Wallsendmag

Even when we were shite the atmosphere was nearly always good away from home. I've been in umpteen away ends over the years where we've been 4 or 5 goals down and still outsung the home fans comfortably. There was talk a while back that around 1 in 3 of our regular away travellers went on someone else's ticket, usually sourced through supporters buses. Certainly my experience of aways I would say that's a fairly accurate figure., even maybe a bit Conservative. If that's the case that's 1,000 fans out of the typical 3,000 away end who can no longer go. These were generally lads in their late teens, 20s and 30s. The demographic that typically make the most noise. They've been replaced in the away ends by season ticket holders, mostly whom weren't all that arsed about away games previously, but the main problem is that these season ticket holders who typically sit there in silence at home games are now going away and going the same in away ends.

There was never a bubble trip. You could go on the club run buses if you wished or you could travel by rail or with your usual supporters bus. Keith Barrett ran a bus to every Derby up until he was hit with the banning order in 2009. The Metro or Northern Rail train was also always an option as well. I only went on the club run buses once and I didn't enjoy my day as much so didn't to it again.

My only hope is that our 2 best away atmospheres this season have been Man Utd (7,000 away fans) and Chelsea (4,300 away fans) so perhaps another big allocation can help. However the lack of drinking time and people sat on buses for long is bound to dampen the mood. Pretty tragic that we're even having this discussion prior to this match, but that's where we're at unfortunately.

That's just an excuse really. If you caught any of their Europa League games at Anfield this season the away support has sounded very loud on TV. Couldn't hear our lot on the telly and speaking to a lad yesterday who was down there he said it was worse than shite. Just small pockets of fans trying to get things going but it just never took off. Not expecting much on Saturday either tbh.

Done car, train, metro, supporters bus and once on the free buses from the club. I remember meeting lads in the Three Bulls at 9am on the morning of the game and some of us were going by Metro and some were using the official club buses so we'd go our separate ways beforehand, that's how I know they were all run together and you took your choice depending on what suited you the most.

They most definitely did. Some did the official club buses whilst others did went on supporters buses and metros/trains for years.

Aye we won 3-1. They were Premier League at the time and we were top of Division 1 as it was known then. Drew 0-0 in the first leg at SJP. Was my first experience of proper football violence and I remember thinking how mental the Boro fans were. Just full of absolute hatred. The season before they'd came up here and put all the windows out in the Three Bulls. We played Sunderland 2 weeks later at Roker and I remember bricking it after what I'd seen at Middlesbrough. Our next door neighbour drove us down there and we parked well away from the ground. As we got nearer it became apparent that Sunderland was going to be nothing like Middlesbrough and it actually felt like more of a home game for us, and the Sunderland fans weren't interested in any bother.

I was only 14 at the time and it was my first experience of proper football violence. Remember getting to the ground and thinking I just wanted to be outside and there was a Newcastle fan stood there selling The Mag fanzine and a couple of Boro fans started kicking the living daylights out of him. No chance the poor lad got to the match. Was pretty much the same afterwards especially as we won 3-1. I remember still not feeling safe even once I was on the bus!

He's still a very good striker when he's fit. One of the best English strikers out there. He was superb last season and deservedly was selected for the England World Cup squad. There'd be teams out there willing to take a punt on him no doubt about it.

Was always rougher than Sunderland was Boro. Much worse. Remember going to Ayresome Park when we beat them in the League Cup and it was genuinely scary! One of only 2 times I've genuinely been scared outside a football ground. Contrast that to Sunderland away 2 weeks later when O'Brien scored the free kick and the mackems just kept out of the way. Strange thing with Cleveland Police was that they would go to all those lengths to segregate us before the match, often meaning we missed the first 15/20 mins (I remember one time once they finally let is in it was already 1-1!) and at full time they would let us all out together

I'd say less than half used the buses that the club put on. Most either went on their usual supporters buses, train or metro. Used to have 2 dedicated Metro services that would run straight through without stopping, plus a couple of Northern Rail services which would also stop at Heworth. Drinking out of a plastic cup at £6 or £7 a pint whilst others are chucking their beer all over the place isn't for everyone either. Many people just prefer a nice pub.

Bloody hell which pubs are opening at 6 like?? Even so the waiting around and the very slow stop/start drive down to there will sober people up anyway which I suppose is kind of the idea. I always remember Middlesbrough away when Cleveland police would drive us around Teesside for an hour before allowing our buses to head to the ground for the same reason!

Well I know our away support back then was a lot better than it is now so maybe that wasn't a bad thing. Was talking to a mate earlier on there who was at Anfield yesterday and said the away end was pathetic yet again. The drink and the football always went hand in hand for many fans so your impression is wrong. You don't need to prioritise. You can have a good drink in the pub with your mates and then go to the football. Well not on Saturday obviously.

Don't think many people will be pissed up mate. Doing things this way cuts out the drinking part when fans are waiting for buses from 8.30.

Hardcore? I barely bother with home games these days

It's very different. I used to go to them back then and either went on the train, the Metro or with Keith Barrett. Uually left Newcastle just over an hour before Kick off or if we went with Barrett we'd meet in the Cricketers Arms in Bill Quay which would open especially early for us and the bus would collect us from there. Never once had to do this where I was told to board a bus over 3 hours before Kick for a game 10 miles away. Each to their own but it wouldn't be for me. I actually know a few away regulars who've just sacked this one off.

Unless something remarkable happens this month I can't see us getting any higher than 8th. I think 8th-10th is our most likely finishing position which would be a little underwhelming. Unfortunately for a whole host of reasons we've gone backwards this season and other clubs have improved.

Sounds absolutely shite tbh. Think I'd enjoy it more watching in the pub.

I can but I also watched how Fulham set up there the other week and were very unlucky not to win. Liverpool can be got at. Just thought once again our approach on the road was so negative which has been the story of the season. As you say, Saturday has to be very different.

Same mate. We all knew beforehand what the outcome would be so no complaints that what happened, is what I expected to happen. However, I didn't like the way we started the game by looking like a non league team setting up against a PL team away from home when it looked like we were happy just to keep the score respectable. My bigger problem is that we seem to set up away from home like that regardless of opposition. Whether it's Brighton, Bournemouth, Luton or whoever. If we go out with that attitude of sitting back on Saturday againstweak opponents lets be honest here, and especially baring in mind we are nowhere near as solid defensively as last season, we are likely to concede first, their crowd will go mental, and all of a sudden it's a very long afternoon for us. There's no excuse for us not to do to them what Liverpool did to us. I'll be very interested to see Howes approach to this one. I really hope he doesn't shit it. Could well be a season defining game.

A large proportion of the crowd will turn, that's what. Howe will come under massive pressure. Losing to them with the gulf in quality between the 2 teams wouldn't be on. We lost to Cambridge in his first year. Nobody was arsed. We had more important things to worry about like staying in the league. We lost to Sheff Wed last year. Nobody was arsed because we were concentrating on the League Cup. This game takes on so much more significance. Obviously because it's against them but also because we haven't got the League Cup to concentrate on, and we haven't got a top 4 place to go after. Can't really see us getting top 6 unless we can do something with our away form. Teams sat 19th/20 in the away form table don't generally make top 6. We need to put these to bed and use that as a springboard to kick on this season. Nothing else will be acceptable.

Fans will turn more after every defeat in a bad run of form regardless of opposition. It's been that way as long as I can remember. In isolation a defeat at Anfield is neither here nor there as we nearly always lose there, but following on from dismal performances v Luton and Forest, and with it being our 7th loss in 8, it just builds the pressure further. He needs to win on Saturday. A win, even against dross like, that could well be the springboard to kick on again in the league. A loss however is unthinkable.

My main issue, other than the obvious results and performances is that we don't appear to have any style of play or game plan anymore apart from let the opposition have the ball and hope they've left their shooting boots at home. Everything that defined our team last season has gone. The high press, high intensity, shithousing, the super organised defence, the never say die attitude. We seem to have lost everything. We're 2nd bottom of the league on away form. 19th out of 20! It's pitiful.

Tino has looked more comfortable an the left tbh.

That's 4 losses in a row and 7 loses in the last 8. Any manager is under pressure with a run like that, especially when those results have reflected the performances. I'm still massively Howe in, but he's under pressure now whether people want to admit that or not. Saturday is absolutely huge. Lose that and the knives are well and truely out, as Sunderland more or less ending our season will be too much for a lot of people.