Match Atmosphere

[BoSelecta]

Fully behind this, great post/cause.

[Bellis80]

Moving the away fans downstairs would be the only thing that would make a difference for me and can’t see that being an option or anyone wanting it.

[jack j]

1 minute ago, Bellis80 said:

Moving the away fans downstairs would be the only thing that would make a difference for me and can’t see that being an option or anyone wanting it.

Aye I wouldn't mind having them closer to the pitch tbh like. Might kick some arses into gear

[SteV]

2 minutes ago, Bellis80 said:

Moving the away fans downstairs would be the only thing that would make a difference for me and can’t see that being an option or anyone wanting it.

As far as I’m aware they’re stuck where they are on the advice/order of the local Safety Advisory Group (SAG), rather than any decision by the club.

[Wandy]

2 hours ago, NUFC91 said:

Great post, like SteV said I think copy and paste that into email. I sent emails to the trust on the same matter.

 

I also think regardless of trust being good or not the club asked their opinion on Wembley ticlets so obviously they will listen. If i was Wor flags and Trust i would reach out to Darren Eales, given his antics before cup final he seems a good character who would listen.

 

In regards to safe standing i'd be happy for it to be located in either the Gallowgate or Leazes end. Reason i mention Leazes end is that it is far more general sale populated. I also think leazes corner would be a perfect area as likely be able to make it larger if was success, expand further round towards eastvatand. Also given the gallowgate exapnsion would take time it might be quockest solution. I also think that a larger population of people in the Leazes who would happily move to galllowgate etc but not so much other way.

 

I am in Leazes currently and often people are singing in concourse at half time...the appetite is there just need right people together. Might come across cringe but also might need to bring a fan group together. If you had couple thousand lads walking up to St james at 2:45pm singing might help carry over to kick off. Also educate other fans tne old classics etc.

 

It needs addressing and we definetly need an "end". If you wanna sit and watch game out yhe way thats fine but lets not hold back large group who want to change this.

 

But yes get on to trust, wor flags etc

 

I get what you are saying about the Leazes but, with the current roof, I think the Gallowgate is the best option.

 

Have a look at this video from 1992, a NUFC game at Peterborough and our fans are in an end with a very similar roof style to our current Gallowgate.... I was at this match and remember it well. Obviously there will be comments that I am old fart who cant let go of the past, but nobody is going to convince me that if the Gallowgate is completely converted to safe standing, together with the moving of people, who don't want to sing, to other seats within SJP then something like this cannot be recreated. There just needs to be the will to do it.

 

 

[Whitley mag]

25 minutes ago, jack j said:

Agree with all of this

The most worrying thing is I don't think we've got a big enough appetite amongst the support for atmosphere. Look at the next generation of kids/teens who managed to get tickets for cup games. They sit glued to their phones taking pictures and on tiktok

The likes of Man United Leeds etc seem to still have a far bigger culture for atmosphere and intimidation of the teams they're facing than we do

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.

 

[NUFC91]

Anyone who was up in level 7 will remember that we had a good song book, we had the classics and also had some songs we made up for players that got going too, Peter lovenkrands, jonas etc.

 

If you get 8k standing it will rub off on others, not just atmosphere but the younger fans coming through will want to stand their over time.

 

All i would say is people do the survey, email the trust etc...make it as well known as possible. I'm not saying every game will be bouncing but 100% a large amount of like minded fans will make it alot better. Everyone has to do their bit.

 

Tbf to Arsenal I have been to Emirates 5/6 times. It was the worst home ground arguably for atmosphere but some fans have come out slating their fan base and got lads standing behind the goal and the game in Jan was loudest i've heard it in all my visits....

[Lush Vlad]

Agree about Arsenal. Although they have now got a drum. Which I always find incredibly small time. I think they have had social media marketing type companies filming the crowd at times and all. There is a lot of ‘look how much we care and how mad we are’ when seeing a lot of it online. 
 

All feels a bit forced and manufactured. But at least they are doing something about their crap atmosphere. Being top of the league basically all season when it wasn’t expected, must be helping, too. Although we should be the same with the top 5! 
 

L7 used to be great. Mentioned on here before I went in there a few times with neutrals and they couldn’t believe how loud it was. It never really carried well over the TV. But had some mad times up there. Sunderland 5-1, Arsenal 4-4, Cardiff 5-1. It was deafening at times and the proximity of the away fans encouraged you to sing. 
 

Just a shame you were half a mile from the pitch  

[SEMTEX]

I still remember the atmosphere/relentless singing in L7 for Shearer's only managerial victory ever, when we beat Boro, where it felt for sure we were about to save ourselves from relegation

 

 

Anyway, atmosphere was brilliant up there. I guess that was the official singing section at the time? Not 100% though, my brain is garbage.

 

I've been to about two games since then, so I can't really comment on the atmosphere these days, but I don't see why the new ownership wouldn't do everything they could to improve the matchday experience. For those who want to stand/sing/shout, and for those who don't.

[NUFC91]

Also lads a point worth noting, this happens at other clubs too. Mate from uni who is season ticket holder at Leeds said they had to do same thing few years back in championship. They noticed small teams going to Elland Road and being heard. They had S.T holders move behind goal and obviously stand.

 

Mate at work whos a Manc said they've done same since covid. He has sat in Stretford End for years and alot of fans were commenting how shite it was.

 

We definetly have the fans to do it? Was any one at Leeds away last season? I've done over 160 away days and that was arguably one of the best. 90 mins of fucking racket which was noted by Leeds fans' all them fans will be Season ticket holders (or large majority)

 

 

Edited February 28, 2023 by NUFC91

[SteV]

Just now, NUFC91 said:

Also lads a point worth noting, this happens at other clubs too. Mate from uni who is season ticket holder at Leeds said they had to do same thing few years back in championship. They noticed small teams going to Elland Road and being heard. They had S.T holders move behind goal and obviously stand.

 

Mate at work whos a Manc said they've done same since covid. He has sat in Stretford End for years and alot of fans were commenting how shite it was.

 

We definetly have the fans to do it? Was any one at Leeds away last season? I've done over 160 away day and that was arguably one od the best. 90 mins of fucking racket which was noted by Leeds fans.

Agree on the Leeds match last season.

 

That was probably as close as I can remember to an ‘old school’ away day as are often recounted. Horrendous overcrowding getting in, piss-poor ‘facilities’, a tense, raucous away end and a fairly poor game, settled by a scruffy goal.

[Holloway]

Seems to be some conflicting views about the atmosphere at the weekend, and I think it's worth mentioning how deflating that second goal was. I'd say many in the fanbase at that moment realised the game had slipped away. I know a few lads who were there who said the atmosphere up to that point had been pretty good, but sifting through comments online that seems to have been dependent on which section of the ground you were in

[christ]

23 minutes ago, Lush Vlad said:

Agree about Arsenal. Although they have now got a drum. Which I always find incredibly small time. I think they have had social media marketing type companies filming the crowd at times and all. There is a lot of ‘look how much we care and how mad we are’ when seeing a lot of it online. 
 

All feels a bit forced and manufactured. But at least they are doing something about their crap atmosphere. Being top of the league basically all season when it wasn’t expected, must be helping, too. Although we should be the same with the top 5! 
 

L7 used to be great. Mentioned on here before I went in there a few times with neutrals and they couldn’t believe how loud it was. It never really carried well over the TV. But had some mad times up there. Sunderland 5-1, Arsenal 4-4, Cardiff 5-1. It was deafening at times and the proximity of the away fans encouraged you to sing. 
 

Just a shame you were half a mile from the pitch  

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.

[pedro111]

Superb cause. One I will fully back in any way that I can.

 

Regarding the crap atmosphere at Wembley, I know Rangers had a similar issue in Seville last year. The place was bouncing the day before, like London was for us on the Saturday but when they got in the ground there was hardly any singing. A lot blamed it on people who never go to Ibrox but somehow ending up getting tickets etc etc and that people had shot their bolt the day beforehand. This may have played a part for us too although it wasn't 40c at Wembley

 

Not having the Blaydon Races ringing out at Wembley is criminal and I have noticed that in general it doesn't get much of an airing at all these days although one thing I liked about the Saturday night in London was that it WAS being sung and crucially it was sang at a MUCH slower pace than you would hear in the ground. It was brilliant to be honest. I noticed more than one group of none football fans in the bars in awe, just gazing around when it was ringing out.

 

Ultimately, we would all love the whole Gallowgate to be a singing/standing section but I think having just 2k or preferably 3k in each stand at a total of 8 or 12k would really get the place rocking. We know how loud 3k away fans can be now imagine having that in each stand but full of our own singers it would be epic.

[SEMTEX]

2 minutes ago, christ said:

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.

 

 

 

(but also fuck that)

[HaydnNUFC]

13 minutes ago, Holloway said:

Seems to be some conflicting views about the atmosphere at the weekend, and I think it's worth mentioning how deflating that second goal was. I'd say many in the fanbase at that moment realised the game had slipped away. I know a few lads who were there who said the atmosphere up to that point had been pretty good, but sifting through comments online that seems to have been dependent on which section of the ground you were in

 

Yeah, my dad and those who we go to the home games with who got a ticket said the noise was good throughout, they were in 139.

[christ]

4 minutes ago, SEMTEX said:

 

 

 

(but also fuck that)

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

 

 

Edited February 28, 2023 by christ

[Heron]

5 hours ago, Wandy said:

I've been unsure as to whether to start a new thread on this topic (I've never actually created a thread in my 17 years as a member), and I apologise for the long post..... but in this case I think it's warranted. The point of the thread isn't meant to be an ego trip, or to moan about our support, or claim that we have shit fans. Neither is it meant to be a point-scoring "I'm a better fan than you" pissing contest. 

 

The new owners have already done a magnificent job of repairing a lot of the damage caused by the Ashley years. Now they need to be made aware of the next huge hangover from that era that needs resolving.

 

There's a lot of ongoing debate in various threads about the poor state of the match atmosphere, specifically at home games, but the disappointing experience of many at the cup final has confirmed to me personally that there is a significant issue with the nature of our support or, more specifically, the way it's structured at matches.

 

I feel we need a designated thread for match atmosphere because the debate gets lost in other threads. For instance, a lot of debate is currently in the Wor Flags thread, but most of the time the complaints etc end up lost in post-match comments or the SJP one. IMO the SJP thread should be about stadium issues only and the Wor Flags one for visual displays at matches. Other big forums for other teams such as RAWK have a specific thread for match atmosphere so I think a specific thread on here would be a good place to concentrate minds on our matchday atmosphere & general crowd issues, both good & bad.

 

We all know what the problem is. 10,000+ fans walked out on the club in protest over Ashley between 2008 & 2019, particularly after Rafa effectively resigned and amongst those numbers were a lot of fans who made the most noise at SJP. Now, those people cannot get back in. The result is that there is now a distinct lack of noise at SJP for very large parts of games & we have almost completely lost our songbook. We used to have one of the best songbooks in the country and now we are at a point where we don't even sing our own famous anthem, the Blaydon Races. Added to this is that there are many reports of fans bickering, arguing...even fighting amongst each other because some fans are standing up in front of people who just want to sit.

 

We've got to do something abut it.

 

I'd like to think that the NUST would be the ones to engage about the problem but, sadly, I have no faith in them. For me, it's the Wor Flags lads n lasses who can help push a message through to the club. They already have a very healthy relationship with the club and I strongly feel that the club will genuinely listen and engage wherever possible.

 

Now that the club have bought back the land at Strawberry Place, this is the exact time when the supporters need to have a say in what happens with regards to future changes to SJP. We all know that some kind of development is on the horizon, be it a Level 7 expansion to the Gallowgate or a complete redesign of SJP on the current footprint. Maybe even an all-new stadium on Castle Leazes. Nobody knows what the detail will be, but we all know that something is is about to change at SJP. And we, the supporters, need to be involved.

 

In my opinion, hopefully as early as this summer, there needs to be a number of things happen : -

 

* There needs to be a major reorganisation of season ticket holders within the Gallowgate End. At least 50% (but preferably 100%) of it needs to be made safe standing, with the clear objective being to create a Kop End singing section.

* The club needs to relocate existing season ticket holders in the Gallowgate End who do not wish to stand and/or be a part of a singing section. If needs be, give these people a discount on their next season ticket as a sweetener to move to an alternative seat.

* Make more safe standing season tickets available for the Gallowgate End, but with the clear information that these tickets are people who wish to be part of a singing section.

* Make sure that a reasonable amount of tickets for the all-new Gallowgate End are available for general sale, so that members who are not fortunate enough to get a season ticket can still get the chance to participate in the singing section by grabbing a ticket from the general sale.

 

In the long run, if this proposal went ahead and was a success, the club could think of introducing more safe standing singing sections around the stadium. For instance, if there is a Level 7 expansion to the Gallowgate they could go there. Or maybe Level 7 in the Leazes corner, where there used be a congregation of singers. But the club cannot simply stick a singing section in Level 7 only, away from pitch level. A singing section needs to be a visual experience that the TV cameras can clearly see, as well as an aural one.

 

Every club has many different types of supporter. Some want to shout, sing & scream for 90 minutes wheread others just want to spectate and watch a game. Neither is a superior supporter, but the problem is that these two types of people are all mixed together and it's making all of them unhappy.

 

Sorry if this appears to be treading old ground, and also the long read, but I really think we need to properly focus on this issue now. Being outsung in a cup final has brought things to a head, in my honest opinion.

 

@Whitley mag@Wallsendmag @jack j  @TheDimpleboy  @NUFC91  @Rich  @pedro111 and anyone else who feels the same, please get the ball rolling and put your thoughts in here. Maybe the mods could cut & paste some of the current comments in the Wor Flags thread to get the ball rolling?

 

Also, @Heron & @Greg ...maybe you lads could advise us on just how much clout you could have with the club on this matter. We have a one-time opportunity to change things for the better because once a stadium expansion happens, the seating & standing arrangements will be impossible to change if we still are not happy with them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great post.

 

Thomas from the flags has an increasingly good relationship not only with the club but with the NUST of which he was a part of and also various other fan led organisations.

 

Similar discussions have been had within our WhatsApp on numerous occasions and likewise happened after the final, and I think this is something we will be looking to discuss with the club, even just to give our opinion of what we think would work. However, it's important the club canvas opinion from the whole, match going fanbase primarily with a view to perhaps extending that afterwards. Fans such as your good selves.

 

The flags are keen to not be seen as "the voice of the fans" as that has never been ohr intention. However, as people trying to make and improve the atmosphere it'd be nice to be part of the discussion.

[pubteam]

Can we please slow down when singing, it seems like we are competing in some sort of speed singing challenge. I think this also discourages fans from joining in.

 

I also wish we had more songs like Liverpool, some of their songs are class, especially the one about klopp. We must have some adept song writers among our ranks.

 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, pubteam said:

Can we please slow down when singing, it seems like we are competing in some sort of speed singing challenge. I think this also discourages fans from joining in.

 

I also wish we had more songs like Liverpool, some of their songs are class, especially the one about klopp. We must have some adept song writers among our ranks.

 

 

Someone on here made an absolute belter for Isak to Sam Fender. Guess you need the right people to run with them. 

[pubteam]

1 minute ago, Optimistic Nut said:

 

Someone on here made an absolute belter for Isak to Sam Fender. Guess you need the right people to run with them. 

Hopefully the rumoured fan zone could help with this, get people warmed up and learn new songs. The video of Darren Eales warming the fans with his speech and singing showed massive potential. I'm sure Sam Fender would loan us his band.

[Tsunami]

Looking back, I’ve no doubt some were suffering from the day after the night before and the goals finished some off. The atmosphere was pretty good but they scored with their first real attempt and scored shortly after with a here we go again goal.

 

I don’t think anyone there expected us to come back from that, we’ve been there before, many times. I went into that match with far higher expectations than either 98 or 99 and yes, I accepted defeat when the 2nd went in. It felt the most Newcastle thing ever.

 

When we get there next time, let’s leave Trafalgar Sq for when we’ve won. 

[Wandy]

21 minutes ago, pedro111 said:

Superb cause. One I will fully back in any way that I can.

 

Regarding the crap atmosphere at Wembley, I know Rangers had a similar issue in Seville last year. The place was bouncing the day before, like London was for us on the Saturday but when they got in the ground there was hardly any singing. A lot blamed it on people who never go to Ibrox but somehow ending up getting tickets etc etc and that people had shot their bolt the day beforehand. This may have played a part for us too although it wasn't 40c at Wembley

 

Not having the Blaydon Races ringing out at Wembley is criminal and I have noticed that in general it doesn't get much of an airing at all these days although one thing I liked about the Saturday night in London was that it WAS being sung and crucially it was sang at a MUCH slower pace than you would hear in the ground. It was brilliant to be honest. I noticed more than one group of none football fans in the bars in awe, just gazing around when it was ringing out.

 

Ultimately, we would all love the whole Gallowgate to be a singing/standing section but I think having just 2k or preferably 3k in each stand at a total of 8 or 12k would really get the place rocking. We know how loud 3k away fans can be now imagine having that in each stand but full of our own singers it would be epic.

It’s starting to look increasingly clear that a lot of the people who we want back in SJP….but are currently locked out….were at least down in London in the bars and at Trafalgar Square. That’s very encouraging to me as it shows that none of these people have simply walked away from football for good.

[jack j]

38 minutes ago, christ said:

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

 

 

 

That's me in the green polo next to the lad holding the end of the banner on the rapist side haha

[Wandy]

4 hours ago, christ said:

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.

Totally agree about what has been driving our fanbase in recent times, and I was thinking something similar myself recently. For the best part of 13 years we were reacting to negative drama and now, all of a sudden, there is nothing to complain about, nobody to fight and nothing to rail against…..and it’s left us a bit dumbstruck. We simply aren’t used to not having drama. We have gone from relegation certainties to Champions League challengers and legit cup-tie fighters in less than 12 months. We are struggling to adjust. 

 

You look at teams like Man Utd and Liverpool and winning is in their DNA, and their support is completely at ease with it. We simply aren’t used to having this level of competency within the entire club and we are in the process of adjusting our entire mentality to this new reality.

 

In the next 5 years the club is going to be unrecognisable to the one we grew up with. My huge worry is that it’s going to change the fanbase into something that many of us despair of. The thought of us playing in a 65k stadium and 95% of it being full of people who had never been to a match before October 2021 is a horrifying thought.

 

Right now, there must only be about 34k season ticket holders. That gives the club a useful spare 15k seats to use efficiently so that the accoustics can be properly sorted out, and therefore Ashley’s worst legacy can be undone. To me, it’s the most important issue facing the club. I really don’t want Man Utd and their arsehole boisterous thugs coming up here and rinsing us for SJP being a library.

 

Let’s all get together on this, realise the seriousness of the situation ahead, and make sure the right action is taken.