Geordie's Chants For Revenge
"SMOGGIES at home, watching The Bill". You just know it will be thrown right back in your face on Sunday. I thought I heard a muted practice run echo around a half empty St James's against Fenebahce but at the Riverside it will ring out with real venom from the away end. These taunts always come back and bite you in the bum.
It happened on the opening day at Reading too as sprint starters Boro raced into a early two goal lead and the travelling Teesside contingent laughed through a prematurely arrogant chorus of "we are Premier League" only to skulk off home with badly bruised egos as the new boys hit back to win and the same song was given back in spades, along with a caustic but accurate analysis of our heroes display stated concisely as "two nil and you, er, messed it up."
It is a kind of football karma. As soon as you start sneering and lording it over other fans you are inviting retaliation in kind when the balance of fate tips against you - and as Boro fans know that happens only to often.
Of course, the Geordies At Home chant was a classic of its kind. Stolen from the Celtic anti-Rangers repertoire and sharpened by Teesside wits, it was gleefully used to wave Boro's European adventure in Tyneside faces. It was a deliciously parochial way of reinforcing the prevailing North-east pecking order and underlining the failure of 'the eighth biggest club in the world'. It became a light-hearted part of the sound-track to our fantastic continental campaigns and briefly a cultural touchstone on Teesside. The phrase made it on to banners. You heard drunks singing it joyfully on the way home after shotting out time.
But it was always asking for trouble. Not only was it easy for self-righteous non-rivals to label Boro fans as short-sighted and obsessive - you are in Rome, why sing about another team? - but it also stored up a lot of bitterness that was inevitably going to be discharged in the event of Newcastle returning to Europe via the Intertoto back door.
Of course, the sting is quite easily drawn. Boro fans sung it in Eindhoven. At the final. Given mighty Newcastle's long wait for European glory - in direct proportion to their expectations - that has got to hurt. Which makes it all the more likely to be thrown back at Boro on Sunday.
And derby games are noted for their chants loaded with topical cultural symbolism. Boro's only Premiership victory over Newcastle came in the year when a snap wintery storm had conveniently closed the underpasses long enough to sway the safety committee and then in the restaged match Geremi got the winner to a chorus of 'Let It Snow'.
But there was one that we may consider airbrushing out of history in that game too as Jonathan Woodgate played for Newcastle and was loudly informed by the Boro faithful that night that "you're supposed to be in jail." Maybe Newcastle fans will hijack that one as well.
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Anthony Vickers
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Vic
Sadly, Ian and I were there on the opening day against Reading. I remember us looking across and shaking our heads at eachother when the 'crowing' started and also when the 'Ole's were prompted when Arca and Rocky began a tippy-tappy two step five yards apart and square of each other only twenty yards off our goal.
That was what lead directly to the start of the Royals comeback.
Baiting the opposition, particularly with quick wit, has a long and illustrious history. For Sunday I'd rather we rubbed The Skunks' noses in it on the pitch and left the derogatory chants to aim at the backs of their bedraggled Toon Army retreating out of the Riverside 10 minutes from time as our 4th goal goes in and they can't bear it any more.
Any sooner, given our recent history, both at home and against them, is courting disaster and more Geordie egg on our collective face.
There has always been taunting between fans but it used to be a relatively private affair, restricted to the grounds and only rolled out on matchdays ("hit 'im on the head").
Now it is in your face and everyone knows the 'Geordies at home' chant even if they don't go to games, partly because of it being heard on television for two years but also because of the Three Idiots.
Bernie has been gurning and snorting with laughter using it in his infantile playground banter with the other two buffoons. That more than anything has wound up the Geordies.
The 'are you Sunderland in disguise' also came back at us at Reading to complete a miserable afternoon.
What John ought to consider is the effect on his son Phil. It was alright for me to slope off back to Derby, painful though it was listening to reports of how well the Royals had done. John could draw the curtains and be a Man U fan for the weekend. Poor Phil had to go out with his friends in Reading. The sins of the parents visited on their children springs to mind.
And that is the problem with baiting other fans. It only comes back to haunt you. And what is more we may get an invasion of skunks on our boards.
That Mark Page didnt help matters when he played the theme to the Bill at the Riverside. Let us hope Bernie has a stress free week coming up.
Oh well, at least we dont have the bitterness of the ManU/Scouser games, nor do we have Freddie Shepherd.
Football fans area fickle bunch. Things move in cycles. Last season Boro fans said the cups were more important than the league as you dont win trophies in the league if you finish top but thats impossible with the strangle hold by the top 4.
But now its the other way round. Its now the league which judges how good a team is. Newcastle only scraped through last night but that doesnt matter as like last season with boro in europe its just about grinding out the results.
Boro fans would be lying if they arent now looking at newcastle, blackburn and spurs with envy. How many boro fans would have loved to have gone Krakow?
One thing for sure, just like the geordies, we like to dish it out but we are bad losers. Can newcastle fans use the boro fans excuse of the uefa cup is distracting them in the league and should we beat them on sunday can they use the excuse that the players are jaded?
Baiting the opposition fans and team is all part of the game and long may it continue. If we stuff the Skunks on Sunday no Boro fan will care that we are not in Europe, for a short while at least.
I do not listen to the 3 legends programme, however last season I was told that the Geordie Republic seemed more interested in the number of fans that turned up at the Riverside for Euro games than the results themselves.
Did Boro have it rammed down their throats that if the mighty Skunks got into Europe the ground would be full to capacity for every game? Prehaps these people are now beginning to realise that it simply costs more than the spare cash most fans have available to be attend all games.
Judging by the size of the crowd at SJP last night it was not only the Boro fans who were at home watching the bill.
Yep, as i said its turned a full circle. Geordies sat at home watching the bill having a go at our attendances and now we are the ones sat at home watching the bill and having a go at their attendances.
Sometimes i wonder how the world have evolved and progressed.
Lets move on please
Oi Vickers, there you (and your half witted cronies) go again with your pathetic jibes about a half full St James Park. You definitely suffer from a severe dose of FMTTMitis.
Its about how many people go to the match, not empty seats and the Jawdees had the 2nd biggest crowd in the UEFA last night. I wish the Boro had got 30,000 through the turnstiles for our group games last season.
You, the likes of that embarrassing bellend Me Mark Page, and umpteen FMTTM cronies do the town no favours with your bitter small town, small time attitude.
Whats up Paul Bell, did you get black balled at the 12th man meeting in doctor browns. Stop being so bitter!
Football is all about living for the moment...the geordies at home chant was priceless and so what if the tables are turned. And of course we're envious of the teams playing in th UEFA cup.
The important thing is that on Sunday the Riverside will be full, the atmosphere will be great and if we play well and win the geordies won't be singing anything.
As for the league being more important than the cups or visa versa, clearly that depends on which you are doing well in doesn't it?
Lets face it what the skunks or any other team do is irrelevant the only thing that matters is what the Boro do!
Nigel
Correct, I agree that it is what we do that counts and if we can have some fun and banter with other fans on the way that is great.
What I dont like is other teams fans coming on here and being abusive, by the same token we should keep away from posting on their boards. An occasional read does no harm but it is their message board(s). We do not want the bitterness that is evident between some other clubs coming between us in the North East.
Well said Nigel. The only important thing is three points Sunday------ oh yes, and Newcasle going out of Europe asap----and please,please, a full house.
I never understood why Boro fans were bothered about Newcastle. They really aren't too concerned about the Boro. We should focus on our Yorkshire rivals instead.
" What I dont like is other teams fans coming on here and being abusive, by the same token we should keep away from posting on their boards. An occasional read does no harm but it is their message board(s). We do not want the bitterness that is evident between some other clubs coming between us in the North East. "
Blogs are the new terraces Ian.
On a not totally unrelated topic, I see that another noted NE writer has been getting some stick from some sections of the terraces. Makes your criticism from some FMTTM posters seem mild in comparison Vic.
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2006/10/20/double_trouble_leaves_rooney_i.html
Beeline, the blog is titled 'Untypical Boro', personally I dont want abusive Geordies, Mackems or whoevers fans on OUR blog.
Happy with banter and humour on the terraces but I dont like poisoned atmospheres, we have moved on. Dont want other teams coaches stoning, people rocking ambulances with injured players in them or spitting at other fans as happens elsewhere. Fortunately blogs are generally harmless but abuse to other posters is uncalled for.
*AV writes:
I moderate all posts. I don't mind the odd sly dig and a bit of passionate banter but I won't let any personal abuse or gratuitous insults through. Except against me of course.
RE: Paul Bell,
So what if Bar Codes got 30000, the numbers are relative 260000 ppl in Newcastle and further 190000 in Gateshead add to that 150000 from S. Tyneside and 190000 N.Tyneside plus many more from surrounding areas no doubt TOTAL = 800000.
Wheras Middlesbrough only has 135000 and 180000 Stockton TOTAL = 315000.
Therefore Bar Codes with 30000 attendance attract 3.8% of possible fans.
Middlesbrough only need a mere 12000 to beat that figure....thoughts
WHY DO PEOPLE ON TEESSIDE TREAT NUFC AS A DEEBY GAME,AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED BORO DON'T HAVE ANY DARBY GAMES NEWCASTLE ID NEARLY 40 MILES FROM TEESSIDE,THAT AINT A DERBY.BORO V DARLO YES AS IT IS ONLY 9 MILES APART,THAT IS WHAT A DERBY GAME IS A CONTEST BETWEEN YOUR NEAREST RIVALS.
Agree totally Ian, my statement was an observation.
Read the link intended for Vic to see how poisonous the atmosphere can get when discussing such a banal matter as the scribblings of a football writer. Unfortunately abuse seems to be part and parcel of many football blogs, but fortunately not this one.
Thoughts...you are one of the saddo's that infest the once great but now idiotic FMTTM message board and that you are more obsessed with attendances than daft geordies are.
Afterthought..... you are a mug!
Wheras Middlesbrough only has 135000 and 180000 Stockton TOTAL = 315000.
round it up to 400000, when you add in billingham and redcar