Kevin Keegan

[wormy]

9 minutes ago, Ashley17 said:

He has been offered a role but he wants to actually do something meaningful and not just be wheeled out for events. He’s left it to the owners to offer him something worthwhile.

 

That's interesting considering I was clearly under the impression it was practically the opposite.

 

In that case I hope they can come to some sort of understanding to allow his involvement in a way everyone's happy with. 

[LFEE]

1 hour ago, Wandy said:

 

I was 20 - 25 for the KK era, and also wisely got one of the half-season tickets available in in 92/93 promotion season, otherwise I would have been locked out of SJP for those 5 amazing years.

 

Literally could not have timed it better. It was a glorious time, not only to be a NUFC fan, but also being a young Geordie living on Tyneside. They were the days when the Bigg Market & Quayside were in their absolute pomp, rammed every night for 6 days out of 7. Even more luckily, my University years also ran concurrently with the KK era, and it's no exaggeration to say that the weekend started on a Wednesday and ended on the Monday, with Tuesday off to recover. 

 

The town is a woeful night out these days compared to the halcyon days of the 90s...only truly busy on a Saturday night, and the bars are just dull as fuck. I actually feel a bit sorry for the local kids of today, not seeing how or why Newcastle got it's party-town reputation.

Agree. Late licensing for alcohol has been a disaster for Newcastle. Should cap it till midnight.

[LV]

2 hours ago, Wandy said:

 

I was 20 - 25 for the KK era, and also wisely got one of the half-season tickets available in in 92/93 promotion season, otherwise I would have been locked out of SJP for those 5 amazing years.

 

Literally could not have timed it better. It was a glorious time, not only to be a NUFC fan, but also being a young Geordie living on Tyneside. They were the days when the Bigg Market & Quayside were in their absolute pomp, rammed every night for 6 days out of 7. Even more luckily, my University years also ran concurrently with the KK era, and it's no exaggeration to say that the weekend started on a Wednesday and ended on the Monday, with Tuesday off to recover. 

 

The town is a woeful night out these days compared to the halcyon days of the 90s...only truly busy on a Saturday night, and the bars are just dull as fuck. I actually feel a bit sorry for the local kids of today, not seeing how or why Newcastle got it's party-town reputation.

What did happen to the nightlife? Why has it become so quiet these days? 

[huss9]

25 minutes ago, LFEE said:

Agree. Late licensing for alcohol has been a disaster for Newcastle. Should cap it till midnight.

my eldest is 17 and just started going out.

her and her friends usually dont go out till 11.

seem to love it and say the town is buzzing, but it does seem a bit strange to me.

[Sima]

16 minutes ago, LV said:

What did happen to the nightlife? Why has it become so quiet these days? 

 

Cost of living coupled with this generation not having the same drinking culture as the previous one imo.

[Chicken Dancer]

Loads of people just like to be seen to be having a good time, rather than just having a good time.

 

Instragram stories of £14 cocktails or what not. Town is so different these days, even on a match day I find.

[WarrenBartonCentrePartin]

12 minutes ago, Sima said:

 

Cost of living coupled with this generation not having the same drinking culture as the previous one imo.

This. Same reason that smaller, local pubs are closing. You can walk in a supermarket and get a load of peeve for what you’d pay for a few drinks in any city.

[Guest neesy111]

A lot of the bars in town are shite imo nowadays.

[LFEE]

12 minutes ago, LV said:

What did happen to the nightlife? Why has it become so quiet these days? 

Well back in the day (awaits everyone to insert rolling of eyes emoji’s ? ) you had a limited but sensible time allowed to drink with last orders normally called around 22:50 and then you were shown the door around 23:15 when time was called around 23:00.

 

So growing up everyone used public transport and mingled (all age groups) and headed into town on a Friday for example 17:30-19:00 after a days work. Buses and metros always busy and lively and this carried on into pubs where all your groups would have their meet up points and route pre-arranged (no mobile phones remember!) with mine being Dobsons between 18:30-19:15 and working through Bigg Market and ending at the Blackie Boy 22:00 for lasts.

 

Everyone would then either all head home and be done or have a couple in someone’s kitchen if still in the mood whilst others would go to a Nightclub opened up specially for a dance and to try and meet someone you fancy.

 

The beauty of this was the pubs only needed to pay the staff a sensible amount of hours which were full on. The council got the benefit of the majority of people using public transport. The younger ones were kept in line as were mingling with older folk so everyone self policed themselves so ASB and litter etc was a minimum. The taxi drivers earnt a decent living as a restricted amount running for those living further afield and for the nightclub crowd. Everything was just more of a routine and dare say predicable but always busy.

 

Since the extended drinking hours (04:00?) you’ve got one age (older) group going out sooner so pubs still having to open even earlier in the day and as their nights are coming to an end and they get quiet public transport back the more middle aged have arrived separately and started their days then leave either last line of public transport or stay on an hour and grab a taxi parked up whilst the younger ones pre-load all together in one of their houses with cheap drinks from supermarket then mini bus or taxi in around 11pm earliest and then spend very little in bars staying open until 4am paying their staff extra hours etc leading to higher drinks prices which then deters the older and middle aged to visit as often. The public transport prices then go up as not used as much. The ASB and litter gets worse because the young ones practically have the town to themselves and no self policing going on.

 

Notice I used the word Bars. Used to be pubs and then nightclubs by and large. Now you have Bars having to cater for the music oriented customer which of course deters the older and middle aged crowds with the constant boom boom.

 

So in short the wider timescales people have to drink have slowly but surely separated social groups further, increased prices of drinks due to many preloading and staff, power, insurance etc having longer and higher usage costs for no income benefit. Transport both public and private more expensive as having to pay for night buses or taxi longer hours , increased ASB and litter making certain areas less appealing. 
 

I reckon the only positive has been very few queues to get in anywhere or get served compared to the 90’s. The smoking ban was great but obviously not for some. Also gives those a chance who work in pubs to go out for a few hours after a shift I dare say.

 

Town still can be great after everyone has been paid and hoping matchdays will get back to what they were with renewed optimism as you’ve many age groups going and then staying out after the match but as a whole and I think this applies City wide I.E. not London, I think extended drinking hours has had a very negative effect on society.

 

Something you can probably tell I’ve been thinking for a while ?

[Rafalove]

Tinder probably has a lot to do with it. If you want to meet a lass you just go on there nowadays instead of meeting at a bar.

 

In someways it’s a heathy transition. It should mean more sexual encounters are sober and with more clear lines of consent. With fewer women being fondled while inebriated. 

in other ways not so much as it seems to be increasing the number of people especially men who struggle to find sexual partners or even partners in general.

 

it’s such an odd change for society. when I was 18 there were loads of little towns in the north east that people used to say were a “good night out”.

 

I remember people used to recommend all kinds of places and it was a thing to go different places each week. Darlo, Durham , Newcastle, Whitley Bay, Boro dare I say even Sunderland. My own town was once full of bars, pubs and clubs. By the time I was 20/21 there was a very clear decline. I saw today over the last decde there are 7000 fewer pubs today than a decade ago.

[LV]

23 minutes ago, LFEE said:

Well back in the day (awaits everyone to insert rolling of eyes emoji’s ? ) you had a limited but sensible time allowed to drink with last orders normally called around 22:50 and then you were shown the door around 23:15 when time was called around 23:00.

 

So growing up everyone used public transport and mingled (all age groups) and headed into town on a Friday for example 17:30-19:00 after a days work. Buses and metros always busy and lively and this carried on into pubs where all your groups would have their meet up points and route pre-arranged (no mobile phones remember!) with mine being Dobsons between 18:30-19:15 and working through Bigg Market and ending at the Blackie Boy 22:00 for lasts.

 

Everyone would then either all head home and be done or have a couple in someone’s kitchen if still in the mood whilst others would go to a Nightclub opened up specially for a dance and to try and meet someone you fancy.

 

The beauty of this was the pubs only needed to pay the staff a sensible amount of hours which were full on. The council got the benefit of the majority of people using public transport. The younger ones were kept in line as were mingling with older folk so everyone self policed themselves so ASB and litter etc was a minimum. The taxi drivers earnt a decent living as a restricted amount running for those living further afield and for the nightclub crowd. Everything was just more of a routine and dare say predicable but always busy.

 

Since the extended drinking hours (04:00?) you’ve got one age (older) group going out sooner so pubs still having to open even earlier in the day and as their nights are coming to an end and they get quiet public transport back the more middle aged have arrived separately and started their days then leave either last line of public transport or stay on an hour and grab a taxi parked up whilst the younger ones pre-load all together in one of their houses with cheap drinks from supermarket then mini bus or taxi in around 11pm earliest and then spend very little in bars staying open until 4am paying their staff extra hours etc leading to higher drinks prices which then deters the older and middle aged to visit as often. The public transport prices then go up as not used as much. The ASB and litter gets worse because the young ones practically have the town to themselves and no self policing going on.

 

Notice I used the word Bars. Used to be pubs and then nightclubs by and large. Now you have Bars having to cater for the music oriented customer which of course deters the older and middle aged crowds with the constant boom boom.

 

So in short the wider timescales people have to drink have slowly but surely separated social groups further, increased prices of drinks due to many preloading and staff, power, insurance etc having longer and higher usage costs for no income benefit. Transport both public and private more expensive as having to pay for night buses or taxi longer hours , increased ASB and litter making certain areas less appealing. 
 

I reckon the only positive has been very few queues to get in anywhere or get served compared to the 90’s. The smoking ban was great but obviously not for some. Also gives those a chance who work in pubs to go out for a few hours after a shift I dare say.

 

Town still can be great after everyone has been paid and hoping matchdays will get back to what they were with renewed optimism as you’ve many age groups going and then staying out after the match but as a whole and I think this applies City wide I.E. not London, I think extended drinking hours has had a very negative effect on society.

 

Something you can probably tell I’ve been thinking for a while ?

Some really good points there

[Hovagod]

4 minutes ago, Rafalove said:

Tinder probably has a lot to do with it. If you want to meet a lass you just go on there nowadays instead of meeting at a bar.

 

In someways it’s a heathy transition. It should mean more sexual encounters are sober and with more clear lines of consent. With fewer women being fondled while inebriated. 

in other ways not so much as it seems to be increasing the number of people especially men who struggle to find sexual partners or even partners in general.

 

it’s such an odd change for society. when I was 18 there were loads of little towns in the north east that people used to say were a “good night out”.

 

I remember people used to recommend all kinds of places and it was a thing to go different places each week. Darlo, Durham , Newcastle, Whitley Bay, Boro dare I say even Sunderland. My own town was once full of bars, pubs and clubs. By the time I was 20/21 there was a very clear decline. I saw today over the last decde there are 7000 fewer pubs today than a decade ago.

Always thought Sunderland was a good night out. 

[LV]

3 minutes ago, Rafalove said:

Tinder probably has a lot to do with it. If you want to meet a lass you just go on there nowadays instead of meeting at a bar.

 

In someways it’s a heathy transition. It should mean more sexual encounters are sober and with more clear lines of consent. With fewer women being fondled while inebriated. 

in other ways not so much as it seems to be increasing the number of people especially men who struggle to find sexual partners or even partners in general.

 

it’s such an odd change for society. when I was 18 there were loads of little towns in the north east that people used to say were a “good night out”.

 

I remember people used to recommend all kinds of places and it was a thing to go different places each week. Darlo, Durham , Newcastle, Whitley Bay, Boro dare I say even Sunderland. My own town was once full of bars, pubs and clubs. By the time I was 20/21 there was a very clear decline. I saw today over the last decde there are 7000 fewer pubs today than a decade ago.

It’s a really sad state of affairs. We’re all going to end up sitting in our boxes, hooked up to different lines of consumption and just meeting each other over Teams aren’t we. 
 

Or is that just me? 

[Guest HTT II]

I’ve been drinking in town since I was 15 up until a few years back and it was never as busy as things were made out during weekdays, yet come Friday to Sunday it was always massively busy. During the week only a select few bars with their regulars were busy, like the Black Garter for example. Obviously whenever NUFC played or play the bars get busier. It’s not and never has been this 7 day a week party city that the media portray. I can’t tell anyone how busy it is these days on any given day as the last time I drank in Town was before Covid!

 

 

Edited July 4, 2022 by HTT II

[sempuki]

Does he live down south these days? I was at Wynyard a few weeks ago and was shown a house where he apparently used to live. Rather large to say the least.

[HaydnNUFC]

I'm 21, turn 22 in December and I enjoy going out in town especially around a matchday, before and after and really enjoy it. I'm much more of a pub person than clubs so the late night culture around people aged 18 to about 23 has never appealed to me. I think it's arose from student culture and being skint, people nowadays have 'pre drinks' where they buy alcohol in house, meet at about 9pm, drink until 11pm to midnight then go out as it means they're already drunk so don't spend as much money when out on more expensive drinks in a night club. 

 

That's never been me. I'm more of a day drinking, pub person. Pints, scran, back home pissed by about 11pm-midnight when all the others I mentioned start to come out. I drink in town down the Ouseburn, Pink Lane, Westgate Road, opposite train station, Grey/Shakespeare Street, Pilgrim Street, High Bridge, Quayside and Dean Street. Avoid the places that get a disgrace after a certain hour; Mosley Street, Collingwood Street, Centre for Life, Dog & Parrot and Grainger Street (due to the McDonalds).

 

I think student culture, especially in a city with two unis, is the reason for you auld gits complaining its not as good as it used to be.

[LFEE]

11 minutes ago, Rafalove said:

Tinder probably has a lot to do with it. If you want to meet a lass you just go on there nowadays instead of meeting at a bar.

 

In someways it’s a heathy transition. It should mean more sexual encounters are sober and with more clear lines of consent. With fewer women being fondled while inebriated. 

in other ways not so much as it seems to be increasing the number of people especially men who struggle to find sexual partners or even partners in general.

 

it’s such an odd change for society. when I was 18 there were loads of little towns in the north east that people used to say were a “good night out”.

 

I remember people used to recommend all kinds of places and it was a thing to go different places each week. Darlo, Durham , Newcastle, Whitley Bay, Boro dare I say even Sunderland. My own town was once full of bars, pubs and clubs. By the time I was 20/21 there was a very clear decline. I saw today over the last decde there are 7000 fewer pubs today than a decade ago.

 Technology has definitely changed some of the landscape and I agree wholeheartedly about the old saying “good night out” with reference to smaller towns. Low Fell (where I now live) was known for its Sunday’s so used to pop down. Chester Le-Street used to be bouncing when I visited the odd time and even had a nightclub also (Crocs?) but is dead these days. Whickham still not bad but nowhere near as good as it used to be. Bank Holiday Monday was always a trip to Whitley Bay. I remember even South Shields being bouncing with a couple of nightclubs even. 

[WillingtonMag]

2 hours ago, LFEE said:

Agree. Late licensing for alcohol has been a disaster for Newcastle. Should cap it till midnight.

 Nah.

[LFEE]

14 minutes ago, HTT II said:

I’ve been drinking in town since I was 15 up until a few years back and it was never as busy as things were made out during weekdays, yet come Friday to Sunday it was always massively busy. During the week only a select few bars with their regulars were busy, like the Black Garter for example. Obviously whenever NUFC played or play the bars get busier. It’s not and never has been this 7 day a week party city that the media portray. I can’t tell anyone how busy it is these days on any given day as the last time I drank in Town was before Covid!

 

 

 

Only night town was quiet was Sunday and Monday. Shops mainly closed on a Sunday in those days remember and drinking only allowed for a couple of hours until lunchtime approx. (I bet that blows peoples minds ? )

 

Tuesday was always busy as it was Nurses night so all the hospital staff and student nurses etc tended to go out. Wednesday was a dance night and the nightclubs opened up for the night with cheap drink deals, likes of Walkers (with metal detection security?). Thursday tended to be works nights with council etc staff.

 

Thats another that’s massively changed. Socialising amongst your work colleagues. Seems nonexistent these days and last few years. Especially for the pay day nights out etc.

[Guest HTT II]

Since the pandemic, I know a few owners of ‘local’ pubs and they have noticed an increase in people patronising their joints more frequently. I love going to the Keelman and we’ve been tonnes of times lately and it’s always busy and I can’t remember it being that busy before the pandemic, same with the Schooner, Denton and Fox and Hounds, it’s rammed at weekends, I think people look at the Town now as an expensive night out when you can have a cheaper night out locally. Have a few drinks in doors and hit your local for a few towards the end of the evening then back home for a late night cap.

[Wandy]

28 minutes ago, HTT II said:

I’ve been drinking in town since I was 15 up until a few years back and it was never as busy as things were made out during weekdays, yet come Friday to Sunday it was always massively busy. During the week only a select few bars with their regulars were busy, like the Black Garter for example. Obviously whenever NUFC played or play the bars get busier. It’s not and never has been this 7 day a week party city that the media portray. I can’t tell anyone how busy it is these days on any given day as the last time I drank in Town was before Covid!

 

Sorry, but you are wrong on this. For pretty much all of the 90s Newcastle's "party bars", ie the Bigg Market, and the likes of Legends on Grey Street & Bar 42 on Hood Street were busy for most of the week. I'd say the Bigg Market bars were at 100% capacity on Friday & Saturday nights and a little less on Sunday night. Then you would have the student night of Monday, which easily had these bars at around 70% capacity, because a lot of the students were actually locals....and non-student youngsters just tagged onto the night anyway. Tuesdays were always dead but on the Wednesday things would start to pick up again and then on Thursday nights the bars would probably be at about 50% capacity. Believe me I know this, because I did it heavily throughout the whole period. The fact that KK's NUFC were so massively popular and always on the TV also helped as the games were shown live in a lot of these bars.

 

[Wandy]

1 hour ago, LFEE said:

Well back in the day (awaits everyone to insert rolling of eyes emoji’s ? ) you had a limited but sensible time allowed to drink with last orders normally called around 22:50 and then you were shown the door around 23:15 when time was called around 23:00.

 

So growing up everyone used public transport and mingled (all age groups) and headed into town on a Friday for example 17:30-19:00 after a days work. Buses and metros always busy and lively and this carried on into pubs where all your groups would have their meet up points and route pre-arranged (no mobile phones remember!) with mine being Dobsons between 18:30-19:15 and working through Bigg Market and ending at the Blackie Boy 22:00 for lasts.

 

Everyone would then either all head home and be done or have a couple in someone’s kitchen if still in the mood whilst others would go to a Nightclub opened up specially for a dance and to try and meet someone you fancy.

 

The beauty of this was the pubs only needed to pay the staff a sensible amount of hours which were full on. The council got the benefit of the majority of people using public transport. The younger ones were kept in line as were mingling with older folk so everyone self policed themselves so ASB and litter etc was a minimum. The taxi drivers earnt a decent living as a restricted amount running for those living further afield and for the nightclub crowd. Everything was just more of a routine and dare say predicable but always busy.

 

Since the extended drinking hours (04:00?) you’ve got one age (older) group going out sooner so pubs still having to open even earlier in the day and as their nights are coming to an end and they get quiet public transport back the more middle aged have arrived separately and started their days then leave either last line of public transport or stay on an hour and grab a taxi parked up whilst the younger ones pre-load all together in one of their houses with cheap drinks from supermarket then mini bus or taxi in around 11pm earliest and then spend very little in bars staying open until 4am paying their staff extra hours etc leading to higher drinks prices which then deters the older and middle aged to visit as often. The public transport prices then go up as not used as much. The ASB and litter gets worse because the young ones practically have the town to themselves and no self policing going on.

 

Notice I used the word Bars. Used to be pubs and then nightclubs by and large. Now you have Bars having to cater for the music oriented customer which of course deters the older and middle aged crowds with the constant boom boom.

 

So in short the wider timescales people have to drink have slowly but surely separated social groups further, increased prices of drinks due to many preloading and staff, power, insurance etc having longer and higher usage costs for no income benefit. Transport both public and private more expensive as having to pay for night buses or taxi longer hours , increased ASB and litter making certain areas less appealing. 
 

I reckon the only positive has been very few queues to get in anywhere or get served compared to the 90’s. The smoking ban was great but obviously not for some. Also gives those a chance who work in pubs to go out for a few hours after a shift I dare say.

 

Town still can be great after everyone has been paid and hoping matchdays will get back to what they were with renewed optimism as you’ve many age groups going and then staying out after the match but as a whole and I think this applies City wide I.E. not London, I think extended drinking hours has had a very negative effect on society.

 

Something you can probably tell I’ve been thinking for a while ?

 

Agree with a lot of this, except that I think anti-social behaviour has reduced since the change. Not that Newcastle was ever a rough night out in the 90s. The Bigg Market's bad reputation came from the earlier period of the early to mid 1980s, when some of the bars were very lairy. I worked in some of the bars around the Grainger Market in the later 80s and that was an "interesting" experience at kicking out time at 11pm.  ....but the 90s seemed to herald a change in attitudes all round.

[Guest HTT II]

1 minute ago, Wandy said:

 

Sorry, but you are wrong on this. For pretty much all of the 90s Newcastle's "party bars", ie the Bigg Market, and the likes of Legends on Grey Street & Bar 42 on Hood Street were busy for most of the week. I'd say the Bigg Market bars were at 100% capacity on Friday & Saturday nights and a little less on Sunday night. Then you would have the student night of Monday, which easily had these bars at around 70% capacity, because a lot of the students were actually locals....and non-student youngsters just tagged onto the night anyway. Tuesdays were always dead but on the Wednesday things would start to pick up again and then on Thursday nights the bars would probably be at about 50% capacity. Believe me I know this, because I did it heavily throughout the whole period. The fact that KK's NUFC were so massively popular and always on the TV also helped as the games were shown live in a lot of these bars.

 

I was out pretty much every night from 15-25 in Toon and you could say it was busy compared to now of course, but some bars and clubs and places were dead from my experience. It, again, was mostly the familiar bars that were busy thanks to regulars, like the Black Garter who after work in the Grainger Market, everyone would go to for a few, myself included. If NUFC played at home on Mondays, Wednesdays or Thursdays then things got busier. Sundays from my memory used to still be busy, not Friday-Saturday levels, but busy enough

[Wandy]

21 minutes ago, LFEE said:

Only night town was quiet was Sunday and Monday. Shops mainly closed on a Sunday in those days remember and drinking only allowed for a couple of hours until lunchtime approx. (I bet that blows peoples minds ? )

 

Tuesday was always busy as it was Nurses night so all the hospital staff and student nurses etc tended to go out. Wednesday was a dance night and the nightclubs opened up for the night with cheap drink deals, likes of Walkers (with metal detection security?). Thursday tended to be works nights with council etc staff.

 

Thats another that’s massively changed. Socialising amongst your work colleagues. Seems nonexistent these days and last few years. Especially for the pay day nights out etc.

 

It's bad enough what has happened to social attitudes with regards to drinking times etc, but I think the pandemic has really, really damaged us as a society when it comes to being social etc. I find it really depressing how so many people are delighted to work from home instead of being in the workplace. I get that there is a big saving in transport costs etc but being in the workplace is just so much better for mental and physical wellbeing IMO.

[Coffee_Johnny]

46 minutes ago, sempuki said:

Does he live down south these days? I was at Wynyard a few weeks ago and was shown a house where he apparently used to live. Rather large to say the least.

Near Altrincham, last I heard.