Why do we always kick towards the South Bank second half

[LythamWolf]

This has probably been discussed before but I don't recall so apologies in advance.

I understand why we want to kick towards the SB second half because the most vocal fans are in that end but why do opposing teams almost always allow us to do so when it clearly helps us? 50% of the time they will win the toss and could therefore choose to prevent us doing so.

Are there reciprocal agreements whereby we let them choose the ends that they prefer in the return fixtures? I've never paid attention to which way we kick in away fixtures.

 

[Boss Hogg]

According to legend the North Bank goal was smaller, and given our preponderance to score more goals in the second half our preference is to atack the SB in the 2nd half.

 

[Sketchead]

Part of the reason Coady is captain is because he has the highest % of coin-toss wins - wins the toss around 86% of times, only coming second to The Joker himself, so always opts to shoot towards the nutters second half so they can suck the ball into the net.

 

[Padraig]

This has probably been discussed before but I don't recall so apologies in advance.

I understand why we want to kick towards the SB second half because the most vocal fans are in that end but why do opposing teams almost always allow us to do so when it clearly helps us? 50% of the time they will win the toss and could therefore choose to prevent us doing so.

Are there reciprocal agreements whereby we let them choose the ends that they prefer in the return fixtures? I've never paid attention to which way we kick in away fixtures.

Your last paragraph is correct. Rarely you’ll get a team who doesn’t respect it. With my Wolves hat on I do like it but then I also can’t understand how in the world of “marginal gains” it still happens.

 

[Black Country Wanderer]

Its downhill going South

 

[Bawtry Wolf]

S

Your last paragraph is correct. Rarely you’ll get a team who doesn’t respect it. With my Wolves hat on I do like it but then I also can’t understand how in the world of “marginal gains” it still happens.

same happens at Liverpool, where teams defend the Kop end second half, again surprising. I can sort of remember a couple of times where we’ve changed ends and kicked towards the SouthBank first half but not who against and it was pre-COVID, possibly Norwich a couple of seasons ago.

 

[Ironfistedmonk]

Home end

 

[Jay Jay de Wolf]

Its downhill going South

If you know your Wolves history or geography. That's tongue in cheek I think from @Black Country Wanderer about downhill south. Yet in early 1900's the pitch was sloping naturally downhill (going North) from the Molinuex Hotel and Town/City Centre)That's why when I went first to Mol in 60's it was tradition if the captain won the coin toss he would opt to kick towards the North Bank for the second half. Opposite / contrary to what they do now and also because the main vocal support came from the NB not the South Bank as it does nowadays. For the past 40 years it has switched around the choice our captain has for ends if winning the coin toss..

 

[glorybox]

I heard a rumour it's because the wind always blows in that direction. Admittedly i started the rumour.

 

[Wolf316]

S

same happens at Liverpool, where teams defend the Kop end second half, again surprising. I can sort of remember a couple of times where we’ve changed ends and kicked towards the SouthBank first half but not who against and it was pre-COVID, possibly Norwich a couple of seasons ago.

Sheffield United a couple of seasons ago. I’d guess it was due to the position of the sun.

 

[LythamWolf]

Your last paragraph is correct. Rarely you’ll get a team who doesn’t respect it. With my Wolves hat on I do like it but then I also can’t understand how in the world of “marginal gains” it still happens.

Thanks for confirming, I thought that must be the reason.

 

[Deleted member yltz11841]

The waist bands are larger causing a gravitational effect on the ball making it easier to score that end.

 

[LythamWolf]

S

same happens at Liverpool, where teams defend the Kop end second half, again surprising. I can sort of remember a couple of times where we’ve changed ends and kicked towards the SouthBank first half but not who against and it was pre-COVID, possibly Norwich a couple of seasons ago.

Yes, I remember a game 2-3 seasons ago where we kicked the opposite way. It felt really strange, not right at all.

 

[Frank Lincoln]

On a slightly different subject. For those who remember the old Molineux. The players entrance to the pitch was close to the North Bank. Back then the away team usually came out first, and usually went towards the south bank goal. Wolves would then come out in front of the North Bank. As I recall most teams respected this, though a certain Mr. Revie told his players to go to the north bank end.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

I have asked this previously. I've never seen it officially, but it seems like the vast majority of teams have reciprocal relationships and allow the home team to pick their end. Burnley turned us round a couple of seasons ago IIRC.

 

[Jay Jay de Wolf]

Yes, I remember a game 2-3 seasons ago where we kicked the opposite way. It felt really strange, not right at all.

Yet is was the preferred way to kick second half towards the North Bank in 1960's & 70's as I said earlier..

That's why when I went first to Mol in 60's it was tradition if the captain won the coin toss he would opt to kick towards the North Bank for the second half. Opposite / contrary to what they do now and also because the main vocal support came from the NB not the South Bank as it does nowadays. For the past 40 years it has switched around the choice our captain has for ends if winning the coin toss..

 

[Golden Moth]

Apparently there's a ley line that passes into the bottom righthand corner of the south bank goal and, due to the adjacent magnetic field variations, if you can get a shot in line with it there is considerable assistance. That Neves long range daiseycutter against Sheff Wed (?) in the promotion season exactly tracked along this ley line giving their goalie no chance.

 

[Boon2]

I have asked this previously. I've never seen it officially, but it seems like the vast majority of teams have reciprocal relationships and allow the home team to pick their end. Burnley turned us round a couple of seasons ago IIRC.

which has the effect of us playing towards our away support second half

 

[WR4Wolf]

Had this discussion with my father in law who is a Sheff Weds fan as they always look to attack the kop second half as we do the South Bank. Years ago swapping ends after the toss happened a lot but you rarely see it nowadays.

Assuming all home sides don't use a two sided coin is it just that there is a reciprocal agreement in place between clubs as previously suggested or is it that the opposing keeper just can't be ***** to walk all the way down the other end?

It used to be great fun abusing the away keeper (or welcoming our keeper) after he'd run the length of the pitch after the coin toss but it rarely happens now.

 

[Frank Lincoln]

Liverpool always like to attack the Kop end in the second half, but against Shrewsbury on Sunday didn't the Shrews do so. Maybe the gentlemans agreement doesn't apply to cup games.

 

[QB Wolf]

Yet is was the preferred way to kick second half towards the North Bank in 1960's & 70's as I said earlier..

That's why when I went first to Mol in 60's it was tradition if the captain won the coin toss he would opt to kick towards the North Bank for the second half. Opposite / contrary to what they do now and also because the main vocal support came from the NB not the South Bank as it does nowadays. For the past 40 years it has switched around the choice our captain has for ends if winning the coin toss..

The switch to kicking towards the South Bank in the second half is a relatively (like in the last 10-15 years) recent thing isn't it or is my mind playing tricks on me?

Also traditionally the North Bank was considered the home end and always will be for me.

 

[WolfLing]

If it’s our preference, I’m surprised more opposition captains don’t try and disrupt that.

Since 2019, the captain that wins the toss can choose to kick off, or which end they start the game.

Maybe that’s why we always warm up and come out the Southbank end, as if the opposition captain wins the toss, for purposes of ease they’re far more likely to just say, “stay as we are, we will kick off” rather than make both teams swap ends!

 

[The Runner]

Apparently there's a ley line that passes into the bottom righthand corner of the south bank goal and, due to the adjacent magnetic field variations, if you can get a shot in line with it there is considerable assistance. That Neves long range daiseycutter against Sheff Wed (?) in the promotion season exactly tracked along this ley line giving their goalie no chance.

Hmmmm.... The Neves daisy cutter against Wednesday I remember was at Hillsborough. Maybe it's a long ley line

 

[Alex Rae The Substitute]

The switch to kicking towards the South Bank in the second half is a relatively (like in the last 10-15 years) recent thing isn't it or is my mind playing tricks on me?

Also traditionally the North Bank was considered the home end and always will be for me.

I had a season ticket in the North Bank in the McCarthy era in the PL, and we attacked towards that end second half until at least the 2009/10 season. I think we swapped the following season 2010/11, but I may be wrong.

 

[GoldenHorseshoe]

If it’s our preference, I’m surprised more opposition captains don’t try and disrupt that.

Since 2019, the captain that wins the toss can choose to kick off, or which end they start the game.

Maybe that’s why we always warm up and come out the Southbank end, as if the opposition captain wins the toss, for purposes of ease they’re far more likely to just say, “stay as we are, we will kick off” rather than make both teams swap ends!

Shhhhhh

 

[Ashtead to the North Bank]

I had a season ticket in the North Bank in the McCarthy era in the PL, and we attacked towards that end second half until at least the 2009/10 season. I think we swapped the following season 2010/11, but I may be wrong.

Had a season ticket in the BW at the SB end and changed to the North Bank in 2013/14 season, when we dropped to League One. First game in that season we started kicking towards the NB first half, reversing the pattern of many years, depriving me seeing us score late goals in the NB.

 

[Golden Moth]

Hmmmm.... The Neves daisy cutter against Wednesday I remember was at Hillsborough. Maybe it's a long ley line

Ooops. Seems I had one mushroom too many in my tea this morning.

 

[SevernWolf]

It would make sense to kick towards the South Bank in the second half, as the sun is likely to be lower and less likely to get in the players' eyes.

 

[QB Wolf]

I had a season ticket in the North Bank in the McCarthy era in the PL, and we attacked towards that end second half until at least the 2009/10 season. I think we swapped the following season 2010/11, but I may be wrong.

Had a season ticket in the BW at the SB end and changed to the North Bank in 2013/14 season, when we dropped to League One. First game in that season we started kicking towards the NB first half, reversing the pattern of many years, depriving me seeing us score late goals in the NB.

Thanks for confirming I wasn’t going mad.

 

[GV Wolf]

This has probably been discussed before but I don't recall so apologies in advance.

I understand why we want to kick towards the SB second half because the most vocal fans are in that end but why do opposing teams almost always allow us to do so when it clearly helps us? 50% of the time they will win the toss and could therefore choose to prevent us doing so.

Are there reciprocal agreements whereby we let them choose the ends that they prefer in the return fixtures? I've never paid attention to which way we kick in away fixtures.

I’ve been thinking exactly the same the last few home games - it’s as if we win the coin toss all the time and elect to play towards the SB in the second half. You would think the away teams would know this and do the opposite. Or as the away supporters are on the side the away team thinks it makes no difference.

 

[Spitfire]

Had a season ticket in the BW at the SB end and changed to the North Bank in 2013/14 season, when we dropped to League One. First game in that season we started kicking towards the NB first half, reversing the pattern of many years, depriving me seeing us score late goals in the NB.

Yes I’ve been going in the North bank since the 1992 rebuild. We mainly attacked that end second half until Morgan rebuilt again in 2011/12. Attacked South bank second half that season and never reverted back after the North bank was finished.

 

[Axle]

This just isn’t my recollection at all. Unless it’s a PL only arrangement there were plenty of games in the championship where we kicked towards the SB first half.

Norwich where Seol scored after a couple of minutes? Sheffield Utd 2-2 when Emblen scored? Palace in the play-offs?

 

[Hot Fuss]

This just isn’t my recollection at all. Unless it’s a PL only arrangement there were plenty of games in the championship where we kicked towards the SB first half.

Norwich where Seol scored after a couple of minutes? Sheffield Utd 2-2 when Emblen scored? Palace in the play-offs?

We started to kick towards the north bank second half when the Stan cullis opened (1992) and did so for ages unless we got turned round.

The club realised the south bank was noisier about 15 years ago and we went the other way.

In the 90s, early 00s we always tried to turn the opposition around at away games.

There must be some kind of agreement in place now as it very rarely changes at any premier league ground.

 

[Super Ted]

Apparently there's a ley line that passes into the bottom righthand corner of the south bank goal and, due to the adjacent magnetic field variations, if you can get a shot in line with it there is considerable assistance. That Neves long range daiseycutter against Sheff Wed (?) in the promotion season exactly tracked along this ley line giving their goalie no chance.

Must be a big lay line. That Neves goal was scored at Hillsborough.

 

[Golden Moth]

Must be a big lay line. That Neves goal was scored at Hillsborough.

See post number 27 above.

 

[old wittonian]

S

same happens at Liverpool, where teams defend the Kop end second half, again surprising. I can sort of remember a couple of times where we’ve changed ends and kicked towards the SouthBank first half but not who against and it was pre-COVID, possibly Norwich a couple of seasons ago.

Watford last season ?

 

[Ian]

Liverpool always like to attack the Kop end in the second half, but against Shrewsbury on Sunday didn't the Shrews do so. Maybe the gentlemans agreement doesn't apply to cup games.

When we beat Liverpool in the cup at Anfield a few seasons ago we attacked the Kop second half.
To be honest I don't think its a gentlemans agreement more the fact most teams warm up at their home end at the start of the game and its just easier to stay as you are.

 

[Hot Fuss]

When we beat Liverpool in the cup at Anfield a few seasons ago we attacked the Kop second half.
To be honest I don't think its a gentlemans agreement more the fact most teams warm up at their home end at the start of the game and its just easier to stay as you are.

We attacked the kop first half.

 

[ricki herberts moustache]

On a slightly different subject. For those who remember the old Molineux. The players entrance to the pitch was close to the North Bank. Back then the away team usually came out first, and usually went towards the south bank goal. Wolves would then come out in front of the North Bank. As I recall most teams respected this, though a certain Mr. Revie told his players to go to the north bank end.

They used to come out a little door didn't they?

 

[NewarkWolf]

Cos it's the true home end at molinuex and it inspires the team to attack facing us......