TheGuv

Utterly depressing reading the same comments most weeks. The Club don’t give a toss - any opportunity they did have to really take heed and try and change the atmosphere was in the summer of 2023. On a ground swell of good will at the end of that season, they could have done something radical. Perhaps 2 or 3 standing sections in different parts of the ground (as was discussed by plenty at the safe standing forum). Instead they used it as a box ticking exercise and took the easy option. As was said at the time, plenty in the SC wanted to be part of an atmosphere and not make it. How many would have moved to be a part of something if it was in the Leazes L4 corner? Or the top of the Gallowgate? Not as many as elected to stay of course. With arguably one of the best views in the ground with the closest access to most of the pubs. I ate my own words in the first game of the 23-24 season against Villa. The SC sounded majestic. But as the novelty wore off, plenty of those who didn’t relocate also now make up the numbers in the SC, leaving the same lads to keep the atmosphere going in a 1500 section of a 50,000 stadium. As mentioned before, further up, the rest of the stadium is made up of a lot of people who just want to say “I was there” and an increasingly ageing demographic in the lower bowl along with the country’s largest family enclosure (which was brought in under Ashley to fill seats). No tough decisions have been made on that section either. Under SBR the family enclosure was 500 seats. If you wanted to go as a kid you had to sit elsewhere. I did. I loved it. I learned all the songs as we were 4 rows from the top of L7 next to the then Toon Ultras. I actually wanted to go to the game. We’ve seen plenty of comments in here in the past of kids at the game in the family enclosure, more bothered about their phone than the game. I’ve also mentioned before that I have friends still in the FE with STs at the age of 31. They’ve been in there since they were 14. The Club clearly hasn’t checked their age in a while. Go figure… Add in the mess of the memberships and it’s no wonder the atmosphere is shite. And will continue to get worse. Even if we we were to rebuild SJP or move the ground I could see them placating us with a minimalist gesture (like they did with the Strawberry Croner), wipe their hands saying job done. That’s it forever. Get used to it. Silverstone and the like frankly don’t care as long as they’re bleeding the fans dry for the sake of ‘PSR’. I’m happy to be proved wrong - but everything the Club has done over the last 2 years gives me absolutely no faith that they’ll listen to supporter groups and come up with a viable solution.

I’ve been successful only once this season (Chelsea in the LC) and applied to every game. Grim and yet not as bad as some!

I certainly resonate with a lot of that.

I know some circles in rugby and the RFU don’t want this to happen… If it did and the Saudis took over - could KP be a temporary ground I wonder…? https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2024/11/27/newcastle-falcons-owners-club-sale-profits-premiership/

I still maintain that a new stadium, with all the bells and whistles of amazing acoustics won’t change the fact that we will see an increase of day trippers and match going fans that aren’t bothered about making a noise but want to be a part of it. It’s already an issue now. It’s not an easy fix at all. It’s painfully obvious though that the Club don’t really care, as they can pat themselves on the back that we have a wonderful atmosphere due to the hard work of Wor Flags whom give the media the photo they want for pre match before the atmosphere inevitably dies off after 10 minutes if we haven’t scored. It’s all so avoidable but the Club won’t care a fig.

Even the Strawberry Corner full of empty seats here. Moving stadium or not, the club has a real issue with the current demographic of ST holder imo.

So soft

Of course! However, I’m also talking about the finer details too. One example would be if there is a standing/singing section(s), will there be a % of members tickets also available in there. It is something I brought up in the safe standing debate (along with opposing corners) which everyone agreed with and then wasn’t implemented. The club just smiled and nodded. Because in truth, they aren’t arsed about things like that. Bearing in mind you’ve got only one chance to get it right and it isn’t just the blueprint, the looks and the acoustics and the physical make up of the ground. I understand I’m being a Debbie Downer like

Good points. However, another word of warning for me. Having attended two of the fan workshops (on safe standing and atmosphere) I do have a worry that the Club won’t seriously listen to the fans on any rebuild either. Every single time they have gone into this with their own plan, sat and pretended to listen to fans’ views and then implemented nothing other than their original plan anyway.

This ^ For those “locked out” (like me) I doubt an increase in capacity will wildly increase my chances of attending. I’ve been successful in one ballot all season. Even if we added 15-20,000 extra seats - I’m sure there’d be more memberships and international memberships snapped up with the (slight) increased chance of going to a game. That’s before we even start on genuine tourists and those who fancy a day out at the football for Tik tok. They won’t release many more (if any) season tickets at the new stadium. Everyone keeps banging on about how we have to make money and compete. Which is exactly what the club will do and HAVE to do to pay back the £1bn-2bn+ for a new stadium. And it’s very simple for them. There will be very few, if any, new season tickets released. There will be an increase in foreign day trippers from the Far East and Middle East paying £500+ a ticket for a match day experience. (In truth we already have them, as tickets miraculously appear immediately on a ballot day on tour websites at £300+ a pop). Even more memberships will be sold at a higher price. (The value for money is already daylight robbery). There will be a terrific and unrivalled corporate hospitality spanning the whole stadium. With boxes ranging from £100k-£1m+ a season. The new stadium will no doubt be wonderful and the acoustics unmatched. The excitement of the new ground will be great for the first 2-3 years or so. Until it isn’t, and the above issues slowly creep in. Like Arsenal, like Spurs with no guarantee of success on the field. In some respects, it’s not the change in stadium per se that worries me. It’s the inevitability of the above points that I know the stadium change will bring. And then for me, Newcastle United will become a very different entity to the one I knew. Times change I suppose… There’s something about the current custodians of the Club that I am not convinced by, and if that makes me a bed wetter then so be it. Plenty of you know I had a close friend who worked directly for Staveley and Reuben. There was always certain elements of that never sat right with me in how the club operated - and I think it’s no surprise that Staveley and Mehrdad are now longer here. Don’t get me started on Silverstone. Anyway. We will most likely end up moving but until we know the facts I won’t be able to even consider getting behind it. (Not that it makes any difference to them or the majority in this thread).

The real ambitious route is therefore to stay at St James with a temporary stadium elsewhere in the mean time

I understand that. But it’s not a golden bullet for success is it? They’ve finished in the top 4 once since it opened in 2019 and haven’t won a trophy since 2008.

If @LFEE doesn’t know about it yet as a Freeman, who do we know it’s Castle Leazes? It does make me chuckle mind - the sea change in supporter’s sails. The Club have played a blinder. I’ve recently seen Spurs’ supporters bemoaning their new stadium. It’s arguably the best of the new builds. How is PSR working for them?

We began running before we could walk with what the likes of Silverstone et al have implemented/tried to implement. I was thinking earlier on just how much the Club have gotten wrong off the pitch since the summer of 2023 (placement of singing section, standing areas, ballots etc). I’m not sure they quite know what they’re doing in all honesty. We’re now seeing a knock on effect of those very decisions in regards to the atmosphere that were so pivotal in 21-22 and 22-23. Am I bitter? Well…yes. Am I wrong? Others can be the judge of that.