Chicken Dancer

I thought I'd absolutely regret passing my ticket on to my Dad if we won, but I really didn't. He's 60 soon, I picked him up from Central on Monday and he just burst into tears. I've only ever seen him cry once before. We went for a few pints on Monday with some of our family and it just was perfect. He deserved that moment and I'm sure my time will come. This is just the start. Was honestly the most magical weekend. Spent Friday night and Saturday in London and got a train back at 9ish Sunday morning, my lass picked up my stuff and met the mates I wasn't with in Newcastle. Makes everything worthwhile. Packing in my ticket when Bruce got the job, I'd lost my brother who I used to go to every game with a few months before the takeover and it fucking kills me he missed this but I couldn't help but think he was there with me. Sounds proper cringe I know, but it was the first time I'd properly felt his presence since he passed. I'm sure we all have people we remembered on Sunday, they were all there with us. Just an absolutely glorious weekend for every single person associated with this city and our football club. All the arguments about who deserves tickets for any game just out of the window. All those pitiful, depressing games at St James' where everything bar the match seemed more important. All those miles accrued following us on coaches stinking of piss. Every single penny and feeling I have ever experienced following this club is worth it. So, so jealous of the next generation of our fans. They're gonna have it a lot better than we ever did. I've felt like absolute death for days - far too old to be having 3 day benders now. Buzzing to take my kids to the event on the 29th now. As for the rest of the season, yes we have a huge opportunity for Champions League football again but I'd be a liar if I said I gave much of a shit now. Job done as far as I'm concerned, and then some. I'll be somewhere in Europe following MY team in the next 12 months and that is what it's all about.

Gutted for the lad more than out else. Hopefully we’re in plenty more finals for him in the future. He’s class and only going to get better.

We absolutely can win like. The more I see pundits and the like predicting a comfortable Liverpool win the better. Do I think we will? No. But anything can happen on the day. (Though them going down to 10 wouldn’t exactly fill my heart with hope after August 2023…) Understand the gloom with our left side being dismantled, but I wouldn’t be shocked if we went with a formation similar to Arsenal at home. Obviously hinges on Botman being fit.

Yeah, our 4 after the final are Brentford (H), Leicester (A), Man Utd (H) & Palace (H). Really should be looking at least 10pts there, but I'd definitely fancy us getting 12. After that we have 3 home & 3 away. Some nice home games but Villa, Brighton () and Arsenal away.

Yeah, full strength for sure. There isn't that many league games left, and it's our only one in March. It's obviously a distraction having a final 6 days later but it's really important we win this.

Absolutely anything can happen in a one off game. Nobody gave Wigan a hope in hell in the 2013 FA Cup final, and it's not like we're some plucky team at the bottom of the league. Yes we've been pretty poor for a large chunk of the season, but we've got a talented team that can cause literally any team problems when we're on it. Despite our shortcomings, we're 6th top. I'm hoping 2023 can help this time - it is less of a novelty for sure. I fancy us to keep it relatively tight in terms of the score, but my slightly pessimistic but realistic view is that the Liverpool fans will make the difference on the day. We all heard the racket they were making last year when a very young Liverpool side beat Chelsea in the same game. Really is massively important we can get behind the lads and make a wall of noise. We can't be chasing the game from early doors, that's for sure. We need to score first or at least hold it to late second half. Going a goal down in the first half will probably mean it's a comfortable defeat on the day.

Aye that Nunez game was horrible actually. Bank holiday Sunday and I fucked off straight home, didn’t even have a single pint. Was sickening.

Yes and no really. If either go on a mad one until May and wind up with well north of 70pts then fair play. If they end up with about the average and we don’t then we’ve failed.

I understand what you’re all saying and was not meant to discredit Bournemouth or Forest whatsoever. They’ve both been mint. I still stand by what I said. This version of Newcastle should not be finishing below either, especially with no European football or injury crisis. If 4th/5th points ends up being about the average and we don’t get there at the expense of either, then I think that could be considered a failure of a season. Obviously if we win the cup I’d be delighted to finish 17th.

I'm definitely of the opinion that if we can't get Champions League this season without the distraction of European football + Man Utd/Spurs being shite + 5th likely being enough, it's been a failure. Especially if Forest or Bournemouth (or both) finish above us. Nothing against them - they've both been absolutely mint so far - but we definitely shouldn't be finishing below either of them at present. Especially given most of our 'stars' have avoided long periods out with injury. My main worry is that despite being class for about 6 weeks over the festive period, something has been off all year. From the first minute against Southampton back in August something just seems missing. Recently, we've seemingly reverted to type and it looks very much as stale as it did in the early part of the season. If we lose the final, I'm hoping that it works similar to 22/23 when we started to pick back up again and had that fantastic spring when we were blowing teams away on a weekly basis. Sadly, this current team looks and plays nowt like that team.

Oh aye. Absolutely bewildered why that wasn’t a yellow either Was fucking shocking that actually. Gutted to be reminded.

I thought he, alongside many in their team, were utter cunts all day. Fouling constantly and obstructing off the ball. Baleba should have got a second yellow too. He pulled Tino in the second half but Tino didnt go down. Convinced if he does he gets booked again.

I was a member in 22/23 and was much easier to get tickets and sit where you want. It’s the ballots that’s fucked it. pretty sure the club sell tickets for inflated prices on 3rd party websites too, which won’t help.

Honestly one of the worst I’ve felt leaving the stadium in years and I honestly mean that. Absolutely fuming - it’s very rare you’ll get to the quarters with the teams that are left in it now. An absolutely huge opportunity missed and it will be even more sickening when one of Bournemouth, Brighton or Villa go on to win it. I certainly wouldn’t fear playing Man City at Wembley at the minute. It feels like 2023 all over again. Playing absolutely shit in the lead up to the final. Was quietly confident when we beat Arsenal that we could cause Liverpool problems. Now I’m pretty certain we’re to be embarrassed on and off the pitch.

One of the most fuming I’ve been leaving a game in a while that. We’d have never had a better chance at the FA cup in a long time. Timid display on and off the pitch. Mind the officials were shocking. Every contentious throw went their way. But hard to make excuses on a day we were flat. Proper de ja vu of the final in 2023.

Potentially recency bias but Jesus, that was by far the worst I can remember. Timid atmosphere to match a timid display.

This is pretty much me. Me, dad & brother gave up ST and almost 500pts between us. I’ve been fortunate enough to get one back since, but it doesn’t feel the same for some reason. Still get up and down when we win/lose, but something doesn’t feel right. Maybe just still in shock that we’re competitive tbh

The thing that riles me most is that there's plenty who think people just jacked in their tickets because we were shit Surely if that was the case, the 2x Championship seasons would have been the place to start? I'm not saying people didn't wrap their tickets then, but the exodus in 2019 was purely down to Benitez leaving/Bruce getting the job. Making a stand. There were regular attendances of 50k + in the Championship season of 16/17. I had nowt against those who stayed and those who packed in. It was a tough decision that I absolutely thought about long and hard. I've been ridiculously fortunate to get a ST since but saying folks packed it because we were shite is completely wide of the mark.

What a rant to read this morning. He seems like a bit of an arsehole.

Yeah but my point being is she has no ST, so how does she get tickets for every game?

I'd be going full strength for this. We've a very decent shout of going far in this competition, especially given Liverpool are out. Beat these and I'd literally take anybody at home. In fact I'd probably prefer Man Utd or Man City. Win this and we are a game away from Wembley again. 100% Full strength. Them two away ties at the Amex under Pardew were grim.

Artificial 'limbs' too. Not so much with us (yet), but all you see on social media is 'THESE LIMBS...WOW'. The same knobbers hoying £7 pints of piss lager during international tournaments.

To be fair I've been to Anfield 4 times and it was absolutely shite all 4. I'd hazard a guess their league position more than out else contributed to the atmosphere. That being said, I completely agree about the acoustics & character of Anfield being class, but especially their song book. Them & Man Utd always seem to have long songs that catch on fairly quick. We're lucky to hear Blaydon Races these days. FWIW their fans have had similar complaints re Anfield as we are having now with St James'.

I've nowt against her, but isn't that Charlotte on record saying she doesn't/didn't have a ST post-takeover? She's at most away games her. It does make you wonder.

Pissing in the wind sadly. There'll be people munching Bao buns recording the Scousers singing YNWA.