GROUND NUMBER 015 (NOT!) LEEDS AWAY BOXIN' DAY 1970

Ground Zero!
Date of first visit: Boxin' Day 1970!
Elland Road, Leeds (not!) (would have been groond number 15 if a'd actually seen the match!)

Leeds United 3
Newcastle United 0

(Old) Division 1
Attendance: 46,758 (includin' ME and a few others who were 'carted off' to hospital before the match!)


"WELCOME TO ST JAMES'----HOSPITAL!"

It's takin me 41 years to write this, az Elland Road iz a nightmare groond az far az a'm concorned, mainly due to the fact that aalthough aa was in the groond TWO HOURS before the kick off aall those years ago, aa never actually saw the match!---lerriz explain!

Mee memoreez a bit faded nuw through the passage of time, but a'v been reliably informed by an old mate Dylan, that the bus left Scarfell Gardens in Lobley Hill full to the brim with 'Lobleyhillbillies' and full to the brim with drink, even though most of us were underage on this ill fated Boxin' Day outin' to Yorkshire (me and Dylan were sixteen at the time----we're nearly SIXTY! now!)

The bus was an aad wreck and was aboot forty years old as we set off doon the old 'A1' towards Leeds. On arrival we parked up near 'The Tama Shanter' pub in the city centre and (literally!) fell off the busand into the bar!

The intention was to 'take' 'The Geldherd End' which was the notorious Leeds 'hard end' and after a few 'liquid refreshments' to 'get us in the mood' we heeded for the groond with otha Toon fans who we met off the train @ '12:30 bells' and by one 'o' clock aroond aboot 300 of us had took up wor places reet in the middle of 'The Geldherd'.

Not suprizingly there were ne Leeds fans there at this time and we sang the old 'Leazes End boot boy songs' to pass the time as there was still nearly two hours to kick off.

Then it aall 'kicked off'---NOT the match I may add, but the fightin', as within half an hour of us infiltratin' 'their end' the Leeds 'nutters' torned up and in a 'pincer movement' from both sides they suddenly charged at us causin' mayhem as they ootnumbered us by at least 'three to one' and we 'scattered doon the terraces'!

 People were gettin' 'a good bootin' just behind me and in the crush aa got mee left leg stuck behind a metal crash barrier, and then!----aall of a sudden mee leg bent roond the barrier and the barrier collapsed breakin' mee leg between me knee and mee ankle (it still makes me 'wince' today, thinkin' aboot it!)
Mee leg was numb and aa even tried to stand up on it, but it gave way and aa collapsed in agony on the terraces! Alang with a few otha Toon fans aa was 'carted off' on a stretcher to an ambulance which took me to ST JAMES' HOSPITAL in Leeds, of aall places! where a full length plaster cast was put on mee leg after aa was 'knocked oot' with anaesthetic!

aa missed the match of course, which we lost 3-0! and the next day mee faatha and uncle Norman came doon in his 'jam jar' to take me yem and this remains the ANLY groond that a'v actually been to and NOT seen the match!

I was an apprentice sign maker with 'Pearce Signs' on the Team Valley at the time and when the plaster finally came off after SIX MONTHS! (it was a very bad break!) aa went back to work but was 'paid off' because a'd missed so much trainin' and was telt by mee gaffer that oot of the three apprentices who had been taken on, I, unfortunatally was 'gettin the bullet' coz work was a bit slack!

The next game after mee leg break was against Ipswich at home in the FA Cup and mee dad managed to gerriz a ticket for the old 'West Stand' an' aa sat there in an aisle seat with mee full length plaster as aa watched us win 1-0.
For the rest of the season aa stood in the old 'Leazes End' on crutches and aa never missed a game! (how daft iz that!?)

It wasn't until 'the Hillsborough disaster' nineteen years later, when aall those Liverpool fans were seriously injured or crushed to death that aa realised when the crush barriers collapsed, that aa realised just how lucky aa actually was not to suffer the same fate!

The wreck of a bus, incedently, broke doon on the way back from Leeds and they had to get oot and give it a push as the driver tried to 'bumb start' it!---they JUST! made it back!---unlike me of course!

'Fink' (the mad-sad groundhopper!)

Footnote:
'Pearce Signs' who aa'd lost mee job with, made the new 'Newcastle United' sign for the main entrance of the rebuilt West Stand in 1988!
("If only!")   

EUROPEAN & WORLD AVERAGE GATES 2011-2012 (TOP 20)

Updated '8:30 pm bells' Friday 23rd December 2011

The Geordie Times haz been workin' feverishly to bring yoo the latest average gates from Europe and aroond the world.
Az Europe haz the top 20 crowds anyway, this meenz that they aalso have the top 20 crowds in the world az well! (believe it or not!)
The Toon have moved up FOWER! places in the
latest list from 16th to12th position in the world, thankx mainly to the fact that wor last 4 crowds have topped the 50,000 mark.
(Up to and includin' 22nd  December  2011)


1 Barcelona--------84,000
2 B Dortmund-----80,365
3 Man U------------75,524
4 Real Madrid-----72,271
5 B Munich--------61,333
6 The Arse---------59,981
7 Stuttgart----------57,047
8 Schalke 04-------54,140
9 Hertha Berlin----53,221
10 Ajax-------------50,934
11 Celtic------------49,372
12 THE TOON---48,484
13 Man City--------47,000
14 Koln-------------46,556
15 Hamburg--------46,418
16 Rangers---------46,048
17 Hannover-------45,748
18 Borrusia M-----45,129
19 Liverpool-------44,970
20 Inter Milan-----44,625


Country by country
 
  1 Jawmany------9  clubs in top 20
  2 England-------5
=3 Spain----------2
=3 Scotland------2 
= 5 Italy-----------1
= 5 Holland-------1

"WHEY AYE MAAN!"

Footnote: Special thanx to wor friend from 'The Mars Branch', who took the stunnin' photo of the planet Earth last month on hiz mobile phone camera az he retorned yem in hiz flyin' saucer from a recent home game!

THE TOON 2 THE BAGGIE TROOSERS 3

Posted '10:50 am bells' Thorsday 22nd December 2011

This waz an absolutleee devestatin' result for us @ St James' last neet in front of another (unexpected!) 50,000 plus crowd!
We simply didn't get oot of the blocks and WBA took advantage of  some shockin' defendin'  to inflict three 'hammer blow' goals on us!

Haris Vuckic unexpectedly made his forst Premya leegue start for The Toon with both Yohan Cabaye and Dan Gosling oot through suspension.

Goal number one came in the 20th minute @ The Gallowgate End when Peter Odemwinie (hope av spelt that reet?) ootpaced 'Fab' Coloccini to hit a left footer which rebounded of the post and into the net.

Demba Ba then got us back on level torms in the 34th minute when a fantastic right footed free kick on the edge of the box, which flew into the goal @ The Leazes End.

Just before the break the visitors took the lead again when a free kick foond an unmarked Gareth McAuley and he had the simple task of tappin' the baall into the net. (but where were wor defenders?)  

It wasn't until the 81st minute that anotha goal was scored and it was wor 'savior' Demba Ba who again 'saved the day' when his loopin' shot beat Ben Foster in the Baggies goal to level things once again!

However!---wor joy waz short lived and the visitors inflicted the devestatin' last and winnin' goal fower minutes later when Sharner, who was unmarked, sealed their victory when he slotted home with James Perch, a mere spectator, lookin' on helplessly .

That's SIX games and ower SIX weeks since we last won a game, which was on bonfire day against Everton.

Toon team line up: Krul, Simpson, Santon (R Taylor 46), Coloccini, Perch, Tiote, Vuckic, Obertan (Shola Amiobi 72) Ba, Best (Ben Arfa 61) Gutierrez
Attendance: 51,060 (1,000 Baggie Troosers)

THE TOON v THE BAGGIE TROOSERS---TONEET!

Updated '12:40 pm bells' Wednesday 21st December 2011



"ST JAMES' PARK SINCE 1880---AND AALWAYS WILL BE!"


Toneet we take in The Baggies of WBA in wot iz wor last home game of the year and we can anly hope that 'Santa Claaz' brings us an orly Xmas present in the shape of 3 points to end wor 5 game winless run.

The Hawthorns where the 'Baggie Troosers' play, iz close to my 'pay packet', az I am often at the bakery directly ower the road from their groond, deliverin' and collectin' bread (wud yoo belive!?) to take back to a bakery on the Team Valley in Gatesheed.

Not sure wot the crowd will be toneet? but I'm sure it will be less than the 51,000 at the Swanzee game on Saturday. (especially az it's anly fower days before 'yee naa who' comes doon the chimneee!)

Toon Team news :

PROBABLE TEAM LINE UP'S?

Injury rules oot Steven Taylor, Danny Guthrie and 'Marveaux the Magician', with Yohan Cabaye and Dan Gosling oot, due to suspension.
Ryan Taylor cud be back in the side after missin' the Swanzee game, but we're not 100% certain aboot this?
Kick off iz @ '7:45 bells'

'The Geordie Times 100 Pub Crawl Challenge' continues of course and waaterin hole number 51 and forst on wor list this afternoon, will be!---- 'THE FORTH!'  in Pink Lane, which is up the alleyway, just ower the road from 'The Central'

Match and pub crawl report to follow much later! (as per usual!)

The latest edition of the 'BLACK AND WHITE DAFT' fanzine by 'Mad Mick' iz oot nuw and I'm featured (if that's the reet word?) on page 26 aboot mee exploits on Boxin' Day 1970 @ Leeds, when aa broke mee leg before the match!

Issue 7 iz on sale @ THE BACK PAGE SHOP in St Andrews Street (opposite The Newcastle Arms)and aall good Geordie paper shops and aa'll be 'reprintin' mee 'leg break disaster story' online in 'The Geordie Times' on eetha Xmas Eve or Xmas Day.
(the printin' above's IZ! a bit smaall to read!---like!)

Features in this issue include anythin' 'anti-mackem', away days @ Ipswich and Bolton (and Leeds!) plus stories from the 1960's and a tribute to Gary Speed.
@ £2.95 a copy it's a 'canny read'!  

'DOUBLE SAD' MAD-SAD GROUNDHOPPERS NEWS FOR THE FA YOUTH CUP & NORTHUMBERLAND SENIOR CUP DRAWS

Updated '2:40 pm bells' Wednesday 21st December 2011

IT'S WATFORD @ ST JAMES' IN THE NEXT ROOND!


The draw for the fourth roond of the FA Youth Cup waz made @ 'high noon bells' @ Wembley last Friday---and I have to tell yoo that we have been drawn @ HOME to Watford, the team we beat in the 1985 Youth Cup final! (a side that included 'Gazza') 
*It iz nuw conformed that the tie will tek place on Thorsday 19th January 2012 @ St James' Park, kick off '7 bells'

The full draw waz az follows:

Bolton v Soothampton
Charlton v Leicester
Cardiff v Stevenage or Spors
QPR v Everton
Readin' v WBA
Stoke v Brentford
Bornley v Ipswich
Blackborn v Bristol R or Coventry
Swindon v Man C
Forest v Wigan
Norwich v Chelsea
Portsmooth v Swanzee
Man U v Derby
THE TOON v Watford
WHU v Brighton
Peterboro' v Fulham

(ties to be played by Saturday 21st January 2012)

'The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers' 'dream' of a trip to Brighton's new groond will have to be put on hold 'til the next roond at least (the anly groond we havvent been te, of teams left in the competition!)



The draw for the Northumberland Senior Cup  semi finals meeenwhile took place on Saturday and disappointingly---(again!)----we didn't get Team Northumbria away az was hoped, (az we havvent been there eetha!) but instead drew the canines of Bedlington @ home, while Team Northumbria drew Newcastle Benfield at their Coach Lane base! (there's aalways next season---isnt there!?
(both ties to be played by 2nd April 2012)

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

TEEEM NORTHUMBRIA AWAY? ---NO GO!

JACKSON JIVER TICKETS ON SALE

Posted '2:30 pm bells' Tuesday 20th December 2011

"THE TOON ARE HERE ON SATURDAY 21st JANUARY!"

Tickets for wor forthcomin' away game against 'The Jackson Jivers of Fulham' in January are nuw on sale to season ticket holders, priced @ £35 for big kids, £25 for zimmerframeites and £15 for sprogs. (25 loyalty points til Thorsday)

Wor sold oot allocations for both Bolton on Boxin' Day and Liverpool on the 30th of this month are conformed az 4,000 for The Reebok and 2,000 for Anfield.

"TWENTY THOOSAND THANKYOOS!"

Posted '9:35 am bells' Tuesday 19th December 2011

"THE GEORDIE TIMES IZ A
NO NONSENSE, NONSENSE BLOG!"
"TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER---WHEY AYE MAAN!"

The Geordie Times haz just received it's 20,000th 'hit this week!

This 'historic event' actually took place on Saturday mornin' and we thank each and every one of yoo for your support.
One of wor reeders, namely, 'Alex of St George' said to me last week that it was a 'NONSENSE' website and I reeely must take him to task ower this, and I told him that we were in fact a 'NO NONSENSE, NONSENSE WEBSITE', az EVERYTHIN' written is 100% TRUE! az wor friend from Mars can verify! (see above!)
("ER!"---or shud that be a 'NONSENSE, NO NONSENSE WEBSITE???")

Of the 20,000 pageviews in total, aroond 11,000 are from the UK and an amazin' 9,000! are from the rest of the world (and beyond!)

At the start of the year wor 'target' waz to get 10,000 hits by Xmas. This target waz actually achieved on 30th June and to get double that number of pageviews before Santa comes doon the chimneee iz phonominal!

115 countries have now 'logged in' and a very special welcome to wor latest viewers!

"Hello! Bahrain!"----"Hello! Liberia!"----"Hello! Guernsey!"----"Hello! Bahamas!"

THE TOON 0 THE SWAN LAKERS 0

Posted '9:00 pm bells' Saturday 17th December 2011

"ELEVEN IN HEAVEN!"

A goalless draa was the ootcome of todays encoonta @ St James' Park where Swanzee were the visitors.
An East Stand tribute to wor former number 11 Gary Speed waz witnessed by his family on the pitch before the game began and Welsh anthem 'Bread of Heaven' waz sang by a tenor on the pitch 

51,767 were present inside St James' (which incloooded aroond aboot 1,800 Swanzee fans, but there waz ne sign of their mascot 'Cedric The Swan'?) (see below!)

The ref had obviousleee forgot his yellow cards in the forst half az at least three of the visitin' team shud have been booked for dodgy tackles, but the man in 'black n blue' wud have 'non of it'!

In total we had 17 shots  on the visitors goal, (includin' 3 which hit the woodwork!) compared to their 3 off target efforts, but blatant time wastin' ensured that the Welshmen went yem with their FIFTH! goalless draw of the season so far (ne wonder that 'Cedric' neva torned up!)

The Geordie Times 100 Pub Crawl Challenge reached the halfway point when we visited 'Eclipse' @ preciseleee '1:41 pm bells' to record wor 50th boozer! (more to follow on this later!---much!----later!)

THE TOON v THE SWAN LAKERS---TODAY

Updated '10:30 am bells' Saturday 17th December 2011

'CEDRIC THE SWAN' IN FULL FLIGHT!
----"IT DOESNT GET MUCH WORSE THAN THIS FOLKS!"

This afternoon we welcome Swanzee to St James' Park for wot will be an historic day az (see next story below) they will be makin' the langest ever road jorney in top flight history with a roond trip of 717 miles from sooth Wales.
Amongt their travellin' fans will be a 'famous Welsh celebrity? (NO!---NOT Tom Jones or Charlotte Church!) "ER!"----I meen of course 'Cedric the Swan' who iz the club's iconic? mascot (god help them!)
We have absolutleee ne idea wetha Cedric iz flyin' up under 'hiz own steam' or 'slummin it on the supporters bus!???'

Anyway!---enough of that!---the team news for us looks a bit more promisin' and (hopefully!) 'Fab' Coloccini and Mike Williamson will be part of wor defence today (we need them afta wot happened @ Norwich last week!) and the retorn of midfielder Cheick Tiote? and a 50,000 crowd iz antisipated for the third home game in a row.

'THE GEORDIE TIMES' 100 PUB CRAWL CHALLENGE

The 100 pub crawl challenge continues unabated @ 'high noon bells' in 'The Centurion'  which iz reet next to the Central Station. Why not join us for a 'lunchtime liquid' in wot will be 'liquid lubrication location' number 47 on the list!

GARY SPEED REMEMBERED

17 members of Gary Speed's family are expected to attend todays match and fans in the East Stand will hold up cards depictin' Gary's number 11 shirt he wore when he played for us.

"GARY!---WE WILL REMEMBER YOU!---R.I.P!"

THE TOON v THE SWAN LAKERS---HISTORY IN THE MAKIN'!

Posted '10:15 am bells' Saturday 17th December 2011

History will be made today when 'The Swan Lakers' make their forst ever Premya Leegue visit to St James' Park, for this will be the langest ever road jorney between two top flight clubs, since the Futbaall League was formed 123 years ago in 1888!

The team and some fans will ne doubt opt to fly, but most of  their fans will make the 358.5 mile record road jorney in the orly hours of today, which iz the precise distance between the two groonds.
(That's a roond trip of 717 miles!)
We have of course played 'The Swans' previously but this was in the Championship and the aad 2nd Division

The previous record was between worsels and Pompey which iz 345.5 miles from groond to groond. (Soothampton. incidentleee iz 331.8 miles distant!)

Plymouth of course is forther away again at 408.1 miles, but they have NEVA played in the top flight before! (Er!---the way things are gannin, they'll be playin' Gatesheed next season in the Conference!)