Often Partisan

Tilton Alliance Interview

Last Friday the Tilton Alliance made their debut to a good reception at St Andrew’s with the aim of bringing song and atmosphere back to the ground. I spoke to Lee Neal of the Tilton Alliance to find out more about what they’re trying to do.

OP: First of all, you must be (rightly) proud of how things went last Friday. What do you think worked so well to get such a great response to get people to sit in block 4?

LN: I’m over the moon on how Friday turned out,I think it worked so well because we ticked many of the boxes of what people wanted the atmosphere at a football match to be like. It was a traditional atmosphere with no gimmicks. It was a great response from the fans to support us like they did and I think it spread all the way around the ground.

OP: With the next home game now not till next season, how hard do you think it will be to match that kind of response? How do you think you’ll be able to continue the momentum?

LN: There’s a long way till next season now but after Friday night I think this will carry momentum naturally. We’re still going to work hard throughout the summer doing promotional work etc,but after the buzz of Friday night I think people will definitely want that again next season and I’m confident of filling block 2 as well as 4.

OP: What kind of promotional stuff you going to do in the summer?

LN: We’ll be hosting fund raising events for BCFC-related charities; the location hasn’t been confirmed yet but it will be a pub or social club near St Andrew’s. We will also be attending pre-season matches and we also have merchandise coming out over the next 2 weeks, t-shirts, polo shirts, mugs, pin badges and stickers, all due to popular demand. All profits will go back into the group for more merchandise and we will be making donations to BCFC-related charities.

OP: I’ve seen mention of positive meetings with the club which have helped – are they going to formally assist you next season or is it going to be more of a hands-off approach from them? What do you think they could do to help you out most?

LN: I had a meeting with David Boston and Dave Hoult that went really well and they are fully behind us. I’ll continue to stay in contact with the club, I think a good relationship with them and keeping in contact with them is key to this continuing to work and I know they were more than happy with us on Friday night. Now they’ve seen what kind of a partisan atmosphere we created I think they’ll just let us carry on with what we’re doing. No changes are needed in my opinion everything worked spot on.

OP: What are your medium and long term goals? Do you see this as a movement that is going to extend from block 4? Is there a message you’d like to give to fans about your future plans?

LN: Our medium goal is at least to fill block 2&4 for the start of next season, which I fully believe we can achieve. Our long term goal is to get the whole St Andrews bouncing again like it used to. I even want to see the paddocks full and standing and singing,t hat’s the goal. We’d just like to thank everyone again,it was a wonderful response from the fans to get behind our idea so quickly! To think we planned that and more than succeeded in 10 days is a bit surreal to be honest. The feed back from fans, the media, the club, Gary Rowett, Panos Pavlakis and the players has been phenomenal! They all loved it!  It couldn’t have gone any better.

Tilton Alliance’s Facebook page can be found here.

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24 Responses to “Tilton Alliance Interview”

  • peter bates says:

    Fair play Tilton alliance I have criticised the atmosphere this season but will admit against boro it was a lot better good luck with it and lets hope next season it spreads right around the ground kro

  • fingles says:

    I thought they were great, even got the old Main Stand singing.

  • Eric says:

    Great effort from Tipton alliance their enthusiasm had a massive knock on effect around most of the ground hope in continues long into the future

  • Eric says:

    Tipton alliance lol blooming auto correct

  • mark says:

    micheal fox FB linked with blues from charlton

  • Lee Neal says:

    Thanks for the support everyone. Lee Neal-Tilton Alliance

  • ChrisG says:

    Til Ton Alliance, hmmm has a familiar ring to that name but I can’t quite put my finger on it.lol.

  • Dave Mann says:

    Yes the atmosphere was much better Friday night and a lot more support for the team .. It’s just getting bums on seats now that we need to work on and that will only improve next season with better home performances like against Middlesbrough and pushing again for the playoffs but this time staying the coarse . KRO

  • bhamcityjulian says:

    Can we please get things into perspective. The atmosphere arose out of the awareness of the importance of the match, seeing masses of Boro fans en route to Stans and seeing a full Gill Merrick. That got me going mildly but it was the pulsating last 79 minutes that got me off my seat and singing.

    Trying to social engineer it just not acceptable. “I even want to see the paddocks full and standing and singing”. Do they not get a say in it? Should anyone expect to have their view blocked because they don’t want to stand? My wife and I happily accept that we have to stand at away games but at Stans: no, only as a instinctive reaction to the on pitch events.

  • Terence Smith says:

    I have been going down since 1956 and have been a season ticket holder for most of these years, but now I have retired I have given up my season ticket and go to matches when family affairs allow – but this means I usually end up with a seat in the lower levels, and the last few times I have attended I have been unable to see the game as everyone around us has stood up – I am physically unable at the age of 66 to stand unsupported for such a long time.

  • Dave Mann says:

    It happens away Terence all the time with people standing up no matter where they’re supposed to be sitting and it is annoying but at home it’s not such an issue but I feel sorry for you if that’s happening .. Just tell the bugers to sit down and show a bit of respect for the older supporter and if they don’t then tell a steward otherwise what else can you do ..for someone who as supported the team as long as you it’s in acceptable and I hope you can find yourself a seat higher up next time , keep the faith soldier ! KRO

  • With the amount of spare seats at football grounds there is no excuse for disabled people not to be able to see a match on any ground , it is easy enough to arrange an area of no standing , when we get to the prem we will have to abide by their parliment guide lines so why not do it now. KRO

  • If by chance we do come into money sometime in the summer , rumour has it Chris Martin might leave Derby , also a rumour gudmundsson could be leaving Charlton , KRO

  • Dave Mann says:

    Yes but will Chris Martin leave Coldplay ? KRO


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