Wandy

Wish we'd had this lad fit for the cup final. It's only dawned on me how underrated & important he is. We are undoubtedly a better team with him in it.

5 hours ago, Big River said:

overall it was good, but I think the main issue is that it's just too reflective of whatever it happening on the pitch. if we're on top, creating chances, pressing defenders etc the crowd get into it and are loud and supportive. which is class, but not every game is like that so we need to do a bit more.

Agree with this.

It was definitely better yesterday but, Christ, when it went quiet it was tumbleweed quiet. And I noticed just before Wolves scored that the game had gone completely flat, and you could sense that the players needed the fans to give them a lift as Wolves were looking threatening. It never came though and, instead, the crowd just sat and waited for something to happen. Sure enough, a few minutes later the equaliser came.

Overall though it was better than some recent games. Maybe the fact that people are now talking across social media platforms about a lack of noise has resulted in people making some extra effort yesterday.

15 minutes ago, STM said:

Clubs like Leeds and Palace have a good blend of hostile fans and grounds that are the optimum size for atmosphere. It's not rocket science to work out why bigger stadiums = worse atmosphere.

Not true I'm afraid. The Bournemouth fans that I highlighted above rated Man Utd, Man City & Arsenal amongst the best atmospheres they have witnessed this season.

1 hour ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

Wolves very underrated mate and totally agree with you. They turned that entire stand to the left of the away end into standing and it's very noisy there now. Definitely one of the most hostile grounds in the league but a terrible experience as an away fan, both the away end itself and not being allowed in any pubs!

Wolves has always been a wild stadium and I have had some brilliant trips down there. The old Molineux of the late 80s/early 90s was an absolute shithole but it had a brilliant "Kop" end behind one of the goals which was actually shared with the away fans. Under that roof there was some hella noise created and there was loads of back and forth between the two sets of supporters who were more or less side by side. I remember winning 1-0 down there around 89/90 in the old 2nd division, and there must have been about 6k NUFC fans down there that day.

8 hours ago, Kid Icarus said:

No reason at all to not improve, but I don't buy this idea that we look rubbish compared to other clubs home support stuff at all. Every single time a list of best home atmospheres comes up on TikTok, YouTube etc from away day support channels you can guarantee that Newcastle or Leeds will be voted 1 or 2 (with the occasional Crystal Palace) and there'll be comments liked in the thousands backing it up from people around the country. The fans making these lists, most have done every stadium in the Premier League, they have no reason to lie.

 

We know how good it can be, so there's the danger of thinking that a bad day compared to our best is bad overall, when it's comparatively very good.

 

Like I say, there's no reason to not improve, we all want the best atmosphere possible, but there's no need to be despondent about it, we're trying to improve from the position of having one of - if not THE - most highly regarded atmospheres in the country.

In my experience away fans aren't talking about the SJP atmosphere when they are rating the away-day experience up here, but rather the experience as a whole. Everyone knows that Newcastle is a great place to visit and many fans stay for the weekend and make the match just one small part of the experience.

Bournemouth fans this season have bestowed on us the title of best overall away day bar none....we are the only one that they have rated as top notch. But they still only rated the SJP atmosphere as 4/10 and said it was poor. They rated Leeds as the best they have experienced this season.

1 hour ago, Whitley mag said:

Our support has lost its edge it’s as simple as that, compared to other big clubs support we look like mice.

 

We seemed to have lost an older generation who used to go and there’s no groups of younger lads to take their place. Football has changed but a lot of clubs have still retained a hardcore of lads who attend the match in big groups.

 

The Ashley generation of folk just being happy to fill their Saturday afternoon in reign supreme in the majority. They we’re mutes when he was running the club into the ground and mutes at Wembley.

 

They’ll not raise their voices in relation to anything seriously damaging the club, but will boo and moan their tits off when Longstaff gets caught on the ball.

 

Newcastle losing doesn’t spoil their weekend and asking them to move seats to create an atmosphere, you’ve got to be kidding they’ll look at you as if you’re fucking stupid.

 

Some of these cunts had the audacity to have a go at supporters at Wembley for standing and trying to create an atmosphere. 
 

Anyone at Old Trafford for the Spurs semi will remember everyone standing in that big stand and it moving due to the noise, that’s right an all seater stand didn’t stop the crowd that day, contrast that to the pitiful excuse of day trippers who turned up at Wembley to support the club.

 

The current crowd need a shake up and if it means upsetting folk who don’t want to stand fucking tough. Move the cunts and let some passionate fans save the reputation of a once passionate and proud fanbase.

 

2 hours ago, Rod said:

For THIRTY years me and the wife were season ticket holders, sitting in the East Stand.  When Rafa walked we walked.  It killed us at the time but we have adjusted and feel we made an impact on the fat parasite selling.

No doubt in my mind that it was at this point when Ashley knew the game was up. When you have to give 10k season tickets away you know the writing is on the wall. And if people like you had not made the sacrifice then Ashley would still be there.

1 hour ago, Hovagod said:

Right. But that’s not really my point. I don’t understand the supposed correlation between those people and the people who are fickle and liable to chuck in their ticket at the first sign of trouble. I think the uncomfortable truth for many (on both sides of the debate) is that it is actually the exact opposite. 

I don't think many chucked their tickets in at the first sign of trouble though. For instance, I'd say most of the 10,000 who walked in 2019 did it out of sheer exasperation and desperation to make a difference, even if it meant losing a seat that they probably have had for a long time.

It's a lot easier to just click the renewal button on a season ticket, and thus keep your Saturday day out, than it is to walk away from one when you have been a supporter for decades.

11 minutes ago, Hovagod said:

Never get this, and I’ve read it countless times on here. The same lazy, feckless cunts that stuck in during Ashley are all the entitled fly by nighters incapable of handling a bad run of results?

 

You can be mad at whoever you like, but it’s one or the other 

I'd say the lazy/selfish ones are those who barely lifted a finger to help oust Ashley, and also derided those who did try to make a difference. The entitled ones are those who paid for a season ticket and therefore refused to make a sacrifice such as taking part in a boycott of games..."I've paid for my ticket so I'm using it". Customers, in other words.

Collectively as a fanbase we didn't do enough to get rid of Ashley. Man Utd and Liverpool fans would have seen the back of him within a few years.

7 minutes ago, NE27 said:

I feel like the club just needs to take this all on board, then be ruthless as fuck 

The main issue appears to be that they don't think it's too much of an issue in the grand scheme of things. 1500 new seats/standing is nothing but a token gesture. This is going to run & run for a good while before we see a real solution IMO.

The ideal way to sort it of course is build a new stadium............

13 minutes ago, Geogaddi said:

Its already simmering now and that's with us sitting 5th in the league and getting to a cup final, I can genuinely see sections of the crowd getting on the players back against Wolves if things aren't going our way. The feel good factor of the second half of last season and first half of this season seems a long time ago.

I'm hoping that it's just the social media bell-ends who are being like this but if this mood translates to the atmosphere at actual match days then they can all get to fuck. "We don't demand a team that wins......"

No surprise to hear these comments from "supporters". It's been clear for a while now though that NUFC's "support" is a myth and Souness was on to something when he said our crowds consisted more of customers than supporters.

The fact that Ashley rode roughshod & largely unchallenged for 14 years and only left when it was convenient for him tells you all you need to know. A massive proportion of our fanbase are lazy, selfish, entitled pricks. I won't be surprised to hear the team get booed pretty soon if our current poor run continues, such is the entitlement amongst some of our lot.

I've said it before too, but the media blowing smoke up our backsides for waving flags about for 5 minutes before a game isn't helping the overall cause. The club clearly aren't really in tune with the problem at the moment.

There really needs to be a freeze on new season ticket sales until this is all resolved one way or another. The masses of currently available pay-on-the-day seats means that there is still a chance to make a difference.

So people agree that a singing/standing section is needed but aren't interested in helping facilitate it by moving their seat. Proper NIMBY attitude that.

The club need to take it out of their hands and force it on them or it's clearly never going to happen.

The OP has asked the mods to delete it. 

It’s so bad that even they are slating it. 

8 minutes ago, Hughesy said:

Personally, I don't think we should go much over 60,000.  I'm sure we could fill 80,000 seats for big games and/or if we are doing well, but you only need to look back at some of CL campaigns under Robson - quite often our attendances were in the high 40,000s rather being full sell outs.  I'd much rather have a packed 60,000 stadium than risk having a 80-90% full 80,000 stadium.

I will never understand this point of view. It's a bit like saying that there is no point in owning a Porsche/Ferrari/Lamborghini as there are very limited opportunities to use it's 180mph+ capability.

Even if a 80,000 seater has occasions when it's "only" 80% full that is still 64,000 crowds you would be getting. But for NUFC, about 70,000 is the sweet spot whereby you would nearly always have capacity crowds when the club is ran with genuine ambition, no matter who the owners are.

The lower crowds for CL football also mean nothing. Its a ego stroking/money generating competition where you might only play 5 or 6 games in an entire season, and most fans don't really give a shit about it when you get down to brass tacks, which is a big factor in why there was so much opposition to the Super League. In this country the league comes 1st, 2nd and 3rd in importance to the fans. And its why NUFC has never had a problem selling out league games when the the club has been run properly.

As long as the club punches it's weight and actually tries to compete for trophies then selling out a 70k stadium for league games will never be a problem. If some cup games only attract 70/80% of capacity then so what, it's nothing to be embarrassed about or a reason to build a smaller stadium. That is small-time thinking.

48 minutes ago, Rich said:

Random one for today, that's probably been done at length in the past, but where do people prefer to sit in the ground and why?

 

I've had STs in the Milburn Paddock at the Gallowgate end, front row of the Gallowgate right next to the South East Corner, higher up in the South East Corner itself, and now at the very back of the Gallowgate (in the middle).

 

Otherwise, I think I've sat pretty much everywhere there is to sit and I would never, ever choose to sit anywhere other than the Gallowgate (including both corners).

 

If I could hand-pick my seat (or safe-standing spot) I think I'd go upper-middle tier of the Gallowgate right behind the goal, just at the point where the roof doesn't obscure the view of L7.

 

In terms of the last place I'd want to sit, I've been right up against the glass towards the back of the Milburn stand and it was fucking atrocious. Just a weird perspective and atmosphere, with nothing to your right except a cityscape.

I grew up watching from the Gallowgate Corner and ever since then I've never liked watching a match directly from behind the goal. I like seeing the net bulge from an angle when a goal is scored as it gives an increased sense of drama IMO, as you are never quite sure if a shot is going in the goal until right at the last second. Or maybe I am just weird.  

My first season ticket was pre-Level 7 John Hall Stand, about 5 rows up in the upper tier and near to the Milburn Corner. I remember when I first sat in the seat and thinking, "F'kin hell this is really high". I got used to it though, and the noise under the roof at that level really sounded loud.

26 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

Moving some of our most loyal (and definitely loudest) fans out of the Milburn Stand Leazes Wing to make way for the Platinum Club still is to this day an absolute disgrace. Fletcher/Shepherd/Hall couldn't give a shite about the atmosphere, it was always about the coin up front which is why we had over 33k season ticket holders in a 36.5k stadium which locked 1000s out of ever seeing NUFC at home and ruined the atmosphere and it's never recovered.

Yep, which goes back to my earlier point that we need to freeze the distribution of any more season tickets for the foreseeable.

23 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

I'd be pushing for the entire Gallowgate. I was at Stamford Bridge last night and got to say the atmosphere there was brilliant. Really took me by surprise and a large % of the crowd being stood up definitely helped. You had the lower section of the Matthew Harding stand (around 6k) stood the entire match (that is a safe standing area) and the entire Shed End which is also a safe standing area and holds around 6.5k was also stood the entire match although around 2.5k of those in that area were Dortmund fans. So that's well over 12k safe standing places they've made available, which is roughly the same as the capacity of the Gallowgate End. We were in the West Stand and many in there were also stood for a lot of the match despite it being a seated area.

 

One thing I noticed was that they seem to have a younger fanbase than we do. Ours seems to be either old men or young families but not much in between and many at Chelsea were in the 20-40 age group which clearly helped with the atmosphere as it had a really vibrant feel about it and also explains why a large proportion of tbe crowd stood. Standing definitely helps when it comes to atmosphere.

 

After last night I'm more convinced than ever that standing massively improves atmosphere. We need to go all out to make sure we get as many safe standing places as possible at SJP.

 

Hope it all goes well for you tonight and that it's very productive@TheGuv

Sounds like it was really good. And yes, it's got to be the whole Gallowgate. It can't be the Leazes either, since having a home "singing end" that is actually directly below the away fans is just asking for trouble.

The more I think about it, the more I believe it's important that the club do NOT offer more season tickets for availability in the summer. Not until this issue is addressed about moving people around and creating safe standing/singing sections. With about 15,000 spare pay-on-the-day spaces currently available, this may be the last opportunity to address a problem that actually goes back even further than the Ashley years, as the rot really started when Freddie Fletcher decided that long-term season ticket holders could freely be booted out of their seats to create that dreadful Bond Scheme. The real shame abut that awful move was that it affected one of the best singing sections in the ground, as all of the loud singing people in the Leazes wing of the Milburn stand got shifted. Absolutely appalling that was.

35 minutes ago, LFEE said:

 

It's good to know that this stuff is now being more widely talked about amongst the fanbase. And the DJ problem is one of the easy ones to address.

From Red Cafe… “Don't give a feck, this has killed any goodwill from Barca and winning a cup for me. This is complete and utter humiliation”.

Good stuff. Suck it up you entitled, arrogant cunts.

Hahahahaaaaaaaa 

These fuckers have had so much luck over the last few months and now it has all ran out all in one game. You love to see it.

Glorious. Another two or three please.