Big Geordie

I'm not that arsed about watching England anymore to be honest. Have stuck 5Live on, but just in the background. Looks like Wembley is gonna be barely half-full too.

Aye CP - as I said earlier, I remember the NF at pretty much every home game, with their skinheads, tatoos and doc martin boots. Wankers the lot - old man always made sure we gave them a wide berth.

Phil K - for me it's good to look back and reflect on the past, because it gives an insight for the younger supporters of how it used to be. Also that the problems that we all saw haven't really disappeared - they have merely moved outside of the ground to some extent (although perhaps not as bad as it used to be) It's also all very well to make fun and point out the unacceptable at what goes on down the road (particularly on RTG) without also admitting we have similar issues. Just be thankful that this place isn't like RTG, where it seems owt goes and is accepted by the masses.

The only way we are gonna rid ourselves of such ignorant twats is to challenge them at the match and/or report them. Not sure what can be done on trains/buses and pubs/clubs - bit harder for one man to take on a group.

Cos none of us can relate to that period, however a lot of us can relate to 60s, 70s, 80s and to the present day following Newcastle United...We all blab how much we love NUFC and we all blab how much we enjoy the match, the stadium and the city. Nothing wrong with recognising past and present issues. We cant slag other clubs divs off without recognising our club has some divvy followers. Not sure whats wrong with that. Couldn't have put that better myself.

I was there that day (Man Citeh in 83) We won 5-0 and the lad had a blinder.

Andy - you sound like one of those teenagers you mention in your post. If you are a young'un, you have got no feckin idea of what did go on back then. Aye, it wasn't all bad - but when it stuff happened, it was more often than not shameful.

Post no.2; http://www.readytogo.net/smb/showthread.php?t=729116 Fortunately, got jumped on pretty much straightaway.

What? Aye - made me wonder as well. Have we found one of the knuckle draggers?!

He was on loan from Liverpool and he did go to Sunderland, we also signed a mackem forward on loan around that time, was it Alan Brown who played 5 times and scored 3 goals for us? Yup - didn't he pair up with Ray Varadi? It was either him or Alan Shoulder! Think Alan Brown is Chris Brown's dad (the ex mackem who became semi-famous in that porn video with Liam Lawrence) Mick - yeah. Although I hear that the Leazes used to be far worse. Have heard plenty stories about 'warm pockets', etc down the years.

Aye remember that being quite an edgy atmosphere in the away end. 5.30 K.O anarl. Must say the 80's seems mental. It was a different world, to that of going to the match now. Far less women going, not as many young'uns but more working class lads and blokes. St James was feckin awful back then (conditions for supporters), but we didn't know any better. Those Gallowgate toilets.........

Howard Gayle was the first black player that I can remember and his song was "He's black, he's broon, he's playing for the Toon, Howard Gayle, Howard Gayle." I didn't mind that song at all as it was probably the first positive (at least non-negative) song we'd sang about a black player. The mass racism disappeared to a large extent once we'd had him playing for us. I remember him and the song. On loan from Liverpool, was he not? Later played for the dirty buggers down the road.

Played for England I think, as part of that Luton side - alongside Brian Stein and a certain Mick Harford.

Ricky Hill? Possibly chap but the name Vince Hilaire (sp?) springs to mind, though, you could be right. He played for Palace - was touted as one of the 'Team of the 80's'.

Before my time (just) and legend has it that it landed at the feet of Tony Cottee and John Cornwell (ex Newcastle) The lad that thew it, ended up at Northgate Hospital (I think) There's a picture here among some great old images of SJP in the '80s: http://www.soccer24-7.com/forum/showthread.php?t=179447 That old corrugated Iron stand. Absolute death trap. The old wooden west stand, dating from the turn of the century, was probably a bit of a death trap, too. It was (not good) The thing I remember back then was the rumble of 'thunder' as those in the seats stamped their feet when we got a corner or throw-in close to goal. It's amazing what you remember from back then! When I first started going to games, as a kid in the late '60s, I couldn't believe the unwashed smell of the crowd. This was before they'd demolished the old terraces in Scotswood and Byker. I guess a lot of those houses didn't have proper bathrooms. Was the smell of tabs, baccy and beer that I remember from back then - was honking in the West Stand Paddocks!

Ignorant bastards should have been chucked off the train. No need at all for it. I also remember what happened at Coventry back in the late 90's (town full of P*kis) There was hell on about that.

Ricky Hill?

Before my time (just) and legend has it that it landed at the feet of Tony Cottee and John Cornwell (ex Newcastle) The lad that thew it, ended up at Northgate Hospital (I think) There's a picture here among some great old images of SJP in the '80s: http://www.soccer24-7.com/forum/showthread.php?t=179447 That old corrugated Iron stand. Absolute death trap. The old wooden west stand, dating from the turn of the century, was probably a bit of a death trap, too. It was (not good) The thing I remember back then was the rumble of 'thunder' as those in the seats stamped their feet when we got a corner or throw-in close to goal. It's amazing what you remember from back then!

Cheers Ozzie. Gonna have a look now.

Before my time (just) and legend has it that it landed at the feet of Tony Cottee and John Cornwell (ex Newcastle) The lad that thew it, ended up at Northgate Hospital (I think)

It did NG, and we had a very pad rep with visiting teams particularly when the had black players. I'm glad that kind of shite has been removed from the ground, but it definitely still goes on. I think in terms of racism, Andy Cole and Les Ferdinand did much to change things through their performances. I am old enough to remember Howard Gayle and Tony Cunningham- the latter was never the most gifted footballer, but he did graft and for that had my respect back then.

I know some of our lot aren't all sweetness and light - we all know there are and have been violent wasters amongst our ranks, for who going and watching football becomes a distant and poor second to causing grief and bother. If owt, this thread is merely to offer a bit of balance to what's gone on in the mackem thread of recent (examples of racist behaviour on RTG) When I first start going to games, back in 81/82, I remember skinheads from the National Front being regular visitors, trying to pedal their filth. Not unsurprising given some of the racist chanting I head at St James, back in the day. It was par for the course and as a youngster, I didn't really understand. I remember the likes of John Barnes and Bobby Barnes getting awful abuse. I was also at the Charlton game where Colin Walsh broke his leg after a 50-50 with John Anderson, and the poor lad having coins chucked at him by some 'people' the corner as he lay on a stretcher. I also remember plenty being dished out to the likes of David Speedie, Pat Nevin and Frank McAvennie (for obvious and different reasons) Going to the match was a very different experience back then and some of the younger lads won't understand it. Whilst it was great to stand on the terraces with the same lads every home game, it also came with the downside. Any experiences to share?

Some of their lot really are knuckle dragging, ignorant bastards. Give the decent lads amongst their ranks a bad name.

Tabs are cheap as chips in Belguim so folk can actually make a profit over and above what it cost to go if they bring enough back. Well, good way to pay for your trip I guess, if you can fetch enough back through and have buyers back home.

Read somewhere that Birmingham took 6000 last season. I've only been abroad once before to follow the lads (Juventus in the CL) when around 4000 went over. Decided to go to that game, thinking we couldn't get out of the group stage. Of course we did, so when Barcelona and Inter Milan (when a rumoured 12000 went) I couldn't afford to go. Would love to this time, but got other priorities, etc (the bairn, house, etc!) Will make do with TV.