Number 9 – What does it mean?

This says it all!
Alan Pardew has today admitted that he is looking for a player to take over the number nine shirt that was vacated by Andy Carroll when he left for Liverpool on transfer deadline day.

The worrying thing for me is that he says that he could be looking for someone from within the club to ‘step up to the plate’ and fill the void left by Carroll, but then he also says that they are scouring the transfer market in one of those ‘look at us we’re really looking’ kind of speeches that are becoming more and more common these days.

Now I’ll probably end up getting a little bitter during this, but it won’t be directed at anyone in particular. It will just be more of a general rambling about the way I feel about a shirt I love. To be honest, the last few words of the last sentence are kind of my point – “the way I feel about a shirt I love” – I love – We love!.

The number nine just doesn’t matter any more, not to anybody who will end up wearing the shirt anyway. Foolishly I thought that Carroll may have picked up the baton where Alan Shearer left off and become the next great Newcastle number nine. After all, it is what he said when he used to tell us how he was ‘living the dream’ and all that stuff. In truth it was easy to listen to as it was one of our own telling us, and you tend to listen a bit more when one of your own has something to say, or at least I do, or did, anyway.

Carroll dropped the baton though and off he went to Liverpool. Now I’m not debating the the reasons behind his sale, why he was sold, who was to blame, or anything like that. Quite simply that has been done a million times now and it’s always ends up being the same argument. What Newcastle, and us fans as well of course, must do now is focus on the next one.

That’s if it even matters any more. The legend of Milburn, Gallacher, Supermac, Shearer, Paul Goddard 😉 is just that now – a legend. The thought of any of our current crop of players filling the shirt sends shivers down my spine if I’m being honest. Don’t get me wrong, some of our strikers have surprised me, especially Leon Best, but he ain’t no number nine, not for Newcastle United anyway!

To me the number nine should be someone who is talismanic, a figurehead for the club and an ambassador of loyalty to the black and white stripes that ALL of us value so highly. Unfortunately that theory fell over when I mentioned the word loyalty. Silly me. The very last shred of loyalty will disappear from the Premier League when Ryan Giggs hangs up his boots.

With that disappearing loyalty goes with it the legend of the number nine shirt in my view. Put simply it may as well be retired and awarded to the fans at NUFC as they are the only people that it really matters to any more. At least that way we can remember those who wore it with pride rather than those who would give it up for a few bob.

It’s a sad situation, but it’s true unfortunately. The legendary number nine can buy you things that money can never buy you, but unfortunately it won’t buy you another Ferrari!

R.I.P – 9!

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

123 thoughts on “Number 9 – What does it mean?

  1. It’s not the number that’s special, it’s some of the players who have worn it that were. Until we sign another “special” forward to play it in it’ll just be another number like any other I’m afraid. 😥

    You don’t like Goddard then? 😀

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  2. Rich – He isn’t top of my list no 😉

    Mind you, he hasn’t been the worst like and I did see him have some great games for us

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  3. Did he not keep us up 1 season tho with a late flurry of goals? 1 goal in 3 we’ve defo had worse……mind I could outpace him with my steel cappers on 😆

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  4. Just retire the shirt – we can’t just keep giving it out here and there. Martins wasn’t fir for it, and for Carroll he was a complete disgrace.

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  5. Aye Rich. I’ve always been against him for some reason but he did do alright for us at times. I think it was because I was there to watch Gazza and Pedro and Goddard looked shyte in comparison 🙂

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  6. Anyway Rich. We best stop reminiscing as DJG will feel left out of these stories that go back further than 2004 😆

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  7. number nine to me means a reliable source of goals and someone who is guaranteed to bang in 15-290 a season

    If we want to push on we need someone to convert the chances we have wasted to kill of teams like Blakcpool, Fulham, Blackburn away, Bolton home, Spurs home, Sunlun away

    If we had taken the chances that fell to the strikers in them matches we would be flying…

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  8. CC
    Posted March 12, 2011 at 9:38 AM

    “number nine to me means a reliable source of goals and someone who is guaranteed to bang in 15-290 a season”

    That’s an impressive goal return for a season mind 😉

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  9. CC
    Posted March 12, 2011 at 9:41 AM

    “Shut up bellend im typing with a tray on me knee”

    Ah that explains it then. Trying using a laptop next time and not a tray 😆

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  10. Batty – They’re a tough team to beat mate. It won’t be easy. Better teams than us have been beaten by them.

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  11. Aye plus its unreal when you think fat sam got sacked for skipping along the touchline in that cup match, Because drawing with a fizzy pop team aint enough and a couple years on were the promtoed side and their the established prerm one… 😯

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  12. aye but 2 games unbeaten batty 😆 ….and it’s 4 if you count friendies and youth cup 😉 😆

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  13. was it 3 or 4 nil the last time we played them at the victoria ground cannit remmember as i was pissed beardo scored 2 and ginola got 1 of there players sent of 😕

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  14. rich they havent lost in 7 at home so must be due ,iam hoping they dont lose tomoz then that will be 8 🙂

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  15. Toonsy, can’t believe you didn’t include Sir Les and Andy Cole in your list.
    However, I think Leon Best albeit not in their class should be given the opportunity if he’s prepared to take the pressure.
    Andy Carroll demanded it and he was raw but it helped him progress. I wouldn’t have any problem with handing the shirt over to Best if he thinks he can handle it.

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  16. Oh and you forgot to mention Bobby Shinton as one of the great number 9’s!!!!!!!
    Shame on you!
    Top scorer for the Toon during 80/81 season with 7 goals in the old second division.

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  17. Alreet Nora.
    Can’t believe Worky has barred me from his site cos he thinks I’ve got a dozen pseudonyms!!
    You know I only post under bobby and Troy . Troy is harmless and doesn’t slag anyone.
    Bring back bobby!

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  18. Im all in for retirering the number 9 or just leave it vacated and see how Airey or Campbell turns out.

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  19. “the alan pardew project”?it’s up there with the “joan collin’s fan club 😛

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  20. toonsy
    Posted March 12, 2011 at 9:36 AM
    Anyway Rich. We best stop reminiscing as DJG will feel left out of these stories that go back further than 2004

    🙄

    Nobody should get the no. 9 unless we sign a forward in the summer who is right for it. Even Martins shouldn’t have had it IMHO he wasn’t prolific or talismanic enough.

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  21. I think because of the way Carroll left the club has soured the nr 9 shirt somewhat unfortunately. Not because he was a legend, but COULD have become one.

    Alan Shearer has spoiled us with his loyalty, dedication, goals, and of course he’s a Geordie….he’ll never be bettered imo…

    Retire the shirt I say, as a mark of respect for Alan Shearer…

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  22. DJG….I heard that toonsy had a full size poster of Alvin Stardust above his bed…but I don’t want to start any rumours like…

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  23. Yes, so are most people here associating no. 9 with transfer fee? We shouldn’t give it to anyone unless they are talismanic or prolific enough is the thing I am seeing repeatedly.

    Then that means we shouldn’t give it to anyone for about 3 seasons, because you need that to be considered prolific and talismanic here apparently. Leon Best seems to score every other game yet he is still held as **** here.

    So you either want goals and effectiveness…… or a big transfer. Which is it?

    Emile Heskey’s stats for England proved his effectiveness – but Michael Owen’s transfer showed name power doesn’t mean jack.

    The guy for the shirt, in my opinion, is someone who randomly pops up without anyone even thinking about him yet he runs our team on the pitch so well, you never notice. Out of the current lot – I’d say Kevin Nolan. Mock away.

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  24. He is our highest scorer this season, second highest last season, he is a fantastic captain as proven at two clubs, he is a clear yet not arrogant leader, he has guts – taking over our team huddle on his first match for the club takes guts and quite clearly the team and management respect him.

    Is that not someone who seems ideal for the no. 9 shirt?

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  25. aha….don’t remember it mate… I was in the Bigg Market when that was doing the rounds…I’m an old fart… not too old, but too old for button moon…

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  26. Moreno…fill your boots mate…put a few sheckels on these babies…

    Bayern Munich v Hamburg Home
    Hoffenheim v Borussia Dortmund Away
    Wolfsburg v FC Nurnberg Away
    Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach Home

    If it doesn’t come off it’s not my fault of course…

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  27. Love Fergie…the PL will be a lot less fun without him….Wenger too…

    The EPL was at it’s peak when we had Ferguson, Mourinho, Wenger, Benitez et al regularly *****-slapping each other…great times…enjoy it while we can cos these personalities aren’t getting any younger…

    The Bundesliga is also poorer for the loss of the colourful characters…Oliver Kahn, Jens Lehmann….always good for some controversy…mental cases both of them… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iypiQzQ7_g&feature=related

    http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/11/03/12/SOCCER_Man_Utd_Managers.html&BID=165

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  28. Moreno..Wolfsburg are a bit of a rudderless ship at the moment, they bladdered McLaren, Dzeko gone, brought Diego back to the Bundesliga… But Nürnberg are the surprise team, putting a real good run together…a team in form, scoring goals for fun……(that’s me put the heeby-jeeby’s on them !)…

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  29. hmm I will put them on my ridiculous odds coupon then….I usually run 3, one i expect to win, a 4 draw coupon and a mega one which i whack a quid on.

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  30. Moreno…that sounds like a sensible move mate…should give you canny odds I would imagine..

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  31. I used to bet on the footy on the fixed odds coupon when I lived in the UK…but I don’t bet at all now… good fun though, gives you something else to look forward to if you’re team are losing !!

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  32. reet…suns shining, 15°….gonna laze around in the garden for a while… 😎 😎 😎 🙂 🙂

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  33. aye…heard about it…crazy weather scenario…though March is always sunny in Bavaria……

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  34. “Yes, so are most people here associating no. 9 with transfer fee? We shouldn’t give it to anyone unless they are talismanic or prolific enough is the thing I am seeing repeatedly”……where?

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  35. ” Leon Best seems to score every other game yet he is still held as **** here”……again where?

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  36. fj,

    This blog has ran multiple articles on how much we rate Leon Best this season….must be getting confused with somewhere else mate…

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  37. Anyone who thinks just because Best has scored a few goals he is any good are watching a different player. Let’s not let the goals cloud our judgment, he’s pretty average, and hardly the future. Not saying get rid of him, but if we are to progress we would need strikers of a higher quality. That’s not being harsh, that’s just going off what i’ve seen of him so far, I would love it for him to prove me wrong.

    On topic, do you reckon we should try and ‘replace’ Carroll, try and get in another no9, the main man who would score us 15-20 a season, or buy a couple to share the load?

    I’m thinking the later.

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  38. At the minute, the latter as I still think we are at the vulnerable stage. Shelling out money on one player could hurt us more as we don’t have the squad to cope with it.

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  39. Agreed latter.

    Best is not a big money prem striker never was and never will be but.. his allround play is improving vastly since last season. Aye he’s not very quick or the most pleasing striker on the eye but theres actually some things that he can do better than a lot. Things like being able to strike the ball with either foot, taking up a ‘alternative’ position in the box to Ameobi and hitting knockdowns. Yes you can say he’s not the future or lets not let a few goals cloud our judgement but at the moment he is a pretty important player for us make no mistake about that, and it isn’t easy scoring goals in the premier league fullstop, anyone that can is a valuable player.

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  40. ILM,

    depends on your definition of good though. I would class scoring a goal every two games in the Premier League as good. I am not saying he is world class but he is definitely not ‘****’

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  41. Any article ideas? Not much around to inspire me today and I’ve just woken up so my brain isn’t functioning yet 😉

    I’m just not writing irrelevant **** about how Kuqi loves it here, how Nolan has been waxing-lyrical and how Shola aims to be top scorer. It’s just laziness.

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  42. Do a one about Gatesheed vs Darlo, FA trophy semi-finals.

    Certainly more intersting than the ‘players need to fly off for a rest’ toon. The heed have a better chance of wembley than the toon ever do. 🙂

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  43. It’s more interesting than ‘Nolans got a nail in his tire’. Or ‘Shola’s lost his wallet again’. 😉

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