As Salford City Reds begin their new life at the new Salford City Stadium many fans are caught in a conundrum which effects how they watch the team.
At the Willows, Salfords previous ground the majority of the fans use stand in the famous "Salford scratching shed" situated on the side of the field.
The terrace was steep and close to the pitch which allowed for super view of the action for the fans apart from the odd metal guider blocking the action and created an intimidating atmosphere for the players on the field.
Unfortunately if lacked the modern facilities of toilets and bar facilities but the majority of us fans didn't bother as we didn't know any different. People had stood in the same yard of space in the same stand surrounded by the same people for 30+ years and got use to the view and bearings when watching Rugby league
As in Rugby league you are unable to pass the ball in a forward direction in theory when watching a game from the side of the field both teams will move from side to side in front of you so so in both half's of the game you get to see equal amount of the action and the ability to spot the ball being passed forward illegally is also an advantage.
When the plans for the New Salford stadium was 1st Unveiled 5 years ago it was announced that there would be standing sections for fans, as time passed and the original designs were shelved and new designs were created by Peel Holdings / Salford council it became clear very quickly that the standing sections were to be situated behind the goals instead of being on the side of the field.
Down each side of the field the premium viewing area each stand consisted of block of red and blue seats.
Salford city reds premium colour is red so having bocks of blue seats was a shock to the system for some and prompted rumour that local rugby union team Sale Sharks who's premium colour is blue are to share the stadium This eventually happened and both sides have co-existed happily so far.
Its in the stadium managements interest for the stadium to be working 365 days a year it makes sense that another sports team will one day also call it home.
Having seats down the side of the field was a crucial detail for me as being a "persistent stander" over the years the thought of having to sit while watching Salford play rugby on the side did strike me with fear.
It not like i stand to break the rules i prefer to stand as I'm quite excitable so anything exciting happens i jump up screaming encouragement to my team and singing songs to try inspire my team to victory.
The thought of me having to do this from a sitting position and jumping up to 40 times a game would probably feel like a gym workout by the time the game is over, and that is not taking into account that maybe other people around me might have children who's view i may obstruct when i stand up.
So when i got the chance to go into the Salford City stadium for the 1st time i took the opportunity to sit on the side and watch a game to see how it felt.
The view was amazing the stand was very steep and it allowed me to have fantastic views even better than my old position in the shed and there was no need to stand up at all.
As the game unfolded in front of me the excitement of following Salford city reds took over i found myself not as on edge as i would have been standing up, even when Salford scored i found myself just bouncing on my chair and clapping which felt alien to me i didn't even feel like singing as it didn't feel comfortable.
Half time came and i made my way under the stand to the refreshment area to take a look at the facilities available, it was a shock when i noted both a bar and food counters, the service from the staff behind the counter was quick and i was back in my seat in under 2 minutes, getting a beer and pie at the willows consisted of me having to walk half the length of the field and stand in 2 separate Ques and usually making it back to my spot 10 minutes later just as the teams came out again
The 2nd half started and it was much like the 1st half i had no obstructive views of the action, all the floodlights worked it looked so shiny and new. As the game finished i left my seat and in the back of my head i thought that it didn't feel like id being watching salford today it wasn't as exciting (even though we had won) so i decided that the next game i attend id stand behind the goal to see if it felt any better.
*** The 2013 season started with a friendly with wigan and with the East stand open I thought I would give it a go and see what it was like.
The view of the field is very intimate compaired to its bigger brother the west stand on the other side of the ground.
You feel very close to the field and players throughout the game.
The stand has a roof on it which is low which alows the noise to bounce of it onto the field. Very much like the shed at the willows would generate a lot of noise.
Unfortunately the stand is full of plastic seats so no standing unless you fancy a war with the G4 police.
In an ideal world if rail seats which are very successful and safe in Germany and other European countries were installed which allows the choice of seats or standing areas depending on the fixtures would make this stand perfect for rugby league and salford city reds.
In its current form potential atmosphere wise its better than the west stand we shall see what happens in the future. ***
When i 1st started watching salford 20 years ago me and my dad watched from behind the goal in the North stand, the terrace was very very steep as the club planned to put seats in that part of the ground but never got round to it.
The added height allowed you to have some super views of the ground and the surrounding areas so watching rugby from this position wasn't alien to me.
I was looking forward to watching a game from behind the goals partly because of a bit of walking down memory lane watching with my dad in the North Stand and because as a Manchester United fan and having Stretford End as a Spiritual home it would be interesting too see if Salford could do somthing similar with the South stand in the Salford City Stadium.
I feel that having the more vocal fans situated behind a goal which your team is attacking or defending gives the players a lift and helps them relax and perform better in situations of high anxiety.
I made my way on to the terrace and immediately i found the height was an issue, The view immediately in front of me was very good, any actioned when attacking my side of the field i could see in great detail.
The terrace isn't very steep and shallow so the view of the other end of the field wasn't great, when the play crossed half way it became difficult to judge distances, as our opponents were situated behind the other goal it was difficult to get any interaction or banter between the two sets of fans.
As the game got started and with Salford attacking the other end of the field the South Stand found its voice helped with roof that projected the noise onto the field rather than keeping it in the stand like Salfords old shed in my opinion helping the team defend the goal with much more vigour and aggression perhaps generated by the adrenalin pumping though the players veins with the noise immediately behind them.
In the 2nd half Salford were attacking our end and it was exciting watching the action up close and personal, there was lots of singing the team was performing and it felt that being situated behind the goal salford were attacking helped them continue their good form though the whole of the second half.
Salford were defending the goal at the other end of the field, even though it was difficult to judge how far our opponents were from our goal line the players seem to embrace the change and defended brilliantly though out the 2nd half
After an exciting 2nd half full of action Salford won the game with 40 yard penalty kick which sailed gloriously over the posts and into our stand with 2 minutes to go, everyone was jumping up and down with excitement happy and singing positive salford songs the stand had become alive.
At this point i realised that i had found my new spot at the Salford City Stadium to watch Salford City Reds play. I can stand up and watch the match with my friends and the view isn't that bad the more i watch the game from salfords South stand the more i will get use it and it will become second nature before too long.
The View of the field from the West Stand are outstanding and i urge any new fans with families who are interested in watching Salford City Reds to use its facilities it has available, The new fans bar with both salford and sale memorabilia on the walls gives the stadium a personal touch which us fans craved from day one....and a warm bar area to boot.
When i start to bring my young son to matches i will relocate into that stand for sure as its certainly more family friendly than the South stand.
