Time to Get Rid of Goal Music

There has been debate about this in the past. Forest has twice put this to the public vote, but in contentious situations. The very fact we have it at all is embarrassing.

If we want to back in the Premier League it needs to go. A few top flight clubs have it, but what it does to me is take away the spontaneity and raucousness of a celebration. When the whole crowd basically gets choreographed into this weird arms softly pumping in front, a low key type skank, then it's all a bit,,, bland.

I get in an era of sitting down and more family's at football, something kind of needing doing, and back in League One, to cover for the distinctly more quiet crowd, we needed something to give a boost. But with a team playing well and flying high, surely its need is somewhat negated.

The problem has now become a whole generation of fans raised on goal celebration music. There's been an odd occasion where the goal music didn't kick in, or when we used the Pogues song when Pogues member Phil chevron died, you see vast swathes of younger fans (and to a degree younger fans dads too) looking at each in bemusement about what to do. My point is this, there's nothing to do, you celebrate, and you don't need a musical instruction to celebrate a goal.

Look at the away support. We manage to celebrate quite easily without it. Admittedly it is largely a different type of fans at away games, but that’s by the by. Fans are fans regardless. I'm pretty certain that after 4-5 games of no goal music, the fans would adapt and remember that we don't all have to do the same bloody dance.

The thing is for me, it’s a legacy of that Americanisation that came in the 90's, when cheerleaders and large PA's were introduced. The match day experience became largely choreographed. Look at Wembley finals. Everything is done to make that loud and explosive with MUSIC and FIREWORKS, and ANYTHING LOUD., to the point I heard Wembley days out for fans of clubs who go regularly to be a nightmare. You can't chant songs pre-game as you get drowned out. You can't cheer names, as it's all about the EXPERIENCE of the match day, Wembley style so you will like another playing of Black Eyed Pea's" I Got A Feelin'", ok?. That’s filtered down to the clubs. I guess it's like a crowd control exercise in those regards; we make you cheer these safe things. Nothing dangerous and provocative. That might incite fans to sing nasty songs about other clubs or players.

I remember the first time we had it. As a one off in the season closer against reading in 1998, when we got promoted. There was this whole weird PA system of huge speakers round the pitch, and two "presenters" trying to whip up the crowd. Whether some Promotions company had hoodwinked Forest into allowing them in, or they decided to trial it I don't remember. These were the dark Scholar and Wray days, so god knows why it was bought in. They played goal music when we scored, the first time I encountered it, and it felt tacky and horrible. And American. And what was 16-17 year old me thinking that.

The votes the club organised about it were poor too. Opening up suggestions on social media was ridiculous. Where fan of any club could surrepticiously vote on it, or make suggestions. It was never a great idea, and of course a Facebook vote meant that the younger crowd skewed the vote. They are used to it, they don't know better. Even worse is anyone would essentially vote. None Match day attending fans, that’s sort of acceptable, but any clubs fans could have voted.

Then there was a vote just for season ticket holders. Which was badly publicised, other than, again, through social media, so again skewing the vote for younger fans?

I listen to a few football podcasts. I can guarantee you most premier league clubs fans think the entire idea of goal music is extremely cringe worthy, decidedly small time, and something only teams out in the sticks do. If we played goal music in the top flight we'd be mocked.

Finally, I always liked Chelsea Dagger, but for me the song is forever tainted by being used by bleary eyed guys in the pub to celebrate goals. If we drop it, I might get the song back to play, and not instantly skip on my IPod with a shudder.

We need to move on from those shadowy League One days, and remember how a proper crowd reacts, and not have the need for the tannoy man to tell us when to jump around. Rant over.