Newcastle United: We've Been Through Worse Than This — Now We Need Our Geordie Spirit
Supporting Newcastle United has never been for the faint-hearted.
For generations, Newcastle supporters have experienced more than their fair share of disappointment, frustration and heartbreak.
We've celebrated some fantastic moments, enjoyed some magnificent football and watched some outstanding players.
But we've also endured relegations, broken promises, years of underachievement and long periods when there seemed very little light at the end of the tunnel.
And yet, through it all, we've kept coming back.
Because that's what Newcastle United supporters do.
Like all fans I've seen it, experienced it, and gone through a rollercoaster of emotions that, more often than not, has plummeted down into the depths and only rarely climbed up to meet hope and ambitions.
But, I'm still as passionate in supporting the Toon 65 years after my dad Bill first lifted me over the turnstiles in the Gallowgate end at SJP as an 8 year old in 1961 - he saved threepence, about 1p in today's money!
And now, yet again, the rollercoaster that reached the giddy heights of PIF's takeover, two CL qualifications and a first domestic cup win in 70 years... appears to careering back down to Earth; the exciting part of the ride appears to be over, at least for now.
But... We've Been Through Far Worse
Anyone who supported Newcastle through the Mike Ashley years knows what genuine despair feels like.
We suffered two relegations from the Premier League.
We watched a club with enormous potential seemingly settle for survival and mediocrity.
There were times when the ambition of the supporters and the ambition of those running the club appeared to be worlds apart.
But even then, Newcastle United never lost its identity.
The supporters might have been angry. They might have protested. They might have despaired at what was happening. They might have jacked in their season tickets.
But they never stopped caring. Never stopped hoping. Never stopped supporting even if that support wasn't on the terraces.
Because the only thing that is permanent at Newcastle United is us fans.
Owners and exec's come and go, managers and players come and go...
But us supporters have remained steadfast through the generations since the club was founded in 1892. 134 years and still counting.
When PIF Arrived, We Dared to Dream Again
The Saudi-backed takeover in 2021 transformed the mood around Newcastle United.
After years of frustration, suddenly there was hope.
Real hope.
We had owners with extraordinary financial resources, and it was natural to imagine Newcastle eventually competing with the biggest clubs in England and Europe.
But we soon discovered an uncomfortable reality.
Having some of the wealthiest owners in world football doesn't automatically make Newcastle one of the wealthiest football clubs.
Financial regulations, commercial revenues and spending restrictions meant that progress couldn't simply be bought overnight.
Nevertheless, the club moved forward.
We returned to the Champions League, reached cup finals and finally celebrated that long-awaited domestic trophy.
By the end of the 2024–25 season, it felt as though Newcastle were approaching another important stage in their development.
With the prospect of further investment in the squad, many of us genuinely believed we could take the next step.
Perhaps establish ourselves among the leading clubs.
Perhaps even, given time, challenge for the Premier League title.
And Then Everything Changed
Football has a habit of bringing supporters back down to earth.
The optimism we felt only 14 or 15 months ago has been replaced by uncertainty.
The departures of players such as Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães have fundamentally changed the side we believed was being built for the future.
We've lost the heart of that team. And we've lost Eddie Howe who inspired that team.
And instead of building on what we achieved, it now feels as though we're having to start again.
That is what makes the present situation particularly painful.
It's not simply about losing matches.
It's about the sudden disappearance of expectations that seemed entirely reasonable not so long ago.
Supporters believed Newcastle were heading in one direction.
Now we're facing the possibility of a lengthy rebuilding process.
And understandably, that hurts.
But This Is Where Our Geordie Spirit Matters
I don't believe Newcastle supporters should stop criticising poor performances.
We pay our money, we invest our time and emotions, and we have every right to question what's happening at our football club.
Nor am I suggesting that the manager, players or hierarchy should somehow be protected from legitimate criticism.
Far from it.
But there's a difference between expressing frustration and allowing that frustration to become something that makes an already difficult situation worse.
We've heard booing at St James' Park in recent matches.
I understand why supporters are angry.
But I honestly struggle to see what booing our own players during difficult periods achieves.
It might allow people to release their frustrations for a few moments.
But does it make a struggling player more confident?
Does it help a young player who is already feeling the pressure?
Does it encourage the team to take risks, play positively and believe in themselves?
I very much doubt it.
If anything, it can make players more nervous, more cautious and more afraid of making mistakes.
And that's the last thing we need.
The Players Need to Know We're Still Behind Them
There have been countless occasions when the atmosphere at St James' Park has inspired Newcastle players to produce something extraordinary.
We've seen teams lift themselves when the crowd gets behind them.
We've watched opponents struggle to cope with the noise and intensity.
That atmosphere is one of Newcastle United's greatest assets.
And we shouldn't underestimate its importance.
Right now, the players and Jaissle need encouragement.
They need to know that, despite our disappointment, we haven't given up on them.
That doesn't mean applauding everything regardless of performance.
It means recognising that our support can make a difference.
And it's needed more now than when everything is going well.
We've Always Found a Way Back
When you look back over Newcastle's history, there's one thing that stands out.
We've had far more setbacks than triumphs.
But somehow, hope has always survived.
We survived the disappointment of the Keegan years ending without a Premier League title.
We survived the difficult years after Sir Bobby Robson.
We survived two relegations under Mike Ashley.
And we survived those seemingly endless years when winning a major trophy felt like an impossible dream.
So surely it can survive what we're experiencing now
.
Yes, we're going through another difficult period.
Yes, the rebuilding job may be bigger than we imagined.
And yes, there are serious questions that need answering about how Newcastle United moves forward.
But we've been here before.
.
We've been in far worse situations.
And we need to play our part in helping our young manager and his new squad out of where we are now.
We need to leave criticism, booing and expletives outside of SJP and give our all in support for the team once we step into the ground.
And that means even if we lose at Fulham tommorrow.
There are plenty of knives being pointed at Newcastle United...
But we supporters must not be the ones stabbing the club in the back.
HWTL and howay for a win and three points at Craven Cottage.
After the recent lack of goal threat, the manager had said next training session was all going to be about target practice.
Something got lost in translation when Dedic got the memo 😆
Had this same argument with a mate of mine who in a conversation this week told me he good at the weekend and the question he put to me ( which I couldn’t answer) was how do we let the people running the club know we aren’t happy and we don’t believe what they are telling us.
As I say it’s not a question I had an answer for.
Well said 👏