Settled down to listen to yesterdays game on the webcast and couldnt help noticing the Metro radio commentator keep mentioning how quiet the crowd were. This has also been mentioned by a few newspapers and managers ( George Graham, not that he knows owt!!!)

Now I sit there with a couple of beers and a bag of crisps trying to visualize 52 thousand fans after a few beers in town taking there seats before a big game and cant imagine it being anything but quiet!!

This brings me to ask the question  Has St James Park lost the intimidating atmosphere? which was once said to be worth a goal start.

Now a mate of mine is dropping off a tape of last nights game so maybe Ill be able to judge for myself.

As Im planning a trip home next Sept Id be devastated to think St Jamess has turned like O/T.

Tell me Im wrong!!

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2000

Answers

I hate to say it but you're right. The atmosphere at St. James's is shite these days. Actually, it has been for a while. I'm not one of those who goes on and on about Geordies being the best fans in the world. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that anyone has better fans, but frankly St.James's is like a mortuary and anyone who says otherwise wasn't there when there was a real atmosphere. Actually, I'm embarrassed.

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2000

Pathetic, stifled and short - lived chants. The bloke sat next to me never opened his mouth, not even an impromtu comment. Sad.

-- Anonymous, September 10, 2000

Was Bloody noisey before the kick off though with that sodding tannoy. I put the lack of noise from the fans down to the fact that there are so many strangers now sitting next to each othe. You fel a bit stupid when you're new to the viciniy and you don't know anyone around you. I wish I knew the answer to the problem, but there is a problem that's for sure.

-- Anonymous, September 10, 2000

Rik, you could always throw another one of your fabulous parties round at your place and invite 50,000 along. That way they might get to know each other a bit better.

Actually, from where I was sitting (right below the away support) I was very embarrassed how much noise appeard to be coming from them - and how sustained it was. Now maybe that's just the "away support" syndrome, but we didn't seem to be able to keep it up for long (story of our lives, eh Rik??)

-- Anonymous, September 10, 2000

How about some daft bastards in stupid costumes holding up placards with words on for us to sing along to.... Or ripping a few thousand seats out so we can stand next to our mates and have a laugh? Or spltiing the away corner in 4 small area, as the fans nex tto the away corners tend to be the most vocal. Or... just accept that silance is the way things are gonna be in the future.

-- Anonymous, September 10, 2000

Told ya :-)

-- Anonymous, September 11, 2000

LR

I was waiting for it!! So you admit OT is like a morgue?

-- Anonymous, September 11, 2000

If anything the extra capacity has made St James' even quieter. Dunno why. Maybe it's simply put the non-singers in the majority. Hopefully all we need is an exciting game against opposition we detest and some unjust refereeing decisions. November and December sees the visit of the makems, scousers, ManU and Leeds. If those games don't get the crowd going then I don't know what will.

-- Anonymous, September 11, 2000

The stadium has inevitably lost some acoustic value. The height of those stands and the way they are so exposed to the atmosphere will never help sound reverberate around the stadium in a mannner in which the old stands used to.

With the singers probably spread more and more it will take time to build up the amazing sound. That is why away fans always seem to be singing louder, concentration.

-- Anonymous, September 11, 2000

Well I and those around me sang their hearts out on Saturday....mind you it's fairly easy when you're near the away fans....I must admit that it was almost impossible to hear other chants from around the ground and people told me that they didn't hear the Chelsea fans but from where I was they were non-stop (the we are at away games!) for a good 25 mins in the second half.....

-- Anonymous, September 11, 2000

Oh and the amount of tossers leaving 10-15 minutes before the end made me want to cry.....they wait 7 years for a ticket and then early....what's going on there? :((

-- Anonymous, September 11, 2000

The away fans are all together. They are also pretty high up so their noise bounces back off the roof. The singing at the ends is rarely in sync so those in the middle don't know who to join in with!

-- Anonymous, September 11, 2000