When I was young, having witnessed Newcastle United’s second consecutive failure to win the FA Cup, my Geordie dad gave me some sound advice. “Get used to this,” he warned.
A few years later, as Sir Bobby Robson’s men threatened to challenge for silverware, he tried to, kindly, explain why he wasn’t sharing my excitement.
“As you get older, you get more and more pessimistic. You’ll see,” he told me apologetically.
I was sceptical. Surely the Toon would break their duck sooner rather than later? In all other aspects of life, my dad was as optimistic as they come. He still dreamed of seeing his side lift a trophy before he died, unfortunately that never happened.
In 2004, I travelled to Newcastle to visit family and, naturally, to watch my first Toon matches. What followed was a 0-0 draw against Arsenal and then a 2-1 victory over Chelsea on April 24. Alan Shearer turned Marcel Desailly and unleashed a thunderbolt past Carlo Cudicini in front of the Gallowgate end for the winner.
It was Newcastle’s time. Success would surely follow.
Yet now, almost a decade on, I’ve reached the stage that many Newcastle fans have inevitably come before me. Youth breeds optimism and encourages dreams of the unthinkable. Maturity crushes that hope, but not without a bit of help from a football club.
On Saturday afternoon, I watched on as the Toon lost their fifth consecutive EPL match against Swansea. It was the first time I had managed to get to St James’ Park since 2011. The atmosphere in the ground had dropped to dire levels, no longer the rocking venue it was when I first walked to my seat and joined 50,000 fans to scream out the Blaydon Races in 2004.
While the ever-loyal Toon fans ensured there were still 50,000 people packed into the terraces, there may as well have been 5000. The fans looked on at the drab performance, suffering in complete silence. The once-electric atmosphere was seemingly extinct or, at the very least, reduced to a whimper. A far cry from the Robson era I grew up in.
Turn the clock back to February 10, 2009.
Derek Llambias, managing director and owner Mike Ashley’s PR man, released details of the club’s “five-year plan”.
“In five years’ time I would hope we would be challenging for everything,” he said.
“You need to have solid grounding under your feet. We inherited so much. We are knocking down walls and rebuilding. As far as we’re concerned we see Newcastle United as having an exciting future.”
Ashley, who forced Geordie legend Kevin Keegan out of the club, brought in hated man Dennis Wise, installed a clearly deranged Joe Kinnear and tried to sell the club – not once, but twice – had set out plans for a bright future.
It may have been ambitious, but it wasn’t entirely implausible.
Fast forward to May 24, 2009, and the plan wasn’t going well.
Circumstances were similarly as dire as present, if not worse. The venue was Villa Park. Newcastle fans were in tears. I was in front of a computer in Cologne, in total disbelief. The Toon had been relegated, after a lifeless performance and a Damian Duff own goal.
Yet there was also a sliver of relief.
It was what the club needed. It was a chance to rebuild. It was an opportunity to cut the wage bill and release the deadwood. Relegation provided hope of a new beginning.
Now, almost five years later and despite promotion back to the EPL, it seems the plan is nowhere near completion. Yet, despite the animosity directed at Newcastle’s ‘cockney-mafia’ management, it’s not all bad news.
The club is in a healthy position. Finances are in the black, the wage bill is manageable, ticket prices have been reduced and there’s no chance of the club emulating the exploits of a Pompey or Glasgow Rangers. But, unlike those two clubs, the Toon no longer has a heart. It’s been ripped out and lies at the bottom of the Tyne.
In 2013, Llambias departed the club and slowly the club’s relationship with its fans and the media descended into a circus. Joe Kinnear made a shocking second coming, the local press was banned from using media facilities, and the Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust was barred from the club’s fan forum.
PR descended to an all-time low. And so did performances on the pitch.
On Saturday, manager Alan Pardew became the first man in the club’s history to preside over five consecutive EPL defeats. Since the club’s 5-1 victory over Stoke City on Boxing Day last year, which was fortuitous to say the least, the team has lost 13 games in 17.
Pardew’s baffling decision to field a 3-4-2-1 against Swansea smacked of desperation. Despite the “attacking” formation, it appears the tactics practiced at the Darsley Park training ground during the week consisted of posting four men up front and getting keeper Tim Krul to knock long balls forward. Granted, the tactic actually succeeded. In the 23rd minute Shola Ameobi nodded down a Krul launcher, collected the return ball from Luuk de Jong and proceeded to score his first goal in an incredible 1399 minutes.
Yet what followed were two injury-time goals from Wilfried Bony, one in each half, and a lifeless performance.
This was the last match that Pardew was consigned to the stands following his head butt on David Meyler seven weeks ago. Yet what his animated figure could have imposed on this dishevelled bunch without physically tackling opponents himself remains a mystery.
Apart from Krul, right back Mathieu Debuchy and loan-signing Loïc Rémy, there isn’t a player that deserves a place on the first team sheet. It isn’t the current season that is unbearable, it’s the future prospects of the team which is most depressing.
Pardew must go, but there is no reason to assume he will. His target this year was a top ten finish and it’s entirely possible he may achieve that, if only by default. There’s also the issue that he still has six years to run on his ludicrous eight-year contract.
Even if he were to get the boot, there is also no certainty Ashley would install an adequate replacement. Kinnear may even make his third appearance on Tyneside. Nothing surprises anymore. Ashley has taken the club as far as he can, yet there are no signs of an alternative investor. He must be given credit for the way the club is now run, but it’s come at the expense of Newcastle’s identity.
Football makes this city tick, yet that tick has now all but disappeared. The days where the whole ground followed the Gallowgate end in song are gone. The famous “Toon, toon, black and white army” chant was heard for perhaps a full minute on Saturday, before the players bottled it under pressure and began gifting Swansea the ball.
Instead it was the 800 Swans fans, sitting high up in the Sir John Hall Stand, which made all the noise, even if their team was equally woeful. That was once considered sacrilegious in this ground.
During the match, many Toon fans spent most of their time looking up at their counterparts. Yet the stares weren’t full of anger, hate, or even annoyance. Instead, there was a hint of sadness to the wandering eyes. The looks were full of disappointment, resignation and hopelessness.
The club is losing its greatest asset – the support of its fans. They will still turn up each week, but they need a reason to hope and dream. Pardew bizarrely praised the crowd for their “support” after the match. Perhaps he was just thankful they didn’t boo the team with too much gusto. The crowd simply couldn’t be bothered. A few boos could only briefly be heard over the sound of thousands of feet stamping out of the ground. Many more were already out on the streets.
Considerable investment is needed if this five-year plan is to be fulfilled. It’s the reality of modern football. But Toon fans didn’t set the five-year plan and they aren’t necessarily demanding one. All they want is to fall in love with their team again.
Yet under current management, the doom and gloom surrounding St James’ Park will continue, and the ruthless, yet honest, words of my dad will ring true for a long time to come.
Janek is a former Newcastle Herald journalist who has moved to Berlin to take up freelance work and connect with his roots. Follow him on Twitter – @janekspeight
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
On the plus side, if we do go down at least we'll be undefeated in NE derbies for a while longer! :D
Janek Speight
Expert
Haha I hope the Mackems don't go down either.. it would be a shame to see you go, especially as it would rob us the chance of avenging those losses!
Janek Speight
Expert
I don't mind a ramble if it makes sense brisvegas! I can't agree that an 8-year deal is okay. It may bring stability but it also brings complacency. I envy your appearance at the Inter Cities Cup, I miss European nights!
Lostintokyo
Guest
At least Newcastle are not fighting off relegation like the Makems across the river. Still last place but with similar ambitions to the derby enemy. Switch places on the table any day.
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
An interesting read Janek, one that puts into perspective the comments from a few Newcastle fans that pop up on the Guardian's threads whenever Sunderland play to point out that they get bigger crowds. I had no idea that the atmosphere had all but gone at SJP. I have to admit to being a supporter of the other North-East club (the one with a more conscientious owner than Newcastle, but a worse league position), but I take no pleasure from seeing what Ashley is doing to our rivals. I think that Pardew, despite what his critics say, is a pretty decent manager, maybe out of his depth in the middle to top half of the Premier League, but better than most. And certainly preferable to JFK! The squad, on paper, is probably good enough to be challenging for a Europa spot or a decent cup run, but it just seems as though there's no impetus left there. Maybe a change in manager might give the club at least a temporary lift, but I can't see many wanting to work for Ashley. He'd have to offer a huge amount of money and a massive severance package to attract anyone decent, and you can bet that wouldn't come out of his pocket, but the club's. Still, at least you're not in the bottom three and facing probable relegation, and you can take some consolation that should Sunderland go down at least that's 2 definite losses you won't have to worry about next season!
brisvegas
Guest
I was there at St James' Park for the last major trophy v Ujpest Dozsa in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (forerunner to the Europa League). I was 14 years old. That's a long time ago now. I don't think I'm pessimistic, though, just prepared for the worst. Newcastle has given me good times, even without ultimate success. I think much of the depression around the club at the moment is over-hyped. Sure, things aren't great - performances are head-shakingly disappointing, and by performances I mean the performance of every level of the club, from Ashley to the players. Ashley hasn't run the club professionally; he's used it like a hobby, and he needs to start making some football-wise decisions for a change. The coaching staff appear to have little idea about what sort of footballing philosophy to implement, and I think this comes through in how the players are performing. There's nothing inherently wrong with Pardew's contract; a bit of managerial stability is a welcome thing for a club tht has had as many managers as Newcastle has had recently. And there is nothing wrong with Pardew - when things are going well. He did a fine job in the first half of the season, he hasn't become useless overnight. The wheels started to fall off when no 2nd striker was brought in, then Cabaye was sold and no replacement came in, then Remy got injured and because there was no 2nd striker there was no goal threat. That's all a recruitment issue - an Ashley issue. Pardew's stupidity at Hull and his consequent ban added fuel to the growing blaze. And when Pardew is under pressure he doesn't seem to have the talent to change things around. He's a very very average manager - and that's what you get from his team - averageness. But when he's had the resources, he's done well. The French thing is a red herring. All the criticism about the Frenchies is grounded in hindsight. There's nothing wrong with having them. But a change in footballing culture at the club is necessary if the policy is to continue. Ashley is to blame for much of the problem. He has destryed the atmosphere by dispersing the singing section of the stadium. He is turning the ground from a vibrant singing ground into a family friendly and corporate watchers ground. His PR is hopeless and this is the basis of media-led unrest. Everything feeds back into itself; all things are inter-related. Everything together has caused the malaise. Despit it all, a top 10 finish in the PL is a good thing. Even the relegation struggle of last season (much of that due to injury and a very thin playing squad) came with a good Europa League run, and the season before was a fantastic 5th finish (when there was surprisingly few injuries). Sure, no trophey, but you come to expect that. The only thing we expect is to see is commitment. That isn't being shown by anybody at the club, bar Pardew. It certainly isn't being shown by Ashley. Changing the manager is a simplistic option. The club needs to have a new direction, and that needs to start at the top. Ashley needs to respond to his stakeholders' (the fans) concerns, and he needs to start running his asset as a football club not as a some hobby on the side. Sorry for the long ramble. I didn't have the time to make it shorter.
Adam Smith
Guest
Well said mate. Why is half the team French? It's the English league. Once they get proper Englishmen, maybe some young talented locals and a couple of real stars, they'll get going. Still they've not done too bad considering, middle of the ladder. It's now what the loyals fans want I know but hopefully someone there will listen to fans.
scott
Guest
...i think if the toon genuinely want to challenge for the top 4 a manger like Frank de Boer would be a better fit.
Mark
Guest
Unless you have a Brendan Rodgers
Janek Speight
Expert
I'm all for Moyes coming to Newcastle Doug. He's still a great manager, just not world-class, and I think the Toon would be his perfect level.
scott
Guest
...although I agree that Newcastle need a new manager I don't think Moyes is the man for the job. I think he'd be better suited to a team looking for mid-table consolidation e.g.west ham. I think he's very good at providing consistency and stability on a small budget but tactically he gets found out at the elite level i.e teams either competing in the champions league, hoping to compete in the champions league or chasing a premier league title. Everton is an excellent example. He provided great stability and consistency but it's taken a manager like Martinez to take them to the next level.
Doug Graves
Guest
While I think Toon fans have a right to be concerned about their collapse in 2014, we must remember they are still, somehow, firmly entrenched in the top half of the PL which for a lot of clubs is merely a dream. Imagine if they'd been able to keep up 2013 form? They'd easily be challenging for 6th place and Europa football. Perhaps a change in manager is in order for Newcastle to take the next step, David Moyes anyone? Janek, what do you think about Moyes taking the reigns at Newcastle?
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Nice one janek. The club's been going down since new year and the loss of Laurent Cabaye. No coincidence imo. He was the backbone of the team especially within the French contingent. Remy, Ben Arfa, Gouffran and co are versatile players and they needed a leader like Cabaye on and off the pitch.
Janek Speight
Expert
I think it's more the belief that Newcastle should be a "big club". There's no doubt we're not a big club but any team that is getting 50,000-plus to the ground each week should be up there. I can't remember the author's name or find the piece, but someone did research on which English clubs had the basis for success. It took into account infrastructure, location, fan base etc. I think Villa and Leeds were also included. Though it obviously meant success without reliance on a billionaire owner ... probably outdated now unfortunately
Big Al
Guest
I've been following Toon since the 95/96 (almost) title run and have been disappointed on many occasions, but no more than the other 'big town clubs' like Villa, Everton, Tottenham, etc. I think the main problem is that Newcastle has the third largest stadium in the EPL, and fill it nearly every game, and have a huge membership base and money base yet Mike Ashley has been a cheapskate for years (like some other 'big club' owners but without as much income). A perfect scenario of idiocy was Pardew (8 YEAR CONTRACT?!) buying a slew of French players yet not getting it to work because of "a communication problem" - because they didn't speak English! I don't think that Newcastle vying for 5th-8th place is unreasonable for this size of a club.
Janek Speight
Expert
Spot on James, they've been on holiday for a while now.
Jimmy S
Guest
John W. Henry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_W._Henry He is the principal owner of the The Boston Globe, Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club, and co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing. In March 2006, Boston ... The question that I'm really interested in is, "Who did you think owned Liverpool?"
Harry
Guest
Nicely written piece but surely you must recognise the sad reality that these days the best that fine established clubs like Newcastle, Aston Villa, Everton, Southampton and Tottenham can hope for is a once a decade good FA or League Cup run and a 4th place finish in the premier league? Unless teams have fantastic financial backing they can't hope to compete - Demba Ba to Chelsea, and RVP to Manchester are the best examples in recent years of how the Premier League is really a two tier competition - the top 4 and the rest. I sincerely hope Liverpool win this year's comp to provide at least some relief from the hegemony of the billionaires at Chelsea, Man City and brand Manchester United.
Jitter Bugg
Roar Rookie
Think you may be alluding to that belief amonst Geordie fans that Newcastle is a 'big club' and should be always competing in Europe and honours. It's only now that they've come to the realisation that they are mid table best and without a big investor coming will remain that way. No shame in that at the moment, hard to compete with the money the big clubs throw around.
James
Guest
They mentally headed to the beach weeks ago, I haven't seen a single home performance this calendar year so far where the players have looked like they care about what they do on the pitch, they're gutless, heartless and jus don't care whether they win the last few games or not! As has been stated many times, they are safe in the PL, but also are not going to qualify for Europe, so in their heads they have nothing to play for! I'll bet that apart from Remy, Debuchy and Tiote, not one of the current squad will make it to the World Cup!