Why were the mags on Auf Wiedersehen Pet supporting the lads?

[Kevin Arnott's right boot]

The flippant answer is "because it was in the script".

The answer given by Ian La Frenais is that the scripts were written by different people and at different times. "The Girls They Left Behind" was one of the first to be written and, at that point they hadn't decided whether to make them Sunderland fans or Newcastle. Sunderland were in the First Division at the time with the Mags in the second. Particularly as it was pre-Keegan, it probably made more sense that Sunderland had a European game.

This doesn't, of course, explain why they didn't subsequently change the scripts to keep them as Sunderland fans in other episodes, or to change the Liege game to a Newcastle match but, I suppose you have to take into account that La Frenais had lived away from the North East for many years at this stage, and would have grown up at a time when going to watch both clubs was a perfectly normal thing to do, so perhaps he thought that this hadn't changed.

 

[BarnesPark]

Oz had a Sunderland sticker on the rear window of the Zephyr in episode One. But when questioned by Denis he said he didn’t support Sunderland but the lad he got the car off did.

“I was going to scrape it but thought I might lose the bumper”

 

[UpTheDuff]

Football fans enjoying a match.

 

[CollingwoodFTM]

Because it was a fictional tv programme?

 

[Mickdundee]

Probably a sign of the times. No footy on TV everyday at the time, people more into supporting local area clubs. My grandad used to support all the North East Clubs, remember that as a kid.

Later series and it rights iteslwf as he's like a plastic mag with all the memorabilia and hating Sunderland.

My grandad was a Sunderland fan, but he used to tell me stories about Hughie Gallacher being the best footballer he’d ever seen and I remember him singing a song about him to me that was something like “Have you seen Hughie Gallacher the wee Scots lad, the best centre forward Newcastle ever had”.

 

[Julio Mackemo]

My grandad was a Sunderland fan, but he used to tell me stories about Hughie Gallacher being the best footballer he’d ever seen and I remember him singing a song about him to me that was something like “Have you seen Hughie Gallacher the wee Scots lad, the best centre forward Newcastle ever had”.

People of my grandad/dad's age didnt really see a rivalry between the two clubs.

 

[Jap Stammer]

In my view Hall had no class.

My Dad had the misfortune of meeting him once, at some work-related function, and thought he was one of the most arrogant, obnoxious people he'd ever met.

Hall had a real chip on his shoulder about Sunderland and that permeated all the way through NUFC and their fans.

In my opinion, he's almost entirely to blame for the delusional, self-entitled support that they now have.

 

[Big Jeff]

My Dad had the misfortune of meeting him once, at some work-related function, and thought he was one of the most arrogant, obnoxious people he'd ever met.

Hall had a real chip on his shoulder about Sunderland and that permeated all the way through NUFC and their fans.

In my opinion, he's almost entirely to blame for the delusional, self-entitled support that they now have.

I met him at St James Park. We were playing a function there and after setting up went for a wander around. We ended up sitting in his seat in the stand and he came out and saw us there. We were polite and chatty and explained what we were doing there but he kinda looked at us with distain and turned his back on us.

There was no need, and to me showed himself to be a lucky chancer but with no class or charm.

 

[citybythesea]

Maybe a bygone time when the vitriol wasn’t as bad between the two clubs.
To be honest it would be better if it wasn’t as partisan

 

[CheersMarra84]

Maybe a bygone time when the vitriol wasn’t as bad between the two clubs.
To be honest it would be better if it wasn’t as partisan

It’s went beyond football now though, it’s all about poverty shaming and who lives in a nicer area etc, which is pathetic. The loss of the heavy industry and the trade unions was probably the end of any kind of cohesion between both cities to keep people in work.

 

[citybythesea]

It’s went beyond football now though, it’s all about poverty shaming and who lives in a nicer area etc, which is pathetic. The loss of the heavy industry and the trade unions was probably the end of any kind of cohesion between both cities to keep people in work.

It does unfortunately and it needs to be reversed , it’s unfortunate they choose to sneer at Sunderland from an economic point of view. I’m sure not all mags do though.
As we’re all from the north east you’d like to think region-wide prosperity is something we could all agree on

 

[Ageing Grey Mackem]

Can you still watch the show anywhere? I'd love to watch it again.

What was the episode where Oz walked back into some venue they'd all been hoyed out of and said "Yous lot! You made us feel about as welcome as a fart in a space suit..!"

 

[TheStinger]

Because it was a fictional tv programme?

Yep. A highly acclaimed programme based on the unemployment crisis of the 1980s is going to be like "fuck it, its only fiction. People from the North East wont notice" on the details of the interests of the working man in the area. Cheers for the contribution.

 

[Houghtoner]

It does unfortunately and it needs to be reversed , it’s unfortunate they choose to sneer at Sunderland from an economic point of view. I’m sure not all mags do though.
As we’re all from the north east you’d like to think region-wide prosperity is something we could all agree on

This is exactly it. Even the socialist leaning Mags who argue they want the best for the region can’t resist having a pop at Sunderland as a place.

 

[BarnesPark]

Can you still watch the show anywhere? I'd love to watch it again.

What was the episode where Oz walked back into some venue they'd all been hoyed out of and said "Yous lot! You made us feel about as welcome as a fart in a space suit..!"

That was at the Cross Keys when they were fixing up Thornley Manor in Season 2.

It’s went beyond football now though, it’s all about poverty shaming and who lives in a nicer area etc, which is pathetic. The loss of the heavy industry and the trade unions was probably the end of any kind of cohesion between both cities to keep people in work.

Was never this bad when I was young and living in Sunderland in the 80s.

I think a load of it is generated by Social Media where idiots are allowed to throw grenades anonymously while hiding behind their keyboards and screens.

They’d all be as good as gold and say nowt face to face.

 

[Qwerty]

Apart from the Wolverhampton and District Table Tennis Lesgue.

West Bromwich and District iirc.

Neville supported the mags.

So did Oz but he went on the drink with Brendan Healy who was in The East Side Torpedos

Bomber was not into football but liked Yana - nee idea

Denis was a misery and didn’t like anything

Barry was a radish who showed no affiliation to any team

Wayne was labelled “Spurs” by Oz but was not into football.

Moxy liked …….fires.

Wayne asked how the Hammers did when Oz walked into the bar with the British papers.