When you say the words Newcastle United, it conjures up thoughts of entertaining football, famous names and famous managers, but ultimately it’s a tale of almosts, close calls and Under achievement.
I’ve followed ‘the toon’ as they’re affectionately known in these parts for the best part of 30 years. I’ve seen my share of ecstatic highs and crushing lows, including two demotions and conversely a couple of golden Champions League campaigns with nights that will live as long in the memory as the dark days of dropping into England’s second division.
To understand just how significant and incredibly obsessive the support for this unique, one-city-club is and why it is so wonderful, you need to look at a few factors. The first of which is the city centre stadium or as we like to label it ‘the cathedral on the hill’. I could go into great detail about the reasons for this location, the incredible and rich history behind the names of the stands, the redevelopment of the stadium, the current plans under our new and exciting owners – but all I really want to do is to convey why this club is so very special and why it has had the most profound impact, not just on me but on whoever visits these parts.
As a kid, I didn’t get to too many games but the ones I did go to always stuck in my mind. I distinctly and rather affectionately remember my first game and I will confess this now, it’s not what you would these days class as a ‘glamour tie’. It was Barnsley at home in the then coca cola cup which, if you ask me, is the best version of the league cup quite frankly… I digress.
The smell as we walked up to the stadium, the mass sea of black and white. It was a movement. It was a congregation. We sat in the Gallowgate (the reason behind the name is for another day) half-way up, looking over the top of the black and white net. They need to bring that back too.
We ended up winning 2-1 with Andy Cole and Ruel Fox scoring. Neil Redfern netted first for the Tykes but it was a comfortable win for the Toon. 27,208 were in attendance that day and I was in awe to be there in person with my dad. Just to tie things up, Newcastle went on to win the second leg 1-0 with Cole scoring again. Since then I’ve been black and white obsessed and have stuck with them through the bad and the good. Now, I know what you’re thinking. You said you’d explain why Newcastle United is so special so stop waffling on. That’s the point though…. everyone has their own, wonderfully unique, memorable and personal reason for loving this football club.
Ultimately, we all love football and this can be applied to all teams. It brings us together, it starts conversation and I guess the grand sum of things is, that it’s just the greatest game on earth.
