What is the point of Red Action?

[H Block Lower]

I've been meaning to write about this subject for some time but haven't got round to it but as well as the piss poor performance on the pitch on Wednesday night the atmosphere in the ground was woeful and especially in the Red Action section. For a group of fans who state their objective is to improve the atmosphere they don't actually seem to sing! On Wednesday the Upper tier directly above them started a chant of "Red Army" and kept it going for a while and yet you could tell that Red Action wasn't joining in. They seem to have a policy of - if we didn't start the song, we're not singing it! This is hugely evident every time the opposite corner (blocks 10/11) start a song - they never seem to join in.
Other teams have started groups and been hugely effective - The Holmsdale Fanatics at Palace and The Green Brigade at Celtic spring to mind and while I don't want some pleb banging a drum surely we can do better. I was in the Palace end on Saturday next to the Arsenal and while the Holmsdale lot only number about 30/40 they encourage everyone else to sing and so their was a great atmosphere in the Arthur Waite.
What doesn't help is the lack of songs we sing en masse. The only songs we seem to sing are "Arsenal, Arsenal", "We love you Arsenal", "By far the greatest team" and "49 undefeated" (great song). You hear other songs in pubs but they never seem to make it on to the terraces. Surely a group set up for the sole purpose of creating atmosphere can do better then they currently are??

And for the record I sit in block 14 and do join in the singing - which is normally started by the opposite corner to Red Action!

[Robin_L]

It's all about organically growing decent songs, and phasing out the shit like "Stand Up If You Hate Tottenham", "By Far THe Greatest Team"

However the problem is that the select 3 or 4 (yes, that's really all it amounts to) are so popular that they're repeated en masse and other, much better songs are crowded out.

Not enough people know and propagate the classic Arsenal songs that add a bit of class and a unique Arsenal identity to proceedings. One of the best Arsenal songs I've heard in recent years was the Chamakh one, very unfortunate that he didn't turn out to be a big player for us.

[augie]

Steve O is our resident redaction correspondent and he will fill you in on all things related to them

[VAVAVOOM 14]

The Tottenham chant is absolute shit and we look small time singing about them every match. They should not be relevant but twice a year.

The best chant we have is the North end/Clock end rally yet I hardly ever hear it.

[slevinlacey]

Red action love starting the oles

[clockendlower]

The best chant we have is the North end/Clock end rally yet I hardly ever hear it.

I was in the clock end lower on Wednesday night and we tried to get that one going a few times without any response and everyone around me seemed to just stop singing all together.

[VAVAVOOM 14]

The best chant we have is the North end/Clock end rally yet I hardly ever hear it.

I was in the clock end lower on Wednesday night and we tried to get that one going a few times without any response and everyone around me seemed to just stop singing all together.

That is so pitiful it's funny.

[Herd]

Red Action are piss ants who like AISA and other groups suck and polish Gazidis cock twice a year !
Their HQ the rocket looks like a variety club day out for the mentally handicapped every Saturday.
It is rumoured they are part of ISIS and intend to capture and behead people from the Online Gooner for treason !

[SteveO 35]

Steve O is our resident redaction correspondent and he will fill you in on all things related to them

Love 'em to bits ever since they represented the fans in such a positive light





Actually augs - my mate Ikechukwu will fill you in with all things RedAction - he's their PR Director these days

[Theoperator]

One thing that any action group can do is to vociferously insist on having safe standing as much as possible, basically its much harder to sing when seated, which is why the away matches mostly standing are so good, and reports that Villa Away was rubbish atmosphere this season because the stewards insisted on making people sit

[armchair]

S'pose RA are the same as everything else at the club. Just a bit shit really.

Maybe if there was something tangeable to look forward to. Like an actual title challenge. Like maybe seeming like we are going to progress beyond top four and last sixteen for the one millionth time in a row it might be different. Might be something to sing about?

RA seem to have contacted the same apathy and mediocrity that has infected the club from top to bottom under Wengers tenure. Just going through the motions.

[northbank123]

One thing that any action group can do is to vociferously insist on having safe standing as much as possible, basically its much harder to sing when seated, which is why the away matches mostly standing are so good, and reports that Villa Away was rubbish atmosphere this season because the stewards insisted on making people sit

I didn't really notice that at Villa. The atmosphere was not as good as perhaps you would expect for a convincing away win because the game went from being fairly dull to being over in about 5 minutes. Found a similar thing at Molineux in 2009/10

[MK Gould]

We moved out of the Family Enclosure & into Block 4 this season. Deliberately chose it as next to Red Action. Have to say though that it's no better than any other part of the ground. We do stand all game, every game, and stewards don't seem to mind. But there is nothing organised down there in terms of support. Yes, you could have a drum or guy "conducting" from the front. Or maybe just enthusiastic youngsters who want to sing. But there is no evidence of any of that. To be honest I don't think it's much noisier than the Family Enclosure that we left!

Away is different story. Could definitely be better but at least the majority do join in. Hopefully we can make a good noise in Manchester with almost 9000 up there.

Have to say though that I was disappointed at Palace. Their atmosphere has been mentioned so often in the media that I was surprised when it turned out to be just a handful of lads by the corner flag...

[redfox]

It's all about organically growing decent songs, and phasing out the shit like "Stand Up If You Hate Tottenham", "By Far THe Greatest Team"

However the problem is that the select 3 or 4 (yes, that's really all it amounts to) are so popular that they're repeated en masse and other, much better songs are crowded out.

Not enough people know and propagate the classic Arsenal songs that add a bit of class and a unique Arsenal identity to proceedings. One of the best Arsenal songs I've heard in recent years was the Chamakh one, very unfortunate that he didn't turn out to be a big player for us.

I concur.

[gp543]

IOne of the best Arsenal songs I've heard in recent years was the Chamakh one, very unfortunate that he didn't turn out to be a big player for us.

One of my favorite songs of the past few years. Started it at palace and got some laughs/a few joined.