Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Dom. Thank you for your letter.
The subject of early leavers and the fluctuating atmosphere inside the Stadium of Light makes for a discussion that, in one hundred years’ time when we’re all long gone and the players are arriving at the stadium on hover-buses, the fans will still be holding.
It’s not going away and it always makes for lively debates, but fundamentally, I just don’t think there are any practical and enforceable steps or measures that can be put into place in order to force people to remain in their seats until full time.
This week, I’ve seen suggestions as amusing as giving those who stay until the end a lollipop (an opportunity to strike a sponsorship agreement with Chupa Chups, perhaps?) and for Jimmy Montgomery to walk around the stadium, patting those who stay on the head in a complimentary manner.
All good fun, of course, but if anyone can think of any realistic measures that could be taken to solve the problem without alienating swathes of the fan base, I’d love to hear them!
As for the Newcastle game? It’s a huge fixture for both sides.
With the Lads coming off the back of a disappointing loss to Brighton — a game during which we actually played very well until we conceded the opener — and the Mags still reeling from a scudding at the hands of Barcelona, it could be a tense and nervy affair, but a challenge that the players should relish at the same time.