Match Atmosphere

[OpenC]

21 minutes ago, Jonas said:

 

Yep. Said it on here but I remember being irritated by the atmosphere as far back as 98/99 and talking to a mate about how disappointing it was against Man United that season.  Its far from a new or localised thing, its up there with observing Christmas has become commercial.

Think a big part of it is every fanbase both expanding and being watered down starting with the Premier League and all-seater stadium by the sort of people that could have but weren't going before and people too young to have come up in the football fan culture of the last century. E.g. almost every one that was at the Portsmouth game in 92 was a passionate supporter, now it won't even be half the crowd.

There's just so many reasons for it that are never going to countered.

 

It's a pipe dream in 2025 but I always feel like it would be so relatively easy to make it a Home Office approved hostile environment for the please-sit-down-not-in-front-of-the-children people who don't really like the noise and the swearing and the aggression and the inconveniences and bring back the noise in an unforced and organic way. Leave the Milburn for people who want to pay a bit more and have a guaranteed season ticket and a sanitised experience, the cameras don't see them anyway. Get rid of thousands and thousands of season tickets in the ends and the east stand, give people a way to buy blocks of tickets and sit/stand with their mates and drop the price a bit. 

 

Will never happen of course, it's just something I think about every once in a while. I haven't even been for years tbh, not to watch the blokes anyway

[Whitley mag]

Says it all that the players want the music changed to hear fans singing. Fair play to them and absolutely staggered that so many of our fans seem to be against playing the club anthem before kick off.

 

Sign of the times that folk would rather stand in silence to Local Hero than belt out the Blaydon Races.

[bobbydazzla]

18 minutes ago, Whitley mag said:

Says it all that the players want the music changed to hear fans singing. Fair play to them and absolutely staggered that so many of our fans seem to be against playing the club anthem before kick off.

 

Sign of the times that folk would rather stand in silence to Local Hero than belt out the Blaydon Races.

As it’s the club anthem tens of thousands of fans should be capable of singing Blaydon Races* themselves without needing some dogshit drum version being blasted from the speakers at a million billion decibels to guide them through the song. 

 

But no, if left to our own devices we’re completely incapable of even singing it at sub-makina BPM’s or using the right words. 

 

 

*at the correct tempo with the correct lyrics 

 

 

Edited November 5, 2025 by bobbydazzla

[OpenC]

Switching around the songs to make things better but still playing fucking Status Quo

[Wolfcastle]

We dont need a sing-along at the start of the game. Liverpool have YNWA but even they openly admit the atmosphere there is horrific thereafter. So what good would fixing, changing that even do?

 

Having said that the horrifc dirge version of the Blaydon Races should be replaced forthwith. 

[OpenC]

Switching around the songs to make things better but still says Bru-nooohhh like a fucking child

[Wolfcastle]

16 minutes ago, Wolfcastle said:

We dont need a sing-along at the start of the game. Liverpool have YNWA but even they openly admit the atmosphere there is horrific thereafter. So what good would fixing, changing that even do?

 

Having said that the horrifc dirge version of the Blaydon Races should be replaced forthwith. 

 

Christ there it is. 

Its the standard national anthem versus Fratelli d'Italia

[bobbydazzla]

9 minutes ago, OpenC said:

Switching around the songs to make things better but still says Bru-nooohhh like a fucking child

It’s pure cringe every single time he does it, aural aids 

[Mountain]

ressonates

3 hours ago, Whitley mag said:

Says it all that the players want the music changed to hear fans singing. Fair play to them and absolutely staggered that so many of our fans seem to be against playing the club anthem before kick off.

 

Sign of the times that folk would rather stand in silence to Local Hero than belt out the Blaydon Races.

 

You are correct. It's no wonder Ed Sheeran made so much money when everyone has such bad taste. The fact many would rather listen to a saxaphone solo than sing something meaningful says it all.

 

We need to find something new, something that resonates, a passionate anthem that gives you goosebumps.

 

One day it will come.

 

 

[500bhp]

13 hours ago, Hovagod said:

I don't know what people imagine the corner is, but it's pretty much a bunch of old white blokes singing crap chants. It's not really the way forward as far as I can see 

Such a bizarre comment bringing skin colour into it. I mean, how would people react if someone said, went to Tup Tup the music was shite, just a load of black youths. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

4 hours ago, Whitley mag said:

Sign of the times that folk would rather stand in silence to Local Hero than belt out the Blaydon Races.

 

IIRC local hero has been played for most of the last 30 years, no? Sign of the times?

 

I wasn't a regular as a kid but I can't remember a time when it wasn't played. 

[Wilson]

So, 'the switch' 

 

I thought the Blaydon Races before kick off was outstanding today, and it was kept at good pace compared the usual makina bpm.  Don't get me  wrong I love a fuckin rave but there's a time and a place

 

I liked it. 

 

I love Local Hero but I'll be happy if this is a catalyst for singing Blaydon Races properly. 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 5, 2025 by Wilson

[Jonas]

3 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

 

IIRC local hero has been played for most of the last 30 years, no? Sign of the times?

 

I wasn't a regular as a kid but I can't remember a time when it wasn't played. 

From memory only it started in the 92/93 season.  Definitely around from the start of that as its what made me get a copy of the song.

Before that the only time I recall anything regular was Alan Price's version of the Blaydon Races in 89/90 and maybe beyond

[Jonas]

1 minute ago, Wilson said:

So, 'the switch' 

 

I thought the Blaydon Races before kick off was outstanding today, and it was kept at good pace compared the usual makina bpm.  Don't get me  wrong I love a fuckin rave but there's a time and a place

 

I liked it. 

 

I love Local Hero but I'll be happy if this is a catalyst for singing Blaydon Races properly. 

 

 

 

 

 

Its not even sung properly in the song they use. 

[Sima]

7 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

 

IIRC local hero has been played for most of the last 30 years, no? Sign of the times?

 

I wasn't a regular as a kid but I can't remember a time when it wasn't played. 

Simply the Best used to be played when I were a lad.

[Wilson]

1 minute ago, Jonas said:

Its not even sung properly in the song they use. 

 

So just don't sing it at all?

 

I don't see a solution where everyone's happy. 

 

I thought it was good today. 

 

I hate people singing the wrong words and singing it fast, tonight didn't feel as bad as usual. 

[Heron]

Was actually embarrassing tonight. Worse than a Chelsea game at Stamford Bridge.

 

 

Edited November 6, 2025 by Heron

[Jonas]

1 hour ago, Wilson said:

 

So just don't sing it at all?

 

I don't see a solution where everyone's happy. 

 

I thought it was good today. 

 

I hate people singing the wrong words and singing it fast, tonight didn't feel as bad as usual. 

They don't/cant sing in tune with that song is the point. Its at a different tempo to either the modern or historic chant.  Its like when a singer sings the national anthems, everybody knows where they are with a typical rendition but then everyone's out of sync with the different stylings. 

[TheBrownBottle]

1 hour ago, Jonas said:

From memory only it started in the 92/93 season.  Definitely around from the start of that as its what made me get a copy of the song.

Before that the only time I recall anything regular was Alan Price's version of the Blaydon Races in 89/90 and maybe beyond

It was - Barry in the Box started playing it at full belt before KO, pleasing no-one but himself.  They pulled it for a bit in late ‘90s when The Mag regularly pointed out that it wasn’t popular, before shrugging their shoulders after a bit and playing it again.

 

My preference would either be nothing played, or a proper version of the Blaydon Races.  Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing that says ‘Newcastle’ more to me than the lyricless theme tune from a movie about an American Wall Street bloke who likes living in a Scottish fishing village.  But it’s a sacrifice I’d be willing to make. 

[TheBrownBottle]

6 hours ago, Whitley mag said:

Says it all that the players want the music changed to hear fans singing. Fair play to them and absolutely staggered that so many of our fans seem to be against playing the club anthem before kick off.

 

Sign of the times that folk would rather stand in silence to Local Hero than belt out the Blaydon Races.

Yep - playing elevator muzak before kick off drowning out the noise of the support was never, ever a good idea.  Alan Robson and Barry in the Box started playing it and now it’s seen as a grand tradition.  

[Wallsendmag]

5 hours ago, Jonas said:

From memory only it started in the 92/93 season.  Definitely around from the start of that as its what made me get a copy of the song.

Before that the only time I recall anything regular was Alan Price's version of the Blaydon Races in 89/90 and maybe beyond

 

Aye it was definitely 92/93. 91/92 season players ran out to "Simply the best". Ironic really as we were absolutely shite.

[Optimistic Nut]

6 hours ago, Mountain said:

ressonates

 

You are correct. It's no wonder Ed Sheeran made so much money when everyone has such bad taste. The fact many would rather listen to a saxaphone solo than sing something meaningful says it all.

 

We need to find something new, something that resonates, a passionate anthem that gives you goosebumps.

 

One day it will come.

 

 

 

Newwwcassstle forevaaaaaa. 

[OpenC]

5 hours ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Yep - playing elevator muzak before kick off drowning out the noise of the support was never, ever a good idea.  Alan Robson and Barry in the Box started playing it and now it’s seen as a grand tradition.  

 

Surely 30+ years is kinda getting on for a grand tradition  I know what people are saying about having something to sing (although I remember being at the Millennium Stadium and the fans Durrr Durrrrrrr, Dur Dur Dur Dedur Dur Durrrrrring along) but whoever called it about Liverpool only making a noise at the start and the end was bang on. The mackems are the same, sing two lines of their song and think it's amazing but then sit in a silence broken only by the rustling of crisp packets for the game.

 

It's just tinkering around the edges and not in the least getting at the real reason for the ever-flattening atmosphere (a ground shot through with aging and/or gentrified fans who can afford it).  Wanting everybody involved in a mass singsong at the start is (imho) not too far removed from my granny going on a mystery tour with the WI in 1981 and singing The Day We Went To Bangor on the bus. 

 

I suspect, though, that this schmaltzy version of Our Fans , aal the lads and lasses and bairns, aal wi smiling faces, singing the right thing at the right time for the camera, is exactly what they want. 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2025 by OpenC

[OCOCOL]

On 04/11/2025 at 21:06, joeyt said:

Should they not consult the fans before making the change?

 

Appreciate they probably think it's a very minor change but it's been tradition for ages

Brian blessed and posh Charlotte gave the nod on our behalf 

[El Prontonise]

11 hours ago, bobbydazzla said:

It’s pure cringe every single time he does it, aural aids 

 

 

"Enjoy the game"