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.

Comments

[Sean Berry]

Count me as one of the people that started following NUFC because of the beer. I got into soccer (playing and watching) about 12 years ago. When I started watching the EPL, it wasn't fun without having a team to support. I liked Newcastle Brown, so I decided I would follow Newcastle United. Since then I've had a chance to see them play in Newcastle (we beat Birmingham 1-0 with a goal from Emre - I believe it was in 2006), and my men's rec soccer team wears the black n' white. I agree, the team should continue to play friendlies in the US - my suggestion would be to try the NW - the weather's cooler, and they'll get 15-20,000 in Portland and Vancouver, and probably 30-35,000 in Seattle (there were 67,000 at the Man U vs. Sounders friendly).

[Bob Mueser]

Bob, I'm the "other" Bob who did the guest post on "Black and White & Read allover". I just wanted to clarify what I meant about the other mid-table club. I agree with you that the big name draw (and the team that would probably put people in the seats) would be Newcastle (unless it was a "big 4" club or a team with a recognizable American star. I was speaking from a competition / entertaining match perspective. Looking at the clubs around us in the table from last year (Aston Villa, Sunderland, WBA, Stoke, Bolton). I think all of those would be entertaining and competitive matches and a casual soccer fan would enjoy.

Anyway, I've been enjoying this blog since I found it googling info after the Columbus match as announced. This one and Black and White and Read all over have become my two favorites, so I'm glad that I can help both of them!

[Ben]

Thanks for the link (and to Bob M for pointing us in your direction via his report). Interesting piece, and one that's well worth a post on our site.

[Chris Nager]

I think you hit the nail on the head on all points. I too started following NUFC when I returned home from a study abroad trip in Europe back in 1999. I did not get to see any matches in the places I traveled, yet b/c of the beer I took to Newcastle. I do feel the adult beverage makes NUFC a recognizable brand name in the States outside of the big four, and one that can be exploited to increase their fan base abroad. The black jerseys as well as the underdog/small town winner all appeal as well. In hind site that probably did naturally solidify The Magpies when I "choose” NUFC as the EPL team I would follow. You now have a new blog follower/reader, and yes I am east of the Mississippi...