St. James' Park
As a football supporter (love the game, not the business) I can only look on in envy at other parts of the country that have produced some great teams over the years.
The West Country has never been able to produce a decent football club, and that’s probably down to the fact that it’s never had football in its blood the same way as other regions have.
As far as trophy winners are concerned Manchester United and Liverpool have the most, with Newcastle United 9th on the list, with 4 League Titles, 6 FA Cups, and 1 UEFA Cup to its name.
The Magpies (Newcastle Utd’s nickname) haven’t had any silverware to stash away in their cupboard for a while, but it doesn’t seem to dampen their enthusiasm. Their fans passion for the game is well known and the ground’s attendance figures are consistently amongst the highest in the land with nigh on full capacity at most home games.
The team plays at St. James’ Park near the city centre which has a current capacity of 52,354, and although I haven’t been to see a game here I took advantage of one of the stadium tours that are on offer.
I love going on football stadium tours because it gives me the opportunity to see behind the scenes including the dressing rooms, corporate boxes and dugouts.
The tour around St. James’ Park includes all of these and more, and takes around an hour and a half. It starts from the Milburn Stand and it’s best to book in advance, although not essential as I found out.
The club has produced some great players such as Jackie Milburn, Jimmy Scoular, and Malcolm Macdonald. Add locals such as Chris Waddle, Peter Beardsley, Alan Shearer, and Paul Gascoigne into the mix and you’ll begin to understand why the club has such a great following.
With so many legendary names associated with the club you would think that it would be difficult to pick one out for special mention, but I reckon if you were to ask one of the ‘Toon Army’ who was the man they revere the most it would have to be (Sir) Bobby Robson.
Player, manager and a man of quotes, the great man once said “If we invite any player up to the Quayside to see the girls and then up to our magnificent stadium, we will be able to persuade any player to sign”.
It was probably Bobby Robson’s charisma that would entice players to sign and the stadium is certainly magnificent, but the girls on the Quayside I’m not so sure about.
I’ve done tours around other football grounds, but what I like about this one is that there seems to be a human touch about the place.
As a football fan who has followed a team for countless years without anything much to celebrate I realise that the game is not just about trophies. It’s about the fans, the atmosphere, the legends and the memories – and St. James’ Park has had it all.
Originally posted 2018-07-29 13:33:33.
Malc you always make me laugh. Brill comment re the girls….. And yes I do think behind the scenes tours are the best.
I thought you would probably give this one a miss Shey, but I’m glad you didn’t. Thank you 😊
Lol.. Not at all, I was always going to get to it.
I should have known 😊
Oh yeah. My Mr loves footie and our oldest grandie plays in a lcoal amateur team that his dad got pressed into coaching. So yeah, obvi we go watch. The two teams in that gaegroup are going down to Newcastle for a wee tournament in the summer and also they will be getting to se the fitba sights.
That sounds good. Assuming your family supports a local team. Is it Dundee or Dundee Utd ?
Oh my Mr and the girls and one of the sons in law are United supporters. But Riley and Max’s Dad is a Dundee man and so he’s got the boys supporting them. It is quite funny. I mean when the Dundee derby is on they obvi are in different stands. Also Riley’s bday last year they gave him the club tour and mascot of the match, so obvi you get hospitality before hand and meet the players and all and so Eilis insisted on moral support from her dad. I didn’t go, I was minding Max. But I gather it was a lovely day and Riley got to run on the ptich with his fav player who was really nice to him.
Not sure why but in Dundee the United supporters are called Arabs.
Here is one explanation.
https://dundeeunited.vitalfootball.co.uk/why-are-utd-fans-called-arabs/
Now that yin rings a bell. Thank you for finding it. YOU are a gem. talking rivalry, the MR’s familyt were the same. His youngest bros is a Dundee supporter and looking back my dad United and he usesd to take it out of my mum’s dad about being a Dundee man. Mind you there wa salot my dad took out on him.
LOL My father-in-law was a bare knucle fighter/boxer and I’ve got a story or two say about him too 🤔
Lol… And well done him. I bet you do have tons of stories. Alas dad’s daid in law lost a leg playing football when he was 15. Dad himself was a boxer from the Dundee Boy’s clubs. The family have one or two …items….. he won in Berlin after the war when he was there on repatriation camps. I gather boxing matches were an evening’s entertainment for the troops where the prize was probably the prize possesssion of some Berliner. But maybe some starving person parted with them for food. Anyway, I don’t think my granpa would avhe been a match for him shall we say.
I think the best bit re families was the way my dad’s people called my mum’s for everything and claimed that basically they were just tinks fae the tap o the hill… the Hilltown….. and nanny was very dubious when it came to keeping the family during the depression, which was probably true. But then my mum’s called my dad’s, absolute rubbish….which having done the lineage of his grandfather, well… that was not so, but his dad was the family black sheep. Honestly pots and kettles did not come into it. Dad’s step mother kept the filthiest house going in this awful slum and while Mum’s mum was totally immaculate and the hoose had an indoor loo. Also that building was not a slum. Families eh???
I reckon you could write a book about your family alone 😀
They were something else.
As the great Bill Shankley once said “Some people think that football is a matter of life or death, but I can assure you that it’s much more serious than that” To have a family that is split between rival fans must be a nightmare, but it’s all good fun isn’t it? It sounds like Riley had a great day though ⚽
Oh he did. he was so happy.
I827 Oak Berry Circle, Wellington,Fl. 33414
Lived in Newcsstle for 12 years and attended Durham University. left but still follow the club every week. Happy to see a resurgence in the club. Glad to see the addition of new faces. Love my years in Newcastle. Made some wonderful frends.
I’m pleased that this post has brought back some good memories for you and thanks for commenting
I did the tour at the end of April 2015 and I think very few fans use their club’s official nickname, but it seemed a good idea to use the connection between magpies and silverware
PS You might be interested in my take on what football means to the city: https://toonsarahnewcastle.travellerspoint.com/26/
I can see from the shirts in the dressing room that it’s a few years now since you did this tour! You’re absolutely right about Sir Bobby 🙂 But few Newcastle fans would refer to the team as the Magpies – maybe the Mags, but more often the Toon or the Lads!