Wallsendmag

The 2-2 game was off the scale noise wise and the pure vitriol had to be seen to be believed I don't mind admitting, but every year we played there the noise and intensity got less and less to the point where our "welcoming commitee" consisted of a few yokels giving us 2-1 signs and the atmosphere was average at best.

That's because crowds have changed dramatically in the last 20 years or so. Up here the Riverside Stadium atmosphere for the first few years pissed all over Ayresome Parks last few years with 12k rattling around in it and down the road at Sunderland, their atmosphere improved massively on Roker Parks last few years when they'd struggle to get 15k in some weeks. Fair enough they both have shite atmospheres now but that's 100% do to with those who occupy football grounds these days. Like it or not but the design of SJP with the high roofs in 2 stands, low roofs in the other 2 and a lopsided look, does nothing to amplify any sound. The majority of sound coming out of Level 7 escapes straight over the top of the smaller stands and into ten Tyneside air amd the Gallowgate design means that most of the sound made in there, stays in there, which is why you can't hear them from the Leazes and people in the Gallowgate can't really hear the away fans.

Who knows, but one thing I do know is that it's the only ground I've been to since the Premier League era began where I've personally witnessed widespread racism from a large section of the crowd. Olivier Bernard would testify for me.

They'll put them up and PSR requirements will be put forward as the main reason, same as what Man Utd have done. Season ticket holders on 10 year deals are in for the fright of their lives. Lad I work with who's deal expires at the end of the season expects them to go up by "about 70 quid" which he's quite happy with. Told him loads of times it's going to be far more but he reckons I'm worrying him unnecessarily.

For the majority, going to the match is a social occasion. An opportunity to meet up with their mates beforehand, and a lot of the time afterwards, and the natural meeting place for groups of lads is always going to be the pub. Obviously different people will drink different amounts from there on in!

Aye.

Assume you're talking about that infamous Lague Cup match when you mentioned Stoke! Still to this day the worst crowd violence I've ever seen at a football match. Minibuses being tipped onto their side the lot. It was a full scale riot. I drove down with 3 of my mates. Was only 17 at the time and hadn't long past my test. Got talking to a QPR fan walking back to the car. He'd travelled up from London especially to watch his hero He's Ferdinand play. Next thing we know there's a Stoke fan coming up to us telling us to turn around quickly. Barely got the words out his mouth and a crowd of around 40/50 Stoke fans stood up against a wall just piled into us. The 4 of us ended up getting a police escort back to the car covered in blood Atmosphere was pure poison right from arriving. I remember winding the window down and asking a group of lasses for directions. "Fuck off you Geordie bastards!" was the response. Couldn't get into any of the pubs so we ended up getting a burger from a burger van. My mate hadn't even taken a bite and a Stoke fan came over and knocked it out his hands. We knew then we were in for a long night! The most menacing atmosphere inside a football ground I can remember. We were behind the goal and I can still recall loads of Stoke fans in the adjacent Paddock not even watching the game. Just stood there staring at us for the entire game. Didn't help their mood when we beat them 4-0 either. A totally bizarre evening. Hated them ever since.

The best and 3rd best team in the Championship serving up this dross. It's absolutely brutal. Honestly see a higher standard of football down at the local park on a Sunday morning. I'd be amazed if the 3 teams that come up this season amass 40 points between the lot of them next season.

Aye whenever Man Utd played Leeds the Leeds fans would all shout "LEEDS" in between the Man Utd fans shouts of "UNITED". We adapted that to "TOON" whenever we played Man Utd and it stuck, unfortunately. The clap 3 times then raise your arms in the air is the correct way to do it.

Actually stood in the terrace behind the goal at Koln back in 2012 for a crucial end of sesson match v Stuttgart. Koln needed to win to fight off relegation and Stuttgart needed to win to try to qualify for the CL I think. Atmosphere was class mind. Must have been 10k Stuttgart fans there. Finished 1-1 but considering the magnitude of the game I remember Kolns goal celebrations being rather underwhelming, even on the terrace. Ended up in a beer keller absolutely jam packed with Stuttgart fans bouncing about, jumping up on the tables amd generally going daft after the match. Me and wor lass must have looked well out of place sat there A Stuttgart fan came up to us and said something to us in German. Explained we were English and probably in the wrong place really! Ended up telling him I was from Newcastle and he said "Ah Alan Shearer". Next thing I know we were being included in him and his mates round and the drinks just kept on coming over. Wouldn't let us put our hands in our pockets either. Left the place absolutely plastered and the meal we'd planned to have that night never happened

Goal celebrations in Germany are shite mind. Even in the terraced parts.

I was in the same class at school as his dad. He was a Newcastle fan.

Gallowgate went all seater at the start of the 94/95 season and was briefly renamed the Exhibition Stand. Was still a terrace during our first PL season, although they chopped it in half for the 2nd part of that season as the new stand was constructed.

Aye that's the standard 1 year price now and you'd have to assume a 5% rise or thereabouts for next season so his £19 per game ticket will become a £40 per game ticket. A lot of season ticket holders are in for an almighty shock I know that much.

Not sure about their financial position or what their annual turnover is but clearly a net spend of £130m for a newly promoted team is a massive gamble. Tbh it would be a massive gamble if PSR rules weren't even there as you point out. We've seen plenty of horror stories over the years of clubs who've got to the promised land, went in balls deep and have suffered the consequences for years to come. They've just added a further risk now.

You look at Wolves when we played them last week and they're on a different planet altogether from Sunderland with the talent they have in their squad. That's basically who they'd need to finish above. At the moment it's Everton and Spurs just above them and they aren't going anywhere. They are probably talking a spend of near enough £50m just to satisfy the clauses in the players they already have there before they even start to strengthen. Looking at Leicester and Ipswich. They absolutely wiped the floor with the Championship last season with 97 and 96 points respectively. Both had far better squads than the current Sunderland squad. Leicester will almost certainly go straight back down and it's very likely Ipswich do. Southampton are just embarrassing themselves. Their approach to it if they do come up will be interesting if nowt else.

Think Ipswich have taken the Nottm Forest approach after promotion. Obviously Forest took the points deduction last season and it's actually worked out well for them but it comes with massive risks which is why most promoted teams won't go down that route. I'm not sure it will work out so well for Ipswich, although of the 3 Promoted teams they look like the only team with a slight chance of staying up but ultimately I think Wolves will finish above them.

It's an absolutely ridiculous risk which is probably the reason other promoted clubs aren't doing it and simply accepting their fate. Plus Leicester pulled the Premier Leagues pants down so expect a loophole to appear now to stop that happening again.

So they'd be fucked either way then. Just a year later. That squad they've got now needs upgraded in more or less every position if they want to give themselves even half a chance of staying up. They can't invest as they need to without breaking PSR rules, and that's assuming the bairn who runs them could get access to any money in the first place. Even in the top league Sunderland don't generate the money. Their best player of the past few years by an absolute mile looks completely out of his depth in a poor Ipswich team. That's what they're up against. The gap between the 2 leagues is now a massive chasm. Tbh that's not a good thing but it's why all 3 promoted teams were relegated last season and the same will likely happen this season. Never used to be the case.

If they come up they are next seasons Southampton without massive investment, which won't be possible even if that kid who runs them was prepared to put his hand in his pocket, due to PSR rules.

Agree. Thinking back to when SJP was 36k probably 99% of the crowd was seated and the atmosphere was generally better than it is now. Also, staying in the 1990s, in our first few seasons in the Premier League the majority of our away support actually sat down and we had a better away crowd than we have now. Definitely more about getting like minded people grouped together and take it from there.

Must admit I used to love it! Moved my season ticket up unto the Level 7 singing corner when it was created and my seat was just a few seats off the divide. For the mackem 5-1 game it was just unreal! The piss taking was just immense, the look of complete and utter utter despair and misery on mackem faces as they tried to escape early was something I'll never forger. Priceless! Was a sad day when Ashley took the huff and killed it off.

Started with Eintracht v Dortmund but thought I'd give Burnley v mackems a go since it's a top of the table clash. Won't be tuning back in for the 2nd half that's for sure

Managed 10 mins of it before switching over. That was beyond rubbish and an awful advertisement for the standard of the Championship considering that's 2 of the beat teams! Like watching a different sport when compared to what we're watching every week.

This thread has started me reminiscing about the olden days. All the characters that used to go to the matches who you don't see anymore. Each section had it's own identity. The Corner was mental. You'd go in there with your mates and you were guaranteed to get split up as soon as the first rendition of the Blaydon Races went up (usually within the first 5 mins) and everyone surged forwards on the chorus. The Scoreboard was brilliant as well. I actually preferred it to the Corner, especially towards the back. The banter flying backwards and forwards always good as well. "Why's the Corner full of shit"? Then you went into the Milburn Stand over to the Leazes Section. A slightly older crowd than the Gallowgate. More blokes in their 30s/40s. That was my favourite part of the ground. Very noisy and always had the wittiest songs. Singing Terry Butcher on the Dole to the mackems for about 20 mins non stop when we beat them 1-0 one of many highlights. Then you'd have the Leazes End and all the students and young 'uns who'd congregate right up against the away fans in the little corner bit and just rip the piss out of them constantly. Back in those days the away end only held 950 and not many teams filled that! Then you'd move into the East Stand where you had the benches. Always well populated by some absolute lunatics who would give the opposition players and referees just constant abuse due to their close proximity to the pitch. Looking back it just felt like every end had its own little identity. You'd pick your section depending on what you wanted, sometimes even your mood! Glad I got to experience it anyway.