Onwards and Upwards

Peter Gilbert 5.11.00

Anoraknaphobia

10 Things to know about Newcastle United FC

1.Newcastle United started life in 1881 as a club called Stanley but changed their name to Newcastle United East End a year later. When rivals Newcastle United West End went out of business, they were invited to take up residence at their old ground, St James' Park.

2. They've won the league four times but not since 1927.

3.They've never won the League Cup – We have 3 times !!!!!!

4.They've won the FA Cup six times but not since 1955

5. They have won one major European Trophy – The Fairs Cup in 1969.

6. So – they've won nothing since 1969 !!!!!!!

7. One of their fanzines refers to us as' Filbert Funkwits' and describe us as friendly - which surprises me.

8.They are steeped in history - just like the Romans - but where are they now?

9. They 'invented' the foreign player: Nolberto Solano was the first Peruvian in English football, Mirandinha in 1987 was the first ever Brazilian, Asprilla in 1996 was the first ever Colombian.

10. They've had a lot of managers over the last few years – it finally took an Englishman who is also a Geordie to stabilize the ship. Adam Crozier (suspiciously a Scot) please take note, we neither trust you or rate your opinion about football.

PS '-Speaking of more recent history - This happened last week.

Leicester U19 3

Newcastle U19 2

United's older juniors fought back from a two goal deficit with goals from Gary Caldwell and Bradley Orr but a 75th minute winner from Reeves gave the home side victory over Alan Irvine's side.

One of Newcastle United's many 'Yesterday Men' Ruud Gullit said at the end of his first season 'The FA Cup has been getting in the way. But we have qualified for European football. At the end of last season their new manager Bobby Robson said ' There were a few careers going backwards here and they didn't have any character. It was a leaking ship. But I have put a smile back on their faces on the training ground..

In Stuart Pearce's recently released book 'Psycho' he gives a very interesting account of life behind the scenes at St James Park. Dalglish signed him, Gullit blanked him so he moved on after many months in the wilderness. It makes you wonder about foreign coaches, they have no perception as to what 'our' game is all about. To blank the likes of Stuart Pearce and consider the FA Cup a distraction says it all really. Replace that with a Geordie who is a human being, and one who puts a smile on faces and you can get a taste of what real coaching is all about.

Back to Stuart Pearce's book though there is a very funny account of Rob Lee deliberately giving a short pass to Ruud Gullit in a five a side game as a set up for Psycho to clatter the manager who was getting up everyone's nose. Apparently Gullit never showed any pain, it would have been well worth watching. Don't forget he also dropped Shearer and Ferguson; was he on a mission to destroy anything English/British?

I was watching Alan Shearer talking about Bobby Robson on TV last night, he described him as Super Human and Shearer the master of non committal interviews clearly had a tear in the corner of his eye as he uttered the words.

This is real football, it is all about blood, passion, commitment, loyalty and the will to win. Yes we can get technical coaches on board but without the vital ingredients teams just won 't play. That was exactly where Gullit went wrong, he discarded Stuart Pearce and Robert Lee who were reduced to going for a walk during training to eat ice cream in the park but these are two players who will run through walls for you so I'm pleased for the sake of English football that Bobby Robson has taken over a club like Newcastle United and restored some sanity.

However at 3.00pm on Saturday 11th November I will care not one jot for what I have just written for my passion, my loyalty, my desire to win lies with Leicester City.

If we can win this one it means that no-one can overtake us and we can maintain our healthy league position.

We too have an English manager, one who understands us but more than that we are a centre of excellence for British players and so we are absolutely vital to the future of our game. I would say that the fortunes of Leicester City this season are more important than any other team in The Premiership. Just at a time when a Scot as chief executive of The FA has appointed a foreign coach to lead our national side because we don't have any suitable English/British candidates, then our game needs a homespun outfit to deliver success at the top level. So go on Leicester City go out there and do it for your country.

Interesting too that that our chairman John Elsom did not stoop to the underhand backroom manipulating of the likes of Dein(Arsenal), Ridsdale(Leeds) who as members of the select committee made damn sure that 'their' managers Wenger and O'Leary were kept well and truly out of the frame.

Peter Taylor, John Elsom and Leicester City are emerging as possibly the last bastions of genuine English integrity in our football today. So when our manager locks horns with Bobby Robson we can be assured of a clean fight.

If I was to look down our playing list it is easy to reinforce all the points I have eluded to in this article.

Last Match City Player Analysis

Flowers: Utterly genuine, enthusiastic, uncomplaining, totally professional.

Rowett: As good an English right back as there is, if he played for a 'big club' he'd already have caps.

Elliott: An absolute travesty that he was forced to become Scottish, how England needs him now.

Davidson: A Scottish full back who has come to us to further develop his game, he is emerging as a very real asset.

Taggart: A typically up front Irish player, proud of his roots, always gives us 100%

Izzett: Yet another player who had to go 'foreign' to achieve international status, he is however one of the best midfield players in the country, we are so lucky to have him, if he'd moved to a 'big club' England would have picked him.

Savage: Totally Welsh and a credit to his country, in his spare time he is Mr Leicester City, an inspiration.

Lennon: A great traditional Irish player, he's been a revelation for us.

Akinbiyi: Born and brought up in England, in fact he went to school with Muzzy' of Nigerian parents.

Benjamin: One of the many, and welcome, black English players in our game has made one start in The Premiership, he is raw talent.

I don't mind us having foreign players, or foreign managers or foreign anything. I am not xenophobic, but I am very concerned about the state of OUR GAME and I object to seeing teams over run with foreigners and our youth system not producing. If we are not careful English players, especially after youth level will become second class citizens.

The longer Leicester City FC can stay up in the top six the better it is for English/British Football !!!!!!

So come on lads let's do it against The Geordie Boys.