Match Atmosphere

[NUFC91]

1 hour ago, Whitley mag said:

No idea on numbers but clearly not all taken by season ticket holders as people have scored tickets in their through ballot.

 

I’d be in favour of this suggestion though as the Leazes End is currently embarrassing in terms of atmosphere, would never sit there again after last night.

 

https://x.com/Nusc2023/status/1717319425626382481?s=20

 

Was 5200 applied according to box office. Me and 3 or 4 others applird but didnt get any. Should off the others who applied standing im leazes

[Wallsendmag]

13 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

The grumbling started from the moment it went all-seater and all-season ticket.  The atmosphere hasn’t been what it was for three decades - for what it’s worth, even on TV it doesn’t sound markedly different to what it has at any point during the PL era (and it’s much better than it was for most of it).  People want to believe it used to be better than it was - when it was actually pretty average to crap for most matches.

 

European nights in particular were always odd - if we weren’t playing someone that the more passive elements acknowledged as a ‘big club’, the atmosphere mirrored most league cup ties.  The fact that so many clearly view PSG as bigger than Dortmund is where the current mob of football supporters and me just don’t see eye to eye.  Dortmund are a much bigger club as far as I’m concerned - no excuse for not being up for that game. 

 

European atmospheres are generally poor. Everyone harks back to Barcelona 3-2 which was the exception. No other really good atmospheres. Juventus wasn't great despite us winning, Inter was poor after Bellamy got sent off after 5 mins which knocked the stuffing out of everyone, the 2nd time we played Barca it was dead as well.

 

Even going back to 1994 we were 3-0 up v Bilbao and instead of singing, people started doing Mexican waves ffs 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Wallsendmag

[TheBrownBottle]

7 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

European atmospheres are generally poor. Everyone harks back to Barcelona 3-2 which was the exception. No other really good atmospheres. Juventus wasn't great despite us winning, Inter was poor after Bellamy got sent off after 5 mins which knocked the stuffing out of everyone, the 2nd time we played Barca it was dead as well.

 

Even going back to 1994 we were 3-0 up v Bilbao and instead of singing, people started doing Mexican waves ffs 

 

 

 

 

We did that vs Antwerp in the round before, too - though from memory it was the Belgian supporters who started it (when you lose 10-2 on aggregate you might as well make some entertainment for yourselves)

 

edit: you’re spot on re European Cup nights - all those CL games listed were crap atmosphere-wise n

 

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by TheBrownBottle

[Deuce]

On 04/03/2023 at 12:33, Deuce said:

Matchmosphere

 

[Wallsendmag]

2 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

 

We did that vs Antwerp in the round before, too - though from memory it was the Belgian supporters who started it (when you lose 10-2 on aggregate you might as well make some entertainment for yourselves)

 

edit: you’re spot on re European Cup nights - all those CL games listed were crap atmosphere-wise n

 

 

 

 

Up until this season I'd been to every single home European match we've played since 1992, whether that be Champions League, UEFA Cup/Europa League, Cup Winners Cup, Intertoto Cup and even Anglo Italian Cup and the only memorable atmosphere was Barcelona 1997. None of our other Champions League games have had good atmospheres and even Marseille in the UEFA Cup Semi was fairly muted. Loudest noise the crowd made that night was booing Robert for giving the ball away which nearly cost a goal.

 

Benfica and Anzhi Makakaka or whatever they were called were pretty good tbf for a bit of balance but that's it, from about 60 or so games.

[Danh1]

I remember the Glenn Roeder days. Stood in level 7, maybe about 400 of us, Toon Ultras. Giving it a good go in a half empty stadium against the likes of Celta Vigo. Before the away end moved fully to the Leazes from the corner. 

 

Super Super Sib, Super Sibierski. Great days. 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Danh1

[Wandy]

35 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

The grumbling started from the moment it went all-seater and all-season ticket.  The atmosphere hasn’t been what it was for three decades - for what it’s worth, even on TV it doesn’t sound markedly different to what it has at any point during the PL era (and it’s much better than it was for most of it).  People want to believe it used to be better than it was - when it was actually pretty average to crap for most matches.

 

European nights in particular were always odd - if we weren’t playing someone that the more passive elements acknowledged as a ‘big club’, the atmosphere mirrored most league cup ties.  The fact that so many clearly view PSG as bigger than Dortmund is where the current mob of football supporters and me just don’t see eye to eye.  Dortmund are a much bigger club as far as I’m concerned - no excuse for not being up for that game. 

 

Whilst I agree with your point about European games back then, the league game atmosphere pre-expansion was far better than what we have now. No idea why you remember PL games being average with the 36k capacity. Might have been another seating issue I suppose. My ST was in the then John Hall stand and it was always raucous in the area where I sat.

[madras]

15 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

Up until this season I'd been to every single home European match we've played since 1992, whether that be Champions League, UEFA Cup/Europa League, Cup Winners Cup, Intertoto Cup and even Anglo Italian Cup and the only memorable atmosphere was Barcelona 1997. None of our other Champions League games have had good atmospheres and even Marseille in the UEFA Cup Semi was fairly muted. Loudest noise the crowd made that night was booing Robert for giving the ball away which nearly cost a goal.

 

Benfica and Anzhi Makakaka or whatever they were called were pretty good tbf for a bit of balance but that's it, from about 60 or so games.

Didn't do the Anglo Italians but I was at all the UEFA stuff, Bohemians, Bastia, and all the home games since then including Intertoto.

 

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by madras

[madras]

Just now, Wandy said:

 

Whilst I agree with your point about European games back then, the league game atmosphere pre-expansion was far better than what we have now. No idea why you remember PL games being average with the 36k capacity. Might have been another seating issue I suppose. My ST was in the then John Hall stand and it was always raucous in the area where I sat.

Exactly...its where you sat. That doesn't necessarily transmit round the ground. People say the Gallowgate was fantastic in the Keegan (player) era but as someone who would often go in a different area game by game, it often wasn't...... but if you're in the middle of it it seems great.

[TheBrownBottle]

8 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

Up until this season I'd been to every single home European match we've played since 1992, whether that be Champions League, UEFA Cup/Europa League, Cup Winners Cup, Intertoto Cup and even Anglo Italian Cup and the only memorable atmosphere was Barcelona 1997. None of our other Champions League games have had good atmospheres and even Marseille in the UEFA Cup Semi was fairly muted. Loudest noise the crowd made that night was booing Robert for giving the ball away which nearly cost a goal.

 

Benfica and Anzhi Makakaka or whatever they were called were pretty good tbf for a bit of balance but that's it, from about 60 or so games.

Similar to me mate - up until this year I missed the 1860 IT Cup tie in 2001 (on hols) and the UEFA Cup qualifiers in 2006 (potless).  Sadly you're spot-on re atmosphere - there aren't many particularly memorable atmospheres during that period.

 

I love being in European competition myself - nothing better.  But it was the away days that made the experiences so memorable - home matches didn't spark great atmospheres.   I do wonder if the lack of history between the clubs plays into it too - over the years, loads of English clubs (from Man Utd to Cambridge Utd under John Beck) have pissed off the SJP crowd over the years and created grudge matches.  Not sure that anyone will feel similar about pretty much any European club.

[TheBrownBottle]

4 minutes ago, Wandy said:

 

Whilst I agree with your point about European games back then, the league game atmosphere pre-expansion was far better than what we have now. No idea why you remember PL games being average with the 36k capacity. Might have been another seating issue I suppose. My ST was in the then John Hall stand and it was always raucous in the area where I sat.

I was in the Milburn A Paddock in 93/94 & 94/95, went into the Leazes from the following season - there were plenty of mediocre atmospheres during that period too

[TheBrownBottle]

Just remembered we were in Europe in 12/13 - I didn't go to any of them due to my self-imposed boycott of Ashley's NUFC ...

[Wandy]

Just now, TheBrownBottle said:

I was in the Milburn A Paddock in 93/94 & 94/95, went into the Leazes from the following season - there were plenty of mediocre atmospheres during that period too

 

There's levels of mediocrity though and I think "mediocre" of old was still much better than something that would be considered "good" these days. And there is no way that SJP went deathly silent back then the way it sometimes does now. Our songbook was so much better back then too.

[Wallsendmag]

9 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

I was in the Milburn A Paddock in 93/94 & 94/95, went into the Leazes from the following season - there were plenty of mediocre atmospheres during that period too

 

I sat in the same seat in the Leazes in L4U from 1993-2006 and would have to agree with you. Even my very first game in my new seat I remember it being very loud then Spurs gradually took control of the game, Sheringham scored and it went deathly silent for long periods after. It was a million times better than it is today but it could be hitty missy. The NE corner was very loud back in that 93/94 season so typically they decided to relocate the away supporters to there for the 94/95 season which had a massive negative effect on the atmosphere.

 

Level 7 being built completely killed what atmosphere was left in there. I put up with it for 6 years before switching to the Gallowgate.

[Superior Acuña]

I thought I remembered Juve and Kiev (03) being decent atmospheres, as we gained some hope of going through. Could just be remembering the buzz around the goals and that though. Remember Feyernord as flat.

 

I was back for ManU home the other season, early Howe when we were still in the relegation zone, 1-1 with an ASM goal. It was one of the best atmospheres in memory (going back to mid 90s). Roaring players on to close down. There was that siege feeling.

 

 

Edited October 27, 2023 by Superior Acuña

[TheBrownBottle]

1 hour ago, Wandy said:

 

There's levels of mediocrity though and I think "mediocre" of old was still much better than something that would be considered "good" these days. And there is no way that SJP went deathly silent back then the way it sometimes does now. Our songbook was so much better back then too.

The current songbook is shite (I am a middle-aged man now though, so that may factor in).  I cringe at the 'Bruno in the middle' song - something that I don't generally do at even the daftest of football songs, but I actively hate that song.  But even the traditional songs are sung badly - Blaydon Races (which may as well be remained 'GanalongthuScotswooRoadtuseethuBlaydonRaces', given that it is now spat out as a single word in about one second) in particular feels like a crime against local culture.  It's a folk song, not a New Monkey / Colosseum choon, lads.

[Superior Acuña]

One thing that makes me think there has been a change even post-expansion is the reaction to shitness in the Souness-Roeder era to the Pardew-McClaren era - i.e. during the Ashley era.

 

I remember when we lost a game we shouldn't have in that earlier era SJP was a fucking horrible place to be. It was so toxic. People were raging. Sheffield United under Roeder for example. I felt uncomfortable just being there. That tendency wasn't always good but it was at least borne out of a passion. That seemed to disappear over the years. I remember being at the Liverpool 0-6, and 0-1 with the mackems (3rd home defeat to them in a row) in particular and couldn't believe the comparative passiveness from the crowd at proper horrendous results, and not in isolation. Now I don't want people raging at our players now, but that seemed to tell me something had been lost in our crowd in terms of passion under Ashley, and maybe that doesn't come back so easily even as things turn around. Or maybe I'm talking shite and that's irrelevant to our situation now.

[TheGuv]

2 hours ago, NUFC91 said:

 

Was 5200 applied according to box office. Me and 3 or 4 others applird but didnt get any. Should off the others who applied standing im leazes

That says it all about the demography of ST holders tbh. 

 

Say there’s 35,000 ST holders. 
 

5,200 + 1800 in the corner = 7000.

 

Only 20% bothered about standing (and no doubt singing majority of the game). 
 

 

[Disco]

38 minutes ago, Superior Acuña said:

Sheffield United under Roeder for example. I felt uncomfortable just being there.

Only game I’ve left early.

[Wallsendmag]

Was the Sheff Utd game the one where the East Stand lost their shit with Scott Parker?

 

Probably the most animated they've ever been.

[Guest]

8 hours ago, Wandy said:

 

Yeah it was. It was largely full of fans who had been supporting the club through the grim times of the 80s and early 90s though. So basically an entirely different kind of fan. That's not necessarily a criticism, more an observation.

 

In hindsight, it's absolutely true that SJP should never have been made all ST in the 90s.

 

10-15k fans came from somewhere between 1991 and 1992-2000. 

[Whitley mag]

6 hours ago, TheGuv said:

That says it all about the demography of ST holders tbh. 

 

Say there’s 35,000 ST holders. 
 

5,200 + 1800 in the corner = 7000.

 

Only 20% bothered about standing (and no doubt singing majority of the game). 
 

 

If we could get that 7k together though it would create a great atmosphere.

 

Plenty in level 7,NE corner and Leazes trying to give it a go on Wednesday, but folk are just dispersed and sitting on their own etc.

[Sima]

Seeing people sitting down in the L7 standing area last Saturday was wild.

 

You must have a metal bar right in your eyeline but god forbid you stand to remedy it. Make that whole corner safe standing imo.

[TheBrownBottle]

3 hours ago, Optimistic Nut said:

 

10-15k fans came from somewhere between 1991 and 1992-2000. 

We were averaging just over 16k in 1991.  10 years later it was 52k.   It’s closer to 35k  

[bobbydazzla]

23 minutes ago, Sima said:

Seeing people sitting down in the L7 standing area last Saturday was wild.

 

You must have a metal bar right in your eyeline but god forbid you stand to remedy it. Make that whole corner safe standing imo.

 

It'd be interesting to ask these folk why they're sitting down. Is it really that difficult and uncomfortable for the vast majority of people to stand up for 2 x 45 mins

 

All seater stadiums have led to a culture of spectating, rather than supporting

 

Although plenty of other clubs have large swathes of their ground where people stand, at NUFC we seem to be obsessed with sitting down. Both from the club enforcing it and people in the ground taking vigilante action towards standers