Hartlepool show Newcastle, Sunderland how to get big crowds - Northern Exposure

27 September 2011 14:17
We are only a handful of games into the new season but attendances among the North East's big three are down.[LNB] Newcastle may have made an unbeaten start but they have still to return to the magic 50,000-plus mark. The visit of Blackburn attracted just over 46,000, with around 1,000 travelling from the North West to sit high in the stands. [LNB]A healthy visiting support always helps the numbers of course, but it can't be easy to persuade unconvinced supporters pay to watch the team live when bars throughout the city are offering foreign television coverage at the same time as a 3pm Saturday kick-off. [LNB] Home truth: Newcastle have started well but St James' Park has not been full[LNB]On Saturday, while hundreds queued outside the ticket office just before kick-off, screens in the bar at the brand new hotel in the shadows of the stadium were preparing to show a Saturday afternoon match. Live from St James's Park. [LNB]And the place was mobbed. Money is not exactly flowing all over these parts. If it's on offer, what is a supporter to do? [LNB]  More from Colin Young... Northern Exposure: Pardew under no illusion over enormity of his Toon task20/09/11 Northern Exposure: Bruce facing biggest test yet as a few familiar faces return to Sunderland15/09/11 Northern Exposure: More than bragging rights at stake in the opening Tyne-Wear derby19/08/11 Sunderland busier in transfer market than Newcastle... but there's a long way to go15/07/11 Make mine a treble! Sunderland splurge nears ?30m as Brown, O'Shea and Vaughan sign up07/07/11 Northern Exposure: Joey is right, Nolan is more than just a footballer to Newcastle15/06/11 Northern Exposure: Republic of Ireland for sale! A buyer's guide to those up for grabs...08/06/11 Northern Exposure: Newcastle 6 Sunderland 5 in North East XI25/05/11 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE  Unauthorised access to the Premier League was one of Niall Quinn's big grievances last season and perhaps that public fight did help the club gain the coveted 40,000 average for their first full season under Steve Bruce. [LNB]The loss to Newcastle in the first game this term did not help, but despite the summer optimism which greeted Bruce's many new additions, Sunderland failed to get anywhere near that number for the defeat to Chelsea which followed it. [LNB]The dramatic improvement against Stoke was witnessed by around 32,000 but Sunderland took another major step backwards at Carrow Road, putting the manager under more pressure before West Brom's visit to Wearside this weekend, and no doubt leading to another struggle to get the stayaways back at the Stadium of Light. [LNB]Even Sunderland fans don't just turn up to boo in large numbers.[LNB] Meanwhile at Middlesbrough, it doesn't really seem to matter how well Tony Mowbray's team are doing, the club are fighting a long and difficult battle to win the fans back. [LNB]Despite claiming top spot for a brief spell last week, the Teesside club struggled to hit the 20,000 barrier for the visit of Ipswich on Saturday, and will doubtless have the same problem for Leicester's arrival on Wednesday.[LNB]Although they have started initiatives to attract a new breed of supporters, it is Boro's stayaways they have the real problem with. Since relegation, and all the Gordon Strachan-related problems which have hindered them since, thousands have clearly vowed never to return to Riverside Stadium, blaming false promises, etc, etc. [LNB] Where are you? The 50,000 attendance mark has not been broken this term[LNB]Patience is needed during the revolution under Mowbray, as well as results, good football and a sustained place challenging for the top two. [LNB]Realistically, judging by the attendance figures, only Premier League football will convince the most stubborn Boro followers to return. And even then... [LNB]But while the big three have their strategy meetings to hopefully swell the stands over the difficult coming months, one North East club is bucking the trend and rather enjoying life. [LNB]Even before a ball was kicked this season, Hartlepool United pulled off one of the football marketing triumphs of all time with their ?100 season tickets campaign. [LNB] Hard to please: Sunderland fans expect a lot of Steve Bruce and co[LNB]Supporters from all over the region tookup the offer - I know fans from all three bigger clubs who are now Pools regulars - taking the number of season ticket holders over 5,000. [LNB]Of course that put coach Mick Wadsworth under additional pressure to produce a team for their new breed of fans, as well as maintain standards and the League One position for the existing fans who have been going to Victoria Ground for years. [LNB]He pulled off the coup of landing Nolberto Solano, who would entertain and please any crowd when fit, as well as adding goals in Hibs' Colin Nish and a rejuvenated Adam Boyd. [LNB]Hartlepool are currently third, enjoying their best ever start and remain unbeaten with league favourites Sheffield Wednesday due on the coast this weekend. [LNB] High standards: Only Premier League football will attract many fans back to Boro[LNB]The Owls won 5-0 there last season, and also knocked Pools out of the Johnstone Paints Trophy, and Wadsworth knows it is one of his biggest challenges this season. And it will be right up his street. [LNB]Sir Bobby Robson's former assistant, one of the most qualified coaches in the game, has been relishing life at Pools since he took over the day-to-day running of the team a year ago. [LNB]At his best, and at home on the training ground, Wadsworth enjoys working with players of all ages, as well as coaches. Richie Humphreys and Micky Barron have made a seamless step up from playing to the coaching staff and will no doubt be around the place for a while under Wadsworth's guidance. [LNB]If the new visitors to the ground have to be pleased and entertained, Hartlepool have thrived on that. The place is sure to be close to capacity this weekend and not the type of environment Gary Megson and his players will encounter very often. [LNB]Hartlepool United leading the way in the North East. You don't get to write that sentence very often.    [LNB] Gutierrez commits future to Newcastle after signing new four-year dealI'm not the bad guy! Reformed Barton relishing fresh start at QPRNorwich 2 Sunderland 1: Magic Morison on target for Canaries but Monday blues go on for BruceAll the latest Newcastle United FC news, features and opinionAll the latest Sunderland AFC news, features and opinion[LNB]

Source: Daily_Mail