Steve Harper was signed from his local club Seaham Red Star in the summer of 1993, when he was 18 years old by Kevin Keegan, who was then manager of Newcastle United.
Steve Harper – been at Newcastle for 20 years
But Steve spent many seasons backing up Shay Given, who played close to 470 games for Newcastle, and we always thought Steve was too good a goalkeeper to be sitting on the bench – and thought he should have left Newcastle to get first team games elsewhere.
Steve could have been a regular first team Premier League goalkeeper at another club, but he didn’t leave and stayed on at Newcastle, but he has revealed that he talked to Bobby Robson many times about his chances of first team football at Newcastle.
This is what Steve said in the Daily Mirror today:.
“I probably blame Sir Bobby, to be honest,” “I remember rapping on his door many a time and asking for a move and he said: ‘I need you, Shay might get injured.'”
“He had that persuasive, lovable thing where you might enter the room like a bear with a sore head and leave it giving him a hug!”
“At this club, the people – the fans and everyone – know if you’ve put the shift in, day in day out, and given your all out on the pitch,” “They’ll back you to the hilt.”
“It’s a great club to play for but it can be a difficult club to play for. It can be a heavy shirt, the Newcastle shirt, and you need to stand up and be counted.”
Steve will play his last game for Newcastle on Sunday afternoon – and we think it’s the 199th time he will have played for the Tyneside club.
There’s going to be a minute’s applause for Steve in the 37th minute of the game on Sunday – that’s his number – and it will be in appreciation of Steve’s 20 years at the club and all he’s done for Newcastle.
Please pass this on to those attending the game on Sunday – thanks.
Comments welcome.
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208 comments so far
Goodfella
May 17, 2013 at 10:37 AM
Comment #41Mcmanaman.
#karma
Transfer Sage
May 17, 2013 at 10:37 AM
Comment #42I don’t think rafa would bring ba back….he never seems to pick him so not sure ba would want to work for him.
Hatem's better than Messi
May 17, 2013 at 10:39 AM
Comment #43I think the manager is a pretty small cog in our transfer business.
It’s almost like a … this is your squad … get on with it deal.
Pardew likes to pretend he’s involved as he wants to be seen as an old-fashioned manager rather than a modern day coach.
Hatem's better than Messi
May 17, 2013 at 10:40 AM
Comment #44TS
Ba will go wherever he’s paid the most.
geordiesteve520
May 17, 2013 at 10:41 AM
Comment #45Reports coming out that Weimann’s agent is in talks with several clubs, my dad is in charge of refs for the academy and is often at the training ground and has said there have been an awful lot of comings and going but he doesn’t have a clue who anyone is…could just be delivery men of course, or the Safestyle UK sales team!
Yorkgeordie
May 17, 2013 at 10:42 AM
Comment #46I hate to pour cold water on these stories going around about Pardew getting the sack, but….
Let’s say he goes and a new manager comes in, then what ?, the new man gets an 8 yr contract ? no way!, that would mean Ashley would have to abandon this idea. After one season? When the whole idea of an 8 year contract is to promote stability ? No chance.
Cisse's Big Toe
May 17, 2013 at 10:43 AM
Comment #47benitez, aubameyang, sakho in, colo stays, would be a great window
TorqToon
May 17, 2013 at 10:43 AM
Comment #48Indian – I wish mate!!! But alas…no chance! If he doesn’t stay put and attack ligue 1 which is the clubs plan (showed by there transfer targets this summer!) then he will go to one of the big boys!
Charlie – no doubting rafa gets the best out of Torres!
Proud – I agree! AC is a pardew type player with the antiquated style of football pards plays, but rafa is much more technical! However he did sign Ba who is more ‘Carroll’ than Hazard! 🙂
Just hope we splash some cash….we have too!!
beefman13
May 17, 2013 at 10:45 AM
Comment #49A true professional is Steve Harper, and nobody deserves a testimonial more than this kid, come on lets drum up some serious support for it.
Transfer Sage
May 17, 2013 at 10:45 AM
Comment #50hatem
not sure about that on Ba…he had options to go to turkey in the summer but rejected them as he didn’t like the place.
Think money is important but so is game time.
tequilamag
May 17, 2013 at 10:45 AM
Comment #51Just been having a look at an Arsenal blog to see what they think about Sunday. Check out the comment from Spanish dave, He has to be related to catchy
.http://le-grove.co.uk/2013/05/17/arsenal-land-what-i-hope-is-a-3rd-choice-striker/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=arsenal-land-what-i-hope-is-a-3rd-choice-striker
AMEOBI
May 17, 2013 at 10:50 AM
Comment #52Steve Harper he’s unreal last weekend during pitch invasion he ran to the supporters to clap them off and got took back by security. Massive day on Sunday for him, sad to hear to he suffered depression, just gotta love his loyalty. I do think the game is going to be set up for Harper come Sunday, anyone else?
archaeomag
May 17, 2013 at 10:50 AM
Comment #53How they deal with Harps will give us a good idea of what sort of Club NU has become; in a “stable”/ “family” club [ManU] he would probably have a future.
Let’s hope he stays on . .
TorqToon
May 17, 2013 at 10:54 AM
Comment #54Man those gooners b1tch and moan as much as certain parts of the toon army!!!!
Hatem's better than Messi
May 17, 2013 at 10:55 AM
Comment #55Ameobi
I think he’s in for a busy afternoon.
tequilamag
May 17, 2013 at 10:59 AM
Comment #56Torq, crazy stuff
Hatem's better than Messi
May 17, 2013 at 11:00 AM
Comment #57TorqToon
Everyone bitches and moans.
Everyone is two-faced.
Everybody lies.
It’s what humans do. We all wear “personality” masks.
Fake projections of what we’d like others to see us as.
But them Mackems are the worst …
tom68
May 17, 2013 at 11:06 AM
Comment #58SSNews are spending a lot of time regurgitating Pardews lose 4-0 comment. I think they are desperate for that score so they can rubbish us a bit more. It stinks imo.
Phatoon
May 17, 2013 at 11:09 AM
Comment #59If Pardew was SAF they would be saying it was “great mind games”.
Would be so funny if we beat Arsenal 4-0……
AMEOBI
May 17, 2013 at 11:10 AM
Comment #60Hatems better than Messi
Nah think we’ll smash them, then again I do support Newcastle hahaha
stuart no9
May 17, 2013 at 11:11 AM
Comment #61has harps not already had a testimonial ?
Rotonda heights
May 17, 2013 at 11:14 AM
Comment #62Another reason I pray Pardew leaves is if he stays AC coming back is nailed on and we can look forward to maybe a slightly upgraded defensive hoof ball season, whereas with Rafa no chance.
AMEOBI
May 17, 2013 at 11:16 AM
Comment #63Stuart
Nope, don’t think he will either
Hatem's better than Messi
May 17, 2013 at 11:16 AM
Comment #64Testimonials … very nice but he’s been paid lots of money every week for a lot of years he can’t be poor.
Testimonials come from an age where players weren’t paid a huge deal more than everyone else and didn’t have career options after football.
Rotonda heights
May 17, 2013 at 11:18 AM
Comment #65Big toe @ 47
That would be so sweet.
sweendog
May 17, 2013 at 11:19 AM
Comment #66Dont want to jump on the bandwagon but a mate of mine is a Liverpool supporter .. boooo ..
anyway he was at the Liverpool – Everton game and the big talk was how Benitez was going to Newcastle ..
TorqToon
May 17, 2013 at 11:22 AM
Comment #67Sween – seems to be the reoccurring theme mate!
You know if there’s any truth he has bought or leased a property in the city?
John Tudor
May 17, 2013 at 11:22 AM
Comment #68matt smith and jonathen grounds two in if pardew remains horses mouth
stuart no9
May 17, 2013 at 11:26 AM
Comment #69ameobi shocking – i really thought he had 1 years ago
AMEOBI
May 17, 2013 at 11:27 AM
Comment #70Hatems
Yeah you could say that but 20 years of solid loyalty, local lad. It’s a different thing really.
jimmysmith
May 17, 2013 at 11:27 AM
Comment #71Sack Pards and give Harps the job!
I’d honestly quite like to see that. I mean we gave the job to Wor Al and Harps is at least twice as smart.
OK, not really, but it’s a nice thought.
AMEOBI
May 17, 2013 at 11:29 AM
Comment #72Torq
You’re getting my hopes up haha stop!
AMEOBI
May 17, 2013 at 11:29 AM
Comment #73Jimmy
I’d back that tbh
Lilongwe Geordie
May 17, 2013 at 11:30 AM
Comment #74Hatem,
Correct, that is what a testimonial used to be about. Now itis about showing your appreciation for a great servant of the club, and all money raised generally goes to a charity of the players choosing. You can bet your bottom dollar Harps would split between a few, including Sir Bobbys Foundation. Very worthwhile imo.
catchy in norway
May 17, 2013 at 11:35 AM
Comment #75http://www.nust.org.uk/nust-will-present-tim-krul-and-sylvain-marveaux-with-player-of-the-season-awards-at-st-james-park?
NUST also are awarding a Most Improved Player of the Year award to Sylvain Marveaux.
some of us fans see things a little different to pardew,,
marv should have been used much more than he has,, like every time he has been fit in place of jonas
Lilongwe Geordie
May 17, 2013 at 11:35 AM
Comment #76If Harps decides to continue his playing career, then I wish him the best luck in the world. If he decides to call it a day, and coach/manage then a coaching spot should be there for him at the club. You just need to listen to Krul, Forster, Given, Alnwick and Soderberg as to the help and advice he gave them all when at the club.
On Rafa, I’ll wait and see, there seem to be lots of noises coming from lots of seperate sources with regard to this, so it may have something in it. A definite upgrade, but we have all been let down before by getting carried away with rumours.
check the toastie
May 17, 2013 at 11:36 AM
Comment #77Have got to say the fact the club cancelled Pardew’s talk in Friday night points to him getting the bullet, if he was taking us into next season it would have been an ideal opportunity for Parsnip to say sorry for this year.
Its a good thing hes not doing the Radio Show. I was gutted when he was.
Charlie in the Gallowgate
May 17, 2013 at 11:36 AM
Comment #78Conspiracy Theory
Pardew cancelling tonights question and answers on BBC Total Sport till after the Arsenal Game.
Does he know something we don’t.
Hatem's better than Messi
May 17, 2013 at 11:38 AM
Comment #79Lilongwe
I guess that would be cool it could be Rafa’s first game …
Lilongwe Geordie
May 17, 2013 at 11:38 AM
Comment #80Catchy,
I agree, Marveaux is a better technical player then Jonas, and has been criminally underused by Pardew, but he strikes me as being much more effective coming from the bench. On the occasions he does start, he disappears from games too much, and generally creates as much coming off the bench as he does in 90 mins. He is great to bring on when the opposition are tiring and he can find gaps that are left. 1 30minute player for me, from what I have seen.