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A Newcastle United Supporter's Grudging Respect for Sunderland
Newcastle United has more than its fair share of lunatic fans fuelled by the riches of the Keegan era, but this Geordie can still appreciate what goes on down the road. Well, sort of...
You know when somebody is so wrong, so deluded, but yet so positive that they’re in the right that it almost becomes endearing? Well that’s how I, a Newcastle United fan, feel about Sunderland fans.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not one of those bile-spitting Newcastle supporters who detest everything red and white. I kind of like having them around, and the football season is undoubtedly a darker place without the north-east derby. However, as a lad from Durham they’re a cautionary tale, a what-might-have-been had my father shown considerably less sense and taken the A183 to Sunderland instead of the road to salvation and St James’ Park.
Friends would always claim that as I probably lived a little bit closer to Wearside than I actually did Tyneside, that I really should have followed them instead, but to me that seemed crazy. It was almost like telling a long-distance lorry driver – who also happened to own a hammer – that he really should have become the Yorkshire Ripper.
Despite my black and white allegiance guaranteeing me a regular kicking at school, my geographical misfortune did allow me a unique insight into the Sunderland fans psyche. Without doubt they’re a passionate bunch, some of the best fans in the country when you consider the meager rations they’ve been doled out by way of success over the years. However one fixture in particular just seems to give rise to the grandest of delusions. Going way past pre-match banter, it’s the type of bat-s*** crazy optimism that makes the musings of Muammar Gaddafi appear balanced and well-thought through. Namely: the Newcastle Sunderland derby.
Now this rivalry goes way past football and right up to the English Civil War, ignited when sea merchants in Sunderland protested over the advantages given to their counterparts in Newcastle (good to know that even in 1642 they had a chip on their shoulder about us).
Of course Newcastle has more than its fair share of lunatics who, fuelled by the riches of the Keegan era, feel that the minimum we should expect from a season is to sign a 20m striker and qualify for the Champion’s League.
When it comes to football, Newcastle holds the edge overall and has an emphatic record of only five defeats in the last 44 years. However despite that recent power imbalance, I generally go to pieces around 24 hours before a derby match; a shadow of my former self and riddled with self doubt and worry. Meanwhile over in Sunderland they’re presumably all out doing congas around the Stadium of Light drinking over-elaborate cocktails, slapping each other on the back and congratulating themselves on the victory that is all but assured. It’s mental.
The weeks that preceded this season’s win at Sunderland were no different from the other games I’ve witnessed in my 35 years. The only thing that changed was the way they communicated their message of unwavering self belief. When I was younger it was the simplistic beauty of an abusive phone call telling us we were going to get our head’s kicked in, or bus stop banter regarding the cricket score they were going to run up. Now it’s a barrage of Facebook braggadocio, and crudely put together photoshop jobs featuring beloved chairman, Mike Ashley (actually, some of them were pretty good).
Then of course you have the lobotomy effect, whereby previously intelligent, sensible human beings lose all cohesion of thought. A general conversation regarding the match will go something like this:
“So what do you fancy for the weekend?”
“We’re going to turn you over.”
“Really, but the sides are pretty well matched though, aye?”
“Not really, there’s not one player of yours I’d rather have in our team.”
“Fair enough mate.”
Of course Newcastle has more than its fair share of lunatics who, fuelled by the riches of the Keegan era, feel that the minimum we should expect from a season is to sign a 20m striker and qualify for the Champion’s League, but I’d like to think that the majority accept our current position in life, and when it comes to the derby games we have a slightly more realistic outlook, that being: We’ve got a decent chance, but as always it’s going to be close.
Research tells us that high levels of optimism can be hereditary, but that it can also be imbibed through our environment as we’re growing up. The current generation of Sunderland fan has had precious little success to allow for this type of subconscious learning, so we can only assume that their parents have been reading the works of German philosopher Gottfreid Leibniz to their children in lieu of a bedtime story, engraining his ‘best of all worlds’ concept on their little brains. How else do you account for such startling confidence?
Unless of course I’ve got it all wrong. Perhaps it isn’t confidence at all, perhaps it’s simply opportunistic celebration. Let’s face it they’ve have had so few chances to gloat after victory over the last half century, so maybe they’ve just decided that the best course of action is to get it all out of their system pre-match? In which case I think it’s a recent tradition worth building on. You have pre-match, lads, we’ll have the actual victory afterwards. Makes sense really.
See, who said that bitter rivals weren’t able to occasionally reach a compromise?
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COMMENTS
As a fellow Newcastle fan also from Durham (what part of Durham you from?) I understand what you're getting at here. Although I'm not quite sure what you're getting at? You mean you shit yourself around Derby day but we usually win anyway so that's all right? I'm not sure if that counts as grudging respect. More like realism, their team is better than ours these days. It's just that they're a bunch of flaky Mackems. I feel that some sort of Durham solidarity should prevent me from pointing out that it's spelt "meagre", not the American way you put it, but I'm a pedantic twat so it didn't. Sorry about that.
As a fellow Newcastle fan also from Durham (what part of Durham you from?) I understand what you're getting at here. Although I'm not quite sure you said it? You mean you shit yourself around Derby day but we usually win anyway so that's all right? I'm not sure if that counts as grudging respect. More like realism, their team is better than ours these days. It's just that they're a bunch of flaky Mackems. So we win. I thought that some sort of Durham solidarity should prevent me from pointing out that it's spelt "meagre", not the American way you put it, but I'm a pedantic twat so it didn't. Sorry about that.
Piss. It posted twice as I was reading it and I can't delete it. Piss Piss Piss. Read the second one, the first one makes no sense. Piss Piss Piss
Newcastle fans from Durham = treason.
Newcastle fans from Durham = No friends and disgusting personal habits.
Well, I have no hate towards them, but every time we beat them (and it happens often, thankfully) I am euphoric. But I have no negatives against Sunderland fans. They like us, are long suffering and deserving of a LOT better. They are more - FAR more - deserving of success than mirror kissing scousers, for example. They (like us) must look at Man City and think "There but for the grace of an Money-dripping Arab or two - go we". There was of course, the repulsive directors of our clubs. TWICE Sunderland directors turned down Brian Clough. (I have no doubt Newcastle directors did too, only they kept a lid on it) and when Clough then, instead, went to Notts Forest, and did to them what he had intended for Sunderland, and they won the league and european cups - for fans that didnt deserve such succes, and Sunderland fans, WHO DID - missed out due to their repulsive directors. Its impossible NOT to feel sympathy for them. That said, they would have been insufferable if they HAD got what Forest got.
biggest pile of toss ive read in a long while
Newcastle fans from Durham = Your ancestors will be turning in their graves.
As a Sunderland fan living in Newcastle I experience this the exact opposite way round. Im the one (quite rightly) bricking it before a derby and it is the Newcastle fans talking about how great the team is. Guess its who you know
As a Sunderland fan, I hate to admit it but you're not far off. One thing you fail to mention is the underlying arrogance of your fans during every other game of the season! I would love to see Newcastle finish second, providing Sunderland are top, and seeing your current defence flourish makes me worry that we may not finish above you this season. (Don't worry we will)!!! However one thing I must say is that for the first time in my lifetime Sunderland and Newcastle are very evenly matched. A few players either way could swing it, but one things for certain. We have NO HOPE at your place. Your approach to derbies is 10000% better than ours and our lads get over-rawed by your closing down far too easily. Fans approaches to the derbies mirror the clubs, as a result this article perfectly clarifies the reasons we failed. Good luck, I hope you finish as high as you can providing its behind us :-)
For a start Durham is on the River Wear, so traitor is not too strong a word. Secondly Andrew gives Sunderland Supporters a backhanded compliment when he states "some of the best fans in the country when you consider the meager rations they’ve been doled out by way of success over the years". I would like to know what Newcastle have won in the last 40 years (please don't mention the inter city fairs cup that doesn't count) So that makes Newcastle supporter even better than Sunderland supporters. it just goes to show Sunderland and Newcastle supporter have a lot more in common that just living in the North East. Andrew you must have a sadistic side or you are just thick; you knew you would get teased or even a good kicking supporting the Toon in Durham.
'Meager' is actually spelt meagre. Shame on you Nagy. And as for cocktails, on our jaunt over to Durham a year or two back, I asked you for a bottle of Peroni in the Champagne Bar, and you talked me into a Champagne Bellini. Anyway, is your shoulder aiight?
44 contests,lost 39.....Read book "The 39 Steps".....next match away ?
MMMMMmmmmmmm....Durham = River Wear/8 miles from Sunderland border....... Bit like a lad from Bolton supporting Man U isnt it??? ppl who arent from Tyneside shud stay quiet under their mummys skirt instead of jumping on the bandwagon son.
jerry; the river Wear cuts right through Durham City, that's all I said.
Andrew - "underlying arrogance" - you're a devoted reader of southern rags, then. I HAD assumed that north eastern fans weren't stupid enough to believe such crap - as Everton and Aston Villa fans proved they WERE when we went down) but you've just proved me wrong !
Aye but you see the thing is, being a NUFC supporter in Durham is great. You belong to a minority group whose team beat the majority group head to head all the time, and get to watch matches in the same city you go to for your shopping & drinking. You don't go to Sunderland for any reason, there's really no reason to. Have you ever been to Sunderland? It's a shocker.
Well said sir, well said.
Iamgregp I have to admit it hurts the SAFC cannot seem to get the better of the Toon as of late, but even the most devoted Toon fans will admit that SAFC have a much stronger squad and will finish above the the Toon; enjoy your great start to the season while you can, because it wont last. Tell your chairman to get his finger out and buy some decent players!
the league table never lies .......................after 38 games that is ...................is deluded an annagram of newcastle by any chance ..??????
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