Reading LR's posting reminded me of the two occasions I went to Joker Park and we weren't playing. I went with a Mackem acquaintance and am pleased to report that the scores were: Sunderland 0-2 Norwich City and Sunderland 0-2 Everton.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Answers

More times than I care to mention.....I've a lot of friends who are mackems and I've attended games with them in London when they've been down....in a non-supportive role!!! I've also been up to the stadium of shite once or twice with Charlton and QPR friends....had a great time on both of those occasions ;))

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

I once got right up to the turnstiles with two mates who were makems before turning away, close call. I was about 12 at the time didn't have an idea who they were playing. Incidently (sp) I saw one of them at OT v's Spurs c/w black & white stripes and couldn't help remind him of his makem background.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

I can quite honestly say with my hand on my heart that if the Makems were playing in my front street.....I would pull the f***ing curtains closed.

Given the opportunity, I would go to any ground to watch any team anywhere in the country and that includes Netwon Heath, but NOT the Makems and not the SdM......even if the tickets were free.

I would watch them at SJP, but I wouldn't even go to the SdM to see them play the Toon. I wouldn't give the red'n'white shite the steam off my p*ss let alone my money.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Never, not even while living away to bring me closer to the NE. Wouldn't waste the money. :o)

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Yep... bunked off school to watch Keegan and Liverpool in a League Cup game on a Wednesday afternoon (1973/4???) Miners strike(?) so it was afternoon to avoid using floodlights??/

dates and exact details probably wrong but I remember getting bollocked for missing double History. We made the mistake of asking for the afternoon off, being told "no", and then going anyway and turning up with a sick-note the following day... not very clever!

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Say what you mean ITK, don't sit on the fence! ;-))

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

ITK

I'd only see NUFC at St James Park. Any other team that turns up is just an additional 11 players to be beaten. And I'd even see the lads at the SoS just to outsing the Chimp Fanciers - begrudge them the money for the ticket, but sing all the same.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Spot on ITK. It's bad enough knowing the slimey gits get a share when they play at SJP, never mind forking out to get into their festering sh*t hole.

I'd be under a modicum of pressure to fork out, but, if I knew in advance we'd win by a cricket score.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Pit Bill, home team takes ALL the dosh for league games. Cup games the away team gets about 25%

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Point taken ITK. I did feel guilty about giving them the money but I knew they'd wate it anyway. Some things never change.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Weyyuhbuggamah, why did I think the away side had a share ? Yer larn summat new every day.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Remember going to see me Nan in Gateshead about ten years ago , and the week before id gone to see Bournemouth play Ipswich and stood in the Bournemouth end and they won .. On the Wednesday i was in Gateshead and the Cherries were at joker park , so i thot id go and make up the numbers . I ended up being one of the only 50 traveeling support on a wet Sunderland evening 3rd round League cup , but ill never forget the only goal of the game which went Bournemouths way , and their lad s going absolutely potty . Mind you when we got let out i was shit scared cos i wasnt getting onto the bus with the rest of them ... ive never been back since , but remember what a hole of a stadium it was , If i went a wandering along the cliffs of Dover and if i seen a sunderland fan id ....... over and over and over : - ))

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Hey Bill......up until a couple of years back (although it may be since the Premier league started, my memory is going you know) now where was I.....up until a couple of years back, the two LEAGUE sides did share the spoils or the gate, but then it was decided that the home team would take all, therefore putting increased pressure on them to fill their own ground.

As has also been stated, this rule does NOT apply to cup matches, as you could technically be drawn away from home in every round to the final, therefore play the matches without financial gain, but I think you will actualy find that it is 40% that each team takes with the other 20% going to the FA/Football League/Premier League.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

ITK, it was about 7 years back (doesn't time fly!). The home side in Cup games gets a percentage to cover costs so the split is something like Home 60%, Away 20%, FA/League swindlers the rest.... or something like that.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Yikes! I just remembered I also went to The Dell to see Southampton play the (ptuh) Mackems in a midweek cup game. That was in the good old 80's when you were in a pub at 6:30pm and someone would say "fancy gannin to watch a footy game?" and an hour later you'd be standing freezing with 10000 others.

All ticket? Pa!

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

I was in the mackem end at Wembley for the Milk Cup final in '85 (don't ask how - long story), had me black and white shirt on under me jumper. Deep, deep, joy when Clive Walker missed their penalty, even deeper joy to see 25000 despondent mackem faces at the final whistle.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Interesting one this as it was LR who initially started it rolling, once in my life, Sunderland -v- Manchester Utd, first game if I remember correctly following the Munich Air Disaster. I was playing Northern League at the time and Manchester fielded Corbett Cresswell from Bishop Auckland plus Warren Bradley from the same club, and another player from the Northern League (Crook Town) I thinkm c`mon True and Pit Bull help me out here, the score was 1-1, (not sure) and the feeling generated from a large crowd for Manchester was immense. Bobby Charlton played and Im sure it was Albert Quixalls first game, Later in 1960 I played against Manchester in the Gzira Stadium in Malta while they were on tour.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Twice, against John Toshack's Swansea in the 80's, and Everton in the 90's. I have friends and family who are Mackems.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Can't remember the date or even the year, but a long long time ago me and some mates went to Joker Park to see Liverpool send them down to Div 2. I think the score was 2-0 Pool. If I recall correctly there were thousands wearing Black and White scarves etc, all cheering for the scousers of course.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Yeah - I entertained 4 Mackems (customers) to Corporate Hostility at Villa Park last season. Mind you, I did wear my NUFC shirt (under my jumper - I'm not that stupid) and took great pleasure exposing it (!) when Villa scored. They've knocked the bliddy place doon since then.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

1982 ish .... 2 o'clock at the City Ground to see our reserves play Forest reserves, Buff, I think Nigel Walker was playing that day, got to half time and we left and crossed the river to see Sunderland play Notts County. It was an appalling game, it was in the top division and County's only player of note was John Chedozie (sp). The mackems had a 17 year old sub that the fans were baying to be brought on. Alan Durban refused until the dying minutes when they were losing 2- 0. A Sunderland fan in a wheelchair was pushed out along the ash track passed Durban, he stopped infront of the dug out and gave Durban the most almighty mouthful, Durban couldn't do a thing. All very amusing.

Name that 17 year old ?

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Aye, and what a night it was too!

Sunderland v Gillingham in the play-offs which the Gills won over 2 legs to put the mackems doon into the 3rd division.

Funny as out when we turned up at the turnstiles and the coppers asked, ''Sunderland, Gillingham or Newcastle'', to help them with their segregation. Funny as out, about 2000 Mags there that night just to rub salt in the wounds. ;-)

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

SMB

>>>>the two occasions I went to Joker Park ...... the scores were: Sunderland 0-2 Norwich City and Sunderland 0-2 Everton.

You should watch them more often!

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Right - here goes, confession time.
Yes, I watched them between the ages of 14-17 every other week in some years. I played football for Jarrow Grammar Saturday am and then watched either the lads or Mackems pm. I,like all on here, was and am football crazy and I wanted to watch and play football. Of course NUFC was my team - but I freely admit when I watched the Mackems play (2nd and 1st div) other teams I wanted them to win.
Brian Clough, Harry Hooper, Charlie Hurley, George Herd, Jimmy Baxter all good players.


-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

True - when were you @ Jarrow Grammar ?

Buff - Who did you play for in the Northern League - my Dad came from Tow Law.

Answer - once and I think the Mackems lost to a Johnny Morrisey goal (or goals) v Everton in the late 60s.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

I was brought up to believe it sacrilege to visit any other ground, unless the "Lads" were there ... :-)

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Not really but my sister (not really a football fan) and about 12 years older than me had a flirtation with Sunderland (to p..s the rest of us off) when I was a bairn. She was about 15 and I have this recollection of her going out to see Sunderland with her Bay City Rollers trousers on and her Makems scarf round her neck. Also, my history teacher at school was a Mackem and hated those of us who expressed a Toon affiliation and went to games. We had double history on Monday afternoons in the 4th and 5th years and I honestly felt like I'd gone to every Makem game come Monday evening. For some reason, 1984-5 was his worst year.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

Like Dave, and to my eternal shame, I was also in the mackem end at Wembley in 85. By way of defence, can I just say that I was forced to go while on a school tour in the south east. Given that only one of our party (about 15 in total) supported scumderland, I wonder how many 'true' supporters of the great unwashed were there on the day ?? It would at least account for the complete lack of atmosphere !!

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2000

When I lived in London my cousin visited and "hospitality" required I take him to see Charlton v Mackems at the Valley. Mind you I lived in Middlesboro between the ages of 7 and 11, played footy in a NUFC jersey in the mornings - went to Ayersome Park in the afternoon. Mannion and Hardwick were good.

-- Anonymous, September 06, 2000

Josh - left in 1965 - can't believe it myself. Headmasters Claude Robinson (later revealed to be a Marxist - did us no harm - he firmly believd in the right of the proleteriat to receive 6 of the best) and Jack Masterman an applied mathematician constantly surrounded by chalk dust.

-- Anonymous, September 06, 2000

Buff how long did you play Northern League for ? U prolly know me Dad , refereed local football Northern league ' Ally-ance' etc ..

-- Anonymous, September 06, 2000

Buff, Sorry sweety, that period is a blank as far as footy is concerned - it was just after the start of my 5 years of purgatory as a Brylcreme Boy. I was probably sweating me barlls off in Bahrein, or Bahrain as it is now.

-- Anonymous, September 06, 2000

Several times. Frankly, I don't see what's wrong watching them occasionally in the anticipation of seeing them get stuffed.
I went to see Gazza play there for Spurs. He was doing his best to wind up the crowd, even in the warm-up. They were throwing Mars bars at him, and on one occasion as he went to take a corner, he stopped to pick one up, and started eating it while leaning on the corner flag - until he got a right bollocking from the Ref.

The other game I recall was back in the early 70's when they had a good cup run that was finally ended by manure - I think in a 2nd replay in the quarter finals.
They played Everton - who had a really good side at that time - in the previous round at Joker Park. Me and a couple of mates went down to see them get stuffed, and unfortunately they won, 2-1 I think.
The memorable thing really was the crowd - 73,000, I kid you not. It was unbelievable - how no one was crushed to death still amazes me. You got used to crowds swaying front to back on the teracing in those days. However this one went side-to-side as well as front-to-back. During on side-to-side movement I lost a shoe - Hush Puppy (very trendy!). There was no way to bend down - not that you would have dared - so I gave it up. Anyway about 20 minutes and many 'sways' later, I stumbled on something and - yes, you've guessed - amazingly it was my shoe.

-- Anonymous, September 06, 2000

Only been to Joker Park once with a Villa supporting cousin who insisted on driving me to the match against Villa and standing in the middle of the SAFC supporters and trying to have a chjat with a bloke with the tatoo Mad Mick on his arm. I think Villa won 2-0 and I know that Brian Little, a very good player in his day, scored and my cousin leapt up and down cheering his head offoblivious to the threat of violence all around him.

Having survived the match my cousin decided that he would like several pints in pubs around the ground, where he continued to gloat about the result. I have never been so happy to leave a pub in my life.

-- Anonymous, September 06, 2000

Macbeth - young 17 year old - a scot?, Mcoist. Hughes, Kerr Josh/Sting, One season before I joined the marines, Tow Law nah too bliddy cold, this guy (George Dawson) took me to Crook Town, a boy against men, the Northern League of that time was awesome, memory serves me right, Crook signed on a ex RAF guy (Brian Keating)in my position right half, he was a England international, so it was a case of pack boots and go to Willington for a spell. BTW Warren Bradley played out the season with Man U, and why am I thinking of little Ernie Taylor post Munich

-- Anonymous, September 06, 2000

Macbeth - Barry Venison ? No idea really.

-- Anonymous, September 06, 2000

True - I was @ Jarrow Grammar 1968-71 - Masterman was Head by then maths had passed on to a 6ft psychopath who loved numbers. I can't remember his name - the only one I remember was a Geography teacher called Saske. She taught me the meaning of cycnicism.

Ah the years of gambling in the 6th form common rooms. Never had lunch coz I'd lost my cash by then.

-- Anonymous, September 07, 2000

Josh - Basher Marr who wielded his mighty ruler with great effect in Maths classes. Saske - could tell you stories about her - she liked 6th formers and especially Ferguson the smooth Geography teacher (contradiction in terms!).
Was the saintly English teacher Derek Mintoe there? He courted (really!) and married a pupil - but sadly she died a few years ago.
Common rooms in the prefabs with the male bogs as the smoking room for all? 3 and 7 card brag? Yes? - your lot clearly continued the hallowed traditions of an oasis of academe.

-- Anonymous, September 07, 2000

Yep that was him - Saske still associated with Fergie and Mintoe was still there.

Prefabs obviously had their role set in stone.

Its a small world

-- Anonymous, September 07, 2000

This is probably some sort of unwanted record but I actually went to Joker Park to see the Mackems Reserves!!!!! I was staying at me Mam's for the week and the the opposition was Port Vale Reserves (so now you understand!). I have to report that having been played off the park for 90 minutes, the Vale reserves won 1-0 with their only shot of the match. It was two days before I stopped laughing!

-- Anonymous, September 07, 2000