I'm confused

[Sheep Farmer]

I first remember it being used in the 70s, I seem to remember the scum taking the piss, bit like weez keys is these keys, and we seemed, in a heartbeat, to take it as a badge of honour, meant we weren’t Geordies, which is how we were labelled by all visiting supporters. Didn’t take long either for it to become a handle.

The power of social media.

 

[Roppa]

In the days I’m talking about there was no such thing, it was all word of mouth or the echo m8. Nostalgic I know, but it was better then mind, and mobile phones were only on Star Trek.

 

[Bigmackem]

Pushing 70 and still not sure of the answer to this .....I was brought up in Seaham, went to school in Sunderland after 11+ and then on to university. I'm pretty sure that in all this time I was referred to as a geordie so when did I become a Mackem? Did it happen gradually or did I wake up one day a fully fledged Mackem.

Being university educated you should be aware that Geordies are only Mackems with their brains knocked out , thought everyone knew that !

 

[Montysoptician]

I remember Roker Park in the 60's bouncing to us singing "Geordies here, Geordies there, Geordies every F***ing where". I don't recall when Mackem became popular, but I am pleased to be called it even though I am a Geordie by birth.

 

[clockstander]

I worked in Sunderland shipyards for many years and never ever heard the word Makem used there, or at Roker Park. When I was in the Merchant Navy, all NE folk were Geordies, anyone with a tan was a Smoked Geordie, very politically incorrect I may add. Like most have said on here I first heard the word Mackem used as a term of abuse, from up the road, and just like the Tyne and Wear moniker, I dont ever use it.

 

[ImissedShack]

Also pushing 70. Always understood a Geordie was born on the south bank of the Tyne. Brought up in Ryhope and never thought of myself as a Geordie. I left the NE in the mid 70's and it must have been a good 10 years before I heard the term Mackem. So it's all a mystery to me.

 

[arthur]

Being university educated you should be aware that Geordies are only Mackems with their brains knocked out , thought everyone knew that !

Thanks for the correction - I was always led to believe they were Scotsmen with missing brains!

 

[dred]

I have a tattoo on my arm, 100% MACKEM which was put on in 1973.

 

[Nig]

Yeah, in Shields we used Geordie pretty often then something changed in the early 90s.

You still get some Sunderland supporters calling themselves Geordie Mackems but I'd rather rock up to the White House with a Santa beard wearing Iranian battle fatigues

South Shields, i read "the White Horse" for a second

 

[one gary owers]

Think it took rise when Shepard brought the Jawdee Nashun into fashion with the 92 ers

 

[MrRAWhite]

Also pushing 70. Always understood a Geordie was born on the south bank of the Tyne. Brought up in Ryhope and never thought of myself as a Geordie. I left the NE in the mid 70's and it must have been a good 10 years before I heard the term Mackem. So it's all a mystery to me.

Hello my fellow Ryhopean..

 

[safc-noggieland]

the fulwell end used to shout about being geordies here, geordies there, geordies every where, not always been mackems

Very true this. ‘73 home &away we sang
‘Geordies here geordies there etc. ‘
Personally never used or heard us as mackems till much much later.
Got to say I do quite like refering to myself as a mackem.
KTF

 

[Blyth_bucaneer]

I come from County Durham, got called Geordie in the army, now live in Blyth and known as a Mackem. LOL.

 

[Evil Jimmy Krankie]

Same here. I reckon those outside the north east couldn’t differentiate between us so we were all called Geordies. In all honesty at the time I wasn’t bothered about it.

 

[Blond Bombshell]

Think it took rise when Shepard brought the Jawdee Nashun into fashion with the 92 ers

Was that not hall?

 

[Expat-Cat]

Grew up in Sunderland, entire family from round there. Moved away late '73, and had never heard the term applied to Sunderland town people (as it was then) or football supporters.
First came across it when working just north of London, when a Newcastle-born student (on placement) called me a Mackem, mid '80s

My Dad reckons he heard it in the '40s and early '50s as part of "mackem n takem", meaning private work done on company time and materials i.e. "foreigners" .

Take a look at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackem

 

[polyphemus]

Thanks for the correction - I was always led to believe they were Scotsmen with missing brains!

Sorry, but you're all wrong.

The Geordie Nation, as it's now known came into existence in days of long ago following a late night excursion by a lovestruck Scottish youth who hopped over the wall to meet with his favourite sheep.
The result was a little lamb and explains the wooly mindedness of our 'Friends to the North'

 

[dred]

In the Services, in the 60's the term 'Geordie' covered anyone from Berwick down to Middlesbrough and across to Carlisle.
And by and large, as a group, we stuck together.
Most of the rest couldn't spot any great difference in the accents so this made it easier for them.
Football rivalry of course but for the rest, we were a group.

I read an article a few years ago where there was a claim that the word Makem first appeared in print in a publication from Ashbrooke Club in the mid 70's, but it's a bit hazy.
Breaking up the 'Geordie Nation' into Geordies, Makems and Smoggies started to happen in the 1980's.
This was about the same time that Football rivalries got nasty and violent.

Prior to this 'The Blaydon Races' was a North East Anthem and not just a N/C song.

Not surprising as Blaydon was in County Durham

 

[Sheep Farmer]

Not surprising as Blaydon was in County Durham

Good point well made!

 

[Fentonpell]

I have a tattoo on my arm, 100% MACKEM which was put on in 1973.

Yep, I remember talking about it with Jimmy Montgomery and Billy Hughes in 1965/66 when it came up in conversation.