Wallsendmag

If they've built up such good relationships they can meet up in the pub before and after the game. The match itself isn't really the time for discussing knitting patterns etc. It's a time for getting behind the team you claim to support. You've actually described a big part of the problem. Lot's of people have forgotten why they are there. The main priority is giving the team maximum support to give them the best chance of winning the game. Too many people now treating the actual 90 minutes as just another part of the social occasion.

Surely it's always been the case where both genders have crossed. Athletics the easiest example to quote. Men's 100m, then you have the womens 100m and so forth.

Well happy with Rangers away. Definitely going to that one. Seen Newcastle play in friendlies at both Rangers and Celtic and was lucky enough to be at Ally McCoists Testimonial 30 years ago. One thing I do remember is that we received a far warmer welcome at Rangers than we did at Celtic!

Turned out to be 4 games

Banned all comment have they? That's strange because I remember page after page of sheer outrage on there when Joelinton had 1 glass of wine too many.

Tbh look at any Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, Leeds, Spurs, West Ham, Aston Villa game these days and you'll see the fans behind both goals are now permanently stood which more or less is guaranteed to instantly improve the atmosphere. Aside from those clubs mentioned, Liverpool have the Kop that stands for 90 mins, Everton the Gwladys Street, Wolves Southbank, all who stand for the full match. Even Man City have a good few thousand standers either side of the away fans. We maybe have 500 or so. The rest sit there, arms folded, not really contributing a great deal. As I say we have an aged, miserable (battle weary even) crowd. They're trailing a standing area in the area where they have the most standees anyway and there's still moaning. Imagine the outrage if they tried to do a full stand! Personally, after the Wembley fiasco, which is what has probably brought all this to a head, I would have done what Chelsea did and say "look we are converting this full stand (Gallowgate in our case) into safe standing. You can take it or leave it but that's what's happening. If you want to move we'll find you alternative seating". Over 25% of Stamford Bridge is now safe standing and it's improved their atmosphere enormously. I'll probably in the minority here but I think the club need to be more ruthless. If they upset the miserable, sit there arms folded brigade then tough shit.

The bottom line is that we have the oldest, most miserable home crowd in the league. That's the sad facts right there. Look around the Gallowgate on a matchday and you'll see exactly what I mean and that's our so called home end. They would never, ever get up out their seats singing like they are in that Stretford End video. It just wouldn't happen.

Think it was just the ticket price. Gate receipts were in a separate column to other matchday revenue. Their average ticket price worked out at under £12 per person though. Their average crowd was something like 41k yet Norwich who averaged 25k the same season took more money at the gate. Of they charged in line with other clubs they'd average around 25k.

Think Germany is around 1:1.7 or even 1:1.8. Their safe standing is totally different from ours. It's still of the proper traditional terrace type. I remember a few years back managing to get a standing ticket for a Schalke home game and to say it was packed is an understatement. Had to stand with my arms by my side because there was literally nowhere to move them to. It was just a complete squash. No chance of nipping away for a piss or anything like that either!

https://twitter.com/jgnufc1/status/1639578624620654593?t=wNTwTjBcP7rRp504j-rznQ&s=19

Their ground is an absolute dump tbf. Virtually no cover for the fans at all. They've spent absolutely nowt on it and that club has had some money through it the past 6/7 years with the Vase win and 400 average crowds. The only thing they did was the clubhouse and that was paid for by grants. A mate of mine is a season ticket holder there and there's a growing suspicion about the way the club is being run.

They're certainly a strange bunch with a massive fixation and chip on their shoulder when it comes to us. They got all the way through to the UEFA Cup Final and all they did was sing about us watching The Bill Other than that they've had a wide assortment of banners at their home games about us. The trophy virgins one was a particular highlight considering the relative history and trophy count of both clubs. Seen some other banners they've about made about us on social media this year of the anti Saudi nature but even after all that I find it hard to give a fuck about them and very much doubt I ever will. As a place and as a football club I'd class Middlesbrough as pretty much an irrelevance to almost everyone. They don't even have a proper Derby to call their own.

I've noticed the NUSC are running a supporters bus to Aston Villa.

I have no feelings towards Middlesbrough either good or bad, so them coming up wouldn't matter one bit to me as I don't even know a single Middlesbrough fan to have a bit banter with. As for Sunderland. I always say I wish on them what they wish on us. A lifetime of misery and suffering where following their football team is concerned, so on that basis I hope they continue to stink out the lower leagues in their half empty stadium for many years to come.

Went there for a match back in August against Hoffenheim. They were absolutely rotten that day and lost 3-0, Diaby non existent as well, but the crowd never stopped for 90 minutes. An absolutely incredible show for support and this is a club that is known in Germany for having a bit of a "plastic" fanbase due to them being owned by the Bayer Pharmaceutical company and not member owned like all the traditional clubs. The Ultras in the Nord Kurve forced the players to come over and apologise to them at full time which was quite funny to watch! Went to watch Eintracht Frankfurt v Cologne the following day, 2 traditionally loud and well supported clubs, a much more even game that finished 1-1 but the atmosphere in Leverkusen was far better much to my surprise.

I think you're right there. Under the laws of the game that goal should have stood. He's been asked to go over to the monitor because tbh I think VAR were confused and once he's done that he's took the easy option in case he's made a massive mistake, which he has done in the end anyway.

Must admit we got a kicking walking back to the car after the match. Came out the ground and got chatting to a QPR fan who had driven up from London especially to watch Les Ferdinand play. Wished him farewell and continued on our way. All I remember after that is a Stoke fan coming over and saying "I wouldn't walk this way if I were you" and the next thing a big shout of "Geordie Bastards!" and about 20-30 of them just charged at the 4 of us from the other end of the street. Fought back as best we could but there was just too many of them. Once that was over we managed to regroup and walked round the corner to see a NUFC fans minibus turned onto its side and what I could only describe as a full on battle going on. Coppers came over cos the 4 of us were covered in blood and asked where our bus was. Told them we'd driven and we got our own personal police escort back to the car

I was there. Beat them 4-0. Was the worst football violence I've ever experienced in my life. Even seen a supporters minibus overturned onto its side. From the moment we arrived it just had a really menacing feel about the place.

I give up with this game I really do.

2 great goals mate!

It's a fact. You couldn't put up an argument otherwise, hence that waffle.

Yet their keeper hasn't made a save. We look toothless up front and if you can't see that's the reason for our downturn in form since Xmas then there's no point debating further. Our 2 wide players today have been awful.

The game where we're losing 1-0 and had zero attempts on target after 35 minutes despite having the vast majority of the game. What one are you watching?

Shite from Botman but we've got absolutely zero in the final 3rd like. Nowt at all. No point having all the ball if you can't create anything.

Remember one away game at Man Utd he had a few buses on and asked me "to collect the bit" as I was the one he knew best on that bus (him being on a different one). Collected the money (£1,020) and had to go round with it in my pocket all day which I hated as obviously full of drink and shit scared of losing it! Totally forgot all about it and Remember waking up the next morning with a stinking hangover and the money still in my pocket. He never even bothered chasing me up about it. Money was always easy come easy go for him. In the end I popped along to his house in Seghill a few days later and handed it to him. Seen him at Southampton away in the Semi Final and had a good but crack with him. Great that he's back.