I Wish I Was A Geordie - The Blog of Newcastle United in the US

NEWCASTLE CAN CHALLENGE THE BIG FOUR - IN AMERICA

We're receiving hits this weekend from an interesting Newcastle United blog in England I've never seen before, called Black & White & Read All Over. In a match report from Columbus, a guest writer referenced our earlier post encouraging NUFC to continue exploiting a potential goldmine of U.S. support. He wrote, "I don't see any reason why Newcastle and any other mid-table club couldn't fill a football stadium to at least 75% capacity if: 1. the game's marketed correctly, namely to youth soccer clubs; 2. it has the backing of the city and host team (ie meet players, local news interviews, etc); 3. it's played on a weekend night."

I agree, except for one phrase: "and any other mid-table club." I don't think Americans would turn out in numbers like ours to see other mid-table Premier League clubs, even with excellent planning and marketing. Newcastle is a unique draw for Americans. In fact, I believe Newcastle United is positioned to become the only Premier League club outside the so-called Big Four with a significant national following in the United States. 

Why Newcastle? That's the question everyone was asking on the U.S. tour. Native and transplanted Geordies on the trip seemed as fascinated as the United players by the hundreds of American Magpies in the pubs and stands. All of us have our why-Newcastle stories, and we're glad to recount them, over and over. Each is personal as a thumbprint. But there are common threads.

Chief among the reasons American fans are starting to choose Newcastle, of course, is the infectious come-what-may passion of the club's Geordie fan base. Which wouldn't matter so much without Geordies around to infect us. For some reason - maybe a historian or demographer among the readership can explain - an unusual proportion of Geordies appear to have come to the U.S. in recent years, particularly east of the Mississippi, where about 80 percent of American hits to this blog originate. Everywhere I go in my United gear, I draw shouts from Geordies, or Americans who know some. Just last evening, on Milwaukee's popular Gallery Night art crawl, I met a woman from Tyneside, and later an American who knew my shirt from two Geordie pals. ("They like their soccer," he said in an ominous tone, as if soccer were heroin.)

Another reason Newcastle's U.S. popularity is growing along with the Premier League's is the city's strong American name recognition, thanks to a certain ubiquitous export product. I'll be honest: I'm not overly fond of Newcastle Brown Ale. But plenty of Americans are. It seems to be the choice of people who want to hold a bottle of something that looks more exotic and challenging than it tastes. No matter. The point is, there isn't a neon sign in every American tavern that blazes BOLTON.

Just as superficial yet powerful is what we in the strategic communication business would call killer graphics. Black has a bad-ass connotation that's irresistible to American sports fans. So irresistible that a trend has arisen among American sports clubs of wearing black even if black isn't one of their colors. So irresistible that at least one American blog is devoted entirely to the study and adoration of black jerseys. With its rough-and-tumble on-and-off-field persona, Newcastle wears basic black naturally and well. "Plus I love the kit" is a favorite endnote of American why-Newcastle stories.

Finally, and perhaps critically, there's the underdog factor. American sports fans are a paradox: they love to win, but they don't necessarily love winners. A main theme of the American narrative is that anyone can get to the top. So the little guy becomes the hero, and some of the most rabid fan bases in American sport belong to teams that fight valiantly against the odds but lose, such as baseball's Chicago Cubs, to whom Newcastle United is often compared. I would liken United more closely to the NFL's Green Bay Packers of my home state: blue-collar, northern, remote, beer-guzzling, obsessive, thriving in a small city that shouldn't have a big team at all. On the field, the Packers are winners. But that's a function of the competitive protections in American sport that are lacking in European soccer. In England, the Packers would be the Magpies.

Many American fans don't get that yet; they don't understand just how long the odds are against most of the Premier League. The Columbus media nearly fainted to hear Newcastle players aspiring out loud to anything but a first-place finish. Which might serve to make a big-but-not-superbig club like Newcastle all the more poignant for the American public.

All this was confirmed recently in a conversation with a soccer shop manager here when I was seeking to get a Newcastle shirt from the tour personalized. Gesturing balefully at his Manchester City overstock, he told me the only Premier League merchandise he could sell outside the Big Four was Newcastle United. Not that he was selling a lot of it. But Newcastle might catch on, he said. Maybe someone should clue in a certain successful sports retailer in England.

Photo courtesy of Sodagraphics Sport Photography.

JOIN OUR FANTASY LEAGUE!

For anyone who's interested in playing Fantasy Premier League this season: We've set up an I Wish I Was A Geordie league.

To join, simply go to the Premier League's official website and click on the link for Fantasy Premier League. You can play in multiple leagues, so don't worry if you're already entered in one (we're certainly not trying to pretend that we're the first Newcastle blog to have a league). The code to enter our league is 577535-157775.

For those that haven't played before, it's fairly easy. You are allotted £100 million to fund your 15-player team (wouldn't the real EPL be a bit different if there was a salary cap!). You can make as many transfers as you want before the season starts, but once it's underway, you're limited to a certain number per week (it varies depending on your transfer activity in previous weeks).

Leave a comment below if you have any questions. We'll award a modest but prestigious mystery prize (to be announced) to the winner of the league. Best of luck!

GOSLING LOOKS READY TO FLY

There are moments when a realization seems to smack you in the face.

I had one of those Tuesday night while watching from the away end of Crew Stadium as Newcastle United capped off its U.S. preseason tour in style. Suddenly it hit me: Dan Gosling could be a major factor for Newcastle this season.

We've all religiously followed Hatem Ben Arfa's long road back from a devastating broken leg over the past 10 months. But Gosling's recovery from an ACL tear - an injury he was rehabbing when he signed with United last July - hasn't drawn nearly as much attention. Seeing as how Gosling's 2010-11 season consisted of an injury-time appearance against Sunderland, he was easy to forget about.

And yet here was Gosling in a preseason friendly, repeatedly making surging runs from the midfield, hustling to close down opposition players and looking confident and efficient on the ball. The way he kept getting himself in good positions in the final third reminded me of Kevin Nolan.

Gosling had shown a similar work rate in the opening game of the tour in Kansas City, but his performance in Columbus was another level up. Now, these were just preseason games against lesser opposition, and it will be a much different story beginning on Aug. 13.

But it's worth remembering that sometimes, as fans, we forget about the capacity of players to improve (or regress, for that matter). It eases our minds when players who have substantial track records are brought in, because we expect them to continue to perform that way. Every successful player, though, has to arrive at that moment in his career where he breaks through to the next level. We all watched Andy Carroll reach that point during the second half of the promotion season.

Maybe this is the start of Dan Gosling's moment. Maybe, just maybe, Newcastle does indeed have a young Kevin Nolan on its hands.

Like Nolan, Gosling isn't a flashy player. He's not particularly fast or quick and he isn't going to dribble past defenders like Ben Arfa or Sylvain Marveaux do. But he's a hard-working and versatile player with a quality shot, tidy passing skills and superb positional sense for a 21-year-old. Even in a crowded midfield - and it's shaping up to be that way for United - there's room for a player with those attributes.

Here's hoping Gosling continues to remind all of us of his ability in the coming months.

U.S. TRIP WAS FULL OF SURPRISES - EVEN PLEASANT ONES

Newcastle United’s just-concluded American tour was packed with surprises – few of which should’ve been surprises. In 10 minutes of conversation any of us could’ve warned the club that it’s insanely hot in the south in the summer, that Orlando is not fun if you’re past the age of 12, and that since 9/11/01 the U.S. doesn’t give visas as readily as it takes Visa.

But in the face of all the negative commentary across the blogotweetosphere, it may surprise you to learn that the biggest surprises for Newcastle in the U.S. were pleasant ones.

The up-and-down results masked a number of stirring step-up performances by players new or previously overlooked. Mehdi Abeid’s skills are raw, and he gets his share of managerial input, shall we say, during practice. But what skills, and what a steal. Dan Gosling is rusty but rounding into the form of something resembling a star. Sly Marveaux befits his nickname – the only question now is his durability. Anyone capable of a goal as electrifying as Haris Vuckic’s 90th-minute exclamation point in Columbus needs to play. Where is the club is going to put all these promising midfielders? Can we play an 0-8-2?

The pleasantest surprise of all, though – a surprise for the club, not us – came off the pitch.

It was clear from the faces of the players that they didn’t expect to see scenes like the one pictured above in the middle of Ohio. A lot of folks in those stripes aren't English. Earth to Newcastle: soccer people in America are getting a little weary of Manchester United and Arsenal and their boring synthetic look-we-won-again U.S. followers. As American fans cast about for a more genuine alternative, black-and-white is moving fast up the fashion list. That’s why this blog you’re reading has popped into existence; that’s why Newcastle United has joined the small list of Premier League clubs with national fan organizations in America; and that’s why this tour was a better idea than United seemed to know. It’s a goldmine sitting here. The club should keep mining it.

Newcastle United needs to come back to the USA soon. And do it right. With more advance preparation and a decent immigration lawyer, the club can bring a full roster, play in temperatures under 90, and win on the field as well as off it. We’re not going anywhere, NUFC. If you think this trip was a party - just wait.

DON'T FALL FOR ENRIQUE'S PR STUNT

Well, Jose Enrique's return to Twitter turned out to be short-lived.

Newcastle's wantaway left back deleted his account Sunday after going on a rant against United's hierarchy and its transfer dealings. He ripped the club for selling Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan and said it would never be in the top six while allowing its top players to leave, before adding that his new contract offer doesn't include a pay raise. Enrique also praised Newcastle's fans and said they deserved better.

And with that, @Joseenriqe3 was gone (you'll recall that Enrique made a similarly hasty departure from Twitter during last season after he prematurely announced he'd be missing a game with an injury).

Plenty of fans have already Tweeted to say they agree with Enrique. They point to United's lack of outlay in terms of transfer fees this summer. I can't completely dispute that claim, because I agree that Newcastle needs to make a couple more quality signings before the start of the season. And that would require paying significant fees.

But when evaluating Enrique's words, keep in mind he's well aware of the most loudly-voiced sentiment among United fans: Mike Ashley is cheap. There are plenty of supporters who believe Ashley is slowly turning things around, but they're often drowned out by the anti-Ashley brigade.

Enrique is clearly hoping for a move this summer - that much has been clear since January - but coming out and saying that would damage his reputation. So instead, he's opted to rip the club's decision-makers to stay in the good graces of the fans. It feels like the series of text messages that Andy Carroll sent back in January about being forced out. Sorry, but I'm not buying it.

Simply put, this was a public relations stunt by a player who appears to be afraid of the backlash that will ensue when he eventually leaves. In reality, nothing has changed. Enrique was always going to leave this summer, barring an outrageous contract offer from Newcastle. It wasn't really going to matter who United signed - has he honestly seen enough of Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba and Sylvain Marveaux to already deem them poor signings?

I don't blame Enrique for wanting to move on. He has aspirations of breaking into the Spanish national team, something that will be difficult to do while playing at an English club other than Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea or Liverpool. He'd like to play Champions League football, and Newcastle isn't likely to get back in that position in the next few years. At 25, Enrique is entering the peak of his career and he has the talent to play for one of Europe's heavyweights.

I just wish he'd admit as much, instead of trying to play to the masses.

MAGPIES IN DISNEYLAND: WHEN THE GOING GETS WEIRD, THE WEIRD TURN PRO

Newcastle United's U.S. tour officially crossed into the theater of the absurd last night with a 1-0 defeat to a third-tier American club that played the first match in its history five months ago. If this trip gets any more embarrassing or bizarre Fox may pick it up for a reality show.

To be fair, with a stated ambition to be in Major League Soccer within five seasons, Orlando City is not a typical club at its level - the club won two of three friendlies with MLS clubs in its own preseason, looked worthier than the score in a 3-1 loss to Bolton last week, and is running away from the rest of its division. Meanwhile, after the loss of yet another first-liner as Danny Simpson flew home to become a daddy, United is fielding a shadow of its true team, and from what we could make out on the mute online stream, the club looked about as flat as its shadow in the plastic-reflected heat of the retro Citrus Bowl. Orlando City's owner has spent as much this summer to lay down grass and rip it up as Newcastle's owner has spent on strikers.

Still, it's appropriate to ask, at this low point: aside from red faces, what is Newcastle United getting out of this not-so-excellent American adventure?

For an answer, consider the alternative - what would Newcastle United had gotten out of fielding a full roster and steamrolling a few U.S. clubs in perfect conditions? A vacation and some good barbecue?

The legendary American journalist Hunter S. Thompson famously wrote on another long, strange sports trip that when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. Take that quote off drugs and it means that you can't respond to adversity until you face it. After the blundering preparation, blazing heat and blistering tackles of this group survival exercise, England should feel, literally, like a breeze. The moment may come at Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge when, in the face of a withering attack from the opposition and its fans, the players in black and white will merely smile at one another and say: at least we're not in Kansas anymore.

On to Columbus. We'll see you on 4th Street.

A GLIMPSE, BUT MORE IS NEEDED ... AND NOT JUST AT STRIKER

Hatem Ben Arfa's ankle injury was the major talking point that emerged from Newcastle's scoreless draw against Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday night in the opening game of United's American tour.

While we all await official word on the severity of that injury - although Ben Arfa told our friends at Toon Army America that he'll only miss around three weeks - let's take a minute to focus on Newcastle's play before the French attacker left the field.

With Demba Ba playing as a lone striker and Ben Arfa in the hole, flanked by Sylvain Marveaux and Peter Lovenkrands on the left and right wings, respectively, United had a group of interchangeable attacking players. That wasn't the case for most of last season, when Alan Pardew often had no choice but to field a fairly predictable 4-4-2. There was little in the way of dynamic attackers.

And while Newcastle didn't test the opposing goalkeeper enough - and Ba didn't really impress in his debut in a black and white shirt - United created a pair of eye-catching opportunities, the sort that rarely appeared last season. Had Ben Arfa or Marveaux tucked away either of those chances, the game might have opened up and played out a bit differently.

But this is the preseason, where results are meaningless. So just seeing that sort of skill and creativity was encouraging. Of course, it dried up once Kansas City's Roger Espinoza ended Ben Arfa's night with a late tackle in the 31st minute. Shola Ameobi came on, United switched to a 4-4-2 and Lovenkrands and Marveaux became less influential. It was a reminder of how Newcastle looked for a good portion of last season: hard working but not particularly cutthroat in the final third.

United can't be that reliant on Ben Arfa this season, which is why fans have been waiting for another striker to be signed all summer. I personally don't care whether Newcastle brings in an out-and-out striker, a winger or an attacking midfielder - United just needs a versatile forward that will fit the new style of play Pardew has talked about this summer. Quality depth is a must.

And the same can be said at the other end of the field. With Jose Enrique missing because of a hamstring injury, Pardew was forced to start Jonas Gutierrez at left back in the first half (and regardless of what Diego Maradona thinks, Gutierrez is quite simply not a defender).

Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor played the full 90 minutes at center back because Newcastle didn't have anyone to replace them with. Now, normally Mike Williamson won't be with the reserves (his wife is pregnant), but United clearly could use additional depth at the back.

The only area United looks well-stocked in is central midfield, where French youngster Mehdi Abeid impressed in his second-half cameo. Considering Yohan Cabaye and Cheik Tiote figure to start and Pardew also has Joey Barton (if he's not playing out wide on the right), Dan Gosling, Danny Guthrie (when he returns to health) and Alan Smith (if he's not sold) at his disposal, Newcastle has sufficient options there.

So it's fair to say that Wednesday's match only confirmed what we already knew: Newcastle is still in need of at least two quality additions. Whether that will happen is not nearly as straightforward.

Photos courtesy of Sodagraphics Sport Photography.

FANS IN KANSAS CITY PUT THE UNITED IN NEWCASTLE

The American sports teams I follow have fans that travel well, and I've been on some memorable road trips. But I never had so much fun, or felt so much a part of something, until I jumped in my car and drove through nine hours of cornfields to sit in jungle-like weather and watch a club 4,000 miles from where I live play a scoreless draw that meant nothing.

Most American sports fans are only barely aware of the Premier League, never mind a club in it that hasn't won trophy after trophy in recent decades. So we who follow Newcastle had the team mostly to ourselves in Kansas City. At the open training session on the eve of the match, the players seemed surprised and delighted at the sight of enthusiastic zebra-striped Americans, and they relaxed in a way one doesn't often see from professional athletes of that stature in public - chatting, posing and joshing with the fans like family, smiling and laughing, signing autograph after autograph until no one had anything left to sign. I hoped I'd get a few signatures; I never imagined I'd get the whole team. The next day my co-blogger Tom and his brother ran across the team having lunch in a downtown Kansas City barbecue joint, mostly unnoticed and unbothered. I'm guessing Newcastle United couldn't pull that off in Newcastle.

But as much as I enjoyed hobnobbing with the players, the people who made the trip most special were the fans, not least the 70 or so who showed up to our tailgate party on blazing asphalt and helped us demolish four cases of Newcastle Brown Ale (and one of Corona, thanks Mike) in an hour and a half to "warm up" for the match. It's a challenge to put into words what made the camaraderie here different from what I've experienced on similar trips following other teams. Maybe it's the distance so many traveled to get here, be they visitors from Newcastle, or transplants who came years ago, or Americans who made their way across a vast country to see a club they weren't born into following. Maybe it's the unfailing warmth with which the English here greeted us Yankee hangers-on, especially appreciated in an age when America's reputation abroad isn't at its zenith. Maybe it's the character of the people themselves - if the Geordies in Kansas City are a representative cross-section, Newcastle upon Tyne must be the friendliest city on earth. The world could use more of whatever is in the water system there.

Maybe, though, it's simply the passion that has evolved around this club, win, lose or draw - the passion that attracted us to Newcastle United in the first place. What we've seen through our televisions and in our pubs isn't an illusion. If anything, the love of Newcastle's fans for their club and each other is even more awe-inspiring in person. Let Man U and Arsenal and Chelsea have their trophies. Not that we wouldn't like some trophies of our own. But we have a bond that's heavier metal than silverware. It doesn't melt in the heat, either. Kansas City was proof we picked our club right. Did we ever.

 

A TOON-UP FOR KC MATCH

Alan Pardew's troops went through a fairly low-key practice session Tuesday night at Livestrong Sporting Park, the site of tonight's match against Sporting Kansas City.

Access to the practice was part of a VIP event for Newcastle fans, although a few Sporting KC supporters also shelled out the necessary cash to attend. The training session consisted of a few standard warmup drills followed by some full 11-on-11 scrimmaging, with some shooting work to finish up.

Based on the scrimmaging, it looks likely that this will be the starting lineup for tonight: Tim Krul in goal; Ryan Taylor, Steven Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini and Jose Enrique across the backline; Sylvain Marveaux, Dan Gosling, Cheik Tiote and Jonas Gutierrez in the midfield; and Demba Ba up top with Hatem Ben Arfa playing in the hole.

The highlight of the night for Newcastle fans, though, was the autograph session that followed practice and the chance to chat with United players. In between signing balls, jerseys and a few other items, Marveaux confirmed he will indeed wear No. 22 this season (and that his nickname is Sly).

Sporting KC didn't produce the commemorative scarves that were promised with the VIP package, although we're not yet sure whether those will be delivered at a future date - stay tuned.

We look forward to seeing you ahead of tonight's game at our tailgate (starting around 5 p.m.). In the meantime, enjoy some photos from Tuesday night's event.

 

 

A TOON TUESDAY IN KC

On the docket for today ...

Toon Army America has organized a gathering for Newcastle fans at Johnny's Tavern in the Power and Light District in downtown Kansas City, Mo. The event starts at 5 p.m., but will last late into the night.

That will allow fans attending the VIP event at Livestrong Stadium on the Kansas side of the border to make it in time for a few drinks. The stadium gates open at 6 p.m. for the VIP event, with Newcastle's practice running from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and an hour-long autograph session to follow.