ponsaelius

Yeah it's one of those ones where I'm not sure people realise that some of the Northern trains actually continue through NCL after the Tyne Valley. They are practically different routes like in that they more or less completely empty out in Central and refill again with those heading south. Similarly I used to commute from Prudhoe to Morpeth direct by train. It was long but actually weirdly convenient and easy. I was always the only one who stayed on both before and after NCL so used to always get my ticket checked twice.

never been in TBF. But going there you shouldn't have an issue with changeover. Then maybe just stay in the ground's bar a bit after full time to kill before timing the train back. Get the Pop App for the live times. It never runs to timetable at the moment but the live times are usually accurate so fine if you know how far a walk it is.

What about direct train Hexham to Heworth and switch onto Metro there? The Metro is only off to Heworth - so I believe should still be running from there. It's even an easier interchange than Central. If you have a bit of time to kill between changes there's The Swan just opposite.

Pallion is the least used on the network. Manors was 6th least. St James is lower mid table 20 least used Full data on the Excel sheet in here https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/usage_statistics This is data from 2019, so pre COVID, plus changing development around stations.

Ok I am excusing all those with genuine medical conditions and/or soft cunts.

If LFEE arranges a meet up I'll endeavour to come along. Otherwise if you're in Newcastle for that length of time I'd recommend hitting the metro and coming through to the coast - happy to show you around Tynemouth and/or Whitley if you do.

The only time I'd go in early is if it's a stadium I've not been to (so was keen to have a look around a bit) or if it was in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a car park and I'd misjudged/over allowed timings for arrival. I don't see why as a regular you'd want to go into SJP to eat overpriced/commercialised food and booze when there's hundreds of pubs/bars/restaurants/cafes in the city to take your fill of. And you certainly shouldn't be wandering around during the game to go and eat/drink which seems the norm in other sporting cultures. It's bad enough that people can't hold a piss in for 45 mins. I guess if it's up on Castle Leazes there may be slightly more incentive to get up there earlier, but not in the current location. I guess the model is designed entirely to squeeze tourists for their cash.

All the talk of improving offering inside the ground is ignoring the fact that anybody who doesn't just go through the door at 2:50 and to their seat at a footy ground is a nonce. And we shouldn't be catering to nonces, for obvious reasons.

I'll be ballin

So poor. That's an OG.

Love the nature of football fandom that Hayden and Colback get booed, but Ilias Chair who opens people's skulls with rocks is not.

Easily best game I've seen this season

Omg

Italy football weekend for me last week, last one I managed to do was in 2020 the week before Covid shutdown all games. Parma 2-1 Brescia (Serie B) Modena 2-3 Feralpisalo (Serie B) Bologna 0-1 Inter (Serie A) Prato 2-0 Borgo San Donnino (Serie D) Fiorentina 2-2 Roma (Serie A) https://photos.app.goo.gl/yjQcKUr8jXQaHq3k9

Get on quicker and buy together? As it would be if there was general sale/free for all like there is at most other clubs in the world. But this way you know there is a set number of tickets and an equal number of purchasers so you've got a pretty good chance of getting what you want. If you end up having to buy slightly apart than that's a fact of life, or you simply return the tickets if it doesn't work. Or you could have the option to decide only to commit to 2 rather than 3-4 and the others are returned. Got to admit I really don't see how it's an issue. If anything it's better than the current situation where families are e.g. going in for 4 together and missing out altogether, at least this way they'd have the option to then go for 2+2 or 3 together etc.

It's because we have 2-3 wildly different options with different costs, barriers, outcomes. They have to be explored fully before you commit to one or another. The club are undoubtedly working on it.

I'll be getting 6 and becoming a tout I reckon.

Just have a ballot and then allow winners a period of time to then go on the website and pick their seat. People will naturally then pick where is more in line with their sensibilities. Particularly if we have more clearly defined singing sections. Those not picked in timeframe then go back on general sale. Don't see any issue with this. It would be better than both last season's free for all and this season's nonsense.

Phillips has managed to play his way out of the squad through regular football. If he was still at City he'd probably be in.

The big hill is just spoil from digging the central motorway in the 60s. There was open cast mining on part of it up to the 40s. And from an ecological point of view it's just a giant monoculture of grass for cow grazing. Its absurd to think of it as a natural landscape just because it's empty and open.

I find the biggest generator of 'monotony' is the drum. Ultra groups without a drum are better, and more likely to undulate naturally with the game in terms of nerves, tension, in drop silences after goals etc. It's a good balance between the performative and the reactionary elements to an atmosphere. Drums I find overwhelm everything and set things to one beat - and they never seem to stop. A bit like the England band.

It doesn't need to be 'ultras' with flags or banners in the same way. That will always come across awkward in a UK context. I'm just talking about getting like-minded people who want to stand and sing together in same part of the ground to make noise. The same way it often happens naturally at an away game with 2-3 thousand like-minded people together, and I presume used to happen pre all seater stadia.

The Town Moor actually is shit by the way. It's a waste of prime urban centre real estate while the city sprawls out west. It has limited biodiversity value. It is not a natural landscape, but also has limited recreation function. It doesn't even have many trees on it as this affects its use as grazing land, all the while the city is crying out for an actual 'green lung'. Its single point of value is that it is unique and a bit weird. But it unique because it's such a monumentally ridiculous use of land that is not equivalent probably to any other city on earth.

The most important thing for me is definitely making it so fans can be together with like-minded fans as much as possible. Just got back from a weekend of going to Parma, Modena, Bologna, Fiorentina - 3 of which I stud in the curva. Noisiest ultras gather in the middle near the front, those who like to stand and sing a bit float towards the edge of this core, and then out again to the older fans and kids on the periphery who are able to sit and watch without their view blocked. It's conducive to a good atmosphere as people are naturally gathered with like-minded folk. Unfortunately the uncovered stands, crumbling stadia etc almost certainly discourages a lot of middle/upper class and tourists fans from coming so attendances in other stands suffers (we would never have that problem) - but the self policing nature of the curva underlined just how ridiculously shit randomly allocated seating through a ballot actually is. A decent sized standing and singing section in the Gallowgate would be great. And let ballot winners pick their seat if there has to be a ballot.

That's all from that one season at Nice as well