Luckily (or perhaps extremely unluckily) I won tickets at work to the recent Leicester game.
Being a Leicester local, however, the catch with these tickets were that I had to sit in the home end pretending that I was there to watch the likes of Tielemans and whoever Dewsbury-Hall is.
I sat with my brother (whispering criticisms to each other) and a friend from work who supports Leicester.
My friend was keen to share some of the things about Leicester, like how the clappers mostly had one player as the picture or how the shirt cannons tended to fail in reaching the upper echelons, but, in all honesty, everything felt extremely small time and forced.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not doubting Leicester’s hierarchy and the ambitions they have to create a big club, but I sat there feeling like there was an imbalance. It didn’t feel right that this club who relied on goal music and gimmicks to create an atmosphere was miles ahead of us in infrastructure and recent success.
I was born in Leicester, I’ve lived in the city my whole life but my heart is with Newcastle. Initially, in a bid to help cultivate my love of football, my parents bought a season ticket to Filbert Street until my Heaton-born dad decided that the seven hour round journey was infinitely more important to see Newcastle play at St James’s Park. Mild interest was prompted in Filbert Street but a burning passion was born in St James’s.
I’ve always seen a difference in fan attitude to the respective clubs and I’m not doubting Leicester City fans’ love for their club. I know some cracking people who bleed blue, but it feels different on a city wide scale. Maybe I’m blinkered and biased, but I can’t shake the feeling that there is a difference in the two cities for the love of their football club.
Writing this currently, it feels like I’m writing a criticism of Leicester City and it’s really not supposed to be that. Supporters of their club deserve to experience joy and happiness from their team.
I’m trying to explain that Newcastle United is massive and really should be in a stronger and higher position (something that we will hopefully achieve soon). Just from our support, we absolutely deserve success and aspiration.
I’ve had many friends and colleagues mention how impressive our away support was yesterday and I’m proud to be able to agree with them. Our support is special and we should always acknowledge that.
A teenage lad started singing after their first goal “You’re not singing anymore” and his face was an absolute picture when he realised that we weren’t going to stop. It didn’t matter that we went down to 4-0 because our fans kept singing and they showed what we truly are.
We are unique. We are special. We are Newcastle United.
Boring – another “big” club who can hardly stay in the division but who think they are marvellous
you’re not
Pafoxx(Quote)
Disrespectful rubbish. The last thing of any importance that you won was 66 years ago. 90% of your fan base weren’t even alive.
I genuinely have felt for your fans under Ashley, but you are stupidly blinkered if you think this new owner will buy you instant success. No one wants to play that far North that’s any decent. The only players you will attract are the greedy with no loyalty, and journeymen after their last payroll .
You’re unique. You’re definitely special. You’re soon to be Championship
Foxeseatmagpies(Quote)
What a load of tosh. I too was born in Leicester and had school friends who became instant Liverpool fans back in the sixties (I wonder why?). Though I had to migrate to Australia with my parents when I was fourteen, by then my blood was running blue, always has, and always will. Over the years I’ve met many ‘fans’ who support (insert team name here) who just happen to be flying high at the top of the epl, or as it was back in the day, the old first division. Newcastle, big club? What about Huddersfield, Bolton, Portsmouth? How far back in history do you want to go? Come back in a few years when your new found wealth might buy you a title and put you up there with those other title purchasers the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea etc
Jon(Quote)
So, why is it that whenever Newcastle play at home, the ground’s half-empty by 60 minutes?
Best fans in the world, hotbed of football etc etc. Bore off. We’ll see how passhunut you are when you’re 45 nil down at home against Man City on Sunday.
Best thing your club’s done in 60+ years is fleece us of £30m for Perez.
Duncan Disorderly(Quote)
What defines a “Big Club”? One that last won a domestic competition in the 1950’s? If that’s the case most clubs are “Big Clubs” I do respect that Newcastle people support their local team. If the author had supported his local team he would have a lot more to cheer about.
Oyesfortheyoungster(Quote)
I’m sure you’ll be back where you belong when the league starts awarding points for loving your club and talking bollocks.
BourbonFox(Quote)
For me a big club is who you can buy , not how many fans you have, what you did in times gone by nor how much money you have now and not how much the fans so deserve better (do you really??)
we had £40 mill – got Tielemans
You had £40 mill – Joelinton
if Leicester had £100 mill – Ronaldo wouldn’t sign for us
If you had £100 mill – Ronaldo wouldn’t sign for you
By my definition, we are bigger than you but not as big as Man Utd
Pafoxx(Quote)
In the last ten years your home town club have been League One champions, Championship champions and Premier League champions. We have won The FA Cup, won The Charity Shield. qualified for Europe three times and got to the Champion’s League quarter final. It has been a hell of a ride. How monumentally stupid to turn your back on that and adopt another club that just about scrapes survival most years. You missed out mate. You backed the wrong horse you fool!
Bloo(Quote)
Thursday 16 December
Proper big club 3 : Newcastle 1
Liverpool another step closer to title/ European qualification
Newcastle another step closer to Championship – mind you, they might win promotion next season
Pafoxx(Quote)
We are unique, we are special we are Newcastle united 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
Good luck with your a level project you absolute whopper
Laughingatyounotwithyou(Quote)
the championship needs a special club, looks like they’re going to get one
and yesterday – proper big club 4: Newcastle 0
and good luck with your CSE project entitled “Deluded? no way, we’re unique! so unique we know the world works in reverse – failure = great success makes us a big club”
Pafoxx(Quote)