Tuesday 16 March 2010

Boro v Newcastle - Trophy Virgins or Lazy Journalists?

I would have to argue both. I have enjoyed reading blogs and articles from more main stream papers trying desperately to work out what we were saying with the infamous 'Trophy Virgins' banner... and they have all failed. Why? Because as with most Newcastle fans they are so far up their own proverbials that they are unable to take a step back and appreciate the bigger picture.

For season upon season both Middlesbrough and Sunderland fans alike get told from Geordies that they are the 8th biggest club in the world, that they should be in the top 4, that they should be mentioned in the same breath as Manchester United, Liverpool and the other massive clubs that this country has produced. We also here how because they sell out every week (a fact that is untrue as of late) they are up there with the likes of the aforementioned Premier League Galaticos. But when you ask for any proof of their success, like winning a recent trophy, they are stumped.

And this is it entirely. How many of the 3,743 Newcastle fans at the Riverside on Saturday have ever seen their side lift a major trophy? 2%? 5%? What you certainly can say is that the majority have not - that the majority are 'Trophy Virgins'. No one who supports Boro are saying for one minute that Newcastle in their history haven't won anything, as saying that is absurd. That is why its so unbelievable that trained journalists from the North East have gone down this line with their articles, merely listing the FA Cup wins, and various other pots won in years gone by and thinking that Boro fans have never know this.

Stuart Rayner from the Sunday Sun wrote a tremendously lazy article on this very same subject, highlighting the papers bias towards Newcastle United, and with that reducing sales on Teesside. What would have been a change is if, like some Newcastle fans, thought that it was quite witty, and did wonders to create an even better atmosphere at the Riverside. But, with their laziness they have just told us all that they can't take a joke, and confirmed to us all that Newcastle fans think that they are better than us all.

The Boro fans took the Geordie rendition of 'We'll Meet Again' with good humour and it was well received, and I suppose Newcastle will have the last laugh if Boro can't miraculously make the play-off's and regain their Premier League status, but for that one afternoon we upset the league leaders using their own insecurities and got one reaction that both sides will never forget.

Anyway, I thought the banner was genius. I got the joke. But you know what they say eh Geordies? 'If you can't take it, don't give it'.

24 comments:

  1. Honestly, it does make me sick to read some of the articles about that banner. Can't believe some of these guys get paid for putting that drivel out there.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bravo :) good read and hopefully some of these lazy journos will take note, then maybe not - being lazy and all that. Up the Boro

    ReplyDelete
  3. "For season upon season both Middlesbrough and Sunderland fans alike get told from Geordies that they are the 8th biggest club in the world, that they should be in the top 4, that they should be mentioned in the same breath as Manchester United, Liverpool and the other massive clubs that this country has produced. We also here how because they sell out every week (a fact that is untrue as of late) they are up there with the likes of the aforementioned Premier League Galaticos. But when you ask for any proof of their success, like winning a recent trophy, they are stumped."

    You get pretty much the same reaction when you ask an opposition fan to prove concrete instances of self-respecting Newcastle fans claiming any of the above. The fact is though, most Newcastle fans really aren't "Deluded Geordies" Yawn.

    For what it's worth most of us got the joke and took it as good banter. I thought the rendition of "We'll meet again" was a pretty good comeback personally. Anyway, good luck against Hull in the big derby next year.

    ReplyDelete
  4. excellent, totally agree with this, the geordies can't take a joke.

    www.myfootballforum.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. It is just as big a generalisation to say all Geordies can't take a joke, however, it would be fair to say a huge amount can't. The amount of facebook groups that have been set up, full of vitriol and appalling accusations dragged from the 80's has been remarkable, considering that this little old yorkshire town mean nothing to the Giants up the road.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Its the biased press reaction that got me, if all Newcastle fans don't want to appear 'deluded' they should maybe ask the media up there to stop portraying them as such.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Pretty good article and I would agree with you that the geordies aren't the best at taking a joke however Boro fans are bordering on the ridiculous with their obsession with Newcastle these days.

    Boro fans need to realise that Sunderland and Newcastle simply do not see Middlesbrough as local rivals.
    Never mind though, you can pick on Leeds next season (shouldn't they be classed as your REAL rivals anyway?)


    Small town, big chips small shoulders. Pass the Sarsons and stop being so obsessed about your unrequited love affair.

    2-1
    FTM

    ReplyDelete
  8. Most of the Geordies took this in the humour that it was intended.
    It's the pr1ck press that didn't.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Have to agree that having read the Sunday Sun as a Boro fan, the match report was a disgrace. I'll never buy the paper again. I've never read such biased drivel. Boro might not be going up, but I thought we totally outplayed Newcastle in parts. Funny there was no mention of that..

    ReplyDelete
  10. Can't take a joke?! From the same club that infamously refused NUFC fans entry to the Riverside if we came with gas masks/radiation suits on!? Stones and glass houses spring to mind lads! We all got the 'joke', as I myself haven't seen us win anything in 27 years...just hope whatever the banner cost gave whoever paid for it enough of a laugh for it to be worth it! Got them in plenty of papers too! As for your lazy journalism of telling everyone what 'Geordies' as a whole believe the standing of their club is, don't make me laugh. You're either talking to idiots who never go to SJP or you're repeating tired cliches from the Telegraph! Hope it's a long time before we're paying another visit to the inspiration behind Blade-Runner!

    ReplyDelete
  11. "refused NUFC fans entry to the Riverside if we came with gas masks/radiation suits on"

    and

    A banner saying "Trophy virgins"

    Yeah, because that's the same isn't it.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yeah, they're both supposedly 'jokes'...or do we need to explain our as thoroughly as you've explained your 'genius banner'?!!

    'If you can't take it, don't give it' (sic).

    ReplyDelete
  13. Perhaps you need to ask yourself why the banner has had to be explained to the Newcastle public so many times.

    Regarding not being allowed entry..

    "The Club reserves absolutely the right to refuse entry to the Ground or eject from the Ground any person that fails to comply with any of the Ground Regulations or whose presence within the Ground is, or could constitute a source of danger, nuisance or annoyance to any other person"

    Basically Geordies are annoying, that's why they didn't get in.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Seams to me that the Geordie who "don't see us as rivals" have gone out of there way to pass comment on this page since Saturday. Guess we do mean something to them after all! The banner was a good but like the press they always try to make the boro out to be evil. remember the FA cup final. when the chief of the fa came on to the pitch to shake hands with the players. The boro started singing 3 points. The next day in the paper it was zic hile. This is what we have to put up with. We'll always be third behind Newcastle and sunderlands in the national tabloids eyes. If we won everything it would be a fluke. I think its about time we started to give them something to wright about! we need more banners and signs. We need to start sticking it to the papers. There going to give us bad press anyways so why not go out fighting!

    ReplyDelete
  15. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Note to posters, if you wanna be hard and hurl abuse from behind your computer screens put your name to it... But I'd prefer intelligent comments if that's all the same.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Is it any wonder Smogs got such a hiding in both games this season? It seems as if they've got a death wish.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I thought the banner was quality.

    "Have you ever seen a geordie lift a cup" Not a major one anyway. Has a geordie ever seen them lift a cup.. em not unless they are coming up to a pensionable age. no they have not.

    Boro have lifted one trophy in the clubs history. Most of the fans life time.

    Does it make Boro bigger than Newcastle NO. Do Boro fans care about Newcastle, no more than any other team cares about Newcastle. We play Tees Tyne Derby, Tees Wear Derby and a Yorkshire Derby.

    Newcastle are like Spurs to me. Both sets of fans think they have a god given right to be a top team. They find it insulting to them not to be playing and completing for trophies year on year. The truth is although they think they are that good, they have not been that good for over 50 Years.

    Trophy Virgins ... How many Newcastle fans have SEEN THEM LIFT A MAYOR TROPHY. You cant even get footage in colour. Maybe the BBC have some Black and White coverage.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Juno - you're a fucking idiot.

    Newcastle fans hate Smogs because of how they act, not because of where they come from.

    ReplyDelete
  20. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Another Geordie hardman posting vile abuse as 'Anonymous' - you lot are really doing yourselves no favours.

    ReplyDelete
  22. lets be honest in the fact that we the boro have punched above our weight for maybe the last 10 year or so,but what we have done is been on a ten year journey that no other north east club has i.e wembly visits,europien final,loved every minute!!! oh and WON A CUP LOL. so by all means where just a small tow in yorkshire with a chip on on our shoulders!!! we deserve it

    ReplyDelete
  23. Personally I could not give a stuff what the "Mighty Boro" find amusing but I think that the Smoggies should concentrate on their own team , or is it purely to deflect from the fact that they will clearly fail to get out of the Championship and are burying their heads

    ReplyDelete