There was a time when attending a Manchester United game at Old Trafford meant experiencing a raucous cacophony of sound from the stands. It still happens from time to time, of course, but it is saved for the big occasions—Champions League knockout games and clashes with Liverpool and Manchester City, for example.
As recently as the 1990s, this was not the case, but football's culture has changed. The advent of all-seater stadia has played a part—gone are the days when like-minded singers could gather on terraces. That has affected many of the country's big clubs. The ubiquitous "is this a library?" chant from away fans tells the story.
United had another specific cultural event that effected change: The Glazer-family takeover and subsequent formation of FC United of Manchester. Plenty of noisy match-going Reds of long standing moved away from the Red Devils in protest at the leveraged buyout and the debt that was heaped onto the club's books.
Naturally, many of those who left were among the hardest of the hardcore.
But, of course, in spite of the changing demographics of the matchday support, in spite of the creation of FC United, many of the hardcore remain, and there has been a conscious effort to help foster an improvement in atmosphere.
The key single change has been the creation of the Singing Section in J-Stand, the north-east quadrant of the ground.
The trial for the area took place in the south-east quadrant, the section of the ground normally used to house away fans. When the permanent section was moved to J-Stand, the club's website announced, "Where the away fans are currently housed on matchdays offers the most secure place to satisfy the needs of the security services, offering easy access to and from the stadium."
They also state, "Old Trafford is an all-seater stadium and the club does not condone standing during games, or encourage it to take place as part of the Singing Section."
However, the Singing Section, like the upper tier of the Stretford End—the ground's noisiest section before the changes were introduced, and still a hotbed of atmosphere—tends to be a place where fans stand and sing.
From the Stretford End, the Singing Section's impact can seem minimal. Old Trafford is a huge ground, and sound tends to dissipate. However, anywhere across the halfway line along the Sir Alex Ferguson stand, and all along the East stand, the noise from J-Stand is noticeable.
One of the Singing Section's unique charms, in addition to the noise it generates on that side of the ground, is the varied and interesting flags borne aloft by its members.
Bleacher Report spoke with the designer responsible for the latest Paul Pogba-inspired creation.
Asked to be referred to as Rob, a 35-year-old season-ticket holder in J-Stand, he had this to say about watching United from the Singing Section, and providing an artistic edge to the matchday experience.
"The Singing Section has allowed me to indulge in the most simplest of match-going pleasures," he said, "watching United, stood up, with four of my best mates. Before the Singing Section came about we were spread out all over the ground. Some on the upper tiers, some down at the front. Being together as a group in the ground means we are together for the whole day and the two-hour window of cramped seating and solitude is now thankfully a thing of the past."
One of the best things about the Singing Section has been the return of the traditional two-stick flags. "Two-stick flags have been a part of United’s match-going culture for as long as any red can remember," said Rob.
"The 1968 European Cup final and 1977 FA Cup final, two magical days in United’s history, will be remembered almost as much for the colourful two-stick scenes in the stands as much as the drama on the pitch. With that in mind, we thought it only right to keep up an important club tradition."
We asked Rob about the flags he has designed and some of his other favourites:
"I have three flags that I take to the match and distribute among my friends. They bear the slogans United We Stand, Salford Lads Club, and Young, Gifted And Back for Pogba.
"As an avid music fan, all three have a musical link. The United We Stand one is laid out in the same style as a New Order record sleeve, the Salford one is a nod to The Smiths, who once posed outside the now-iconic Salford youth club, and the Pogba one is obviously a play on Nina Simone’s classic record.
"I design the artwork, and then Neil, a friend from the other side of the Pennines, sets about cutting material up and working his magic to create the finished article you see in the ground. He makes most of the flags in our section and only charges Reds for the cost of the materials.
"I am really impressed with the half-tone George Best flag that Neil produced himself. It’s simple, so effective and looks belting hung among the tricolours on Euro aways."
Football, of course, inspires some wonderful design work. Rob said of his favourite football-related designers:
"Peter Saville, of Factory Records is superb. He keeps things simple and striking. Less is often more. Aside from him I like the tidy work Copa in Amsterdam turn out. I have visited their lovely shop in the Dutch capital a few times. They have this weird shrine to dead footballers. The [Busby] Babes and George Best are up there in frames behind a statue of the Virgin Mary. Fair play. The quirky football portraits of red Mancunian Stan Chow are cracking, too."
Part of the reason to generate some atmosphere is to help inspire the players. Asked about what feedback he had received, Rob said, "Bastian Schweinsteiger loved the big Germany flag we held up. I got chatting to his brother Tobias once and he told me how much he’d buzzed off it. That was nice."
There is no doubt that the Singing Section has made life more colourful for its occupants and those nearest to them. Bringing life to Old Trafford was something of a thankless task during the Louis van Gaal era when the football was so flat that excitement was rare. So far this season, things have already been better on that score.
Before the home opener against Southampton, the ground was electric, and in spite of the Manchester-derby defeat, United fans made plenty of racket.
The Singing Section arrived at a difficult time in United's history, and perhaps its real legacy in the long run will be to have kept alive the pilot light of atmosphere on that side of the ground. Hopefully this season will see it spark into a bigger flame, as United's on-pitch fortunes improve.
Whether it does or not, the sound and colour of the Singing Section is something of which United fans can be proud.