GROUNDHOPPERS ARCHIVE *** IBROX PARK, GLASGOW, MAY 1969

Posted '2:00am bells' Sunday 16th May 2021

IBROX PARK 1969 (Capacity 118,000)

In this month 52 years ago, aa went to mee forst ever 'foreign' away game, when me and 2 mates played 'the wag' off school and hitch-hiked across the border to Glasgow for wor Inter Cities Fairs Cup semi final tie v Rangers! (Now the UEFA Cup)
I woz 14 years old at the time and I believe that we were the forst ever Toon fans to hitch-hike to a competitive away game ootside Ing'lind (Which woz wor forst ever season in Europe)

Archive match report on that game below!

THE TOON 3 THE BLUE MOONIES 4 *** PREMYAA LEEGUE 2020-2021

 Posted 'high noon bells' Saturday 15th May 2021

GOALS GALORE @ GALLOWGATE!

JOELINTON PENALTY

A game that didn't matter, az we were safe from the dreaded drop and Man City were crowned champions orlier this week, torned oot to be a 7 goal thriller, which went the visitors way 3-4

Another visit to The Strawberry 🍓opposite SJP woz the order of the day, az we watched on from a laptop on the open balcony!

The goal sequences and controversies were az follows! 

24th minute: After sustained attacks from wor visitors the baall ended up at the other end of the pitch when The Toon got a corner at The Leazes End.

Shelvey took it and hiz pinpoint centre foond Krafth  and hiz bullet heeder beat their keeper Scott Carson aall ends up, to put us 1-0 up!  In the excitement the drinks nearly got knocked off the table az we celebrated an unexpected lead! 1-0 to us!

35th minute: Jonjo Shelvey hits the bar from a direct free kick just ootside the box!

39th minute: Cancelo equalizes for Man City with a shot into the corner of the net! 1-1

42nd minute: Torres puts wor visitors 2-1 up with a brilliant mid air back heel  to the centre of the goal!---After a lengthy VAR delay the goal woz finally given, despite a City player bein just offside?

Deep into stoppage time NUFC are awarded a penalty after Joelinton iz fouled in the box! After another lengthy VAR check the penalty woz conformed and Joelinton made nee misstayk, puttin the baall into the corner of the net! 2-2 HT 

62nd minute: Joe Willock iz fouled in the box and the ref points straight to the spot for wor 2nd penalty of the game! 

JOE WILLOCK PENALTY MISS---BUT HE PUT THE REBOUND IN!

 Willock takes it this time, but hiz shot iz parried away by Carson!---Luckily for Willock the baall rebounds to him and he haz the simple task of tappin' the baall into the net from close range! 3-2 to us

64th minute: The lead didnt last very lang az Torres scores hiz 2nd goal for The Blue Moonies with a shot to the top corner of the goal!

3-3

66th minute: Torres claims hiz hat-trick with a shot to the centre of wor goal! 3-4 to them!

That's the way it stayed to replicate Man City's 3-4 win in 1968 when the won the old 1st Division at SJP!

Their win woz aalso a record az they have now won 12 away games on the spin!

A spirited performance from NUFC with wor safety aalready conformed!---Although the stats show we anly had 17% possession which iz the joint lowest in Premyaa Leegue history---apparently! 

THE STREETS ARE DESERTED, POST MATCH!

 

NUFC MAD-SAD GROUNDHOPPER NEWS!

 Posted 'high noon bells' Friday 14th May 2021

THE LNER STADIUM, YORK

TWO GAMES OF TWO HALFS!

This season isn't even finished, yet we have news of 2 pre season friendlies that have been arranged for the SAME DAY on Sunday 18th July, when we will split the 1st team squad between the 2 games at York and Harrogate! (25 players are allowed in a 1st team squad)

The good news iz that a new groond iz on the list--York City's new stadium on the outskirts of York!

Harrogate Toon iz the other game on a groond we have previously visited in 2002 when an NUFC resorve side visited their Wetherby Road groond!

So guess which game we are gannin tee!?

Hopefully things will be back to near normal by then and 'The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers' can tick a new groond off the list, after more than a year since we last visited one! (Rochdale's Spotland groond in January 2020)

On other matters!

Tooneet at '8:00 🔔bells' NUFC face Man City at SJP in wor 3rd last match of the season!

The game iz a dead rubber of course az we are safe from relegation and Man City are newly crowned Premyaa Leegue champions--- and they will probably send a very weakened team, with the Champions Leegue final in their sights at the end of the month!

Still too strong for us no doubt, az we watch on from a laptop in The 🍓 boozer ootside balcony, ower the road from SJP!

A full Geordie Times match report on the game will appear here, az per usual on Saturday!

"Watch this space!"

TICKET NEWS ON THE SHEFF UNITED GAME

Postie haz just put the precious ticket through mee letterbox!🤪👍🎫

It seems that of the 23,000 long torm season ticket holders, less than 10,000 applied for the 10,000 tickets available and so NUFC have annoonced that season ticket holders on short torm deals can apply for ticket for level 7 of the stadium!

FROM THE NUFC WEBSITE!

The fact that we couldnt sell 10,000 to 23,000 loyal fans, shows just how much the fans are disenchanted with the club at this moment! And remember, we havint been to a live game for well ower a year!

We dont know of ONE FAN who applied for a ticket who woz refused!

Brucey's declaration that he WON'T resign, despite wide spread fan outrage at the teams performances, certainly doesn't help sell tickets against an aalready relegated team!

25 years ago there woz a 10,000 waitin list for season tickets----now we can't sell 10,000 to wor most loyal fans!????

AND FINALLY!

Congratulations to Brucey for winnin the April manager of the month award! The 1st time he haz EVER won it in 23 years of management, which shows just how good he iz! (NUFC started April in 17th place in the table and finished April in er! 17th place in the table!!!)

HE WINS THE TOP PRIZE!

3 DEAD RUBBERS TO GAN!

 Posted📫 'high noon bells'🔔 Thorsday 13th May 2021

NUFC are safe of course, az we end the season with 3 dead rubber games, with nothin' to play for!

1st up are newly crowned champions The Blue Moonies of Mancland tomorrow neet at SJP (will be watchin on from The 🍓 just ower the road from the groond!)

Then the BIG ONE! A home game some of us can actually gan tee, v the relegated Blade Runners from Sheffeeeld next Wedinzday(your truly woz one of the lucky 10,000 in the ballot!)🙏 

And then the final game of the season, away to another relegated side, Fulim at Craven Cottage! (Will be watchin on from 🌹ies this time, just doon the road from SJP!

To be honest aa will be glad when this season iz aall ower for more reasons than one!

ONE: having to watch games in pubs, at home on 💻, or listen on from truck 📻's iz not my idea of fun!

TWO: The dreadful futbaall that we have played MOST of the time, iz enough to send yoo to 💤😴!

Roll on next season with, new players, a new manager AND hopefully VERY RICH NEW OWNERS!🙏 (or are we living in fantasy land?)

ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES!

 Posted '11:11am bells' Wedinzday 12th May 2021

THE LAST WE MET AT SJP WOZ THE 1st GAME WE COULDN'T ATTEND LAST JOON   SAINT MAX SCORIN THE FORST GOAL IN THE 3-0 WIN!

Got an e mail from NUFC yesterday to say that aa woz one of the lucky ones and have been allocated one of the 10,000 tickets available for wor home game v Sheff U next Wedinzday!

Obviously I am ower the 🌙to get a precious 🎫 and have tried to get on the club's website with nee success so far, az there's a massive queue online to book a🪑!

PS: Eventually got through and booked a seat in The Gallowgate End row FF (wherever that iz? --I normally sit in The Milburn Stand balcony, but that section ain't open!)

The fans who I feel sorry for are 40,000 who can't attend and I will be shouting extra hard for aall of yoo who are sadly missin oot!

I will be supporting the team 100% and its such a shame that wor top scorer Callum Wilson iz injured and won't be playin'!

More to follow on aall this later!

TWO DOON***ONE TO GAN!

 Posted '3:00pm bells' Munday 10th May 2021

With Fat Sam's West Brom the 2nd team to be relegated yesterday from the top flight (for the 5th time in the Premyaa Leegue era!) and with Sheff United aalso gone of course, this leaves just one place to fill in the relegation trapdoor!

Fulim play Bornley tooneet in West London and if they win they can still mathimatally match wor points total!

If they draw, then they CANNIT catch us!

If they lose, then they are relegated az well!

Aall Toon eyes (or in my case ears, from mee truck radio!) will be listenin'🎶 on intently from '8:00 🔔s'  onwards!

The Geordie Times will publish the final score az soon az we can!🙏

Updated just after 'midneet bells'🔔

Bornley won 2-0 so NUFC are safe (for another season at least)👍 and Fulim gan doon!

WOT GANS AROOND COMES AROOND!

 Posted '8:51pm bells' Sunday 9th May 2021

'Fat Sam the Ugly Man' woz overjoyed when NUFC went doon in 2016, when he woz manager of the SMBs---and aall Toon fans are overjoyed that the same fate haz now happened to him a few seconds ago tooneet, when hiz West Brom side lost 3-1 to 'The Arse' to relegate them to The Championship!

Hiz CV of never being relegated from the top flight now lies in tatters!👹

THE BASIL BRUSH BRIGADE 2 THE TOON 4 *** PREMYAA LEEGUE 2020-2021"

 Posted from 'high noon bells' onwards, Saturday 8th May 2021

"EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY!"

Wot can we say? We fully expected a 4 goal thrashin and NOT a 4 goal victory! This woz NUFCs best performance by miles this season az we pulverised  the Champions Leegue contenders to gan up to 'nose bleed' height in the table!

How it unfolded:

Aa couldn't find a boozer in The Toon to watch it, so aa heeded yem to watch on mee laptop, with some broon ale and mee mascot Toon bear for company!

Playin in wor aall yellow away kit we started off on the front foot and 'hunted' the Foxes from the word go!

22nd minute: Joe Willock opens the scorin with a nice finish 

0-1 to The Toon!

34th minute: Paul Dummett leaps above the Lestaa defence to power in a great heeder from a Matt Ritchie corner

0-2 to The Toon!!

PAUL DUMMETT GOAL (NUMBER 3 IN YELLOW!)

64th minute: An ootstandin pass from Matt Ritchie finds Callum Wilson and wor top scorer makes nee misstayk with a fine effort to beat Schmeichel in the home goal!

0-3 to The Toon!!!

73rd minute: Wilson hits the post, but the rebound faalls to him to put the baall in the net from a very tight angle!

0-4 to The Toon!!!!

80th minute: The Basil Brush Brigade pull one back through Aalbrighton

1-4 to The Toon!!!!

87th minute: Anothaa Lestaa goal from Iheanacho to set the norves janglin!

2-4 to The Toon!!!!

But their comeback came too late in the game and thankfully NUFC held oot for a very famous victory to propel us up to 13th in the table and virtually banish aall thoughts of relegation az Fat Sam the Ugly Man's West Brom cannit now catch us and Fulim can now anly match wor points total if they win their remainin 4 games and we lose wor remainin' 3!-----Very highly unlikely az now we need just ONE point to secure safety!

HAPPY DAYS!----Can we now have wor takeower pleeeeeze!?

*

BEWARE OF DARK FORCES!!!

 Posted '2:11pm bells' Friday 7th May 2021

Forst of aall!---apologeeeez for not puttin sommik online for a couple of days! This iz because I have been tryin frantically to get through to the NUFC website to book a place on the ballot for one of the 10,000 tickets available for the Sheff United home game later this month!

After an hour and half aa finally got through and booked a place in the huge queue, waitin' to 'log on'!   At the time of writin this, nearly 20,000 have applied for the 10,000 tickets available, so I reckon I have a 50/50 chance of gettin' one!🙏

And now to other matters!

If there's one thing that's absolutely true, it's that wor beloved owner? 'The Fat Controller' DOES want to sell NUFC!

He haz said that there are 'dark forces' tryin to stop the Saudi takeower gannin through and he haz launched another 'secret weapon' against the PL to try and get the takeower through, after ower a year tryin to do so! 

We can anly hope he iz successful this time!🙏

"50 NOT IN!"

Then tooneet NUFC travel to Lestaa to take on 'The Basil Brush Brigade' (Foxes!---Basil Brush!---get it?) and up til now aa havvint been able to find a boozer that isnt fully booked, to watch in an outdoor area! Amazingly, this will be wor FIFTIETH  GAME IN A ROW MISSED! since the pandemic stopped us gannin last year! 

The game kicks off at '8:00 bells' and iz on SKY and ☠ !

If aa cannit find a place with a telly aa will be forced to come yem and watch on mee laptop with some bottles of Dog (broon ale) for company! (Plus mee mascot teddy bear!--of course!)

I actually get mee 2nd 'Bat out of Hell' coronavirus 'jab' at 'The Centre for Life' near The Central Station later this afternooon, to keep me immune from that nasty virus! (Hopefully?) So it would be great if aa could find a beer garden in The Toon to watch it! (Very few boozers have tellys in their beer gardens!)

A full Geordie Times match report will appear here sometime on Saturday!----Az per usual---"Watch this space!"

Update '6:40pm bells'

Went to Tilly's on Westgate Road for an ootside drink and then the rain came doon!

Abandoned Tilley's and went yem!  The sun woz oot and then hailstones came doon!

A rainbow then appeared above the black clouds! Crazy weather for May!

  

AWAY THE LADS!--OR NOT AZ THE CASE MAY BE!?

 Posted 'high noon bells' Wedinzday 5th May 2021

THE PUTNEY END

"NEE ENTRY TO TOON FANS!"

Forst, away fans would'nt be allowed---then they would---then they would'nt--then they said they would--now they WON'T!

Wot a farce! Yet anothaa U turn! We now hear that NEE away fans will be allowed to attend their last away game of the season, because of policing and safety concerns!

We wish they would make their bloody minds up!

This meeenz that the 237 Toon fans who were due to be let into the Putney End of Craven Cottage will be denied entry!

The whole situation iz a complete and utter shambles, if yoo ask us! (ie: The Premyaa Leegue--not fit for purpose!)

Still nee news aboot the 10,000 they will (allegedly!) let in for wor last home game v Sheff United???