Match Atmosphere

[Yorkie]

Stadium seemed at least a quarter empty during a really long injury time where we had the opposition completely pinned back and had a sequence of set pieces. I'd find it depressing if I hadn't totally expected it. 

 

There were some boos at FT too, though not loads. Disgraceful behaviour from anyone doing that; those players owe that home crowd absolutely fuck all. We've been immense at SJP for nearly three years solid. 

 

Despite the negatives I thought the atmosphere in general was decent and I wasn't thinking at any point (during the bulk of the game) that the players weren't being supported. The crowd reacted to the flow of the game; getting up for it and vociferous during our dominant spells/reacting to their time-wasting, and getting flatter when the team stalled. 

[NUFC91]

A lot of the fans can't be arsed to be there, gone of days of actually wanting to go the match for the craic with the lads but more importantly to get behind the team. You see it creeping in at some away days now, there is fans who just go to say "I was there" 

 

It's not difficult though as I think small changes can make a big difference but seems like no one drives it to the club. If I was wor flags, both trusts the mag etc I'd be driving more Comms to club around safe standing or push for more answers after the last meet with club.

 

Football is In a dire state though in this country. All grounds now you seem to have 1500 fans who get behind teams and the rest who are spectators 

[Sima]

1 hour ago, Yorkie said:

Stadium seemed at least a quarter empty during a really long injury time where we had the opposition completely pinned back and had a sequence of set pieces. I'd find it depressing if I hadn't totally expected it. 

 

There were some boos at FT too, though not loads. Disgraceful behaviour from anyone doing that; those players owe that home crowd absolutely fuck all. We've been immense at SJP for nearly three years solid. 

 

Despite the negatives I thought the atmosphere in general was decent and I wasn't thinking at any point (during the bulk of the game) that the players weren't being supported. The crowd reacted to the flow of the game; getting up for it and vociferous during our dominant spells/reacting to their time-wasting, and getting flatter when the team stalled. 

 

The boos at FT were a disgrace. Everyone doing that can fuck off and never come back but they'll be in exactly the same seat against Arsenal.

[OpenC]

2 hours ago, NUFC91 said:

Football is In a dire state though in this country. All grounds now you seem to have 1500 fans who get behind teams and the rest who are spectators 

 

 I've thought for a long time that people who aren't particularly fans are increasingly going to the game so they can experience that legendary atmosphere of top level football, without realising that the contribution of the fans has always been the biggest and most important part of that atmosphere. There's a tipping point where the passive spectators start to overwhelm the capacity of the fans to get anything going and that was reached a long time ago I reckon.

 

Honestly saw more life from 12 or 15 Alnwick Town fans watching their team get pezzled at Esh Winning yesterday than I've seen at NUFC for more years than I'd care to admit; the folk sitting around muttering was the biggest reason I got rid of my season ticket and that was a decade ago.

 

Fully accept that everybody is entitled to watch football however they want when they've paid to get in, but times have definitely changed. Bring on the half time quizzes and the pyrotechnics 

 

 

Edited October 20 by OpenC

[Superior Acuña]

2 hours ago, Yorkie said:

Stadium seemed at least a quarter empty during a really long injury time where we had the opposition completely pinned back and had a sequence of set pieces. I'd find it depressing if I hadn't totally expected it. 

 

There were some boos at FT too, though not loads. Disgraceful behaviour from anyone doing that; those players owe that home crowd absolutely fuck all. We've been immense at SJP for nearly three years solid. 

 

Despite the negatives I thought the atmosphere in general was decent and I wasn't thinking at any point (during the bulk of the game) that the players weren't being supported. The crowd reacted to the flow of the game; getting up for it and vociferous during our dominant spells/reacting to their time-wasting, and getting flatter when the team stalled. 

Yeah, big patches of empty seats when we had that free kick at the end - I took a picture to rant. It's not new but I was so annoyed by it - all the more given tickets are gold dust these days.

 

Overall I didn't think the atmosphere was especially poor by moderns standards. Until they scored it was half decent, didn't have that proper dead vibe you sometimes get

 

 

Edited October 20 by Superior Acuña

[Yorkie]

9 minutes ago, OpenC said:

Honestly saw more life from 12 or 15 Alnwick Town fans watching their team get pezzled at Esh Winning yesterday than I've seen at NUFC for more years than I'd care to admit;

 

May contain hyperbole

[OpenC]

Nah not really, when you take into account the size of the crowd and the game and the occasion. They sang pretty much all the way through the game, could hear them from wherever you were. Loads of different songs, all in good humour (I particularly like Harry Potter He's One Of Our Own and the various tributes to the 472 bus service that runs through Alnwick ). It's a completely different mindset they have to the modern prem-goer.

 

 

Edited October 20 by OpenC

[Dr.Spaceman]

2 hours ago, Yorkie said:

Stadium seemed at least a quarter empty during a really long injury time where we had the opposition completely pinned back and had a sequence of set pieces. I'd find it depressing if I hadn't totally expected it. 

 

There were some boos at FT too, though not loads. Disgraceful behaviour from anyone doing that; those players owe that home crowd absolutely fuck all. We've been immense at SJP for nearly three years solid. 

 

Despite the negatives I thought the atmosphere in general was decent and I wasn't thinking at any point (during the bulk of the game) that the players weren't being supported. The crowd reacted to the flow of the game; getting up for it and vociferous during our dominant spells/reacting to their time-wasting, and getting flatter when the team stalled. 

 

Yeah, same actually. It's cool to come on here and say the opposite though.

[Wallsendmag]

10 minutes ago, Dr.Spaceman said:

 

Yeah, same actually. It's cool to come on here and say the opposite though.

 

Depends on your standards or whereabouts in the ground you are I suppose. I don’t think people are saying it's poor just to be "cool" on some football forum though 

 

That's just silly!

[Dr.Spaceman]

6 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

Depends on your standards or whereabouts in the ground you are I suppose. I don’t think people are saying it's poor just to be "cool" on some football forum though 

 

That's just silly!

 

That may be so, but calling that poor yesterday when we've just experienced that Wimbledon game is daft.

[Doctor Zaius]

3 hours ago, Danh1 said:

Good luck with asking people to stand up all game in the Gallowgate,

 

Ask them to move though to make way for a standing area, no sir. 

 

They should be asked, they should be told. At the very least, we should convert part of the Gallowgate to safe standing. Whether it's lower, middle, upper, or half the stand. 

 

Anyone who doesn't want to stand should be given the opportunity to move elsewhere, theres plenty who will want to stand.

 

You'll get some entitled ones who'll trot out the "why should I move I've been sat here since 1896" but that's tough. They'll be drowned out by those who recognise a need for the change in atmosphere. 

 

 

Edited October 20 by Doctor Zaius

[pedro111]

Sounded half decent on the TV like. Lots of encouragement when the team needed it. Heard much worse.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

The Leazes wasn’t too bad, there was some singing. 
 

The injury really fucked us because it gave people an excuse to go out early. 

[RodneyCisse]

Didn’t sound great on tv, I suspect there are a lot more “members” going or from experience lasses going on their dads or someone’s season ticket. Bit of beer and banter pre and post match, get asked to predict the score before the match for TikTok and suggest 3-0 Shearer first goal.

[Dr.Spaceman]

28 minutes ago, pedro111 said:

Sounded half decent on the TV like. Lots of encouragement when the team needed it. Heard much worse.

 

22 minutes ago, RodneyCisse said:

Didn’t sound great on tv, I suspect there are a lot more “members” going or from experience lasses going on their dads or someone’s season ticket. Bit of beer and banter pre and post match, get asked to predict the score before the match for TikTok and suggest 3-0 Shearer first goal.

 

[Hovagod]

1 hour ago, RodneyCisse said:

Didn’t sound great on tv, I suspect there are a lot more “members” going or from experience lasses going on their dads or someone’s season ticket. Bit of beer and banter pre and post match, get asked to predict the score before the match for TikTok and suggest 3-0 Shearer first goal.

Nice bit of sexism. Why weren’t you there, out of interest?

[wormy]

Gonna regret poking my head in here but I'm surprised anyone would continue with the 'new members' argument for shit atmosphere. I'm not a frequent attender due to distance but I'd been to more than enough matches with shit atmosphere before the takeover and ticketing changes. Feels like proper revisionism just for the sake of continuing to complain about the changes.

 

Havent they reduced the member allocation substantially to allow for more general sale this season? Why has that not helped if all these diehards are waiting to snap them up when the 10am queue opens?

A not-insignificant number of our fans have had a habit of only reacting to what was happening on the pitch for a while imo. Hell, I know it's entirely anecdotal but I still get PTSD from the old fuck I was sat next to for the Benfica second leg who started whinging 'I hate that; sing when you're winning' when the crowd tried to drum up a pre-match atmosphere. nearly 15 fucking years ago and it still rankles me. 

 

I'd immediately assumed post-takeover it would only get worse as expectations rise and people feel that we 'should' be getting points over certain teams that we're clearly not that far ahead of yet.

[Yorkie]

18 minutes ago, wormy said:

Hell, I know it's entirely anecdotal but I still get PTSD from the old fuck I was sat next to for the Benfica second leg who started whinging 'I hate that; sing when you're winning' when the crowd tried to drum up a pre-match atmosphere. nearly 15 fucking years ago and it still rankles me. 

 

No words for that. 

[wormy]

1 minute ago, Yorkie said:

 

No words for that. 

 

It couldn't have summed up the double header of a weekend I was in for more. I was instantly fuming from kick off.

[Lush Vlad]

We as a fanbase are very reactive or a lot better when we are the underdogs and backs to the wall. Pretty tame, otherwise. 
 

Probably the same at most grounds, though? Used to go away 5-10 times a season. But I don’t get to many games now. Most aways I went to we were usually losing  so hard to gauge other club’s fans. 

[wormy]

1 minute ago, Lush Vlad said:

We as a fanbase are very reactive or a lot better when we are the underdogs and backs to the wall. Pretty tame, otherwise. 
 

Probably the same at most grounds, though? Used to go away 5-10 times a season. But I don’t get to many games now. Most aways I went to we were usually losing  so hard to gauge other club’s fans. 

 

Yup. Which I think is why expectation is going to knock our atmosphere more than the average club. You can feel the tension so often when we're not either slaughtering the opposition or feeling aggrieved about something. Not to get all Pards-like but I do think that has a knock-on effect on the players. You can feel the nervousness. And then when the groans start coming.. Those groans aren't from the 'day trippers', are they?

 

But I would also agree thay the general state of things is massively overplayed. For better or worse, that's just football now. Seems most clubs' fans are pining for the good old days when it comes to atmosphere.

[Wallsendmag]

7 hours ago, Dr.Spaceman said:

 

That may be so, but calling that poor yesterday when we've just experienced that Wimbledon game is daft.

 

Wimbledon was a midweek 2nd Round League Cup match against a League 2 team. Comparing that with a Premier League game is just silly.

[OCOCOL]

I think a lot of it is the modern world. Those of us who remember queuing to pay on the turnstile, getting in the ground early, standing in uncovered ends are now all 40+ and(me included) not as vocal / pissed / lairy as I once was.

 

The standard of the football on the pitch is better but the stadiums are safer less edgy (not a bad thing btw), the younger Radge element are priced out (surveys proved we have more season ticket holders in ne2,ne3 n e20, etc than ne4/5/6/15)) or unable to get tickets on the day which was part of the culture. Even if a group of young lads can get tickets it’s unlikely they’ll be able to attend together.

 

the premier league has become a day out rather than just about the football snd getting behind the lads. I’ve see. People buying these Chinese salt and pepper chicken bowls ..  there’s delays been pies and the infamous magpie burger but if you cannot watch for 90 mins without some scran … 

 

im ranting now but another poster summed it up that lots of fans (not supporters) are there to experience an “atmosphere” they are not able or willing to contribute to. 

[OCOCOL]

Even aways are a lot poorer now - even PSG away in CL where you allegedly needed 100+ points but it was a different crowd to other games of that difficulty on tickets (thinking Zulte Waregem away when we only got 650 tickets due to safety concerns) 

[JEToon]

I think the atmosphere reflects the confusion of the club at the moment.

 

Sort of feels like a lot are lost with where we are and where this is meant to be.

 

It’s all just kind of in a state of treading water at the moment it feels like.