Big Number 9 (shirt), who wants it?
March 7th, 2011 | 51 Comments |
There’s a gap in the numbers down SJP way and we all know why.
It’s the biggest number, if you think about it, every other number after it is a compound of it and another number.
Yes, you’ve guessed it: 9.
After the last player to don the shirt wandered off to the Merseyside in January, we’ve been looking for someone to fill the gap. Obviously, no one is neccessarily gonna have it handed to them at this point in the season. But who is in the running?
Will it be someone not at the club yet?
Will one of the present strikers at the club step up and claim it? Should the damn thing have been retired along with the legend that is Alan Shearer? Did he make the prospect of filling that shirt number almost untenable? After his amazing breaking of the all time scoring record at the club, why wouldn’t it be a difficult act to follow?
There’s a hell of a lot of history ingrained in not only the actual wearing of the shirt by a regular human being, who plies their trade as a pro footballer. But also, in the sepia tinted memories and rose tinted dreams of Newcastle fans from time to this day. Are we piling way too much pressure on our number 9 shirt? After all, some players have come here to play and almost actively refused the number (M. Owen?). Maybe feeling that they really can’t live up to it, or don’t wanna try or don’t want the hefty responsibility that comes with it. Whilst others have tried to grab the thing in a brave attempt to live up to the lofty position, we as fans, have placed upon it. (more…)