Geordies aren't so special - apparently
Another day, another southern journalist failing to understand exactly what Newcastle United is all about.
This time serial Newcastle United hater Mick Dennis, infamous in these parts for making insignificant points about attendances down the years (type in nufc.com and his name on a google search for more on this), has dredged up one of his stock debates for an airing that Newcastle aren't a big club and the fans here aren't too special.
Norwich fan Dennis - who is probably doing it for a bit of attention or deflecting the attention away from his own struggling side - was clearly irritated by my claim that we don't want to be going to Plymouth, Barnsley and Blackpool next season.
See more of this here
There may well be "genuine fans at other clubs" but as far as the Championship is concerned (you know the old Second Division as we know it after spending several miserable years in it), it's the place that nobody in the Premier League wants to be.
I never buy into this silly argument from fans outside the division that they don't want to be in the Premier League because it's full of bling, money and prawn sarnies and that the grass is greener in the Championship, League One or League Two or anywhere else.
We know all about it up here because we've tried cutting it (Fereday, Sloan, Bradshaw, Sweeney etc etc) and it's not the place to be.
As a follower of non-league myself with Whitley Bay (Wembey 09 and all that) I can certainly see the appeal of lower league football.
You can stand where you want, you don't have to queue for pies and you can talk to the players and the manager at full-time without being moved on.
But that doesn't for a minute suggest I'd want Newcastle to give up their place in the Premier League so that we can have this cleansing effect in the Championship that we have in the eyes of Dennis brought on ourselves.
We've done this by proclaiming we're the best fans and how awful of us to expect to watch a team that plays good football and challenges for trophies at the top.
Those hopes have been put on hold by the current regime who by their own admission have made huge mistakes.
Now, we're going to get what's coming according to Dennis!
But Plymouth is still not a "great away trip" to me, especially on a Friday night when it is chucking it down with hail and snow and you lose 2-0 in December as anybody present on the 20.12.91 will tell you.
Blackpool is not where this club has been set up to go and who cares about large TV screens?
And while Barnsley means you can be back in the Toon long before last orders on away trips on a Saturday, it doesn't mean that any of the mass following who would be there next season will be rubbing their hands at the prospect.
I was talking to Mick Quinn the other week before the 2-0 defeat against Chelsea and he said that unless you live here or have played for the club you simply won't understand it.
I agree with Quinn, but I have spoken to plenty of non-Toon players, former players from other clubs and other fans and journalists from other clubs and other parts of the world who would also agree with Quinny.
Just like I don't understand Norwich and how their fans think.
One thing I can say about Norwich is that it's pain in the neck to get to for Toon fans.
And while Toon fans would also go to Norwich in their numbers again and drink the place dry (Mirandinha's debut anyone?), they might not have the chance next season as the not so chirpy Canaries could make the amazing journey from Bayern Munich away to Rochdale in 16 years!
Despite the 2-0 loss against Chelsea, the last few days have been heart warming.
Chris Hughton is no longer in charge of the ship and Dennis Wise has left Toon.
Toon and England legend Alan Shearer, who incredibly Dennis says conned fans in his playing days, is in charge and has the team fired up for Stoke City on Saturday with the Toon stars spurred on by 7,500 fans watching a training session at St James's Park.
Shearer - who made all of his Toon players sign 100s of autographs after the session for fans - said himself last week that it had been drummed into the players what relegation means for the people of Tyneside.
He said: "Do we want to be playing at grounds where there are 10,000 people in or do we want to be going to Old Trafford and Anfield."
For me that's a no brainer, but I will leave it up to you.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
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Lee Ryder - Proudly born and bred on Tyneside, the Chronicle's chief sports writer has followed the fortunes of the club over the last three decades as a Toon fan and football writer.
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eeeee yiv got to laugh tho lee
big screen tv's and a nice chinese, you can git that on any highstreet in the country without even going to the match ,mayswell stay at hyem.
your statement was honest and respectful to the lower leagues,he's embarraced himself once again with his mindless drivel,
take nee notice the blokes a t@sser (and anyone with half a brain can see that)
good comeback peice lee keep up the good work
You could spend your life trying to explain to outsiders the beauty of Geordieland and of being a subject of it, but they just don't get it. Quinny's got it, so's Supermac and wor Bob Moncur.....the list goes on and on. I've spent my life writing and singing it's platitudes and most non-Geordies who've heard my stuff are puzzled not just by the dialect, but my passion for my home. I'm sure there are other people with that same passion for their town and football club, but I haven't seen anything match ours. I was at Mira's debut in Norwich, and helped drink it dry with the very lovely locals who were frankly in awe of us. Good job it was a draw though. Forget Dennis Lee, he's a plonker. I often read bbc sport blogs and they're usually chocker with cocknies, mancys and scousers on toon streams who just love putting the boot into us ' deluded ' Geordies. I've wasted time and energy trying to explain in intelligent terms what we're about, but they're either all morons or perhaps only morons go onto our blogs. There were over 700 comments on the Shearer story last week, mostly derision, and occasionally well wishes from loads of other teams nationwide, and I've got it sussed now. Just like the Norwich supporters in the pubs after the game, they are in awe of us. They might also be a little afraid of our ferocious pride and dialect, so to abuse us from a safe distance is a bit of bravado. I certainly had many a pint bought for me when working on the trowel in the smoke, just because I was a Geordie. They'd ask me to say Geordie phrases like gannin doon the road, and try to copy me. I've never seen them do that to jocks, paddies or taffs, certainly not to mancs or brummies, but we simply have a mysterious charisma that arouses their curiosity. Just live with it Lee and enjoy.
When abroad If i'm asked if I'm English/ or British? -I always reply "Yes, i'm a Geordie!" sadly we just need a team to show they understand what that statement means..
Unfortunately we will be regulated at the end of the season,
Ashley did a smart thing when he appointed Alan Shearer take the pressure of him come the end of the season? (smart move)
He should have been put in place weeks ago?
Ashley smart move?? Certainly taken the pressure off, but if this doesn't bring a buyer in, then he still has a problem with the upcoming season ticket sales. No Shearer, No sales, the problem has not gone away, only suspended.
The main issue Mick Dennis fails to grasp is the fact that our football club is a catalyst of the city. The importance of keeping our premiership status can not be understated. Look at Leeds. It is almost as if their city has disappeared from the map. The revenue generated by NUFC being a premiership club is massivley important to the city. Football has always been an escape for us. Even more so during hard times. When i read Mick Dennis' article (he's a Norwcih fan) i just thought...small club, small city , no passion, rubbish paper.
Mick Dennis is a prat, He dosent know what he's talking about! He needs to get over his massive ego trip and take a good long look at his own team before making comments on anyone else's anyone remember the delia war cry? Pathetic excuse for a football club. I am a mackem who lives in toon so i know how great your fan base is and it is an awesome atmosphere on matchdays in toon! Cant see going to the likes of norwich being the same. But i wouldn't worry two much if newcastle do go down you wont have to worry about the trip to norwich as it looks like they will be getting relegated soon as well! Mick Dennis take your head out of your rectum before you attack people in the north east we are far superior to the likes of you, you absolute piece of pond life!
Let me say firstly that it isn't very often I agree with Mick Dennis however, he's right though isn't he? That's probably what angers the write of this post. Just why Newcastle fans self proclaim themselves as the best fans in the world remains a mystery.
You don't like Mick calling out the Geordie fans yet you then go and ridicule Norwich, Barnsley, Plymouth and the like as not being good enough to play you.
Newcastle are where they are in the league as they've been a poor team this season. The sooner Geordie fans realise that and stop this shameless self promotion the better for Football.
Its not that you're not special its just that you're not any different to any other set of football fans
For the size of the city, Norwich are actually quite a well supported club, but they are a county club; I know because I live there. The population of Norfolk is about 850,000 now.
The problem with comparing crowds is that everybody selects the data that suits their case; I can remember being in crowds well under 15,000 at Highbury, for example and there was a better atmosphere in the Highbury Barn pub up the road.
The most interesting crowd figure to me is NUFC's just under 57,000 average national record in the 2nd Division in 1947-8? in the days before mass travel and the internationalisation of MUFC, LFC etc. Fans of Everton and Man City [well supported clubs]keep coming up with the "what would we get if we were a one club city"? type of question. One answer to that question could be what would Fulham get if they were the only club in London?
Why in God's name is our site being hijacked by these people??? Have they not got their own clubs to talk about??It is all down to you Lee, giving these parasite journo's the publicity they crave.
We were playing champions league football not so long ago and due to a series of unfathomable decisions by subsequent chairman and owner we find ourselves in a relegation fight. We have seen Sir Bobby undermined and then sacked, Keegan undermined, the appointment of awful managers and incompetents making crucial decisions for the club (Dennis Wise for God's sake). Apparently the fans deserve this. We are deluded, we think we should beat Man utd 5-0 every time we play them. We think we are the best fans in the world.
The only managers we want are Keegan and Shearer. Therefore managerial geniuses like Souness and Allerdyce were undermined.
The truth is:
The club was built up into something special
and then knocked down. It was being rebuilt again by SBR and was knocked down again. Now that nice Mr Ashley sat smugly watching Hughton, who never claimed to be a manager, lose game after game as we hurtled towards relegation. The manager he appointed because he was the only man who would take the job, was in hospital having a triple bypass operation.
We are talking about a multi million pound club with a fantastic ground and the only club in a large catchment area. A club that fell from champions league to a pile of rubbish in a few years.
I am not deluded but disillusioned.
Not sure who Brian from Durham is referring to when he writes about people hijacking the site. What I do know from years of experience following NUFC is that they have the best fans in the country --- and just for good measure, Sunderland probably have the second best, all things considered.
Typical southern bias from a clueless canary! The only good thing about Plymouth, Blackpool etc is the road out!
Matt Bright? last time I looked matt was dull, and so are you by your patter matey. We have had vitually full houses since Keegan first graced our park as a manager and won absolutely nothing. Does this not automatically single us out as at least special, or loyal whatever? Who else can you think of to do this? We do it as a Geordie nation to support our team, create a feel-good factor in our city and gewnerally to declare our Geordieness. Something you'll never get unless you've lived here for a few years. That's why many of our ex-footballers from far and wide have stayed here after finishing their careers at the club....even Africans. There doesn't exhist in the south this passion for region and dialect. I think scousers have it to some extent, also Glaswegians, but I'm scratching to think of anywhere else.
I have have just read this so called journalist Dennis' article. Is this guy taking the 'mick' or what. If we put aside his clearly ill-informed thoughts on the great geordie nation, his comments on wor Al are nothing short of disgraceful and hugely disrespectful. To say the man 'conned the fans' is rediculous. How can he, as a follower of football, never mind nufc, and self-proclaimed 'voice of football' say that about a man that has proudly captained his club and country, is the all time record scorer in the best league in world football by some margin and gave 10 years loyal service to his home town club, scoring the goals that have clearly been sorely missed by the current shambles that call themselves our team. He then goes on to say that shearer always takes the comfy option. Does this mean his decision not to go and win umpteen trophies with man utd to lead his home town club the comfy option?
This guy needs to take a good look at himself because what has he achieved? a $£^& writer, for a !"£$ paper that tramps probably use to wipe their backsides with.
Sorry for ranting on here Lee, but unsurprisingly the express have closed the 'have your say' bit under this idiots article.
Good luck to big Al and the lads on Saturday, hope we see some fight and passion finally from this bunch of jokers
Howay the Lads!!
ok.. Sometimes I use the F word or the S word in my posts.. i\They don't get posted so here we go again..We all need to get behind the lads at Stoke tonight. Regardless of anything, a win will lift the spirits of everyone, and i am counting down to 1 am my time here in Aus with my fingers, toes and everything else crossed.. Please god, I gave up beer and porn for Lent so I expect a win from the lads in return... H'way the lads
Get your heads out of your backsides man.
With remarks like "geordie nation, special, best fans" etc its not surprising that people ridicule you, stop giving them ammunition and then maybe the respect you demand will come!
You are the same as every other fan albeit more loyal than the southern shandy drinkers, so just support ya team and if you cant take it dont dish it out.
Hello,
I'm not a geordie, or a newcastle fan. But for what its worth, its obvious to me that Newcastle are a big club (whatever that means), I accept that if I was in your position I'd be upset about going to Blackpool etc, and I've always been impressed by Newcastle fans whenever I've seen them at games, at St James' or elsewhere.
The only point I really wanted to make is to Ronnie Lambert who thinks that geordies have a mysterious charisma because he's been asked to parrot a few phrases.
I'm Scottish. And guess what, I've been asked to say things in my accent a few times. I'm sure thats true for anyone with an 'accent'!
I'm sure thats true of Irish, Welsh and lots of other people.
Your team DOES have charisma. It DOES have something special. And it DOES have lots of great fans. But lots of other teams and people do as well, there's nothing "uniquely unique" about geordies any more than there is lots of other teams, and just because people like your accent doesn't mean you have a mysterious charisma that no-one else has!
I hear people say this sort of stuff all over the world, and I always wonder why they can't just accept people have a warmth towards them (lucky you!) without then going on to say that they are somehow better than people from other areas. Whether thats Glasgow, London or even Norwich!
Sorry that all sounds a bit reasonable. Maybe I should say something anti-English or anti-Newcastle just to spice it up. But I don't want to!