Newcastle United fans wearing colours, ‘Airport Mags’ and this bizarre Sunderland phenomenon | OneFootball

I haven’t been on a summer holiday abroad for many years, probably due to a mixture of getting older, divorced, family growing up etc.

I have mates, who are usually single, that still go away in groups, maybe two or three times a year. Some go on golfing trips, good luck to them with that, I hate golf!

If I’m totally honest, I just like going to my local boozers whenever I want, enjoying the daily company of my friends on the coast.

In general though, Newcastle United fans have always worn their colours with pride.

There are loads of us and we are a confident lot to start with, even though we have gone through decades of adversity.

When I’m out and about I see Toon garb in various styles and sizes, both old and young wearing replica shirts, whilst others like tee shirts, hoodies etc.

Personally, I don’t wear any club colours, haven’t since I was in my twenties. I sometimes identify with a small United steel badge. The last time I sported any colours, did it was my late Da’s scarf at the Man City game last year.

Now what this is all about is the vitriol aimed at Newcastle United fans for wearing their Toon kits from some outsiders, particularly those from Wearside.

I’ve noticed on a particular Sunderland fan forum, mackems contributing to a thread called ‘Airport Mags’, aimed at mackems who are going on their summer holidays.

They are encouraged to send feedback from Newcastle Airport departure lounges on how many men, woman and kids are decked out in their Newcastle strips etc (Of course, not that you often find many Sunderland fans flying off for European away matches, from any airport). This continues when they get to their various resorts, destinations. Wouldn’t you think they had better things to do on holiday abroad, than post derogatory remarks?

Issue 65 – July 1994

I find this a bizarre phenomenon and something that would only irk a certain type of person that had an inferiority complex. Though mackems are usually evenly balanced, they have a chip on both shoulders.

If you’re from Durham and support Newcastle you come in for extra stick of course. Even though there are many Newcastle United strongholds south of the Tyne and in the heartlands of the county, it destroys the sad mackems if they wear their colours whilst out and about.

Personally, I think it’s great that our fans love their club, are proud to sport the black and white, support NUFC financially as well as emotionally.

I always remember the old Sunderland Chairman Sir Tom Cowie famously (infamously, if you’re a mackem) saying; “I wish our supporters were as good as Newcastle’s.”