Newcastle Away 1992-93

[DoDTS]

As we seem to be boring Wiggy, with nothing of interest on SZ lets have a trip down memory lane that usually gets some response.


NEWCASTLE UNITED 3-2 SOUTHEND UNITED
15th August 1992 Division 1

This was Kevin Keegan's first League match as manager of Newcastle, and he Proudly claimed in the Programme "Newcastle United are a Premier League side in all but name", the Newcastle public certainly responded, the attendance was the largest of the day in a Capacity crowd of 28,545. We sensed the occasion as we got the train into Newcastle and had to stand much of the way, everyone was talking about Keegan and the match, as we reached the City every Pub seemed to have chanting Newcastle Fans inside. It was raining and we made our way to the ground.

St James Park was about to be developed but not yet, we were in open terracing for the next four hours in the pouring rain, as we got closer to kick off and the ground was filling I was quite impressed by the amount of fans we had, until I noticed a lot of them had Geordie accents. The Truth was that as the ground was filling up the only room was in the away end and there didn't seem to be any restrictions on who they let in. In the end there was no real segregation at all but also no problems apart from the odd verbal arguments at which the Police soon came in and diffused.

There had been a change in the Rules in the summer, if a defender passed back to the goalkeeper the keeper was no longer allowed to handle the ball, but could only kick it. I don't think we had done our homework, every time somebody back passed to Sammy he screamed at his defenders that he couldn't touch it, he didn't seem to realise he could still kick it. This did cause us some early problems, but just teething problems, we accounted for ourselves well but ended up losing 2-3 (still in the pouring rain) we made our way back to the shelter of the Station.

The train arrived and we boarded it, quite empty unlike the train on the way out, three Southend fans got on soaked to the skin like us, but they proceeded to strip to their boxers and hang their wet clothes from the luggage rack to dry. No one was offended most casual passengers laughed and joked with them, as we set off. Enter one stern lady ticket collector, who told them in no uncertain language to put their clothes on, they replied, quite politely that they would as soon as they had dried out a bit, or if any passengers objected, nobody did, out she stormed not at all happy. At York she returned with two Police Officers who informed them to get dressed as they were being ejected from the train, "What time's the next train to London?" They asked, "Tomorrow" the ticket collectoress replied with a sly smile on her face. Was that really necessary?

Thats my memories of the day anyone got any other stories?

And who were those three streaking shrimpers?

DoDtS

 

[Firestorm]

Sorry to be a pedant but Keegan was appointed on 5 February 1992 just over a month after we beat Newcastle 4-0 at home and a couple of weeks after ardiles was sacked.

I reckon 15/8/92 was the First home game of the new season for Newcastle

 

[DoDTS]

See Wiggy discussion who says SZ is boring.

Your quite right Firestorm KK was in charge for 16 games in 1991-92, but they don't count because I forgot about them.

Apologies, memories play tricks.

DoDtS

 

[Gremlin]

See Wiggy discussion who says SZ is boring.

You could be right I'll check it out

DoDtS

He's right.

 

[Firestorm]

Good memories though, have never been away to Newcastle (although I have been up there for a week) .

The first couple of games with that backpass rule were scary though !

 

[canada shrimper]

weren't we 2-0 up at one point?and didn't they score the winner right at the death? or is that another trip to Newcastle?

 

[graysblue]

my daughter is a keen newcastle fan so being nice parents me and the mrs have taken her there on several occasions.

couple of years ago the geordies had a pre season 4 team tournament,them,rangers,feyonord(sp)and sporting lisbon.

the crowd was around 28000 thus allowing to change seats ect,my son and myself moved near to level 7 ,at the end of the game me and him went down some steps through wooden doors and exited onto plush blue carpets.

we continued walking and then turned left through more doors and knock me down with a feather there stood in front of us mssrs shearer and sir bobby,we then walked through another set of doors and were now in the players lounge!!!

by this stage the mrs and daughter were standing outside the stadium waiting at the executive lift entrance,my son phoned them and said to wait at the lift with the camera.

imagine thier faces when we got out the lift chatting to bellamy and supermac.

my girl had a cob on for several days.

 

[jassyfa1]

I remember the midweek game during the 91-92 season. We were always chasing the game but like true supporters there was the longest "David Webb blue and white army" chant that silenced the Georgies until they scored making it 3-1. Although we scored later on and the game finished 3-2 to the Georgies it was a night to remember.

 

[graysblue]

I remember the midweek game during the 91-92 season. We were always chasing the game but like true supporters there was the longest "David Webb blue and white army" chant that silenced the Georgies until they scored making it 3-1. Although we scored later on and the game finished 3-2 to the Georgies it was a night to remember.

that song brings back memories ,sunderland at the hall evening game and damn foggy.

the away fans NON stop sang peter rieds red and white army....aye they were good the fans that is.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I remember the midweek game during the 91-92 season. We were always chasing the game but like true supporters there was the longest "David Webb blue and white army" chant that silenced the Georgies until they scored making it 3-1. Although we scored later on and the game finished 3-2 to the Georgies it was a night to remember.

Yellow, surely?

 

[seves]

weren't we 2-0 up at one point?and didn't they score the winner right at the death? or is that another trip to Newcastle?

Remember the trip well, but not the order of goals. I was there with me 'old man', sat in the main stand & kept very quiet, I think we were 2-0 down then 2-2 then lost at the death??? please correct my memory though...

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

I drove through the night for this one .. with SUFCEssex, Shrimptank and James Quinn IIRC (maybe Strutty was with us too ??) we hired a Renault 19, left at 3am and after the usual messing about all the way up there arrived at some greasy spoon around 9am before playing football in St. James' Park car park

I also went to the previous mid seasons midweek match when the crowd was 14,000 ... it really irks me when the pundits go on about Newcastles "wonderful" support as the above proves it wasn't always the case

 

[Maldon Blues]

I was there, although all I can really remember is it ****ing down with rain and Spencer Prior scoring an own goal!

 

[Cricko]

I was there ..flew up with the team on some dodgy Aeroplane from Southend..It was quite nice though, as we had a tour of the stadium before the game.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Me and the ex drove up for that game, 1st of the season, in an old Green Fiat Mirafiori with the drivers door having a mind of it's own..We stayed at a friend's in Darlington who dropped us off in Newcastle Town Cente. We walked into the nearest pub both wearing Southend shirts and it turned out to be the home fans main pub, everyone had black and white on...We thought it was a major mistake, but they were all so nice. In the open stand at whatever end of the stadium it is was awesome, packed with Blues fans. I remember Dave Martin scoring and I think Ian Benjamin geting the other. I also remember When Newcastle scored their 1st, it all went a bit silent except for 1 geordie who managed to get in our stand..he went mental, then was ushered from the stand into the Toon stand!!!!

A great great weekend even tho we lost 3-2...wow what a stadium, even back then!!

 

[Welly7]

Three of us travelled up in a car for that game. We were held up for a couple of hours and was being taunted by a car full of Geordies in the traffic jam!! (think it was Bracewell who netted one of their goals as they sang his name at us).
Finally arrived just before half time and the turnstiles were closed!!! After berating some poor steward we finally got in - at full price, obviously - saw both our goals, got soaking wet and was back in the car just over an hour later!!

 

[The Big Shrimp]

I remember the previous season we played them on the opening day of the season. I was part of a supporters team, managed by Charlie Benson, that played their supporters team at Ashington, home of the Charlton Brothers.

We travelled through the night having spent the evening on the lash. We arrived in the early hours of Saturday morning, 5.00AM-ish, looking for a greasy spoon to have our pre-match meal & team talk! Once we had all stuffed our faces, we headed for St James Park, where we found the gates open. We decided to have a tour of the ground, try out the Bench & then have a team photo taken on the pitch in front of the main stand. Unfortunately the photo has been lost & never seen again!

We headed off to Ashington to be met by a "Newcastle" team who were wearing different shirts including several Grimsby shirts!! We stuffed them 4-1 or 5-2 & I scored!!! It was an own goal, thanks to my team mate Simon Ridgwell hammering the ball right at me & rebounding into the net!!

As for the game at St James Park, I can't remember much about it, other than it was a nice sunny day!!

Happy days!!

 

[weststander]

I remember this one well, after getting up at silly o'clock, three of us ventured north in a 1 litre fiesta that was on its last legs, stopping at a truck stop on the A1M for breakfast and it was huge and only cost a quid or so. When we got there as we were queuing to get in it was announced that no more Newcastle fans were allowed in so they all tried to get in with us, police turned back anyone with a geordie accent. 4 blokes asked us to get them in with them so i paid for 5 people and they snuck in without saying a word. Then it rained, and rained and i think rained a bit more. We lost 3-2 and that was the start of the great Newcastle side that went on to challenge for the Premiership and we went the opposite way eventually. I also remember the long long journey back, it seemed to take forever. Southend-Newcastle-Southend by car in 1 day is not recommended....

 

[Magnum PI]

Not sure if you can access this picture that we took at this game ... we took the coach and then sat in these soaking clothes all the way home. Yes, this was pre-tash !

This was the same yellow Andy Ansah shirt that Andy gave me at the end of the previous season after the Millwall game.

 

[Lord Football]

That was the day we played at St James. As part of the Southend United Supporters Club we had prepared well by getting blitzed in the Railway on Friday night and Clive drove us all up over night. I remember, vaguely, Daryl Smith in some roadside cafe wearing clothes designed for 7 year olds.

Anyway, we arrived at Newcastle at some stupid hour and noticed the ground was open. So as we had a ball we had a kick around.

Seem to remember beating The Geordies (we beat everyone). I would have been sub. And remember getting completely soaked in that second half downpour.



The season before I managed to fuse the heating on the Brandon's coach. Everyone got really cold. Except me. I went and had a kip in the drivers bunk at the bottom of the coach. Nice and snug I was :)