My missus was tidying out up her hard disk at work the other day and she came across a scan she had e-mailed me a few years back of an article in the Melbourne free MX newspaper.

Re-reading this brought a big smile to face as the author described an away game perfectly and it gave me a slight insight into what it must be like to go to a Toon away game as a complete stranger to us Geordies.

To be fair to the author he did, or saw, all the essential parts of what a Toon away game is all about.

For example, pre-match drinking in a bar overran by Geordies. Check. Singing all the way to the ground and during the whole 90 minutes. Check. Drinking a half-time Bovril. Check (if no beer is on sale anyway!). And watching a game that “never reached any great heights”. Check, I’ve been to so many of those.

I guess that is the point, you don’t necessarily go to watch Newcastle United away games for the match itself. I know that may sound silly, but it is true. Yes naturally we hope or want, depending on our expectation levels at the time, Newcastle to win or at least not lose, but at times the away experience is largely about having a laugh with your mates and representing our great city that is Newcastle upon Tyne with pride.

My first experience of a Newcastle United away game was way back in the mid 1980s when my parents took me to Anfield to see us take on the best team in the land at the time. As a 12 or 13 year-old I enjoyed it so much I got my parents to take me back again the next season. For the record, Newcastle lost both games but I was hooked, and when I was old enough and could afford it I went to as many away games as I could.

St James’ Park is a wonderful stadium in the perfect location in the city centre and any Aussie Toon fan that travels to the UK is naturally going to go to a home game, however, I would encourage any of you to get yourself to a Toon away game because I guarantee it will be an experience you will not forget.

Andrew McTernan – Row ‘S’ Army