214 (revisited) wetherby road, harrogate

 Ground number 214 revisited

Date of this Visit: 5th October 2021

Wetherby Road, Harrogate

Harrogate Town 2

Newcastle United U21s  0

EFL Trophy group stage

Attendance: 980 (58 Toon fans) (I guessed 55!)

(Plus a gadgie on the roof of the stand behind the right hand goal from us!)                                                                           🢃

"NINE IN A ROW!"

Mee forst visit here woz 19 years ago in 2002 for a NUFC X1 friendly against then non leegue Harrogate!

Az this woz a competitive game aa decided to dee it again when wor U21s were in action v Harrogate's forst team! (Wor forst ever against them)

The day started off with torrential rain and aa had visions of the game being caalled because of a waaterlogged pitch!

Aa had a look at Harrogate's Twitter feed but the game woz on, according to that!

So it woz off to The Toon to cadge a lift off Sarnie Steve, but not before a few liquid lubrications in The Junction, The 5 Swans and The Town Mouse boozers!

 Big Al (NOT the sheet metal workers son!) and Glennn from Ashington were there!

We were soon on wor way to Yorkshire, alang with International Russcue and Blondie Alan the Morris Dancer!

Anyway! We were soon in Harrogate where the rain and wind had eased off a bit and we heeded to a real ale bar caalled The Tap for the pre match liquid refreshments!

It woz then onwards to the groond on Wetherby Road for the '7:45 bells' kick off!

By the time the game kicked off the weather on Wetherby Road had deteriated and heavy rain and high winds lashed the smaall groond!

"THE FLOODLIGHTS ARE FLOODED!"

We took shelter underneath a terraced stand near the halfway line az the game started!

Straight away the home side made inroads to The Toon's defence az they attacked 'The Harrogate District Hospital End' (Aye there's a hospital behind that goal!) and within 6 minutes they had taken the lead after massive defensive errors by goalie Gillespie and  defender Wigget, let in Kerry who had the simple task of slotting the baall into the unguarded net!

The Toon were attackin 'The Privet Hedge End' (see hedge behind stand) but the anly effort we could muster woz a 25yard shot by Anderson, which went narrowly ower the cross bar!

Harrogate doubled their lead bang on half time with a great shot across the box by Orsi, which gave Gillespie in The Toon goal nee chance!

THE HARROGATE DISTRICT HOSPITAL IZ BEHIND THE GOAL

The 2nd half started off with the rain and wind gettin worse and the players foond it hard to control the baall!

We played a bit better in this half and had several corners at 'The Hospital End', but couldn't make the breakthrough!

The 2-0 loss woz wor ninth defeat in a row in this competition, which just aboot sums up just how infective wor young resorve team are against the forst teams of lower leegue clubs! (Other results mean we couldn't progress to the knockoot stage!)

After the match we heeded back to the car and were like drowned rats when we got in!

The jorney back up the A1M woz uneventful, apart from a half hour delay near Bowburn due to a car which had caught fire and woz completely burnt oot!--And 'burn oot' iz probably the right words to sum us up! ---Full stop⏺

THE TOON U23s 4 THE SMOGGIES U23s 1 **** PREMYAA LEEGUE 2 (Last Friday!)

 Posted '1:12pm bells' Munday 4th October 2021

PICTURE OF THE MILBURN STAND FROM THE EAST  STAND LOWER TIER

It's a bit late, but here iz a brief match report and pix from wor U23s 4-1 win last Friday against 'The Smog Monsters of Teesside' at SJP!

(This IZ The Geordie Times after aall!---Wot did yoo expect???)

THE TOON ATTACK THE LEAZES END!

*20th minute: A Jack Young cross iz heeded in by Charlie Wiggett at The Leazes End, where 17 Smoggie fans were seated in part of the lower tier!

SPOT THE SMOGGIES!

HT 1-0 to 'us'!

55th minute: Elliot Anderson scores from the penalty spot at The Gallowgate End! (2-0)

58th minute: A Dylan Stephenson shot puts us 3-0 up!

ACTION AT THE GALLOWGATE END IN THE 2nd HALF!

61st minute: Issac Fletcher pulls one back for wor visitor with a loopin heeder ower Jack Langley in the Toon goal (3-1)

90th minute: The best goal of the game scored by Cain Sykes, who divorted a cross by Adam Wilson into hiz OWN NET to put us 4-1 up!

FT 4-1 to NUFC to end a 5 game losin' streak!

Attendance: 752 includin' those 17 Smoggie diehards behind the Leazes goal!

*How times have changed!---When Keegan woz in charge, we played some of wor 2nd string games at Kingston Park on the ootskirts of The Toon

Ower 4,000 attended the forst ever game there, and now we can't even get 1,000 to wor city centre stadium!

PS: Wor U21s are in action at Harrogate tomorrow evenin' in the EFL trophy ' and The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers will be there in force! (aall 10 of us!)

Most of us have been there before aboot 18 years ago for a forst team friendly, when Harrogate were a non leegue club!

It shud be noted that yoo must buy your tickets online from Harrogate and NEE one will be admitted withoot an E ticket on your phone!

Nee E ticket--- Nee entry!  ie NEE cash sales on the gate! (Wots the world comin tee???)

A full Geordie Times match report will appear here!---Eventually!

WOLVERHAMPTON WANABEEZ 2 THE TOON 1 *** PREMYAA LEEGUE 2021-22

 Posted from 'high noon bells' onwards, Sunday 3rd October 2021

"WHEN THE SHIT HITS THE FAN(S)!"💩

(In more ways than one!)

The Geordie Times said in wor match preview that Wolves hadn't scored a home goal so far this season!  And predicted that they would against wor leaky defence!---And that's exactly wot happened at Molineux yesterday!

'JARRA' IZ GEORDIE SLANG FOR JARROW, SOOTH TYNESIDE

We were truly shockin in this 2-1 defeat az the rain lashed doon, with the anly highlight being sub Hendrick's 30 yard piledriver to level the scores at 1-1 in the forst half!

However, wor goalie Karl Darlow failed to stop a shot to hiz nearside post in the forst half and a farside post shot in the second, so we ended up pointless and 2nd bottom of the table, having failed to win ANY of wor games so far this season!

Put it simply, we will surly gan doon if we keep 'Broken Nose Bruce' az heed coach!

The anly shot we had on goal  woz Hendrick's strike and a Saint- Maximin effort in the 2nd half, which woz blocked by their keeper!

After the match Brucey said that he couldn't remember goalie Darlow havin saved a shot in the entire game!

That woz because he couldn't get anywhere near the 2 Wolves goals, Steve!

Wolves wornt very good eethaa, so wot does that say aboot WOR predicament???

We havvint got a clue wot the player on the right iz caalled, coz we hardly seen him aall match!

Attendance:30,000  (3,000 p*ssed off Toon fans!)

Much more to follow on aall this, later!

We went to Stafford for the pre match gargels (coz bars in Wolverhampton bar 'away fans'!) and Manchester afterwards! (To drown wor sorrows!)

*STAFFORD

The above iz a magnificent cinema convorted into a Wetherspoons bar!

*MANCHESTER

AND WHEN THE SHIT HITS THE FAN!

BIG AL (NOT! the sheet metal workers son!) WOZ SHIT ON BY A PIGEON IN MANCHESTER TO ROUND OFF THE DAY!

WOLVERHAMPTON WANABEEZ v THE TOON *** TODAY AT '3:00 BELLS'!

 Posted 'high noon bells' Saturday 2nd October 2021

THE LAST NUFC WERE AT MOLINEUX WOZ LAST SEASON, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AND WE WATCHED IT IN A NEAR DESERTED ROSIE'S BAR NEAR SJP

 *** 1-1   (DARYL MURPHY'S GOAL IZ ON THE TELLY!) ***

WE are heedin to Wolves az we speak and are stoppin off at Stafford for the pre match gargels, az gettin pints of liquid lubrication in Wolverhampton iz not easy if yoo are an away supporter! (home fans only in most bars)

Stafford iz a short train ride away and we will send yoo pub crawl pix sometime on Sunday, when we get back!

We gan into this game, just above the drop zone and a 7 game winless start to the season!

Amazingly, Wolves have yet to score a solitary goal at home this season, in 3 Premyaa Leegue games (aall lost!)---so yoo can bet your bottom dollar that they will score against wor leaky defence!

The last 6 Premyaa Leegue games that we have played at Molineux have ended with 1 win to us and 5 1-1 draws!

We have sold wor 3,000 tickets, but they had to gan on general sale to sell oot! (A sign that some season ticket holder have given up aalready!)

Callum Wilson iz still crocked and iz badly missed up front, az withoot him in the side, we have managed to win just 2 Premyaa Leegue games oot of 15, withoot him! 

Shelvey, Dummett, Dubravka and Lascelles are aalso still crocked az well!

Another 1-1 draw looks the most likely outcome---but this IZ NUFC and anything could happen!???

A full Geordie Times match report will appear here on Sunday!

THE TOON U23s v THE SMOG MONSTERS U23s *** SJP *** TOONEET!

 Posted 'high noon bells' Friday 1st October 2021

THE EAST STAND (v Bornley)

A rare occurrence takes place tooneet at St. James' Park, when wor 2nd string play Boro's 2nd string in the Tyne tees derby (if yi can caall a game a derby when we are 40 miles apart?) in a Premyaa Leegue 2 fixture.

NUFC have lost the last 5 games in leegue and cup and to be honest are not very good----just like the forst team!

The East Stand will be open and kick off iz at '7:00 bells', with season ticket holders admitted for nowt and aall others eetha 3 poond for big kids and just a quid for sprogs and zimmerframeites! 

Az we are off to Wolves orly in the mornin', (to watch wor forst team) a match report wont appear here til sometime on Sunday, alang with the Wolves away game! However!---We will publish the full time score and scorers later tooneet!

Az per usual "Watch this space---eventually!" 

Will be updated by '10:00pm bells'

 

FT Won 4-1! Wiggett, Anderson, Stevenson, plus an own goal for The Toon in stoppage time!

The Boro scorer woz Fletcher!

Attendance: 752 includin 17 Smoggie diehards in the Leazes End lower tier!

(Match report on Sunday)

NUFC TRIBUNAL TODAY! *** HOPE OR A DEATH SENTENCE?

 Posted 'high noon bells' Wedinzday 29th September 2021

Updated Thorzday

The Competition Appeals Tribunal (CAT) meet today to determine in the NUFC case against The Premyaa Leegue can gan aheed!

The claimant (NUFC)  alleges that the defendant (PL) prevented or hindered the proposed takeower and knew that its actions would prevent or delay the proposed takeower!

The case began at '10:30 bells' this mornin' and will judge if NUFC are in the right and that  the PL are in the wrong to deny the Saudi takeower, which haz been draggin' on for ower a year and and a half now!

WE havvint a clue just how lang it will take to make a decision, but if we win the case will gan to arbitration next January!

If we win then we have hope that at last we can get rid of 'The Fat Controller' once and for aall!🙏

If we lose it will be like a death sentence, az 'The Fat Controller' will stay in charge of a club he nee langer wants or cares aboot and we will be 'cattle trucked' <(work it oot!)🐄🚚

'The Geordie Times' will of course bring yoo, wor loyal readers, any news that iz forthcomin'!---Az per usual, "Watch this space!"  

Updated '2:07am bells' Thorzday

Nee time scale for CAT decision

Arbitration case to begin on 3rd January 2022 and expected to last a week, with the final decision on the takeower by the end of January!

The wait gans on!--and on!--and on!-- and on!🥶

Upated Friday

*The viewin figures for the  CAT are an aall time record!

*

THE ELTON JOHN MOB OF WOTFAAD 1 THE TOON 1 *** PREMYAA LEEGUE 2021-2022

 Posted 'high noon bells' Sunday 26th September 2021

"BADGERED INTO SUBMISSION!"

The day started off at '5:30am bells' when a dragged mee lifeless body oot of mee 'pit-scratcher' (bed!) to catched the train to King's Cross (London) and then onwards to Wotfaad via Euston station alang the road!

At Durham Station a chingkee lad got on and sat on wor table (Chingkee iz Geordie slang for a Chinese person)

The ticket inspector came roond and he didn't have a ticket!  He woz told he would have to pay £130.50 for a ticket to Peterborough(where he said he woz gannin)

He eventually paid and woz told if he woz seen on the train after Peterborough that he would be fined £430 for fare evasion!

He DID get off at Peterborough, but just sat on a platform seat, obviously waitin for the next train to London! (Yoo couldn't make it up!)

On arrival at King's Cross we had time for a swift 'gargel' in The Rocket on Euston Road before continuin' wor jorney to 'Elton John country' (he's a Wotfaad fan, in case yiz didnt naa!?)

On arrival at Wotfaad Central, we made wor way to wor forst port o call there, namely The Wellington Arms'!

---The next boozer woz just across the road caalled 'The Estcourt Arms', which woz boarded up the last time we were here, but thankfully now reopened for 'liquid lubrication purposes!

View from The Wellington Arms! (It's a lang walk from 'The Welly'!)

From there we made for a boozer closer to the groond caalled 'The Golden Lion', where aa ordered a pint of Doom Bar bitter!

The barmaid sorved me and then said: "I notice that you are a Newcastle fan and this is a 'home fans only bar'!" (she noticed a smaall Toon badge on mee Tee shirt lapel) "I'll serve you this time, but you will have to leave after that!", she added! (Yoo could say that she woz 'badgering me (sic!)

I heeded for the beer garden at the back and told the lads wot had happened, to great merriment from them and somebody knocked their pint over az they took the p*ss out of me! 

SORVES THEM RIGHT FOR TAKIN' THE P*SS!

None of the other were wearin Toon colours and then aa noticed a fan in a Toon top at another table!----How did HE get sorved, aa thought???

Anyway!---az this woz wor last 'port o call' before the match, aa had to get 'Sarnie Steve' to get me the next 'liquid refreshment' and then 'Big Al' (not the sheet metal workers son!) the one after that!

This saved me queuin' at the bar and az aa had nee change, they had to buy mee pints az well! (MUST dee this more often!)

It woz soon time to gan for wor 'punishment' (the match!) and we jumped the queue to get in az it woz massive at The Toon tornstiles!

We were in the back row behind the goal and wor fans were in good voice before the start---slaggin off Brucey and Elton John! (we wont repeat wot they were singin aboot Elton, but the now usual, "We want Brucey out!", chants were loud and prolonged!

The Toon were clad in wor light blue away strip, similar to Man City's, but a million miles from their quality!

I'm afraid once again, the game woz poor and borin', with 2 teams who will be in the relegation dog fight for sure!

The highlight of the half woz in the 23rd minute when a 30 yard screamer from Saun Longstaff, rocketed into the corner of the net at the far end from us, to send the 2,200 Toon fans wild with delight!

We had chances to increase wor lead before the break, but failed miserably to put the game to bed   HT 1-0 to 'us'!

Good chances for Almiron, Joelinton, and Willock, went 'a beggin' in the 2nd period and we paid the price for that,  when Wotfaad equalised through an unmarked Sarr heeder from a corner kick, in the 72nd minute, to bring the home fans 'to life'!

Near the end Wotfaad scored again, but VAR ruled that it woz 'offside' and we escaped with a point, when we should have had aall 3, az Murphy woz clean through in the 90th minutes, but tried to lob their goalie, but failed miserably!-----It's now 11 top flight games at Vicarage Road for NUFC and not one solitary victory!

At the end of the day we were 'badgered' into submission!--- in more ways than one!

Attendance: 20,650 (2,200 Toon fans in the 'sold oot' away end)

The post match 'gargels' took place in The Estcourt Arms (again!) and 'The Northumberland Arms' near King's Cross station, before we caught the train back to Tyneside!

Some of the 2,200 Toon fans!

TO THE LEFT!

AND THE RIGHT!

WOTFAAAD v THE TOON *** PREMYAA LEEGUE THIS AFTERNOOON!

 Posted 'high noon bells' Saturday 25th September 2021

At the time of writin' this, we have arrived in 'The Smoke' (London) via King's Cross train station and are on wor way to Wotfaad to the north of London!

NUFC have played 10 top flight games here and shockingly havvint won ANY!---drawin 5 and losin 5!--A shockin stat against a so caalled smaall club! ('Wot' does that tell yoo aboot how 'big' we are!?)

An injury crisis haz engulfed 'The Toon' with several key players unavailabe, includin Callum Wilson, Joe Willock, Jamaal Lascelles, Jonjo Shelvey and Paul Dummett ---aall 'crocked'!

Aall 3,000 away tickets have been sold in 'wot' will be a capacity Wotfaad crowd of aroond 20,000!

Az per usual a full 'Geordie Times' match and boozer report will appear here sometime on Sunday----Lets hope that we can get wor forst win of the season and forst EVER win in the top flight at Wotfaad!----But divvint haad yer breath!

Footnote: Yesterday wor 2nd string were in action at Motspur Park in London v Fulim U23s and they lost 3-1  Wor 5th loss in a row!