Whitley mag

Strong bench anyway.

Not a fucking thing this will be a common occurrence every year. Clubs and media hate us long may it continue.

These 2 are clearly the best but for me it’s about just acknowledging our history and being proud of where we’re from. We are a unique club in my opinion and I think we’re in danger of becoming a generic fanbase. I can forgive the Bruno in the middle generic shite, if it was mixed in with traditional stuff like Blaydon Races and Howay The Lads. Im just fearful that the current fan base is losing touch with our heritage. I don’t hear Leeds fans not sing marching on, or even Man City fans not singing Blue Moon. After we scored at St James, or near the end of a match we were about to win you’d always hear the Blaydon Races.

This is the guy i want in midfield, him and Maddison and we’ve got a real good mix in there.

We’ve never had a support so poor at a neutral venue as we did on Sunday. Granted nowhere is bouncing every game but even a big game like Southampton recently was poor, if folk weren’t up for that then we’ve got serious problems. The common denominator in these places where the atmosphere has improved is large groups of fans standing and congregated in the same area. I think the opposite to yourself it’s time to be critical, our support is piss poor compared to some other teams at the minute, both vocally and in terms of songbook.

Right there and level 7 corner above would probably be about 5.5k seats ? Right next to away fans NP would object to fuck, but I fucking love it and would get some real back and forth with away fans going. That’s what’s missing from SJP there’s just no banter with away fans anymore.

The song book is embarrassing it doesn’t even need new chants, just some of the old ones to come back. I don’t even think I heard our lot sing newcastle newcastle newcastle, never mind the Blaydon races on Sunday.

Not just folk on here who thought atmosphere was shit on Sunday.

The London Supporters branch did a great job in build up and during the cup final weekend. Just seems they were a bit naive recommending pubs in Kilburn, when it’s a notorious gathering ground for their hoolies pre Wembley.

Thread on it here

Before the infamous bond scheme the Milburn Leazes wing used to always get the whole crowd going and start chants. For me this is an example of how just one part of the ground can get the whole place going. Now I wouldn’t say the level 7 curva nord had the same effect, but they created canny noise in their own right. For the best impact any singing area probably needs to be in the lower bowl. The only exception to this for me would be if they made the level 7 corner all standing and the level 4 corner below all standing aswell. You then condense the fucking family enclosure with whoever’s got tickets in there and you have this large corner of the ground right next to the away fans all standing and singing hopefully.

Absolute cunts man was plenty of straggler Man U fans knocking around Euston/KX and Baker Street. The difference is we’re not bully boys and it’s usually good natured.

For the big games the scousers still create a good atmosphere at Anfield. The Kop will usually stand for the full match and if you compare it to our equivalent big match at home this season Southampton, I think anfield would win hands down at the minute. Elland Road still has a bristling atmosphere in the South Stand we can have something similar, though it may not be like past years it has to be better than currently.

Very similar to David Brooks who Eddie signed from Sheffield United perhaps ? Can see why we would be after him looks an intelligent footballer with good movement.

Without a doubt it’s like the scousers ditching you’ll never walk alone or city ditching blue moon, I just can’t understand it especially when we’re struggling for songs at the minute. The Geordie boot boys got an airing on Sunday in Wembley which was great, but songs like Howay The Lads are so simple and unique to us it’s so sad we don’t sing them anymore.

Agree with this I was lucky enough to end up in club Wembley and far from being full of the prawn sandwich brigade, it was full of older lads who’d clearly had to resort to paying through the nose. As I mentioned in the match thread the Blaydon Races went up in one of the posh bars pre match and was the only time I heard it all day apart from in the Wetherspoons on Baker Street beforehand.

That Howay The Lads flag would look great draped from the level 7 corner,.

Wondered where they all were because there were none around the rocket, Euston flyer like you would expect pre match.

Yeah I don’t buy this times have changed and we’re harking for something long gone. The truth is times have changed here for the worse and the likes of Leeds, Liverpool and Man U still have that big groups of lads football culture we seem to have lost. I think it’s crept up on me unnoticed and Wembley drove it home.

Great post by @Wandyto get this ball rolling, some might see it as trivial but to a lot the atmosphere used to be a big part of the match day experience. I agree that wor flags is a great spectacle and adds to the match day experience, but once the flag waving stops before kick off it simply can’t be the end of supporting the team. We used to criticise Liverpool for their plastic sing a long to you’ll never walk alone, now look at the state of SJP when the whistle blows. I had a great time in London and met many old school lads down for the weekend. However, the atmosphere once inside Wembley was everything I feared before the match. Once that whistle blew it fell flat and I hate to say this but their support was simply more up for it. After all these years of not winning anything they we’re more up for it, folk can deny that all they want but their support was louder and more fervent and that was before they scored the 1st goal in my opinion. A big element of our support was made up of hangers on (seems like a lot of favours were done) and families. Nowt wrong with families some would say, blokes taking their young one to the match and there probably isn’t. But therein lies the problem I believe, we have a massive family enclosure far larger than any other club in the PL. This led to our support looking like day trippers United and whilst the mancs had families amongst their support, it was no way at the level we had. Ive seen some folk say the atmosphere is the same everywhere now, that’s simply not true though Old Trafford, The City Ground, Elland Road to name 3 all have large areas where fans stand and generate constant atmosphere. We had this in level 7 before Ashley disbanded it and it needs to be brought back next season. This needs to be badged as a singing section and not safe standing, as others have said the atmosphere in the safe standing at Wembley was shite if you don’t have willing participants. Another by product of having like minded folk together is more songs. This was another area on Sunday which let us down badly, how the Blaydon Races didn’t get sung at Wembley was sacrilege in my opinion. Hopefully enough folk want to do something about this as our current support portrayed in the media is just a myth currently. Bring back the noise and passion it’s what we we’re once lauded for and made going to the match a real occasion.

I’m not saying we’ll ever get singing for 90 mins it wasn’t even like that in the old days. But having been to every final, semi on a neutral ground sine the 90’s that was the worst I’ve heard us. Not one rendition of the Blaydon Races it was pathetic for a massive occasion like that. We didn’t make any noise in the 2nd half until the end, one rendition of toon toon and Lala goerdies is not great backing.

With all respect that’s down to the make up of our support currently and feels just like excuse’s. The Manc end behind the goal where their safe standing was looked much livelier and they seemed to get some good noise going. It’s unpalatable but our support is shit currently and the sooner folk acknowledge that maybe something can be done.

The trust seem more interested in brown nosing local journalists and ex players at talk ins, promoting true faith and grabbing any freebies they can.

After having time to think about this, the reason our end seemed like day trippers is due to our huge family enclosure. A lot of tickets will have went to families and not groups of lads like in past finals. Clearly we need to protect the future support of the club, but our family enclosure is ridiculously big compared to other clubs. I think this caused a major issue on Sunday in terms of the vocal support. Also @Wallsendmagis spot on.

What a tit you are ?