Match Atmosphere

[bobbydazzla]

Away tickets are a closed shop and that closed shop is mainly populated by older people who stacked their points years and years ago.

Home tickets aren't a closed shop but the amount of ST's we have combined with the high tickets prices, the ballots, sitting alone etc mean it's becoming similar to a closed shop.

 

You need new blood to keep things moving forward. You need the next generation bringing passion and enthusiasm.

 

But home and away, our match going fan base is dominated by the middle aged or older and they're all people who kept going through the Ashley years. 

 

I've banged on about this enough times on here, but I think it's absolutely mental that there's no way for anyone and most importantly, for youngins, to break into the closed shop.

 

It's 5 years since the takeover and it's still the people from the Ashley era holding all the cards. What's a 19 year old supposed to do to get on the ladder ?

They were a bairn when the takeover happened and they're a young man now, but can't go away and will probably struggle to get to home games. We'll lose that generation unless we make some massive changes to ticketing.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2025 by bobbydazzla

[GWN]

1 minute ago, bobbydazzla said:

Away tickets are a closed shop and that closed shop is mainly populated by older people who stacked their points years and years ago.

Home tickets aren't a closed shop but the amount of ST's we have combined the high tickets prices, the ballots, sitting alone etc mean it's becoming similar to a closed shop.

 

You need new blood to keep things moving forward. You need the next generation bringing passion and enthusiasm.

 

But home and away, our fan base is dominated by the middle aged or older and they're all people who kept going through the Ashley years. There's been zero new blood since Ashley sold up.

 

I've banged on about this enough times on here, but I think it's absolutely mental that there's no way for anyone and most importantly, for youngins, to break into the closed shop.

 

It's 5 years since the takeover and it's still the people from the Ashley era holding all the cards. What's a 19 year old supposed to do to get on the ladder ?

They were a bairn when the takeover happened and they're a young man now, but can't go away and will probably struggle to get to home games.

 

 

 

 

 

All massive points but how on earth do you do it fairly? i agree with you mind.

 

Our lot were very mute yesterday , no excuses mind.

[bobbydazzla]

8 minutes ago, GWN said:

 

 

 

All massive points but how on earth do you do it fairly? i agree with you mind.

 

Our lot were very mute yesterday , no excuses mind.

 

It involves some of the old guard who can't be arsed anymore, being honest with themselves about the fact they can't be arsed anymore.

And if they admit to themselves that they can't be arsed, then see it as a good thing to pass the baton to the new blood. Take some pride in that.

 

How you get them to admit it though, I've got no idea. 

 

And at a practical level at least introduce rolling away points over a 3 or 5 years history, so someone who went away loads 20 years ago but hardly goes now can't sit on hundreds of points forever.

 

And prioritise younger adult fans wherever possible; much cheaper tickets, set aside a % of the away tickets for 18-25 members, give that group first access to any season tickets etc. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2025 by bobbydazzla

[geordiesteve710]

14 minutes ago, bobbydazzla said:

 

It involves some of the old guard who can't be arsed anymore, being honest with themselves about the fact they can't be arsed anymore.

And if they admit to themselves that they can't be arsed, then see it as a good thing to pass the baton to the new blood. Take some pride in that.

 

How you get them to admit it though, I've got no idea. 

 

And at a practical level at least introduce rolling away points over a 3 or 5 years history, so someone who went away loads 20 years ago but hardly goes now can't sit on hundreds of points forever.

 

And prioritise younger adult fans wherever possible; much cheaper tickets, set aside a % of the away tickets for 18-25 members, give that group first access to any season tickets etc. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These seem like reasonable suggestions to me. When put to the club they've come back and said they have had legal advice that this would be age-related discrimination. Whether that's bollocks or not, who knows.

[Benwell Lad]

Compulsory ticketing was the beginning of the end for the crazy intensive atmospheres these and other big games once had.

Back in the day 10,000 pus would set off without a single ticket to not just derbies but grounds all around the country. It was a young people's thing and hardly an older person in sight. The atmosphere and edginess reflected it.

Then came 2,000 all ticket allocations going to the "most deserving".

 

Sold out stadiums in the Premier League are easy to police and administer. It's not going to change as long as demand generally outstrips supply.

[Wallsendmag]

Under 25s should get a separate allocation set aside for them for away games, maybe 10% so that would be 300 tickets for most aways, and of course any under 25 with enough loyalty points should be able to apply from the standard allocation. I think Man City do something similar to that.

 

Also any new season tickets available should be offered to this group of fans first. Us oldies have had our chance 

[jack j]

50 minutes ago, Rafalove said:

 

 

I went to the derby in 2008, was electric, even had to put my hands over my ears, on a couple of occasions to protect my ears.

 

 

 

Them cunts were loud as fuck at points yesterday. Not sure how anyone can deny that

[jack j]

32 minutes ago, bobbydazzla said:

 

 

And at a practical level at least introduce rolling away points over a 3 or 5 years history, so someone who went away loads 20 years ago but hardly goes now can't sit on hundreds of points forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks bobby la that would be me fucked who does 5 or 6 a season now rather than 15-16

 

I do get that point of view but it would be a pisser for me...and I like to think I sing more than most home and away!

[OpenC]

23 minutes ago, Benwell Lad said:

The atmosphere and edginess reflected it.

 

Aye this is the top and the bottom of it.  It's such a sanitised experience now, so many reports on here of people standing and singing and bawling and cursing but getting shushed and told to sit down, not just by stewards but by other fans.  Was happening when I still had my season ticket and that was 12 or 13 years ago now.  If you're going to actively police and subdue an edgy atmosphere rather than trying to encourage it, then the only possible eventual outcome is St James Park c.2025 or probably more accurately Premier League c.2025.  Only way to drive out those miserable old fans is to make it an experience that they don't want to be part of, but the club likes the money they spend too much to be really interested in replacing them with younger radgies.

 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2025 by OpenC

[bobbydazzla]

20 minutes ago, jack j said:

 

Thanks bobby la that would be me fucked who does 5 or 6 a season now rather than 15-16

 

I do get that point of view but it would be a pisser for me...and I like to think I sing more than most home and away!

 

There'll always people who lose out unfortunately. But I strongly believe there has to be a way to open up the closed shop and give access to younger adult fans. And I'm middle aged by the way, so this view isn't about getting personal benefits for myself.

 

However under a rolling points scheme, going to 5 or 6 aways a season would still mean you're maintaining a reasonably decent rolling points total. So you're not losing everything unless you stop going away completely.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2025 by bobbydazzla

[Wallsendmag]

Most clubs do a rolling 3 year loyalty points system. Chelsea go even further and their reset every year. Don't think that's as fair mind.

[Vedder]

7 minutes ago, bobbydazzla said:

 

There'll always people who lose out unfortunately. But I strongly believe there has to be a way to open up the closed shop and give access to younger adult fans. And I'm middle aged by the way, so this view isn't about getting personal benefits for myself.

 

However under a rolling points scheme, going to 5 or 6 aways a season would still mean you're maintaining a reasonably decent rolling points total. So you're not losing everything unless you stop going away completely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I started going to aways at about 20 years old, I got points for every game I applied for even if I didn't get a ticket. This allowed me to get enough points to start going to aways and then build up to a point I could get to most. 

 

We should have a young person singing section and give them decently priced STs, in Level 7 corner. Then a % of away allocation for under 25s with the ability to get points as above. 

[bobbydazzla]

49 minutes ago, geordiesteve710 said:

 

These seem like reasonable suggestions to me. When put to the club they've come back and said they have had legal advice that this would be age-related discrimination. Whether that's bollocks or not, who knows.

 

Since 2019 Man City have been ringfencing a % of their away tickets for 18-25's only, so if NUFC claim it can't be done for legal reasons they're talking shite.

[OCOCOL]

14 hours ago, Vedder said:

I wasn’t there today but I’ve always found them to not really get going as a crowd for decent stints. Mind, when they scored it was loud as fuck, particularly when we were at the other end of the ground. 

I was still i the concourse - and I didn't hear them - we only knew they'd scored as it came up on sky...

 

I agree with what people saying about nerves and old timers - was good to see some old faces and I fall into this camp now of having enough points to gurantee a ticket for this but don't go away as regularly as I did 15-20 years ago. I still sing mind.

 

How do some of the True Faith lot still et tickets - no way does Sam Dalling have 124 points or as a journo does Culkin sort him out too???

[TheGuv]

Was speaking to a Sunderland ST holder at work today. Said we were the worst away fans at SoL this season. I’m not saying he was right or wrong - but he was saying it from a good place (despite being smug as fuck discussing the game itself). 
 

He actually said it was pretty depressing to see as you would expect the away end to be deafening in a derby. He asked me why it was. I think @bobbydazzlaechoed my exact sentiments to him. 
 

 

[Vedder]

1 hour ago, bobbydazzla said:

 

Since 2019 Man City have been ringfencing a % of their away tickets for 18-25's only, so if NUFC claim it can't be done for legal reasons they're talking shite.

Plus we do it in our own ground. We’ve all seen tickets pop up then to find they are ‘youth only’

 

 

Edited December 15, 2025 by Vedder

[AyeDubbleYoo]

1 hour ago, bobbydazzla said:

 

Since 2019 Man City have been ringfencing a % of their away tickets for 18-25's only, so if NUFC claim it can't be done for legal reasons they're talking shite.

The away fans always look pretty young to me. I don’t know how they get the tickets mind. 

[jack j]

21 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

The away fans always look pretty young to me. I don’t know how they get the tickets mind. 

Ticket transfers

2 a season. Thats how I got my 9 year old daughter to her first away game this season.

 

Average age was probably 40+ looking around yesterday like

[huss9]

loads of times when we were shit, midweek games especially got down to zero points.

we still went.

not giving my points up for people now interested because we're getting successful.

and my teenagers (17 and 19) have been able to get to 50 odd points no problem.  but had to watch a lot of shit to get them. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I went to a fair few Championship away games but I have zero points. Guess the points went to the people who were selling tickets on, and ones like Fulham neutral end don’t earn you any. 
 

I couldn’t be bothered with home and away games though, way too much to do. I’m grateful for an away game to save a bit of time and money. 

[Doctor Zaius]

It's more of a closed shop now than it ever was.

 

I've been to plenty of away games and I never had any loyalty points, through people willing to get them for me. Far less of that now. I darent ask people to sort me tickets for aways now.

 

Those stupid cunts that asked for checks (suggested by NUST) now stand in silence in the away ends and nobody else can get in. 

 

Now you can say that's the fairest way but you've still got people who shouldn't be in those away ends in them. You've also got quiet, dead away ends. Well done. 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2025 by Doctor Zaius

[Wallsendmag]

For me the atmosphere is everything. When I look back at my first ever game as a 6 year old back in 1984 it wasn't anything on the pitch that got me hooked, it was the crowd. The noise, the passion, the hostility towards the away team and their fans. Loved watching how irate or excited blokes would get depending on what was happening on the pitch. It just felt like it meant everything to everyone for those 90 minutes and it was a feeling that's hard to describe.

 

Nowadays it couldn't be much different. Said it the other week but it depresses me. The lifeless crowd, people just there through habit and looking like they'd rather be anywhere else. It's rubbish these days. It bores me. Didn't apply for Burnley, didn't apply for Fulham, did apply for Chelsea but unsuccessful and not bothered so haven't attempted to get one by other means. 

[Dr Venkman]

Our support was absolutely dogshit yesterday. Presuming they'd all done so many hard miles getting there that they didn't have any energy left to sing by kick off? You should never, ever be outsung by home fans regardless of what's happening on the pitch.

 

If you can't be arsed to support the team, give your ticket up for some younger kids who can. And that includes everyone in SJP. Embarrassing.

 

 

Edited December 15, 2025 by Dr Venkman

[Dr Venkman]

5 hours ago, bobbydazzla said:

Away tickets are a closed shop and that closed shop is mainly populated by older people who stacked their points years and years ago.

Home tickets aren't a closed shop but the amount of ST's we have combined with the high tickets prices, the ballots, sitting alone etc mean it's becoming similar to a closed shop.

 

You need new blood to keep things moving forward. You need the next generation bringing passion and enthusiasm.

 

But home and away, our match going fan base is dominated by the middle aged or older and they're all people who kept going through the Ashley years. 

 

I've banged on about this enough times on here, but I think it's absolutely mental that there's no way for anyone and most importantly, for youngins, to break into the closed shop.

 

It's 5 years since the takeover and it's still the people from the Ashley era holding all the cards. What's a 19 year old supposed to do to get on the ladder ?

They were a bairn when the takeover happened and they're a young man now, but can't go away and will probably struggle to get to home games. We'll lose that generation unless we make some massive changes to ticketing.

 

I was at the Burnley game in the middle tier of the Gallowgate. Looking around at everyone surrounding me not supporting the team but just huffing for 90 minutes. Everyone's just too fucking old, man. Me included. Get some excited bairns in to liven it up a bit.

[The Prophet]

2 minutes ago, Dr Venkman said:

 

I was at the Burnley game in the middle tier of the Gallowgate. Looking around at everyone surrounding me not supporting the team but just huffing for 90 minutes. Everyone's just too fucking old, man. Me included. Get some excited bairns in to liven it up a bit.

 

Chronic issue with modern football that, the young lads who'll come in half cut and sing like their lives depend on it have been priced out. It's become a middle class affair for the most part.