Newcastle's 'vicious' fans shock me, says Barton

[Jimbo 175]

By Michael Walker

Published: 01 December 2007

In a rare and raw assessment of what it feels like to be a professional footballer under pressure from a club's own supporters, Joey Barton has described the atmosphere surrounding Newcastle United as vicious, surreal and detrimental.

 

Barton said he was shocked by the mood at St James' Park during Newcastle's 3-0 home defeat by Liverpool last Saturday and has asked Newcastle fans to reconsider their relationship with the team. Until it changes and improves, Barton said there could be no progress.

 

"It was surreal," Barton said of the atmosphere against Liverpool. "I don't think I have heard a crowd that vicious. I was sitting on the bench and after 20 minutes I had picked up on it. It was still 0-0 at that point. At half-time I was walking down the tunnel with Peter Crouch and he turned and said: 'I have never heard a crowd so vicious.' To be honest it shocked me."

 

Large sections of St James' had turned on Sam Allardyce by the time Barton left the bench in the 51st minute and the serious nature of the divergence in opinion between manager and public as to how Newcastle should play may be witnessed once again today when Newcastle visit Blackburn Rovers.

 

With one point from their last 12 and having endured defeats at Derby and Reading this season, Newcastle have still managed to sell over 5,000 tickets for Ewood Park. But another disjointed performance today and Allardyce and some players can expect fresh criticism from the travelling fans. Barton is pleading with them for patience and understanding. "I can understand their frustration," he said. "I'm not saying it's not deserved, but we want them to stay with us.

 

"Unless it is addressed and we all get together as one and say: 'Well, we're not having the best time of it, but let's give my support to Newcastle United', then our next home game is against Arsenal and, if we are greeted by that sort of atmosphere, we will lose again.

 

"Unless they change that mentality and get with it, start supporting the side through poor results, then things won't change. It's the easiest thing in the world to be negative, but I would like them just to try to be positive, to say: 'Even if 51,999 are going to be negative, I will try to be positive.' If we can all be positive, before we know it we will turn it around.

 

"We want to earn the respect of the fans. If I had been watching the Liverpool game I would have been disappointed, but it's easy to be negative. As a club, as a city we have to try to be positive.

 

"If we can get the crowd behind us then it lifts the place – it almost becomes a 12th man. I have watched Liverpool and the Kop become a 12th man in the Champions League. That is what we need. The amount of people, with their passion, it can have a similar effect at Newcastle; if it doesn't, it's detrimental."

Barton did not excuse Newcastle's players, saying that they had yet to gel, but he argued that would not happen in the current climate on Tyneside. He added that if Newcastle United gains a reputation for being a difficult place to settle then existing players will wish to leave and others will not come.

 

"People have talked about a fear factor up here and you sense it. The minute someone gives the ball away, or the minute someone does something wrong, or there's a backpass, they are greeted with disapproval and jeers. It's like England, the fear of failure. Without being unkind to them [the fans], the Keegan era is gone. In an ideal world we would be playing like that but this is not an ideal world. The squad is in transition, there's been injuries to players like myself.

 

"This is a high-pressure football club. I can only speak for myself and how I feel. I know there are others feeling it. You look at the calibre of players over the last 10 years since Keegan and there are a lot of good players – the Kluiverts, Jenases and Parkers – and this crowd has been vicious enough to eat players up. They are top, top players and they didn't do so well here. When you think about it, you can understand it. It's easy for someone to buckle in that kind of atmosphere."

 

Barton, 25, moved to Newcastle to replace Scott Parker this summer having endured "trials and tribulations" at Manchester City, as well as having touched "rock bottom in my private life." He sees a counsellor from Tony Adams' Sporting Chance charity in order to curb previous recklessness and, as became clear, has been told this week about the importance of remaining positive.

 

"Negative breeds negative," he said. "Unless it is turned around here with some drastic change of thought, it's going to be the same here for this manager, the next manager and whoever comes in after that. Sam's a good manager and the players have to turn up on Saturday and do it, because he is getting the brunt of the criticism. It should be the players. He doesn't deserve it.

 

"This is a time for coming together and seeing who the men are amongst us. If we don't, this club will be in big trouble. It's trench warfare, if you sit there in the trench you will be bombarded and overrun. I will go to war with them [blackburn]. It's not about passing the ball around and being nice. It's about going to Blackburn – one of the best teams in this league, one of the best units – and overcoming them. It's not the time to shirk responsibility. As the manager said this week, anyone who doesn't fancy it: leave."

[Guest Patrokles]

If he gets booed for that on Saturday it'll be brilliant.

 

Fair play to him though. I said a while back myself about how making the players nervous isn't going to help them settle or relax.

 

The problem is that the fans have endured years of underachievement and have been in a negative mindframe- understandably so- but these new players coming in have only just arrived. The frustrations of many years are being inflicted upon relatively new and blameless people. Imagine starting work and you make a mistake at your new job, and immediately everyone in the office gets on your back. It's not going to help you in the future. On the other hand, if your new co-workers had endured years of people like you making silly mistakes, you can see where they'd be coming from. It's a complex and tricky situation.

Edited December 1, 2007 by Patrokles

[The Fish 11079]

If he gets booed for that on Saturday it'll be brilliant.

.. as if the average Newcastle fan reads the independent

 

he is right though

[JawD 99]

He is right, of course he is. Mind, I do find when people spout about it not being the Keegan era anymore, a tad patronising. There are clubs that have had it far worse than we have. But for me it the manner in which things have happened year in year out. It is a new time at the club with new ownership and such but for once, Im happy with the club off the pitch, no issues spring to mind at all. Its on the pitch. someone said in another thread, if we performed on the pitch as much sense Sam speaks off it we'd be laughing. Just seems once He (sam) gets out there his brain turns to Jelly. Cant all be on his shoulders though, some o fthe plays need a good kick up the arse, but I do still the say the main issue Sams tactics.

[Guest alex]

Although he makes some good points as usual it's about time he shut the fuck up and let his feet do the talking for a while. He's proved absolutely nothing since arriving. I appreciate he's been injured etc. I'm not having a go at him for not looking at his best so far.

[JawD 99]

As if by magic, Sam reponds:

 

Newcastle United manager Sam Allardyce insists his tactics are spot on.

 

"Resilience is the order, being determined to not let the opposition do what they want to do and to stop them," Allardyce said. "We're in the business of results, so you've got to stop the opposition. From that position you can then expose your own strength and try and expose their weaknesses. Newcastle have been trying to impose themselves on the opposition for far too long and not winning away from home."

 

After a run of four matches without a win Allardyce is clearly struggling to get that message through to his players, some of whom are reputed to be less than enamoured by his approach, but the former Bolton Wanderers manager does not believe he needs to raise his own game.

 

"No, I don't," he said. "I know what's good, I know what's bad, I know what it takes to win. I know what to do and I've been doing it for 17 years."

 

We know he is a defensive manager, we have to live with that. But ffs, its so clearly not working.

[Kid Dynamite 7312]

He can always leave if he doesnt like it. Maybe he was watching a different match to me but it was one of the worst performances i can ever remember seeing by us. Im not going to sit in the stand clapping at how shit we are.

 

We tried that one against portsmouth and look where that got us

[Gemmill 47085]

He's spot on imo. I don't enjoy going to the match as much as I used to. I used to just enjoy going just to be at the match, and if we lost I still sort of enjoyed having been at the match. But losing games these days is fucking embarrassing because there is a massive portion of the crowd that think that we can't get beaten by ANYONE at home, so as soon as we're on the end of a bad result, or we go a goal down, they're booing, or there's the aggressive atmosphere if someone misplaces a pass or whatever. Jesus, we don't even have to be losing! Get to half time and it's still 0-0 and you can bank on there being at least some booing. It's a weird place to be as a fan, so it can't be much fun if you're a player either.

 

And before anyone trots it out, the "they're paid enough to deal with it" argument doesn't hold water. They're paid shitloads, but an atmosphere like that is not conducive to ANYONE doing well, or turning things around in situations of adversity. Their bank balance is irrelevant.

 

I'm not excusing anyone that isn't pulling their weight or anything like that btw.

 

EDIT! Meant to add that a large part of the reason that I don't enjoy going to the match as much is because I don't feel a great affinity with a large portion of the crowd, before I went on to say about the booing etc.

Edited December 1, 2007 by Gemmill

[JawD 99]

You have to laugh, after 10mins of panto we get a rendition of "we are the loyalist football supporters..." etc. We should should stop singing that like. I hope some of these people dont think turning up at the game is good enough. A mackem could turn up and boo/hiss/throw popcorn at our team. No wonder the away fans sit and laugh.

 

Its embarrassing at times at home with the fans. Some of my customers are liverpool fans and one was at the game last week. Emailed me saying he'd never known a newcastle side play as badly, but also never know the support be as bad for not getting behind the team. Worst part was I couldnt disagree.

 

I hope the away fans today show the squad that we can get behind the team (which I know they will) and they the team in turn responds.

 

Thing is mind, what the crowd is getting on their back, all they have to do is roll up their sleeves (so to speak) and get stuck in. Its a good way to get the crowd back behind you. If you lie down and take it, it gets worse.

[Asprilla 96]

It is the classic Catch 22 situation.

 

 

The fans won't get behind the team until they start playing better, the team won't start playing better until the fans get behind them.

[Knackers 0]

I agree with with totally.

How are we going to attract top players in the future,they will be shit scared to come here

I understand the fans frustration but Newcastle fans have always got behind the team when losing, that was what we were famous for during pre KK days,it wont change even if the sack SA,because the next poor fuker will get the same treatment

[Fop 1]

He makes some reasonable points and some stupid ones.

 

At the end of the day NUFC is probably in the fairly unique situation of having its hopes raised and dashed repeatedly in recent years. Twice going from genuine title contenders to lower mid-table dross. That's always going to cause issues (and is something players aren't going to understand unless they have been here for at least 10+ years).

 

the Kluiverts, Jenases and Parkers – and this crowd has been vicious enough to eat players up.

 

Is really just crap though, Kluivert was just disinterested and past it when he came here, nothing to do with fans. Jenas never really got much shit until AFTER he left did he?, and Parker, well once he started to chaff against the fans there was only ever one outcome.

 

And whilst an aggressive crowd is clearly completely self destructive and stupid; playing shite and losing.... well it is never going to exactly encourage great things.

[LeazesMag 0]

Big thread on NO last week about the booing and chanting, and clapping Crouch, at the Liverpool game. I can't have a look as I'm banned !! but I don't think booing at players during a game is ever justified, and there you have it from Barton how it can affect them. I've never done it, I just support NUFC, thats all there is to it. I don't like the comment about "the Keegan era is over", because they have to accept that is what we want again, everybody does. They also have to accept that for people like me our patience stretches back decades not just the last couple of years.

[Scottish Mag 3]

He's spot on imo. I don't enjoy going to the match as much as I used to. I used to just enjoy going just to be at the match, and if we lost I still sort of enjoyed having been at the match. But losing games these days is fucking embarrassing because there is a massive portion of the crowd that think that we can't get beaten by ANYONE at home, so as soon as we're on the end of a bad result, or we go a goal down, they're booing, or there's the aggressive atmosphere if someone misplaces a pass or whatever. Jesus, we don't even have to be losing! Get to half time and it's still 0-0 and you can bank on there being at least some booing. It's a weird place to be as a fan, so it can't be much fun if you're a player either.

 

And before anyone trots it out, the "they're paid enough to deal with it" argument doesn't hold water. They're paid shitloads, but an atmosphere like that is not conducive to ANYONE doing well, or turning things around in situations of adversity. Their bank balance is irrelevant.

 

I'm not excusing anyone that isn't pulling their weight or anything like that btw.

 

EDIT! Meant to add that a large part of the reason that I don't enjoy going to the match as much is because I don't feel a great affinity with a large portion of the crowd, before I went on to say about the booing etc.

 

I do not see the point in going to the Arsenal game for that very same reason. Usually I need to take a day off work, find somewhere to stay or book a travelodge and I more often than not have done. I have done it more often than not and done it whilst playing shite under the likes of Roeder and Souness but now the atmosphere, or lack of it should I say, has me not even enjoying the thought of coming down.

[Scottish Mag 3]

You have to laugh, after 10mins of panto we get a rendition of "we are the loyalist football supporters..." etc. We should should stop singing that like.

 

Aye I turned round to the boo boys behind me and asked how the fuck they could justify singing that anymore....

[Guest alex]

He can always leave if he doesnt like it. Maybe he was watching a different match to me but it was one of the worst performances i can ever remember seeing by us. Im not going to sit in the stand clapping at how shit we are.

 

We tried that one against portsmouth and look where that got us

Where does he say it wasn't a shit performance?

[Ketsbaia 0]

He's spot on imo. I don't enjoy going to the match as much as I used to. I used to just enjoy going just to be at the match, and if we lost I still sort of enjoyed having been at the match. But losing games these days is fucking embarrassing because there is a massive portion of the crowd that think that we can't get beaten by ANYONE at home, so as soon as we're on the end of a bad result, or we go a goal down, they're booing, or there's the aggressive atmosphere if someone misplaces a pass or whatever. Jesus, we don't even have to be losing! Get to half time and it's still 0-0 and you can bank on there being at least some booing. It's a weird place to be as a fan, so it can't be much fun if you're a player either.

 

And before anyone trots it out, the "they're paid enough to deal with it" argument doesn't hold water. They're paid shitloads, but an atmosphere like that is not conducive to ANYONE doing well, or turning things around in situations of adversity. Their bank balance is irrelevant.

 

I'm not excusing anyone that isn't pulling their weight or anything like that btw.

 

EDIT! Meant to add that a large part of the reason that I don't enjoy going to the match as much is because I don't feel a great affinity with a large portion of the crowd, before I went on to say about the booing etc.

 

Start speaking shite again, I fucking hate having to agree with you

[Sicklee Sausage Roll 0]

Right sentiment, wrong person.

 

Sorry Joey, can we bury the hatchet?

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

Big thread on NO last week about the booing and chanting, and clapping Crouch, at the Liverpool game. I can't have a look as I'm banned !! but I don't think booing at players during a game is ever justified, and there you have it from Barton how it can affect them. I've never done it, I just support NUFC, thats all there is to it. I don't like the comment about "the Keegan era is over", because they have to accept that is what we want again, everybody does. They also have to accept that for people like me our patience stretches back decades not just the last couple of years.

I think he's spot on with the comment about the Keegan era.

 

Some of our supporters were spoilt by it. It was a golden period, my happiest years as a Newcastle fan, but its gone.

 

The facts are that we're not going to play that type of football again (I don't think anyone is), we're not going to see that sort of excitement level for a while (if ever) and we're not going to roll teams over scoring five, six, seven every week.

[TheInspiration 1]

The fans have the right to express their opinions, however chants like "Big Sam for England" or "One Glenn Roeder..." are better than "You don't know what you're doing" hurled straight at the manager.

 

The manager should no way be sacked, but I do wish he gets the point about his stupid tactics into his head, because everyone can see what is wrong.

[NJS 4446]

I know I'm going to be called a fence sitter here but....

 

I very much agree with Gemmill about the matches - I have a season ticket but because of work hadn't been able to get to a game before the Liverpool game so I'd marked it down as my "debut" for the season. However when it came to arranging my plane or train I just realised that partly because I despise Liverpool and could only see a humiliation on the cards but mostly because continuing on from last year I just don't enjoy the trips enough for exactly the reasons stated I just couldn't go through with it.

 

I'm now in two minds whether to do what I did a couple of years ago and sell my ST to a mate for his kid for the rest of the year.

 

However having said that I also think some of the things Barton said are fucking stupid and having been here 5 minutes and been shit he has no right to say them. Its also bullshit to mention Parker, Jenas and Kluivert as they just don't support his case. If this was Nicky Butt or Shay saying these things then I think just about everyone would take it on the chin, hold their hands up and say fair enough - Barton isn't there yet imo.

Edited December 1, 2007 by NJS

[LeazesMag 0]

Big thread on NO last week about the booing and chanting, and clapping Crouch, at the Liverpool game. I can't have a look as I'm banned !! but I don't think booing at players during a game is ever justified, and there you have it from Barton how it can affect them. I've never done it, I just support NUFC, thats all there is to it. I don't like the comment about "the Keegan era is over", because they have to accept that is what we want again, everybody does. They also have to accept that for people like me our patience stretches back decades not just the last couple of years.

I think he's spot on with the comment about the Keegan era.

 

Some of our supporters were spoilt by it. It was a golden period, my happiest years as a Newcastle fan, but its gone.

 

The facts are that we're not going to play that type of football again (I don't think anyone is), we're not going to see that sort of excitement level for a while (if ever) and we're not going to roll teams over scoring five, six, seven every week.

 

people like me have seen far worse than this. It's those who started supporting the club during the Keegan era who have expected to watch a good side and are now stamping their feet like bairns because its not so good as that now and they aren't getting their own way. So yes, I agree with this point you are making.

 

However, that doesn't make it right to boo. They should start actually supporting the club ie the players during games on the pitch instead of chanting the rubbish they were last week. By all means, criticise later, stand outside the ground chanting "sack the board", "Allardyce for England", whatever they like, but during games ? No.

 

But they DO have to accept that for some people, patience is not on the agenda anymore.

 

While I want to defend Barton - being a Newcastle player - if he wants to spout off like this, he also has to accept that we have a right to ask him to do his talking on the pitch too, up his game, or bugger off.

 

Another thing is, I despise players who spout off in the press when they are not performing on the pitch anyway, many people I know feel the same, and he may be advised to watch his step criticising fans while he plays shite or someone may come along and stab him in the eye with a fag or something..........

 

If you want to talk to the press, do it when you are winning.

[Fop 1]

Big thread on NO last week about the booing and chanting, and clapping Crouch, at the Liverpool game. I can't have a look as I'm banned !! but I don't think booing at players during a game is ever justified, and there you have it from Barton how it can affect them. I've never done it, I just support NUFC, thats all there is to it. I don't like the comment about "the Keegan era is over", because they have to accept that is what we want again, everybody does. They also have to accept that for people like me our patience stretches back decades not just the last couple of years.

I think he's spot on with the comment about the Keegan era.

 

Some of our supporters were spoilt by it. It was a golden period, my happiest years as a Newcastle fan, but its gone.

 

The facts are that we're not going to play that type of football again (I don't think anyone is), we're not going to see that sort of excitement level for a while (if ever) and we're not going to roll teams over scoring five, six, seven every week.

 

Thing is it is possible to play good football (not necessarily out and out attacking football) and win (Robson did), and I really don't see why that sort of football can't happen again (the top 5 at the moment certainly don't play Bolton type football).

 

But it's always going to be contentious to play fairly bad football and lose, and patience is bound to be short than say playing "good" football and losing.

 

Although again actively having a go is , although I think maybe the England issue was something to do with it, players were being booed all over the place due to that.

[Kid Dynamite 7312]

Right sentiment, wrong person.

 

Sorry Joey, can we bury the hatchet?

 

 

Quite true nowt like stubbing a cigar out in someones eye for vicousness.

 

Whether hes got a point or not i feel hes grossly misread the crowd up here by saying these things. Hes just made winning the majority of the fans over a whole lot harder!

[Jimbo 175]

Even though I'm not exactly Allardyce's number 1 fan, I can see a lot of sense in what Barton has said, although I question how productive pointing the finger at the crowd is, SJP becoming a theater of hate is not the way forward, but also if the crowd feel that their "loyalty" and intelegence is insulted by the manager's actions then they have the right to voice their objections.