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#Post#: 88050--------------------------------------------------
Away Blocks - a discussion piece
DIR By: Fearless Fred
Date: April 7, 2022, 7:10 am
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In the Telegraph
HTML https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2022/04/07/time-separate-fans-embrace-away-ends-rugby/<br
/>Alternative link is HERE
HTML https://archive.ph/5Ud0x
They look at how effective our supporters are as a block when
we're playing away. Some interesting pros & cons posited in the
article...
#Post#: 88052--------------------------------------------------
Re: Away Blocks - a discussion piece
DIR By: Fearless Fred
Date: April 7, 2022, 7:20 am
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--- Quote from: Smithers link ---
>
> I'm sure it's a good read if I could read it.
>
--- End Quote ---
Try the second link. That should be accessible by anyone.
#Post#: 88054--------------------------------------------------
Re: Away Blocks - a discussion piece
DIR By: smithers
Date: April 7, 2022, 7:35 am
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Thanks FF, didn't see that 2nd link, iPhone screen too small
#Post#: 88055--------------------------------------------------
Re: Away Blocks - a discussion piece
DIR By: Adrian
Date: April 7, 2022, 7:36 am
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I recall we (quins supporters) once moaned about the away
support being given the whole of the south stand and the noise
created from it - it was either the premiership SF v London
Irish or the HCUP QF v Leinster.
#Post#: 88061--------------------------------------------------
Re: Away Blocks - a discussion piece
DIR By: MadMax
Date: April 7, 2022, 9:26 am
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--- Quote from: Smithers link ---
>
> "Please do not let rugby become football," was another common
sentiment.
>
> So says the guy who probably shouted out... "ooow ah ya"
>
--- End Quote ---
Wasn't that Delia Smith?
#Post#: 88063--------------------------------------------------
Re: Away Blocks - a discussion piece
DIR By: T-Bone
Date: April 7, 2022, 9:43 am
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No problem with fans being allocated seats in a designated
block, but there should be no bar to fans sitting elsewhere in
the stadium if they wish. I'd hate to see it ever being
necessary to segregate fans. I'm sure they won't though and I
know that's not what's being discussed
#Post#: 88064--------------------------------------------------
Re: Away Blocks - a discussion piece
DIR By: poorfour
Date: April 7, 2022, 9:52 am
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Mixed feelings about this - and i speak as someone who seriously
contemplated getting a small tattoo of the jester with "1 of
500" underneath it last summer. The atmosphere that day was
incredible in the literal sense: you would not have believed it
possible if you hadn't experienced it. But it was also a product
of COVID regs - a group of people crammed together in one part
of a stadium when the rest of the ground was much more spread
out.
I didn't go to Brentford on Sunday. I had COVID anyway but I'd
not booked a ticket because I was really put off by the
antagonistic crowd for the PRC game. It didn't feel like a rugby
crowd at all.
More of the former, less of the latter... which I guess adds up
to having no problem with groups self-organising (and I have no
idea why Quins are seen as innovators here - I thought all clubs
did something like it) but I'd hate to see strict segregation
and I'd hate even more to see the end mixed areas across most of
the stadium.
#Post#: 88068--------------------------------------------------
Re: Away Blocks - a discussion piece
DIR By: DOK
Date: April 7, 2022, 11:12 am
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And of course it was Saracens who deliberately arranged that
away fans in their stadium were spread as far from each other as
possible into isolated little areas.
#Post#: 88071--------------------------------------------------
Re: Away Blocks - a discussion piece
DIR By: Safri-quin
Date: April 7, 2022, 11:43 am
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--- Quote from: DOK link ---
>
> And of course it was Saracens who deliberately arranged that
away fans in their stadium were spread as far from each other as
possible into isolated little areas.
>
--- End Quote ---
Or the semi/playoffs(?) when we had a large allocation in a
block, so they just pointed a wall of speakers at us and played
music everytime we got a chant going to drown us out.
Classy... very classy...
#Post#: 88072--------------------------------------------------
Re: Away Blocks - a discussion piece
DIR By: The Absolute Quintet
Date: April 7, 2022, 11:54 am
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Should there be reorganising of seating in grounds to allow for
larger away groups? Ain't going to happen.
Domestically, significant single-block supporter groups can only
work at the non-union grounds and it's not in larger stadiums'
interests to deter this. There just isn't the capacity at the
union grounds. Bit different in Ireland and France but they're
wise to it and only allow 100/200 and the max under the EPCR
allowances when these apply.
What's interesting though is this independent recognition of the
other point of what seems to be an ever growing appetite for
Harlequins away support, which appears to reflect growing
support across the board. For me this is one part in the jigsaw
for establishing the club as a shoe-in top 4 club and meaningful
challenger in Europe. We're still miles behind a Munster, but in
English terms we're pretty much tops now with Tigers perhaps?
That's a big change in no time and evidently it's to the benefit
of results and club more widely.
Also, strikes me that there's a perceptible shift in the nature
of the club's support. There is now a larger band of 'passionate
supporters', the through thick and thin and vocal type, as
opposed to the turn up to be entertained type. Quinssa is now
selling many hundreds of away tickets for Europe for example,
not just 50, 100 or so. 400 would have gone to Castres but for
the pandemic and 400+ going to Montpellier (in theory).
Away supporting engenders passion, in the few against the many
scenario, and as more travel this will only enhance the volume
and nature of the support at home, and so it grows.
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