Newcastle Support

[peasepud 59]

Obviously I'm a young'un compared to you old twats so I wasn't about during the halcyon days of the 70s/80s/early 90s but your description of modern football is spot on. It's sterile. Level 7 does manage to generate an atmosphere of sorts but it's nothing particularly amazing - it's a bunch of charvas singing Geordie Bootboys and Your Support is Fucking Shit x infinity.

 

Thats the thing, the Ultras have the right idea but the implementation is all wrong, there needs to be some older heads in there and some new material. Back in my day "Your Support is fucking shit" was never sung, not even to Wimbledon who brought about 100 or so up, back then we abused that fact by singing songs about mini buses and shouting "Taxi". All a bit more comical than simply informing them how poor their attendance/ singing is. More importantly though we only did that when there was a reason, every single game, no matter how many away fans turn up or how loudly they sing, we still hear it sung.

[Ketsbaia 0]

Obviously I'm a young'un compared to you old twats so I wasn't about during the halcyon days of the 70s/80s/early 90s but your description of modern football is spot on. It's sterile. Level 7 does manage to generate an atmosphere of sorts but it's nothing particularly amazing - it's a bunch of charvas singing Geordie Bootboys and Your Support is Fucking Shit x infinity.

 

Thats the thing, the Ultras have the right idea but the implementation is all wrong, there needs to be some older heads in there and some new material. Back in my day "Your Support is fucking shit" was never sung, not even to Wimbledon who brought about 100 or so up, back then we abused that fact by singing songs about mini buses and shouting "Taxi". All a bit more comical than simply informing them how poor their attendance/ singing is. More importantly though we only did that when there was a reason, every single game, no matter how many away fans turn up or how loudly they sing, we still hear it sung.

 

To be fair to them I don't even think it's the Ultras, the few I can pick out as members of TU seem to try and inject a bit of variety by singing the old choons. It's the floating fans who turn up every other month or so who don't have a braincell between them that indulge in the cringeworthy, Soccer AM approved 'banter'.

[manc-mag 1]

Every generation blames the one before. And all of their frustrations come beating on your door tbh.

[Guest Stevie]

Every generation blames the one before. And all of their frustrations come beating on your door tbh.

It aint poetry hour.

[accadacca 0]

In the 80's I will say now, with no delusion, there was not a better support than Newcastle's generally. Everyone who used to play at St James' used to say the same, even Liverpool players. Keegan on joining said he realised in 1974, Newcastle had "by far" the best supporters in England, and to be honest I seen it as a kid all the way through the mid to late 80's. The crowd needed the tinyest bit encouragement and we were tremendous.

 

Through the 90's we were pretty good, nearly every game from the 95/96 season was played in an almost unrivalled atmosphere, the Barcelona game for me the best atmosphere we've had down there, Brian Moore and Fat Ron saying the best they've ever experienced. Through the late 90's despite the frustrations, the support was still good, and despite an absolutely wank season (cos of injury) in 2001, the crowd was still pretty patient. We had two really exciting years then bang, we came 5th playing pretty poorly, we lost less games than Man Utd, but 17 draws frustrated everybody culminating in SBR calling us ungrateful bastards. Since the August of 2004 when he was sacked, the support has deteriorated with the team on the pitch.

 

In the last 6 years, I'd guess 15000 kids who are new to Newcastle have absorbed this shit, whereas the kids slightly older like me have seen lower lows and very high highs the younguns have seen fuck all. I realised the support was on the wain in Roeder's season, I reckon we've lost more than 8,000 fans which is what the gate statistics are telling you, I think we've lost at least 35,000 fans willing and able to go who take a keen interest and would go regularly, I know plenty of them, some of them good kids who saw the worst days of the Smith era with me, and we're left with a hard core who you would presume would do everything in it's power to help the team.

 

Look at the facts though

• We sell out every away commendable in itself, only Man Utd and Liverpool do that at every ground, although Chelsea and Arsenal sell out most, but the support is fucking shit. Boring songs, hardly audible, apparently even with 7000 at Barnsley we were mediocre
  
• We boo players we don't like, Harewood being a prime example
  
• The fans have now decided since November time I'd say that it isn't necessary to create a home atmosphere because weshould be winning anyway
  

Then worst of all you have people saying don't get behind new players because it's a symbol to the board that we're accepting their standard of transfers. All we had in the past was the support to be proud of, and we were the best, that's not deluded, it is a fact in this country we were the best, we're shit now fuckin shit, and if we have a league hardcore of 38,000 now, if it meant another 18,000 of the negative cunts fucked off and we were left with 20,000 it wouldn't be such a bad thing.

 

 

rose tinted specs - there were plenty games in the 70's and early 80's when players used to get terrible stick - Cassidy, Oates, Shinton, Rafferty, Whitehurst, Gibb etc etc.

 

you are right in saying it only used to take the slightest spark to ignite the crowd and once it got going, it was LOUD even with no roof over both ends and esp when the leazes still had a roof.

 

dont criticise the fans man - averaging 40,000 in the CCC - superb effort.

Sticking his two fingers up at the crowd had nothing to do with it did it? My Newcastle started in 1985 anyway so I know fuck all about the 70s apart from you were all ugly cunts.

 

aye, but the abuse he got from the paddock had been unreal !

[bobbyshinton 59]

I think when you get down to it the players today are prima donnas and so are the fans.

 

 

In my days the players were men and so were the fans. Football was a mans game not an extension of you computer game

[Guest Stevie]

I think in general kids are mainly all mugs these days, desperate to be unique, desperate for an alternative view, where as I think I just missed the last generation where people were just themselves.

[Deano 0]

I think in general kids are mainly all mugs these days, desperate to be unique, desperate for an alternative view, where as I think I just missed the last generation where people were just themselves.

 

A bit harsh!

 

You cant stereotype like that Stevie...oh wait...your Stevie All'Mighty of course you can!

 

I know what your saying but having a bit of originality and being unique is cool, who wants to be like everyone else? Mann thats just boring...

 

Imagine a world where we all looked the same, acted the same and had the exact same views....it mite be your ideal but for many that would be hell on earth.

[Guest alex]

Just been reminded why I fucking hate students

[1892 0]

Obviously I'm a young'un compared to you old twats so I wasn't about during the halcyon days of the 70s/80s/early 90s but your description of modern football is spot on. It's sterile. Level 7 does manage to generate an atmosphere of sorts but it's nothing particularly amazing - it's a bunch of charvas singing Geordie Bootboys and Your Support is Fucking Shit x infinity.

 

Thats the thing, the Ultras have the right idea but the implementation is all wrong, there needs to be some older heads in there and some new material. Back in my day "Your Support is fucking shit" was never sung, not even to Wimbledon who brought about 100 or so up, back then we abused that fact by singing songs about mini buses and shouting "Taxi". All a bit more comical than simply informing them how poor their attendance/ singing is. More importantly though we only did that when there was a reason, every single game, no matter how many away fans turn up or how loudly they sing, we still hear it sung.

 

I know what you're saying about the Ultras, but the thing is, we get stereotyped, like against Plymouth young lads were in the SE Corner, and were tagged as Ultras just because we were singing and 2 lads got chucked out, which we didn't even advertise.

 

The Ultras need direction, but atm are slowly 'dying' tbh. The Leazes Corner is great but it's too isolated from the rest of the ground to get an electric atmosphere going, variety does get broadcasted, or tried to, but for the old songs apart from 2 blocks, it doesn't reach anymore than that, so it won't be heard apart from near there - when songs like "You're support is fucking shite" and "Who are yer!" do.

 

I'm still young, 19 infact, but i think football has dramatically fell from grace, just from what people have already said, and i seriously think it's worrying with sky (armchair fans) being the main culprits tbh.

[Toonpack 9945]

Football in general has lost its soul frankly,

 

Add in all seaters and all the soul has gone out of the game, now people give you a shitty look if you shout abuse and Im not talking racist or the like but just good old fashioned abusing a player for their lack of talent, skill, big arse, stupid haircut etc..... Its guaranteed that Terry wont get any real hefty abuse tonight from the Hull fans, 20 years ago there'd have been a dozen chants and songs developed overnight ready for him coming to town (I particulary liked the classic "wheres your drunken Centre Half" when Paul McGrath went AWOL before a game against us).

 

Agree 100%, the “venom” was the best catalyst for the atmosphere IMO – and I don’t mean racism either.

 

For example - the worst ref’s get these days is “you don’t know what you’re doing” or “cheat, cheat, cheat, repeat and fade”

 

Football is no longer the physical contest it once was either, raise an eyebrow at an opponent these days and get booked. Even in the case of a bad challenge, today the players sent of immediately, (thus removing the dirty bassa from the crowds gaze) previously he “may” have got booked at worst – but he usually stayed on the park and was a target for the crowds vitriol for the rest of the game. That said the definition of a “bad challenge” has changed as well as you never really saw (that I can recall) the nasty over the ball stuff that Stevie G’s so good at, it was if you fully play the ball first the man was fair game, and believe me, they did, straight through the meat of ball like an express train. Not saying it’s right by any means, but it added to the venom quotient and thus the atmosphere, roaring with outrage for one of your blokes to get the perpetrator back.

 

The game today and the world today won’t ever let it come back.

 

I also think the everyday “exposure” to the club/football and club news 24/7 has a diluting effect, quite often it was only on a match day that you’d get a decent chance to talk properly with all your mates about the game, and it was an event truly to look forward to, the craic (who’s heard what during the week) and the game. The Chronicle was the ONLY source of non matchday gossip/news. Today everyone’s done all their talking in places like this or by email etc etc, and to a great degree all that’s left is the game, and what a sterile thing it has become.

[peasepud 59]

I also think the everyday “exposure” to the club/football and club news 24/7 has a diluting effect, quite often it was only on a match day that you’d get a decent chance to talk properly with all your mates about the game, and it was an event truly to look forward to, the craic (who’s heard what during the week) and the game. The Chronicle was the ONLY source of non matchday gossip/news. Today everyone’s done all their talking in places like this or by email etc etc, and to a great degree all that’s left is the game, and what a sterile thing it has become.

 

This.

 

I hadnt thought about it but when you do think back you realise that back in the day, every minute of match day was concentrated on football. Match days for me would consist of:

 

Grabbing a Journal to see the latest team news over breakfast

Sticking Football Focus on while getting ready then heading into town

Football talk in the pub, nothing else just football, basically you'd be catching up with people who you'd not communicated with for a fortnight. Two weeks worth of football news and rumour were discussed in those 2 or so hours.

The game

Back to the pub to analyse the match

Grab a Pink on the way home to read about how the "experts" had seen it.

 

Nowadays the match is virtually a distraction! I know personal circumstances etc have changed but generally going to the game is just that: park up, walk into the ground, watch the match, go home. Every move, every tackle is analysed on here, via text or on any one of the TV programmes/ channels dedicated to the game.

 

My first realisation that it was going that way was the 98 Cup Final. To us it was special, a memorable weekend which couldnt be beaten yet on the tube there were Arsenal fans sitting reading the paper or nattering about gardening. To them it was nothing, because they lived close these blokes had washed the car in the morning, took the missus shopping and then wandered to the game. They were immune to the magic of the cup and that was a sad thing to see. The whole thing was then repeated a year later. Man U fans wandering out of Wembley not giving a shit that their team had won the game, it didnt matter to them, another day another trophy as such.

[NJS 4411]

My first realisation that it was going that way was the 98 Cup Final. To us it was special, a memorable weekend which couldnt be beaten yet on the tube there were Arsenal fans sitting reading the paper or nattering about gardening. To them it was nothing, because they lived close these blokes had washed the car in the morning, took the missus shopping and then wandered to the game. They were immune to the magic of the cup and that was a sad thing to see. The whole thing was then repeated a year later. Man U fans wandering out of Wembley not giving a shit that their team had won the game, it didnt matter to them, another day another trophy as such.

 

Spot on again.

 

The closest I've come to spontaneous football violence was on the tube after the 98 final - an Arsenal fan who just shrugged his shoulders when I told him to cheer up as they'd just won the cup - his reponse was "We didn't win it well enough" - at which point my mates dragged me away.

 

A year later one of the lowest moments of my life was overhearing a Cockney Manc say to his 10 year old son "Did you enjoy that?" - "Yeah I suppose it was alright" was the reply.

[Guest alex]

My first realisation that it was going that way was the 98 Cup Final. To us it was special, a memorable weekend which couldnt be beaten yet on the tube there were Arsenal fans sitting reading the paper or nattering about gardening. To them it was nothing, because they lived close these blokes had washed the car in the morning, took the missus shopping and then wandered to the game. They were immune to the magic of the cup and that was a sad thing to see. The whole thing was then repeated a year later. Man U fans wandering out of Wembley not giving a shit that their team had won the game, it didnt matter to them, another day another trophy as such.

 

Spot on again.

 

The closest I've come to spontaneous football violence was on the tube after the 98 final - an Arsenal fan who just shrugged his shoulders when I told him to cheer up as they'd just won the cup - his reponse was "We didn't win it well enough" - at which point my mates dragged me away.

 

A year later one of the lowest moments of my life was overhearing a Cockney Manc say to his 10 year old son "Did you enjoy that?" - "Yeah I suppose it was alright" was the reply.

I was quite close to a bit of aggro on Wembley way after that match for the same reasons. Some Arsenal fans looking totally nonplussed and a few Newcastle fans telling them to cheer up etc. Lets not forget they'd just secured the double and not just the FA Cup

[Guest Stevie]

My first realisation that it was going that way was the 98 Cup Final. To us it was special, a memorable weekend which couldnt be beaten yet on the tube there were Arsenal fans sitting reading the paper or nattering about gardening. To them it was nothing, because they lived close these blokes had washed the car in the morning, took the missus shopping and then wandered to the game. They were immune to the magic of the cup and that was a sad thing to see. The whole thing was then repeated a year later. Man U fans wandering out of Wembley not giving a shit that their team had won the game, it didnt matter to them, another day another trophy as such.

 

Spot on again.

 

The closest I've come to spontaneous football violence was on the tube after the 98 final - an Arsenal fan who just shrugged his shoulders when I told him to cheer up as they'd just won the cup - his reponse was "We didn't win it well enough" - at which point my mates dragged me away.

 

A year later one of the lowest moments of my life was overhearing a Cockney Manc say to his 10 year old son "Did you enjoy that?" - "Yeah I suppose it was alright" was the reply.

I was quite close to a bit of aggro on Wembley way after that match for the same reasons. Some Arsenal fans looking totally nonplussed and a few Newcastle fans telling them to cheer up etc. Lets not forget they'd just secured the double and not just the FA Cup

I'd be doing Robbie Keane forward rolls all the way to the Metropolitan Line. Our time will come some day.

[luckyluke 2]

My first realisation that it was going that way was the 98 Cup Final. To us it was special, a memorable weekend which couldnt be beaten yet on the tube there were Arsenal fans sitting reading the paper or nattering about gardening. To them it was nothing, because they lived close these blokes had washed the car in the morning, took the missus shopping and then wandered to the game. They were immune to the magic of the cup and that was a sad thing to see. The whole thing was then repeated a year later. Man U fans wandering out of Wembley not giving a shit that their team had won the game, it didnt matter to them, another day another trophy as such.

 

Spot on again.

 

The closest I've come to spontaneous football violence was on the tube after the 98 final - an Arsenal fan who just shrugged his shoulders when I told him to cheer up as they'd just won the cup - his reponse was "We didn't win it well enough" - at which point my mates dragged me away.

 

A year later one of the lowest moments of my life was overhearing a Cockney Manc say to his 10 year old son "Did you enjoy that?" - "Yeah I suppose it was alright" was the reply.

I was quite close to a bit of aggro on Wembley way after that match for the same reasons. Some Arsenal fans looking totally nonplussed and a few Newcastle fans telling them to cheer up etc. Lets not forget they'd just secured the double and not just the FA Cup

I'd be doing Robbie Keane forward rolls all the way to the Metropolitan Line. Our time will come some day.

 

 

The naffest goal celebration in the history of the world.

[Toonpack 9945]

I also think the everyday “exposure” to the club/football and club news 24/7 has a diluting effect, quite often it was only on a match day that you’d get a decent chance to talk properly with all your mates about the game, and it was an event truly to look forward to, the craic (who’s heard what during the week) and the game. The Chronicle was the ONLY source of non matchday gossip/news. Today everyone’s done all their talking in places like this or by email etc etc, and to a great degree all that’s left is the game, and what a sterile thing it has become.

 

This.

 

I hadnt thought about it but when you do think back you realise that back in the day, every minute of match day was concentrated on football. Match days for me would consist of:

 

Grabbing a Journal to see the latest team news over breakfast

Sticking Football Focus on while getting ready then heading into town

Football talk in the pub, nothing else just football, basically you'd be catching up with people who you'd not communicated with for a fortnight. Two weeks worth of football news and rumour were discussed in those 2 or so hours.

The game

Back to the pub to analyse the match

 

Grab a Pink on the way home to read about how the "experts" had seen it.

 

Nowadays the match is virtually a distraction! I know personal circumstances etc have changed but generally going to the game is just that: park up, walk into the ground, watch the match, go home. Every move, every tackle is analysed on here, via text or on any one of the TV programmes/ channels dedicated to the game.

 

My first realisation that it was going that way was the 98 Cup Final. To us it was special, a memorable weekend which couldnt be beaten yet on the tube there were Arsenal fans sitting reading the paper or nattering about gardening. To them it was nothing, because they lived close these blokes had washed the car in the morning, took the missus shopping and then wandered to the game. They were immune to the magic of the cup and that was a sad thing to see. The whole thing was then repeated a year later. Man U fans wandering out of Wembley not giving a shit that their team had won the game, it didnt matter to them, another day another trophy as such.

 

My "suitable for the Mrs" version of the bolded bit was:

 

"well we've got to let the crowds get away"

 

No mobile phones, so you didn't really talk to your mates much except at weekends as monopolising the landline was a "girly thing", it was used only for short to the point "we'll be in xxx at xx o'clock" or "I'm getting the xx oclock train from Whitley" - train!! FFS .

 

Aye was a totally different ballgame in ye olde days.

[FCUM 1]

Whilst I agree there are a lot of social reasons for the decline of 'Home' support in particular, a lot of it is down to the club's themselves.

 

The average supporter isn't as important to them now in the ongoing drive for the corporate support.

 

Most clubs when they are successful are not the slightest bit interested in encouraging kids to go, it usually costs them revenue as they want cheaper tickets which the club would rather sell to the corporates.

 

When clubs enjoy a degree of success (as you did relatively speaking) in Keegans first stint, kids are discouraged from going, the club's don't need them, they can sell out anyway. You end up with a whole generation of kids who grow up without getting into the habit of going every week, it's no good then lambasting them when they can't be arsed later on.

 

Away support is better for most club's as you're puttting like minded together instead of spreading them round the ground. Shirley it can't be difficult for the clubs to do that for the home support with actively promoting season ticket swaps. They are not interested though, they couldn't give fuck unless you want to pay a premium for some tasteless chilli con carne at £20 a pop before the game.

[Park Life 71]

The trick should be to use corporate finance to offset supporter cash. Keep prices down etc...