From the Telegraph Newspaper on Monday In response to an FA Cup crowd at the Stadium of Plight on Saturday of 24,966: Sixty seconds of silence for the late Bob Stokoe provided oodles of time to consider The Great North-East Football Tradition. Er . . . what tradition? Dear old Bob was the last guy to collect any domestic silverware on behalf of either Sunderland or Newcastle. At Wembley in 1955 as a player with United and again in 1973 when he famously ran on to the pitch to mob Jim Montgomery after Sunderland had pulled off the biggest FA Cup final upset of all times. "What's that shiny thing?" queried supporters as Montgomery paraded the trophy around the Stadium of Light before Saturday's fifth-round tie with Birmingham City. It should remind Wearsiders how insubstantial their pedigree really is. What they do have here when you boil it down is a great tradition of watching football and waiting for something to happen. I would never say it to their faces because life is cruel enough when a citizenry once world-renowned for building battleships is now forced to assemble Japanese cars. The fans are fickle. Whereas the Toon Army would happily watch 11 donkeys dressed in black and white, these folk want blood. Live television coverage would not have reduced a Newcastle Cup crowd to 25,000 as it did at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. The truth is that despite an apparent metropolitan yearning for football, most of Sunderland's support comes from the old mining areas of County Durham. The city fails to pull its weight. I think I know why. Red and white stripes. Sporting and sartorial death. It has finally dawned on a population of 280,000 that there's no future in the outfit. It's seaside rock. Signal toothpaste. Passe. You could get away with it in the Thirties when Sunderland last looked menacing but you could get away with canvas bathing tents on Seaburn beach then. History shows us that no team in this unfortunate livery are likely to graduate beyond the also-rans' enclosure. Lincoln City, Sheffield United, Atletico Madrid - you name 'em, they've made up the numbers. Why do you think Gordon Strachan is leaving Southampton? A painstaking dossier produced by Sunderland's under-cover historian, Rob Mason, reveals that with the exception of Red Star Belgrade, PSV Eindhoven and River Plate of Buenos Aires, red and white stripes have been a recipe for mediocrity. To make matters worse, Sunderland have been indirectly responsible for exporting the virus to Spain. Like many of his colleagues, a 19th Century stevedore called Arthur Pentland did a shipbuilding stint in Bilbao. In between thumping home rivets, Arthur co-founded Athletic Bilbao and ordered their costumes. The Basques not only played in a replica red-and-white-striped kit, but loaned a spare set of vests to the emerging Atletico Madrid, who have laboured in Real's shadow ever since. Civic leaders on Wearside take note. Bilbao only built the Guggenheim to divert attention from its failings in La Liga. If you go for the red-and-white sympathy vote, fellas, you might get a museum out of this.
Typical pasties eating journalism!! The crowd was not reduced because of the television covered but because it was Valentines night! Who in their right mind would ask the missues if they could go to the match on that night!!! I tried and got a fucking earful!!! Bottom line is the skunks have won fuck all since '55 and Bobby will be worm food before you get a sniff of another cup!! Go have a corn beef pastie and bottle of Brown and GET OVER IT!
Re: From the Telegraph Newspaper on Monday I was very disapointed with the attendance on Saturday i was expecting a good turn out. Ive got no excuses for it as im not one of the stay away fans and pride myself of being a true supporter goin to both home and away games for years and years on end. It only seems to be at home where the supporters are staying away because every away game is sold out. I also agree that most of Sunderlands support comes from the old mining villages and towns because im from peterlee and its all sunderland along with easington horden blackhall shotton etc. But ive no doubt if we get back to the Premier League we will have 40,000 plus once again. I also ask all Newcastle united supporters to honestly think about if they had to put up with all the SHIT Sunderland have had to over the years do you honestly think you wud get more supporters coming to watch you than Sunderland?
If I may get on my soapbox for a moment here.. The one thing about Newcastle fans which has always bugged me is this air of arrogance they have. Where the hell has it come from? Im not talking a Mancf**ker united arrogance because they have an excuse, just a general swagger of being better than others. I'm sure having a miniature collection of runners up medals is great and having corinthian football pro-stars in the trophy cabinet so it dont look empty is equally merited. Im not having an attack here I just don't get it. The Fairs Cup in 69 was an achievement but boasting of the divison one title is all you've got.. so please be realists and acknowledge that you are like everybody else in the premier league. No more or less 'special'. You can't win the league. As a Liverpool fan I've come to terms with it. I don't like it but I have a foot in reality. End the arrogance. One love. Later
