Newcastle United Football Club

[reddy]

yeah kindda feel gutted but its all right... we are at healthy leaque position in epl just behind liverpool. i dont care abt silverware this season. that will be secondary. the primary is to get to europe next season.

[khaitronic]

Newcastle fans top of the table for making sacrifices

independent.ie

Wednesday September 26 2007

 

MOST people wouldn't agree with Bill Shankly's tongue-in-cheek claim that football is more important than life or death -- but many fans admit to putting their teams before family, friends and holidays, according to new research.

 

More than 10 per cent of Premier League season ticket-holders claim to have passed up job opportunities to continue following their teams, and most would be prepared to make even greater sacrifices if they knew that it would bring success to their clubs.

 

A survey, carried out in August by Virgin Money reveals that followers of Newcastle United are most willing to give up quality time with loved ones at home to watch their loved ones in black and white stripes. Despite not having seen their team win a trophy since 1969, 47 per cent of Newcastle fans regularly attend matches rather than staying in with the family -- unless they're at the game too.

 

After Newcastle come supporters of Birmingham City (35 per cent) and Sunderland (34). Chelsea, whose fans are often accused of being Johnny-come-lately glory-hunters, are in a surprising fourth-place with 32 per cent. Wigan Athletic, whose small numbers mask their fervour, are joint sixth with Manchester City.

 

About 93 per cent of fans surveyed admit they had made sacrifices because of their football club. Two thirds have rearranged their social life to fit in with matches, while 45 per cent say they spend less on other forms of entertainment in order to buy match tickets and 42 per cent say they give up time with their partner in favour of watching football. About 28 per cent say they spend less time with their family and children to go to games. And 72 per cent say they would sacrifice even more to see their team win the Premier League or Champions League. Eight per cent of supporters claimed they would give up "anything" to see their club become Premier League champions or win the Champions League.

 

Four per cent would forgo their holidays and three per cent would even give up alcohol. "If you want a definition of the word dedicated, then football fans fit the bill perfectly," said John Franklin, of Virgin Money. "The financial cost of following a team continues to rise and rise, but that doesn't seem to deter fans.

 

"It is more than just a money game, though, for fans, as many of them seem to base their lives around the game. Friends and family come second to the game for many and some will even give up job opportunities to continue to keep backing their team.

 

"Clubs are genuinely lucky to have such dedicated fans. Modern fans can hardly be dismissed as glory-hunters as most clubs in the Premiership don't get that close to glory nowadays."

 

Nevertheless, for some supporters enough is enough. Twenty-eight per cent of those questioned feel their current level of sacrifice and expenditure is more than sufficient, and no wonder.

[GuiNNeSS]

u noe i agree wif tat article..

i managed to convert my ex-gf into a footie fan and guess wat...

she went n support CHELSKI!!! bcos lampard n cole is cute...

but at least we watched the matches together, dun need to sacrifice..

 

to quote bobby robson, i bleed black n white, i wun give up on the magpies no matter how long i haf to wait for a trophy..

[GuiNNeSS]

on a side note, we cun get to see chrislayer wif his pants down.. damn!

[kenNUFC]

haha, damn pity lo. wondering he got any condition for this upcoming epl game anot. If newcastle win, he run around bottomless?

[khaitronic]

Man it have been long since i waited for nufc to win something and yet still waiting...have been supporting it eversince i knew epl.I will go mad to see us lifting a cup...if i ever get the chance to see...

[kenNUFC]

i guess i will be going mad together with ya! haha

[WAI]

I wonder what is wrong with Newcastle. Like always not on par with the big boys, no matter how many players we buy. Maybe all this takes time. I noe nuts about soccer... untill then, i can just pray that the lad cont to play well and chrislayer makes the bet again. hehehe

[chrislayer]

main reason for me to come out with the bet is to actually *hope* that newcastle can beat the odds and prove me wrong...sigh...we are just not strong enough i guess...

[chrislayer]

Updated: Sep. 26, 2007

Toon were 'on the brink of folding' - Mort

 

Newcastle chairman Chris Mort claims his club were on the brink of 'folding like a pack of cards' until the former regime was bought out.

 

 

Mort reports that the Freddy Shepherd era at St James' Park lurched into a perilous position shortly before Newcastle was taken over by Mike Ashley four months ago.

 

'We were surprised at how bad the financial position was - they were in big trouble,' he told The Sun.

 

'If the old board had not re-financed the club by the end of the financial year on June 30, it would have folded like a pack of cards.'

[chrislayer]

I think main reason for newcastle to be in this situation is bcos of having to pay extremely high wages to players like Owen who play 2-3 games then get himself injured for a long period of time....i hope Big Sam/Mort/Ashley discover this soon and sell him quick...not worth to have this kind of player in the team ....

[GuiNNeSS]

y not this, i seem to see theres a bunch of us who's really into them winning sumthing..

if newcastle win a trophy this season, we rent the hippo bus and get a replica trophy to parade down orchard rd!

[reddy]

wha hippo bus expensive leh..... i will hang a flag on my motor and ride ard...we can do a convoy. lol

[khaitronic]

y not this, i seem to see theres a bunch of us who's really into them winning sumthing..

if newcastle win a trophy this season, we rent the hippo bus and get a replica trophy to parade down orchard rd!

 

 

COOL idea!!!...Yeah i will be on if its really happen man...

ha we nufc fans are really crazy...

[GuiNNeSS]

u noe i dun mind the price cos i believe we can gather a huge bunch of us...

judging by the fans here, the fans i see on the streets and the fans in the nufc forum, theres quite a num of us die hard fans arnd!!

 

but the thing is, they muz win sth first la.. sigh.. FA CUP!!!

[khaitronic]

yeah esp by then...or even this year...it have been a long wait for us already...so its worth it...

[WAI]

Next stop......................Man city. Hoping for a good game and result by the lads!!!

[Man V.1]

Man City, tough opponent... my prediction will be a draw...

[kenNUFC]

me too think it will be a draw but i hope i am wrong and of cos not man city win...... hehe

[GuiNNeSS]

sigh..

man city won by the same scoreline we beat west ham..

crapz! wat happened man!!

[khaitronic]

did not manage to see the game...how sia we manage to lost until 3-1...haiz...

[WAI]

Disappointing!!!!!!!!!

[khaitronic]

Embarrassing too...

[kenNUFC]

damn shitty sad lo!!!!!!!!

[GuiNNeSS]

i din watch either but reports said that we slagged during the 2nd half..

cumon magpies!! we need to catch up!!