Newcastle DO still have pulling power!

Posted on July 29th, 2010 | 82 Comments |

Our magnificent support.
Our magnificent support.
It’s an easy thing to say, especially when your view is a little biased, like mine for example, but Newcastle do seem to still have a bit of pulling power about them.

It would have been easy to lose it after our season out of the top flight. It would have been easy to lose it after all of the shenanigans of the last few years, yet still that pulling power remains.

Players still recognise Newcastle, they know all about St James’ Park, all about our fans, Alan Shearer, Bobby Robson and so on. Those are all things that won’t be forgotten by just having one year away from the top flight of English football.

This isn’t a tubthumping “we are a big club” exercise, far from it in fact. The point I am trying to make is that the name of Newcastle is still well known. We aren’t viewed like a newly promoted team would normally be, we are expected to survive and kick on, depending on what you read of course.

We do have a massive following of fans, from every corner of the globe, which is brilliant. But with that comes more attention, more scrutiny, a greater lust for information, particularly from the press. To feed that desire for information they dig up any old story, after all, with the size of the fanbase we have it’s logical to suggest that Newcastle news helps to sell papers and generate them more money.

Then you look at the TV companies, who have chosen a fair few of our games for live TV coverage. Why is this though? Viewing figures and income I would suggest; Newcastle sells remember! I very much doubt that the live TV cameras will be coming to Tyneside to enjoy the wintery weather that will shortly be with us, so there has to be a benefit to them somewhere along the line, not that I’m being cynical or anything.

We have also maintained some pulling power with players, although that depends on what you want to believe. Dan Gosling had a pick of clubs to go to after his acrimonious departure from Everton a couple of weeks back, yet he chose us over the rest of them. Sol Campbell was another player who was being courted by a few clubs, yet he also chose us over the rest of them.

Cynics will perhaps suggest that money swayed the decision in our favour, and that both Campbell and Gosling signed on with us as they got offered higher wages at Newcastle than they would have got elsewhere. Does that really sound like something Mike Ashley would be prepared to do though? I’m not so certain, certainly not as sure as the press seem to be about the alleged wages the pair are on.

So we do still have pulling power. We may not currently have the financial power we used to have, but people still know who we are and still maintain an interest in us, although mainly that interest is for their own benefit and not ours.

The spotlight is back on us now, from a multitude of angles, albeit that spotlight has a slightly dimmer bulb, and a bit of a shade around it. The interest has returned, from player agents, players, press and media, and we won’t be allowed to plod on quietly like we were last season.

Oh the joy.

NUFCBlog Author: toonsy toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.

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82 Responses

  2. Of course we will be of interest to people, but I wonder if the media will be LESS intrusive as we arent the massive fish in the CCC, we are now just an extra team in the EPL, all the focus for transfers will rest on Man Shitty and Chelsea to a lesser degree now. Of course is we have an awful, or fantastic start then this may change but I think the press coverage will reduce this season.

  4. @ raffo: doubt that…we’ve always been the target of choice for the media…for them to berate our doing well and write it off as a fluke…and to write us of whe we flounder…so i think we’d best brace ourselves for a bumpy season on that front…

  6. Oh Toonsy. You really are as niave as goon chicken and skint Flint .
    The Toon were the only club to offer the baby Goose a contract without an injury insurance clause. That is why he left Everton as they demanded it in his contract.
    Sol has just married a Toon supporter and is in his final year of football. His hobby outside of football is architecture and he is setting up a project this year in Corbridge working with Barratt his father in law.
    I suggest you re-write your article and change the title to, Is the Toon an easy stop off for crocks, ageing footballers and nobody’s?

  7. For god’s sake Bobby – I fail to see where the issue is with these two signings. We have got them for free, fair enough they are on decent money a week, but not transfer fees were paid out. There are also 3 weeks of the window left. Can you perhaps dilute your criticism until the window has shut, and then if we are in the same position I will join you in your trench.

    Isnt it wise for Campbell to be planning ahead? I have a stable job but that doesnt mean I am not looking to the future. It is only the same as him wanting a coaching position put into his contract he just happens to be looking at a change of tack.

    Also, how do you know that Gossling hasnt any clause in his contract?

    Fernando – If we have the expected start I cant see us being any higher up on the media’s hit list, but of course we start badly, we get plums spouting about CH should be sacked, we should buy Torres, we should be bought out by Anil Ambani, we should be in the Champions League, for christ sake we need a dose of realism

  8. Raffo – why do you read posts and totally misinterpret the meaning?
    I was responding to Toonsy article that we must still have pulling power.
    I’ve gave the reasons why these two players chose us which I know are facts.
    We probably are big to those nearing the end of their careers and live on the clubs doorstep.
    Clearly you are another like Skint Flint, Richie Goon and Goon Chicken with their heads in the clouds.
    Wake up and smell the coffee before it’s too late and we are relegated once again .
    I’m not worried about the flak, I got it all last time when I predicted we would get relegated and the same fools gave me the same abuse.
    Don’t come crying when it’s too late.

  9. I do not have my head in the clouds, i am well aware of the situation we are in, but you will notice from my posts that I am a realist. I was commenting on your last post but also with reference to your posts last night.

    I think we need to wait until the windows shut, unless you have some contacts within the club and know more than i do

  10. @ raffo: aye you’re right on that point. it ultimately does boil down to the section of the supporters that overreact in the blinking of an eye not to give the media any more ammo to target us with…

  11. Soo who do ya think is gonna be Given Captin Nolan or Campbell? :P

  12. Bs9……head in the clouds?I’m a realist,don’t like Ashley but we’re stuck with him until he decides to go,take his money that he’s owed and go……..I never gave you abuse either,your the only one who every time he comes on here hurls abuse and say you know things for a fact with nowt to back it up. Even yesterday when trying to make out you’re along term Toon fan talking about your alledged hero you were wrong. Shinton was long gone when Mckeag was chairman.Maybe you’re just
    p!ssed off cos the Toon beat your real team for Campbells signature.

  14. Toonsy

    I really still struggle to understand what you mean when you say that certain games have been “chosen” for live TV coverage? I get every single game live on TV, whether its Chelski Man U, The Toon or Blackpool. All 380 games are broadcast live.

    Maybe you can enlighten me? Or maybe its just a UK thing?

  16. krul staying for 4 more yrs and steven out for 3 months.
    good and bad news at same time

  18. @ bobby: you’re one of those hobos with the sandwich boards around him which say ‘the end is near’ or ‘jesus is coming’, aren’t you? for gods sake man! lighten up. too bad this blog wasn’t around last time we got relegated for us to know too much about your views. in any case, stop ribbing toonsy. i think he’s been doing a great job & has been very objective. if you think you can do better, start your own. am sure ‘endofdays.org’ will be available as a domain. a mackem blog would welcome you on board too… :D

  19. Aye Roscoe – we get matches chosen by Sky and ESPN, not all games are shown on TV, but I guess we can see them through certain websites.

  25. has anyone seen cleverlys goal for man utd.
    absolutely beautifuly taken.this is a lad whos been performing well all pre season.this is a lad who would be a great signing if we could get him on loan ( if fergie will let him ).. class act

  27. Has anyone seen the post by someone on eds blog that ben arfa has agreed terms n is here to sign in the next day or 2, wud b good b4 anyone sys ch. Denied it he won’t admit to any signin till its done

  28. @ raffo: please tell me you’re joking…if bobby starts writing articles on here, they’ll be titled:
    ‘newcastle should volunteer a winding up petition’
    ‘torres, rooney, and other players we should be targeting’
    ‘all posters on here are gormless gits’
    and so on…
    also, in giving him that much administrative power, I’ll be banned…
    :P

  29. What’s up, Bobby? You piss the bed again? I did try and tell you to make sure you emptied your bag before you turned in last night, but you wouldn’t listen – crazy old fool!

  30. Dangerous game to play but I’m going to partially agree with Cropper again. Yes, we have a lot going for us. Yes, players should be attracted to an established club full of tradition.

    But I don’t think the reasons those two players signed are for anything other than convenience on their part. Campbell picks up decent wages and plays close to home. Gosling is a gamble Ashley is willing to take and so we pay the kid decent money in the hope we fix him.

    That’s not to say, they can’t both become good signings but I’m not convinced they’re shining examples which demonstrate our pulling power.

  31. Boby Shinton etc.You say in your post #8 you know as fact your not Alan Oliver in disguise are you?

  32. Alot to be said for living dangerously Bowburn!!!

    Fernando – you cant say that his articles wouldnt spark debate though!!

  33. @ raffo: spark? more like the flames that kept licking higher and higher while joan of arc burned at the stake… :D

  34. Funnily enough, I saw Alan Oliver out walking the other day while we were training on the bikes. He was actually quite pleasant but I didn’t get any scoops. I’ll take some Werthers Originals next time and try to sweeten him.

  35. I don’t know if what BS is saying is correct about the reasons why gos & sol signed for us. We’re an ideal fit for Sol at the moment for lots of reasons & I’m pleased we have him, he could just as easily have joined our friends down the road. If Everton had an injury clause in the new contract offer to gos surely that would still been treated as an offer of a contract by the FA & he wouldn’t have been able to leave on a free.
    I hav’nt got my head in the clouds, I just think that for what Chris has available to spend the club have done well to get these lads on board & improve our chances of staying-up.

  36. noir9 – the unfortunates down the road don’t really come into the equation though? With any player who has a modicum of common sense and decency, playing on the dark side isn’t even really an option.

  37. personally i think sol was signed because taylor got injured,i dont think anyone else was the interested in his services.

  38. How, pray tell, can he know ‘for a fact’ what clauses are in Gosling’s contract?

    Everton never gave him any written offer, so i’m baffled how you can try and say that they had included an injury clause – included it with what, exactly?

    i’d also be amazed if Fat Ash hasn’t learned to cover his bases in future when it comes to contracts, considering how much the lack of relegation wage cuts cost him a year ago!

    Somethin tells me that BS (how apt) is one of those miserable old twats that sit on their tod in the corner of the pub, grumbling about how shit everything is and wondering why no other twat wants to speak to them.

    I don’t doubt that Gosling and Campbell both signed because the offer on the table suited their interests, but then isn’t that why 99.9% of players sign contracts in the first place?

  39. bbm@36: “the unfortunates down the road don’t really come into the equation though? With any player who has a modicum of common sense and decency, playing on the dark side isn’t even really an option.”

    Aye, you can bet what swayed Bramble to sign for them was the fact he can easily get back to the nightlife in Newcastle.

    Just hope someone’s told him that Legends is a rock/metal club now tho. No more cruising for skanks in the Grey Street basement for Titus!

  40. Why is anyone moaning about these signings? There are always plenty of factors involved in anyone making a decision on a new job, which is what it is for most footballers. There is no reason to criticise or be suspicious about motivations for Gos or Campbell. We are in no position these days to obsess over limiting ourselves to players who have only ever had a burning desire to play for the Toon. That gives us maybe one or two players max we could target!

    Tayls injury is gutting. Wheater woulda been sweet but Sol is perfect right now and can hopefully help rather than hinder Kadar. Hope this doesn’t stall Tayls contract!

  41. Legends is a rock/ metal club now!?!? Bloody hell the times they are a changin… been away for too long!

    I’m in Dubai right now too Roscoe, ridiculously hot, dunno how people can live here every summer – every time I pop out for a tab I crawl back in a puddle of manky sweat.

  43. I can only think of positives to Sol coming to us, his experience, as good as what we have if not better and he will hopefully give invaluable advice to S Taylor, Kadar and Williamson. S Taylor for one looks as though he needs that little bit extra support and advice and I dont think Sol coming in will push him out, rather help keep him.

    Also, the article in the Journal suggests more players will be coming in, though that can be inferred from a lot of articles really, but you have to wonder what twisted Sol’s arm to come to us and not the unwashed if equal money was on the table, as they are pretty much an established mid table team. CH must have sold him with his plans for player recruitment but also a long term vision that he could be a part of in the coaching area.

    I would like to think of myself as a glass half full realist!!!

  44. nothing against sol,i just think if taylor wasn’t injured i dont think we would have been looking to go down that route.

  45. So the list grows of those with their heads in the crowd. :)

    It looks like BS, RC & bowburn are in their own little gang now. Reinfecting themselves with jaundice in perpetuity.

    Is it all just 3 sides of the same person?
    ;)

    Anyhoo,
    nice to see Tim Krul is signed up for the next 4 years, that’s one less thing to moan about, although there’s still an option to moan about him not being No. 1 choice.

  47. I wonder what sort of pulling power I have these days…

    Very kind donations from fellow bloggers on various forums so far but I’m going to keep pushing it to hit our target!

    http://www.justgiving.com/newcastle-to-london-cycle-event

    I know some of you feckers will eventually donate something. Think of the pain I’m going through for training and the agony of the event. Then think of the good cause it will help. How can you not?

  48. Heh fair play lads, we have had some tough times and I know after much of the MA debacle I can’t really blame anyone for being pessimistic. I just think we couldn’t have turned it around better after relegation & we finally have a stable coach building steadily & without over-egged fanfare. I for one think CH is a real breath of fresh air though I’ll admit we don’t really know if he can cut it in the Prem pressure. I’ll take a group of honest, if not world beating, lads in the squad right now & look forward to Newcastle UNITED for a year or two, playing for passion and pride with our backing. Team spirit and positive mentality can go a long way, probably way more than the difference ‘on paper’ between the name players we ‘lost’ affecting the quality of the squad. Howay the lads!

  50. is there any truth in the rumour over the uruguayan midfielder arevelo rios?supposed to be all over the uruguayan newspapers.

  51. I’m not sure if i’ve ever commented on here, if so it was only once, but i regularly check both this and ed’s blog. Just thought I’d start chipping in, some may recognise my name from before but since I blagged a few people to sponsor me, if you remind me next tuesday to sponsor you bowburn I’ll cough up! (payday y’c)

    Now for the football side, I think its always going to be mixed in terms of our pulling power now. It is a big brand name, shearer etc. still and certain players must still be attracted to it, however the events of the past few (or maybe longer) years must surely have damaged our appeal.

    On the other hand you have to have faith that if people were coming for one last paycheck or whatnot, chrissy seems to have his head screwed on as to the type of character he’s after and would have sifted them out. Therefore i think the signings we’ve made are good ones (although i’m yet to make my mind up on perch) and here’s to hoping for some more!

  52. GC – that’s a good outlook to have and more or less one that I share. Whether the lads are up to the next challenge and will face it head on together, remains to be seen. But long before ‘The Entertainers’, Geordies have always loved a ‘tryer’. If we have a team full of them, we might fall short of some people’s expectations this season but it won’t be for want of trying.

  53. GC,
    you’ll be branded as one with their ‘head in the clouds’ mate.
    Retract.
    :)

    bowburn, glad to hear it mate.
    ;)

    Trojan,
    not seen owt about it.

  54. Bloody hell, FIVE days Bowburn! Toon to London is a big effort, good work lad. Recently donated to a friend doing London to Brighton which is peanuts compared to your lot. I have to say the prospect of utterly ruining yourself on that ridiculously epic mission does add plenty of draw to donate, I’ll have to chuck some in!

  55. How many players wouldn’t wanna play in front of 50k+ (of some of the most passionate football fans in the world) every other week?
    CH has also performed a miracle really, in making us a much more relaxed, together team, building for the future. Just one short year ago looking like the titanic.
    Oh yea, & you get a decent wage & live in/around a beautiful city.

  57. Lol Clint, to be honest it feels like a ‘head in the clouds’ day. I’ll admit I can have a good whinge when I get up on the wrong side of the bed! Was spitting blood every other day in the relegation season at the incredulous daily daftness of our club, like most of us I’m sure.

    Well said BB – we’ve always loved tryers and right now that’s all we really want or expect. I think that’s exactly what we have in the squad right now. Frustrations will inevitably come & we’ll surely identify plenty of football concerns (pace, passing etc…) but if last season’s spirit remains, and I see no reason why not, we’ll see the passion and commmitment to the fight that will keep us and the team together as one.

  58. Cheers NAGT. I remember you from Ed’s. I know I sponsored a couple of lads (one for doing a bungee jump I think) but not sure if I sponsored you but cheers for the promise (don’t worry, I’ll remind you!!).

    GC – cheers for that as well!

  59. GC,
    nowt wrong with a proper moan for good reason like.
    I’m there.
    :)

    Just the cyclical undermining that pisses me off.
    Each to their own like.

  60. sad fact about football these days clint,players will play in front of 5,000 people as long as they were getting good wedge.the days of players playing for the glory and passionate fans is out the window.
    i think that was the problem the last board had,if a player didn’t go for the prospect of playing in front of a big crowd,we were knackered as we’re not the bright lights of laaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnndon.we had to offer astronomical wages to get them to sign.

  61. No problem, yeahh well I did a bungee jump for Sir Bobbys so it probably was me so cheers!
    Wish the new season would hurry up.

  62. Know what y’saying Trojan.
    & there’s defo a few like that, but there’s still a lot who wanna play for a club like ours.
    I’m pretty sure that Sol wouldn’t even entertain the idea of joining more than half the prem, for instance.
    Even though we’ve been down a league for a season, most players will still see us as a good place to play.
    If we stay up, we’ll be back in the top 20 richest list again the year after.
    Not that i give a shit, other than it’s good publicity for the club.

  63. Well, it looks like S Taylor is oot for the next 3 months, unlucky lad.
    Am i right in thinking that it’s even the other shoulder this time?

  64. @ 62 your pretty sure sol wouldn’t entertain joining more than half the prem ? – but he would join notts county of the then 2nd division before turning his back on them as he did with spurs.

    this is no more than a marriage of convenience.

    get real.

  65. Yep, that is one serious arse-killer of a ride. Please sponsor wor BBM, people! Just the cost of a couple of pints, eh?

    Aaaahhhnyhoo…

    I like Toonsy’s article. Of course the circumstances and deal have to be right for a player, but it has to be a lot more than that. Sol probably took a huge (7-figure) wage-cut to come here instead of staying in That London. Good on him.

    I also think WE need to take a lot of the credit. The most amazing thing of last season wasn’t the results, which may would argue were much to do with having the most expensive squad. Nope, what was incredible was the support. Every record broken, every away seat sold, and our away fans regularly being the only ones you could hear. So much for the doom-mongers who said we’d desert our club after relegation.

    BBM and I were in London for that last match against QPR and you just got the feeling that if we were in the LDV Vans League we’d still get 40k turning out in the snow.

    I honestly think THAT is a major factor turning players’ heads, and something no other club can show right now.

    Feck, we’re bloody brilliant!! :)

  66. Roy,
    he joined Sven at the other ‘Magpies’, then realized it wasn’t us mate, so left.
    :)
    He thought nottingham was up north.
    :)

  70. Poor Taylor – gutted for him. Shoulder injuries are bloody miserable too; one of mine is held together with meccano now and you lose a lot of sleep.
    Come to think of it I’ve done my cruciate too. Is Tayls doing some sort of weirdo injury stalking thing on me??

    Fishy violins.

  73. Cleverley’s goal last night was quality – so if we have that deal lined up I’d be pretty excited.

    Man U’s reserves looking pretty sharp though, unfortunately.

  74. Taylor must be gutted, sometimes I wonder about his long term commitment but how many players would take a fitness coach on holiday with?

    That new mexican striker the manc’s have looks a bit lively! Sol might have to give him a welcome to the epl tackle. Just the sort of “livewire player” I’d love to see in black & white.

  75. “The spotlight is back on us now, from a multitude of angles, albeit that spotlight has a slightly dimmer bulb, and a bit of a shade around it.”

    LOL, Toonsy. Sounds like one of Alan Partridge’s sports reports on ‘The Day Today’.

  76. We still have more pulling power than the scumbag mackems doon the road despite all their yankie dollars!!!

  78. am i the only person that is statified with the direction of the club.CH is a wise man. Pulled some cracking signings so far and his mistakes (leon best) hasnt cost us much and the fact we can sell him for a similar price will be good news. Andy carroll to score 16 this year… Bring on the premier league

  80. worky,i think the spotlight is on okay,but for the wrong reasons,i think they have pinpointed us as the disaster story of this season again.i think this is why we are on live a lot early on,the media want to see a car crash from newcastle,they want to see the fans up in arms,the turmoil etc.the ensuing media circus surrounding keegangate gave them are few weeks of free stories and their rolling news channels had a field day,at our expense.these vampires want our blood again this season,so we’ll have to be looking over our shoulders.

  81. nowt wrong wi people having a moan and being pessimistic and its perfectly understandable with whats gone on in the past.I just don’t get why some feel they have to hurl abuse to try and get a point across.Oh well teks all sorts I s’pose.