Match Atmosphere

[LFEE]

48 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

Could hear the Benfica fans loud and clear from the Gallowgate. Can't usually hear the away fans much from there. Great numbers as well. Probably just shy of 3,000 of them. Put Barcelonas following to shame.

Heard them the odd time from the Gallowgate when doing the Ben-Fi-Ca chant but nothing else.

 

Watching on TV and you can hear them far more clearly.

 

Atmosphere was canny in the Gallowgate though far from tier 1.

 

Just highlights what a mess SJP with the acoustics.

 

 

Edited October 21, 2025 by LFEE

[El Prontonise]

Just now, LFEE said:

Heard them the odd time from the Gallowgate when doing the Ben-Fi-Ca chant but nothing else.

 

Watching on TV and you can hear them far more clearly.

 

Atmosphere was canny in the Gallowgate though far from tier 1.

 

Just highlights what a mess SJP with the acoustics.

 

 

 

 

I only heard them a few times at the back of the gallowgate.

[LFEE]

Just now, El Prontonise said:

 

I only heard them a few times at the back of the gallowgate.

Yeah didn’t think they were out special. Thought the NUFC fans were canny.

 

Just shows it ain’t worth commenting really.

[Superior Acuña]

The Benfica fans didn’t stop singing once in the first half and was probably  the  loudest ive ever heard away fans for a sustained period, til we scored. Ive been in some good away ends with us but never one that’s sung as constantly as that - nor can I think of any visitors here like that (I did miss CL in 23/24). Was a bit less loud after but still pretty constant. Our fans sounded mostly deadly silent to me til last twenty mins, pretty similar to how it is in a Saturday game against the likes of Fulham. Shows how much where you are in the stadium affects perception. 

 

 

Edited October 21, 2025 by Superior Acuña

[Chicken Dancer]

My seat is towards the back of the Gallowgate nearer the milburn. Was a good atmosphere up there imo, people stood for long durations - in fairness people always seem to congregate to that stairwell and it’s never policed - but who cares. Felt like an away game at times.

 

Suppose it depends where you sit/are seated. Was miles better than Dortmund and Milan imo.

 

 

Edited October 22, 2025 by Chicken Dancer

[NSG]

It’s weird hearing people say the Gallowgate was good because I was up in L7 corner and thought the atmosphere up there was good but I didn’t hear a peep from the rest of the ground all night.

 

Just shows how shit the acoustics are and how poorly sound travels in SJP. Can fully understand the away fans singing “where’s your famous atmosphere?” because the whole of the lower bowl sounded dead from where I was.

[bobbydazzla]

Leazers WC, back of the section so I can stand and there’s zero chance I’m in front of some cunt whinging all game.

 

It was pretty good, plenty of others were stood, no people around me complaining, bit of singing but mostly encouragement. Very few phones out, which I loved. 

 

Couldn’t see and hardly hear the away fans. From that part of the ground they might as well not exist. 

 

DJ Onedek needs firing into the sun. The musics the same old cheesy shite and the volume is ear splitting. Let the crowd noise build organically man.  

 

Fuck the pyro. 

 

We need a new ground. Better layout, better acoustics, swathes of safe standing, let like minded people gather together in designated sections for singing. 

 

 

Edited October 22, 2025 by bobbydazzla

[Wallsendmag]

Mourinho was stood pretty much on the halfway line so in a good place to judge. Tbf he's always been highly complementary of the SJP atmosphere but his comments were that "it was a quiet St James' Park".

 

I was very disappointed that a 3-0 win in the CL could only generate that kind of noise. From the Gallowgate West Corner you can look across the rest of the Gallowgate and see what the problem is. The other corner is excellent, and the fans nearest to them feed off them and join in but it just dies off as it gets towards the middle of the stand. Looked like the fans towards the back of the Upper tier were having a good go but even from where I was sat you couldn't really hear them and the middle tier is quiet frankly pathetic. The majority of them have sat there since 1994 when they were fairly young lads and up for a sing song. They're now old men and can't be arsed.

 

Actually the 2 occasions the Leazes End actually broke into proper song in the 2nd half was louder than anything the Gallowgate produced.

 

Anyone not wanting to move to a new stadium because we'll lose the atmosphere shouldn't be taken seriously, I know that much.

[NUFC91]

I still think we missed a massive trick not expanding standing and particularly sticking a load on leazes. 

 

Fact is we are way off a new stadium so might as well make most of ground.

 

 

[Nucasol]

2 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

Anyone not wanting to move to a new stadium because we'll lose the atmosphere shouldn't be taken seriously, I know that much.

100%. Injection of youthful enthusiasm and energy over the current cast of Cocoon in the Gallowgate and East Stands is well overdue. Tartan Blanket Army at the moment.

[Moose]

I wouldn't give the Benfica fans too much credit for constantly singing, that's just how they roll in Eruope for the most part, their chanting doesn't ebb and flow with what's happening on the field it's more background noise, after a while you forget they're even there. 

[bobbydazzla]

Over the last 5 years I’ve sat on my own in various parts of every stand, apart from Milburn L7. This nomadic existence is not through choice, it’s the reality of being a member.

 

The way I see it, it’s the Season Ticket holders who set the tone of the section. Members generally have to go along with the prevailing vibes.

And too many of our sections are dominated by over 40's, spectating not supporting. And there's far too many miseries who’ve turned up to whinge. 
 

You might be a boisterous 20 year old wanting to sing your heart out and go daft, but apart from in The Corner you’re not going to be able to do that anywhere else.

 

Other than pissing off ST's who might have to move from “their” seat I can't understand why we haven’t added loads of safe standing and created designated sections to let spectators gather together and supporters gather together. 

 

It’d cost next to fuck all and I’ve no doubt it’d improve the atmosphere immeasurably. 

 

 

Edited October 22, 2025 by bobbydazzla

[AyeDubbleYoo]

8 hours ago, Superior Acuña said:

This isn’t an excuse for the degree of how poor it was, but the new format has diluted the importance of these games. I did not go into this feeling like it was as massive a game as in the days of groups. 

Fair point actually, I guess a lot of people don’t actually know what result we need in these games. I honestly didn’t even know what the table looked like. We want a win obviously, but it does feel more like a league game than a crunch cup tie. 

[Yorkie]

It's a fair point. On the matter of crunch games, is there something to be said for the atmosphere being fair-to-middling most of the time, meaning when it elevates for those massive games, it really makes a difference? Regrettably I wasn't at any of them in the last couple of years, but from everything you hear, those really really important home wins - in games where we had to step up - the crowd rose with the team and the gains were felt on the pitch. 

 

Like I say, I've not been much recently, so if you tell me I'm wrong I'll accept it no bother - but can we accept that most games aren't going to be fever pitch, and that's actually a part of what enables it to become a bear pit when it really needs to be?

 

Maybe the special characteristic at SJP atmosphere is the ability for it to really soar, rather than it's baseline being higher than other places. If that's the case, it doesn't feel worth giving up for a soulless bowl which only works better in theory.

 

Access is of course another matter.

[bobbydazzla]

8 hours ago, El Prontonise said:

The atmosphere was fine tonight, honestly there's fucking far too many in this thread moaning for the sake of it as usual.

 

It absolutely depends on where you are in the ground.

 

Despite being half way up the Leazers, I couldn't hear anything from the away end. They might as well have not been there.

 

The layout and acoustics of SJP means that other than commenting on the part of the ground you're in, it's guess work.

 

 

 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

6 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

It's a fair point. On the matter of crunch games, is there something to be said for the atmosphere being fair-to-middling most of the time, meaning when it elevates for those massive games, it really makes a difference? Regrettably I wasn't at any of them in the last couple of years, but from everything you hear, those really really important home wins - in games where we had to step up - the crowd rose with the team and the gains were felt on the pitch. 

 

Like I say, I've not been much recently, so if you tell me I'm wrong I'll accept it no bother - but can we accept that most games aren't going to be fever pitch, and that's actually a part of what enables it to become a bear pit when it really needs to be?

 

Maybe the special characteristic at SJP atmosphere is the ability for it to really soar, rather than it's baseline being higher than other places. If that's the case, it doesn't feel worth giving up for a soulless bowl which only works better in theory.

 

Access is of course another matter.

Yeah there’s a lot to this. Optimistic view is that the fans respond to what the team needs and know when they need to lift things. 
 

Comfortable games like last night are never going to produce legendary atmospheres. 
 

Would like a better base level of noise at 0-0 and 1-0 mind. 

[Kid Icarus]

59 minutes ago, Nucasol said:

100%. Injection of youthful enthusiasm and energy over the current cast of Cocoon in the Gallowgate and East Stands is well overdue. Tartan Blanket Army at the moment.

Anything under an 80k stadium and there'll be the same crowd plus more pricing out, more corporate hospitality, more tourism, more dilution of atmosphere. All you need to do is look at other clubs that have moved. From what I've seen, this idea that moving opens doors for new age and economic class demographics isn't based on much more than assumption/wishful thinking.

 

 

Edited October 22, 2025 by Kid Icarus

[Vedder]

I agree, since becoming a member, I've had seats all around the ground and the noise does not travel at all. 

 

I was in the Milburn yesterday towards the Gallowgate and the corner was good in parts but that seemed to be about it until the whole ground got going at 2-0. Couldn't hear the level 7 corner or upper Gallowgate. Benfica fans were decent but didn't seem anything special to me, Bradford's away support seemed much better but I was in lower Leazes for that. 

 

That said, I was in Level 7 next to away fans for the Milan game somebody mentioned that didn't have a good atmosphere, but it was great up there. Dortmund, I think we can all agree was just terrible all round - up there with one of the most silent I've ever heard at SJP.

[NEEJ]

9 minutes ago, bobbydazzla said:

 

It absolutely depends on where you are in the ground.

 

Despite being half way up the Leazers, I couldn't hear anything from the away end. They might as well have not been there.

 

The layout and acoustics of SJP means that other than commenting on the part of the ground you're in, it's guess work.

 

 

 

Baseed on your description it sounds like you were about 10 rows behind me and from my seat they were completely drowning out any noise from our lot.

 

Thought the atmosphere was exactly what the was made for. 

[Vedder]

Just now, Kid Icarus said:

Anything under an 80k stadium and there'll be the same crowd plus more pricing out, more corporate hospitality, more dilution of atmosphere. All you need to do is look at other clubs that have moved. From what I've seen, this idea that moving opens doors for a new age and economic class demographics isn't based on much more than assumption/wishful thinking.

I agree that the club have to look at themselves as part of this. £65 lowest priced ticket will price so many people out. I would hope that increasing supply does allow for cheaper tickets to be made available and that the club will really coin it in from corporates, but nobody knows what will happen. 

[Wallsendmag]

8 hours ago, El Prontonise said:

The atmosphere was fine tonight, honestly there's fucking far too many in this thread moaning for the sake of it as usual.

 

Depends what you class as "fine". As Mourinho said. It was quiet. He was probably in the best position to judge being stood pitchside.

 

Maybe your expectations have just been dumbed down over the years but for a Champions League night I thought it was pretty flat.

 

Also "fine" can depend on whereabouts in the ground you are. As an example I reckon anyone up at the back of the Gallowgate probably thinks that it was good last night because you could see them singing up there from the West Corner. But away from their little bubble their noise barely even reaches the front of the Gallowgate, let alone anywhere else. For that to happen the middle tier would need to join in but they never do.

 

Also noticed the block nearest to the Benfica fans was part of the safe standing area yet only around 50% of our fans (the back half) up there actually stood. Again it's about getting like minded people together so those lucky enough to be in a standing area will actually stand up.

[Kid Icarus]

Mourinho's used to coming here for matches we're always massively hyped up for. Rightly or wrongly Benfica in stage 1 of the Champions League doesn't have enough riding on it, particularly when the team isn't up to the levels we know it's capable of yet.

[Doctor Zaius]

14 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

Anything under an 80k stadium and there'll be the same crowd plus more pricing out, more corporate hospitality, more tourism, more dilution of atmosphere. All you need to do is look at other clubs that have moved. From what I've seen, this idea that moving opens doors for new age and economic class demographics isn't based on much more than assumption/wishful thinking.

 

 

 

 

This is it. The club don't give a fuck about atmosphere. It'll be more corporate and higher tickets prices.

 

I'm pretty sure Everton, with their shiny new stadium, barely released many new season tickets. Loads just went to corporate.

 

Atmosphere at PL football grounds is dying and you wont ever get it back in afraid.

[Wallsendmag]

11 minutes ago, Vedder said:

I agree that the club have to look at themselves as part of this. £65 lowest priced ticket will price so many people out. I would hope that increasing supply does allow for cheaper tickets to be made available and that the club will really coin it in from corporates, but nobody knows what will happen. 

 

Absolutely valid point this. Cost me £65 yesterday and £35 for the bairn so £100 for us to go. At that price point you've priced most the local radgies out straight away.

 

Spurs have found this out as well with their new stadium. They built a huge safe standing 1 tiered Kop stand behind one goal then went and charged £1,300 for a season ticket in there. Problem is the sort of person who can pay £1,300 for a ST isn't typically the sort of person who'll sing and shout and go daft at the match so it's fallen flat on its arse.

[madras]

People get themselves up for the bigger games. The atmosphere was decent last night but better V Barcelona and was better V Liverpool and Arsenal than Wolves. 

 

Mourinho experienced it last night as a manager of a team in a game we were largely expected to win with little rivalry.

 

Last night the atmosphere got better as the game went on as we turned it on a bit on the pitch.