a disgrace and I feel like making a complaint as it really annoys me coming into work and hearing mis-guided reds lament the Everton crowd when it was absolutely fantastic support last night.

Walking down Goodison Road before the game last night and it was rocking inside and outside the ground. If anyone wasn?t singing they were the odd ones out.

Agree with your comment at the bottom of your piece steve. "Everyone?s doing there bit ? apart from US at Home... " Your right mate, YOU need to get of your arse and go the game.

I went the match and sat in the main stand close to the park end.

Yes there was a buzz prior with huge applause at the start and finish, but throughout the game it was far from rocking and if you think it was your seriously deluded. We never even scored and we fu*kin lost!!!

How anyone can compare the nights atmosphere to the great nights witnessed at Goodison is beyond belief.

I am not even a regular at goodison, but I manage about 3/4 games a season. I have witnessed 3 derbies the duncan 2-0, the carsley 1-0 and the fu*kin clattenberg of which the duncan derby stands out by miles. My ears were ringing on the way home. Fu*k me I wish i’d gone the Wimbeldon game when Barry Horne scored when the Park end was demolished or even fa cup run 95.

Rockin games at Goodison witness Everton goals and pitch invasions!!

I went the match and sat in the main stand close to the park end.

Yes there was a buzz prior with huge applause at the start and finish, but throughout the game it was far from rocking and if you think it was your seriously deluded. We never even scored and we fu*kin lost!!!

How anyone can compare the nights atmosphere to the great nights witnessed at Goodison is beyond belief.

I am not even a regular at goodison, but I manage about 3/4 games a season. I have witnessed 3 derbies the duncan 2-0, the carsley 1-0 and the fu*kin clattenberg of which the duncan derby stands out by miles. My ears were ringing on the way home. Fu*k me I wish i’d gone the Wimbeldon game when Barry Horne scored when the Park end was demolished or even fa cup run 95.

Rockin games at Goodison witness Everton goals and pitch invasions!!

What rubbish. I was at the game last night, sitting in the Lower Gwladys Street and the atmosphere was rocking. There was pretty much constant singing throughout the game and especially at the end. I then watched the match highlights on ITV and could not believe what I was hearing so obviously the comments above about the cameras only picking up the Bullens Road side are spot on.

We’ve got to keep up the noise and support for the rest of the season, this could be a MASSIVE season for us and its our duty to do all we can to make it happen.

ps was great to see the boys being sung off after the final whistle, its good to show them that we appreciate there efforts even if unfortunately it wasnt our night.

LETS KEEP IT UP!!! COYB

I was in the main stand near half way line last night. I felt we largely let the team down in that stand. There were times when it rocked with the rest of you, but a lot of the time there were only pockets of vociferous support there. There were fans round me who did not bother singing at all. The fella behind me, a small group in front and me and the Mrs gave it all. The others can answer for themselves!

This website has long had a debate about people going to the game and people watching on tv etc. Th concensus that’s developed seems to be that we are all blues, equally entitled to our opionions. Th ematch goers have often been taken to task for criticising those who don’t go.

It’s hard to be all great blues together when you read complete and utter rubbish form people who clearly have not been anaywhere near the game.

If you want to pretend that sitting at home entiles you to a valid opinion of te team, club etc fair enough.

But for fucksake, you armchairs are taking the piss when you criticise the people who have paid for their tickets, gone to the ground, given great vocal support to their team becuase you can’t hear it on the fucking box!

Get off your arse and go to the ground...if thats not possible fair enough. But don’t write rubbish about what the atmospehere was like when you were not there. End of.

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PROBLEM SOLVED.

I was not at the game, I watched it on Sky TV at a friend’s house.Unfortunately as I live in Branston, near Lincoln it’s not possible to fet to as many games as I would like. I thought our fans were brilliant and that the TV didn’t do justice to the level of noise that was generated by our supporters.
I have to disagree with you Steve - it was a night to be proud for all Evertonians.Proud of our team and proud of our supporters. I prefer the opinion of Arsene Wenger on the noise generated by the Goodison crowd.
Well done every Evertonian who was there last night.COYB

I’d say the Everton fans were better than usual but you’d expect them to be. As usual though we were at our worst when the team needed to be lifted after conceeding a goal. As this post says we are always waiting for the team to do something significant before we really get behind them unlike most away supporters who sing from beginning to end even when their loosing. There’s times I feel like the team are better than our fans deserve.

Tony Williams

I wasn?t intending on rattling any cages, indeed my post has been taken down, hopefully only because I used the c word when describing the delightful songs the chelsea fans were singing our way.

I can?t review what I wrote now, but sorry if it caused offence, that really wasnt the intention - all I wanted to say was what was audible on TV, I was not passing judgement on our fans and gave no speculation nor cast any aspertions on our support last night. I think your reaction is massively hyper-sensitive, mate.

Did you actually read the words I wrote?

Phil

I think you are being a bit of cheeky twat really, the support Everton have received over many years has been exceptional, loyal and noisy given the absolute shite they have often served up. (and we follow the Blues without any of the insane posturing of media darling fans of NUFC)

The team fell short last night and both ends of the ground were still singing at the end of the game. As you will be aware if you have followed the Blues away, we make a hell of a racket when the Blues travel. For people to comment on the atmosphere at the game when they werent even there is a bit rich. The atmosphere at Goodison has been commented upon by variety of other people as hostile and intimidating. Perhaps those crazy West Londoners sounded louder as their voices could echo off the empty seating they were surrounded by.

As usual though we were at our worst when the team needed to be lifted after conceeding a goal.
Phil Smith

Phil this is not true mate, the Gwladys followed by the Park End and then everyone else, all burst into song just after Chelsea scored.

Bentley, did you read my words?

I?ll print them again if you didn?t

"Sorry if this sounds aggressive but I am just pissed off with the bandwagoners on here trying to slate the fans "

Hyper sensitive!!!, as the "words I wrote" above show, it was a culmination of many posters not just your post alone, it was just that it was your post I responded to, it could have been anyones. I even apologised for the tone but some people are never happy.

Lets get one thing straight ,We were not outsung by Chelsea last night.
I was lucky enough to be at the game(top balcony)and while i thought the atmosphere was good,i do think it could of been better.Whenever the street end started,i would join in at the top of my voice and invariably75% of people around me would join in a line or two after,maybe more,by the time everyone was singing/chanting/shouting the chant had stopped!Now i must admit im normally part of the 75%,but last night i was sat at the back of the stand,therefore beeing able to stand all the way through,which seemed to do something for my singing voice.The real reason people are saying that Chelsea outsung us is that whenever they started up a song we would outsing them for 30 seconds then finnish and annoyingly their still going in a low steady song,when weve just screamed our heads off !That is what i think is the problem ,we need a slow,low song that we can sing for several minutes like they do with their Chelsea,Chelsea..Chelsea..Chelsea.The opoint is u can keep that going for ages everyone can join in,i mean Everton ,Everton,Everton just gets faster and faster you loose track of where the street end is or the park end .I hate to say it but even the r/s do it with their Red-shite,Red-shite song,see its easy and simple and the whole ground can join in and keep up.Thats what we need imo.
It does also seem that most of the posts that are saying we were quiet last night do seem to be coming from people in the main stand,that doesnt surprise me i havnt been to goodison much recently but when ive sat in the main stand its been the quietest place ive been.After saying all that i think sky did stitch us up!

I hope somebody at the Club has picked up on this. I sat at home last night as I could not be present and I was gobsmacked at how the crowd came across. It seemed like we were outsung and having been at the first leg where we totally outshouted them I could not understand it!

This has explained everything. To have to listen to those arrogant, wankers calling Phil Neville a cunt and singing that Goodison is a shithole all night really made my blood boil - more than the match!

Why don’t the Club move the away fans to the Top Balcony where the atmosphere is none too good usually and reclaim the Bullens Road? In ’85 those Bayern fans were dumped up there and it would be no different to what happens at Newcastle. Just a thought.

It has never ceased to amaze me over the years at how the media love to refer to the great loyalty,enthusiasm and encouragement given to their team by such suppporters as those of Newcastle Utd,Man City,Portsmouth etc yet hardly ever give Evertonians a mention.
The level of encouragement and support given to the team can usually be summed up in one word - " brilliant". I am saddened that some Evertonians see fit to criticise the level of support given to the team in the Chelsea match. We should be totally united ( that’s not in the prawn sandwhich sense of the word) in this - we have a team to be proud of and we should also be proud of ourselves ( in a typically modest Evertonian way of course !!!)

I was in the park end. I was diappointed with the atmosphere after the first 10 mins. Chelsea were singing our support was shit. It’s so quiet Goodison was another.
Hand on heart I could not hear very much from the Street end at all.

can someone tell me why my comment was removed? there was nothing inflammatory in it, it wasnt a wind up, i just said from where i was sitting it sounded like the chelsea fans were louder and sang more.

whats wrong with having a different opinion?

Ian, as a person sitting (only occassionaly mind) in the Lower Gwladys, I can confirm that the noise coming from us was on par with the Villarreal game.