The Sunderland obsession with mags

Do Newcastle fans really go to their games?

 

Yes.
I would say there have been Newcastle supporters in the away end at around half of our home games this season. There has also been quite a few occasions when they've been in the home end when we've been playing away.

 

Newcastle fans seem to be the more "obsessed" of the two, although I'm sure the Mackems did their fair share of obsessing when they were relegated in 2016.

 

Mag.

 

Looks like Newcastle supporters will have other things to think about shortly. It 's being widely reported that
Mike Ashley has finally agreed to sell the Club. Press reports suggest that the deal is worth £350 million and is to be
signed very soon. The new owner is reputedly His Royal Highness Sheik Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan of
the United Arab Emirates.

Sheik Khaled is the billionaire relative of Manchester City owner Sheik Mansour. Bin Zayed apparently failed in his
bid to buy Liverpool for £2 billion last year. At this stage, there haven't been any statements as to his intentions or
ambitions for the Club, but it might not be wide of the mark, to suggest that he's looking to take the Club forward.
Nothing coming out of St James about Benitez yet, although he's made no secret of the fact, that if he had money
to buy new players, he would like to stay on as Manager.

Be interesting to see where it goes in the future. Certainly does look though that the yawning gap that already
exists between Sunderland and Newcastle in footballing terms that is, is about to get even wider.

Regarding fans of both Clubs attending each other's games. Newcastle is no different to Liverpool or Manchester
in that respect. I know lads in both cities that were business contacts that attend both clubs matches weeks about.
In fact the lad in Manchester who worked at Salford College was a Steward at Old Trafford. He was United to the core
but liked City as well because as a Mancunian he was proud that they represented his City.

In my own family. Our John is from of a family of five. His late Mam and himself supported Sunderland and his
late Dad, sister and brother favoured Newcastle. His Sis her husband and two sons are all season ticket holders
at St James. John will be dreading getting home off holiday. There's bound to be missed calls from both his Sis and
nephew after Sunderlands loss at Wembley.

 

Easy to blame any trouble on Mags then. I cant imagine the Dee dars spending money to watch us but then were tighter with money in Yorkshire!

 

The Geordies have always been a bit obsessed. In 86-87 we played Sunderland on the last game of the season at Roker Park. I was living in Newcastle and caught the train down. We beat them 3-2 and other results went against them, putting them into a play off relegation place (they later lost and went down to the third tier for the first time). When I got back on the train to get back to Newcastle it was full of Geordies celebrating like they had just won the cup. Being a Barnsley fan I was treated like a local hero. A bit strange really. I couldn't imagine us doing that for Leeds or Wednesday.