I for one hated it when people called Highbury “The Library”. Sure, on occasions you could hear a pin drop. But, that could be said of most grounds that serve up finger foods and vintage cava to so called supporters at half time. Of course the club want to encourage a “finer class” of supporter to attend. Not because they lend to the overall atmosphere, but because they have very deep pockets and have no worries about having enough money to buy a ticket, program, travel costs, and then spend the best part of a tenner on a pint and a burger!.

Even more evident at Ashburton than at Highbury, is the way over 5000 club level seats clear within seconds of the ref blowing for half time… almost as though the football is a inconvenience to them, and is interrupting their valuable king prawn eating time.

There are probably other reasons why the atmosphere can be less than intimidating for visiting teams, but this one is the most glaring of them all.

Ashburton should be a fortress. Its big enough, we are close enough to the pitch, we are nearly always sold out and the amount of visiting support (particularly from the pie eating areas) is frankly laughable, so it’s not as though we are being outsung!. How many more points better off could we be if the volume had been raised just a notch at vital points of recent home games. 1-0 up against Hull… 0-0 against Villa after Alumnia had saved the pen… 3-1 & 4-2 against the SpudS (ok, that was down to totally crap defending but you get the idea).

But yet when United come to town the atmosphere was so much better. We must stop picking and choosing the games in which we give our most vocal support and give the team 100% for every game we play. Our away support has always and still is in my opinion the best in the country.

We want teams and their supporters to actually crap themselves at the idea of heading to N5. Too many teams are coming to “Enjoy the experience” and “Give us a good game”!! Sod that! As we did at Highbury so often, your run of the mills, Wigan, Blackburn, Man City, Spuds should be, on a regular basis, put away 3 maybe 4-0.

We expect tougher games against Utd, Liverpool, and Chelski, simply because they have a higher class of player. A slim victory, even a draw if you’re feeling generous. As I have said before, just beating the other members of the “Big Four” won’t bring you the title come May.

Let’s play our part and raise the volume. That will hopefully raise the team too.