Minimal

Stirring passions

It’s the football season again and things inside me are stirring. Feelings that have lain dormant for the best part of 3 months are once again making their presence felt... and it feels GOOD. :) Traditions are being reenacted — the compulsory purchase of the latest True Faith and The Mag fanzines, swift pre-match pints in the Market Lane with my brother, laughing at the mackems, the almighty roar at kick-off that makes the hairs on your neck stand on end, the unbridled joy of another goal thumped home by Shearer — all of these things are what makes supporting Newcastle United so special.

This season promises to be a good one, too. The Champions’ League beckons, we’ve bought good young talent over the summer (although the departure of Sylvain Distin was a real bummer) and Sunderland are already facing relegation before they’ve kicked a ball. I can’t wait to see us give them a really good stuffing, and it seems I’m not the only one. Taken from the latest copy of True Faith, I think this sums it up for a lot of Geordies:

“But we owe the SMB — for me, our 1-0 win last season at the Hick-dome courtesy of Nikos’ goal wasn’t enough and left me strangely unsatisifed. A year ago, we met the SMB very early in the season and played them off the park, but they squeaked away from SJP with an undeserved point. We have battered them in years gone by at SJP, yet they have escaped either with a point or a narrow defeat. They need a hiding of historic proportions and I can say without fear of contradiction you all agree with me. Come on Bobby, come on Alan and all the players, give us what we want — you know it makes sense.”

Howay the lads! :)