Whilst this is not a major factor, the pre-match music certainly does not help the atmosphere. It’s boring and repetitive.  Blitzkrieg Bop does not help build an atmosphere, and songs like ‘Our House’ are simply dull. The worst element for me is the awful rendition of ‘Hey Jude’ before kickoff. It is generic and groups us with the other clubs who play it, who, to be honest, blatantly lack an identity.  

 Although it doesn’t enhance the atmosphere, I would never suggest getting rid of Local Hero, a song with such history to the club and the city. However, I feel it is played too near to kickoff and frankly flattens the atmosphere. It should be played earlier on during the pre-game build-up, such as just before the players walk onto the pitch.  

Blaydon Races has been a core element of our identity, dating back to 1852. But it is played too early when there aren’t enough people in the ground yet to sing; it should be delayed until the stands are full, and the players are walking out. The speakers also suppress the voices of the fans singing, creating the illusion that no-one is joining in. It should be sung as the players are walking out. We should treat it like a club anthem, playing it in the way West Ham do for ‘Blowing Bubbles’ and Liverpool for ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, with speakers accompanying the fans for the first verse and then turning them off for the chorus. This would unite our fans, and if executed correctly, it would become iconic, renowned all across the country. A ritual like this would be vital in creating an atmosphere early on, intimidating opponents and setting the tone for the game. 

The concern that the speakers are too loud and drown out the sounds of the fans singing  is not limited to Blaydon Races. They are persistently far too loud and drown out the sounds of the fans, discouraging others from joining in. Simply lowering the volume of the speakers, so fans can hear other sections singing, encouraging them to join in too, will make an enormous difference.

6. Incentives to bring fans through the door early 

Having fans inside sooner is central to improving the atmosphere. Cheaper beer an hour before the game would immediately bring people into the ground earlier, but it would be devastating for the 131 pubs within walking distance of the ground, so I would not pursue this option.  

I ran polls on my Twitter account (@nufcmanna), asking fans about their thoughts on the concourse. In the East Stand, 58% told me the concourse is poor. Main complaints included food quality and supply as well as toilet hygiene. These are simple fixes,and the club needs to invest in improving the facilities of the concourse.

 Furthermore, many fans told me about a lack of atmosphere around the concourses. While it would be impossible to get every concourse bouncing, I would focus on improving the atmosphere of the concourse in the Strawberry Corner, and the Level 7 Singing Section if it gets introduced. Just like in other stadiums, we should invite live guitarists an hour before and allow the use of a drum and flares to enhance the noise. A more exciting concourse will encourage fans in earlier and help the atmosphere brew.  

Finally, queues to get into the ground are a big issue. Where I enter the concourse, there is only 1 door despite there being enough space for two or three- this appears to be the case in many areas of the stadium. This may sound ridiculous but just adding more doors so that the endless queues to enter the ground can be tackled will bring fans in quicker.  

7. Club and fan groups must take accountability 

While creating a facade of working with fans to improve the atmosphere, almost no changes have actually been introduced by the club. One fan on X, @BenArmstro69771, told me, “I took part in a fans forum discussion with the club towards the end of last season… they promised to ‘take it on board’ and had all summer to do something but so far nothing has changed. Disappointing.” The club seems more bothered about pretending to be constructive rather than actually taking the advice of fans. Ultimately, it is the club that must implement these changes, and when they aren’t doing this, it is up to fan groups to pile on pressure. 

But fan groups should no longer be immune from criticism either. The Newcastle United Supporters Trust claim ‘We represent fan wishes on issues like safe standing, ticket pricing, away ticket allocations, community issues and more.’ Yet, they have neither helped introduce more safe standing nor improved ticket pricing. They are failing in their role of encouraging the club to listen to fan proposals.

 **Note, this was written before they wrote an open letter to the club asking to freeze season ticket prices for the 25/26 season. Although this is a step in the right direction, more must still be done.**

Wor Flags create displays unrivalled by any other club in England. But the unintended consequence is that fans have become complacent, and think by simply participating in the display, that is enough contribution to the atmosphere. Wor Flags must use their online platform to encourage fans to further help amplify the atmosphere before the match, not to become silent after the display and not to leave before the match ends. They should also use their influence in the club to push for changes such as the ones that I have mentioned. This is true of all fan groups, who should harness the power they have to generate change. 

Messaging with Black and White Army, who orchestrated a fan march last year and have been strong advocates for change, asked the club to trial a singing section in the Level 7 against Brentford in the Carabao Cup in December, as the away fans had a lower allocation. They told me ‘The club reached out and said it was too short of timescale to sort logistically. They asked for us to put another proposal in with all the supporter groups and trust. I’ve reached out to them but as usual no one (is) keen on working together.’ Even when the club has actually been open to proposals, it is ironically the groups who are meant to be pushing for change who don’t want to make a difference; they are working for their own self-interest.  

We need NUST, NUSC, Wor Flags and True Faith to press the club for change, to save the atmosphere at SJP from fading into commerciality.  As I’ve set out above and explained in part 1, I believe we need:

• The reinstatement of the Level 7 Singing section, 

• Introduction of Safe Standing across Gallowgate and allowing regulars to stand together,

• Change of our pre-game music,

• Making prices cheaper for young people,

• Improving the concourse,

• Fan platforms encouraging fans to come early, use their voices and stay till the end.

If the club then implements these changes, then there will be no need for a follow-up article.