Falcons snub their supporters again

By Leipziger
November 22 2004

Firstly I want to say that I didn’t want to write this article, didn’t enjoy writing it and hope I won’t have to again. I would be a lot happier if the Lads had picked up today and at Sale where they left off at Newport. Unfortunately, that’s not the case…

So it was again this morning, so many of us got up at the crack of (or before) dawn to travel for hours and watch our Boys play and lose.  This time in Reading, we spent our hard-earned money, gave up a whole day and, despite the defeat, I think it would be difficult to find anyone who regrets going, even if we went largely unnoticed.

 

For us supporters, watching the Falcons is a drug, it is our passion.  Rain or shine, warm or cold, win or lose, we are there for the Lads, singing our hearts out for them and paying their wages.  Don’t we deserve some recognition and thanks, or even the chance to mutually applaud our team’s efforts, even in defeat?

 

Apparently not.  After the elation and comradeship in Newport, the Newcastle players, just like at Sale two weeks ago simply disappeared down the tunnel without so much as an acknowledgement of the travelling fans.  40-50 of us waited in the East Stand until after 5pm, fifteen minutes after the end of the match, for the lads to come back out to us, but nothing.  Only Cory Harris running over to see a friend near us.  He did give a wave mind.

 

To make matters worse, as I (wearing a Newcastle shirt and scarf so as to be unmistakeable) and two other away fans stood by the team coach post-match, we spotted one player signing autographs.  As he walked past us (and Matt Thompson talking on his mobile) he didn’t even glance and smile.  You know who you are!  We do too – we sing your name every week!

 

At least when walking past Local Hero, May and Stevo, they said hello!  Thanks guys!

 

Are we asking too much, asked one Falcon?  In my opinion, no, of course not.  All we want is the players to acknowledge us, to show they appreciate us as much as the club say, even as they are walking off the pitch would do.  It doesn’t take anything to clap around the ground when heading for the tunnel.

 

Rumour is the Lads don’t want to applaud with us when they lose.  Why on Earth not?  They feel bad?  Good!  If they are happy after losing they are in the wrong job!  But I can assure you we supporters feel no better, and wouldn’t it make everyone feel better if both players and fans could exchange applause after the game to show they appreciate each other?

 

Since the progress which was made in Newport has been destroyed in the last two league matches, this is becoming a more serious issue, and must be sorted in order to avoid friction between the team and the terraces, which can only be bad for everyone.  After all, those waiting today weren’t just kids like the little Monkey or younger generation such as myself – they were grown men too, prominent members of the Supporters’ Club, the hardcore fans, who the team alienate at their peril.  These are the people who would’ve followed the club into the First Division last season if necessary, who would scrape together the pennies to travel to a friendly in Argentina or New Zealand.

 

We have made our feelings known this season, and the fact that we made progress at Newport makes today and Sale more disappointing.  Therefore I ask any fans who attend away games and feel as I (and many others) do, to join me in the initial step of writing to the club, explaining our feelings and asking for the simple and obvious solution to be implemented.

 

You know it makes sense.