That was only a few years after Gatesy and Gabbers fired you out of division 3 if I remember rightly.
Oh I remember the joy in our house as my Dad, brother and I laughed our tits off as dear old Bob Stokoe took you down to Div. 3, after defeat at Gillingham. What a fun summer that was... winding up the mackems for 6 whole weeks of holidays... Happy days...
The gates could well be +1 next season if Rafa stays. Will be giving a season ticket serious consideration if he stays after giving it up 2 years ago.
On the hypothetical that Rafa stays, make some decent signings and we win our first few games, do we think it's possible that we start hitting 50,000 and over?
I would expect Rafa staying would be worth about 3 - 4,000 extra attendance per game. As for our last Championship tour, I think I am right in saying that more people watched Newcastle get relegated than have watched any European team be relegated since attendance records began, and that more people watched us be promoted than has ever occurred in Europe. A stat to be proud of, as is the fact that we were something like the 15th best supported club in Europe that season.
More fans than Sunderland? Surely not! I actually love and am refreshed by the positivity, I was hugely impressed by our fans at the last home game - I've never seen a relegation like it. We may be idiots for it, it's hard to say just yet.
On a serious note, why did it take relegation for it to be like that? I thought your atmosphere was flat until the very last few games and you knew you were in a relegation battle since January.
If Rafa stays it will be a sellout, every game, just like the Keegan days, the place will rockin. We will do everything we can and then its up to the players to do what they are told by Rafa. Just hope he stays. I can`t wait for the season to start, and its still only bloody May!!! Haven`t felt that feeling for a very long time.!!
Because we all, in our hearts, knew it was too bloody late. McClaren had sucked the life out of us. If he ever comes back here as an opposing manager. Jesus help him. The abuse he will get will be biblical.!!
This. It's hard to get up for the fight when you have no confidence in anyone in any leadership position.
Going to disagree with you here lads... I genuinely thought this was a season to far for us and that we weren't getting out of it this time. I still turned up at the Stadium every home again and sang my heart out, in the hope that maybe that could get them going at times. It wasn't just your players that gave up early, so did your fans and so you should also shoulder some of the blame for relegation...
Different dynamic. We hadn't given up. I fancied us to scrape 17th. There was just no joy in the thought - - one pathetic season over with, another one on the horizon. As it is, if Rafa will just sign I'll be looking forward to next season more than I have in years.
