Wandy

It really has been utterly bonkers so far, and feels like virtually every game we have played has had monster stakes attached to it. And this Mackem game has just upped the ante by another few notches. It's a cliche to say it, but every game really does feel like a cup final at the moment.

I don't like it when they are this grounded. Can we have some of that loveable Mackem delusion please? https://www.readytogo.net/smb/threads/us-v-the-mags-honest-predictions.1620967/

Our record in knockout competitions against them is actually dreadful. 8 ties over 5 different competitions and we have lost 6 of them. We need to start putting that right, starting now.

Let's face it, all of the pressure is on us. If they win they will dine out on it for the next 40 years. We really have to beat them, no excuses.

Can't remember the last time I've seen a new signing look so impressive right from the off. Every game he just looks top class. I really hope that Lewis Hall turns out as good as this kid.

Thought it sounded great yesterday, and maybe there were some of the old brigade congregated together in there too? Heard for the first time renditions of "Hark now hear..." and "Drink, drink, wherever you may be...." Proper 80s songs, and I can't remember the last time I heard them at SJP, or even at away games. I was out in town on the booze with work from 12pm yesterday and the town bars were buzzing right from the off. You can tell when people are just up for a game. PSG at home had the same vibe. On another note, is it just me or does the crowd noise sound louder on the MOTD highlights than when on live on Sky & TNT? Wonder if they muffle the mics for live games?

Apparently one of the main reasons for the poor turnout is because they are "dour to watch" I must have imagined reading on there very recently that they play exquisite football that would grace the Premier League. https://www.readytogo.net/smb/threads/how-come-so-few-people-turn-up-for-midweek-games.1620612/

I'm not disagreeing with you. The current bunch of ST holders are the ones who were prepared to put up with Ashley's piss-taking. They've got zero spine so it's hardly surprising that they make no noise at games. Personally, I think there's now a case that ST holding should be abolished and all tickets made available on general sale. Never going to happen of course. But at the very least, ST holders should have all of their privileges removed. The fact that they have a guaranteed seat for league games is privilege enough.

I know you have been going since then, which is why it's frankly bizarre that you constantly perpetuate the idea that it's a myth that NUFC have always had brilliant support. The only reason NUFC has stayed relevant through a ridiculously barren period of zero success is the nature of it's support. The difference between the KK era and now is that the roof came off when the team was winning. Now, there's a bit of noise and then back to silence. This year, in a Wembley final, we got outsang by a mediocre Man Utd crowd. That would be unheard of in times gone by. And especially when NUFC is on such an upward trajectory. The Ashley years weren't as quiet as you make out. In fact only after Rafa walked did it turn truly apathetic. That was the moment that broke the support and it has done immense damage to the fanbase in general. The current owners are trying to repair that damage but the current ticketing policy isn't the way to go about it.

The old system was akin to a scrum, with some people being able to jostle to the front of the queue. This current system is just a lucky dip raffle. I hate to say it, but there does need to be an element of difficulty to getting a ticket, and by that I mean that you need to put actual work into getting one. It's the only way of having a better chance of filling the stadium with people who really, really want to be there.

This is utter bollocks. I've no idea why you feel the constant need to piss all over NUFC's support of old but the simple fact is, until the later Ashley years, the support generally speaking was far better than it is now. There's no way a SJP crowd of 10 years ago would be sitting relatively quiet after just giving Chelsea a thumping. And there definitely would not have been loads of Chelsea fans in the home end either. That's what your much-loved ballot has done though. If the problem with the old system was the timing, then they just needed to make the queuing system open on an evening slot, rather than the morning. But if they really want to persist with the ballot, then they need to bring back the ability to choose your own seating area. And find a way to stop away fans getting tickets.

Having day-trippers at the ground wouldn’t be a problem if we had a ground big enough to accommodate them. The problem is that the club have brought in this kind of system far too early into the project. But a ballot system that does not give the chance to choose your own seat location needs to binned off and has no place at a football stadium.

This just reeks of “I’m a better fan cos I’m just grateful to be there” which is, quite frankly, bollocks. People should have a reasonable choice of where to sit, within a few blocks of seats. Until this season a system was in place that worked well, allowing people to chose their location. So let’s not have any nonsense about nobody being able to pick their ideal seat in a stadium.

Of course it is. Any random casual spectator, including away fans, can get a ticket in home ends now. People who have been going for decades are now regularly being denied tickets because of these people getting in ahead. It's too easy for people with a passing interest to get tickets.

I wasn’t there yesterday and didn’t follow the game at all but watched the highlights on MOTD this morning and it sounded pitiful. That fucking ee-I-o song is fucking cringeworthy and yet it’s the most sung in our already-limited songbook. I’m glad that Mehrdad posted his tweet in a spur of the moment. It shows that lack of atmosphere is now being noticed by the owners. I spoke to a lass I know yesterday who went to the game yesterday too. Before the takeover she had never been near SJP, yet she has won the ballot for five league games this season and has been successful for next week and also Fulham coming up. Yet there are people who have barely won a ballot all season. She also said there were Chelsea fans in L7, where she was yesterday, and described how they were getting howked when they equalised. Everything else about the club is so amazing so to see the state of the support and atmosphere is genuinely infuriating. I hope they know that they have got to get rid of the current ticketing situation entirely. It’s too easy for any random to get a ticket now. But that’s not the only problem. As has already been pointed out, even our so-called “proper support” isn’t even that good. A shocking song book and lack of terrace culture now exists even within the hardcore of the fan base. It’s so fucking frustrating.

No idea, but I'm sure it's really easy to do.

Whether it happens or not, I think it's safe to say that the club have at least looked into viability of moving the Terrace. If it really is on the table I do think that the current tennis court area would be the ideal relocation spot.

Couldnt have picked a better season. I reckon thats why they deducted them the points.

His ideal replacement is Ivan Toney. Whether we could afford Toney, whether he'd want to come back here and whether the club would be prepared to pay a fortune for a player we more or less gave away....well that might be a different story.

Yeah that's not a nice thing to have to experience. It's the club's fault that this has happened though. The systems that they have implemented are ill thought out and need changing. This story is just more evidence of that.

I was meaning they have been propping up the club from a support point of view, rather than anything financial.

I am frustrated by the ticketing, that’s the point. Hopefully the club do get it sorted. It’s early days and they have a mountain of stuff to fix so they deserve the benefit of the doubt. You’re never going to eliminate swearing and rowdiness from the game, I’m afraid. And nor should we want to either tbh.

Yeah I saw that, fair play to him. Doesn’t make me think any different about the point I made though. The new ticketing policy will allow more newbie/fair weather dickheads and people who generally don’t give a shit about the club to get tickets ahead of those who have been going for decades through thick and thin. I’m well aware that the club need to grow the fanbase, and of course all are welcome but it shouldn’t be at the expense of those who have been propping the club up for years.

Is that from the Facebook group? I can’t see it on there for some reason.

Absolutely no mention that people hate the ballot and want it binned off. Great stuff.