"Many of their fans refused to go to the Vale match in protest against our stupid git of a chairman."

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2000

Answers

Toon by birth, Vale by marriage. Having a season ticket at Vale park was written into the marriage service. When they were both in the old Div 2 in early 90s it caused ructions in our house - we agreed to support the home team, whichever it was, at each of the matches but it didn't work!!

I actually saw every game home and away in Vale's relegation season last year (mad or what?) plus 9 or 10 Toon games. Bloody costly business this footy isn't it!

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2000

Sorry...NO EXCUSE.....You can't be BOTH.

-- Anonymous, September 21, 2000

Why not, LR? I know a Manc who supports Stafford Rangers most Saturdays cos he can't afford to take his bairns to OT. Still a fervent Red, though. Also, a lot of people who have been priced out of SJP, go and see Blyth Spartan or Durham City on a Saturday - still basically support the Toon, though.

-- Anonymous, September 21, 2000

No way Dougal..it's just not on. It's ok "looking out" for another team..I do with Blackpool and The Pars just to see how they got on but it's ONE team only. What happens if Port Vale draw NUFC in the Cup?

Naaa...yer either a born-in-Newcastle-loyal-NUFC-fan, or yer a person who wasn't that bothered about football who married a Port VAle fan and got hooked. I'm afraid it's cake and eat it....

-- Anonymous, September 21, 2000

You can't blame Jacko after all the trophyless years of supporting NUFC for being a Port Vale glory-hunter ;-)))

Shows a passion for football.... not winning!

-- Anonymous, September 21, 2000

I see what you mean, LR. I follow a couple of teams' results but realky I only care about NUFC. On the other hand, I can quite see that if you have a family and a budget and lots of commitments but want to see a game of football, you might go to see the local side, particularly if it's conference side. I reckon that iof my circumstances didn't allow me to go to see NUFC when I want to, I might go to the odd Leyton Orient game.. There's be no question, however, that my first and only love was NUFC.

-- Anonymous, September 21, 2000

PS. By which I mean, NUFC would always come first.

-- Anonymous, September 21, 2000

I love football too Douggie....but I'd rather go watch the kids on the park Sunday morning than pay to see another club....whatever league they are in. When Jacko said "our chairman" wrt Vale's Chairman she gave it away...didn't she?

So it's NUFC when the Geordie spirit is up ..and Vale fer a laff :-)

-- Anonymous, September 21, 2000

Right LR - you're for it now!!

I first saw the Toon on 11 March 1961 (playing your lot as it happened) Were you born then? No - thought not - so don't for one bloody moment suggest I'm some of pseud Toon fan who wasn't bothered about footie till a bloke came along. You will no doubt pick fault with the fact that I actually used to watch Whitley Bay in the Northern League when I was a kid because I couldn't afford to go to SJP and there was no one else in my family who gave a toss about football who would take me. My Dad, bless his heart, never understood it - my brother hated it! I became football daft IN SPITE of some blokes - not because of them!!

I met my better half at university and ended up living in his home town of Stoke when we got married. He said he never thought he'd find a lass who could cook, liked football and had a sense of humour (two out of three was pretty good!) It was written into the marriage service that I had to have a season ticket at Vale Park. The mere geography of things meant I saw less Newcastle games and more Vale from then on but it didn't mean I supported them less - if you had a decent relationship with someone you'd understand about sharing but your a manc so I doubt you are motivated by anything other than self like the team you support! ;-)

What do I do when they play each other - well for three seasons between 89/90 and 91/92 they were in the same division. That strained the relationship a bit! The first season they were together the two of us sponsored the matchball anonymously for the game at Vale Park. Newcastle won and we had a row afterwards because I had apparently shown triumphalism by clenching a fist (from a seated position I hasten to add) when Newcastle scored! We sponsored again the next year and Toon won again. So we did it the third year (bloody vital match at the beginning of the KK era when both clubs were struggling against relegation). Toon won 1-0 (Stevie Watson) and I completed the hat-trick. Vale went down and the old man refused to do any more sponsorship after that!

In 92-93 they did meet in the FA Cup and I am delighted to say that Newcastle won 4 nowt. Does that answer your question about what I would do in such a situation?

In the sentence which you seem to question I used the expression "our chairman" because I was correcting your inaccurate comments about a match I had attended to support Vale. I could just as easily refer to Shepherd as "our chairman" when talking about Newcastle.

So YES I am a Port Vale fan and YES I am a Newcastle fan and YES, if you want, I'm a Whitley Bay fan. And YES I'm a bloody FOOTBALL fan - not someone who is a blinkered Red, who can't see owt beyond the confines of OT and its inhabitants and doesn't give a toss about the game as a whole.

And if that doesn't wind you up you self-centered Manc bar steward - nowt will!! ;-)

-- Anonymous, September 22, 2000

Careful Jacko - he only lives down the road from you!

PS. You've gone down in my estimation. A Whitley Bay fan. Bah - almost as bad as N Shields and Ashington. Spartans forever - well apart from when they played NUFC at Croft Park a few weeks ago. Mixed emotions for me that night.

-- Anonymous, September 22, 2000

Get in Jacko pet, what makes me think that is the second time on this board you have explained your allegiance over the past two years to a non toon.

-- Anonymous, September 22, 2000

It probably is Buff but he's not very good at listening is he?!! Typical special needs pupil LR - likes the sound of his own voice and won't listen to anyone else's!

-- Anonymous, September 23, 2000

Screach - will you forgive me for my Hillheads allegiances if I mention I was at the Victoria Ground on that famous night - Stoke 2 Blyth 3. Laugh! I nearly wet meself!!!

-- Anonymous, September 23, 2000

OK Jacko - that's a decent start at building the bridges. I don't suppose you also went to the Racecourse (1-1 if I recall, and we woz robbed!). I went to both with me old dad. He was a life-long Spartans supporter. Gutted when the sheep sh***ers won the replay at SJP.

-- Anonymous, September 23, 2000

No, didn't go to the Racecourse. Saw the game on the telly - seem to recall the sheepmen getting two goes at a corner 'cos the flag wasn't in right or summat and they scored off the second one!

I also recall a lovely story about Terry Johnson the Spartans centre forward. Blyth scored first at Stoke then went 2-1 down. Apparently Howard Kendall, who was playing in midfield for the "Mighty Potters"(!!) that night spoke to Terry after the second goal along the lines of "never mind lad, you've all done really well to make it this far..." As they walked off the pitch after the great 3-2 comeback Terry pointed out to Kendall that they had scored two more goals since their previous conversation!!

The Saturday after than game I was up at me Ma's to see the Toon and the match was called off cos of the snow. Blyth were playing Whitley so we went there. The telly cameras were out in force and there was no way that game was going to be called off, even though there was six inches of snow on the pitch! Some attempt had been made to clear it and at one point Eddie Alder (?) chased a ball to the goal line then disappeared completely into one of the piles of snow by the pitch. It was 2-2 by the way!! In the second half there was a fire near the ground and a load of smoke drifted over the end where Whitley were defending - couldn't see the goalie or owt! But they still played on. Breed 'em tough up there! If Vialli had got some of those fancy dan foreigners of his to do a bit of training on a snow covered Croft Park in February he might still be in a job!!

-- Anonymous, September 23, 2000

Thanks for the insight Jacko. Yes - the "corner" was right in front of Dad and me and it shouldn't have been a corner. Dixie Dean (not the real one) headed the equaliser in the last minute.

I wasn't at the Hillheads game (away in ManUreland at uni or some such excuse) but it would be Eddie Alder, a cracking little right winger with a head like the ball with hair round the middle. Gave me and Dad a lot of enjoyment with many of his games.

-- Anonymous, September 23, 2000

When we play like we did on Saturday, I do comtemplate supporting a side like Southend or summat.

-- Anonymous, September 25, 2000

That's a bit extreme Dougal! :-)

-- Anonymous, September 25, 2000