Review by Chelsea fan Sam Singleton

Why did you choose to go to this game and why were you looking forward to it?

Never been to Newcastle before and we drew them away in the Carabao Cup so had a bigger allocation then normal.

How did you travel to the game and how easy was it?

Travelled by plane, 40 mins from London Heathrow (LHR) which was easy and cheap if you can book the flights as soon as the draw is out (prices rise a lot if you don’t).

Which pubs did you go to before the game and what was the atmosphere like?

Tried to get into the main away pub (Victoria Comet) but was absolutely packed so settled for the next best thing which was the Wetherspoons around the corner (The Mile Castle) which was filled with Newcastle and Chelsea fans, and also had very cheap drinks.

Where did you eat on your away day and was it good value?

We ate at the Shark Bar next to the stadium which had some very spicy wings, think it was roughly £6-£7 for 10 wings so decent value.

What did you think of the food and drink available inside the ground?

Pints were cheap, but we didn’t eat.

What did you think of the away end and your view of the game?

High in the skies but very unique and still a decent view for how far you are from the pitch.

What was the atmosphere like during the match?

Good from us until we went 2-0 with one of the worst performances performances I’ve seen and from then all the noise came the home crowd which is to be expected.

How friendly were the home fans out of 10?

10/10 – met some proper nice Geordies in the Wetherspoons who chatted to us about football for a couple of hours and then walked up to the away turnstiles with us.

How easy did you find it to get away from the stadium after the game?

Very busy but alright if you know where you are going, we were in a hotel next to the ground so wasn’t hard.

If you stayed over, where did you stay and was it convenient for getting to the stadium?

We stayed in the Sandman Signature Hotel opposite the ground which couldn’t be closer or easier to get to St James Park.

Would you recommend this away day to other fans?

Yes, massive and unique stadium, good set of fans and a quality city, with lots of good bars near the stadium.

Review by Nottingham Forest fan Ethan Sweeting

Why did you choose to go to this game and why were you looking forward to it?

Love Boxing Day football and just another Forest away day so was a no-brainer. I was looking forward to seeing how Nuno could turn us around and it’s safe to say he did a good job.

How did you travel to the game and how easy was it?

Very easy journey up on the coach which was made easier by the fact it was moved to 12:30 kick off so yeah easy trip as there was nothing on the roads until you got to around Newcastle.

What did you think of the food and drink available inside the ground?

Carling was poor quality but food looked ok.

What did you think of the away end and your view of the game?

Lovely away end even though you are up high, I love it. There aren’t as many steps as you think on the way up. You can see the whole pitch and still get a good view of the game from up there and what a viewing it was only our 3rd Premier League away win since being back there.

What was the atmosphere like during the match?

Good atmosphere from both sets of supporters in the first half but the Newcastle fans went quiet after they were stunned by a Chris Wood hat-rick by the 60th minute. Great atmosphere up in the Forest end.

How friendly were the home fans out of 10?

9/10 didn’t speak to them but they seemed kind and friendly enough.

How easy did you find it to get away from the stadium after the game?

The coach was parked on the main road outside the ground. If you have any issues there are plenty of police about to guide you. If you just follow the crowd of the team you’re supporting you will find it with no issues.

How much did you spend in total on this away day? Was it good value for money?

£27 for ticket and £25 on the coach ticket – well worth it after the performance though!

Would you recommend this away day to other fans?

Indeed you could make a weekend of it too if you choose to have a night out in Newcastle afterwards.

Review by Burnley fan Ollie

Why did you choose to go to this game and why were you looking forward to it?

I chose this game because the journey is really easy considering I live in Morecambe and I had never been to Newcastle before.

How did you travel to the game and how easy was it?

I drove to Newcastle. When you get to the Angel of The North it’s a standstill for around an hour but apart from that simple and straightforward drive.

If you drove, was it easy to find car parking and make your way to the stadium?

I parked at Newcastle College on Scotswood Road and only cost £7 which I say is a good price for parking.

What did you think of the food and drink available inside the ground?

Newcastle’s away concourse has amazing burgers etc. Would 100% recommend it. Good value but burgers are a little pricey.

What did you think of the away end and your view of the game?

Had a great view of the game.

What was the atmosphere like during the match?

Newcastle fans were bouncing. Amazing home fans. Probably my favourite home fans in the Premier League.

How friendly were the home fans out of 10?

Didn’t really speak to any but they seemed alright.

How easy did you find it to get away from the stadium after the game?

Horrendous. Traffic was at a standstill for a good 3 miles which caused a 2 hour delay but once you get to Hexham your fine.

How much did you spend in total on this away day? Was it good value for money?

£30 for tickets so great value for money. Bearing in mind it’s only Burnley so we aren’t really worth that much.

Would you recommend this away day to other fans?

Absolutely. Great away day. As mentioned just the traffic is the struggle but great to go St James’ Park for first time.

Review by Norwich City fan Callum

Why did you choose to go to this game and why were you looking forward to it?

Newcastle is one of my favourite away days as the ground is right near the middle of the city, and although I’d hate to sit there every week it is quite fun to sit up in the heavens!

How did you travel to the game and how easy was it?

I got the club coach. The pick up and drop off point is pretty good but the traffic was a little bit dodgy this time. It was a 7.30pm kick off though so I think we hit rush hour pretty badly.

Where did you eat on your away day and was it good value?

We ate at a sushi shop, called Nudo Sushi Box (if I remember correctly!). Doubt that this is a common venue for away fans but we stumbled across it and as it was closing at 7pm and we got there at 6.30pm almost everything was half price so I got loads of sushi for like £8.

What did you think of the food and drink available inside the ground?

It is fine, pretty standard choices for a football game. I know it is standard practice at away games but I find it very ironic that they take the bottle lids as you would have to be an Olympic champion thrower to reach the pitch from where they sit you if you tried to throw it!

What did you think of the away end and your view of the game?

This was my second time at Newcastle, the first time was in the day time and I really enjoyed the view of not only the ground but also the surroundings (it was a 0-0 and a dull one at that), but this time we were about 3-4 rows from the back and I wasn’t so big of a fan. I also think it creates a lack of atmosphere between the home and the away fans being so high up, especially since the stand in front of us is apparently the family stand! It always seems like that loud ones are opposite which is a shame. Also it is probably because we are Norwich fans but we all had a hard time working out which number corresponded to which row, I don’t remember why it was unclear now but everyone was very confused.

What was the atmosphere like during the match?

It was a Tuesday night game about 6 hours away from us, so there was only about 1,200 of our fans there. Newcastle had a man sent off very early and still went 1-0 up, so we were irritated and for a large part of the game so were they. Livened up a bit in the second half. Like I mentioned earlier I think the away end is opposite and way higher than the loud bit, but when the whole ground gets singing it is still very loud. But I do think it makes it hard for there to be much of an atmosphere between the home and the away fans due to where we are sat.

How friendly were the home fans out of 10?

8/10 – would be 10 as I always find a Newcastle fan to have a chat with home and away but we got shouted at quite a bit after the game!

How easy did you find it to get away from the stadium after the game?

It was alright, there is like a line of stewards when you first get out separating you from the home fans which seems fairly unnecessary but the coaches are pretty close, and there wasn’t much traffic at that time of night.

How much did you spend in total on this away day? Was it good value for money?

I think it cost about £80 – fairly expensive compared to most for me as since I’m 17 I don’t buy adult tickets or spend money on pints, if I was an adult it would’ve been £78 just for ticket and coach. I’d do it again but there have been games that I have thought were better value.

Would you recommend this away day to other fans?

100%. St James’ park is iconic and I would put it easily in my top 5 favourite grounds, the people are really nice and the area is great as well, which is something you can’t often say with football grounds! Shame about the football but that is what I get for being a Norwich fan.

Review by Brentford fan Simon James

Why did you choose to go to this game and why were you looking forward to it?

This was the number one away game on my list as I live nearer to Newcastle than London these days.

How did you travel to the game and how easy was it?

Got the train to Newcastle Central from Edinburgh. Took 90 minutes.

If you got the train, how easy did you find it to make your way to the stadium from the station?

The ground is in the city centre and is an easy 10 to 15 minute walk from the station.

Which pubs did you go to before the game and what was the atmosphere like?

Earl of Pitt St. Atmostphere was laid back and as an away fan, I had no trouble at all.

Where did you eat on your away day and was it good value?

Went to a well known restaurant chain in Eldon Square after the game, so value as expected. Mix of home and away fans in the restaurant and again, no trouble.

What did you think of the food and drink available inside the ground?

Got a hot dog in the stadium and was average.

What did you think of the away end and your view of the game?

Away fans are in the top tier of the Leazes stand. The view is incredible, but I heard comments that some younger fans were a bit scared of the height. The stewards were also very good. Strict when they needed to be, but overall very helpful and friendly.

What was the atmosphere like during the match?

The Brentford fans were loud and singing all the way through the match and the banter with the home fans was mostly good natured.

How friendly were the home fans out of 10?

10/10 – I was made very welcome in the pub and around the ground.

How easy did you find it to get away from the stadium after the game?

Was very crowded coming onto the Gallowgate, but was relatively easy to make you way back to the city centre.

How much did you spend in total on this away day? Was it good value for money?

Including the £30 ticket, travel, food and drink the day cost me around £90.

Would you recommend this away day to other fans?

Yes, definitely.

Is there anything else you want to tell us about your day?

This was Eddie Howe’s first game in charge of Newcastle, so lots of excitement and expectation around the ground. The game was a very entertaining 3-3 draw. Newcastle fans I met were friendly and welcoming.