The second to last game of the Premiership season will see us travel to Sunderland to take on Steve Bruce’s team. A former United captain, whose two goals against Sheffield Wednesday towards the end of the 1992/1993 played a significant part in us winning our first title in 26 years, will obviously be professional but I’m sure wouldn’t be devastated if three points there lead to another title for United.
However, if we do win the league at Sunderland, only 1,300 of us will get to see it happen.
Whilst 7,000 reds will pack the away end at the 34,000 capacity Ewood Park in a couple of weeks time, at the 49,000 seater Stadium of Light we will have significantly less.
Sunderland City Council has cut our allocation due to persistent standing, although it’s interesting to note that their committee approves the 7,000 tickets we get at Blackburn as well as the abandonment of ticket allocation reduction at Middlesbrough over the past two seasons, with our fans getting an entire end at Boro away last year.
This has been an issue for several years, with United not receiving the minimum 3,000 tickets we’re entitled to because of the break in safety rules. Last season, 45,408 people attended the same match, leaving 3,592 empty seats – all in the home end.
Now, this might seem fair enough to some, but it is important to note that we are not the only club to have standing fans. Liverpool FC have also had a reduction but have been given 2,300 tickets, as have City, although they been given 2,700 tickets.
It is also interesting to note that fans in the home areas at Sunderland are guilty of persistent standing, although the club are apparently happy to keep dishing out tickets to them.
Sunderland’s safety manager, Paul Weir, says “unless there is some change in current thinking, persistent standing remains a breach in the ground regulations. We are duty bound to encourage people to sit in our all seater stadium in consideration of spectator safety and comfort.”
But does this mean there will only be 1,300 United fans in the ground? Of course not. We will get in the ground one way or another although that will create a greater threat to spectator safety and comfort. Season ticket holders will make a profit on their seats without a second thought whilst others will pay on the gates. Sunderland’s attendance figures show that on average, there are 12,000 empty seats every week so it won’t be too much hassle, it just means that the rich fans go and have to mingle with the Mackems, whilst so few get to sit in the away end.
The decision is being made on Monday, with referce to this report, and it’s not too late for you to have your say.
E-mail the committee’s chairman at: cllr.amy.wilson@sunderland.gov.uk
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Read reaction from
Man Utd News 24/7
1300? Disgusting.
I cant believe this. If I’m not there I will be gutted!
http://www.1st4footballtickets.com/sunderland-tickets.html?gclid=COuKsK7A1qACFQZslAodEHSDug
get your tickets here and lets take over that “stadium”
I’ll pay £130 in the away end. Thanks for that link GHTT. Been dying to get to an away game since West Ham.
hope utd fans fill the stadium up. if they do, im sure sunderland will act right next year.
It be good to have it wrapped up before the Sunderland game.
Off topic…. But is this does anybody think this is really think this is the REAL bryan glazer’s email and phone number?
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/photo.php?pid=37273663&op=5&o=global&view=global&subj=2204500394&id=1410287
if so im going to have fun
This is a fucking disgrace! That means by our own Balllot not a single season ticket holder will get hold of a brief because they will all be taken up our exec contingent. Then execs will sell the tickets on a much higher price!
Scott your right though, these cunts wont stop me going and I will just buy a brief in their end like I do for every other game I cant manage to get in the away end! Lofthouse lower it is tomorrow!
We should return the favour next year and cut their allocation to below a 1000 but they probably couldnt even sell that!
A couple of quick points to correct the bias in this report.
1) Our average gate this season is 39,500, so nowhere near ’12,000 empty seats per game. We have, in fact, only had 12,000 empty seats for 3 games, all evening games with empty away ends, against the likes of Stoke and Bolton.
2) The allocation has been gradually reduced. It was reduced a couple of years ago and it was made very clear why this was happening and it provoked your extremely clever (and not arrogant at all) fans to make a point by standing for the whole game. No great surprise that there has now been another cut
giggs11gerrard0 Of course they would sell it, coming to Old Trafford is like a cup final to these people. Just looked at the cheapest tickets have to get £130 priced ones as a pair. All the guys I know won’t pay it can’t blame them really but I can’t afford to go any higher than that. The whole day will probably cost £200 +.
The North East are a disgrace
A joke of a region with pathetic football clubs
Liverpool to beat Chelsea and hand the title to Utd-that would be brilliant
I am a Sunderland season ticket holder who is equally bemused by this edict – it’s nothing short of shameful.
NotoriousRedDevil
I know mate its becoming a joke! Away days are all about a good sing song! 1300 tickets I generally cant believe it?
The stewards at Sunderland are as keen as it comes to throw fans out of the away end for standing up, whilst allowing standing for the home fans in the south west corner which is right next to the away fans. For away games Sunderland supporters aren’t the greatest at sitting down either….
“coming to Old Trafford is like a cup final to these people” to be fair, no it isn’t , and if you asked the genuine Sunderland fans what they wanted for the game in May the vast majority would say “give Utd the full allocation”. Like a lot of things in football – we have no say as to what happens….
1700 tickets would be a disgrace. What a bunch of wankers. 1700 out of 49000??
Mackem – the stats I have for your attendance come from Soccerbase.com, as I have linked. I don’t see how using stats from an independent website makes it biased. Care to explain?
Regardless, if we are to go by your stats, the 9,500 seats you have empty every week would be gladly filled by travelling reds.
I hope they get relegated and join the losers Boro and Newcastle
Sunderland stewards are useless. They are used as an example of what not to do in a situation when fans stand. Believe me when I was a steward our safety officer used to tell us that it always got out of hand and one year batons were used. You’re supposed to be pretty tough in the North East, can’t the stewards handle a few thousand away fans instead of cutting the allocation down. All that will happen is that hundreds probably thousands of United fans will be scattered around the stadium and that will probably cause more problems than if you gave us the proper allocation.
Utd > Sunderland
Come on Surrey, you mean to tell me that coming to Old Trafford isn’t one of the highlights of your season. Of course it is.
Every team’s Cup final is Man Utd at OT
Probably bigger than playing in the FA Cup Final at Wembley (unless Man Utd are the opposition)
Every team raises their game against us, then they go on and lose their next match. If they played like that every game, maybe they could challenege for the league
What is the problem with standing?
It’s hardly like the terraces where everyone stood and rushed to the front when a goal was scored and there are hardly too many people allowed in to a part of the ground causing another Hillsbrough.
The rules on standing in an all seater stadium don’t make any sense.
The stewards in the East stand lower at OT don’t tell us to sit down on european nights or big home games. All seater stadiums are brilliant but trying to make everyone sit down stops an atmosphere and signing dead in it’s tracks.
Lads lets not get too carried away with the Sunderland fans it is not their fault their ran by cunts! Surry SAFC offered a valid opinion and also thinks its shameful.
Not everyone loves coming to Old Trafford and nor do they see it as a cup final so lets not be arrogant, genuine away fans go for the crack and the away day bizz like all of us!
It will mean for a shit atmosphere at the game that day with little away support for the home end to bounce off! It will work out worse for them as their own end will be littered with us lot.
Right this is well off topic but its really pissed me off, Sky Sports news has just had their goal of the week poll on and Torres headed goal against us has made it in but Park’s diving header to win the match hasnt made it!! What the fuck is that all about!! Torres goal was pretty ordinary and there was some shocking defending but Parks had the brilliant overlapping sprint from GNev and the fantastic delivery of Fletch and the manga dive of park for fuck sake!!
Right now thats out of my system, it is a joke that they reduce the allocation of tickets just for Utd fans but they are doing it every year now!! I fully agree with AlphaRS, it isnt the same as when we used to rush forward when goals were scored and cause a mini crush, and it stops the atmosphere from really pumping up when we are denied the right to stand up!!
Sayyid says:
I hope they get relegated and join the losers Boro and Newcastle
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That’s a bit harsh. I don’t mind Sunderland at all. The only one of the north-east clubs I really dislike is Middlesbrough – and thankfully those arseholes won’t be getting anywhere near the Premier League anytime soon.
Nani penned a new deal through 2014. I am happy to see he is commited to the club and SAF must have seen improvement to offer a new contract.
Amen AlphaRS. Be careful some of our own fans on here love to sit down and take the moral high ground on that road.
Good thing our final league game is at home. It would have been pretty anti climatic if we had a trophy presentation in front of just 1300 reds. Provided we win it of course.
@ giggs11gerrard0 – Yea I forgot Niall Quinn was chairman of Sunderland, my cup final was in jest didn’t think a few of them would come on here.
NRD and Alpha – It becomes embarrasing the whole sitting down thing! As part of the green and gold we should all tand up for every game and not just the big ones! I am lucky enough to sit in K where our stewards are sound!
Some nob last year at Wembley asked me to sit down during a drunken chant as his son couldnt see? i turned round and just started laughing as his son was about 20 years old!!!!! My old man would have clipped me back in the day if i would of asked him that!
No can tell me that the City game this year and Barca semi year before last are the not best atmospheric OT has been since the early 90′s.
Hi,
It isn’t one of the highlights – I always enjoy goingl, but it isn’t what it was for me, perhaps I’m getting long in the tooth – I remember going to your place in the 80′s and I loved it – even when we only filled one of those pens behind the goal. Now it has become quite a sterile experience….
I also think that your away support is the opposite of that – you get stuffed by every club in being charged Cat A prices – but over the years the support is one of the most vocal around. I’d rather the away end was rammed with you lot – as it all makes for a cracking atmosphere.
The restriction on tickets has very little to do with the club – I’m sure that they would rather have the additional revenue – but is based on jobsworths at the council.
Which ever way you look at it this decision defies any logic – I hope that it is overturned, but fear it won’t be.
As an alternative view point – we have more arguing at away games coz of people standing up than almost anything else. I’d prefer to stand, some people prefer to sit. The grounds are all seaters, that’s the rules, so I don’t know why people just don’t sit – especially as the majority do at home games!
The stadium will be like a fucking Library without the One and only Reds there.
Where is the “ROM reaction to Liverpool Victory” and “Looking forward to Bolton” blogs
“We should return the favour next year and cut their allocation to below a 1000 but they probably couldnt even sell that!’
we’d sell that 10 times over. dont kid yourself
“coming to Old Trafford is like a cup final to these people”
what an arrogant prick. personally would rather go to a place with a bit of atmosphere like the Brittannia or Goodison or something.
giggs11gerrard0 – RE: Wembley knob – I swear males born in the 90s were born without a pair. Had to ask his old man pathetic. My Dads never took me to see the football because he was always working but I think he would most certainly reacted the same as yours!
What gets on my nerves about people saying sit down at games is
1) They aren’t polite about it, can’t even say please.
2) 90% of the time they are moaning within their breath how bad PLAYER X is.
3) They make no noise whatsoever, and frown at you if you do.
There should be a section at Old Trafford for those who want to sing and if you’re in there and not being vocal you should be banned from that section.
@ notorious lmao sorry mate I cant resist. In your post a fruedian slip “My dad’s! I take on board though all your points.I agree totally also some folk are just to touchy and Pc and sensitive.
Fans of Sunderland don’t want the United allocation reduced – it’s a great atmosphere when there’s a full contingent. Too few clubs will make the trek up here.
So don’t call us c***s, you’re welcome (in your end) and I hope you win the League, don’t want either of the cockney clubs doing it.
You probably will get some tickets in the home ends, but not as many as you might think as season ticket holders get the first option to buy extras for their mates, and usually do for the Utd game. Plus the ‘members’ who are not STH will turn up for this one.
Maybe you’ll have the title sorted by then.
@ notorious
Fully agree mate, and they should allow the lower tiers to stand as there isn’t much of a safety issue then!! And if you want to sit you go in the higher tiers and that’s alot of problems solved!!
redscot – typo mate lol
Notorious – You are gonna pay 130 sheets for the Stadium of Light? Its a piss take mate.
SAFC have offered no support towards a full allocation or even an increased allocation for Utd fans.
Sunderland Council Safety Advisory Group meet on Monday 29th March to rubber stamp the proposal of giveing utd fans 1,700 tickets. I urge all Utd fans and more importantly all Sunderland Residents to contact the group stating that an increased allocation is in the safe interests of all concerned given the possible nature of the game (It could be a title decider) and as such, Utd fans will try and gain entry to the home ends as well as travel to Sunderland without tickets on the chance they might pick one up outside.
The Football Licensing Authority who cover Sunderland also cover Blackburn and Middlesbrough (The north east region) and it ios worth noting, that despite previous reduced allocations Middlesbrough increased Utds allocation last season to over 6,000 tickets.
Blackburn provide United Supporters with 7,000 tickets each season.
Why, given the justification of standing, have Sunderland Council sought to give mUFC 1,700 tickets, when for the very same reasons reduced Liverpools allocation to 2,300 some 600 more than for MUFC?
It would be in Sunderlands interests to allocate MUFC supporters 5,000 tickets in an area that holds approx 7,000 as this would provide room to safely manage the support, in the way they allocat 1,700 tickets in an area that holds 3,000.
Sunderland City Council’s regulatory committee will meet on Monday afternoon.
Here is the report they will consider (Most of which is out of date and gives no mention to the possiblility of Utd fans being in the home ends, given the game could be a title decider)
http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/committees/CmisWebPublic/Binary.ashx?Document=17033
You can make your views known on the issue to the people making the decision.
Email the committee’s chairman at cllr.amy.wilson@sunderland.gov.uk
and the other committee members can be contacted at:
cllr.peter.gibson@sunderland.gov.uk
cllr.paul.maddison@sunderland.gov.uk
cllr.sylvia.old@sunderland.gov.uk
cllr.ivan.richardson@sunderland.gov.uk
cllr.james.scott@sunderland.gov.uk
cllr.john.walton@sunderland.gov.uk
and
cllr.denis.whalen@sunderland.gov.uk
This is not just an issue for Manchester United fans, but for Sunderland fans as well
Giggs11Gerrard11 – Spot on about not ALL fans love to come to OT. Fucking hell there have been a fair few teams this season that have brought a pittance of a following. Hull, Blackburn, Wigan, . And these cunts are just across the way.
Message to Sayyid and Redscot. With comments like yours is it any wonder that so many people hate Man Utd. I agree that the cut in seating allocation is shite because it’s just about impossible for any fan to sit down for a full game but the decision is down to the local council safety bods not the club so get over it .As home fans we’d love nothing better than to see the away end crammed full of your lads and lasses and if you happened to win the league that day then we’d join in the celebrations with you. After all if Wayne Rooney doesn’t get a winners medal after the way he’s played this season it would be a total travesty.And the jibe that was made about the stadium being a library if the Utd fans weren’t there is nothing short of embarrassing. You’ve had a few quiet ones yourselves remember. By the way one bit of advice for anybody looking to get a ticket in any of the home sections. Watch out for the stewards in blue coats because they have no problem in having a good ruck.
Nice to see that most of the later posts have a sense of perspective. Some of the posts on here must make even dyed in the wool fans cringe at the arrogance. Coming to Old Trafford is good but nowhere near the highlight of our season. No decent pub near the ground and extortionate charges inside being one reason. I would also echo SurreySAFC that most home fans would rather an away end to bounce off and your away fans tend to make a decent noise. He is also right that this is a council decision and not the club’s and the posting on here about the quality of people running our club literally made my jaw drop. I would be astounded if there is a genuine football person in the world who would rather have his club run by Malcolm Glazer (or David Gill) rather than Niall Quinn.
And the idiot who said we wouldn’t sell 1,000 tickets has obviously been following football for 5 minutes and probably calls it soccer. We have one of the biggest followings in the country, despite being generally crap and likely to get beaten and we have sold out most of our away allocations this season (despite not winning away since August).
Also, when the council cut your allocation, your CLUB retaliated by cutting our allocation for Old Trafford and, as far as I am aware, it has not been reinstated to the standard numbers, so our numbers may be small at your ground, but that is not because we couldn’t sell the tickets.
Off topic guys, but has Malouda been charged for msashing Rocha in the face? I guess not…
*smashing*
I agree that cutting the allocation is ridiculous – especially to that amount. But, as the article says, it is not the Club which have done this – it is the council (Besides – blackburn rarely sell out ewood and our match at the SoL will no doubt sell out.
As a season ticket holder at Sunderland I love seeing the away end full and the ground full – but the council (not the stewards) decide to cut the allocation due to the standing up – this is not the clubs doing.
The CLUB do not make these decisions – the Council (advised by the Police) make them so don’t get on the clubs’ backs. It’s stupidity and upsets a massive amount of fans – I loved standing in every ground I’ve been to but the rules now say we can’t. If all 1300 of your fans sat down at the next match then you’d probably get more tickets after that
@ mackem Thank you for that insight and your perspective.I would like to raise a minute point in your view.As Manchester United fans we tend not to call each other IDIOTS.
We are not like other Clubs and slag each other off.
@ costas Not sure, but a bit of bright news you may or not be aware of, Mancini was charged by the FA will likely miss 3 games great eh!
Reducing the amount of tickets simply because were the best fans in the world.
@redscot
Aha, if he does get a 3 match ban, he will probably miss the United match.
The Malouda thing is outrageous though. Chelsea would have won anyway, but the fact that he stayed on the pitch gave them a chance to reach our goal difference. And now they are acting as if nothing happened. Yet Rio got a 3 game ban. Go figure…
Teams being without their manager in the dugout makes no difference at all. Look at all the times Fergie has been sent off.
the arrogance on here is unreal honestly. nowhere near the highlight of my season, i enjoy everyone of our home games more. atleast we create a bit of an atmosphere
@costas yeah mate its was disgracefull behaviour Fa playing there games with us again.Spot on re him sidelined for our game with them, the great thing that added salt in there wounds David Moyes got of Scot free. lol
@ Edge it does mate, not that he can really contribute much, but its an irrarant and shows the World how low they have sunk.
*Irratant* ooopsie, lol
@Edge
United have lost twice with Fergie in the stands. 3-1 at home to Fulham in 2003 and 2-1 at West Ham in 2007. But we’ve won the rest of those games. So in fairness, it doesn’t make a big difference. I guess we will have to break out the champagne when the FA finally charge and ban someone outside United!
@redscot
Lol, yeah that was the icing on the cake. Although Moyes did nothing wrong. He was provoked by a 5 year old Italian with a weird scarf.
Wow lets not take on Costas at statistics! top man
Yeah the Scarf what a plonker.
@redscot
Didn’t mean to show off or anything.
The record without Fergie on the bench is actually 4 wins and 2 losses. 5 wins actually. I think 10 years ago he missed a derby win at Maine Road because his son was getting married.
I learned a valuable lesson Costas has got a computer of detail in his head lol
Right boys I am at work so I suppose begrudginly better do some. Later’s
I never took it like that mate, it’s not the way I think.Just genuinely impressed. Cya Costas
@ King Eric – Not going to bother £130 tickets says you have to buy 2, £7 pound postage then theres travel, food and beer to take into account. If one of my pals were going I would go, but at the moment its just me whos up for it. Its cheaper to go Madrid.
@redscot
I know mate. Just kidding. It’s funny actually. I remember a lot of pointless stats about United, but I have forgotten my best friend’s birthday! Anyway, catch you later!
I forgot that Fergie got also suspended for 2 games this season. 6 wins in 8 then. Either way, something tells me that Mancini might escape someway.
Thats right he Costas he did miss that derby and we won 1-0. McClaren was in charge that day.
Imagine that. We win the much fought after league and only a minority of Utd fans are present to witness it. What a joke some football clubs have become.
Rooney is fit for Bolton, and seems that there’s nothing worng with his knee. It’s all terror campaign.
Oh, Scholes and Giggs also available for playing.
3×1 United.
Can’t believe the arrogance of Manu fans on here – I wonder how many of you would want to follow your team if you were as shit as we have been over the years…
Didn’t Middlesboro do a similar thing a few years ago.
How many deluded Sunderland fans are on here? FFS get real calling the atmosphere? I have been the stadium of light on many occasions and it has been wank for atmosphere! We are bound to be pissed off with your club when our allocation is cut like this.
We have the chance to win 19 titles the most ever seen and could be won at Sunderland, not being arrogant just in terms of playing you so late on in the season that mathmatically it could be done there!
Listen SAFC fans dont get upset because you have come on a United blog and not seen positive comments about your club when your club has bummed us!
I’ve sent the counsellor an email detailing the vastly increased dangers of having thousands of away fans mixed in with Sunderland fans over 3,000 away fans all standing in the away end. Hopefully common sense prevails.
I’m sure theres more important things Sunderland council could be doing than cutting United fans ticket allocation. Whoever made the decision is a quite simply a moron who is wasting public money on situation where it should be spent elsewhere. Never been to Sunderland but I highly doubt everything is perfect there.
@Gee, @NotoriousRedDevil, @giggs11gerrard0
I just don’t get the whole sitting down thing. The rows of seats stop a crush from happening. Also there are no fences between the seats and the pitch allowing any person at the front to move on to the pitch if were possible that fans from the rows behind were pushing forward.
The Taylor Report made all seater stadiums in the top flight a requirement by law.
That couple with police cracking down on football hooligans has led to more families and OAP’s coming to the football. In my experience is mainly those people who are always saying sit down. In my opinion everyone is welcome to the football but if there are people around you who wanna be vocal about their support for the team then let them be!
If it was a green and gold thing that we were standing up it would give the stewards more of a reason to throw us out of the ground. I am surprised the Glazers haven’t made the 3rd kit green and gold which would take the wind out of the campaign really. Visually anyway.
It is clear that it isn’t Sunderland’s fault and that it is due to the council they have reduced United’s ticket allocation. Weren’t United threatened by the same action by their own council due to the home support always standing? Then again the away support at OT are always standing so I don’t understand that.
Anyhow I seem to remember a while back David Cameron saying he would look at bringing back terraces if he was brought back to power. We shall see….
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6318269.stm
@yfc54 what are you trying to tell me, precisely the square root of nothing! I am afraid you need to be sectioned ASAP
Terraces or something similar won’t be brought back into England, because everytime someone suggests it, the Hillsborough families moan about it. As harsh as it sounds thats the reality.
@ costa I just was having a quick look at the Blue moon blog, Jesus they are vile Pricks too each other the way they discuss and debate things it’s just a tirade of abuse at each. Quite sad really there is zero unity there at all.Its hilarious the way the speak about US such envy and FEAR.
I also out of curiosity when at looked at there Blog after the Toffee’s had given them a beaten, the way they rubbish all there players you just are left wondering what drives them and keeps them going.
a1Safc says:
Can’t believe the arrogance of Manu fans on here – I wonder how many of you would want to follow your team if you were as shit as we have been over the years…
Re above…..I dont know if your old enough to remember but we have not always been great and when we were having our baron years is where our reputation came from for being the best away support in the country! Yes we have our glory hunters, any team with United recent success would attract that but we wont apologise for it and be made to feel like we are inferior because we dont get to watch shit every week. Our away end is great and arrogance comes from decisions like this one! We are made to feel arrogant because you think it is easy to brand a United fan a glory hunter. Dont be deluded by ” we support our local team ” ethos adopted by many clubs towards us!
@redscot
Lol, it takes real guts to read that pile of crap! I think they secretly hope that “next year” they will stop the famous clock at OT. They even made a ticker clock of their own regarding our debts! What a sad bunch!
@ Costas They call us obsessed and then steal one of our ideas regarding the banner. Fucking dirty hypocrites. One thing is for certain our banner is 100% accurate and theirs is pure speculation because nobody knows what the exact amount of debt is.
@ costas i did wash my hands and eyes after I left the shite oop’s I meant Site. They are so hell bent on getting 4th they have conspiracy theories everything going on.
A few sensible Everton lads were on the site, they just would not give an Inch.
Yeah I felt quite disgusted I followed a thread regards our debt, made me very angry and sorta sick.
But I left thinking am Glad I will not have to wait for eternal never to follow a Great club.
@NotoriousRedDevil
Hillsbrough happened because to many fans were allowed in to a section in the ground.
I can’t see that happening with the card swipe system at Old Trafford.
It was bad what happened at Hillsbrough but come on. Things have changed since then.
@ notorios hypocrites is the perfect word for much of the drivvle they type.
I agree AlphaRS. I’m perfectly aware of what happened at Hillsborough, steward training and covers so many different areas of law which I studied at uni. Things have definitely changed, however the attitudes of the victims’ families haven’t. They still think it will happen again and always kick up a fuss. I’m sure if you ask dippers they would prefer to stand too. Always seem to be stood up on those “magical” European nights in the europa league!
lol “magical……… europa leagueThis blog is so sarcastic I think its fucking great.
Its quite simple really, follow the rules “sit down” and you will get your allocation back. Its not hard to understand is it?
redscot – The best comment I have seen was on the MEN yesterday where one bitter labelled Everton as a “small club”! Early season they were mocking us saying how they had the players and we had sold Ronnie and how they were gonna displace us. Frenzied they were at “half time” of the Carling Cup semi. They thought it was only one leg. Strangely enough however they have gone very quiet on that front and now all they can hit us with is the fucking debt. Irony being that as soon as the arabs get bored they will be in debt like never seen before. Problem for them is they just don’t have the income and fanbase that United do.
@ eric mate. Spot on buddie when The Monsour gets bored of his pathetic little going no where Toy thing.
It truely made me fucking angry as hell the words they use to descibe US, I am man enough to take it though.I just and constantly tell myself JEALOUS.
The character of them comes across, bitter and vile and totally envious and in fighting little Bitches.
Cheers Bud bye the way you made me laugh like fuck this morning”how very dare they” classic!
Will Liverpool roll over for Chelsea in their 2nd last game of the season?
RCM
@AlphaRS
The problem with standing is that its against Health and Saftey regulations and in this day and age where people are encouraged and do sue people/companies when its their own stupidity that is at fault. By allowing standing to happen not only is a club pushing their insurance premiums up but actually risk not being covered by their policy.
Not to mention the stadiums licence to hold the events can be revoked or reduced for breeches. Just look a few years back when for a handful of games OT’s max capacity was reduced because the fans hadn’t listened to repeated requests to sit down and it was deemed the club hadn’t done enough to enforce the regulation.
Its a stupid rule but sadly its the petty world we now live in
Rob Marrs – Been thinking exactly the same thing pal. It will all depend on if they have a chance to finish fourth still at that point.
redscot – ha cheers mate.
@ eric its there Shamefull directors of Everton/Bitters swapping handbags, and Bellend supporting Vocally David Moyse, just brilliant.
And to think prior to them signing Bellamy the abuse they fired at that tosser.Poetic justice I call it all will unravell sooner…… no just sooner.
Costas, redscot, Searching for quotes for the SEF banner earlier, I found one about success that reminded me of City; “I couldn’t wait for success, so I went ahead without it.”
Sayyid says:
I hope they get relegated and join the losers Boro and Newcastle
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what a pathetic little man you are. why say something like that? honestly, you’re an idiot.
I sit in the south-west corner next to the away support, as a season ticket holder, and regularly stand all game. I see nothing wrong with this, I’m conscientious enough to check if the guy behind me is also standing, and I’m not in the front row, so if the guy in front is up, then if I want to see the match I’ve paid to see, I have to be on my feet.
Also, as it is a corner, we have to ‘look across’ the stand, so it’s usually not the guy in front blocking my vision. These all add up to mean we regularly stand up. There has never been in the 11 years I have been going an incident where standing has caused any injury, argument, or anything else. The blue-coat stewards are very heavy-handed, stubborn, and unreasonable. Any United fan going, do not argue, they’ll look for any excuse to make an example out of you. I once told one to stand in my seat so he could see who he had to make sit before me, and was dragged away for a ‘chat’. Also, recently they have been accompanied by some of our police force. We get told to sit down 6-8 times a game so step down off your high horses, Sunderland aren’t to blame for this, it is obviously the council.
As you may know, our average attendances this season haven’t been so great in relation to our stadium’s capacity, but we shouldn’t just give you the 7000 just because you could fill them. It is our home game. It’s also our last home game, so it would be very likely we would have 44-45,000 anyway.
I would like to say this isn’t a highlight so to speak, though more so than the likes of Birmingham, Balckburn, etc, and I know every club has fans like Sayyid who frankly are the thing I hate most about football, but we consider beating you, getting a draw to be a highlight. Not playing you, we’ve earned that (albeit only just!) by being in the division, and to drivel cliches like every teams’ cup final is at OT, just stinks of arrogance, sorry to the good United fans here, but it’s a shame that those types of fans are often the most vocal, and give you a sometimes unfair reputation.
I’m looking forward to the game, as our last 3 meetings have all resulted in us coming very close to getting a point or all 3, and coming up short.
Finally, to the guy that said David Cameron would bring back terracing… politicians will say anything to get in power. Remember Tony Blair and the Newcastle shirt? I do…
Also, where are you paying £130 for tickets??? Jesus, the top price for a seat is £45 in a Premium bar, £28 for an adult seat in the stadium. Buy them from SAFC.com, just keep your mouths shut!
@xol keep the faith mate there croaking with envy. hope you get yer banner up.
Believe On On On
Take the piss out of Sunderland and when you get in to the stadium everyone do a handstand.
as a sunderland fan, id rather see a good away support which makes for a better atmosphere from the home fans too. utd should get the usual 3,000 allocation that even Newcastle get. far more likely to be trouble with that game.
im pretty sure most utd fans appreciate sunderland do have the potential to fill their ground if things were going as well for us as they are at old trafford these days. its possible we could extend the stadium even. under reid circa 2000 period, we were getting 47,000 against the likes of coventry and leicester. we just didnt kick on and show ambition.our home gates against the top four are usually 43-48,000 these days, depending on how we are doing ourselves. so there wouldnt be that many empty seats for this fixture.
in the past, i think old trafford was a big day out for just about everyone.these days its for those who can afford it. though not as expensive as chelsea ! thought we put on a good show at O.T. this season, but its been a graveyard for most also ran teams for years and hence lost it charm. no one really wants to go somehwere expecting to get hammered,humiliated and ripped off. about time there was a set price for all games, aswell as a maximum wage for players.
wtf is going on at this site? every time i type the addressee it takes me to the feb 10 article of ” VIDEO louis saha is still a red” i know have to rely on the newsnow updates
If you all sat down then you would get your full allocation its as simple as that. Cup final playing against you i dont think so mate. As for you Sayyid – Which country were you born.
In the interest of safety and comfort! load of bolox, that would only be the case if there was a mix of people in the away end that didnt want to stand… We all know Sunderland are only giving us a small allocation to keep the noise down, Just as smart as wolves spreading our end the whole length of the pitch
The decision will not be Sunderland Council’s. They make the decision based on the “advice” of Northumbria Police. It’s been well known for a long time that it is actually NP that makes the decision
@NotoriousRedDevil and @Wakey
“…those “magical” European nights in the europa league!” That is brilliant.
Things have changed since Hillsbrough for the better.
It is a shame that people have to blame others for their own stupidity. Health and Safety Regulations are their to protect everyone but sometimes I think these things need looking at again. I mean in Germany they wtill have standing areas in the stadia because the supporters complained. So it does work in places if things are organised safely. I don’t think there is anything wrong with standing at football matches. The atmosphere is better. To me it’s just part of supporting United. I really get confused when United play agisnt Liverpool and OT has an electric atmospher. One to be proud of infact. But we struggle to get the same kind of atmosphere going against other teams. They are the same people in the ground. I just wish we could make as much noise then too as against Liverpool there wasn’t a prawn sandwich in sight! The green and gold campaign seems to have livened things up though with fans atleast making some noise.
From personal exerience the only time I have been involved in a “mini crush” at Old Trafford was this season against Shitty. It was 3-3 and it was deep in to stoppage time. Fans had started to leave the seats and they had decided to watch the game on the screens. My seat is right by one of the entrance/exits. When Michael Owen scored “that goal” people rushed out from the foyer areas through the entrance/exit to celebrate. I was pushed forward as people were jumping up and down celebrating. Other than some bruised shins I was fine. I did jump in to the next row though just in case! But more importantly the rows of seats held the rushing United fans back and it protected those who were already standing in the rows of seating.
Follow the nationally set rules for premier lea stadia and sit down then. You’re not being victimised, your being punished for not adhering to the rules on the back of the ticket. Aye, its strict. But they’re not in the wrong. Your allocation has been steadily reduced over the years for this very reason and it appears you still haven’t learnt your lesson.
@AlphaRS
I have to say in an all seater staduim I prefer sitting to be enforced. Seating areas in staduims are designed for people to be sitting to ensure good views. The step up simply isn’t high enough to ensure this if people are standing (. For standing the step up needs to be higher otherwise if you get someone taller than you theres a good chance you won’t be able to see very well. Ive been at other sporting events in all seater staduims where I have been stuck behind people who are clearly over 6ft and i’m only 5ft8in and they have insisted on standing and I saw very little and when you have paid so much to attend a sporting event its a little annoying
If people want to stand whats really needed are seperate standing areas so you have a choice. And in the standing areas it needs the fans to be aware of those around them so that an effort is made by the fans to ensure that everyone gets a good view. The biggest problem with this idea is that potentially it reduces the capacity as you would have to have fewer rows ideally, ofc you can get more people in Terraced areas and without the seats the depth of each row could be reduced slightly.
Mind you seating really shouldn’t destroy the atmposphere and I do have to wonder if it really is the seating that causes it. Other sports can impose sitting without killing the atmposphere, especially abroad. Sitting after all doesn’t prevent you cheering and singing
@ Wakey – You’re such a bore and probably the only person on the planet that loves the PC world we live in. You remind me of the kid that goes and tells every time someone does something slightly wrong and probably behave the same way to this day. I’m only slighlty taller than you at 5 ft 9.5inches I’ve never had that problem. You simply just don’t get it. In church when people sing hymns are they sitting or standing? Why do they stand, you’re intelligent you work it our and respect is not the only answer.
@NotoriousRedDevil
I don’t love the PC world we live in as is clear in the first post of mine in this thread. Its just that in the PC world where stadiums are setup for seating only they aren’t ideal to then have people standing. The stadiums need setup for standing and certainly you can’t mix and match in the same area if you are looking to offer value for money for everyone in attendance. We certainly can’t have people attending choosing on a whim deciding to stand without any thought of those around them. I would be perfectly happy for either a complete return to terraces or terraced sections
On the chuch issue, the main reason is respect. The second reason is that hymns are the kind of song that require use of your diagphram to sing which to utilise best you need to stand up. However pop singers actually often sit down to sing as that kind of singing doesn’t rely on the diagphram. And lets be honest at a sporting event its more ‘chanting’ based and certainly close to pop than hymns. I don’t personally believe that sitting should impact the atmosphere, goto an American Sporting event and it doesn’t and goto a Tennis Match in South America and it certainly doesn’t. Its imho more English attitude that has us being more reserved anyway BUT when we sit down it seems to kick up a gear.
For the record I totally disagree with cutting your allocation but it is the council NOT the club. And to the Man UTD fan who said we couldnt sell 1,000 tickets at old trafford….You clearly no sweet FA…Give us 10,000 and we would sell it out. We have one of the best away followings in the country….and by the way I was old trafford this year when we drew 2 2. We sang all the way through the game and your end was like a morgue
To all you Man U fans giving SAFC grief, it’s no the clubs decision to cut the allocation, and it isn’t a decision that the majority of SAFC fans agree with.
Believe me, the nearly half a century of underachievement on our part is pretty dismal and still to get forty odd thousand a game is pretty good going.
And those calling Sunderland AFC a small or pathetic club need to brush up on their football history. football didn’t start in 1992 you know.
Ha’way The Lads.
Mackem – Yeah got to admit the atmosphere at Old Trafford isn’t great when we play the “small clubs”
King Eric
No help from yourselves, unfortunately many of your fans wait for Rooney to score and only make noise if things aren’t going your way
Leaving aside some of the hard-of-thinking idiocy of those posting anti-Sunderland, anti-North East vitriol, even this thread shows there are plenty of SAFC supporters who agree it is shameful to treat fans of any club in this way. I shall probably write something to that effect at http://salutsunderland.com – though I wouldn’t hold your breath for a change of heart.
It is the Stadium of Light after all: Less Filling…
I will bet my tent on they aint laughing now! No real heart or spirit, lack lustre inept.As I said like a fucking library all you heard was the Dippers singing, shamefull no virile home support impotent.
If it was not for the 5 ex Reds AT your club you would be going down down!
The funny thing is, I went with a pal to see Blackburn host Sunderland at Ewood park and the away support stood throughout even after the tannoy requested that they sat down.
Promised to stick up for you …
http://salutsunderland.footballunited.com/2010/03/manchester-united-a-standing-joke/#more-8151