It's funny that this bbs is always very quiet after Newcastle win. We like something to moan about and like to suggest ways in which we can improve things in the team.

So how about a good old moan about St James' park. The NUFC board say it's one of the best grounds in the world? It certainly is impressive to look at but there are problems with over priced seats, poor views from the back, poor and heavy handed stewarding, expensive bars, lack of childerens entertainment, a dodgy electrical system, dusty concrete surface, a poor PA system and a very poor atmosphere.

have I missed anything?

If you were in charge at St James' how would you try to improve the facilities, bearing in mind that the club have to make money, but want to keep it full next season, when a lot of new fans on the top tiers may be inclined to give up their new seats and opt for match day tickets.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Answers

I don't think SJP is cr@p - just some of the folks inside it (and not just on the pitch). Nah, they've done a good job. You're bound to lose some atmosphere in a big stadium which has just been extended and nobody knows who they are sitting next to. A couple of rousing performances on the pitch will change the atmosphere - it was great at times during Charlton. Just wait to hear what it's like when the inbreds from doon the road show up.

As for beer prices, I don't think they're that bad, but would still prefer to drink in a proper pub. Poor views from the back?? Dunno - at my age I can't climb aal those stairs so haven't been up there - but it's a crackin' view from my seat in the old Sky box. Dust? JUst wait for a few more pints to be spilled/recycled. It'll soon die down. PA - teething trouble. Lack of kids entertainment? What do you want - a bliddy creche? If they don'tlike the footy, take a Walkman or video game. Or hit them ower the heed until they do enjoy it. Bliddy softies (small "s"). Never suffered from the stewards.

Oh - you probably missed oot the price of pies

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

and a very poor atmosphere.

If you want bad atmosphere, did you listen to the commentary for the first half of the Makems game on R5L yesterday.....after about 35 minutes the atmos was so flat and quiet you could actually hear the players shouting to each other......

The commentator was actually talking about the amount of people moving around the concourse' and walkways and going for food with over ten minutes to the break and the fact that lots of them only actually watch about 55-60 mintes of any game....and then listening to Pedro trying to justify it was hilarious.

And the Makems try to say they have the noiseiest ground in the EPL. Fortress Sunderland......more like a busted truss if you ask me.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

No, no, no: we've all got it wrong, Man City have the most MASSIVE support, passionate support EVER, ANYWHERE, IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Kids' entertainment? Sorry but the little buggers are there to watch the game and I was appalled to learn that the club had installed playstations in the family section as though the game was just one of a lot of possible entertainments.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Playstations weren't there before Charlton game, despite promises.

Dougal,

Ben at 10 is getting better but he needs to be sucked into everything that makes up a football macth. He loves Maggie and Monty who come in and entertain the kids pre-match. He loved the clown who made him a Viking helmet out of black and white balloons. This has nothing to do with football at all but it makes him love going to the game, being in the ground.

The illogical conclusion of your comments is no beer, no betting, no pies, no loos as these are all things that can distract from the football. pah

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Dougal, the club were supposed to have installed computer games but as far as I know it hasn't happened. We need to keep the kids interested in coming out to games or there will be no fans in the future. If a few half time activities keep them coming until it gets to a point where the onfield entertainment is more engrossing than that off field then it should be encouraged.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Hmm. Well, being the only one of you who isn't a parent, I'll bow to your better judgment. However, where are all these bairns? I don't think there's a single one in the Gallowgate lower.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Furthermore, the bigger problem for NUFC is getting more bairns at the game. The ones who are there are probably already converted (although I'll accept MacBeth's and Tik's wisdom about keeping them entertained at half time etc).

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

The family enclosure is now in what used to be the back of the Leazes.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

The point of this thread was realy topoint out that although there is a great attendance this season, It might not be like that in forthcoming seasons. I have my doubts as to wether or not all of tthe corporates will take up there season ticket renewal in future seasons. This will lead to depleted numbers in the lower Milburn stand. To fill these seats NUFC eil have to back track and make the seats in this area more afforadable again. Also a good amount of those higher up will apply to move further down creating areas unpopulated in the Level seven area. I know of and have heard from a number of fans on the top level that won't pay nearly #500 to sit upstairs next season, they want to move to the nosier and closer (and cheeper) seats. If they can't move then a number of them seeing empty seats this season will pay on the day.

none of us want to see the pace empting as is the case in places like the cellnet or Villa park, so I thought if people came on here with sugestions on how things could be improved I could compile the suggestions and post them on my site.

ewcastle have learnt that if they sit still and don't improve the team then the team detieriorates. The same thing applies to the grond, they have to keep improving it and adding attractions to keep the punters coming back. In the same way that a theme park adds a new ride each season a stadium needs to add new attractions to keep the punter coming back for more, It's not enough to have a good team performance, We need constantly improving facilities. You may say we would be better off without catering for these fussy NEW fans, but this is the year 2000, if the NEW fans weren't there then the place would be half full.Punters nowadays won't accept sub standard facilities, especially when we are paying nearly #30 a game. We want something more for our money .

I. E giant scoreboards ,video screens for those higher up to see the action replays, and large screens and better facilities in the Bars beneath the stand for everyone, not just those in the posh seats.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

I remember reading about Ajax the year they moved to their new stadium and how they had a disastrous season. The place was cold and heartless and nobody felt at home.

What you need is a game which demands atmosphere and then people will catch on. Around me is fairly quiet but it'll get better. I think it's waiting for the Sunderland game. The reticence people feel about being in with 'strangers' will be totally lost when they see (and hear) real strange people. The opposition so far has not been inspiring.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

Rik, I agree with large parts of this although we could have filled SJP about 15 times over while "The Entertainers were in Toon" so I think generally getting better as a team will stem some of the corporate bleeding. I honestly can't comment on things that could be done better. I sit in a great spec in the Gallowgate lower, drink in the Strawberry and have NEVER bought anything inside the ground (not as a matter of policy as I'm the world's biggest sucker for NUFC merchandise: I just don't buy it at the ground). The ladies' loos are without doubt the best in the PL, too. I suspect that if I was making the investment others who have kids or who sit in more expensive seats makem, I'd be more critical. As it is, I just see how much better SJP is than the fleapits that charge more (notably Upton Park and White Hart Lane).

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

I know that our ground is well ahead of most of the iopposition, but what's wrong with the idea of making it perfect?

Why not be the trend setters, the pace leaders? the best of the best?

You say that you don't go into the bars in st James' park before or during the game? Surely then this is an area that could be improved so that you can support the club by buying there alcohol.

The Stawberry is very crowded, it's very dificult to get a drink, surely if the atmoshere , decor and facilities in the NUFC bars could be improved then you could be tempted to start going? What would you like to see in the NUFC bars?

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

It's bollox about Playstations (glad they're not Dreamcasts mind!). If you have to keep kids entertained by things non-footy during a game then there os something seriously wrong. Now, if these are pre- and post-match facilities, then perhaps it's OK. We can't (so I'm told) get beer less than 15 mins before or after - fair enough. Same for video nasties etc then. If you're worried about not having kids coming through the system, try making it ecconomically possible for more to come. Those I see are the offspring of well-off middle classes. We need more cross-representation IMHO. That's nowt to do with video games.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2000

How to improve SJP?..............get a half decent team to play there...simple :-)

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

LR, mind your beeswax, eh? You've got a great team (apparently) and are struggling to sell your tickets (I got that from Red Ish, no less) ((-:

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

Naah LR, then the ground would just be full of cockneys :-)

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

Dougal...define struggling?....and anyway, Red Ish is NOT thye be-all- and-end-all of United fans...in fact last week it was being run in reality by just two bods...how they stand for us all and KNOW everything is beyond me...anyway Jules talks a lot of cak at times...but that's between me and thee!!.

How can a sell-out for Bradford or 62,000 on Petrol night be bad. There is however disharmony in the ranks. Not much talk of going to Watford for example....but we have a full fixture list and NO concessions....at some point the fans are gonna say NO..enuff's enuff.

Put it this way..if our fan-base slides off most others will too.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000

Or the fan-base will slide it's way back along the M62 to Liverpool where it came from!

Sorry LR, just a joke, TIC! :-)

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2000