363 centro sportivo pepino visamara (v ac milan u19s)

 Ground number 363

Date of First Visit: 19th September 2023

Centro Sportivo Pepini Visamara Training Ground, Milan, Italy

AC Milan U19s 4

Newcastle United U19s 0

UEFA Youth League

Attendance: 400  (est) 10 or so Toon fans dotted about the seats! 5 NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers (Glennn from Ashington, Blondie Alan the Morris Dancer, Big Al (NOT the sheet metal workers son), Sarnie Steve, ‘me’) and 5 related to players including Jamie Miley’s dad and granddad (who I went to school with when I woz 5 years old!)

"GLENNN TO THE RESCUE!"

After the gruelling 15 hour jorney the day before to Milan for wor Champions Leegue game v AC Milan ,3 of wor party (me, Big Al ( NOT the sheet metal workers son!) and Sarnie Steve) decided to take in wor U19s game v AC Milan U19s on the south side of Milan at their training groond which kicked off at 1:00pm bells’ and gave us plenty of time to travel to the north side of Milan for the ‘6:45 bells’ start in the ‘big boys game’!

The day before it had been p-ssin doon and videos of Toon fans slidin doon the streets next to a canal were seeing the Roond on social media!

In total contrast to that, it woz deed hot with the ‘current bun’ shining brightly in the sky above and a ride to the nearest stop to the trainin groond on the Metro and a tram woz undertaken!

Ax expected? we ended up on the wrang side of the groond where a gateman told us to gan to the other side, which woz a good 20 minute walk away!

On the way we foond oot that the kick off woz infact '2:00pm bells' which gave us a bit more time az it woz now near to '1:00pm bells'

But this meant that we would have an hour less to get to The San Siro!

We eventually got to the entrance but we needed e tickets to get in, which of course we didnt have!  We were told by a steward to download the FREE tickets from Milan's website from the poster on the fence!

And this to watch a kids game!?-wot a palarvour!

After nearly half an hours fruitless attempts to dee this we feared that we wouldnt get in!-----But then Glennn from Ashington, who woz inside the groond came alang and told us that he'd managed to download 5 tickets, 3 of which had been scanned on hiz phone!

He passed hiz phone ower a wire fence and tried to see if it would work!---The 2 unscanned tickets were OK and so norves were janglin' for the 3rd ticket which had aalready been scanned!

By some miracle it WORKED and we aall got in!  Glennn to the rescue!

We were housed in a smaall covered stand with the rest of the groond surroonded by trees!

The game kicked off and straight away Milan went on the attack and within 16 minutes NUFCs youngins were 1-0 doon when Traore shot from close range from a cross!

Just 4 mins later they got a penalty which woz taken by Camarda who rifled the baall doon the middle to put them 2-0 up!

Worse woz to follow when Camarda hit a raspin shot in the 26th minute, from inside the box, givin' Harrison in The Toon goal nee chance! 3-0 doon aalready and it looked like it would be a cricket score by the end! (Camarda, az Glennn informed us woz aanly 15 years old!)

We had a chance to get off the mark in the 35th minute, when Parkinson woz clean through but hiz shot from very close in woz hit straight at their keeper and the chance woz gone! 

HT 3-0 to Milan---It should have been more!

Another chance for Parkinson with a heeder from a Jamie Miley corner just missed the target in the 58th minute!

The anly goal in the 2nd period woz another penalty in the 75th minute when a push on one of their attackers in the box resulted in the spot kick!--Zeroli took it and sent Harrison the wrang way!

FT 4-0 to AC Milan U19s

After the match we hurried straight for the tram to take us back to the centre of Milan and then a Metro to San Siro!---We didnt have time for any gargels and heeded straight for the groond where security woz very tight!-----See Champions Leegue match report! (Ground 220 revisited)

AC MILAN 0. THE TOON 0 —- CHAMPIONS LEEGUE GROUP STAGE 2023-2024

 Posted from high noon'bells' onwards on the lang complicated journey back on Wedinzday 20th September 2023 (Post done mostly in Berlin airport az we were stuck there for several hours!)  Updated on Thorzday

*”HAVE YOO EVER SEEN A GEORDIE IN MILAN???” 🤔

*Ground number 220 revisited (1st visit woz v Inter Milan in 2003---a 2-2 draw)

San Siro Stadium, Milan, Italy

To get to Milan we had to use several modes of transport on Munday to get there   In order they are (deep breath!) bus from wor hoose to the central—-a train from there to Edinburgh—- a tram from Edinburgh to Edinburgh airport—-a flight to Berlin—-and finally a flight to Milan!—-where we arrived at 11pm bells’—-15 hours after leavin Tyneside!

Luckily the hotel woz near Milan airport and after dumpin wor bags we made straight for hotel’s bar which woz open til 2am 🛎️s

Next day (Tuesday) we decided to Dee a bit of groundhoppin’ az wor U18s we’re playin AC Milan U18s at the Milan trainin groond in a UEFA youth competition at 1:00pm 🛎️s! But that’s yet another disaster  story for The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers ( A ‘disaster’ match report on that game later this week on Friday)

So there woz plenty of time to get to The San Siro for the main game at 6:45 🛎️s

Anyway! Az it trined oot we didn’t have enough time to down a few liquid lubrications on the way and went to The San Siro completely’T total’🥶

This woz the 2nd time I have been here to watch The Toon, the first bein 20 years ago v AC,s arch rivals Inter who they share the huge stadium with!

The first time yoo see it, it brings a ‘wow factor’ impression az it stands aall alone like a giant sky scraper!

From the ootside it’s without doubt the best lookin away stadium on the planet!

Az expected there were big queues at the away end—however! Gettin through aall the security checks where they even checked passport names against names on match tickets (which were hand written in biro pen!) (one Toon fan on Twitter tried to change the name on the ticket with nail varnish remover but it rubbed part of the barcode off to make it unusable!)

Anyway! The last time we were here we were in the bottom deck v Inter Milan, but this time we were on the very top deck, in the gods!

The Long and Winding Road!

To get to wor seats we had to gan up a spiral ramp which took aboot 15 mins to climb to the top! Luckily the ramp wasn’t steep and we wornt oot of breath by the time we got to wor seats high above the away goal in a corner section!

The end woz packed and the teams came oot to The Champions Leegue tune az the Milan stands spelt oot the name MILAN ( See top video)

The game kicked off with NUFC wearin the famous stripes, white shorts and white socks! Noticeable were the red numbers with a white patch around them, makin then more readable than the numbers with black stripes gannin through them!

AC laid seige to wor goal and were it not for the brilliance of The Pope in gal we would have been 3 doon at the break, played in a brilliant atmosphere!  ie:The Champions Leegue iz on another level with The Toon not havin a single shot on target in the entire half!

Again Milan went for the jugular in the 2nd period but vital blocks a crucial times kept the score at nil-nil!---Plus we played much better this half az we attacked 'The Toon Fans End'! 

Indeed wor ably shot on goal came from Sean Longstaff who hit a screamer at the death, but the Milan sub goalie Sportiello pulled off a brilliant save to deny us!

Nil-nil at full time which woz greeted loudly by The Toon faithful az the ref blew for full time!

A vital point for NUFC

Let there be light!—The MAGnificent San Siro post match!

To cut a very lang story short the game finish at 8:40 bells’ but it took us 4 hours to get back to wor hotel az the San Siro Metro station and the station beyond were both closed due to overcrowding! ( it should have taken us no more than an hour to get back)

The journey home the next day(Wedinzday) woz the same way az we had came via Berlin, Edinburgh and the Central in The Toon (with lang flight delays of course at Berlin!—7 hours in airport)

In total, includin' the flight ower via Berlin az well,(4 hours wait) we were in Berlin airport a total of ELEVEN HOURS!---In fact we spent more Euros there than we did in Milan!

It woz then a flight back to Edinburgh---a tram to the nearest train station---a train to Edinburgh Waverley station---a train to The Toon---and finally----a bus yem!

Woz it worth it???it aalways iz when you get a good result!🤪👍⚽️

Attendance: 65,695 (4,200 very happy Toon fans*)

No that isn’t fog in the top corner—it’s driftin’ clouds az you’re that high up!

Match (and fan!) action from the Gods in the 4th tier of the Toon end!

"WE WOZ THERE!"

JUST THE TICKET(S)!

Aall together we need 10 different tickets to get to and into The San Siro Stadium and back yem!

4 flight tickets

2 train tickets

2 tram tickets

1 Milan Metro ticket

1 match ticket!

Total cost —-Exstorshanit!🥶

AC MILAN v THE TOON ***CHAMPIONS LEEGUE ON TUEZDAY

 Posted '11:15am bells' Tuesday 19th September 2023 in Milan

Got into the youth game—-eventually! New groond.  New groond!

*It’s quite hot and hazy in Milan today, which iz in total contrast to last neet when a huge storm engulfed the San Siri Stadium!

Wor journey started at 8am bells yesterday and involved busses, trains. Trams and planes and we eventually got to Milan at 11 bells last neet

Wor intention iz to groundhog and watch wor Juniors play AC Milan juniors at their trainin’ groond at 1:00 bells’ local time!

Don’t know if they will let us in though?

Watch this space to find oot

A match and booze report will appear here when we get back on Wedinzday neet—-possibly Thorxday mornin’

*

*

220 san siro stadium inter milan

Ground number 220
Date of First Visit: 11th March 2003
San Siro Stadium, Milan, Italy

Inter Milan 2
Newcastle United 2 (Alan Shearer, 2)

Champions League, Group 'A' (2nd phase)
Attendance: 53,459 (12,000 Toon fans)

"THE TALE OF VAN GOFF'Z LUG!"

A SELF POITRAIT OF VINCENT VAN 'GOFF' (GOGH) WITH 

HIZ LUG BANDAGED UP, AFTER HE CHOPPED IT OFF!

 "A DREAM COME TRUE!"---After the Nou Camp, Barcelona, this woz the next best groond aa wanted to visit in the whole wide world---and mee dream came true when we drew Inter Milan in the group stage of The Champions Leegue!
At last!---after a thorty three year wait ah would finally visit the one stadium in the world that a'v aalways wanted tih see the Toon play in, alang with The Nou Camp in Barcelonaa.

The last time wih played there in 1970 in the aad European Fairs Cup, ah was a mere 'slip of a lad' aged sixteen and simply could'nt afford it. (Aa meen---aa didn't even have a passport!) 

(At the time ah was workin' in mee forst ever job az an apprentice fitter and turner on the Team Valley for the 'princely' sum of £5 a week!)

Ever since then ah dreamed of watchin' the Toon in one of the worlds best stadium--- and so!--- here ah was a thord of a century later (woz it really THAT! lang ago?) ready tih forfill mee dream!.

Az ever wih met up at the airport and made straight for wor 'rondiveuz' (sorree aboot thi spelin!) point in the bar!

It was qwaata tih five bells precisely when ah 'reported for duty' and 'Grumpy Stumpy' alang with his sixty inch 'girth' az usual 'were' proppin' up the bar with a pint of cider on the coontaa!. 

ie: 'Grumpy Stumpy woz on the Scrumpy'! 

(This had the added effect of preventin' anybody jumpin' the queue, az they could'nt get past him!)

In total this was mee seventh Champions League jaunt from Newcastle Airport that season, AND!---'ah kid you not'---a'd been here that many times, that the barmaid recognised izz and was pourin' mee drink oot even before ah asked for it! (honest!)

Aalso, ah had mee usual table (within hocklin' distance of the coonta!) so it was'nt too far for iz tih gan for the next 'Arthur Scargills'!(Gargels).

It was at this point that ah spotted 'Frainy' who was standin' in the 'coffee queue'!---tih be honest ah could'nt believe it!---a fellow Toon plonky of some thorty years standin' was in the---- COFFEE QUEUE!!??

Ah had tih rub mee 'mincers' tih mek sure it was true and 'Stumpy', not wantin' tih miss a photo oppotunity unzipped his case and hurriedly got his camera oot!.

He focused it on 'Frainy' and clicked the button---BUT!---the f***** flash did'nt gan off!

"MEE BASTARD CAMRAZ NOT WORKIN!", said the frustrated photographer, az he undid the back tih see what was wrang!.


"THE BATTERIES ARE IN THE WRANG WAY ROOND YIH DAFT C**T!", ah said, az 'Frainy' clocked wih from the queue!.

Quick az a flash he moved tih the 'beer queue', claimin' that he'd joined the wrang queue by mistake, (a likely story!) but of course it was TOO late and the 'said' 'photo oppotunity' was missed!---"AAAARRRR"!!!

'Stumpy' sheepishly mumbled sommik aboot the batteries bein' dud---and hoyed it back in his case!-----

(but, WE! naa different!)---(DIVVINT WIH?)   

Afta a few more 'liquid lubrications' (purely for medicinal purposes yi'll understand!) it was time tih catch wor flight tih Milano.

The airport, az yi'd expect was 'choka' with Toon fans (which was a far cry from the previous trip tih Jawmany) and an estimated 12,000 were said tih be mekin' the pilgrimage tih 'spaghettiland'!

Wor hotel was a  top of the range 'plush' 5 star job' in the suborbs and was aboot five miles from the centre of Milan and was caalled the 'Leonardo Da Vinci' afta the famous painter. (Ah NAA mee history yih naa!)

"NUW THAT'S WOT YI CAALL A HOTEL!"

A mentioned this tih mee mate 'Norman the Cowboy Plumber' and said that if wih got 'rat-arsed' and disorientated, wi'd flag a taxi doon and tell the driver tih tek wih tih the hotel named afta the gadgie who cut his aan lug off!.

"YIH DAFT BASTARD!", came the reply, "IT WAS VAN GOFF WHO CUT HIS F***** LUG OFF!"

(Like ah said---ah was NEVAA! nee good at history!)

LEONARDO DA VINCI (razor blades are cheap!)

Anyway!---after dumpin wor bags in wor rooms it woz time to flag a taxi doon for a wander aroond Milan city centre for the forst 'gargels'! There were thoosands of Toon fans there of course and the local bars had stuck their prices up accordingly! (5 Euros, plus!)

But bein' 'street wise' we heeded for the back alleys away from the bright lights where the 'gargels' were half the price in the 'dingy bars'!

The big game woz next day, so wih had plenty of time to get 'rat-arsed'----and many did!  On wor retorn to the hotel in the evenin', some Toon lasses known az 'The Happy Slappers' staggered through the main entrance carryin' one of their mates across the immaculate marble floor in the foyer!  
She woz a 'wheel barrow' job and shih 'hoyed up' aall ower the floor az we looked on in amazement!----Hor mates then dragged hor to the lift and up to hor room to 'sleep it off'! (A 'propaa' Geordie lass!)

"MARBLE FLOORS---AND AALL THAT!"

In the meantime a very well dressed posh lookin' lady walked into the hotel wearin a very expensive fur coat and long throw scarf to match. 
She had a pair of leather knee length boots on, but didn't notice the spew aall ower the marble floor!---She walked straight into it az she heeded for the reception desk and slipped, az hor boot heels made contact!---She fell backwards and straight into the 'said' spew, which covered hor fur coat!----Me and 'Norman the Cowboy Plumber' just couldn't believe wot we saw and were in stitches az a porter rushed to hor assistance and helped hor to hor feet, az shih screamed sommik in Italian, az we looked on in amazement!

HONEST!---this iz TRUE, but in them days we didn't have camera phones and didn't get any pictures! (Dammit!)

Anyway!---It woz soon the day of the match and we excitedly made wor way to San Siro, the district of Milan where the stadium iz named after, but not before several 'liquid lubrication location' stops on the way!
We eventually arrived and I woz dumbstruck with the huge stadium az it appeared on the skyline, aall lit up! 
After bein' hassled by the local 'Dibble' we were eventually allowed into the groond where 12,000 Toon fans were assembled behind one of the goals!

Inside the stadium woz less impressive than the outside however, az it woz full of faded bucket seats on 3 tiers!
My seat woz on the lower tier underneath the overhang of 2nd tier, where the Inter Milan fans were hoyin missiles and bottles plastic cups full of p*ss from, into wor section----so it woz just az well that aa woz in a covered sheltered section of the stand! (Welcome to the San Siro?)

"CAN YOO SPOT ME UNDERNEATH THE OVERHANG?"

Az the game kicked off there were loads of empty seats in the home sections of this 80,000 capacity stadium, which looked half full!

We gave az good az we got and sensationaly took the lead 3 minutes before half time when Craig Bellamy went past 2 Milan defenders and hiz pinpoint cross foond Alan Shearer who sidefooted home from 2 yards oot to send the 12,000 faithful wild with delight!  The Inter fans in response hoyed more cup of p*ss and othaa object from the upper decks!

However!---within just 2 minutes of the restart the home side equalised when Vieri heeded home to send the I-ties into a frenzy!
But it didn't take lang for us to retake the lead when a fumble by the Milan goalie fell nicely to Shearer and he made nee misstayk from 5 yards oot to again send the travellin' fans into ecstasy!

This time the home fans became more sinister and flares were hoyed into the Toon sections and one hit a lad and it bornt straight through hiz t shirt and onto hiz chest!  Luckily the burn wasn't too severe and he remained on the terraces!  
He woz the son of one of the lads on wor trip caalled Bernie and he later telt us that hiz son woz actually half ITALIAN az that's where hiz mam came from!---Ironic to say the least!

Anyway!---We battled on and dreams of actually winnin away in this iconic stadium came to mind!
Unfortunately, it wasn't to be az Inter equalised on the hour mark through anothaa heeder, this time from Coroba, who rose above wor defence to send hiz powerful nod past Shay Given, actually got a finger tip to it, but woz unable to keep it oot!

2-2 the final score and we were (of course!) locked in for a good hour after the game had finished to allow the Inter fans to disperse!

"TOON!--TOON!---BLACK 'N' WHITE ARMY!"

It woz then back to central Milan to enjoy several 'gargels' before retirin' back to wor hotel for the neet, before catchin the flight yem the next mornin'!



"THE BIG SLEEP!"----"ZZZzzzz!!!!"

In the afternoon before the game, one of wor party had decided to have an 'afternoon nap' after a heavy session! (FATAL!)   
No one knew where he had gone tee and hiz mate couldn't find him!?  On hiz retorn to the hotel after the match, hiz mate went to hiz room to find him asleep on the bed!  He woke up and uttered the fateful words! 
"IZ IT TIME TO GAN TO THE MATCH, YET?"----Hiz mate could hardly contain himself----"YI DAFT C**T!---We've BEEN to the match---we drew 2-2, Shearer got both wor goals!"---"AAAaaaaggghhh!"  

  

THE TOON 1 BRENTFAAD BEEEZ 0 *** PREMYAA LEEGUE 2023-2024

 Posted 'high noon bells' Sunday 17th Septembaa 2023

CALLUM WILSON'S PENALTY

"A BIT FORTUITOUS!🠜(We naa aall the big words!)

---BUT WE'LL TAKE THE POINTS!" 

Not a game for the purists az we just couldnt get a shot on target in the forst half, but did manage to hit the bar at The Leazes End! (cannit recaall who hit the bar?---"hic!") Brentfaad were 'shotless' az well! 

'Steady Eddie' had made 5 changes to the startin line up from wor disastrous 3-1 defeat at Brightin a fortneet ago! (compare line ups below, to the Brightin game)

Bruno had a divin heeder saved by Flekken in the Brentfaad goal near the end of the half, but we went in goalless at the break!

The 2nd half started off the same with Brentfaad tryin to win the game rather than settle for a point but NUFC were the better team and Callum Wilson had a perfectly good goal disallowed on the hour mark when he bundled the baall into the net!---but woz deemed to have fouled their goalie and the goal didnt stand!

3 minutes later however, Almiron woz fouled on the edge of the box and the ref pointed straight to the spot!  (Correction! Gordon woz fouled—congratulations to Russ for spottin my dillibrittt misstayk!) Callum Wilson took it and scored to lift the roof off the groond az the noise woz deafenin' (see top video!)

2 more penalty appeals for hand baall were rejected by VAR and we had to settle for the 1-0 win!----10 mins stoppage time woz played to jangle the nerves before the end, but we held on for the 3 points which moves us up to 11th in the table----for the moment at least!

This woz Brentfaad's forst defeat of the season, havin won 1 and drawn 3 of their previous games

It's AC Milan on Tuezday neet in The San Siro Stadium in The Champions Leegue-----a game to look forward to for certain!

(A match report from wor last game there v Inter Milan 20 years ago, (ground number 220) will appear here tomorrow---at the same time az we heed to northern Italy via Edinburgh, Berlin and Milan airports!

Attendance: 51,670 (1,000 or so Beeez in level 7 of The Leazes End)

THE TOON v BRENTFAAD *** THIS SATURDAY!

 Posted 'high noon 🛎️s' Friday 15th September 2023

SUNSET @ SJP 

‘THE CATHEDRAL ON THE HILL’

We've got a hectic couple of weeks comin' up with 5 games in 3 competitions!--Forst up iz a home Premyaa Leegue game v Brentfaad on Saturday ---and then its off to Milan for wor Champions Leegue game at The San Siro v AC Milan next Tuesday----followed by anothaa Premyaa Leegue game v Sheff U at Bramall Lane on Sunday week---and then a Leegue Cup tie at home to Man City the followin Wedinzday---and finally, for wor last game in Septembaa, a Premyaa Leegue home game v Bornlee on Saturday the 30th!----Thats 5 games in 14 days! 

Like we say, wor Forst game iz against Brentaad, who we beat 3-0 at SJP last season! (Correction 5-1 spececial thanx to Russ for spotting my dilllibrit missstsyk—again!) ‘Fink’ that this time it will be much tougher az we try to hit back after 3 successive defeats before the International break!— in contrast wor visitors are unbeaten so far this season in 4 games (1 win, 3 draws)

The 🛞 🛞 wheels might be wobblin a bit, but they havvint come off yet!

Team news   Sven Botman shud be ok   Toonali iz touch and go!

Meeenwhile! Wor 25 man squad for the new season haz been reveeeled!

A ‘Geordie Times’ Brentfaad match report will appear here as per usual sometime on Sunday!   Az per usual “Watch this space!”

Ah wonder wot events they are takin about? 🤔  Iz that a pub on the left and a sports stadium on the right?🤔

Meeeenwhile!  2 more games have been moved for live telly games!

We will now play 'The Arse' at SJP at '5:30 bells' on Saturday Novembaa 4th (SKY) and Bournemoooth away on Saturday 11th Novembaa at '5:30 bells' (SKY) 

This meenz that we will be unable to get yem after the Bournmoooth game by train!---SO yet anothaa owerneet stay iz in the offin'!

"They dont like us---they don't care!"

AC MILAN SOLD OOT!

 Posted ‘4:50pm bells’ Friday 8th Septembaa 2023

The Geordie Times can confirm that aall 4,200 tickets for wor away Champions Leegue game in The San Siri Stadium on Tuesday week against AC Milan have now Selt oot!

The 1.000 tickets for ‘one loyalty point holders’ that went on sale at '4:00pm🔔bells' today, selt oot in less than 30 minutes!

An unspecified number of tickets have been held back for those with zero points and will be drawn in a ballot on Saturday, from 'high noon bells'!

Wrexham 1 The Toon U21s 0 EFL Trophy

 Posted ‘1:45am 🔔 bells’ Wedinzday 6th September 2023

Some of the Toon saddos drinking a pint or ten before the game!

Wor U21s lost 1-0 against Wrexham at The Racecourse Groond (or whatever it’s called now?) last neet in front of a near 8,000 crowd which included nearly 300 NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers who had made the lang journey from Tyneside and beyond!

16 year old goalie Aiden Harris made hiz debut for The Toon U21s and had to pick the ball oot of the net after just 13 minutes when Dalby scored the anly goal of the game!

We had been severely weakened by injuries and International caall ups and made a game of it against the 2nd Division Welshmen

900,000 REASONS TO BELEEEEVE! *** ANOTHAA MILESTONE FOR THE GEORDIE TIMES!

 Posted 'high noon bells' Munday 4th Septembaa 2023

"TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER!, WHEY AYE MAAN!"

Ower the weekend The Geordie Times passed the 900,000 hits mark when we were in Brightin!

We thank each and every one of yoo from the 4 corners of the planet Orth (and beyond!) for loggin' into this advort free NUFC fan blog!

Wor target iz!---1,000,000 and at the time of writin this we need anothaa 96,000 pageviews!----That would be brilliant!

The Top pageviews are az follows:

1 UK 313,000 (plus)

2 USA 190,000

3 Indonesiaa 57,100

4 Jawmaneee 46,000

5 Hong Kong 39,600

6 Singapore 38,100

7 Rushaa 30,500

8 Ukraine 26,700 (Not suprizingly not many pageviews lately!)

9 Israel 26,000

10 France 20,000

11 Republic of Ireland 9,870

12 Chinaa 8,570

13 Holland 7,070

14 Sweden 6,830

15 Canada 5,990

16 Japan 5,660 

17 Spain 4,000

18 Torkee 2,170

The other 160 countries and the planet Mars combined 63,800! 

NEE WHERE NEAR BRIGHTIN 3 THE TOON 1 *** PREMYA LEEGUE 2023-2024

 Posted 'from 11am bells' onwards, on the way back from Brightin, Sunday 3rd September 2023

Loyal til the end, despite the poor performance!

*A WEEKEND OF WOE!

*This woz one of the worst away trip that we have ever been on!

As divvint want to bore yoo to death—-but I WILL!

Mee diary from Thorzday onwards reads like this: Did mee normal 450 miles truck run from Tyneside to Redditch and back and got stuck in a traffic jam on the M1 for half an hour on the way back at 10:30pm bells and had to take an extra 45 mins break because of it!

Got to bed at 3:30 bells for 6 hours and then had to drag Meesel oot of mee pit to catch a train to London at high noon bells on Friday (a train strike with very limited services on Saturday forced wor hands!)

On arrival at Kings Cross (London)we caught a tube train to Edgeware Road and another one to Wimbledon!

From there we got a bus to Kingston (which woz SO full passenger were actually sitting on the stairs)and another one to Dorking where we were stayin for the neet! In total it took 8 hours to get there! (There were nee trains from London to Dorking coz of the strike!) We had a canny few gargels in numerous boozers and let’s say that one of wor company had to be virtually carried back to the hotel, az he woz much the worse for wear!!

Next day Sarnie Steve, (who woz workin in Reading) picked us up in his jam jar and off we set to wor final destination—-an expensive minus 3 star hotel on the Brightin seafront! £96 each!—nee brekky included!)

After droppin’ wor bags off it woz time for a few gargels in Brightin before catching the train to the ground which iz aboot 6 miles from the centre!

And then more ‘purgatory ’ —-The match! Az we were gannin in a sniffer dog made straight for Blondie Alan the Morris Dancer and he woz stopped and searched for drugs and had to empty his pockets oot!? 

He eventually got to the tornstiles but his ticket woz rejected (az NUFC said some would be) so he had to trail halfway around the ground to ticket office window 10 where NUFC staff asked him for photo ID to prove that the ticket woz hiz! They gave him a new ticket and he eventually got in! Hiz new name iz Blondie Alan the Drug Dealer!

We then made for wor seats az Toon fans started hoyin beer ower each other! (At £6 a pint!)

Honestly,! This woz the worst ever display under Eddie Howe with several missed chances gannin abeggin from Isak and Co! It woz like gannin back to the Steve Bruce era!

The Pope woz at fault for the first goal when a rebounded kick off him found teenager Ferguson and had the easy task of scorin from the edge of the box! 1-0 to them at HT 

Despite the aaful performance from NUFC, where virtually every player under performed, the 3,000 Toon fans were in good voice and singin songs aboot the Champions Leegue!

It woz 2-0 when Ferguson hit a screamer from ootside the box az The Pope tried in vain to save it!

It woz soon 3-0 to them when a deflected shot off Ferguson wrang footed Pope to give him his hat-trick!

A consolation goal from super sub Callum Wilson near the end made it 3-1 to Brightin!

7 minutes stoppage time woz added to compound wot misery!

Attendance 31,620 (3,000 shell shocked Toon fans!)

PS: We say ‘Nee where near Brighton’ az their ground iz in a place called Falmer, 6 miles north of Brightin!

We heeded for the seafront after the game for a few drownin of the sorrows gargels before retiring back to the hotel!

At 6:08am bells pressisleee ah nearly had a heart attack when the very loud fire 🚨 alarm went off which (of course!) woke me up and there woz a mad scramble to get some clothes on and dash doon the 3 flights of narrow stairs to get oot!  It woz a false alarm of course!—Wot else could possibly gan wrang????

Today, before leavin we had ‘breakfast at Tiffany’s ower the road from the hotel before the lang 370 mile road jorney back to Tyneside—where I did this report on the M25, M11 and A1 gettin stuck in traffic jams!

MAGICAL MYSTERY AWAY PUB CRAWL TOUR 2023-2034

8 Boozers visited in Dorking and Brightin---runnin total 27

DORKING

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BRIGHTIN

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Away concourse Amex Stadium

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On the concourse before the game!

*On the ‘tool shed’ waall!