West Ham fans travel to Tyneside today.
Desperately hoping to escape relegation when supporting a club with unpopular owners.
Newcastle United fans experienced a decade and a half of this under Mike Ashley, some relegation battles proving ‘successful’, some not.
The very final NUFC that kicked off under Mike Ashley looked sure to end in a third relegation under the FCB, only for a miracle to happen, both Ashley and Steve Bruce leaving the club in Autumn 2021.
No sign of their club’s owners leaving, but West Ham fans exhibiting in their matchday comments below a mixture of defiance, gallows humour and fearing the worst.
West Ham fans commenting via their Knees Up Mother Brown message board:
‘It’s a must win today. Anyone thinking otherwise is in denial.’
‘I’ve lost count of our ”Must wins” and even, ”Must not lose” games since Nuno took over. I won’t hold my breath for this one sadly.’
‘This is the last chance to get safe. fail to win and we are down I fear.’
‘Not feeling very confident unfortunately.’
‘we could do without it being their last home game and the need to sign off well in front of their fans. we have to believe that we can win. a draw is no good.
We can do this I believe! Not had a drink yet either!’
‘Anyone going to the match, where are you drinking before kick off?’
‘Last chance saloon.’
‘Heartbreak hotel.’
‘We love the fans I know are going gorge spoons pub the mile castle.’
‘Are you pi..ed already?’
‘Even Duolingo translation could not help with this one.’
‘Sorry, duly edited.
WLH the fans I know are going to spoons pub the mile castle.’
‘Today is Tottenham’s biggest game of the season.’
‘Just getting up to leave sunny Hampshire for drizzly Newcastle. Think we’ll get a point, and it’ll go to the last game. The owners deserve relegation for their appalling mismanagement of our club, the fans certainly don’t and 3000 of us travel in hope today.
Whatever happens over the next week this club, our club, has to change. Brady’s gone, the Sullivans have to be next, how remains to be seen, but we need a revolution. Too many years of hearing about potential, but seeing broken promises, greed and incompetence.
Going to be a long day, good luck to all travelling. Let’s stay in the fight.’
‘Newcastle: See the fog, eat a sickly sausage roll and think about signing off the dole.’
‘Generally speaking I want West Ham winning more than any other outcome but if it was match 37, we had nothing to play for and I wanted a managerial change (as a lot of the Geordies do), I’d be willing to throw a game that helped relegate Spurs.’
‘Good luck to all the Hammers travelling to the game today. I salute you gents and ladies. Bring home the 3 points, we need them.
stupid time for KO and as usual no thought about the fans. TV money rules.
need the team to show the commitment of the travelling fans.’
‘Made my peace with going down last week so no idea why I’ve woken up so nervous!’
‘I’m not nervous but it’s do or die today.
If we win both games I believe we stay up. Equally if we don’t, I think we go. A point today is of no use.
We need to be above Spurs before they play Chelsea for the psychological aspect. It’ll deflate them after all the over the top celebration of beating Wolves and Villa’s third team.’
‘I keep saying it but Bowen and Summerville need to turn up. Summerville hasn’t scored for nearly 2 and a half months and Bowen hasn’t scored a league goal since January.’
‘Have a really bad feeling that we lose and drop out of the league with a whimper.’
‘Go into this in bad from results-wise, but not on the back of bad performances.
We have enough to win and the occasion should warrant all the determination we can muster.
We will need a bit of luck but it’s there for the taking.
1-2 to the visitors. Irons.’
‘I’ve put a pound on a Pablo Felipe hattrick and Anthony Gordon getting sent off. Going to be a nice £800. Easy money.’
‘Jinxed it, mate.
Need to get on Newcastle winning 2-1 and a penalty awarded for a foul on Gordon.’
‘The in laws are all Geordies. Have had a lot of supportive messages from them.’
‘Strangely I would be more nervous if it was in our own hands.’
‘Got a feeling we are going to get slapped, slap slap, slap slap.’
‘Are Newcastle likely to have many tall players in their starting 11, with the players they have missing?
Set pieces could be key for us today.’
‘The one upside is they have been woeful since early January. Yes, teams on long runs of losses, or strikers in barren patches do love the sight of the claret and blue, but we all know the type of season Newcastle have had. Its demoralising and by the end the only thing to look forward to is the end of it (think 2014/2015, 2024/2025 for us).
That being said, they are professionals and even if the fans are probably agnostic the players wont be.’
‘On paper we should lose this. So much pressure. Eddie Howe will have them pumped up for their last game after a terrible season. Some of those players are playing for their futures.
I think I will stay in my shed and oil my cricket bat until it’s all over.’
‘And if we get relegated… This is my club!!!!!!!! Paolo Di Canio on my legs. Bobby Moore on my back and Carlos Tevez on my calf. Come on, you irons! Love of my life!’
‘Get your prayer mats out lads.
We are capable of winning up there today, it really all depends on the attitude of Newcastle. Hopefully get a quieter St James’s and maybe secretly hoping for a West Ham win to help relegate Spurs instead of us.
I thought we would turn over Palace and we didn’t, I feel similar here Im afraid.
Think we will get a draw and that won’t help us at all. We need massive performances in the last 2 games and hopefully Spurs slip up.’
‘No excuse for not getting a win against a Newcastle team, that has ZERO to play for.’
‘Other than finishing above Sunderland who currently occupy 12th on 48 points with Newcastle in 13th on 46.’
‘The truth of the matter is they get gates of 50,000 because there is nothing else to do in Newcastle other than go to the pub and football. It’s a great city . Not as great as Sunderland mind you, but certainly better than Middlesbrough. I can think of no greater praise. It has a Greggs shop for every 8 residents, but there’s always a queue.
They are one of those clubs who somehow feel entitled to do better than what their track record indicates they are truly capable of.
Newcastle United it is plain to see are a team about to be broken up, it appears having 50 oil wells has proven to be no advantage over 50 niche retail outlets selling crotchless knickers.
Bowen and Summerville running at Burn and, hopefully, Trippier all night. Attack them from the start, grab an early goal and watch their supporters turn on them.’
‘This feels like last chance saloon, at least to make it go to the final round of games.
I’d pick the same side to start as v Arsenal with the exception of KWP in for AWB.
Let’s hope Newcastle are already on the beach.’
‘Can’t see Eddie Howe playing Anthony Gordon today if he has already pre agreed a move to Spain.’
‘Anyone else absolutely baffled by how highly Gordon seems to be rated?
The wingers in the PSG and Bayern game the other day are miles ahead of Gordon, as are Barca’s. I don’t understand why people think Gordon has out grown Newcastle, for me he’s their level, they’ve just had a poor season, arguably so has Gordon.’
‘I know someone who works in player support for the England squad. Gordon is hers and virtually everyone else’s favourite. I was surprised as well. You can never tell.
Yeah. This is a must win today. We must be ahead of Spurs final game.’
‘Tbf he came across much better than I was expecting in an interview with Gary Neville on the overlap. He’s still not too good for Newcastle though.’