 Even the names changed. The Leazes and Gallowgate became Sir John Hall Stand and Exhibition Stands ... although the older fans still insist on tradition.But as families and more ladies started to attend games, moving into the 21st century has certainly killed off a lot of the atmosphere. Enter the "Toon Ultras". A group of Toon fans who have one aim in mind - to bring back the noise, and on Saturday against Aston Villa they will be aiming to make sure the whole country can hear the Toon Army in full voice. The Journal report: "You can usually find them and hear them loud and clear screaming from the skies on level seven of the Leazes End and they've already had a busy summer. "Indeed, an experimental stint in the famous Gallowgate corner resulted in a significant increase in atmosphere during the friendly wins against Juventus, Celtic and Sampdoria and coincided with three victories over decent opposition. "But while there is an argument that the loudest fans in the stadium should actually be a bit nearer the pitch." Toon Ultras' Greg Tunney says: "The Toon Ultras is a group of Newcastle fans which intends to 'Bring Back The Noise' at St James' Park. "The organisation was founded just four years ago by some passionate young fans. "We would like to stress that Toon Ultras is not a hooligan firm and it does not condone football violence or hooliganism in any shape or form, both in and out of the ground. However, we do believe in singing, chanting and making visual displays for the full 90 minutes, trying to encourage our team to success." |