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Newcastle United FC
St James' Park
Away Fans
For the 2008/09 season away fans have been relocated from the
North West corner of the top tier to the very far side of the Sir John Hall
Stand. Up to 3,000 supporters can be accommodated in this section for Premiership
games and a larger
allocation is available for cup games. Be warned though that it is a climb
of 14 flights of stairs up to the away section and that you are situated
quite far away from the pitch. So if you are scared of
heights or have poor eye sight then this may not be for you. On the plus side you do get a wonderful
view of the whole stadium, plus the Newcastle skyline and countryside in
the distance. Also the leg room and height between rows are the best that
I have come across and the facilities on offer are pretty good. The
concourse is spacious and there are a fair selection of pies
on offer including
the
delicious 'Football's Famous Chicken Balti Pie'
plus the usual burgers and hot dogs, all served in Newcastle United branded packaging (which made me
wonder if their sales were affected when playing Sunderland!). There are
also televisions on the concourse, showing live the game
being played, with separate refreshment areas which serve alcohol,
again in Newcastle United branded plastic glasses. Beware
that most games are sold out in advance and trying to get tickets can be extremely
difficult. So don't travel unless you have one.
Jeremy Gold a visiting Leyton
Orient supporter adds; 'The visitors section is on
level seven at the top of the stand. The view is a long way from the
pitch, although it is still good. If you suffer from vertigo, don't go!
The stewarding at the game I went to was fairly strict. However people
were being warned against gesturing before they were thrown out.
Unfortunately some people didn't take the hint and about five or six made
the long trip back down the fourteen flights of stairs!'
The atmosphere in St James' Park can be electric and it
is certainly one of the best footballing stadiums in the country. I personally found the
Geordies friendly and helpful and a trip to Newcastle can be one of the better away
trips in the Premier League.
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