Chicken Dancer

The 'toon' is rank like and I won't hear otherwise . We will be having this conversation in 10 years even if we move stadium. The match going fan has just changed and sadly nothing we can do about it. You can try to combat it by having more than 1 designating 'singing' section but overall it's just the way football is now. Most fans can't be arsed unless it's a big game. Look at the amount who fuck off at 35/85 minutes. Getting a pissy pint is more important to most now. Sad but true.

Getting Wilson, Targett, Almiron, Trippier off the books will free up some cash we can hopefully earmark for Isak, however the problem is replacing those players too. This is where Mitchell hopefully earns his dollar.

On the subject of Shearer, assuming Haaland stays for 75% of that contract, he will almost certainly break the record.

As with other elite strikers, he will just adapt and change his game. If Shearer done it I’m sure Haaland can.

Hey Jude used to be better when it was organic - especially away from home. We don't have an anthem as such, though I do wish we did. Blaydon Races isn't slow enough. (Off topic slightly but I've always found it mad we don't sing more of the typical 'Geordie' folk songs - Coming Home Newcastle etc). Everything that people have correctly put in this thread will likely be echoed on the forums of Liverpool, Man United, Villa, West Ham etc. It's not exclusive to Newcastle but more of a reflection of how the game has changed. The Premier League is the shining jewel of domestic football across the globe, so therefore you have an influx of these YouTube types as well as overseas fans getting tickets for games. I can't say I have any problem with anybody getting a ticket as long as the money goes into the club. As someone who packed in when Benitez and then has (very luckily) been able to access a season ticket again, I do feel we lost a huge chunk of our vocal fans in 2019. I'm also not going to pretend it was absolutely bouncing every game back then either, because it just wasn't. I'm not old enough to remember the Keegan days but from what me Dad tells me it was special - but English football was nowhere near as global then as it is now. When St James' gets going I firmly believe there's no better place in England - those of us who were lucky to be at the PSG game will be talking about that with our grandchildren. Just getting it going is the difficult part now. As someone with a season ticket I tread carefully here without wanting to upset those who miss out - but I believe the ballots are the fairest way to distribute tickets. I also believe ballots have a detrimental effect on atmosphere due to being plonked anywhere in the stadium. Loads of my mates who I'd class as vocal fans are often seated in areas that have no intention to sing. I was sat in Milburn L7 for Dortmund in the Champions League and though that atmosphere in general was nowt like PSG, that part of the stadium felt like a completely different ground. You felt almost detached from the lower bowl. But post-takeover 21/22 and the entire of 22/23 was 100% better than it was last season and this. Is it the ballot system? Is it expectation? Probably a combination of both. I never thought I'd say this but I think I am starting to sway more towards moving, but the design has to be right. You can then get like-minded people sitting in designated areas without having to ask people to move seats - which frankly will never happen, as is their right - at St James'. It may be rose-tinted specs from me, but as a late teen I absolutely loved the L7 singing section back in the day. Atmosphere seemed so much better even when we weren't consistently getting full houses.

Was class. Nostalgic of the Rafa years and the Gallowgate (maybe other parts of the ground too) started to actually belt out the MOVIN ON UP NOW part. Personally not a fan of playing Local Hero at the end either, but aye - Hey Jude before the game is horrible, like. What happened to that opera sort of song we had before Local Hero back in the day? Everyone got on the feet when that started as you knew the teams were in the tunnel.

Dodgy game this. They're a really good side and play some decent stuff. Should win. Would fancy us a lot more comfortably if it was 17:30.

12:30 on Saturday should be a cracking atmosphere...

I don't mind that as much but purely down to the fact Bromley will get 50% (I think?) of gate receipts. Will really help them out. But aye, it is steep. The friendlies in the summer were £25, no? That was a joke.

Whatever we choose to do (move/stay), I'm fairly certain that the vast, vast majority of extra tickets will be made up of ballot & hospitality. All about the ££, sadly. I echo what those have said though. £50 to watch us play Bournemouth (taking nowt away from them, they're a good team) at 12:30 on a Saturday is nothing shy of a disgrace tbh.

Absolutely love the bloke. Always will. His stubbornness will cost him his job. Probably sooner than we think .

I don't think he is our manager for the start of 25/26. Not saying that's what I want to happen btw. Plenty time to turn this season around but if it carries on like it's started there will be a fair few who will be happy to see us have a fresh start. I don't think the fans will ever (fully) turn, but I think the club will be relatively ruthless if we finish outside of Europe.

Ana they’re fucking shit but that’s by far the best we’ve played away from home all season. Not sure what was poor about it? Poor penalty and finish from Gordon. If Isak plays we likely comfortably win. We played really well and some of the best football we’ve played in a long time. Two good performances (in the league) off the bounce now. Might not have the points but I’m much more encouraged by this point compared to Bournemouth in August.

I don’t think he was awful at all. I think he had a good game but took a shitty pen.

What a special night that was. I've never seen St James' like it was that night. Everyone was in their seats about 25 minutes before the game. Concourses were bouncing, town was electric. It really was my favourite memory out of hundreds and hundreds of Newcastle games. It really made me emotional that prominent figures in my life who were part of my NUFC journey like my brother and my Grandad were no longer with me to experience it. I will die a very happy man if my kids get to experience something similar. It really was something that will last a lifetime.

Not having a pop here Teddy, but when you say you seem to have a plan in place now - weren’t most of your fans (certainly my few r&w mates seemed to suggest was the consensus) saying how flawed it was a few months ago when you weren’t winning? Genuinely interested as to what’s changed other than a fast start?

Ahh forgive me it was the wrong word to use. But I do think he will be in a higher division this time in 12 months, either here or overseas. I genuinely hope he does too. Oh aye, there's absolutely no doubt they completely overrate basically every player that's played for them and they pretty much always have done. But Rigg should go far in his career. He's very slight but is extremely talented, I've watched his career fairly close (from him being very young) due to mutual friends and not in a noncey way. He will hopefully play for England one day but obviously a long way to go. I'd be delighted if he wound up at NUFC one day and would be confident in saying that's probably his ambition, as much as he will try and hide it these days for obvious reasons. That being said, staying at Sunderland with a clear path to consistent first-team football was quite clearly the right decision to make at this stage in his career. I'd be shocked if they hadn't basically said to him 'do well here and we won't stand in your way' if somebody comes in for you at the right price in the next couple of years, as is their model these days.

I don't think Teddy is far off the mark with Rigg to be honest. He really is special and won't be there long regardless of whether they get promoted anytime soon or not. Fingers crossed he is pulling on black and white one day as he will go very far in his career, pretty sure of that. Also pretty sure he will have ambitions to play for us one day too. Just because he plays for Sunderland doesn't mean he's shite.

We actually have reminded me of ten Hag's Manchester Reds so far this season to be fair. Have been crap for 80% of the games we've had, yet have the points on board. The difference being I reckon we will have it figured out soon enough. The same issues certainly won't be here in 2 years time.

Nothing will ever change whilst he is their manager. I actually gave him the benefit of the doubt over summer and had some kinder comments about him on this very board, but yeah - he's fucking shit. The amount of pastings they get is not normal, but their fans seem absolutely reluctant to give him any sort of shit. Can't even be fucked to check how much but I do know he's spent a small fortune and they're still absolutely crap.

7 in the morning me is gonna be fuckin raging at 20 past 1 me. 7 out of 9 and we ain’t played well yet. New stack is belta as well. Sandro ole ole ole

£35m Hope that it’s only a rumour. £35m man, Jesus.

I think most of us are quite happy to walk away at the prices quoted. He's good, but not life-changing good. He will leave next summer, to us or somebody else. As ever, your club will remain a stepping stone. I have no ill will towards Parish - I'd hope our owner would do the same. Great start of the season for you boys, though.

Ah yeah I totally get that. But I just think because we were shite then, doesn't mean we need to accept having shite windows now. Back then we had an ambition to finish 17th or above every year, obviously things are different now. I refuse to believe we didn't have a plan B, C D +. Obviously there's spending for spendings sake on someone not good enough, but even as nothing more than an average bloke who happens to be a fan, I'd be pretty confident in saying there's CBs of about the same ability as Guehi available, probably for less ££. I actually agree and have said as much in my group chats - this window doesn't necessarily mean we will have a bad season. We're probably in a better position than last season for sure - the issue is so is everybody else competing for the same places in the league. Hate to come across as if I'm hammering the bloke but the reports don't look grand imho. I think without Staveley here anymore (who I gather was his main ally at boardroom level) a poor finish in the league will likely see him gone. Maybe even a power struggle behind the scenes will push things to the edge.

Really don't know what to think tbh. I don't think Ashworth/Mitchell had grand plans of signing DCL, Kilman, Trafford, Kelly but then I have no evidence to suggest they're all Howe picks either. The comments KaKa highlighted from that Bournemouth fan do concern me, though. I'll find it ever hard to say a bad word about Howe. If there's anybody who would be the one in charge when (probably more if) we eventually win something, I'd want it to be him. Absolutely adore the bloke. But if it becomes apparent he's unable to work with a Sporting Director or is insistent that the targets are identified by him/Tindall/his nephew I think it will put us in a really tricky situation. Having a Fergie type gaffer who runs the club from top down is a dated model in 2024. I'm not saying players should be forced upon a manager - he should definitely have a say if not the final say - but we certainly need to do a lot better in future windows. Even the most positive amongst NUFC fans couldn't possibly dress this window up as anything other than shambolic. I'm sorry but rewind 3 years to the summer of 2021 & we signed Ruddy, Kelly & Osula (we'd have obviously been used to it by that point) but we'd still be saying how utterly horrendous it is. Totally understand we're held back by PSR and rules to protect the elite. I also don't think we're unambitious by any means. The rules are the reason we've not signed anyone, but it has still been an absolute shitshow. I hate to say it but there might be a few grumblings on Sunday if we put up a poor performance & get a bad result.