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

THE TRUE GENIUS OF GARY SPEED

Gary Speed had already left Newcastle United by the time I began obsessing over the club.

I knew his name from playing FIFA video games when I started to get into European club football in the early 2000s and noticed him whenever I watched Bolton. I thought he was a pretty damn good player, especially for someone in his late 30s. But I had no real emotional connection to him. I suspect there are quite a few football fans around the world who would say the same thing.

So why, then, do we feel genuinely distraught over Speed's death? Why do I find myself wiping away tears while reading quotes from those who knew Speed? And why does a Manchester United fan in the middle of Wisconsin look like he's been sucker punched when I tell him of the news?

I can't think of many American athletes in any sport who are as universally admired as Speed apparently was in the football community. Usually someone who plays 23 years at the professional level tends to rub at least a few observers the wrong way. But the tributes to Speed from fans, former teammates and coaches all tell a similar story: He was a model professional on the field and a genuinely nice guy off of it. That combination isn't easy to find.

So if there's one thing that makes sense in this horrible, confusing story, it's this: Football isn't just about what jersey you're wearing on a particular day; it's about playing the game the right way. Based on the millions of tears that have been shed in his memory, it's clear Gary Speed understood that.

MET TOO LATE: GARY SPEED

Many American fans who discovered the Premier League with the recent advent of regularly televised matches in the U.S. would not have heard of Welsh national manager and former Newcastle United midfielder Gary Speed before his sad death being reported today. I hadn't known of him; I'm only now reading up on the man after receiving tributes to him from readers in our email and comment areas. For the familiar and unfamiliar I can commend a piece done on Speed last year by ESPN Soccernet, entitled "Gary Speed: Marathon man." Here's an excerpt:

"During a six-year spell on Tyneside, Speed played under four different managers. Under Dalglish, Speed helped the Geordies reach the 1998 FA Cup Final, where they met a rampant Arsenal side en-route to the double. Under new boss Ruud Gullit, Speed picked up another FA Cup losers medal the following season, as Manchester United beat Newcastle to secure the second trophy of their historic treble.

"After a promising start, Gullit's reign soon descended into madness, and, after dropping Alan Shearer for the much anticipated derby with newly promoted Sunderland, his fate was sealed. Again, Speed drew praise for his calm leadership during a difficult time for the club, and rediscovered his form under Graeme Souness and Bobby Robson. The midfielder had the opportunity to play in Europe with Newcastle and in 2003 - ten years after he had scored his first Champions League goal, for Leeds - Speed netted his second and final European Cup goal, a crucial headed equaliser in a 2-1 win against Dynamo Kiev that helped the Magpies qualify for the second group stage....

"The midfielder left the North East in the summer of 2004 to sign a two-year contract with Bolton Wanderers in a £750,000 deal. Feeling he had lost an important member of his squad, Newcastle boss Robson admitted that Speed still had several seasons ahead of him as a successful Premier League player. Robson was right and, while at Bolton, Speed set two impressive Premier League records. On December 9, 2006, Speed made his 500th Premier League appearance in Bolton's 4-0 win over West Ham United. Amazingly, his 14 years in the Premier League up to this point had seen him miss just 60 games. Shortly after celebrating the landmark, former Newcastle teammate and close friend Alan Shearer described Speed as the 'ultimate professional footballer,' adding: 'Gary could go on forever.' "

It's clear from the tributes online that Speed will go on forever in the minds of the fans who saw him play. As many of our readers would have little knowledge or memory of the man, we invite veteran Newcastle fans to share your memories below so others of us can meet his acquaintance, however late. Godspeed, Gary Speed.

NEWCASTLE EARNS A POINT, AND BELIEF

Don't let anyone, including Sir Alex Ferguson, talk you out of savoring the point Newcastle United wrenched out of Old Trafford on Saturday, or obscure what it meant.

Everyone is talking about how Newcastle's equalizer came on a non-penalty. Fewer are talking about how the goal it equalized came on a lucky carom. Or how the ref gifted Manchester United 16 minutes of 11-on-10 football on a garden-variety foul to make up for the earlier mistake. If Manchester United is what Manchester United is supposed to be, it has no trouble cashing that red card in for a winning goal and another or two for good measure.

But an era is flickering at Old Trafford. The rare instance of a call going against Manchester United on home ground isn't cause of that; it's proof of that. There was more than indignance in Sir Alex's voice during his sanitized post-match interview. The same goes for the screeching Man U fans in our local soccer pub, who reacted to the draw as if it were a last-minute defeat in a Champions League final. "Should we call 911?" asked a bemused friend, watching his first English soccer match.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

If Man U is no longer what Man U is supposed to be, the same must be said for Newcastle. Lay to rest any question about whether the table is a mirage. There's too much distance now between the country club and middle class of the league. And the stand Newcastle took against unthinkable odds as the clock wound down Saturday was too valiant for a pretender. Especially a pretender wearing a cursed shirt. Especially a pretender still taking the pitch with players new, missing and out of position. Especially a pretender with excuses to lose.

Here's a question I'd have liked to throw at Fergie: Would your 1-0 victory on a cheapie have been a just result?

We learned nothing against Manchester City. We learned everything against Manchester United. It's the morning after, I'm living in a country where almost no one recognizes the shirt, and I still can't take it off. Perhaps this is the naivete - or insanity - of a fan who wasn't born into the following. But the rational arguments against faith are disappearing fast. I'm a believer.

CABAYE THE KEY AT OLD TRAFFORD

For the first time in what seems like forever, Newcastle United travels to Old Trafford with a legitimate chance of beating Manchester United.

Newcastle certainly won't - and shouldn't - be favored in the match, but the thought of a first win at Old Trafford since 1972 feels somewhat realistic. Man U looks vulnerable - or at least as vulnerable as a team with one loss on the season can look - despite responding to its thrashing by Man City with a six-game unbeaten run. More importantly, though, Newcastle finally has a team capable of controlling matches, even ones away from home. That's down to this summer's retooling of the midfield.

Which brings us to Yohan Cabaye, the player who, for me, is the key to Newcastle's hopes of emerging from Old Trafford with three points. We all know Cabaye's combination of passing, vision and ball-winning ability has given Newcastle a major upgrade in the center of the midfield this season.

But Cabaye's presence is especially significant in light of Man U's issues in the center of the midfield. With Tom Cleverley and Anderson both injured, Sir Alex Ferguson doesn't have much in the way of inspiring replacements. Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick don't offer a whole lot going forward (they're great to watch if you enjoy sideways passes, though). Ryan Giggs and Park Ji-Sung can play in the middle, but it's not their natural position. Ferguson has even resorted to using Wayne Rooney, his most dynamic forward, in the midfield. Rooney has always liked to play as a deep-lying forward; deploying him as an out-and-out midfielder shows the severity of Man U's problems. Various reports have also credited Ferguson with an interest in Cabaye (it should be noted that none of those reports has looked particularly credible).

Yet, for all the positives Cabaye has brought to Newcastle this season, he's still waiting for the sort of dominant performance that would announce his arrival as one of the Premier League's best central midfielders. What better time than Saturday?

THANKSGIVING, NEWCASTLE STYLE

We understand England doesn't observe the Thanksgiving holiday America celebrates today. Too bad. In many ways, it's our best holiday. No awkward gift giving or receiving. No glittery patriotic chest-beating. No obligatory churchgoing. Just overeating and football. If only it were the English brand of football as well (though today here in Wisconsin we're getting a special treat with our unbeaten Packers on the holiday slate against the resurgent rival Detroit Lions).

The actual idea of the holiday, which has been papered over by commercialism and gluttony as with all holidays, is to pause and give thanks for whatever one has to whatever deity, supreme being or life force one might believe in. Perhaps no fans have more to be thankful for at this moment than those who support Newcastle United, currently the surprise soccer club of Earth. So, as American fans of the club, we'll step up here on our designated day with some thanks. Feel free to comment underneath with your own.

Thank you (fill in deity, supreme being or life force here) for a club that's compelling to follow even when it's not winning.

Thank you for how much fun that makes it to win.

Thank you for a stadium named after a saint, and the shame that heaps on anyone who tries to rename it.

Thank you for fans that make every stadium sound like home on TV.

Thank you for colors that match everything.

Thank you for an accent Americans can't fake in a bar.

Thank you for the Ligue 1 salary structure.

Thank you for not taking those "Pardew Out" signs seriously.

Thank you, belatedly, for the £35 million.

Thank you, in advance, for making someone spend it.

Thank you for 15 points from safety and 26 matches to get them.

Thank you for not letting opponents believe we might be for real.

Thank you for letting us dare to hope we are.

And, finally, thank you for this incredible year so far, and the idea for this site, and the thousands of readers who have made our wishes to be Geordies feel like they've come true.

BIG MATCH REVEALS LITTLE FOR NEWCASTLE

There. We've played somebody.

Now if only it had proved anything.

On one hand, key absences all over the pitch provided a ready-made rationalization for a next-to-inevitable loss. Though we've chided Gabriel Obertan on this blog, his pace would've been just the prescription for what ailed Newcastle during its quiet stretches against Manchester City on Saturday. As lethal as Hatem Ben Arfa looked, imagine if Sylvain Marveaux or Cheick Tiote had been nearby. And it turns out we can't do without Steven Taylor for one minute. Literally.

On the other hand, this club may have to get used to key absences. Newcastle was asking for it in June when they went to the bargain bin for an attacking midfielder with enough chronic medical issues to fill the last act of an Italian opera; don't expect Marveaux as a regular anytime soon (if ever), and we hate to say we told you so, but we told you so. Speaking of Italy and medical histories, where is Davide Santon, and how bad do the outside backs need to look before we find out? Alan Pardew is warning Chelsea that Tiote won't come cheap this January, which is kind of like telling King Kong to bulk up.

On one hand, take away the penalties and Newcastle generated more solid-gold chances than what looks like the Best Club On Earth at this moment. Delete this match fast from the DVR. The nearer-than-near misses from Ba and Ben Arfa are enough to give a fan a mental issue the second and third times around.

On the other hand, if chances were goals, Newcastle would've ceased to be unbeaten long before Saturday. Let's face it: The soccer gods were due to shun the Toon for a day. 

On one hand, Newcastle didn't look out of place relative to its spot on the table.

On the other hand, its spot on the table looks about to be downgraded.

In the end, Newcastle United emerged from Saturday's loss looking like a young but dangerous club, giving its fans reason for both hope and concern, needing to build in the transfer window ahead on the foundation being laid to maintain its European dreams. Unfortunately for supporters who were waiting for more out of this match, that's pretty much the same Newcastle club that went in.

BEN ARFA'S TIME TO SHINE

It's astonishing, really. Newcastle United enters today's game at Manchester City third in the Premier League table and its most gifted player has been a total non-factor so far this season.

Hatem Ben Arfa has understandably drawn headlines in the buildup to today's match, seeing as how he'll be returning to the scene of a career-threatening injury and potentially playing against the Dutch thug who inflicted said injury. But the fact is he's been nothing more than a fringe player for Newcastle so far.

That will have to change if United has any shot at maintaining its strong start to the season. With Sylvain Marveaux headed stateside for surgery (looks like my co-blogger was right), Gabriel Obertan battling a toe infection and Leon Best slowed by a groin injury, Newcastle is worringly thin in the attack at the moment. And to compete with Man City, Man United and Chelsea, you need matchwinners. Ben Arfa has that ability, even against the best teams in the world. I don't know that the same can be said about anyone else on United's roster.

Alan Pardew's biggest challenge is figuring out where to fit Ben Arfa into Newcastle's lineup. Pardew has shown a preference for the traditional English 4-4-2 throughout his 11 months in charge, but that formation is dependent on wing play. And, seeing as how Pardew has repeatedly said he wants to play Ben Arfa exclusively through the middle, United's only healthy starting-caliber winger at the moment is Jonas Gutierrez (yes, Sammy Ameobi looks promising, but playing a full 90 minutes is a completely different animal than coming on as an impact sub - just ask Nile Ranger).

Pardew could shoe horn a central midfielder into a right wing role - Danny Guthrie and Dan Gosling would be options, although Guthrie has repeatedly shown that his best position is in the middle - and play Ben Arfa up top with Demba Ba. Or he could be really bold and change formations. That's what I'd like to see.

Man City has been superb this season and is finally playing with a style going forward that lives up to its spending (errr, deficit spending, I guess we should say). But Roberto Mancini's team doesn't play with much width. So if Pardew has any designs on using a more narrow 4-3-3, this would seem to be the ideal time to do so.

However Pardew decides to line his team up, though, Ben Arfa needs to be included. Because if he remains a non-factor, Newcastle won't be third in the table for much longer.

THE GLOBAL COST OF INSENSITIVE BRANDING

The renaming of St. James' Park is a classic case of penny wise and millions of pounds foolish. Americans like us who have adopted Newcastle United as our Premier League passion provide a perfect illustration.

Why is the Premier League gaining audience so fast in America? It's not like we don't have enough on our plates already. We have leagues in four sports that rival the Premier League's popularity in England. And we have our own Major Soccer League that's growing in popularity as well. What's so attractive about getting up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday to watch English matches instead?

One word: tradition. We're enthralled by the layers of history, the depth of support, the colors, the chants, the songs - and yes, the quirky, old-fashioned, covered-stand stadiums that don't exist in our younger nation and are so striking on our televisions. Fenway Park and Wrigley Field in baseball are venerated above all American stadiums for their age and coziness, and those ballparks are fundamental to the Red Sox' and Cubs' massive fan bases. English soccer has Fenways and Wrigleys dotted across the national landscape. That has tremendous pull for American fans, even those who may rarely if ever see the stadiums in person.

We're entering a decade in which millions of Americans will choose a Premier League club to follow and support. For reasons previously stated, we think Newcastle United has a chance to be a huge club in America, and the steadily growing readership of this blog is yet more evidence. In that respect, St. James' Park is a decisive advantage for Newcastle over a bigger club like Arsenal that plays in a spaceship with corporate branding.

At the critical, semi-conscious moment in which a club wins a fan's heart, branding can be as important as reality, especially when that reality is experienced at our distance. At that key moment, watching players march out behind a TV graphic that says "St. James' Park" might make all the difference. If I'd turned on a match one Saturday morning being televised live from Sports Direct Arena, is it possible I might have gravitated instead toward Old Trafford, or Stamford Bridge, or White Hart Lane? You bet. This site and its thousands of readers - maybe, before long, millions - might not exist. Or, worse, it might read 'I Wish I Was A Scouser.'

Maybe Mike Ashley doesn't care about America. He'd better. The untapped market for English soccer in America is staggering. As global money continues to pour into the Premier League, it's grow or suffer for each individual club. Like it or not, America is where the growth is. We have enough sterile modern stadiums with awkward corporate names. Differentiation from the American experience means everything for a Premier League club seeking to plant a following in our fertile ground. "Sports Direct Arena" sounds more ridiculously American than most stadiums in America.

So go ahead Mr. Ashley, if you must, and collect your paltry £10 million for the piecemeal sale of Newcastle's brand and soul. Try not to think about the hundreds of millions it might cost you down the line.

AN IDEA FOR ASHLEY FROM A FELLOW OWNER

Dear Mr. Ashley,

This letter comes to you from a part-owner of one of the most successful clubs in the world of professional sport. Based in a city a fraction the size of Newcastle, my club has won more trophies than any in its league, has filled every seat for every match in a larger stadium than yours for the past 50 years, and has never had to sink to embarrassing depths like selling off the name of our historic stadium when we've run short of revenue. Instead, when times have gotten tough, we've asked our fans for money. And they've said yes.

How have we managed this? By giving fans a small stake in the club. I own the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League along with 112,157 partners. None of us receives a dividend or any share of club profits. The bylaws of the club prohibit any of us from owning enough shares to threaten control. All but a few of us bought shares in modern stock sales that allowed thousands of fans essentially to split one vote on a large board.

But we get to attend a shareholders' meeting in the stadium one day each summer and have our say in how the club is run. We get a certificate to hang on our wall. And we get pride in being minor but official owners of the club we love. For us, that's enough of a return.

It wouldn't work with a club in which fans didn't already invest their hearts and souls along with a couple of hundred dollars now and then. It wouldn't work if there were other big clubs in the city to divide the loyalty of the supporters. It wouldn't work unless the fans had unparalleled passion for their team.

It might work with Newcastle.

There are huge differences between my club and yours. Mine is American; yours is English. Mine has the advantage of competitive protections like revenue-sharing and salary limits that are built into our league and not yours. My club is chartered as a nonprofit corporation while yours is profit-making. I don't know how or whether it's possible for Newcastle United to sell stock or give supporters a minority seat on your board (although I am aware of at least one historic English football club currently offering shares of ownership to fans). And while I'm a Newcastle United fan, I'm not a Geordie, so I don't know whether your native supporters would go for this, even if it were possible. Maybe some of them would like to weigh in with comments below and say what they think.

I do know this, though: It's a better idea than peeling the name of a Holy Apostle off your stadium and replacing it with a bumpersticker for your mail-order business. Even if you don't go for the notion of giving fans a stake in Newcastle United, perhaps you want to take a close look anyway at my wildly successful club, a club that shares many cultural and historical similarities with yours. Perhaps you ought to study the Green Bay Packers. Perhaps you should know what's possible when owners and supporters view each other as partners rather than adversaries.

SJP NAME CHANGE INDEFENSIBLE

I'm not from Newcastle. I can't claim to have grown up spending my Saturday afternoons at St. James' Park.

So I won't pretend to fully understand the rage born-and-bred Geordies are feeling after learning of Mike Ashley's decision to rename Newcastle United's 119-year-old stadium the Sports Direct Arena. But it still bothers me, and I'm guessing nearly all of my fellow American Toon fans feel the same way.

None of us chose to support Newcastle because of on-field success. Talk to any American Newcastle fan and you're likely to hear a similar story of why they fell in love with a team half a world away: It was the general feel of the club. St. James' Park plays a prominent in creating that feel.

Sure, the stadium isn't being levelled. And every fan will still call it by its rightful name, just as we all did after the genius plan to rebrand it as "sportsdirect.com @ St. James' Park" emerged in 2009. But this is a public relations risk - can it even be called a risk if it's guaranteed to create nothing but vitriol? - that Newcastle's board didn't need to take after an incredibly positive start to the season that had boosted Ashley's reputation among fans.

The Ashley regime is spinning the name change as a way to increase revenue in tough economic times, particularly when paired with a shirt sponsorship deal (Newcastle's contract with Northern Rock expires at the end of the season). Of course, no revenue will be generated until the naming rights are sold. So what is the economic benefit to the club of rebranding it as an advertisement for Ashley's company in the interim? And how much is fan happiness worth?

Ashley and Co. would probably say they've been here before. After all, weren't we all outraged when Andy Carroll was sold in January? And weren't we even angrier when a new No. 9 failed to arrive in the summer? We got over both of those supposed catastrophes.

This is different. Those moves could be justified by subsequent results. Carroll has struggled at Liverpool, while Newcastle had more than enough to stay up last season. And, with the No. 9 still vacant, Newcastle sits third in the Premier League table at the moment. But what realistic result could justify defacing St. James' Park? Winning the Premier League because of the cash infusion from the name change?

Not for me. Maybe that's silly. But that's why I'm a Newcastle fan.