If I had lived my entire life not seeing Newcastle United win a trophy, it honestly wouldn’t have bothered me.
I have always just felt privileged to be born a Newcastle United fan (Though when 16 March 2025 did come along, it was bloody brilliant. That winning a trophy thing!!).
So lucky to have been born in Newcastle Upon Tyne, having such a brilliant local club to support.
Of course I never had a choice, I am so proud of my city and to me the football club and city are absolutely entwined, they are the same thing for me.
Imagine growing up on Tyneside and then deciding to ‘support’ a football club that you have no connection with, a football club many miles away in a city you couldn’t care a less about?
How soulless must that be?
Sitting at home, watching on TV and counting the number of trophies ‘your’ club is winning. Liverpool, Manchester United, whoever…
Compare that to growing up and going to St James’ Park in the 1970s (or whenever), the rites of passage as you start going with older family members and then finally are allowed to go with your mates. Then the even bigger step, getting to away matches and all the excitement that went with that.
I know a lot has changed now.
For example, if you are getting to the age now where you want to go to St James’ Park, you face a fight with so many others to get tickets, unless family sort you out. Whilst away matches are simply an impossibility.
However, in many ways, nothing has changed, at least not for me.
That is in terms of just enjoying it all, to be one of the Newcastle United fans lucky enough to support our brilliant club. Whether inside or outside of St James’ Park.
I am sure that down the years, many of you will have experienced, especially when away on holiday, meeting people from other cities, towns and so on, who have nothing but disgust for where they are from, apathy at best. So many of them saying they couldn’t wait to get away from where they were born and grew up, or still trapped there and wishing they could leave.
I know of course that countless Geordies have left Tyneside, especially due to work. However, you will find very few of them who haven’t retained their love for where they came from.
Any Newcastle United fan who has now dug a misery hole so deep that they can’t/won’t climb out of, have a look in the mirror.
This season hasn’t gone totally to plan but it has still been class in so many ways.
Away matches are in my past now BUT I still get such a kick out of vicariously enjoying seeing so many of my fellow Newcastle United fans heading to France, Belgium, Spain, Germany and Azerbaijan.
Just I did back in the day when travelling to Spain, Italy, France, Ukraine, Germany, Serbia and the rest.
The same when I saw our fans celebrating at Villa this season in the FA Cup, at Everton in the Premier League and so on.
Being a football fan is not about winning trophies, not for me anyway.
It is about enjoying the moment, that goal, that win, that pint or ten afterwards.
So few clubs win the major trophies, now thankfully we have been one of them in this modern era, rather than just in black and white.
To think of yourself as so entitled, whichever team you support, as to think it is only about winning trophies, is so disrespectful of all proper football fans. Who support their team regardless, where it doesn’t affect their love for their club, whether they win or lose, whether they see trophies won or not.
So just enjoy tonight, Newcastle United taking on Barcelona for a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.
If we win, great.
If we lose, so be it.
I will still wake up tomorrow as a Newcastle United fan, for that I am eternally grateful.