What does the Newcastle shirt mean to you?
Posted on June 20th, 2010 | 216 Comments |
However, after perusing the latest editorial from True Faith, I feel I can take nothing apart from an exception to certain parts of it.
In a nutshell, they are usually a sound read. I may not agree with everything written, but generally speaking they are more than worth a read. In the latest editorial entitled “No capital outlay”, the writer freely admits that he thinks that adults that buy Newcastle replica shirts are “mugs, not mags”.
I understand that what is written is only the view of one person and all that, but then on the flip side of that, this is only my view on it, and it would only be fair if I had the opportunity to have my say on the whole thing and to explain just what the Newcastle shirt means to me, all in the interest of balance of course. Equally, it gives you guys and gals the opportunity to have your say on the matter.
Most of you know that I no longer live in or near Newcastle. I have family up there still, close family like sisters, nephews, nieces, aunties, uncles etc. I was born in Hexham (a strange story), lived in Prudhoe, Winlaton and Crawcrook. I started going to St James’ Park when I was five years old, although not alone obviously. Since birth I have been a Newcastle fan. I am a lad from the North-East!
Unfortunately, circumstances change and we moved away from the area so my Dad could get some work. I had to settle away from the area, went to school, left school, got a job, and so on. This is where my obsession with wearing Newcastle kits came along, because I had to finish growing up away from the area I had started growing up in.
Perhaps it is easy for whoever wrote that article for True Faith to think I am a mug, after all he is probably surrounded by thousands of like-minded individuals who follow Newcastle United. But not all of us are in the same fortunate position as him.
Newcastle are lucky enough to have a following throughout the UK, and indeed throughout the world. I go to games, I go to as many as I can as long as work doesn’t get in the way. After all, it does pay the bills! Not all people are fortunate enough to have the fine city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne on their doorstep, not all people are fortunate enough to be able to make games on a regular basis. They are unable to contribute to the club in the form of match tickets on a regular basis, so how else can they do it? Those ‘mugs’ buy the shirts.
It goes a bit deeper than that though. Many people who live away from Tyneside have to suffer the fate of being surrounded by fans of other teams, mainly Manchester United, Liverpool blah blah, you get the drift. I wear my shirt as it gives me a sense of identity, a display that I don’t follow the crowd and that I have stuck with the team that I was born into supporting. The shirt not only displays what team I support, but it also shows that I am true to my roots.
It’s not the same for everyone as we all have our own reason for wanting to wear the shirt, or not perhaps, and for wanting to buy merchandise and so on. It’s not because we are ‘mugs’, it’s our way of contributing to the club and showing our support.
As I said earlier on, True Faith is usually a good read, but on this point they are far wide of the mark, in my opinion anyway.
NUFCBlog Author: toonsy
toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.
I think it sucks especially if it has Toon Army on the Collar (taking the piss if it has).
The blue kit is almost exactly the same as italy’s puma kit just looks a slightly different shade of blue same neck same trim same template.
MA is getting fook all of my hard earned sterling and an excellent piece by true faith which I posted on the other thread this morning.