The story of a Newcastle fan in India.

toonsy

Not this kind of doctor!
I had an e-mail the other day asking if I would be interested in publishing an article about how a Newcastle fan nearly halfway around the world came about supporting the Toon.

Now I’m always interested in things like this as I’m very proud that Newcastle United have such a large and diverse fan base that is spread so far across the globe, so naturally I agreed. Please read this as it’s pretty compelling and shows just how much Newcastle United means to us all!

Greetings lads and lasses.

I don’t know how many of you have noticed me sporadically commenting on the posts here, anyway I post under the name of ‘Deepak is an Indian Toon’ and this is the story of how a boy living so far away and with absolutely no connections to Newcastle United or the area became an ardent and fanatic supporter of the club.

Now, I was born into a middle class Indian family in South India (Kerala to be precise), one which had a strong lineage of doctors. Both of my parents are doctors, as is my uncle, and we have a hospital, so it’s fair to say that sports was not exactly paramount in the family. Incidentally it was my Dad who introduced me to the beautiful game almost 12 years back. I remember the first match I saw on TV was Leeds United against…well..uhmm..somebody I really don’t remember.

Moving on, the manner in which I became an NUFC
fan was purely coincidental. I remember glancing at the league table that popped up on the TV one night while having dinner with my family in the year of 2001 and right on top of the table was Newcastle United. The name instantly struck to my head partially because I thought we were the best and partially because….well, I just simply liked the name to be honest.

At this point of time, I knew nothing about various clubs and who were the best and all that, so I decided to support NUFC, although I vaguely remember my friends were all Manchester United fans – I actually thought then that they were being stupid and I was the intelligent guy for supporting the best team around!

We subsequently threw away that lead in true Newcastle fashion and finished 4th in the league that year behind only Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, but by then my mind had been made up. I had fallen in love and I still remember the lap of appreciation that our boys took that night around St James Park. I vividly remember the emotions on the faces of Nobby Solano and Laurent Robert and also the fans. It was then that it struck me just how much it meant to everyone.

The next season was even better and we managed to give a real title push, at least for about half of the season before fading off and finishing 3rd that year. The legendary Sir Bobby Robson was doing a great job with the team and I was starting to dream. Trophies, goals, top scorers and everything in between was drifting through my head.

I couldn’t have been more wrong though as from then on started the dark days in the club’s recent history. The 2003-04 season wasn’t a disaster by any stretch of imagination as the club finished 5th and wasn’t too bad in the Champions League but it still provoked Mr Freddy Shepherd to fire the much loved and admired Sir Bobby Robson. It was true that we hadn’t qualified for the Champions League and that we failed to get past its group stage, but it was still not a big enough reason in my books to fire the great man.

The club then chose to appoint Graeme Souness as the manager and we finished 14th in his first season. That season will stick in my mind for the fight between Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer on the pitch in the match against Aston Villa. I remember almost being in tears as I saw two players who were supposed to have the club at heart fight like that in front of the watching world. And to add insult to injury, every single one of my gloryhunting friends had a field day teasing me about it!

That summer signalled the beginning of the arrival of the money grabbing losers at the club with Michael Owen and Albert Luque amongst others. My hopes, like every other Newcastle fan, were raised sky high only for it to come crashing down.The great Alan Shearer also retired at the end of that season and that left a gaping hole in our team which has yet to be filled and which I doubt will be filled in the near future. A finish of 7th that year was followed by a 13th placed finish and then a 12th placed one as Souness was replaced by Roeder who was then replaced by Big Sam Allardyce.

The Mike Ashley express then came to town and was met with a sense of optimism from me, and he actually made some pleasing moves by sacking the unpopular Allardyce and replacing him with King Keegan. It was a hugely spectacular and popular decision which turned out to be a match made in hell. Keegan resigned within six months leaving us with Joe Kinnear, Chris Hughton and Alan Shearer in a desperate attempt to stave off relegation, which was subsequently unsuccessful. I remember sitting in front of the T.V and literally crying as the scenes of relegation unfolded after a spineless effort from our team.

That was a time when, if I am being honest, I took stock of my love for the club. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to see any matches as the Championship was not telecast in India and I was in hostel doing my Medicine degree and hadn’t bought a laptop yet. I knew I would face a lot of teasing and bugging from everybody around and I had no idea whether we would bounce right back. But, all those doubts lasted only a few moments as I realised that if there was one club in the world I could support, it was Newcastle United.

That year was particularly tough as I couldn’t see even a single match live and literally had to follow every match through live text commentary on the Sky Sports website or on my phone, most of the time at 2 or 3 in the morning. Those were hard times but I managed to get a laptop by the time we won the final game and lifted the trophy and I also managed to see us win a huge trophy in pre-season against Deportivo.

The season that has just gone by was a highly fulfilling one. I managed to watch almost every match and we played some decent footy. Although I got a lot of stick from many fans for the sale of Carroll and sacking of Hughton, I believed that we had enough to see us through, and eventually we did come through.

So, to sum up, I am now 22 years old and have been a fan for 11 years now and I have never met a fellow NUFC fan face to face all this while. I don’t have an NUFC jersey as Puma or Adidas don’t sell our jerseys in their stores in India and its too expensive to buy from the official store as the delivery charges are double the cost of the shirt. I have never been to a top level football match in my life and can only dream of how St James’ Park will be in full voice.

Despite all this, I believe I am as ardent a fan as anybody. I am so interested in the club’s news that I keep updating Newsnow, Twitter and this ‘blog every five minutes just to see if something new has come up, so much so that my friends tease me saying that I would even know when a player has gone to the loo!

I love my club and I stand up for it against anybody, even if I am outnumbered 10:1, which is mostly the case. I know that although every single fan of the other so called “BIG” clubs take the **** out of me for supporting Newcastle, deep down they admire me for sticking with my club.

I am fiercely proud of my club and looking back, I am actually happy that it was Newcastle at the top of the table on that fateful day in 2001 and I didn’t go on to become a gloryhunter, because despite the results, the passion and love that is associated with Newcastle is unique and special. My dad is ruing the fact that it was him who started my craze as it has become the first love in my life, surpassing my medicine course.

I have big dreams of doing my residency in Newcastle or in the UK, or at least coming to St James’ Park one day and seeing our heroes and the stadium with my own eyes. God willing, I hope one day I will be able to.

And if anyone is wondering if I am an optimistic or a pessimistic fan – I am an eternal optimist. I believe that God gives you only one life and its up to you make yourselves happy, even if that means letting yourselves go and dreaming for sometime.

My name is Deepak Venugopalan and this is my story.

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.

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170 thoughts on “The story of a Newcastle fan in India.”

  2. by the way – apropos nothing at all – Matt Smith (the Doctor) – used to play schoolboy football U16 with my oldest lad. He was a canny player

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  3. Deepak, you’re an honorary “super Geordie” mate. A true toon fan through thick and thin…top lad…

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  4. Love hearing stories like this. Well played Deepak and I hope one day that you get to go to SJP and fulfil your ambition. Top man 🙂

    By the way, send your Dad on here and we’ll sort him out 😈

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  5. Moreno – You about? Look in drafts at my latest blog. You’ll know the one I mean 😉

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  6. Thanks guys…means a lot that you people have appreciated me and taken me in with as much love and care as you have done.And a big thanks to Toonsy for aloowing me to share my story..

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  7. *allowing

    And toonsy-Will get right onto it buddy,but I doubt whether it will be of any good.. 😆

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  8. Well,my aim is to be a newcastle manager,and mark my words i am going to achieve it.

    And when i achieve it,rmb me, AOD. 😳

    Hopefully some of you can live till that day..

    Firstly i need to sort out my National service in my country before i undertake football coaching courses. :mrgreen:

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  10. Great to read Deepak! Really hope you get to visit England and watch a match at St James, nothing in the world beats it 😀

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  12. Thanks TheDimpleboy-Will be a great day when and if I finally do…:)

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  15. Yeah Deepak. You need to try and swing some of your countrymen and get them to see the light 😉

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  20. Batty – I’m sure he has tops, just not a Newcastle one 😆

    Nah I know what you mean though. Sometimes things are put in perspective when you read things like that. You just don’t realise how much it costs overseas and how we take it for granted at times.

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  21. Batty – 😆

    We should get Rich tdonate one of his tops. I mean you could fit half of India in his circus big-top so it would be ideal 😆

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  22. Good stuff deepak! I’ve been a toon fan for 12 years. I remember watching newcastle vs. Liverpool back in 98 when i was 8 yrs old. i will never forget ‘the entertainers’ days with Gary speed, tino asprilla, shearer and hislop. Anyways, I visited SJP a month ago…. Pity i couldnt catch a match at sjp. In the meantime, i’ll be catching the U15’s next week in singapore for the lion city cup! Will definitely report on the future magpies.

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  24. Toonsy- Try as I might, I just cannot make them come around you know.Many of them are as fickle as they can be…I know of fans who started supporting Chelsea when Roman came on and have now shifted to Man City as they are doing all the buying along with having a small period of supporting MAn Utd when they won the Champions LEague in between…:)

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  26. Deepak @ 24 – I wouldn’t worry mate. Some people in England are just like that aswell 😉

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  27. Get yourself to a mackems game Deepak. And if you make it over, don’t forget to go to an away game as well. Our away fans truly are the best!

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  29. Sunlounger-Share the sentiments mate…hopefully,will be able to follow your footsteps and make it to SJP one day.. 🙂

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  30. Moreno – Don’t know why I was even looking to be honest, but when I saw it I just thought “the cheek of it” like 🙄

    Reckon it will have an effect on the smarmy Essex ****? Reem 😀

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  31. Brilliant – Deepak hope you make it to the Toon for your residency – top bloke

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  32. Cheik & Bake- Thats the dream,mate.Am in my final year of medicine,so am exploring ways to get into a hospital U.K or Newcastle to do my residency…fingers crossed mate..!!! 😉

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  33. good thread,and TOONSY think the guy should get the compo prize imo,dont think the guys would mind that 😀

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  35. Nice 1 mate,a smashing read from a lad who`s obviously black & white through and through,,,hopefully you`ll get to see SJP in its glory,if so i`d be over the moon to buy you a pint.Stay safe and keep the faith brother… 😉

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  38. Nice one Deepak. Sounds like it’s in your blood now mate. Good to hear that newcastle fans are suffering all over the world these days, and not just on tyneside;-)

    Where you from AOD?

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  39. Deepak flying from India to Newcastle is probably quicker than it would take me on a smegabus from Birmingham 😆

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  42. Jay Jay – 😉
    Big Al and boater- thanks for the support guys..

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  43. Great to see NUFC fanbase is not limited to UK …. It is all over the globe… as myself supporting toon since 10 years …. and I am in Pakistan…

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  44. Good on you, Deepak. If I were you I’d start researching how to get a posting at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) here in Newcastle. Apart from allowing idiot students like me (25 years ago, mind) it’s a great place.

    SJP is everything you’d hope, although not every match is an eardrum-breaker.

    Oh, and since I live 400 miles away now, you and I have something in common: neither of us got to a game last season! 🙄

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  46. Deepak: you can answer a question for Mr Ashley: what can the club do to help increase its fan-base in India? The shops would start stocking NUFC kit if there were enough people wanting it, and I’m sure the club would love to know how to go about making that happen!

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  47. Great article Deepak!

    As a supporter from afar myself I can really relate. Though I’ve supported the club since the 90s it has only been the last 4-5 years with technology improvements and expanded TV coverage that I’ve felt like a proper supporter able to watch every match, read the daily news etc.

    I share your love of the blog as well. Since I can’t converse on the toon with friends, family, or patrons out at the pubs, I rely on this place for the banter as you do. Makes me hope that Toonsy keeps it safe on the motorways 😉

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  48. MDS – This isn’t a one man band. Even if I met a bus fireball death I’m sore Moreno and the rest would carry it on. I’m dispensible 😉

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  53. LOL MM- definitely didn’t mean to slight the hard work of others. Toonsy just always makes it seem like he does all the work 😉

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  54. Whumpie-Thanks for the advice mate…will really get onto it!!! :mrgreen:

    And by the way,the stocking of jerseys is a very irritating thing over here,They have the jerseys of all the big clubs…like Man Utd,Chelsea etc but a Newcastle is not available at Puma stores or even online Indian websites…I guess its because the fan base is low but for the base to increase we really have to perform on the pitch or atleast do some pre-season tours in India I guess…What pisses me off no end is that Puma has jerseys of Tottenham but not us…!!!! 👿

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  55. MDS
    Posted June 13, 2011 at 4:33 PM

    “LOL MM- definitely didn’t mean to slight the hard work of others. Toonsy just always makes it seem like he does all the work”

    Funnily enough, every boss I’ve had has said the same thing 😆

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  57. MDS…Toonsy is the dogs bollocks mate, and that Moreno bloke isn’t too bad either… 😆 glad we have them on wor team… 😆 😆

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  58. MDS- I hope so too…its great that Toonsy is so approachable and is always a part of us…It would have been easy to get on the high horse on having such a wonderful blog,but kudos to him for being such a delightful human being and I have to say,he is easily the best blogmaster around in all toon blogs…

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  61. Toonsy…thats one serious gold star@58 mate…don’t let workythingymebob see that one ! 😆 😆

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  63. icedog…cannot manage it mate, my brain hurts when I write longer than 28 seconds… 😆

    How ya deein, hope all is well down your way ?

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  65. I prefer to think of it a succint rather than flippant mate 😉

    “and I have to say,he is easily the best blogmaster around in all toon blogs” –
    I reckon I might write an article on that…. 😆 😆 😆

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  66. Deepak – well done that lad… ive been a toon lad since 1990 and the best 21 years you could imagine!

    toonsy – anything in the reports our major signing could be llorente?????

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  67. Great story Deepak….I know at times it probably doesn’t feel like it but you made the right choice 😉

    Toonsy@21….it’s a good job that I’m not intelligent enough to realise when I’m being insulted or that could really have hurt 😥

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  68. deepak is an indian toon
    Posted June 13, 2011 at 4:38 PM

    “MDS- I hope so too…its great that Toonsy is so approachable and is always a part of us…It would have been easy to get on the high horse on having such a wonderful blog,but kudos to him for being such a delightful human being and I have to say,he is easily the best blogmaster around in all toon blogs…”

    ^^^ This is getting framed 😀

    Don’t let certain people see it 😆

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  69. Top bloke, officially an adopted Geordie …….Howay the Deepak 😉 😉 😉
    ………feel for you m8 being away from the church of St James “Gods country” Newcastle is affectionately known as for a fair ol few of us.
    I miss me season ticket like, haven’t been back since 2008, 11.00am doon to the local, meet the lads, 12.00pm taxi to the goose for a few then the match!! Crappy half-time pie & a pint (or three! 😆 ) ……ahhh can still smell the place sittin here in the dust bowl 😥 😎 😎

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  71. geordieqatar
    Posted June 13, 2011 at 4:47 PM

    “……….second that @58 ……blog on :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: ”

    And this one ^^^^ 😆 😆 😆

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  73. Third that @ 58 …been to other blogs and not received the sam level of insight (at times ) as on this one 😆

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  74. Hey Deepak me too from Kerala. May be we should join in and visit the Newcastle! ;D

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