Friday, 14 September 2018

THE TOON v THE ARSE *** TOMORROW AT '3 BELLS'!

Posted just after 'high noon bells' Friday 14th September 2018
St James' Park from
Stanhope Street

We retorn to leegue action after the International break and take on The Arse at SJP in an unusual '3 bells' non televised fixture for the forst time this season!

Hopefully Jonjo Shelvey and Matt Ritchie will be back, in what iz a game we must get sommik oot of to avoid bein' stranded in the bottom 3!

We aall knew that we would struggle after wor tough start, which of course iz entirly doon to one man, who cant be bothered aboot comin to games anymore---an absense streatchin' back to May 2017!
Just 500 tickets remain on sale, so the game looks certain to be a selloot!
In previous years it would have sold oot weeks ago, but apathy haz started to set in, I'm afraid!(Yoo know who to blame!)

We will of course bring yoo, wor loyal subjects, a full match report on Sunday az per usual!
Watch this space for this➡😊---OR---this!➡ðŸ˜Ļ

Thursday, 13 September 2018

SENT TO COVENTRY 2008!

Posted '4:00pm bells' Thorzday 13th September 2018

I have just completed mee archive match report from Coventry in August 2008 when we visited their new Ricoh Arena abode (ground 267)
This meenz that match/booze reports from new groonds visited durin' the last 10 seasons are now complete!
(see below)

267 ricoh arena coventry


(GROUND NUMBER 267)

Date of First Visit: 26th AUGUST 2008

RICOH ARENA, COVENTRY



COVENTRY CITY  2

NEWCASTLE UNITED  3  (N'Zogbia, Milner, Owen)



COCA COLA CUP 2nd Round

Attendance: 19,249     (3,008 Toon fans includin’ Mike Ashley in the away end!)


Michael Owen winner in extra time
(dark blue shirt on left)




Fower of us 'were sent to Coventry' in ‘The Caped Crusaders’ ‘bat mobile’ and we arrived at the groond (sorry!-- ARENA!) which woz smack bang in the middle of  an industrial estate on the ootskirts of the city centre, in plenty of time for the forst ‘gargels’!



We eventually foond a bar in a hoozin' estate half a mile away up the road called ‘The Hub’ and settled doon for ‘the duration az there were nee othaa bars in sight!

Apart from ‘me’ and The Caped Crusader, Jonezee and ‘Grumpy Stumpy’ were in attendance az we hoyed the ‘gargel’ doon wor ‘Gregory Pecks’ (necks!)




While me and Jonezee drank the local brew, Grumpy Stumpy went on the scrumpy and The Caped Crusader kept to soft drinks az he woz drivin’!



It woz then time to heed for the tornstiles of this brand new ground and on enterin’ we could see that it woz half empty with thoosands of sky blue seats vacant in the home sections! (13,000 to be exact!)

The Toon section woz canny full az the game kicked off and we went on the attack straight away!



It took us 21 minutes to oen the scorin’ when N’Zogbia fired home a James Milner cross!

17minutes later and anothaa cross from Milner woz missed by everybody, includin’ their goalie and it sailed into the net after takin a slight deflection off a Coventry defender! 2-0

 
TOON MANAGER KEVIN KEEGAN BELOWS OUT INSTRUCTIONS
 FROM THE AWAY DUGOOT!

The Sky Blues pulled one back deep into forst half stoppage time after indecision in the Toon defence!



The game petered oot and deep into injury time, az we made wor way to the exits for a quick getaway, disaster struck, when a lang throw in near wor corner flag from a Coventry defender, foond the heed of Dann, who nodded the baall into the top of the net!



The very thing aa didn’t want woz extra time az aa had an orly start for work the next mornin’!   "CURSES!"



Anyway!--- in the 97th minute we got a 3rd goal, when a superb baall from Enrique foond Michael Owen (who had come on az a 2nd half sub)and he lobbed the Coventry keeper to eventually win the tie! (see top photo)
But not after some finger bitin' in the last few minutes to avoid a dreaded penalty shoot out!




Aa got yem in the orly hours and then had to drag mee lifeless body oot of bed at ‘6am bells’ to de a ‘truck run’ to Glasgow!



Such iz life!



Footnote: Sadly both 'Jonezee' and 'The Caped Crusader' (who woz better known az 'The Undertaker') are no longer with us!

RIP lads!

Wednesday, 12 September 2018

ASHINGTON ARCHIVE MATCH REPORT

Posted '1:40pm bells' Wedinzday 12th September 2018

PHOTO 'NICKED' FROM
NUFC.COM! ðŸ˜ē
Below this article iz a match report from NUFCs forst ever visit to The Ashington Pit Yaakkers new Woodhorn Lane abode, which woz opened in 2008

This report meeenz that I have now published a report on every new groond visited in the last 10 years!(nearly!)

Havin visited 337 groonds watchin NUFCs various teams since 1964, there are now archive reports from 140 odd groonds on this website!

Still a lang way to gan to complete them aall---BUT!---I will 'plod on regardless' in my quest to de a report on every groond visited!
(Ground 271, Woodhorn Lane, Ashington)

271 woodhorn lane ashington



(GROUND NUMBER 271)

Date of First Visit: 15th JULY 2009

WOODHORN LANE, ASHINGTON, PIT YAKKER-LAND!



ASHINGTON  2

NEWCASTLE UNITED  Reserves  3 (Baheng, Zambiera, Sammy Amiobi)



FRIENDLY FIXTURE

ATTENDANCE: 652 (mostly Toon fans)








“I AM NOT A SEASON TICKET NUMBER!?------I AM A FREE MAN!!!???”



Aa had ti gan to this one of course as it was a brand new groond and aad arranged at work to get a very orly start that day so that aa had plenty of time to mek the match.

So!---it was oot of bed at three in the morn’ and off  ‘truckin’ to Mansfield for Allied Bakeries.

A three bells afternoon finish meant aa had plenty of time to get yem for a wash ‘n’ brush up and a bit scran before cadgin’ a lift off ‘The Caped Crusader’ to deepest Northumberland.



Unlike Ashington’s aad grooond which was near the toon centre, this one is in the middle of ne where, next to a dodgy lookin’ hoosin’ estate and this was conformed when we got to the clubhoose entrance at the groond, as it was like ‘Fort Knox’ to get into.

(“Er!”---come to think of it?---the whole of ‘pit yakker-land’ is a ‘bit dodgy lookin’!)

Metal roller shutters were on the windows and doors and just to mek sure that nebody could get past this, they had iron bars on the doors as well!

We got there just as an aad wifey was openin’ up (good timin’ pet!) and downed the forst ‘liquid refreshments’ at ‘five thorty bells’ preciseleee! (‘seven bells’ kick off)



This torned oot to be the forst ‘outin’ of the Toon’s new horrendous ‘Whitley Bay deckchair stripes’ away strip, which would’nt have looked oot of place on the set of the cult TV series, ‘The Prisoner’!  

"WHERE'S MEE SUNSHADES?"
(PHOTO 'NICKED' FROM NUFC.COM ðŸ˜ē)

And of course, just like ‘The Prisoner’ (Patrick Magoohan) there’s ‘ne escape’!  (In his case—there’s ne escape from his island prison---and in wor case---there’s ne escape from ‘St James’ prison’!) (Er!---except for away games ‘on parole’, that is!)

ie: “yiv got ti gan---ne matter wot happens!”



A combination of yellow ‘n’ orange striped shirts, orange shorts and yellow ‘n’ orange hooped socks (UGH!) actually blended in well with the sun as it shone brightleee in the Northumberland sky!



Many fans were sportin’ designer ‘Poond Shop’ sunglasses to stop the glare from the strips blindin’ them, while Ashington AFC, on the otha hand, were sportin’ a very dull black ‘n’ white striped shirt design with  black shorts and black ‘n’ white socks (now where have aa seen that before???)

(‘Glennn from Ashington’ was one of  the above posers, although he insisted that his expensive designer ‘shades’ were in fact from Poondstrecher!) (Er!---anly jokin’ mate!)



The same ‘saddos’ were there of course who had been in Ireland fower days before for the Shamrock game and they were aall huddled together takin notes of just who was actually playin’!, namly, “zzzzzzz!”, ‘Dave from York’, his ‘sidekick’ Alex, ‘The Bear’, ‘Byzee’, Glennn and of course ‘The Caped Crusader’. (aalso present was ‘The Mad Professor’ who could’nt be bothered to gan to Ireland (part time sad b******!)





“WHERE’S THE MILBURN ARMY?”



Just like the fans, ‘The Pit Yakkers X1’ were aalso ‘dazzled’ by wor new ‘Prisoner strip’ (as it was now appropriateleee christened !) as we took the lead with bearly two mins on the clock, when Zambiera (‘Zam Man’) flicked the baall into the path of Baheng who coolly slotted home.



However!---the lead did’nt last lang and the home side levelled  when Frazer Forster in the Toon goal fumbled a cross and Ashington’s Keith Douglas took advantage with an unstoppable shot into the reet hand corner of the net!

There was applause of course for the home sides goal, but sadly there was ne sign of the Ashington drummer alang his ten strong entourage to ‘wind up’ the crowd into a ‘frenzy’ like they had at their aad groond, where they used to sing, “Jackie Milburn’s black ‘n’ white army!” , alang with otha ‘ditty’s’

And the fact that there is ne bus service from the toon centre to the groond eetha ,does’nt help! , so mebeez they just decided that it was too far to waalk and packed in gannin’!?

(That’s wot happens when yi sell yi prime site groond to Asda/Tesco/Morrisons etc!)



It was 2-1 to the Toon just before the break when ‘Zam Man’ fired in from close range from a Baheng cross and then it was a ‘mad rush’ to the bar as the ref blew for half time.

(Unfortuanetleee!---the bar was ‘heavin’ and aa estimated that it would tek at least twenty mins to get sorved, so aa ‘abandoned’ that ‘plan’ and went for a ‘scabby eye’ instead!)



Ten  mins into the second period the ‘Pit Yakkers’ again drew level after another error in the Toon’s defence by sub Sammy Amiobi (yee naa who’s bruvva!) but! he made amends for his ‘mistayke’ when he drove home the winnin’ goal with a fine left footer strike, mid-way through the half !



After the match we made for the car and amazingly it still had aall it’s wheels on? and had’nt been ‘torched’!? (Er!---mebeez they are’nt that bad roond theeze parts after aall!?) and aa arrived yem just in time for mee ‘cow pie supper’ which wor lass had just made!----“Yum yum!”





©Fink (the mad-sad grundhpper!)








Tuesday, 11 September 2018

FAIRS CUP GOLDEN JUBILEE

Posted '2:15pm bells' Tuesday 11th September 2018




Amazingly its 50 years ago tooneet since NUFC played wor forst ever game in Europe when we took on Feyenoord under the floodlights at St James' Park and your trueleee woz there to witness the 4-0 win in front of a 46,000 plus crowd! (Jimmy Scott, Pop Robson, Tommy Gibb and Wyn Davies got the goals!)

In total NUFC have played 73 home games in the various European competitions since 1968 and I have been to every one!---which makes me feel quite old! ("Quick!---pass mee zimmer frame!")

'The Ronny Gill' (The Toon's local rag) and John 'Fairs Cup' Gibson have done a 2 page spread aboot that game today and yoo can bet your bottom dollar that aall the Fairs Cup games after this will get the same 'Gibbo' treatment!

*

Sunday, 9 September 2018

BAD BLUE BOYS 4 NORTH FERRIBY YIHNITED 1 *** FA CUP 1st qualifyin' roond

Posted '11:00am bells' Sunday 9th September 2018
FITZPATRICK PUTS DUNSTON 3-1 UP
FROM THE SPOT AT 'THE TEA HUT END'!


"ANLY 11 ROONDS TO WEMBLEY NOW!"

It took 'The Bad Blue Boys of Dunston' just 3 minutes to take the lead against North Ferriby who sit 2 leegues higher in the pyramid system! 
Liam Brooks opened the scorin' at *'The Dunston Rocket-less End' with a fine headed goal from close in! (*There used to be a tower block behind this end and it looked like a space rocket---since demolished!)(hence Rocket-LESS!)
SPOT THE INVISIBLE ROCKET BEYOND THE TREES!

It woz still 1-0 at half time but the hosts increased their lead through a Scott Heslop shot and a penalty which woz successfully convorted by Mark Fitzpatrick (see top photo)
"WHERE'S THE BAALL GONE!?"

The visitors pulled one back through Jamie Forrester, but 'The Bad Blue Boys' completed the 'giant killin' when Liam Thear added a 4th goal in the 86th minute!
Attendance: 300 (estimated, including aboot 20 Ferriby committee men and fans)

Dunston gan into the 2nd qualifyin' roond draw, where they could meet Stockport , York or (god forbid!) hEREFðŸ˜ŪRD!

After the match we heeded for 'The Royal' boozer doon the road from the groond for the celebratory hootch, az the Dunston clubhouse woz packed to the rafters! ('We' bein', 'Me','The Silver Fox' and 'Grumpy Stumpy on the Scrumpy'!)
THE ROYAL---PAINTED IN BLACK 'N' WHITE STRIPES OF COURSE!

PS: Aa got completleee mixed up with wot roond woz bein' played---aa thought it woz the 2nd preliminary roond---when in fact it woz the forst qualifyin' roond!ðŸ˜Ŋ
This woz 'The Bad Blue Boys' 3rd FA Cup tie, havin' beaten Hebburn in the Extra Preliminary roond and Pontefract in the Preliminary roond!



  

Friday, 7 September 2018

BAD BLUE BOYS v NORTH FERRIBY UNITED *** FA CUP 2nd PRELIMINARY ROOND *** TOMORROW AFTERNOOON!

Posted '1:50pm bells' Friday 7th September 2018

With the International break deprivin' us of an NUFC match this weekend, we are gettin' wor 'fix' again at Dunston, where 'The Bad Blue Boys' are takin on North Ferriby in the 2nd preliminary roond of the FA Cup!
Forst port o call will be the Dunston clubhoose of course for the customary pre match 'liquid lubrications'!

A full match and pix will appear here on Sunday! 

And YES! The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers HAVE been to North Ferriby's groond near the Humber Bridge, to watch wor resorve side play Hull City resorves a few years back!

An archive match report from that game played at Church Road iz printed below (ground number 269)

269 church road north ferriby (v hull res)


(GROUND NUMBER 269)

Date of First Visit: 10th MARCH 2009

CHURCH ROAD, NORTH FERRIBY



HULL CITY RESERVES  1

NEWCASTLE UNITED RESERVES  1  (Doninger)



FA PREMIER RESERVE LEAGUE NORTH

Attendance: 500 (est) (50 or so Toon fans)

(plus many more watchin’ from their train seats as they whizzed past!)



Spectacular view of the Humber Bridge from
North Ferriby's Church Lane groond!


“JUST THE TICKET!”


A full car load of us heeded to Humberside at ‘3:30 bells’ includin’ aall the usual saddos, namly , ‘The Mad Professor’, ‘The Bear’, ‘The Caped Crusader’ and ‘The mad-sad groundhopper’ (aka: ME!)



Two and a half hours later we arrived in the picturesque village of North Ferriby where Hull resorves are playin’ this season and we parked up next to the local church and heeded for the groond which was on a lane just behind it.



The gate was open to the groond and we simply waalked in withoot payin’ as they must of thought we were Hull season ticket holders.

We then made a mad dash for the clubhoose which was nicely situated inside the groond with a full view of the pitch from it’s windows



As a’v mentioned many many times before, aa collect match tickets from groonds a’ve been te and ‘Glennn from Ashington’ and his side kick ‘Byzy’ who had travelled doon by train were sittin’, suppin’ pints of the local brew with ‘Dave from York’ as we waalked in.

Straight away and nearly ‘bustin a gut’ (and before aa even had time to sit doon!) Glennn telt iz that they’d cadged two tickets from a gadgie in the boardroom, as they aalso collect match tickets



Byzy was grinnin’ like a Cheshire cat as he thrust his ‘prized possession’ in front of  mee ‘bugle’ and he gave iz one of those--- ‘I’ve got a match ticket and yee havent’ , looks! as Glennn looked on gloatingly! (F*****’  T***S!)



The boardrooms just there!”, said Glennn pointin’ towards an open door where aa could see some aad gadgies in club ties drinkin’  G and T’s and glasses of whisky,.

”Why divvint you ask one of them for a ticket like we did?”, he added

But aa decided to ‘sit tight’ and wait for an opportunity as board members were gannin  back and forth between the boardroom and the bar for their liquid fixes.

Mee ‘chance’ arrived a few minutes later when a North Ferriby official  waalked  past and aa asked him if he had any spare tickets gannin’



“You don’t need a ticket to get out of the bar and into the ground!” he said with a puzzled look, not understandin’ wot aa actually meant!  before waalkin’ off towards the bar coonta  for some more ‘tonsil lubrication’ (neva mind aa can aalways try again later---aa thought?)





It was nuw time to make for the terraces and the Toon ran oot in their ‘porple people eater’ away strip as the full moon shone brightly above the huge Humber Bridge in the distance behind the left hand goal from us. The bridge is so big that they had to allow for the curvature of the Earth when they built it!

(honest!)

In complete contrast to the ‘big bridge’, behind the other goal there was a row of ram-shackle allotment gardens and greenhooses that looked ready to fall doon at any moment and opposite us was the main railway line from Hull to York (and beyond!) where trains were whizzin’ past every couple of minutes.



The match got underway and The Toon kicked towards ‘The Allotment End’ as the darkness drew in but both teams were unable to break the others defence doon although to be fair to ‘The Toon’ Nile Ranger did have a couple of shots on target and captain Ryan Donaldson had an effort deflected for a corner, but that’s as ‘good as it got’ in an awful forst which ended goaless.

(it was SO bad that half the time we were watchin’ the trains gan past on the far side and guessin’ how many people were on board as they flew past !)



As the half time whistle blew aa noticed a Hull fan hoy wot looked like a match ticket into a litter bin beside the clubhoose entrance---and so! (az yi de!) aa had a quick ‘shufty’  in the bin as aa waalked past. My ‘exitement’ however! quickly evaporated  as aall aa could see was a discarded carton of mushy peas, a broken plastic fork and a half eaten mince and onion pie!----but NE match ticket! (memo:---must get mee eyesight checked!)



It was time to heed for the bar once again for a quick ‘gargel’  and to try and find that elusive ticket.  Inside the clubhoose a teenage fan dressed in a Hull top was standin’  with his mate at the coonta and in desperation aa gingerly asked him if he had a ticket aa could have.

Yes he had! and he gave me the ticket which aa gleefully excepted, as it was ne use to him (his words not mine!)  BINGO!  (shy bairns get nowt!)

His mate aalso produced a ticket and gave it to me (hand shakes aall roond!)

(Is it Xmas time aalready?)



It was then back to the terraces where aa presented ‘Dave from York’ with the other ticket (aye!---he’s another ‘sad ticketeer’ !) and then ‘seek oot’ Glennn and Byzy! 



It was my torn to ‘gloat’ as aa produced the worthless piece of paper from mee ‘sky rocket’ and showed it to ‘The Ashington Antagonists’.

Byzy’s ‘Cheshire cat grin’ then suddenly evaporated to be replaced by a ‘Winston bulldog scowl’ as aa thrust MY prized ticket in front of HIS bugle!

(Ha! Ha!---revenge is very sweeeet!)

It has to be said that Glennn did’nt look ower happy eetha as aa carefully put the ‘uncreased mint condition’ ticket back in mee poke. (divvint tek it to heart lads---divvint tek it to heart!)



(Er!---it shud be noted that Dave got a very creased ticket which the other lad had given me----beggars can’t be choosers!)





“GHOST TRAINS AND WEREWOLVES!”



Just after this the deadlock was broken in wor favour at the!---- ‘Very Big Bridge End’ (yi just knew it was comin’---did’nt you!?) when a Mark Doninger shot took a wicked deflection off an unfortunate Hull defender to leave their keeper stranded as the baall flew helplessleee past him into the net.

(Er!---unfortunate for him perhaps---but not for us!)



This sparked ‘wild’ celebrations from the 50 or so Toon fans dotted aroond the groond (whey!---polite applause, anyway!)



Thorty seconds later another train flew past and ‘Dave from York’ (forever the diligent observer!) noticed that there was absolutely nebody on board whatsoever!, not even a driver! (a ghost train, perhaps!?)

The full moon which had been ‘hidin’ behind some dark clouds for a while then suddenly made a reappearance ower the railway line.

It was at this point that aa half expected a howlin’ werewolf to appear, it was that spooky!  Aaltogether now!--- “AAAAOOOOOOOOOOHHH!”



Anyway!---enough of that!



We held onto the lead til 3 mins into injury time when Hull equalized with a last gasp shot which Toon goalie Frazer Forster  failed to stop and just after this the ref blew for time----a cruel end to the game for us!



It was then time to heed back alang the M62 past Ferrybridge power station, but it would’nt be tooo lang before we were back in this neck of the woods again as wor next trip to Humberside was just fower days later to watch ‘The Toon’ in a Premier League match at Hull’s  KC Stadium.


PS: In 2015 Wrexham played North Ferriby in the FA Trophy final at Wembley.
The game woz on the telly in a bar and someone asked me the deadly question:
"Fink!" he said, "I know that you'll have been to Wrexham to watch The Toon
But I bet you've never been to North Ferriby!"
"WELL, ACTUALLY!", I replied!
(North Ferriby won!)







©Fink™ (the mad-sad grundh😊pper!)




Thursday, 6 September 2018

ðŸ˜ĻNUFC MAD-SAD GROUNDHOPPERS SHOCK WAVE NEWS!

Posted '4:45pm bells' Thorsday 6th Septemyber 2018
SPORZ NEW STADIUM NEXT TO THE OLD ONE!
BUT WILL IT BE COMPLETED BY NEXT FEBRUARY?

Shock waves have reverbravated aroond Tyneside today!---NO!-- A'm not talkin aboot a devastatin earth quake!---' its worse than that!--- az bad news filterin' through from "norf Landan!" haz rocked us to the core!

Sporz have admitted that their new stadium may not be ready in time for Xmas!

Az NUFC are not due to visit there til February, we shud be OK in clockin up anothaa new groond---BUT!--- The FA have stepped in and said if Sporz cant give a definite date soon to move into their new home---then!---WAIT FOR IT!---they may have to play the ENTIRE season at Wembley Stadium, thus deprivin' 'The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers' of a new Premyaa Leegue groond! 

We await in trepidation az to wot will finally happen!ðŸ˜Ļ




ARCHIVE GROUNDS MATCH REPORT LIST