looking over the crowds last night I fail to see the joke on here wrt Sunderland's turnout last night. Let's face it...if Derby get 1000 and Boro get 4000 (assuming West Brom and Macclesfield brought 1000) then 25K + is good.

A few years ago United had the finger pointed at them for not showing the league cup respect by fielding weak teams.....I think it's the whole of the country showing disrespect to this competition and not just...if at all...Man Utd.

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2000

Answers

Tonight, you will probably see 35,000 watching us take on a third division team and they will be watching a near first team start the match. I don't think we are disrespecting the competition. Bobby Robson personally went to watch Orient play last week and used his presence as motivation to his players to show how much he thought of the competition.

I would agree that other teams and foremost their supporters seem to be devaluing the competition but I hardly think we can be accused of that.

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2000

Quite - we are desparate to win a cup, any cup.

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2000

guaranteed if we win this comp LR will be on telling us how everyone devalues this cup .. just his get out clause and trying to stir it up .. bored again zzzzzzz .

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2000

The joke is teams who have won even less than we have in recent times (ie. Boro) having supporters who scorn the competition as if it isn't good enough for them.

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2000

What's most people's first thought when deciding to go to see Newcastle. Look at the opposition and say, 'that should be a good game, I wouldn't mind seeing that?'. Perhaps. For me it wouldn't be the first thought though. And I suspect with others too - ie it's more a time/money issue. For example, if time/money were in endless supply I'd see every single game regardless of the opposition. But that's perhaps because it don't get to see them enough. What do the season ticket holders amongst you think? Remember - if you had no constraints re money, or time - ie a fictional world with no quotas on the proportion of time you and your family/friends think is reasonable to spend watching football, and still time to do all the other things in life so that you don't become a complete saddo.

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2000

Agree with Sting's sentiments on this issue.

On the other side, the one thing that always for some reason seems to get over looked is the fact that whatever people might think of it, and how some clubs (not just Newton Heath) devalue it by fielding weakened sides, the bottom line is.....The Worthington Cup gives the winners entry into Europe the following season and that is into the exact same competition that the FA Cup winners go into, and the same competition that Leeds, Arsenal AND Newton Heath could be playing in come this Christmas........

Is that competition therefore devalued.

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2000

Getting back and addressing Lanky's original point, which was:

I fail to see the joke on here wrt Sunderland's turnout last night

Some of their supporters have been winding up on the Strawberry Board and on the RTG Board about how their grassroots support is far stronger and deeper than that of NUFC, how far more people go to (and want to go to) Le Stade de Merde and how their support is better than ours is, yet when push comes to shove, and they reduce their ticket prices to Adult #5 and concessions #1 they can bare half fill the ground. One numerous occassions they have denied that SdM is filled because they have given the tickets away to schools, yet this just goes to prove that this is the case. Having said that and having ridiculed both the Makems and the Smoggies about their respective attandances.......just take pity (not) on poor old who entertained the mighty Wigan at Selhurst Park in front of the wonderful crowd of c1900! now that is a shit attendance.

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2000

just take pity (not) on poor old who entertained

Should of coure have read: just take pity (not) on poor old Wimbledon who entertained

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2000

Actually, there is an Element of "who is the competition"? I'll be interested in attendances at SJP on Saturday when we are playing Charlton..

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2000

From the Makem site: How many>>>> Posted by Leicester Mackem on 20 September, 2000 at 12:19:20: stupid mag twats will turn out for a meaningless game against the O's tonight That fucking lot would turn out for the opening of an envelope if it was wearing black and white.

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2000

Dougal
What else do you expect from the shit clagging to what looks like a netty full of used tampons ? :-))

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2000

To be fair, he i sgetting some stick from other Makems for that view.

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2000

Whooooaah there Pit Bill - who rattled your cage!!
(Canny line mind)

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2000

Hello Mr. Clark
Yes indeed, it's not bad at all, even if I say so meself. At least slipping in something along those lines at appropriate opportunities should drastically cut down the 'bar code' cracks, at least where makkems are concerned.

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2000