Chicken Dancer

I've always thought we should incorporate Coming Home Newcastle & even Big River into our songbook.

I posted a few weeks ago when they beat QPR they’re either 5 games away from being the best team in the land or 5 away from wanting their manager out. Literally an endless circle with this lot. Their only hope is our season completely falls apart.

Absolutely shit he’s on the Trust board now too. Really has went to shit.

Cracking post mate. I don’t know you personally, but know of you (you gave me specific instructs during the surfer against Leicester in the quarters) and I’m really sorry that lass had the audacity to try and shame you like that. Glad to hear others stuck up for you. The takeover has brought out the best (Wor Flags, Arsenal last season, scenes outside SJP on 07/10/21) and the very worst in our fans. You’ve got the super fan types on socials with their loyalty points and ‘I stood by my team’ craic, winding people up about Wembley tickets etc, then thankfully the vast majority who are just happy to have a competitive team back. Glad to hear you ended up with a ticket like. If anybody deserves it, it’s you.

Honestly seen about 3 all weekend except for at the ground. I suppose they do go fairly frequently.

Well yes I suppose you’re right, but I just think it sounds much better without the TOON part, but I get that it’s personal opinion.

Fucking hell I take it back then. I mean it’s easy to sit here and criticise our song book when I doubt I’d be the one to do it but what’s happened man? Social media probably - just taking songs off of other clubs and changing the odd lyric. Another thing I can’t stand is United! TOON! ditch the fucking toon bit man.

Exactly. Songbook is shocking, although I’ve always been curious as to how Man United/Liverpool come up with these new ones and get them universally sang. Fan-zones? I think that daft Jamie Webster started that Van Dijk song, and whilst I know not for all, it’s very unique. The Isak one is new but I’ve only ever heard it sang in Wonderbar (hellhole by the way, but sound for a singsong) in between 1363 renditions of Bruno in the middle. Thought that would have proper cottoned on, especially at away games. Glad to see so many with the same perspective on this.

I think 'Hey Jude' at the start isn't great either and does nothing to help the atmosphere, although I'm sure there were rumours that it was a Howe request? I know Man United for the game against Barcelona on Thursday allowed the music etc to be turned off 15 minutes prior to kick off. I think that's a fantastic idea, although granted it wouldn't really work on a Saturday 1230 against Brighton. I think Wor Flags will fly the flag (pardon the pun) better than NUST tbh. I know I've nack for hating on NUST on here but I really think they don't like to upset the apple cart whilst they've got their fingers in the pie. As long as the owners, players and media are patting our back about the atmosphere nowt will happen. It needs to be a fan group like WF who acknowledge that it's dwindling for the club to take any notice. Anfield is the same though - those of us who have been know that it's shit, yet you see surveys online and ex-players/pundits telling you how great it is there. Absolute fucking myth - they might get going for a Champions League knockout when they're chucking bottles and shit off the away bus but apart from the 5 minute karaoke pre-match, Anfield is shit. Generations change, and what we had in past years just doesn't exist anymore, save for one off games. Ideally you would have like-minded fans in 2 locations in the ground to allow the atmosphere to bounce about. Like @NUFC91 touched on, they should move people and if they don't like it, tough shit. I wouldn't hold much hope for the safe-standing survey either, if Sunday is anything to go by. It's a different generation of fan now, and I think a lot more of the vocal/militant type of fan were beaten to submission by Ashley and replaced by a large family section and the odd few who just go to video the match or stream their views on YouTube channel. I've even noticed some of the aways I've done this season the atmosphere lacking - 'we've got bruno in the middle/we'll support you evermore/unitedTOON (yak)' over and over. Lots of lads just there to get coked up to their eyeballs in £350 jumper rather than creating an atmosphere. Countrywide I think it's not just a SJP problem but a problem all over the place. Terrace culture isn't what it was and it'll be extremely difficult to replicate the atmosphere of past days, but grouping like-minded fans together will definitely help. The singing section in L7 were class days and really helped some of our better results of the Ashley era (5-1, 4-4). But I noticed a change in our fanbase in the Arsenal game just after Bruce got the job. Thousands had packed in tickets and there was a planned protest that day to just not go. I think there was about 47k there that day and I realised that we were done for. Pretty sure that was the day @Heron gave a passionate perspective on some online platform in the pissing down rain trying to rally troops to the cause. That being said, the atmosphere tends to improve when our backs are against the wall - Jan onwards last year being an example. Maybe it will improve organically towards the end of the season if we're still in with a shout of Champions League. But the semi against Southampton was really flat despite what was riding on it, but I think I said at the time maybe it was nerves? Fuck knows, but something has to change.

Got back at about 8 last night from London, still absolutely fucked now. Others have probably touched on it but it was genuinely fucking amazing at how London was black & white more or less everywhere. No matter what bar I went in and no matter what time of the day or early hours it was, there was at least a decent amount of NUFC in there. Walking through side-streets, down the tube at midnight - B&W all over, amazing. The match itself was obviously disappointing but like Bruno, I'm gutted but proud. Lets just make sure it isn't another 20 years, I'm sure it won't be. As for the atmosphere inside Wembley, I agree it was pretty shit and flat, but not going to whinge and being a miserable bastard about it. It's hard to motivate yourself to jump up and down like a lunatic when it's essentially over by 37 minutes. But it is what it is. Overall I can honestly say I'm so proud to be a Geordie after this weekend. It really did feel like the start of the new NUFC, despite losing. I've had a few texts off Mackems and other fans trying to take the piss. Let them, the reality is that they're fucking shitting it. They know what's coming and theres fuck all they can do about it. PS please, please, please stop signing we've got bruno in the middle 297451535286251 times a game. Christ almighty man. I can still hear it now.

The loyalty points won’t change sadly, the ‘Trust’ made their stance quite clear on that. (not advocating people lose them btw). The way I see it, as @Heronsuggested, is bringing in a system that allows people to accumulate points by other means - ST renewal, cup games etc. If there was a way to ensure the person using the ticket was the person attending would be mint too, but no idea how that would work. I think Brighton have a certain % of away fans have to pick them up with ID at away ground? Could be wrong. The last thing we want to do is shut out the next generation of fan because someone is hoarding loads of points. I know a good few people that buy an away ticket every single game but literally go to one or two a season at a push. That can’t be fair, surely?

1-3 wasn’t it? I was there and for March, it was boiling hot. Was shite second half though I remember being nervous as fuck.

I fail to see how it's unfair really, as others have said the club can't win. Damned if they do and all that. Understand the frustrations from some ST holders but there are also some members who've been to every home game - league and cup - this season. I totally get that there's members who've maybe just done 1 game in the cup and it would be a pisser if they got a ticket over a ST holder, but basically everyone who (probably) deserve a ticket will get one. Not all members have only done 2 or 3 games this season as some would want you to believe. However I do feel like the pot for 6 (5 should be pretty small anyway, surely?) will be a smaller allocation than 4, so the chance will reduce for people trying in period 6.

Would anybody be kind enough to share the email update they received? Still not got mine, but I'm in the mood to be pissed off about something so this could work.

Class news. Might be (one of) the reasons they only released 1k season tickets summer 22? Less people to shift etc?

I think it’s fair ST holders get dibs - why should it be any other way really? However there is many fans who also had ST for 15 years + and packed in during the Ashley years who’ve been to every home game post-takeover, thus also ploughing money into the club. Both things can be true. In our case, there is no real way to measure loyalty as those packing in done what they believed to be the right thing, as did those who stayed. The only thing I’d have changed about the whole ticketing for the final would be to either swap/merge period 5&6, and I say this as someone who has a ticket.

shocking how many left when added time got announced. Them lot don’t deserve a Wembley ticket. West Ham fans quite rightly took the piss, it was shocking. Too many turning up expecting to win.

Come on man. More often than not, every single team has a period over a season where they’re a bit flat. We’re having ours now and we aren’t losing, it’s a positive. We are due to give someone a spanking soon. Keep the faith mate. We are going good.

Exactly, it’s a fucking shambles. The Trust are meant to represent their members not daft , fame-hungry Tories. Really winds me up

See, I completely reject that notion. Of course there would have been some folks wrapping it in because ‘we were shit’, but the vast majority packed in to initiate change more than anything else. If it was because we were shit, surely they would have packed in prior to the 2x Championship seasons? I do understand what you’re saying though, but let’s not start the whole who is a better fan debate.

I think ST holders quite rightly will always get dibs, but I know it’s frustrating being on the outside. Those that packed in (like me) when Bruce came in knew what we were letting go and the risks attached. However those just starting off on their NUFC journey are going to struggle, for sure. Loyalty points is a completely different game though - that needs reformed. I would never advocate those with points, losing them - no chance. But there needs to be opportunities for ST holders (and members for that matter) to be able to build the points up by other means, if the away threshold will never fall to 0 again. How they do it, I don’t know. I also wish I knew the answer to stopping people buying to sell on for a point. I know some will argue it’s fairly rare, however there’s at least 3 supporters coaches in my area for away games that’s always offering tickets (basically the organiser has numerous linked accounts and just buys tickets each away day, thus earning someone a point). There may (and probably will) be a situation here at Wembley where somebody with say 26 points hasn’t done an away in 10 years or so, but gets priority. Yes I get that this person has points, but what about the next person who should have points only the club didn’t record them at that stage? Appreciate it’s entirely hypothetical. I say this as a Father to amazing kids and I really want them to be able to build their own profile so they they can get the opportunity at days out at cup finals in the future. Sadly I’ve just wasted 5 minutes of my time typing that, as whilst NUST keep their current stance, it ain’t changing.

Sadly I don’t think they ever got will. Wembley tickets was probably the first instance where they need to gauge opinion and the first thing they done was go to them 3 - they obviously think they represent the feelings of the fan base as a whole when it couldn’t be further from the truth. They obviously look at them as the mouthpiece of the fans. They should use True Faith instead… oh shit. It’s the same thing.

Good question, although I doubt it will get to 4.

I didn't realise the Trust was just the opinion of 3 board members? They have - and will always - put their own interests ahead of their members. I think we can all come to an agreement that the trust is an extension of True Faith and if you're in that click, you're sorted for life. There's become a bit of a cult online since the takeover - (some of) those with ST & especially with lots of points talking down to other fans not in the fortunate position they are. Obviously they don't represent everyone, but it really is tiresome and frankly some of stuff you see is shocking. I'm also well aware that social media opinion should be taken with a pinch of salt, but I've had plenty of interaction with people in person who act the same way. I sympathise with the club in this instance as they were never going to please everybody, but I do wish they would understand that the trust isn't representative of the fanbase and they would be wise to survey season ticket holders and members in the future for any potential changes they are considering.