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2 hours ago, TheDimpleboy said:

Hope not. Was shit. Put on a double decker at St James Park with no toilet. 

 

 

 

 

 

No toilet!

 

Fucking hell, it's like straight back to the hooligan age of the 1970s. Not.

 

Shows how much supporting the game has changed.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Superior Acuña said:

I don't recall any particularly long delays in previous years. Think there were typically 40-50 buses in 2000s and ran smoothly AFAIK. Maybe it was the bigger scale. For me it helped the game feel like much more of an event, unique experience, never heard of anything like it in sport of thousands travelling together from one city to another.

Yeah, that was my experience of Sunderland away during that period.  I knew lads who didn’t go on the official expedition, but I didn’t fancy joining them.  Just couldn’t be arsed with the risk, especially as I would’ve just been getting the Metro back to Newcastle around the same time  

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It was organised well enough.

 

Bar having to queue from round the back of Barker and Stonehouse to get the bus there, and then the uncomfortableness of getting out the stadium, I didn’t really have a problem.

 

But like others have said, if we return to playing them with standard allocations, there’s no need for it.

 

The most recent matches against them prior to this showed that if you just let people get on with it, albeit still with a heavy police presence kicking about, things will be fine.

 

FWIW I got told that the biggest contributing factor to this being a bubble trip was the Metro saying they couldn’t put extra trains on. Once they said that, those involved in making the decision felt it wasn’t possible to support the larger allocation unless they did it this way.

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Wouldn’t want to do it for every away game but for a one off (which the club made clear it was to secure 6k allocation against our dearest enemies) then don’t have a problem with it.

 

In an ideal world we’d be able to pick & choose how we get to games but that ain’t the world we live in sadly.

 

I’m always of the opinion if you remove all the police and segregation you’d actually find that their would be very little trouble if you were sensible and didn’t overly display your colours and kept head down on public transport and up to the ground. Most people aren’t as tough or aggressive when no police to protect them.

 

Unfortunately there is always enough numbers of people that seem to take it too far and can’t behave themselves.

 

I pose a question to those not happy with it… would you trade off the bubble bus for free reign to make your own way there knowing you had to take and pass a alcohol test (equivalent of 2 pints) outside the turnstile's to gain access to the ground?

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Wouldn't bother me thesedays. I drove to town and home Saturday anyway cos my Mrs was on nights so needed to be back for the kids. The me of 10 years ago would say fuck that

 

 

Edited by jack j

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2 minutes ago, LFEE said:

 

 

I pose a question to those not happy with it… would you trade off the bubble bus for free reign to make your own way there knowing you had to take and pass a alcohol test (equivalent of 2 pints) outside the turnstile's to gain access to the ground?

Ahahahahajajajahhahahahahahahaha!!!!!

 

???????

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Remember my first trip to Newcastle in 1999. First watched Newcastle vs pool on Boxing Day.

 

Then down to filbert street for away match. Then we were driven in busses from Newcastle to Leicester, and stopped outside the city and driven into the stadium with police escort. 
 

Remember it felt very hardcore for a 16 year old me?

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12 minutes ago, High Five o said:

Remember my first trip to Newcastle in 1999. First watched Newcastle vs pool on Boxing Day.

 

Then down to filbert street for away match. Then we were driven in busses from Newcastle to Leicester, and stopped outside the city and driven into the stadium with police escort. 
 

Remember it felt very hardcore for a 16 year old me?

2-1 win Shearer and Big Dunc? Some day that. People complaining about bogs at football today never did those netties. Pissing on walls, sinks and out the window. One of my first aways too.

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57 minutes ago, Nucasol said:

2-1 win Shearer and Big Dunc? Some day that. People complaining about bogs at football today never did those netties. Pissing on walls, sinks and out the window. One of my first aways too.


Correct! 

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Didn't like it back in the day but if it avoids trouble and in this one fixture alone then its probably the way it will stay.

Partly that's due to living in Washington and an hour round-trip being made into a four hour one.

Generally would preferred making my own way to away games but got back from Coventry with a police escort from the stadium at 8.30 which was cracking.

 

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I didn’t go so can’t comment on the experience, but I’d put money on fucking hating it. Maybe it’s the non conformist in me, but all of it seemed wayyy too over the top.
 

I like doing my own thing on matchdays.. (food/drink/brasses). Fuck queuing up hours before to be offered a fucking cereal bar. Tarring 6000 fans with the same brush is a load of bollocks for me. 

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21 hours ago, Superior Acuña said:

I did the bus convoys for all the derbies I've been to (all from 99/00 to 10/11, plus 12/13) and I always fucking loved it. The convoy is such a site, never seen anything like it, all arriving in sunderland together getting abused. It's class. Don't know about it being forced like, but I'd always choose it.

 

 

 


I’ve done the convoy before but most recent Derby’s just got the metro / train - prefer the latter tbh. Also the bubble trip I’d imagine is a massive fuck on for anyone who lives south of the river. 
 

as a libertarian I also don’t like how you cannot do what you want cos (sone) people (the minority) cannot be trusted - just doesnt sit right. In this case as @SteV suggests it was likely forced due to Nexus being unable to cater for the extra footfall 

 

 

Edited by OCOCOL

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As others have said it wasn’t ideal, esp how long we were penned in at the end. 
 

But it had the potential to be an absolute shitshow and it definitely wasn’t. Club bore the costs and it was pretty mint to get such an allocation at an away derby game. I wouldn’t like it to be the norm but could understand it for this game. 
 

 

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On 08/01/2024 at 13:14, LFEE said:

I pose a question to those not happy with it… would you trade off the bubble bus for free reign to make your own way there knowing you had to take and pass a alcohol test (equivalent of 2 pints) outside the turnstile's to gain access to the ground?

 

Not much response to this. Take it drinking beforehand is more important than the actual travel arrangements themselves.

 

Apparently only 9 related arrests. 5 at ground and 4 elsewhere in the region…

 

https://x.com/newcastle_world/status/1744690485443088472?s=61&t=kJE1AU_9T9TvzyV_ebeY8Q

 

 

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1 minute ago, LFEE said:

 

 

Not much response to this. Take it drinking beforehand is more important than the actual travel arrangements themselves.

 

Apparently only 9 related arrests. 5 at ground and 4 elsewhere in the region…

 

https://x.com/newcastle_world/status/1744690485443088472?s=61&t=kJE1AU_9T9TvzyV_ebeY8Q

 

 

Ok I’ll answer no I wouldn’t be happy with a 2 pint limit for similar reasons I am

opposed to bubble trip conditions. They’re restrictions on freedom and I believe if these aren’t challenged then it becomes easier for law enforcement, the government (or whoever) to become increasingly authoritarian. 
 

I’m old school and see a day out as young hand in hand with following the lads (especially away). Travelled all over Europe and England  (including numerous away matches at RP and the SOL) and probably seen more crap football than good but have had some great times with people who I’m glad are no long standing friends.

 

I get football has changed and even in the 80s and 90s there were fans who’d get the official supporters coaches to away that would bus you straight in and out with a zero tolerance for alcohol onboard. But whilst I would never criticise this subset of fans choice I’d hope they’d equally respect mine. 
 

I’ve never been arrested at a game despite seeing plenty of bother over the years but have backed the lads albeit maybe in a more boisterous manner than most like these days. 
 

It will be interesting to see the arrangements if we ever okay them in a league game with a reduced allocation. 

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2 hours ago, Checko said:

What if people were to be transported to games in giant vats of alcoholic bubble tea?

 

Probably go down well with some of our the younger fans - will they be able to do balloons and ket spoons in there?

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