94 replies to this topic

[ajax_andy]

Just wondering how you guys feel St James' compares now to say 10 or 20 years ago in terms of atmosphere?

Obviously your owners went down the re-devolpment route instead of building brand spanking new stadium, so do you feel this help retain some of the atmosphere?

Or is it a case of the more fans in a ground the more diluted the atmosphere becomes?

I'm thinking of writing an article about new vs redeveloped stadiums in the north east and think it's interesting that you are the only major club up here that didn't knock down your spritual home and build a new ground... do you know why the club chose to go down this route?  Was there ever a new stadium proposal, or has it never been muted?

[manc-mag]

You can't beat it for location. Unrivalled in English football, so relocation would have been even more of an issue for us than other clubs imho, in terms of losing one of the club's true virtues. That said the proposed move wasn't far at all Andy (Leazes Park).

[Monroe Transfer]

Are all your 'north-east articles' going to be about Newcastle?

[PaddockLad]

There was a new stadium proposed I think, on the Town Moor, which had the "save a gay whale" brigade up in arms. It almost certainly guaranteed the large scale redevelopment of SJP that we see today. And a fuckin ludicrous scheme dreamt up by the local press about sharing a stadium with the tramps near Gateshead. To be fair the Chronicle sold a lot of papers that night. We're lucky in a way, we can still make an almighty racket and quite often do. I think thats much the same as the old days, but its all reaction to whats happening on the pitch nowadays. We often used to create huge atmospheres on the open Gallowgate just by our own sheer exuberance,pride and of course at NUFC our sense of (black) humour when things were going tits up. Which they invairiably did. We created better atmospheres than clubs with a lot more to celebrate at the time than we did too.

Edited by PaddockLad, 16 February 2012 - 09:59 AM.

[ajax_andy]

Monroe Transfer, on 16 February 2012 - 09:54 AM, said:

Are all your 'north-east articles' going to be about Newcastle?

No my 1st one was about boro, the 2nd was about the toon, the 3rd was about sunderland, and my next will be about all 3 clubs looking at new vs redeveloped grounds and the atmosphere & cultural significance of each

[McFaul]

I think the atmosphere about the time I started going to games late 85 to 89, was absolutely amazing.  Watch Newcastle v West Ham 1986 to see what I mean.  Even though we were shit, amongst fair minded people we were rightly regarded as the best fans in England, we were by a million miles, vocally, numerically and loyalty wise virtually untouchable compared with anyone when you compare success by turn oot.  We come in the top 10 once between 1977 and 1994, yet we were always in the top 5th-7th best supported club in the country, seeing every world class player we had sold.  The atmosphere was almost always mint, although you can look back with rose tinted glasses.  Alan Hansen said on our promotion in 93 we were the best supporters in the world, and that's someone steeped in wallpusher delusions.

Even when it became all seater the atmosphere could be hair raising.  We won 32 out of 38 home games between 1995 and 1997, and the crowd won us so many points.  I remember a game against Everton we had 10 men for 80 minutes, and won 1-0 the crowd got us through.

The expanding of the stands in 2000, didn't help the atmosphere but you can even now get an absolutely brilliant noise at games, the mackems last season was up there with anything, and Cardiff the season before, but generally the atmosphere can still be OK, but modern fans have ruined it.  The younguns can't even sing we love ye Newcastle properly man, it's the modern fan, not all younguns are like this, but that's my reason behind why it's shit sometimes now.  I mean where I sit we're surrounded by cunts who go to garden centres on a Sunday (and enjoy it).

[ajax_andy]

PaddockLad, on 16 February 2012 - 09:59 AM, said:

There was a new stadium proposed I think, on the Town Moor, which had the "save a gay whale" brigade up in arms. It almost certainly guaranteed the large scale redevelopment of SJP that we see today. And a fuckin ludicrous scheme dreamt up by the local press about sharing a stadium with the tramps near Gateshead. To be fair the Chronicle sold a lot of papers that night. We're lucky in a way, we can still make an almighty racket and quite often do. I think thats much the same as the old days, but its all reaction to whats happening on the pitch nowadays. We often used to create huge atmospheres on the open Gallowgate just by our own sheer exuberance,pride and of course at NUFC our sense of (black) humour when things were going tits up. Which they invairiably did. We created better atmospheres than clubs with a lot more to celebrate at the time than we did too.

Thanks that's a great response

So you feel that maybe the club re-developed rather than moved because there weren't really many other possible alternative areas, and that the club has benefitted from this in the long term?

Someone made a good point to me about the Taylor report basically ruining the atmosphere at matches to a degree, and they are probably right, however it sounds like St James' still has a good atmosphere.

I remember after you last increased the capacyity a lot of people saying it had ruined the atmosphere, do you feel that wasn't the case, or do you feel it's just sorted itself out over time and re-found the atmosphere it had before?

[wykikitoon]

I goto a lot of cycling events in this contry and people are embarrassed to clap and cheer the cyclists for some reason and this is the same at matches.  People are scared of making noise in public places.

[McFaul]

I've long said that there should be a breathaliser going in to grounds, and if it's proven that you haven't had 4 pints before the game, unless you've got a doctors note, you should be refused admittance.

[ajax_andy]

McFaul, on 16 February 2012 - 09:59 AM, said:

I think the atmosphere about the time I started going to games late 85 to 89, was absolutely amazing.  Watch Newcastle v West Ham 1986 to see what I mean.  Even though we were shit, amongst fair minded people we were rightly regarded as the best fans in England, we were by a million miles, vocally, numerically and loyalty wise virtually untouchable compared with anyone when you compare success by turn oot.  We come in the top 10 once between 1977 and 1994, yet we were always in the top 5th-7th best supported club in the country, seeing every world class player we had sold.  The atmosphere was almost always mint, although you can look back with rose tinted glasses.  Alan Hansen said on our promotion in 93 we were the best supporters in the world, and that's someone steeped in wallpusher delusions.

Even when it became all seater the atmosphere could be hair raising.  We won 32 out of 38 home games between 1995 and 1997, and the crowd won us so many points.  I remember a game against Everton we had 10 men for 80 minutes, and won 1-0 the crowd got us through.

The expanding of the stands in 2000, didn't help the atmosphere but you can even now get an absolutely brilliant noise at games, the mackems last season was up there with anything, and Cardiff the season before, but generally the atmosphere can still be OK, but modern fans have ruined it.  The younguns can't even sing we love ye Newcastle properly man, it's the modern fan, not all younguns are like this, but that's my reason behind why it's shit sometimes now.  I mean where I sit we're surrounded by cunts who go to garden centres on a Sunday (and enjoy it).

Cheers for the info, I noticed you couldn't help add that little bit about Everton but I forgive you

Do you think that the all seater thing attracts different crowds then, or do you feel that maybe it's just changed people's approach and mentality... sort of like if you go to a gig and stand people are jumping around all over the place, but sit in the seated areas and it's very mundane.

If you had moved to the town moor do you think the atmosphere would be worse or no different?

Cheers

[ajax_andy]

McFaul, on 16 February 2012 - 10:05 AM, said:

I've long said that there should be a breathaliser going in to grounds, and if it's proven that you haven't had 4 pints before the game, unless you've got a doctors note, you should be refused admittance.

[sweetleftpeg]

The new ground was literally going to be next door on Castle Leazes..I did a feasibility study on it for my A-Level Business assignment! (geektastic)

As an aside, me and my mate have noticed that there seems to be a large influx of mackem/county Durham accents at the match these days, we've had three behind us the last few games with really broad mackem twangs. Anyone else noticed this?

[ajax_andy]

sweetleftpeg, on 16 February 2012 - 10:08 AM, said:

The new ground was literally going to be next door on Castle Leazes..I did a feasibility study on it for my A-Level Business assignment! (geektastic)

As an aside, me and my mate have noticed that there seems to be a large influx of mackem/county Durham accents at the match these days, we've had three behind us the last few games with really broad mackem twangs. Anyone else noticed this?

This is the reason why i dont understand why no-ones ever pumped any money in to Durham FC... I went to my mates in Crook last season to watch the derby and half the pub were stood there in red and white, and the other half in black and white... all mixed in together, all laughing and smiling and chatting.  Living in newcastle this seemed extremely odd to me!

I know a few 'die hard' geordies who were born, bred and live in County Durham and only go to Newcastle about twice a year and both times its because their missus wants to go clothes shopping

[McFaul]

sweetleftpeg, on 16 February 2012 - 10:08 AM, said:

The new ground was literally going to be next door on Castle Leazes..I did a feasibility study on it for my A-Level Business assignment! (geektastic)

As an aside, me and my mate have noticed that there seems to be a large influx of mackem/county Durham accents at the match these days, we've had three behind us the last few games with really broad mackem twangs. Anyone else noticed this?

Big time.  The thing is from 92 to about 2008 it was basically a closed shop in terms of season ticket holders, now any fucka can go, that's my theory.  You rarely heard a mackem accent pre Keegan the first time ever.

[ajax_andy]

sweetleftpeg, on 16 February 2012 - 10:08 AM, said:

The new ground was literally going to be next door on Castle Leazes..I did a feasibility study on it for my A-Level Business assignment! (geektastic)

As an aside, me and my mate have noticed that there seems to be a large influx of mackem/county Durham accents at the match these days, we've had three behind us the last few games with really broad mackem twangs. Anyone else noticed this?

So why do you think they didn't build a new stdium on Castle Leazes, and are you glad they went down the re-development route instead?

[sweetleftpeg]

We def hear more mackem accents at the game, since we got promoted actually. Maybe we've just got more round us. The reason I notice this, and I apologise to any County Durham born fans we have, is that I hate the mackem accent. It really grates on me. It just sounds like our accent gone way wrong.

[ajax_andy]

sweetleftpeg, on 16 February 2012 - 10:16 AM, said:

We def hear more mackem accents at the game, since we got promoted actually. Maybe we've just got more round us. The reason I notice this, and I apologise to any County Durham born fans we have, is that I hate the mackem accent. It really grates on me. It just sounds like our accent gone way wrong.

Probs from Shields though I'd imagine?  I've met many a person from Shields, Jarrow, Fellgate etc that sound distinctly Makem but support newcastle

[McFaul]

sweetleftpeg, on 16 February 2012 - 10:16 AM, said:

We def hear more mackem accents at the game, since we got promoted actually. Maybe we've just got more round us. The reason I notice this, and I apologise to any County Durham born fans we have, is that I hate the mackem accent. It really grates on me. It just sounds like our accent gone way wrong.

I makes my brain bleed, a proper Sunderland tewny accent/ Eyst Durum ye naa like Peaturlea, Eysington and 'Orden oh dear, oh dear.  West of the A1 isn't too bad, you couldn't detect much mackem in SBR, and you can't when you speak to Tom on here neither.

[sweetleftpeg]

ajax_andy, on 16 February 2012 - 10:14 AM, said:

sweetleftpeg, on 16 February 2012 - 10:08 AM, said:

The new ground was literally going to be next door on Castle Leazes..I did a feasibility study on it for my A-Level Business assignment! (geektastic)

As an aside, me and my mate have noticed that there seems to be a large influx of mackem/county Durham accents at the match these days, we've had three behind us the last few games with really broad mackem twangs. Anyone else noticed this?

So why do you think they didn't build a new stdium on Castle Leazes, and are you glad they went down the re-development route instead?

It was because 12 dog walkers did a made up petition iirc. They were at the monument trying to get names. The plan was to build the new ground on Castle Leazes and then SJP would become a sporting arena; Rugby, Basketball, Ice Hockey. It was Sir John's big dream. I remember that when it was kicking off about Castle Leazes he was threatening to take the club to Gateshead.

[McFaul]

ajax_andy, on 16 February 2012 - 10:17 AM, said:

sweetleftpeg, on 16 February 2012 - 10:16 AM, said:

We def hear more mackem accents at the game, since we got promoted actually. Maybe we've just got more round us. The reason I notice this, and I apologise to any County Durham born fans we have, is that I hate the mackem accent. It really grates on me. It just sounds like our accent gone way wrong.

Probs from Shields though I'd imagine?  I've met many a person from Shields, Jarrow, Fellgate etc that sound distinctly Makem but support newcastle

Nar they probably sound more like us than mackems, Happy Face and NJS will be pleased to see this crack