The Carabao Cup final on 16th March will be like a mini public holiday across Newcastle. There will be watch parties, and viewing areas throughout the city, including the Utilita Arena and Times Square. 

Most spaces have sold out, and The Stack at St James is hosting a walk-in watch party. These events promote a sense of community across the city and beyond. Each event is driven by alcohol-related celebrations, making it a sometimes less than suitable environment for young people to watch the match.

As a young person, you don’t want to sit in a pub full of rowdy adults. However, it is sometimes the most accessible place to watch sports of any kind. Despite this, it still can be off-putting for young people to stay and enjoy watching it there. Sergi, 15, agrees pubs can be an intimidating space to watch football. 

“It gets too loud and there can be too many people,” he says. “Sometimes it can get violent, too.” This can become off-putting for young people, as they may not have the chance to watch football at home, too. There are currently no youth spaces for young people to watch football matches in Newcastle either.

On game days, some football stadiums host ‘family-zones,’ which offer young people and their families a safer way to watch the match. They often include minigames, giveaways and competitions, and chances to meet club mascots. Numerous clubs across the country host family zones, including Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Liverpool FC, who play Newcastle in the final.

At the moment, Newcastle United do not have a family zone at any of their matches. Some young people believe this is a wasted opportunity for the club to promote a safe, family-friendly experience. “There could be things like fairground rides, arts and crafts, and side stalls,” explains one young person, “there could also be the chance for charities to have a stall, like Streetwise.” Sergi also believes these spaces should be alcohol free.

A family zone like this would be great for both home and away games, as well as bigger events like the Cabarao Cup final. It means young people can watch the match in a safe environment, and eliminates any licensing issues smaller, youth-led charities may have. Perhaps the next time Newcastle United are in a final, things may be different.

Header image supplied by Pixabay.