Is boxing second to football in atmosphere terms

I am a huge football fan (more so than boxing) but one thing that is clearly evident is how much better a football atmosphere is than boxing, and indeed all other sports. A top football match will surpass and top boxing match in terms of atmosphere by some distance.

I dont watch, or have a remote interest, any other sports so I would be keen to know where you think boxing fares in the rankings.

Its highly variable, not sure its easy to draw any direct comparisons.

Darts seems to get the crowd going.

Boxing really depends on who is boxing. Khan-McCloskey was a great atmosphere but a lot of bouts are almost silent.

HUGE FOOTBALL MATCHES HAVE 60,000......or so...

I imagine the atmosphere at a Leonard-Hagler fight is just as good....

I tend to disagree.....to pardon a pun the goalposts are different...

Hatton-Mayweather would generatee as good an atmosphere than a big game for sure..

Heck the weigh in was atmospheric.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:HUGE FOOTBALL MATCHES HAVE 60,000......or so...

I imagine the atmosphere at a Leonard-Hagler fight is just as good....

I tend to disagree.....to pardon a pun the goalposts are different...

Hatton-Mayweather would generatee as good an atmosphere than a big game for sure..

Heck the weigh in was atmospheric.

You can go to a conference game with 5k and it will be louder than the MEN with 20k. Football is another league in terms of crowd noise. There are a lot more neutrals at the boxing.

loudness is atmosphere is it..????

Of course. I'm not sure in which way you'd consider most boxing shows atmospheric.

Agree scott, football noise is the best feeling ever. Was in the away end at the local derby at the weekend and I would not swap the feeling of when we scored for a night with Megan Fox.

Nothing like it in the world.

Lumbering_Jack wrote:Agree scott, football noise is the best feeling ever. Was in the away end at the local derby at the weekend and I would not swap the feeling of when we scored for a night with Megan Fox.

Nothing like it in the world.

Of course you wouldn't.

It's not often Newcastle score away from home.

Atmosphere for me is being at a special event with your blood pumping in anticipation along with a thousands of others.............

To me..Man City v Everton and lot's of foul mouthed noisy chants and abuse ..doesn't quite give me the same atmospheric flush as a special fight ..that doesn't come along to often..

But if you have no class I respect that..

For atmosphere, give me the Cheltenham NH festival over any football match any day. Great craic, lubricated with substantial quantities of Guinness and champagne, not to mention oysters and salmon. Rather that than a feeling of impending menace, Bovril, inedible pies and the smell of urine everywhere, although I suppose it's an atmosphere of a different kind, and, presumably something of an acquired taste!

Bovril, inedible pies and the smell of urine !

Funniest thing I've read here for an age.

Champagne and Oysters............

The Captain is becoming a snob!!!! Not related to Scotty are you??..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Atmosphere for me is being at a special event with your blood pumping in anticipation along with a thousands of others.............

To me..Man City v Everton and lot's of foul mouthed noisy chants and abuse ..doesn't quite give me the same atmospheric flush as a special fight ..that doesn't come along to often..

But if you have no class I respect that..

So a superfight beats a league game? Hardly an achievement.

For a similar level of event, it's not even a comparison.

But if you haven't been to watch sport since the 80s I respect that

One minute I'm a snob, the next I have no class. Mr. Consistent you are TRUSSY!

Football is a game for real men, along with boxing of course. Sport is meant to be competitive, the odd foul mouthed chant never done any harm. The hostility and threats og violence are what make it great. Gets the blood pumping.

Lumbering_Jack wrote:Football is a game for real men

Not sure about that one.

When I first came over here...I was staying at my father-in-laws house when I noticed some bovril next to the coffee pot.....brewed the kettle put some bovril in a cup with some milk and poured some hot water in.....Jeez I nearly died with the taste..told Joanne it was the worst coffee I'd ever tasted....

She's never let me forget it......

Never had it since..Too many embarrassing memories.

If I'm a snob, I've been one for ages, Truss! I've always liked good food and drink, and set to one of your favourite sports, they become irresistible.

captainlordcarrantuohil

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:When I first came over here...I was staying at my father-in-laws house when I noticed some bovril next to the coffee pot.....brewed the kettle put some bovril in a cup with some milk and poured some hot water in.....Jeez I nearly died with the taste..told Joanne it was the worst coffee I'd ever tasted....

She's never let me forget it......

Never had it since..Too many embarrassing memories.

Ever thought of writing a book?

Having been to both large arena shows and small hall shows, I would say the atmosphere is better at the smaller halls. You get more fans who have genuine allegiances to one or t'other fighters and as such tend to let their support be known a little more. The York Hall has fantastic atmosphere, as does the The Troxy, which, if you ever get the chance to see a show there, is a a great venue for fights.

I think knowledge of the audience is the key factor. I remember going to the first or second Benn v Collins fight (can't remember which as I went to both) and Winky Wright was fighting Steve Foster. I would estimate that only about 30% of the people sitting in and around me actually knew who Winky Wright was. Foster, understandably, had a lot of support but poor old Winky was met with almost silence. I think Scott has alluded to this in commenting on the amount of neutral fans at a big boxing show.

Not really sure how this compares with a big football match as I have never been to a Premiership game but I imagine the atmosphere would be quite good as people have genuine support for one or other of the teams.

I did, however, take my eldest son to a lower league game involving the local team for my town and within about 30 minutes, the opposition goalie had been called a "wop" and the striker described as a "darkie". All within earshot of my son and plently of other kids. That is without even starting on the swearing! Needless to say, I haven't been back.

Usually, football produces an atmosphere like no other, for a number of reasons. Goes without saying that more people in Britain care about it than they do boxing, and of course you have to factor in that football attendances, in general, are considerably larger than boxing ones.

Now and then, though, you do get the odd one-off. Froch's fights in Nottingham against Pascal and Dirrell, for instance, were just about as intense as any football atmosphere I've felt. And I'd agree with Truss that it doesn't always necessarily just boil down to noise.

I think phenomenal atmospheres can be created at any sporting event, but more often in football due to it being the nation's best-loved sport and attracting more fans than any other in general.

Jack, I think you'd make a fascinating psychological study for someone! Is Joey Barton really your favourite player? If so, could you also tell me your favourite serial killer?

Robert Ramirez I reckon.

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

I think knowledge of the audience is the key factor. I remember going to the first or second Benn v Collins fight (can't remember which as I went to both) and Winky Wright was fighting Steve Foster. I would estimate that only about 30% of the people sitting in and around me actually knew who Winky Wright was. Foster, understandably, had a lot of support but poor old Winky was met with almost silence. I think Scott has alluded to this in commenting on the amount of neutral fans at a big boxing show.

.

Tino are you sure that was on that card? I am certain I was at the Winky Foster fight and I know I was not at Benn Collins, could have swore the Foster Winky fight was on a Naz card, if anyone who can access boxrec could put me out of my misery would appreciate it.

Just think that there isn't enough evidence to compare a game at say Millwall with 10,000 fans and an arena with the same at a Barrera-Morales fight!!!

and say Millwall has more atmosphere..

rowley wrote:

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

I think knowledge of the audience is the key factor. I remember going to the first or second Benn v Collins fight (can't remember which as I went to both) and Winky Wright was fighting Steve Foster. I would estimate that only about 30% of the people sitting in and around me actually knew who Winky Wright was. Foster, understandably, had a lot of support but poor old Winky was met with almost silence. I think Scott has alluded to this in commenting on the amount of neutral fans at a big boxing show.

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Tino are you sure that was on that card? I am certain I was at the Winky Foster fight and I know I was not at Benn Collins, could have swore the Foster Winky fight was on a Naz card, if anyone who can access boxrec could put me out of my misery would appreciate it.

I have only been to one Naz fight, against Badillo. I don't think it was on there? Calzaghe v Eubank was but not Foster v Wright?

Correct Jeff, undercard of Naz-Hardy.

Winky fought on the undercard of Benn-Collins II vs Ensley Bingham, along with Naz.

Scottrf wrote:Robert Ramirez I reckon.

Richard Ramirez?

He was the night stalker wasn't he???

BALTIMORA wrote:

Scottrf wrote:Robert Ramirez I reckon.

Richard Ramirez?

Yeah

Scottrf wrote:Correct Jeff, undercard of Naz-Hardy.

Winky fought on the undercard of Benn-Collins II vs Ensley Bingham, along with Naz.

Cheers Scott, thought senility was setting in a little early

You can get crisps, pukka pies and wine in plastic glassed with a foil top at football matches. What more do you snobs want.

I stand by my real men comment, balls of steel needed especially for derby games where I'm from. Adrenaline really gets pumping.

Yeah I saw Joey Barton going down from that real manly slap.....

My admiration for "Soccer" players and their balls went up no end..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:He was the night stalker wasn't he???

Yeah. Always preferred Bundy myself.

Scottrf wrote:Correct Jeff, undercard of Naz-Hardy.

Winky fought on the undercard of Benn-Collins II vs Ensley Bingham, along with Naz.

My mistake. Winky v Bingham is right. Thanks Scott.

I'd have quite enjoyed being part of the 130,000 strong Mexican crowd for that show where Chavez tortured Haugen slowly to death.

Doubt that too many football matches come close. Having said which, there's atmosphere in silence too. I was in Australia for Nelson-Fenech II, and you could have heard an Englishman laugh after Zoomy floored Fenech in the first round of that one.

Lumbering_Jack wrote:I stand by my real men comment, balls of steel needed especially for derby games where I'm from. Adrenaline really gets pumping.

Compare Barton from the slap to Chris Ashton when he got punched hard square on the side of his head.

Joey Barton is a quality player and is probably my favourite at the moment. He has not always been the model professional but is turning things around now.

Favourite serial killer... Never gave it much thought.

I'm glad you think I would be an interesting person to study. I'll take it as a compliment.

captain carrantuohil wrote:I'd have quite enjoyed being part of the 130,000 strong Mexican crowd for that show where Chavez tortured Haugen slowly to death.

Doubt that too many football matches come close. Having said which, there's atmosphere in silence too. I was in Australia for Nelson-Fenech II, and you could have heard an Englishman laugh after Zoomy floored Fenech in the first round of that one.

I'd have liked that too, or the 66 World Cup. I'd have thought we were comparing week in, week out events though not record breaking attendances.

There is atmosphere in silence, I agree. When the crowd goes silent for a rugby conversion for example. Not when caused by apathy though, which often happens on the undercards when the home favourite isn't fighting.

Boxing needs to make its shows more of an event.

Not a fair comparison, by going down like a cheap whore Barton was acting up, trying to con the referee into sending off his opponent.

Do you think if you saw Barton in a nightclub and gave him a little fairy slap he would go down like that?

Union Cane wrote:Not a fair comparison, by going down like a cheap whore Barton was acting up, trying to con the referee into sending off his opponent.

Do you think if you saw Barton in a nightclub and gave him a little fairy slap he would go down like that?

A real man has the pride not to go down like that though.

He played the ref, just like boxers do.

Nobody can question his toughness.

Jack, I was just amused that you felt that the threat of violence was what gave football matches their distinctive spice. Even more amused by your description of the quality fare on offer these days...particularly the wine in plastic glasses with the foil top - any good?

I'm not sticking up for him, I think he's an idiot, but you can't say he's not a man for going down like that when slapped. Its part of what is wrong with the game. If punching someone was an offence in rugby you'd doubtless see more of them rolling around on the floor. Not that you'd be able to tell the difference. Also, most footballers are 9 stone weaklings, not like the big burly Truss-like behemoths that play rugby.

Punching someone is an offense in Rugby.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Just think that there isn't enough evidence to compare a game at say Millwall with 10,000 fans and an arena with the same at a Barrera-Morales fight!!!

and say Millwall has more atmosphere..

Truss have you ever been to a football match? Not the American version but an actual English soccerball game?

I can see what some mean by the atmosphere being a bit more loud and raucous at a football match. I was at Groves vs Degale which was a great atmosphere but nowhere near as loud as some football matches I've been to.

As others have said you get a lot of neutrals at a boxing match.

Scottrf wrote:Punching someone is an offense in Rugby.

I mean punishable by a sending off, thereby giving your team an advantage.

He did get sent off.

Barton makes my flesh creep with this pathetic "I'm actually a really nice guy" image he's trying to adopt all of a sudden. He's clearly just a thug who happens to be good at football. How he's still allowed to make such a fantastic living from the game is beyond me - he should have been chucked out on his backside years ago. A truly disgusting individual.

Think people are confusing noise with atmosphere, went to a baseball game in the states recently and whilst the noise level are nothing like football over here was in my opinion a cracking atmosphere, rival fans sat together, really friendly and so on, polar opposite to a match over here but certainly would not call it a poor atmosphere.

Personally am not bothered with the football atmosphere over here, may be getting a bit wet but for me don't consider intimidation, heavy handed policing that considers everyone and anyone to be a potential hooigan and segregation conducive to what I consider a good atmosphere.