What Type Of 'Supporter' Are YOU? By Blog Member Ronway.

There are obviously many different types of members of “The Blog”, their comments and

opinions often range from being knowledgeable, supportive, critical, aggressive and

argumentative amongst many other possible descriptions.

The common denominator is obviously Newcastle United but almost everyone has a

different way of making their voice heard depending on their own opinion, which they are obviously entitled to.

So here is an opportunity to identify with the description you consider most applies to you, or perhaps to others!

Definitions

FANS : An enthusiastic devotee who admires and supports a person, team or brand.

They may attend events, buy merchandise and engage with related content.

FOLLOWERS : Someone who actively follows the teachings or beliefs of a leader, a

team or an organisation.

They may attend meetings, participate in discussions and strive

to embody the values and principles of the person or group they are following.

SUPPORTERS : A person who actively backs or advocates for a cause or team, showing

commitment through actions, such as financial, volunteering or public advocacy.

FANS: These are the people who keep an eye on Newcastle United.

 They watch highlights, scroll social media, maybe catch the big games.

 Their emotional investment is light; the result of a derby might annoy them, but it

won’t ruin their week.

 They drift in and out depending on form, signings, or the general buzz.

After the derby:

FANS: enjoyed the build-up, especially from the Wor Flags display, they posted a comment or two and then moved on as the rivalry with Sunderland doesn’t live in their bones.

FOLLOWERS: Followers are more engaged, they watch regularly, they know the squad and feel the highs and lows.

 They care about results and performances.

 They’ll argue about the Manager, tactics, transfers and line-ups.

 They feel the derby more deeply, but it’s still mostly about football, not identity.

After the derby: Followers felt the tension, the pride, the frustration and they’ll debate it for a few days; afterwards their life resumes pretty quickly.

SUPPORTERS: Supporters are the heartbeat of the club.

 They live it, breathe it and carry it through generations.

 They travel when they can, they sing and they defend the badge in every

conversation.

 The derby isn’t just a match, it’s heritage, geography, family history and civic pride

rolled into 90 minutes.

After the derby: Supporters feel the derby in their chest, a win is a memory that lasts for years while a loss hurts and is a bruise that lingers; they understand the rivalry’s weight, the history, the politics, the culture and they carry it with them.

Why the distinction mattered after the Sunderland matches

The derby exposed the gap between these groups:

 Followers treated it like any other fixture.

 Fans felt the rivalry but kept it in footballing terms.

 Supporters understood the stakes, bragging rights, identity, the decades of

separation, the pent-up energy of a fixture that hadn’t happened in years.

NUFC BLOG COMMENT ARCHETYPES - AND HOW THEY ALIGN WITH THE DEFINITION OF FOLLOWERS, FANS, AND SUPPORTERS

1. The Optimist

Profile: Sees the best in everything, talks up the squad, the project, the ownership and rarely gets dragged into negativity.

Group alignment: Mostly Fans, sometimes Supporters but Followers don’t stick

around long enough to be optimistic consistently.

Derby behaviour: “We’ll smash them” or “One result doesn’t define us”; keeps spirits high even when others wobble.

2. The Doom Merchant

Profile: Every setback is a crisis, every injury is a disaster and every derby is a potential apocalypse.

Group alignment: Usually Fans, occasionally Followers who parachute in to

moan, rarely true Supporters because while they feel pain,they don’t turn events into a catastrophe.

Derby behaviour: “Season’s over” or “We’ll never beat them” and “Club’s going backwards.”

3. The Historian

Profile: Carries years of context, references Keegan, Sir Bobby, the 90s, the Championship years and understands the rivalry’s cultural weight.

Group alignment: Almost always Supporters.

Derby behaviour: Explains why the fixture matters, brings up past derbies, past

scars, past triumphs and grounds the conversation in identity, not just form.

4. The Wind-Up Merchant

Profile: Lives for reactions, drops bait, disappears, returns when the thread is on fire and thrives during derbies.

Group alignment: Mostly Followers, sometimes Fans having a mischievous day

but never Supporters as they take the derby too seriously to troll their own.

Derby behaviour: “Sunderland are much better than you think” or “Is Howe reallythe man” and “We’re bottling it.”

5. The Tactician

Profile: Talks systems, shapes, roles, obsessed with pressing triggers, overloads, rotations; treats the blog like a coaching seminar.

Group alignment: Mostly Fans, some Supporters with deep football knowledgebut rarely Followers as it's too much effort.

Derby behaviour: “We lost the midfield battle” or “Their press forced us wide.” and “the xG tells the story.”

6. The Absentee Expert

Profile: Appears once every few weeks, drops a sweeping opinion but often misreads the mood or the context.

Group alignment: Classic Follower behaviour/

Derby behaviour: “Didn’t watch the match but sounds like we were rubbish” or “Why’s everyone so emotional” and “It’s only Sunderland.”

7. The Community Guardian

Profile: Protects the tone of the blog, calls out nonsense, trolls, lazy narratives and keeps discussions grounded and respectful.

Group alignment: Almost always Supporters as they’re invested in the Blog community, not just the club.

Derby behaviour: “This fixture matters, show some respect” or “Don’t let trolls derail the thread” and “Let’s keep perspective but also keep some standards.”

HOW THESE ARCHETYPES INTERACT AFTER A DERBY

The derby acts like a prism, it refracts everyone’s true colours.

Followers create noise (wind-ups, absentee experts).

Fans debate football (optimists, doom merchants, tacticians).

Supporters anchor the culture (historians, guardians).

That’s why the Blog feels chaotic during and after a match, especially a derby, but also

alive, as almost every layer of the NUFC fanbase is visible at once.

HWTL

An absolute epic of a post from Ronway that will keep me awake at nights trying to figure out where I sit in the roll call of 'supporters'.

It will be a riot reading where blog members see themselves - and an even bigger riot where they rate other blog members.

One category Ronway missed out was trolls - simple explanation for those is 100% rear end holes.

There have been some cracking 'international break' posts - if you want to throw your pen into the ring email a post over to nufcblogcom@gmail.com for publication.

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