18,000 for your Captains testimonial

Take the rough with the smooth, discuss.

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2001

Answers

I was wondering when this would come up. Absolutely horrible, almost embarassing really. The performance matched the enthusiasm. It is definitely a black day for the toon.

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2001

Testamonials have had their day as far as Premiership players are concerned. I didn't go yesterday, there I've said it. I've nothing against Rob Lee, I just don't see why players who earn more in a week than I earn in a year should have these kind of bumper pay days. I certainly can't recall scooping x10 my weekly wage after completing 10 years with the firm I work for. Fair enough 15-20 years ago when players weren't getting anything like they are now a testamonial earned them enough to buy a pub or a paper shop or something, but these days? Sorry, but if Rob Lee hasn't got a little nest egg ready for his retirement after earning between £5,000-£20,000 a week over the last 10 years then thats his tough shit. End of story.

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2001

DOes it not just show that we are not only the best fans in the world,but we are very discerning as to the people that deserve our money to buy yachts etc. Ala Ryan Giggs. Martym. Never knowingly ungrateful. Still in North West Durham. Still God's own land.

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2001

As usual

Still

crap formatting

Perhaps crAP

should have been like that to keep the really funny clique thread going.

OR maybe we are sick of that. Martym

just wondering?

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2001

Respect to Baader & Spaarx for your answers.

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2001

Short & simple answer mackum - none of your damned business what goes on in our club. And can I suggest you stop making up and attributing quotes to people you´ve never met.

If you wanted to have a serious discussion instead of trying pointlessly to wind people up then I´d tell you if I were at home right now I wouldn´t have gone to Bobby Lee´s testy either. But unlike some others it would´ve been purely on price grounds. Money would be too busy going on european games

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2001

"Self-titled"?

Not true. It's said by many, journalists and players. (Bassedas in the Sunday Sun is the latest). IMHO they would think similar about Sunderland (it's just that they've not been so visible for most of the past 10 years). Look at a map. We live in the same place. We are the same people. This place is a hotbed of football. The 2nd and 3rd best supported clubs in the premier last season were Newcastle and Sunderland. Look at where both finished in the league. Point all but proven. Unquestionably, the people of the North East ARE the best fans in the world. The testimonial attendance is an irrelevance. (I did go myself but had reservations about it.) Many are unhappy about a huge tax free payment to a millionaire.

If you want to come on here and identify your love of your team by your offensive hatred for us (FTM - very childish isn't it?) then it shows just how hung up on the Magpies you are. I try and respect the fans of ALL clubs including Sunderland, but the quality of posts by people like yourself makes it difficult.

GROW UP

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Too expensive, particularly since we've paid £42 for the Intertoto games and full price for our season tickets. That's the story. Rob Lee won't starve and shouldn't have been so greedy about the ticket price.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

So we have a fourth European home tie in as many weeks. This one is a friendly costing more than the others with no special guests, virtually no travelling support and for a player who has only been here nine years and already earns 27k a week.

Casting our minds back to Kevin Ball's testimonial, the only European fixture at SoL, a fanatical 27,506 turned up for a game where the publicity had promised:

"The orchestra, chorus and soloists will perform Carmen highlights before and during half time to an expected 40,000 strong audience. In addition, Prokofiev _s "Dance of the Knights" will be played live as Sunderland take to the pitch."

And they warned the die-hard Mackems:

"Tickets for this match, the only pre-season fixture to be held on home turf, are now on general sale form the ticket office. Some concession corner seats are still available. "

Hmmmmm. Clearly some f***ing big corners at SoL....not to mention an awful lot of concessions.

Some of your attending fans (probably not you, of course) were less than impressed by your crowd and how you celebrated a home game against international opposition after regaining premiership status:

"It's not over 'til the fat lady sings, or people decide to leave

I One thing continues to irritate and puzzle me. This tendency for "fans" to commence a mass exodus from the SOL with more than 10 minutes remaining.

Take as a classic example: Bally's testimonial versus Sampdoria. There we all were, celebrating nigh on a decade's service from our club captain, in sunny weather against a decent Italian side. A day to enjoy, a day to pay tribute to a cult footballing figure on Wearside.

In this day and age, we all slate players such as Michael Bridges and Allan Johnston for showing no loyalty, gratitude and respect for the club and its supporters. We like to label players as greedy mercenaries, out for what they can get, and if they don't get it, they'll move on to somewhere where they will. Simultaneously, we applaud the likes of Bally, for his passion, commitment, loyalty and love for SAFC.

Naturally, we turn out in force for his big day, in recognition of these qualities - to say a massive thank you to this inspirational figure - to reward a loyal servant to our beloved club. At the end of the game, we all know Bally will circle the pitch, applauding us, the fans, and receive a presentation. So what do we do?

Flock from the ground IN OUR THOUSANDS, that's what! By the time the penalties and award of the presentation came around, the ground was half empty. This was an absolute disgrace. I felt embarrassed and ashamed to witness it, and for Bally to walk around at the end, saluting the blatantly half-filled stands was a moment of sadness and shame.

Bally has given SAFC everything - if you cut him open, his blood would run red and white. But this is how we repay him - rushing to the exits to save ourselves a few miserable minutes by beating the traffic. This on a day of celebration. On Kevin's day.

Sunderland AFC has a proud tradition for fervent, passionate, loyal to the end supporters. We all like to consider ourselves the finest supporters in the land, and the media often echoes those sentiments. I am sad to say that it seems to me that the Stadium of Light has attracted a new breed of Sunderland supporter. A breed that wouldn't have been seen at Roker Park, or away to Port Vale on a Tuesday night. This breed has emerged from the woodwork, claming to be die- hard Mackems, who have been through the ups and downs, the roller- coaster of emotions all too familiar to us Sunderland fans.

A breed that worries more about beating the traffic jams, saving ten minutes in a queue, than honouring a loyal, devoted Sunderland hero who has been there through the good times and the bad. A breed that is happy to flock to the exits while the game is still being played, not bothered as to how bad it looks, and what effect it may have on the team, yet calls itself devoted, loyal and passionate.

A breed exactly like those we mock up the road at Newcastle United. A case of "the pot calling the kettle black" methinks.

These "fans" serve only to undermine our reputation, and make us appear a fickle bunch of glory-hunters, jumping on the bandwagon now we play in the best stadium, and are enjoying increasing profile in the media. The actions of these people on Saturday was nothing short of a disgrace. Shocking is the only way to describe it, and as a supporter who has NEVER left a second early, I found it truly embarrassing, saddening and shameful. And yes, I got stuck for 25 minutes waiting to get the bus home afterwards.

Thanks Kevin, for your decade at SAFC. We would stay to see you receive your award and applaud you off the field, but that traffic's gonna be horrendous in ten minutes time, so we'll just nip off now, but you ARE a legend, truly. We respect you totally, so you won't mind if we duck out early? We do need to get out before the other 5,000 making a beeline for the exits....

Shocking. Saddening. Shameful and embarrassing.

Best fans in the land? I used to think so, but now I'm not so sure. I know the true fans are still there, and they were there at the end on Saturday, but the rest?

Bugger me if I know.

Amen. "

The Amen was his by the way, not a VTP addition. Stones, glass houses, thought.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Turning the question round,Makem, how come your Cup attendances are so crap unless you're playing Man U's reserves? On this subject, the Mancs are laughing at you for flogging your tickets for their game via Ticketron, meaning that about 10,000 of them have bought tickets for your end.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Sparxx, why is it a black day for Newcastle? Rob Lee is a millionaire, most of NUFC's supporters are on the minimum wage meaning that they would have to work for six hours to pay for a ticket for the game. Sorry, but people pay a lot for their season tickets and have had extra expense for the Intertoto where our support matters. Rob was greedy about the ticket price. I paid it but resented at least a fiver of what I paid.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

There was no early rush for the exits at Bally's testimonial.

In my experience all premiership grounds have a rush for the exit the worst ever seen by me was at SJP last year on the 25th August.

The funniest thing about Saturday was I'd put Sky on just for a pre- kick off round up and the camera at SJP clearly showed many empty seats but the commentator stated that the ground was packed as the Geordie faithful were out in force to say thankyou to a loyal servant.... the pictures on sky showed something a lot different....

you guys boast too much... and when the wind blows your verbal shite back in your face it really is your own stink no-one elses you know...

I agree a lot with what some of you have said about wealthy footballers raking it in a testimonial....

why didnt any one of you say that last week though?????

funny that....

what a smell....???

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Roly - where were you last week? Clearly not lurking on here otherwise you'd have seen many comments about the price of the tickets before the match, not just afterwards.

As for the commentator's remarks about a packed ground, I dunno as didn't hear them - I was inside SJP at the time saying "Thank you" to a loyal and very good servant of NUFC. Still, 2 record European crowds and a home leg still to play............but I suppose that just goes to show we're all (well, apart from me and 18+K others) that we're just glory hunters. ;-)

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Lots of people said it roly. I was only at the bloody thing because the person I got the ticket for wasn't able to go and I couldn't find a taker for it. Had to console myself that I was witnessing Robert's debut rather than giving Lee a present for having to go through the trauma of playing in front of us for 9 seasons. If there had been even a hint that some of the money was for charity it would have made all the difference. Worlds away from Beardo's do which was part of his contract on moving from Everton. Full house and a magical experience: he only gave about 10% to charity but it was a lot better than none.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Roly - it's one of your club's fans who are talking about Ball's testimonial. Not us. I caught a bit of your game with Everton on Sky last season and even the commentator remarked that at least half of you had gone out for tea a good five minutes before half time. We aren't perfect but neither are you lot. End of.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Roly - the stench of your vitriol is the only thing I've noticed. I think it's time you took your hatred back to RTG where it belongs.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Roly, you're okay, don't worry about upsetting any one. You're comments are a nice wee wind-up but they aren't foul-mouthed and I'm more than happy to see bog-standard name-calling about my crowd being bigger than yours.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

what happened.... you used to be easy to wind up?????

:oP

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

How would you know MacB? You weren't even there. At least Roly wathced the crowd on the telly ;-)

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

The makems leave early because of the traffic problems at the SoL, my mate used to park on the road that takes you passed the bowling alley but the residents kicked up such a hoohah that now tickets are served making matchday parking a nightmare. He says so many leave early that nothing is gained. They also like to get out to bid farewell to the away fans.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Roly, don't go. We need people on here who will challenge the established orthodoxy.

More tea SuperK? One more lump ML#3?

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001