Guest Knightrider Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 I was at footy practice with the bairn last night, West Road Sports Centre, loads of kids (Geordie kids) wearing Henry, Ronaldo, Rooney, Fabregas, Gerrard shirts and really, it was a case of spot the Toon top. Anyway I got talking to one of the fathers of one of the kids in the bairn's team and we were talking about the Toon, he's a season ticket holder, the conversation turned to the kids, he asked if I take the bairn to the match and I said aye, he tells me his son doesn't want to know NUFC anymore, loves Arsenal and that he had to buy him a kit and other Arsenal stuff for Christmas. His son wants to go to the Emirates to see his heroes (Fabregas) play and the poor father said next season he's planning on taking him as he goes to away games, he'll be there cheering on the Toon while his son will be there cheering on Arsenal. I thought fuck me, but the bloke says he's taken him to loads of matches and the kid isn't interested because we play crap football and have no good players apparently. He wants to be a midfielder and has chosen Fabregas to model his game on, and now Arsenal are his team. Next to us a mother butted in and said it was the same with her sons, three of them, who are all Man Utd daft now having went off Newcastle. My own nephew has known no different from NUFC and thankfully loves going to the match but his fave player is Gerrard (he too wants to be a midfielder) and he likes to watch Liverpool and wanted Gerrard's name on the back of his Toon top! (I had to say you can't do that and explain why, he said why don't we buy him.) So I ask him who his fave player is at Newcastle and he says no-one because we we don't have any good players (although he quite likes Shay Given). Anyhoo If this is happening at a sports centre, it must be like that all over Newcastle (I already know its like that at the nephews' schools) and there is definitely a trend among today's kids (the next generation of footballers and football fans) to idolise the best players who at this moment in time, all play for other clubs, only Owen is our stand out player but he's been injured since he joined really while Shearer has long retired it seems in the understandably fickle minds of kids. In days gone by the game wasn't as accessible as it is now, it was Newcastle or nowt. Today howewer you can get to see much of other teams as you can NUFC via TV and given some of the names in our league who dominate the headlines, it is easy to see why there are lots of Gerrard, Henry et al shirts being bought. When I started out we were winning promotion and Cole, my own hero, was scoring the first of his many goals, and we had an all-star team with a great manager. Today we have a crap team in comparison with no standout players so unless you're a pushy father/uncle and get your kid to the match early, there is every chance that kid could grow up not really fussed about NUFC and that could have an impact on the club in latter years. With the saturation of football on TV and in the media, impressionable young kids have options other than NUFC and my question is, how much longer in this new age of football freedom if you like, can NUFC take it's public for granted? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kenton Magpie Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 Glory hunting little shits if you ask me Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Knightrider Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 Glory hunting little shits if you ask me What bairns as young as 5? I don't think so, I think kids look at the top players and want to be like them so will naturally take a keen interest in those heroes and everything that is associated with that. Sadly for us NUFC doesn't have any real heroes at the moment for kids to idolise. Shearer is now retired and Owen has hardly played since he signed. Shay Given is a great player for us but not many kids want to be a 'keeper and although Martins is an exciting player, he doesn't compare to Henry, Fabregas, Gerrard, Rooney, Ronaldo et al or Drogba, another player my own nephew loves. It's depressing seeing Geordie bairns wearing Gerrard Liverpool shirts or hearing Toon season ticket holding fathers talk about their kid's interest in Arsenal, but who's fault is that? Take toys for example, a kid will always pick a big expensive shiney toy ahead of a small toy that doesn't do a lot so why should football be any different? Because it's in your blood man as the tacky Radio advert advertising upcoming Toon matches proclaim? Times have changed and the club needs to change with them or face losing out on new fans and maybe even future talent through the doors. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madras Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 growing up in the 70's was similar,loads of my mates supported leeds,liverpool,one or two even derby then forest.however by the time they hit 15/16 almost all were supporting newcastle cos they wanted to go to games and truth be told the majority didn't really support their pseudo team ,just wanted to be seen to be successful in the eyes of their peers. most of those kids will be nufc fans by the time they are 18.my fave player was kenny dalglish even when he was in hoops but i never supported any of his teams as a player. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 It's Big Four media saturation. Unless you can get your kid going to matches, all he is going to see is Manyoo, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. I'm sure if Martins got as much airtime as Fabregas he'd be just as popular. To save local football, you need to get rid of the Sky contract and make clubs sell their own live matches, and you need to change Match of the Day so that the first 45 minutes is a roundup of your local team with analysis from local pundits, followed by 45 minutes showing the highlights of the other big games of the day. It's not going to happen though as most clubs make more money from television than they do from supporters. We are probably one of the few exceptions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Knightrider Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 growing up in the 70's was similar,loads of my mates supported leeds,liverpool,one or two even derby then forest.however by the time they hit 15/16 almost all were supporting newcastle cos they wanted to go to games and truth be told the majority didn't really support their pseudo team ,just wanted to be seen to be successful in the eyes of their peers. most of those kids will be nufc fans by the time they are 18.my fave player was kenny dalglish even when he was in hoops but i never supported any of his teams as a player. Maybe so Madras but in the 70s you rarely got to see those sides and players in action, except via highlights and the odd live match, today you can watch 50 minutes of any Premiership match every weekend and now that we all have more money, places like the Emirates or Old Trafford are not in another country if you like. Look at attendances this season, the club are struggling to put bums on seats. Now I don't think it will massively effect things too much as we'll always have a hardcore base of fans (which I put at the 25-30,000 mark) but it's depressing when kids are turning to other clubs and players, that to me is a bad sign. We lost a lot of loacl talent over the years to rival clubs because of our poor reputation of blooding youngsters through and the chances of success, I'd hate for that to happen again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gemmill Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 These parents should have done what any self-respecting toon fan would do and leathered these kids to within an inch of their lives tbh. Kids as young as 5 can and should be TOLD who to support. Tell them it's either NUFC or Santa won't be visiting them this year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parky Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 "His son wants to go to the Emirates to see his heroes (Fabregas) play and the poor father said next season he's planning on taking him as he goes to away games, he'll be there cheering on the Toon while his son will be there cheering on Arsenal. I thought fuck me, but the bloke says he's taken him to loads of matches and the kid isn't interested because we play crap football and have no good players apparently." HTT Kids are like this, but they grow out of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parky Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 These parents should have done what any self-respecting toon fan would do and leathered these kids to within an inch of their lives tbh. Kids as young as 5 can and should be TOLD who to support. Tell them it's either NUFC or Santa won't be visiting them this year. I blame the father, he needs to instill some history and affection for the club into this wippersnapper. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ally Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 If they're only young kids then they'll probably grow out of it. My brother used to support Man Utd, my mate supported Liverpool when they were both little kids. Meant nothing, a lot of it was just through liking the kit and not really knowing anything about football. Once they grow up a bit and realise what football is about and that there is a team on their doorstep, they'll probably follow along. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gemmill Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 I might contact the club about becoming SuperNUFCNanny. Concerned parents can ring the club and I'll go around their house and use emotional blackmail and where necessary physical torture to convince these kids that NUFC is the way forward. "You support Arsenal do you? This is your third day straight on that naughty stair. Has anyone from Arsenal Football Club turned up to feed you? Wenger? Fabregas? Have they fuck. They don't care that you're starving. But look who's here........KIERON DYER! And he's brought you a Happy Meal! Now who do you support? Fucking right you support Newcastle United." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parky Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 I might contact the club about becoming SuperNUFCNanny. Concerned parents can ring the club and I'll go around their house and use emotional blackmail and where necessary physical torture to convince these kids that NUFC is the way forward. "You support Arsenal do you? This is your third day straight on that naughty stair. Has anyone from Arsenal Football Club turned up to feed you? Wenger? Fabregas? Have they fuck. They don't care that you're starving. But look who's here........KIERON DYER! And he's brought you a Happy Meal! Now who do you support? Fucking right you support Newcastle United." *Kieron leaves only to find his diamond bracelet missing.* Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Phil K Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 Thanks to the Shepherd/Souness/Roeder "Failure Express" I'd say we are at the beginning of a very large slide, and picking up speed going downwards. Of course, it's "Not Shepherds fault" "Not Roeder's fault" Who's then, for frig's sake ? OURS ? For being stupid enough to trust Shep/Sou/Ro - maybe. But I can only see a downward trend if we continue in the present path with the same metaphorically blind and talentless imbeciles leading the blind and loyal fools. Our only answer is to do what we did to get shot of the McKeag and Westwood cancer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbers Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 I was at footy practice with the bairn last night, West Road Sports Centre, loads of kids (Geordie kids) wearing Henry, Ronaldo, Rooney, Fabregas, Gerrard shirts and really, it was a case of spot the Toon top. Anyway I got talking to one of the fathers of one of the kids in the bairn's team and we were talking about the Toon, he's a season ticket holder, the conversation turned to the kids, he asked if I take the bairn to the match and I said aye, he tells me his son doesn't want to know NUFC anymore, loves Arsenal and that he had to buy him a kit and other Arsenal stuff for Christmas. His son wants to go to the Emirates to see his heroes (Fabregas) play and the poor father said next season he's planning on taking him as he goes to away games, he'll be there cheering on the Toon while his son will be there cheering on Arsenal. I thought fuck me, but the bloke says he's taken him to loads of matches and the kid isn't interested because we play crap football and have no good players apparently. He wants to be a midfielder and has chosen Fabregas to model his game on, and now Arsenal are his team. Next to us a mother butted in and said it was the same with her sons, three of them, who are all Man Utd daft now having went off Newcastle. My own nephew has known no different from NUFC and thankfully loves going to the match but his fave player is Gerrard (he too wants to be a midfielder) and he likes to watch Liverpool and wanted Gerrard's name on the back of his Toon top! (I had to say you can't do that and explain why, he said why don't we buy him.) So I ask him who his fave player is at Newcastle and he says no-one because we we don't have any good players (although he quite likes Shay Given). Anyhoo If this is happening at a sports centre, it must be like that all over Newcastle (I already know its like that at the nephews' schools) and there is definitely a trend among today's kids (the next generation of footballers and football fans) to idolise the best players who at this moment in time, all play for other clubs, only Owen is our stand out player but he's been injured since he joined really while Shearer has long retired it seems in the understandably fickle minds of kids. In days gone by the game wasn't as accessible as it is now, it was Newcastle or nowt. Today howewer you can get to see much of other teams as you can NUFC via TV and given some of the names in our league who dominate the headlines, it is easy to see why there are lots of Gerrard, Henry et al shirts being bought. When I started out we were winning promotion and Cole, my own hero, was scoring the first of his many goals, and we had an all-star team with a great manager. Today we have a crap team in comparison with no standout players so unless you're a pushy father/uncle and get your kid to the match early, there is every chance that kid could grow up not really fussed about NUFC and that could have an impact on the club in latter years. With the saturation of football on TV and in the media, impressionable young kids have options other than NUFC and my question is, how much longer in this new age of football freedom if you like, can NUFC take it's public for granted? Aye i see what your saying but nowts changed from when i was a boy,some mates supported Man Ure,Liverpool,Arsenal..whichever team had recently been the most succesfull.. Young kids are the worst Glory Hunters you can get...they change their teams more times than they change their Mustard and Brown Y Fronts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 I agree with Gemmill, force the bastards. Thought I sometimes wonder what would have become of me if the first game I saw hadn't been a 7-1 murdering of Swindon. My 8 year old mind probably thought it would be like that every week. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveItIfWeBeatU Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 His son wants to go to the Emirates to see his heroes (Fabregas) play and the poor father said next season he's planning on taking him as he goes to away games, he'll be there cheering on the Toon while his son will be there cheering on Arsenal. I thought fuck me, but the bloke says he's taken him to loads of matches and the kid isn't interested because we play crap football and have no good players apparently. He wants to be a midfielder and has chosen Fabregas to model his game on, and now Arsenal are his team. Next to us a mother butted in and said it was the same with her sons, three of them, who are all Man Utd daft now having went off Newcastle. He should tell his son that he can't go to the Emirates until he can pay for his own ticket and travel expenses. What would happen if Arsenal scored and there is his son cheering among all the Newcastle fans? Young kids don't have local pride and so where they come from doesn't mean much to them. They will get that when they get older. Everyone (especially children) want to be associated with winners. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 Glory hunting little shits if you ask me i agree they want to watch and support the best players who win games Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheDutchman Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 These parents should have done what any self-respecting toon fan would do and leathered these kids to within an inch of their lives tbh. Kids as young as 5 can and should be TOLD who to support. Tell them it's either NUFC or Santa won't be visiting them this year. Damn right you are! When I was a young lad my father told me who to support! And my son (havent got one yet) will do the same! And I will never visit the stadium of the enemy because my son wants it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenny Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 It's Big Four media saturation. Unless you can get your kid going to matches, all he is going to see is Manyoo, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. I'm sure if Martins got as much airtime as Fabregas he'd be just as popular. To save local football, you need to get rid of the Sky contract and make clubs sell their own live matches, and you need to change Match of the Day so that the first 45 minutes is a roundup of your local team with analysis from local pundits, followed by 45 minutes showing the highlights of the other big games of the day. It's not going to happen though as most clubs make more money from television than they do from supporters. We are probably one of the few exceptions. i wouldnt particularly like that tho cos i live in the south east! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 It's Big Four media saturation. Unless you can get your kid going to matches, all he is going to see is Manyoo, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. I'm sure if Martins got as much airtime as Fabregas he'd be just as popular. To save local football, you need to get rid of the Sky contract and make clubs sell their own live matches, and you need to change Match of the Day so that the first 45 minutes is a roundup of your local team with analysis from local pundits, followed by 45 minutes showing the highlights of the other big games of the day. It's not going to happen though as most clubs make more money from television than they do from supporters. We are probably one of the few exceptions. i wouldnt particularly like that tho cos i live in the south east! but if you have sky you can choose your regional channel, just choose the north east Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenny Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 It's Big Four media saturation. Unless you can get your kid going to matches, all he is going to see is Manyoo, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. I'm sure if Martins got as much airtime as Fabregas he'd be just as popular. To save local football, you need to get rid of the Sky contract and make clubs sell their own live matches, and you need to change Match of the Day so that the first 45 minutes is a roundup of your local team with analysis from local pundits, followed by 45 minutes showing the highlights of the other big games of the day. It's not going to happen though as most clubs make more money from television than they do from supporters. We are probably one of the few exceptions. i wouldnt particularly like that tho cos i live in the south east! but if you have sky you can choose your regional channel, just choose the north east true! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Morph Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 I play cricket in the durham senior league, and all of the kids in our academy are football mad, and all of them (bar one mackem) support the toon. Thats about 20 kids for you. As for my young cousin, he also plays football for leam rangers, and just about all of the kids i have seen support the toon as well. i don't think it will ever be a problem, due to the sheer mass of people living in the region. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howaythelads Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 I play cricket in the durham senior league, and all of the kids in our academy are football mad, and all of them (bar one mackem) support the toon. Thats about 20 kids for you. As for my young cousin, he also plays football for leam rangers, and just about all of the kids i have seen support the toon as well. i don't think it will ever be a problem, due to the sheer mass of people living in the region. I don't think the club takes the public for granted anyway. They know we've had shit crowds before, they know that if we suddenly become really shit it will happen again because when we are really shit the bandwagon jumpers will disappear. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jong24 Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 These parents should have done what any self-respecting toon fan would do and leathered these kids to within an inch of their lives tbh. Kids as young as 5 can and should be TOLD who to support. Tell them it's either NUFC or Santa won't be visiting them this year. F*** me! I agree with Gemmill! What have I been drinking? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinho lad Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/6307/beheadthosewhoinsultislob0.jpg Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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