For me, and I’m sure many will agree, life is all about contrasts. How can one enjoy the highs that life throws us without experiencing the lows? In my career I’ve had bad days, embarrassing days, absolutely horrendous days, days that I desperately wish I could forget. I’ve seen punches being thrown in the work environment on more than one occasion. On the flip side, I’ve had amazingly successful days, uplifting moments and drama that I doubt will be repeated. Either way, these are the days that I remember, not the mediocre, humdrum, run-of-the-mill days.
That’s what I love about being a fan of Newcastle United. Not that I feel I had a choice, I was brought up at a time and in an environment where a boy supported their home team and not whoever happened to be the most successful at the time. That point is academic however, because I’m so glad I ‘chose’ Newcastle United. During my time as a Newcastle United fan I feel like I’ve seen it all, though one obvious gaping hole would be not seeing my club lift any significant silverware. The 2010/11 Premier League season, for me, illustrates a typical rollercoaster ride which comes as standard if you are a Toon fan.
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After being relegated (to the delight of many), a despondent Newcastle United squad discovered a fighting spirit in amongst all of the off-field turmoil. They cruised to immediate promotion with 102 points, a staggering 23 points clear of the playoff positions. I really don’t remember anything like that happening in my time as a football supporter. So into the Premier League we went and swiftly suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester United in the opening fixture. It was a creditable display but still a harsh reality-check. A week later we entertained Aston Villa at St James’ Park and romped home 6-0 winners. I don’t think anyone saw that result coming.
The season also featured a 5-0 win over West Ham and a 5-1 drubbing of the old enemy. Then on top of all this was the epic 4-4 draw against Arsenal. Was this the most exciting draw of all time? Who could ever forget ‘that’ Tiote volleyed equaliser, only to be followed by a Kevin Nolan effort that squirmed inches wide that almost clinched it in the dying seconds? There is never a dull moment, not where Newcastle United is concerned. Fair enough, we had some drubbings in that season too, and I don’t like going into those in too much detail, but suffice to say that there were some very poor results against some very poor teams.
A major point for me is that I would never go into a home game against lower opposition and expect to win, I always hope, I may be confident, but I would never expect. Whenever I walk out into a seat and see those black and white stripes, I get a tight, knotted feeling in my stomach and a pride and passion that never seems to fade. These are the same feelings I felt the first time I experienced a match with my father as a 7 year old. I could never support another team, not even a second team. I’m even getting that knotted feeling now as I write this and that is why I will always be a Newcastle fan.
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