christ

Honestly man. It was just after he renamed the stadium. I rocked up to the match and one of the lads who sat the row in front asked if I’d mind holding up a banner at kick off. Aye, no problem. Didn’t ask what was on it. Fortunately you could only see my knuckles on the photo that someone took. EDIT: Found it

Loved L7, particularly during the Championship season. It was like the Wild West. Charvas packed three to a seat just going hell for leather for 90 mins. I remember them sending a load of stewards up during the Forest game to spot check tickets just before Shola scored and they got absolutely mobbed. In hindsight we probably shouldn’t have held up that banner calling Ashley a rapist. That seemed to be the catalyst for moving everyone.

I don’t think there’s a more damning indictment of the quality of our songbook than the fact we still sing DJ Otzi. It was embarrassing when we were singing it about Shearer ffs.

Just need a rental van with a flag stuck to the side and find the person who owns ouratmosphereisshit.com.

Didn’t someone used to turn up in the Gallowgate with a drum? Might have been early WF/Gallowgate Flags era. Might have even been someone on here, as I’m sure I remember a story about them being threatened by some of our cretinous fans who didn’t like it. Think that would do immeasurable good in helping people keep tempo.

I’ve only managed to get to a handful of matches this season and I’ve been staggered at how bad the atmosphere was. Granted when I had my ST I was always in the ‘singing section’, whether that was Level 7 or the Strawberry Corner, so it may have always been shit but sat in the Leazes earlier this season the most animated our fans got was when Murphy came on and immediately lost the ball. I think a big issue is that for over a decade our fanbase has been motivated by spite. The best atmospheres I’ve been part of have been when we were balls to the wall against Ashley, or when there’s some sort of injustice happening on the pitch. Singing is what we do when we’re fucked off. Now we’re halfway decent a lot of our fans have no interest in shouting themselves hoarse, can just sit in silence and wait for the three points. Ultimately any change in atmosphere needs to be driven by the supporters. We need to Toon Ultras type movement that will at least try to coordinate some sort of atmosphere during the 90 minutes. There are obviously barriers - current spread of supporters, difficulty in getting tickets etc - but maybe it needs to start by surveying fans in the ground who would be interested in this sort of thing about where they sit. If we can identify pockets of support it might help create a new singing section almost organically rather than hope the club to turf a load of fans out of their seats in the Gallowgate. It means fans know that if they start a chant there are people around them who’ll join in, and members or people who purchase on general sale can try to sit in those areas if they want a sing-song. It would also be good if someone stood at the next NUST election on the explicit promise they’ll push this issue with the club. Big ask, but I can’t imagine they wouldn’t win considering they could barely fill the committee at the last one.

Such a weird flex. “Here’s some better places in London.” Do you want a prize you fucking nerd?

Next level from away fans offering to fight someone from behind three rows of police, stewards and netting.

Shite to hear mate. Absolutely need to name and shame them so people can steer clear in future.

He’s under no pressure. If he fucks things it’s not like it’s going to adversely impact his career.

I think the result comes down to how we cope with the occasion as much as how Man United play. There’s definitely been an air of after the Lord Mayor’s show about our performances since the semifinal. As much as Howe has talked about the focus being on the next game we’ve turned up some really uncharacteristic performances both collectively and individually, and I think that’s because Wembley’s hanging over us. Could be nerves, could be getting complacent. Who knows, but I don’t think it’s an accident our form has tailed off over the last three games. The team that keeps its head wins on Sunday. That concerns me as I don’t think we’ve the big game experience that Man United do but there seems to be quite a bit of pressure on them too.

It was confirmed yesterday that the new legislation wouldn’t have had any impact on our takeover too. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/feb/23/white-paper-would-not-block-qatari-buyout-of-manchester-united

The persecution complex strikes again. The coverage of their cup final appearance was just as fucking relentless.

From about the mid-90s onwards he was a complete parody of himself. Actively ruined my enjoyment of so many games. May he rest in peace.

I thought I was pretty relaxed about things. Dreamt last night we were 2-0 up early in the second half and just hit the bar before I woke up. Now I’m a wreck.

Does it involve installing a letter box outside Howe’s office?

Is this a wind up, because I don’t think at any point I claimed Eddie Howe was responsible for what’s going on in Saudi? I said he’s the most prominent spokesperson for any entity owned by Saudi (name me one other individual involved of any of their projects who is in front of the media at least twice a week) so he’s going to catch some flack from those trying to bring to people’s attention what’s going on over there.

This probably isn’t news to anyone who is around the training ground.

If you can’t understand why a pressure group may attempt to hand the letter to the manager of the Premier League team owned by the state of Saudi Arabia rather than airmail it to Riyadh then I can’t help you. It should be obvious. Trying to police the terms on which people raise awareness about what’s going on in Saudi Arabia is all part of sportswashing. You can’t allow them to access to the Premier League, allow them to purchase a plaything to launder their reputation, and complain when others use their presence in this particular sphere to point out they’re villains. It doesn’t matter that we have an emotional attachment to the club and might feel like we’re being attacked personally. It’s all part of the deal.

Why should I? It’s my club. I’ll keep supporting the team but I do so fully aware of who our owners are and with an always hypercritical eye on them. I’ll also not take it as a personal attack if someone tries to do something to raise awareness of the situation in Saudi. I hoped our supporters would keep their head’s screwed on, and we’d not allow ourselves to be ‘sportswashed’. The fact someone doing something as inoffensive as handing a letter to the club’s most prominent employee is met with such outrage suggests I was a bit fucking optimistic.

That’s all moot. He’s the de facto spokesperson for the Saudi state’s most visible asset. This is a thing that he’s going to have to confront on occasion. He’ll be aware of that. We don’t get the luxury of being able to spend that filthy Arabian lucre and not have to think about where it’s come from. Just because it might make us, or the players and staff feel uncomfortable doesn’t mean its in anyway unfair when others dare to do something to draw attention to it.

I’m sure he’ll cope.

He can’t do anything, but that’s not the point is it? It’s about generating awareness of what’s going on in Saudi.

Probably not be popular but I don’t think people who are either genuinely or performatively anti-Saudi are being unduly harsh on the club, those employed by the club or in a lot of cases the fans. Someone trying to hand Howe a letter bothers me much less than some of the shit our owners are into.

Said it in the Bournemouth match thread, but I think the unbeaten run was a millstone. We need to take more risks, not settle for draws. This might well be the catalyst for it.