Match Atmosphere

[Wallsendmag]

2 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

Nah, they have every reason to not put us near the top, they don't. It might not be easy to accept but it's probably just that they're telling the truth.

 

That's your opinion. My experience is something different. Not sure if you are at the match on Sunday but if you are just take a minute to look around you when you are in your seat (unless you are in the corner) and you will see why our atmosphere is shite as you'll be mainly surrounded by miserable middle/age folk who have no interest whatsoever in creating an atmosphere.

[Wallsendmag]

10 minutes ago, JonBez comesock said:

Which makes it even more strange why our (in game) atmosphere is so poor.

 

Weve asked for a team that tries and yet 95% of the crowd want to sit on their hands or take selfies to post on social media when they get home to show everyone they went to the match.

 

I refuse to sit anywhere wise other than the gallowgate now as the rest of the ground is silent as fucx.

 

It's such a shame because the Leazes used to be really good. I moved my season ticket to there when it was built in 1993 and for the first few years was better than anything the Gallowgate offered. The West Side of it used to feed of the Milburn (The Milburn used to chant "Sing in the cheap seats!" and the East corner was brilliant as well. Was a really vibrant end.

 

Then the lads from the Milburn Stand were shifted to make way for the Platinum Club which killed it a bit and to compound matters the noisy fans in the East corner were shifted to make way for the away fans once the Gallowgate was built up and the decline started.

 

I stuck it out until 2006 when I applied for a move to the Gallowgate whuch was better but never hit the heights of the Leazes back when it was first built and never really has tbh.

 

 

[Wandy]

8 hours ago, Kid Icarus said:

No reason at all to not improve, but I don't buy this idea that we look rubbish compared to other clubs home support stuff at all. Every single time a list of best home atmospheres comes up on TikTok, YouTube etc from away day support channels you can guarantee that Newcastle or Leeds will be voted 1 or 2 (with the occasional Crystal Palace) and there'll be comments liked in the thousands backing it up from people around the country. The fans making these lists, most have done every stadium in the Premier League, they have no reason to lie.

 

We know how good it can be, so there's the danger of thinking that a bad day compared to our best is bad overall, when it's comparatively very good.

 

Like I say, there's no reason to not improve, we all want the best atmosphere possible, but there's no need to be despondent about it, we're trying to improve from the position of having one of - if not THE - most highly regarded atmospheres in the country.

 

 

In my experience away fans aren't talking about the SJP atmosphere when they are rating the away-day experience up here, but rather the experience as a whole. Everyone knows that Newcastle is a great place to visit and many fans stay for the weekend and make the match just one small part of the experience.

 

Bournemouth fans this season have bestowed on us the title of best overall away day bar none....we are the only one that they have rated as top notch. But they still only rated the SJP atmosphere as 4/10 and said it was poor. They rated Leeds as the best they have experienced this season.

 

 

[STM]

I see the "we have a shite atmosphere, it was better in my day" craic is back in full swing. Mint. Let's keep bashing our own fans, despite putting on better displays/atmosphere than at least 80% of the league frequently.

We also have probably the best away fans in the country but one quiet day and its "used to be better".

 

Yes we want to improve the atmosphere at SJP because it can be better but it's still one of the best. Unless you want no women or children at the game or expect the full stadium to be standing for the entire match, I suspect expectations are too high.

 

Let's say we have loads of standing fans behind the goals, all singing and roaring the team on...... and then we concede a goal. 

of course there is going to be a lull, it's perfectly natural.

 

I suspect some want to knock our stadium and atmosphere as some sort of cock waving towards "the good old days".

 

[LFEE]

Interesting bit of info on a fan podcast that as it stands structurally the Gallowgate could only incorporate safe standing 1:1 ratio and not the higher 3:2 ratio.

[Bellis80]

6 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

That's your opinion. My experience is something different. Not sure if you are at the match on Sunday but if you are just take a minute to look around you when you are in your seat (unless you are in the corner) and you will see why our atmosphere is shite as you'll be mainly surrounded by miserable middle/age folk who have no interest whatsoever in creating an atmosphere.

I suppose my point is it makes no difference how good you, or I, think it is. Players, managers, home and away, say how good it is and we’ve all seen how it can affect opponents, not all the time but often in big games.

 

When you’re somewhere regularly you notice the shitter bits more but demanding change might affect what we already have.

[Wandy]

1 hour ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

Wolves very underrated mate and totally agree with you. They turned that entire stand to the left of the away end into standing and it's very noisy there now. Definitely one of the most hostile grounds in the league but a terrible experience as an away fan, both the away end itself and not being allowed in any pubs!

 

Wolves has always been a wild stadium and I have had some brilliant trips down there. The old Molineux of the late 80s/early 90s was an absolute shithole but it had a brilliant "Kop" end behind one of the goals which was actually shared with the away fans. Under that roof there was some hella noise created and there was loads of back and forth between the two sets of supporters who were more or less side by side. I remember winning 1-0 down there around 89/90 in the old 2nd division, and there must have been about 6k NUFC fans down there that day.

[Kid Icarus]

11 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

That's your opinion. My experience is something different. Not sure if you are at the match on Sunday but if you are just take a minute to look around you when you are in your seat (unless you are in the corner) and you will see why our atmosphere is shite as you'll be mainly surrounded by miserable middle/age folk who have no interest whatsoever in creating an atmosphere.

Your experience is just as relevant as the countless opposition fans who big us up and these experiences are all opinions.

 

I don't disagree with you about our atmosphere, my only point is that things aren't as bleak as they could be, we're starting from a point where we have a reputation for having one of the best atmospheres in the country.

[STM]

We are also aware that our fans can barely hear each other at either end of the stadium too right?

 

Away fans can't hear the gallowgate, half of the east stand can't hear the gallowgate and the gallowgate can't even see the leazes let alone hear it. 

 

It's virtually impossible to get the entire stadium singing in unison. This is why expectations are too high. 

 

Of course Bournemouth can sound like a cauldron, when you get all 3 of their fans signing at once. 

 

Clubs like Leeds and Palace have a good blend of hostile fans and grounds that are the optimum size for atmosphere. It's not rocket science to work out why bigger stadiums = worse atmosphere.

[Wallsendmag]

15 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

Your experience is just as relevant as the countless opposition fans who big us up and these experiences are all opinions.

 

I don't disagree with you about our atmosphere, my only point is that things aren't as bleak as they could be, we're starting from a point where we have a reputation for having one of the best atmospheres in the country.

 

That's all it is though. Reputation. As anyone knows a reputation, whether good or bad, is difficult to shake off. Anyone thinking our current atmosphere is good like these YouTuber's and Tiktok'ers do (although I doubt they're at SJP every other week like we are) is basing it on reputation. Any regular matchgoer knows that isn't the reality.

[Wandy]

15 minutes ago, STM said:

Clubs like Leeds and Palace have a good blend of hostile fans and grounds that are the optimum size for atmosphere. It's not rocket science to work out why bigger stadiums = worse atmosphere.

 

Not true I'm afraid. The Bournemouth fans that I highlighted above rated Man Utd, Man City & Arsenal amongst the best atmospheres they have witnessed this season.

[Bellis80]

2 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

That's all it is though. Reputation. As anyone knows a reputation, whether good or bad, is difficult to shake off. Anyone thinking our current atmosphere is good like these YouTuber's and Tiktok'ers do (although I doubt they're at SJP every other week like we are) is basing it on reputation. Any regular matchgoer knows that isn't the reality.

I go every week and totally disagree with you so that shows how worthless both of our opinions are.

[Wallsendmag]

20 minutes ago, STM said:

We are also aware that our fans can barely hear each other at either end of the stadium too right?

 

Away fans can't hear the gallowgate, half of the east stand can't hear the gallowgate and the gallowgate can't even see the leazes let alone hear it. 

 

It's virtually impossible to get the entire stadium singing in unison. This is why expectations are too high. 

 

Of course Bournemouth can sound like a cauldron, when you get all 3 of their fans signing at once. 

 

Clubs like Leeds and Palace have a good blend of hostile fans and grounds that are the optimum size for atmosphere. It's not rocket science to work out why bigger stadiums = worse atmosphere.

 

Take a trip to Dortmund. It holds 81k. Then tell me that bigger stadiums = worse atmospheres. Acoustics obviously make a difference but it's who is inside the stadium that really matters. 

[STM]

9 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

Take a trip to Dortmund. It holds 81k. Then tell me that bigger stadiums = worse atmospheres. Acoustics obviously make a difference but it's who is inside the stadium that really matters. 

 

Is it though? Or is it reputation. 

[Wallsendmag]

13 minutes ago, Bellis80 said:

I go every week and totally disagree with you so that shows how worthless both of our opinions are.

 

Whereabouts do you sit out of curiosity?

[Kid Icarus]

10 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

That's all it is though. Reputation. As anyone knows a reputation, whether good or bad, is difficult to shake off. Anyone thinking our current atmosphere is good like these YouTuber's and Tiktok'ers do (although I doubt they're at SJP every other week like we are) is basing it on reputation. Any regular matchgoer knows that isn't the reality.

 

If they're experiencing it first hand, it's not reputation.

 

I dunno why you can't accept others who come up here think we have a great atmosphere like, it's hardly controversial.

 

Easy to forget as well that when we go to away matches, we're seeing their atmosphere at home to Newcastle, we don't get to see what they're like at home to Bournemouth, Brentford and Southampton. When we hear what it's like at away grounds we should be comparing like-for-like, to our home matches against say Everton or Villa.

[Wallsendmag]

4 minutes ago, STM said:

 

Is it though? Or is it reputation. 

 

I'm a bit of a groundhopper. Last Saturday I was at Carlisle v Grimsby. Tuesday Chelsea v Dortmund and Sunday NUFC v Wolves. I've done loads of Bundesliga grounds over the years (already 3 this season) and can confirm Dortmund was incredible although I actually thought Schalke was even better but maybe that was because I was part of the huge standing section they have there.

[Wallsendmag]

1 minute ago, Kid Icarus said:

 

If they're experiencing it first hand, it's not reputation.

 

I dunno why you can't accept others who come up here think we have a great atmosphere like, it's hardly controversial.

 

Easy to forget as well that when we go to away matches, we're seeing their atmosphere at home to Newcastle, we don't get to see what they're like at home to Bournemouth, Brentford and Southampton. When we hear what it's like at away grounds we should be comparing like-for-like, to our home matches against say Everton or Villa.

 

Newcastle were a complete irrelevance to most of us during most the Ashley years. Don't kid yourself in thinking fans got up for games more v us than against Southampton etc for example. That hasn't been the case since the Keegan/SBR days.

[Kid Icarus]

1 minute ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

Newcastle were a complete irrelevance to most of us during most the Ashley years. Don't kid yourself in thinking fans got up for games more v us than against Southampton etc for example. That hasn't been the case since the Keegan/SBR days.

You're changing the subject there like, so I'll leave it there. 

[Wallsendmag]

9 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

You're changing the subject there like, so I'll leave it there. 

 

You literally said NUFC visiting is a bigger game for home fans than Southampton etc. That's what you moved the subject to   Us and Southampton have basically been also rans for the past 15 years so I'm saying you're wrong. Maybe 15/20 years ago and possibly now and hopefully in the future but fornthe past decade and a half for your average Arsenal, Liverpool or Chelsea fan I doubt they were any more up for Newcastle at home than and other run of the mill PL team.

 

 

Edited March 10, 2023 by Wallsendmag

[Kid Icarus]

7 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

You literally said NUFC visiting is a bigger game for home fans than Southampton etc. That's what you moved the subject to   Us and Southampton have basically been also rans for the past 15 years so I'm saying you're wrong. Maybe 15/20 years ago and possibly now and hopefully in the future but fornthe past decade and a half for your average Arsenal, Liverpool or Chelsea fan I doubt they were any more up for Newcastle at home than and other run of the mill PL team.

 

 

 

 

By bringing up the Ashley years. So suddenly we're onto this idea that other club's fans didn't get more up for a match vs us than say Southampton, which I think is nonsense, but also not worth getting into. 

 

It's fine, you think the away fans that come up here and rate our atmosphere highly are saying it for clicks (despite that not making any sense) or for some other reason that means it's not a genuine opinion. No point in arguing with anyone who thinks like that. 

 

 

Edited March 10, 2023 by Kid Icarus

[TheGuv]

1 hour ago, STM said:

Mint. Let's keep bashing our own fans, despite putting on better displays/atmosphere than at least 80% of the league frequently.

 

A display doesn’t = atmosphere though. Those displays are create by 20-30 lads every week. That’s it. Imagine 20 lads singing all game, it would barely make a h’appeth’s difference. 
 

We’ve become a fan base that pats ourselves on the back for waving a flag and deciding that’s enough for the rest of the game. The same volunteers that put the flags out and do all the work are now basically a free marketing arm for the club who take a photo and post it on social media for other fans to see - again recreating a myth on ‘atmosphere’.   Matt Ritchie came out and had a go at the WF lads for not having a display against Bournemouth ffs! I’m paraphrasing here but it was something like “I never want to see this ground without flags ever again!”. Clearly the fan base thinks this too, as their Twitter DMs were full of abuse after the game. We’re now in a position where the WF lads are effectively beholden to doing some form of display every week otherwise there isn’t even a pre match atmosphere for us to pat each other on the back with.  
 

What happens if WF decided to jack it in overnight? Or they can’t be arsed to continue devoting hundreds of hours a season when other fans can’t be arsed to help them out by moving a seat to allow safe standing? Or others who sit on their hands, or others who moan and boo continue to not contribute positively in any way other than being happy to sit there every week?

 

Like it or not, we’re on a precipice here. We’re in uncharted territory. If we get this wrong now, as the club heads into unknown highs, and we become a global brand - everything we’ve moaned about in here will feel like child’s play compared to what’s about to come. 
 

I think it’s a conversation we need to have and it’s one that’s been going on since the Toon Ultras. A tiny pocket of the Strawberry Corner singing (ex Level 7ers may I add) isn’t enough, and it’s beginning to show. 
 

I’ll leave it there for now and I’m intrigued to see what Sunday brings…

 

 

Edited March 10, 2023 by TheGuv

[NUFC91]

One thing that really annoys me is that because most english grounds have shite atmosphere it doesnt matter. I support Newcastle United and want the best match day experience for me and our team.

 

Simply saying everywhere is crap and not being arsed to change is shite. Look at West Brom away in FA cup just before covid. No ones telling me that them 5k fans behind gallowgate or leazes won't get the crowd going.

 

I honestly dont give a fuck about other clubs being shite or the DJ is shite etc etc. It wont improve as large majority are moany pricks. The club need to move 5k to other areas of stadium.. this is not YOUR seat, its the clubs.

[Wallsendmag]

7 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

 

By bringing up the Ashley years. So suddenly we're onto this idea that other club's fans didn't get more up for a match vs us than say Southampton, which I think is nonsense, but also not worth getting into. 

 

It's fine, you think the away fans that come up here and rate our atmosphere highly are saying it for clicks (despite that not making any sense) or for some other reason that means it's not a genuine opinion. No point in arguing with anyone who thinks like that. 

 

 

 

 

Away fans seem to love visiting our city as it's friendly and also chocka block with pubs which they are all alowed in, but I'm not sure they rate our atmosphere as you can't really hear the home fans from where they sit. I was about 15 seats away from the Liverpool fans the other week and our crowd was deathly quiet from up there. There's a website called football ground guide where away fans rate their visits to various stadiums and whilst the overall experience of Newcastle City centre and of the stadium is far more positive than negative, the reviews of our atmosphere are more negative than positive.

[Wallsendmag]

5 minutes ago, NUFC91 said:

One thing that really annoys me is that because most english grounds have shite atmosphere it doesnt matter. I support Newcastle United and want the best match day experience for me and our team.

 

Simply saying everywhere is crap and not being arsed to change is shite. Look at West Brom away in FA cup just before covid. No ones telling me that them 5k fans behind gallowgate or leazes won't get the crowd going.

 

I honestly dont give a fuck about other clubs being shite or the DJ is shite etc etc. It wont improve as large majority are moany pricks. The club need to move 5k to other areas of stadium.. this is not YOUR seat, its the clubs.

 

I was at West Brom and it was absolutely brilliant. One of the best away atmospheres I've been in!