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Awww, Mr Bovine, yr just too kind. Whilst thrilled at being excluded at yer generalisation of "too many racists from that area..." it's still not the sort of rubbish I'd expect to pass your keyboard. The Geordies are certainly not saints - I've seen some horrible things at matches, especially in the 80s - but that sort of behaviour was not exclusive to the north east. I don't know if you ever went to Maine Road but some of the most pathetic specimens known to walk this earth were frequenting that sh1thole right up until you left for pastures new a couple of years ago.

Anyway, the main purpose of this missive was to respond to your 'where were you when you were sh1te' claim (EVERYONE ELSE PLEASE LOOK AWAY NOW AS IT'S GONNA GET VERY DULL). I realise this is a bit anal but it always makes me smile when I hear that, especially from one of your mob. You should know better, eh? First up, here are some Newcastle United average home attendances from the year my dad first took me to St James' Park (together with our league position for that season, just so you can see how sh1te we were - nearly as bad as Citeh, in fact)...

2001/2002 Premiership - 4 - 51,373
2000/2001 Premiership - 11 - 51,309
1999/2000 Premiership - 11 - 36,333
1998/1999 Premiership - 13 - 36,665
1997/1998 Premiership - 13 - 36,672
1996/1997 Premiership - 2 - 36,467
1995/1996 Premiership - 2 - 36,506
1994/1995 Premiership - 6 - 34,691
1993/1994 Premiership - 3 - 33,794
1992/1993 Division One (New) - 1(C) - 29,048
1991/1992 Division Two (Old) - 20 - 21,012
1990/1991 Division Two (Old) - 11 - 16,879
1989/1990 Division Two (Old) - 3 - 21,579
1988/1989 Division One (Old) - 20(R) - 22,815
1987/1988 Division One (Old) - 8 - 21,059
1986/1987 Division One (Old) - 17 - 24,792
1985/1986 Division One (Old) - 11 - 23,434
1984/1985 Division One (Old) - 14 - 26,228
1983/1984 Division Two (Old) - 3(P) - 29,881
1982/1983 Division Two (Old) - 5 - 24,116
1981/1982 Division Two (Old) - 9 - 17,276
1980/1981 Division Two (Old) - 11 - 16,001
1979/1980 Division Two (Old) - 9 - 23,345
1978/1979 Division Two (Old) - 8 - 20,494
1977/1978 Division One (Old) - 21(R) - 24,729
1976/1977 Division One (Old) - 5 - 33,599
1975/1976 Division One (Old) - 15 - 33,060
1974/1975 Division One (Old) - 15 - 34,614

I'll admit there were some dodgy attendances in there. I particularly remember standing on the Gallowgate in about 1979 with what must've been less then 10k in there. But it was totally p1ssing down and the game was abandoned at h-t. Can't see any "13,000s" in those averages though). And you'll probably be remember that football was not very popular in the 80s - assuming you were interested, of course

And so what about Man Citeh. The world's loyalist supporters... in the Kippax every week since you popped out of the womb, etc, etc. Fcuking horseplop... have a look at some of these amazing turn-outs...

9,373 8/10/86 Southend Littlewoods Cup
15,172 4/4/88 Reading Div 2 (12 other crowds sub 20,000 in 87/88)
15,430 16/9/88 Millwall Div 2
8,551 22/9/87 Wolves Littlewoods Cup
9,454 18/9/88 Plymouth Littlewoods Cup
12,204 10/10/90 Torquay Rumbelows Cup
10,987 25/9/91 Chester Rumbelows Cup
9,967 23/9/92 Bristol Rovers Rumbelows Cup
9,280 9/9/83 Reading Coca Cola Cup
11,545 5/10/94 Barnet Coca Cola Cup
11,474 4/10/95 Wycombe Coca Cola Cup
11,106 13/11/98 Halifax FA Cup
8,595 15/12/98 Darlington FA Cup
10,063 19/8/98 Notts Co. Worthington Cup
11,074 11/8/99 Burnley Worthington Cup

But I think this one is my favourite...

16,266 4/3/95 Norwich Premier League

Take away Wimbledon's truly awful stats and this one must be in the top 10 worst attendances ever in the Premier League. Brilliant! Were Oasis playing that night too?!

Anyway, so there you are. And just to finish with a sweeping generalisation: Citeh fans? Fcuking w**kers, the lot of 'em.

Take care, man

-sd

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the TRACK & FIELD organisation
London, England
info@trackandfield.org.uk
www.trackandfield.org.uk

I actually like Glen Roeder, and I hope he does a bloody good job for Newcastle. It's nice that the Geordie Boardie have given him some encouragement, he never got it at West Ham; everyone at the club took an immediate dislike to him from the start there given his lack of previous experience and the problems there lied deeper than that. Best of luck to him.

Blimey, Bovine’s really managed to bring all the Geordies out of the woodwork..

Can we expect a Ron Atkinson-style retort ??

(Incidentally, Big Ron is now “assistant coach” (or something) to the manager of Swindon Town. And its pure co-incidence that Swindon is (I think) the only league club to have a black manager. I can imagine the PR shots with Big Ron’s arms around the guy while wearing a T-shirt that says “I love spades, me”)

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If Ian Curtis had lived, and enjoyed the ale…

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Having defended my family honour, I will say this: the "Geordie Nation" stuff is embarressing crap and, like all forms of Nationalism, is a mix of foolish romanticism and intolerence towards "outsiders".

As a way of thinking it's encouraged by the fact that Newcastle is (or was - not lived there since 1989) one of the least racially diverse cities in Britain. There's a small Indian population but virtually no black people or even white people who've moved there from other parts of the country (compared to somewhere like Cov, where no one seems to mind where you come from, a southener in Newcastle constantly attracts "you're not from round here"-style comments).

This racial and cultural homogenity does not result directly in racism but I think it makes the slide easier. Certainly, I can remember moving down to London having lived in Newcastle for four years and being struck by how unusual it felt to see so many black and Asian people around.

_________________
the TRACK & FIELD organisation
London, England
info@trackandfield.org.uk
www.trackandfield.org.uk

aalreet Paul. Ahm sorry me aad mate but yee are slandering the canny good nyame o the Geordie nation. Please stop or me an me whippets will be forced te tyek forceful action tha neither yee nor Ah really want. An Oasis are arseholes.

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'Look at her standing there with chilli all over her dress. If I knew her better I'd buy her a puppy.'