After a period of lull and boredom, the Toon Army Rollercoaster has taken an almighty nosedive once again with the ridiculous appointment of Joe Kinnear as Director of Football. It has to be said that the whole situation at NUFC seems to be at farcical level once more and after listening to the interview with Kinnear on Talksport the other week, you have to wonder what on earth is going on in Mike Ashley's mind. Kinnear seems to think that the fans are against him as he's not a Geordie, whereas in real life the reason the fans don't want him hear is that he's got no idea on what he's doing, hasn't been in football for years and as the radio interview showed, is a compulsive liar. I'm not against the position of having a Director of Football as long as its the right person and I have no faith in Joe Kinnear whatsoever in that role, or pretty much anything else for that matter - even as a kebab seller !
Had it just been me with a season ticket, then my decision would have been to call time on what has truly been a rollercoaster ride during my 25 years as a season ticket holder. However, I sat down with my 13 year old son a week or so ago to get his opinion and he doesn't want to quit just yet and I know that his younger sister (who's 10) will also think the same as she loves going to the match. Neither of them know much of the politics of the current situation but they also don't have an understanding yet of the highs and lows of being a Toon fan. They've had a grounding as both have seen the recent relegation and promotion seasons, with the relegation season being Dominic's first as a season ticket holder and Philippa jumping on the band wagon during the Championship winning season. They've heard stories of greatness and of some gloomy days too & I admire their boundless optimism. I was once there too and had that limitless optimism and that's what lead me to spend the majority of my first student grant on a season ticket all those years ago.
So is it time to get off the Rollercoaster ?
There's no doubt that there's been some highs, even from the David Kelly goal against Portsmouth into the Gallowgate end that saved Keegan's team from dropping out of the old Division 1. To me that was the catalyst of something special and I always remember being seperated from my specs as the M section paddock went mad, but gladly we were re-united. Then the following season we went mental almost every week with the culmination being one night in Grimsby - not that I was there mind, as I was sat in the car on my way to a night out, but I was glued to Mick Lowes on Radio Newcastle and I've still got the ring from his KELLLLLLLLLLLLY in my ear when the killer goal went in which sent us to the Premier League and the promised land. I cried tears of joy that night as it meant so much that my team had gone from zero's to hero's in just over 18 months.
The fun went on and we gained The Entertainers tagline from Sky after a superb Monday night away win at Oldham (me and the Mrs where there) and we had some great seasons and we even challenged for the title and we're gutted when we didn't win it - we where that good at the time and I'll never forget that. We signed some world class players over the years and Warren Barton ! We had some great forwards - from Andy Cole to Peter Beardsley, Les Ferdinand, Tino Asprilla and I'll never forget the excitement on the day that Alan Shearer signed - what an atmosphere in the City, almost as if we'd done the double ! We had some great midfielders over the years too - from Paul Bracewell (even though he'd played for the filth), Scott Sellars, Ruel Fox, David Ginola and the enigma that was Lauren Robert. Despite our reputation for being crap at the back, we had some good defenders too - take your pick from John Beresford, Barry Venison (another from the dark side), Phillipe Albert and my favourite of all time centre-half, Darren Peacock. Even in goal, we had some canny keepers, from the magical Pavel Srnicek (who was, of course a Geordie) to Shaka Hislop and Shay Given.
There where individual games that are very high highlights with the obvious one's being the 5-0 spanking of Man Utd at home and then the Champions League experiences of the Barcelona game at home & Asprilla's amazing hat-trick half of headers thanks to great delivery from Keith Gillespie. "Pinch me" I said at the fact we where 3-0 up against Barcelona at half time. As the years have gone, we've still had some great games - I always remember the comeback games too and being 3-1 down at home to Leicester and winning 4-3 with a Shearer hat-trick, then there's Shearer world class volley against Everton (even though I was in the netty at the time !). We stuffed Sheffield Wednesday in the days of Sir Bobby and did Feyenoord in the last minute thanks to a Bellamy goal - so many memories. In recent times, there's been the Arsenal 4-4 with the Tiote wonderstrike equaliser (he'll never score again by the way) and who can forget the Mackem demolition derby too. Great, great memories and too many highlights to go into more detail in a blog as it'll turn into a novel !
There's been some mixed days, with the Wembley times in the late 90's - it all started in 1996 with the Charity Shield (only weeks before we got married) and it was a great weekend, until the match kicked off. Then we where back again in 1998 for the Cup Final - another great day, until the match kicked off, but I had to hurry back as I drove the open top bus for the parade through Newcastle the following day (which was amazing). The Cup run continued in 1999, but without much success and we had another smashing Wembley day, until the match kicked off - are you picking the theme up yet ? As if we hadn't had enough, we all trooped back again for the cup semi-final in 2000 and at least this time we scored a goal - "what the hell is Shearer doing on the wing" was my comment to me Dad, just as Shearer crossed to Robert Lee who then headed it into the back of the net. Needless to say, madness then ensued and we ended up about 12 rows apart, but then Gus Poyet broke our hearts again. Last but not least was the semi-final at Cardiff in 2005, another great weekend away, until the match kicked off !
There where individual games that are very high highlights with the obvious one's being the 5-0 spanking of Man Utd at home and then the Champions League experiences of the Barcelona game at home & Asprilla's amazing hat-trick half of headers thanks to great delivery from Keith Gillespie. "Pinch me" I said at the fact we where 3-0 up against Barcelona at half time. As the years have gone, we've still had some great games - I always remember the comeback games too and being 3-1 down at home to Leicester and winning 4-3 with a Shearer hat-trick, then there's Shearer world class volley against Everton (even though I was in the netty at the time !). We stuffed Sheffield Wednesday in the days of Sir Bobby and did Feyenoord in the last minute thanks to a Bellamy goal - so many memories. In recent times, there's been the Arsenal 4-4 with the Tiote wonderstrike equaliser (he'll never score again by the way) and who can forget the Mackem demolition derby too. Great, great memories and too many highlights to go into more detail in a blog as it'll turn into a novel !
There's been some mixed days, with the Wembley times in the late 90's - it all started in 1996 with the Charity Shield (only weeks before we got married) and it was a great weekend, until the match kicked off. Then we where back again in 1998 for the Cup Final - another great day, until the match kicked off, but I had to hurry back as I drove the open top bus for the parade through Newcastle the following day (which was amazing). The Cup run continued in 1999, but without much success and we had another smashing Wembley day, until the match kicked off - are you picking the theme up yet ? As if we hadn't had enough, we all trooped back again for the cup semi-final in 2000 and at least this time we scored a goal - "what the hell is Shearer doing on the wing" was my comment to me Dad, just as Shearer crossed to Robert Lee who then headed it into the back of the net. Needless to say, madness then ensued and we ended up about 12 rows apart, but then Gus Poyet broke our hearts again. Last but not least was the semi-final at Cardiff in 2005, another great weekend away, until the match kicked off !
But then there's the bad times.........
& boy, there's been some bad times. Right back to the almost extinction days of Jim Smith & Ossie Ardilles before we headed into the dark days of selling Andy Cole, Keegan leaving (more than once), the entire Kenny Dalglish, Ruud Gullit, Graeme Souness and Sam Allardyce days, plus some individual games too. Losing to the Mackems at home under Gullit in the pouring rain (at least I wasn't there) and then again last season. Several "doings" by Man Utd and Liverpool over the years at home and away, signing Michael Owen and many more.
There's been some awful players over the years too, from Kevin Scott to Titus Bramble (he did have some good days), Marcelino, Stephane Guivarche, Jean Alain Boumsong, Albert Luque, Jon Dahl Tomasson, Andreas Andersson, Carl Cort and I could go on, but I won't !
Some days where darker than others, with the death of Sir Bobby Robson probably being one of the darkest days (another day when I cried). Then there's the footballing and pr own goals that Newcastle United have made over the years and generally holding us fans with low contempt. If it was any other customer service related industry then they'd be playing in front of about 25 souls, but it isn't any other customer service industry, it's Newcastle United.
So the Rollercoaster rolls on - we've had lots of highs and lots of lows, but at the moment I feel that there's only so many times you can kick the dog before it's had enough. As a season ticket for so many years and feeling that way can't be a good thing for the club, as I can't be the only one who feels this way and from a business point of view, it's not going to do them any good in the long run. I still long for the good days and am the eternal optimist that this could be our season, but in recent times, it rarely has been and its not been as much fun as it was. We'll be there this season and depending on what happens, this could well be our last.
& off we go into the great unknown again, with Joe Kinnear at the helm - do you feel it's a safe pair of hands for the tiller to be in ? No, me neither !
& boy, there's been some bad times. Right back to the almost extinction days of Jim Smith & Ossie Ardilles before we headed into the dark days of selling Andy Cole, Keegan leaving (more than once), the entire Kenny Dalglish, Ruud Gullit, Graeme Souness and Sam Allardyce days, plus some individual games too. Losing to the Mackems at home under Gullit in the pouring rain (at least I wasn't there) and then again last season. Several "doings" by Man Utd and Liverpool over the years at home and away, signing Michael Owen and many more.
There's been some awful players over the years too, from Kevin Scott to Titus Bramble (he did have some good days), Marcelino, Stephane Guivarche, Jean Alain Boumsong, Albert Luque, Jon Dahl Tomasson, Andreas Andersson, Carl Cort and I could go on, but I won't !
Some days where darker than others, with the death of Sir Bobby Robson probably being one of the darkest days (another day when I cried). Then there's the footballing and pr own goals that Newcastle United have made over the years and generally holding us fans with low contempt. If it was any other customer service related industry then they'd be playing in front of about 25 souls, but it isn't any other customer service industry, it's Newcastle United.
So the Rollercoaster rolls on - we've had lots of highs and lots of lows, but at the moment I feel that there's only so many times you can kick the dog before it's had enough. As a season ticket for so many years and feeling that way can't be a good thing for the club, as I can't be the only one who feels this way and from a business point of view, it's not going to do them any good in the long run. I still long for the good days and am the eternal optimist that this could be our season, but in recent times, it rarely has been and its not been as much fun as it was. We'll be there this season and depending on what happens, this could well be our last.
& off we go into the great unknown again, with Joe Kinnear at the helm - do you feel it's a safe pair of hands for the tiller to be in ? No, me neither !
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