Wandy

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/

10 minutes ago, Optimistic Nut said:

 

There's around 35k season ticket holders who are there every single week. That's plenty to make a consistently good atmosphere. "Daytrippers", "tourists" etc shouldn't be blamed. A lot of the 35k there are the same who sat on their arses during the Ashley era accepting everything he provided for us. Maybe look at that area rather than those trying to get back in who boycotted.

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.

6 minutes ago, Groundhog63 said:

Unsurprisingly you totally and deliberately miss represent what I posted. 

I've been going since the 70s. Some great crack as and when. Certainly things, right across the board, we're different then, like pubs shutting in the afternoon. 

Goes without saying the Keegan eras were immense, as was the atmosphere, but we were winning regularly as well. So there is that. 

You lot spent the entire Ashley years Sat on your hands. I know, I was there. 

Was absolutely silent. 

 

You keep plugging away tho sunshine. 

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.

33 minutes ago, SteV said:

But the old system is just a de-facto ballot, albeit with significant advantage to those who are somewhat IT-savvy?

 

I think people would find it a lot more frustrating than they did last season given the apparent massive increase in member numbers, which would result in it becoming a lot more difficult to get a decent queue number (IT-related advantages not withstanding).

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.

2 hours ago, Groundhog63 said:

The atmosphere, or lack of, has little to do with "tourists" or "jonney-come-lateley" bunch. This is just thrown around by the people disenfranchised from their old route of getting ticket with an axe to grind about that circumstance.

Was fine getting tickets from Simon or Keith, back in the day, when it suited etc etc but the club's taking more responsibility for away attendees, it seems.

 

What people need to accept, because it's true, is that we're no big shakes in the volume/support stakes. We are when it's going great and definitely better than most grounds but I sat in there for years and, for the most part, it was a fucking morgue. Last two years, not so much. Go figure.

Since the ballot system, not without it's many issues, there's been some terrific atmospheres. Zero credit given to any newbies but when it's quieter it's all on them. Funny how that grafts.

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.

8 minutes ago, madras said:

I know plenty who ended up all over  game by game and just took what they could. Also as I've  said, the system will change, it already has but you have to remember, we aren't a local club anymore, "day trippers" will come, we now have a world wide catchment so much more toutable and many of those, in my experience complaining most are those who'd use mates tickets etc. 

 

I do t think it's the ballots etc to blame for the atmosphere (which I don't thinknis that bad anyway) as much as all seater stadia as it seems to be a thing at all Premier leafue grounds.

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. 

7 minutes ago, madras said:

Those things have always happened especially at times of high demand. The ballot system will change, it already has but no one is going to be able to pick their ideal seat if they do t already have it and quute frankly listening to some, if they'd rather not go if it means sitting somewhere they deem a bit sanitised then dont go, I really can't understand that, especially now. If I didn't have my ST I'd happily sit in the worst seat in the house just to be there.

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.

18 minutes ago, madras said:

I've no problem with that, do you really think it's a ballot that's holding the atmosphere back ?

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. 

1 hour ago, bobbydazzla said:

Wait, what 

 

We’re moving Leazes Terrace onto a table now?

 

Can you confirm if it’ll be brick by brick, or done in a oner? 

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.

1 minute ago, Wullie said:

I've no doubt at all they'll still survive this season. Spawny bastards 

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.

3 hours ago, mighty__mag said:

 

Have a read, I think people need to stop this I'm bigger and better than you bullshit. I've supported Newcastle longer, bla, bla.

 

It's fucking painful. We're all fans, nobody needs to justify how they got a ticket to go to a game they have wanted to go to!

 

Basically one daft twat decides a USA flag on a baseball cap means he can engineer a conversation about a fan at a game, whether its his first away game ever, or his one hundredth. 

 

Why do people think this is acceptable?

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.

39 minutes ago, LFEE said:

Playing devils advocate how have they been the ones propping the club up for years? The ones refusing to fall in line with ID checks mustn’t have had STs and amassed any of their own away points hence depending on others so all their money a part from £1 per booking has been propping up the opposition clubs surely at £30 per game?
 

If they did have STs and propping up the club they could’ve attended Gateshead & Rangers and those 2 loyalty points would’ve been enough to get tickets for first few aways this season alone.

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

21 minutes ago, mighty__mag said:

 

I don't think that's a fair comment, sounds more like your own frustrations about ticketing.

 

It's a bit contrary, been a fan 35+ years I've just accepted the way the new owners want to do things.

 

I don't think some random would get a ticket and start acting like that at an away game, you'd look out of your depth, and we know the fans that get to away games are usually long term fans due to points.

 

Feel it's more about what I said further up, about the actions fans take when they go to games, taking drugs and drinking, my 10yr old daughter is really anxious when we have groups around us swearing at the top of their voices, it's embarrassing, and the same for drunk parents taking their kids, the kids are copying them swearing now at games.

 

Give it time and things will improve for us all,these owners are listening, they will be looking into increasing capacity etc, things will benefit more people with time.

 

👍🏼

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.

10 minutes ago, Groundhog63 said:

 

Tourist, eh, coming over here spoiling our atmosphere 🤔

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.

6 minutes ago, Jaqen said:

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

27 minutes ago, SteV said:

Summary of the Ticketing Round Table discussion hosted by the Trust. Good to see the majority of points raised were more or less the same as have been widely discussed on here. Obviously doesn’t necessarily get us any closer to solutions, but at least we know the Trust have the ear of the club to some degree, so at least they’re being made aware of what people believe to be issues.

 

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

4 minutes ago, Wullie said:

The feeling of entitlement to berate this group of players in this situation absolutely boggles my mind. Have a hard time believing that's somebody who has seen a lot of away games. I've been to a few dozen and I honestly think I can count the wins on one hand.

This is what you get when you make ticketing more accessible to any Tom, Dick or Harry, to the detriment of the hardcore of the fanbase. Expect to see more of these dickheads at matches as the club progresses. Just another reason to give the hierachy stick over the ticketing shambles.

He absolutely should not be going away for international duty. We should be telling Southgate to fuck right off.

Bournemouth really ballsed up when they got rid of O’Neil, he’s an excellent young manager. 

3 minutes ago, Holloway said:

Brilliant memories from the terraces, I still get an intake of breath from that Keegan debut goal 

Must admit I would have loved to have been at Anfield for that cup game but it was just before my time. 
 

Interesting that we sang YNWA occasionally back then. The only time I ever experienced it was on the last day of the 88/89 season at Old Trafford, when we had already been relegated. The whole day was just a singalong for us and we took immense glee in winding up the Man U fans by singing it constantly.

12 minutes ago, Whitley mag said:

Goosebumps, the constant Howay the lads and the Blaydon Races sang properly.

Yep, this is why it’s so frustrating for those of us who have witnessed what it used to be like. I was at two of the games on that vid, Spurs away in the cup in 87 and Everton away in 88. The noise was like that throughout the entire 90 mins.

I’m not saying match atmospheres can get back to that level but surely there can be something that at least gets reasonably close. But the club have to help make it happen too.

It’s been commented on quite a lot how these days we sing ridiculously fast. I don’t remember us being like this back in the day and I was wondering if it was just my memory that was tricking me. Well, this video confirms that it wasn’t, and we did used to sing songs at a pace where people could actually understand what was being sung.