I was talking to a lad on Sunday who was adament that in the pre nineteen sixties a number of fans would go to watch Both Sunderland and Newcastle as no one travelled to away games. They used to go on alternative weeks, to both Roker park , then St James'.Any truth in this?

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

Answers

Only once , to see Sunderland and Man U after Munich , Man U had 3 Northern League players signed to assist them thro, Warren Bradley and Corbett Cresswell from Bishop Auckland both played. Yes Rik there is truth that supporters from mainly Co Durham would watch Toon one week and Sunderland the next.

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

I bet Jonno was one of them . He seems to regulaly try to promote peace between the maKems and the Geordies.

What about Pit Bill and Screacher? before your time was it?

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

No - have to confess I went to Joker a Park on a couple of occasions in my formative years. But then when sense prevailled, I gave that up and started going to SJP every other week. When fixtures permitted, I went to Croft Park on the other weekends. And yes - I did go to away games - Hillheads, North Shields (whetver it was called) and Portland Park were regular haunts.

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

Six of us used to go to the matches together; 4 NUFC and 2 Makem supporters. We all used to go alternate Saturdays in the 60s and early 70s. The banter used to be good and friendly but now sorrily it is venomous (on both sides) and at times violent. I still have a mate who is dyed-in-the-wool red n' white and we often verbally knock spots off each other. I often wonder if BBSs like this harden one's attitude towards other supporters or is it just a sign of the times. Count me in with Jonno preferring the old friendly banter.

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

I don't think BBs's like this harden the attitidues of us on here , but places like the Strawberry BBS and the RTG BBS certainly do.

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

It is true Rik and for my sins I did watch them for a few months in the 60s when we had to stay with inlaws in Southwick for a while. Weird that I can't remember if I was alternating between the two though. Never really wished them well - just keeping the peace.

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

I agree Rik, that RTG and the Strawbeery are full of hard line nutters whereas this BBS is very rational. Something to do with age and IQ I think.

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

I must admit, that I'm becoming more maKem friendly the older get.

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

I was never a regular visitor to Joker Park, but went to a few FA Cup games there in the late 60's/early 70's - to silently support the opposition. Even in those days you wouldn't dare to disclose your Toon allegiance in the middle of 60,000 mackems.

Count me firmly in the camp of those who prefer 'banter' to the present 'sheer hatred'.
I could never support the barber's poles, will never achieve true happiness until they're bottom of the Doc Martens League Div. 2, but at the same time I can't "hate" their fans - I can ridicule them, but never 'hate' them to the point of wishing them physical harm. FCS, this is football we're talking about - a bloody game.

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

My dad became a "North East" fan when he moved down south. Where we lived was Nothern cosmopolitan with Mags, Mackems & Boro lads as well as scousers all engineers came down to develop nukes to aim at USSR.

My old fella went to see Sunderland in the '73 FA cup final whilst his mackem mates went along in '74. He even took me along to the Milk cup in '85 but I laughed when they missed a penalty.

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

.....so did your chuckle echo all round Wembley then Dave?

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

I can honestly state hand on arse heart that I have never been, nor had a desire to go to either Joker Park or Le Stade de Merde.....even for a Makem/Toon match.

When they luckily won the cup in '73, a couple of the blokes I worked and drank with went to the dirt heap to watch them bring the cup back......I got pissed in the Newton Park instead.

Round about that time, on a Friday and Saturday night a group of us used to go to Greys Club in the Toon. One Saturday night in December '73 Bobby Kerr and Ian Porterfield came into the club and were lauding it big round the basement disco bar....I'll tell you they didn't 'arf get narked when I asked them who they were.....faces were a picture.

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

Only went to Roker Park on derby games, except for one time when Liverpool were the guests. Liverpool won, barbers poles were relegated. BTW, Liverpool played in white shirts, black shorts so me scarf, and those of about 20,000 toon fans fit in well. Can't remember what year, but Pool won 2-0 if I recall correctly. Late sixties, early seventies?? Never was one for Mackem history. Like, who really gives a sh!t.

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2001

Never setting foot in the sos as long as I live is now an ambition I cherish along with never ever having seen a single episode of Coronation St.

Mind, I wouldn't mind having my ashes scattered over as wide an area of the sos as possible on the offchance that it'll work as a kind of voodoo from the grave and they'll be in perpetual soccer purgatory - a bit like we've been all the time I've supported the mags. :-))

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2001

A mackem mate of mine got us tickets for that Milk Cup thing in '85, wore my Black and white top under my jumper and laughed out loud when Clive Walker missed a Pen at 'our' end, didn't half get some nasty looks off the unwashed masses surrounding me. Don't think I could do it now - the hatred between the 2 sides has intensified so much in the past 15 years. I think it's largely down to our Keegan era when we were media darlings and never out of the spotlight - must've got right up the mackem's noses and while we never exactly 'liked' them we were fairly ambivalent towards that lot down the road who were never going to amount to anything. Now that they've got their act together in the Premiership however, and their fans have had a sniff of (relative) they've become as obnoxious and arrogant in our eyes as we were 8 year's ago in theirs. I still know a couple of mackems and they're canny lads but as a general rule, I think we're now in the situation where we've 2 large Northern towns a mere 8 miles apart who's inhabitants openly despise one and other.

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2001

insert 'success' after relative. Sorry

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2001

Nah, Dave - you were right 1st time; makems having a sniff of their relatives explains a lot.

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2001