ajax_andy

I have a re-occuring dream... I'm sitting at work and working away on my pc, then I realise I need to do a shit. Luckily my chair is a 'toilet chair' so I can just do a dump without even getting up. So I proceed to curl one off, only half way through I suddenly get majorly self concious about the fact I'm taking a shit in front of all my work colleagues. Non of them seem interested but I still suddenly think "of shit I'm doing a poo in to my chair!" The other night it took a nasty twist where I had done my poo but was concious that a rather large bit hadn't 'broken off' and was kind of just hanging out of my arse... my boss asked me to take something upstairs but I knew if I did I'd have to stand up with a massive log hanging out of my backside which everyone would see. I managed to stall her for a couple of minutes and luckily the turd fell off and in to the chair toilet just in the nick of time. I then woke up. Does anyone think I might need some serious help after reading that?

Some absolute classics on this last page!!!

Just want to say I'm really surprised so many people have voted, and cheers to everyone who did... over 90% in favour is a very revealing statistic and I'll use that in the article. Cheers everyone

Ahh fair enough, I'll have a look and see if it is tho in a bit

Haven't heard of it before... what's the perks? Dunno, never used the one you mention. Sounds identical, but Pandora has 100million users compared to 1million on Jango, so worth trying to see what people prefer. Haha yeah that would suggest Pandora is a better alternative Is it free?

Haven't heard of it before... what's the perks?

Never heard of this until today but installed it and what you do is put the name of an artist in, then it plays one of their songs, once that finishes it plays another song by someone else but that is in a similar style, and then so on and so forth. You basically just listen to one song by an artist at a time and then it moves on to a related one. Takes you on a kind of random musical journey that you'd never have gone on yourself. Started off with Ben Howard and several songs later I'm listening to Sea Sick Steve lol... random but quality!

Hah nah I'd take all the credit and pretend I was some sort of footballing Oracle

Doesn't really answer my question tho does it Putting the financial aspect aside would you welcome a standing area?

Further to my post about the atmosphere at St James' these days, do you feel a safe standing area in the gorund would help improve the match day experience and vocailty of support?

Took the missus to Dabawall which is a new indian restaurant on new bridge street (or high bridge street... one or the other) and the food there was excellent, as was the service. Popadoms, 2 starters, 2 mains, a rice, a nan, a beer for me and a wine for her - £50 so pretty decent price

1. No more than it changed expanding the capacity at St James' Park, and in turn migrating to individual pockets of "atmosphere" (noise / chants etc), which I think has made it worse. I think the spark would have been lost PRIOR to the game, the gut feeling in the build up heading to St James' and taking your position in the gallowgate, leazes corner, etc but I can't see this translating into any loss of atmosphere during the game. I enjoy having a few pints in Shearers or Strawberry before the game ALMOST as much as watching it! It wouldnt be the same if it wasnt St James'. 2. Not sure if diluted is the word but the all seater stadium is far more agreeable for family, tourists, women and kids. The increase in this demographic has definitely changed the atmosphere from the terraces. 3. Yes and see my first answer! Cheers mate

I think I've learned a lot from this thread and also one I posted on a makem one... both sides seem to think that it's more to do with the modern day fan, than the arena in which the team plays. I think everyone filtering in, taking their seats and sitting waiting for the match to start changes the complexion of football supporting, and also the way people approach a match day now... and then those who want to be vocal feel it's hard to be so when you have a load of young uns and garden centre lovers looking at you like you have two heads. So what would be the solution? Standing areas? They have them in Germany... do you feel if they introduced these it would help create a better atmosphere as all the loud fans would go to this stand and maybe the noise would filter through to the other supporters would might join in?

great lots of excellent info in these posts so please keep them coming Just so I can nail down things a little more precisely (I only have 500 words to write about all 3 stadiums) can I get answers to the following questions: 1) Do you think the atmosphere would have changed if you had moved to a new stadium on the Town Moore or Castle Leazes 2) Do you think the atmosphere was always going to be diluted by the introduction of all seater stadiums 3) Do you think one of the unique match day atmosphere is so good due to following in the same footsteps as previous generations and if you'd move to say the Town Moor that this would have changed the whole feeling of going to a match?

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 Not sure about that... they say "mirrow" instead or mirror and anyone who says that is definately Makem (and also stupid in my eyes)

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. Thanks for that, so basically 2 proposed moves were knocked back due to opposition? I wasn't aware of that

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

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?

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

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

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?

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

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?

Bought the missus some roses and a card and then cooked a proper slap up meal - river cobbler fish cakes with a salsa dip, followed by Beef Wellington with sweet potato and carrot mash, all washed down with a nice bottle of wine. She gave me a card and a blow job. Everyone was happy