United may have been out of the top flight ... but not the spotlight

WORLDWIDE INTEREST DESPITE DEMOTION

Chief Sports Writer NEWCASTLE United may have only just returned to the Premier League.

But the truth is their global appeal during a one-season stay in the Sky Bet Championship did not waver.

Throughout the long 46-game season journalists from France, Belgium, Holland, Italy and Spain were all frequent visitors to St James’ Park. Not bad for the “wee club”, as Sir Alex Ferguson once called them.

In recent weeks Newcastle were also at the centre of a hot debate on globally-viewed Middle East sports channel Bein Sports when a panel including Tim Sherwood and Craig Bellamy hit out at Geordie supporters for asking for too much.

With the sun out at St James’ Park again, a TV crew from SFR Sport in Paris visted Newcastle to assess the mood in the city 12 months on from relegation.

It’s quickly apparent to them that there is a feel-good factor around Tyneside again.

The wider media’s interest in Newcastle is also down to why the club still get 50,000 crowds despite not winning a domestic trophy since 1955.

Factor in the potential, romance and controversy and the club’s rich tapestry is interesting viewing for any neutral.

Scenes of fans protesting, St James’ Park boycotts and players regularly leaving to find success elsewhere appear to have settled down.

The Magpies were big news in France not so long ago as talk of the “French revolution” captured the imagination across the English Channel.

Ironically, on a day when the overseas media is asking questions about the demise Moussa Sissoko is reportedly considering his next move, after leaving United for Spurs in a £29m deal of Newcastle’s French phase, the headlines on SFR Sport’s website suggest that fallen Toon star Moussa Sissoko is preparing for his next move. When Newcastle picked up £29m for his services from Tottenham Hotspur on deadline night in August, the Geordie fans didn’t want to laugh too loudly as a deal on a problem player at United was sold for a massive profit. And as popular as Yohan Cabaye and Mathieu Debuchy were for a spell at St James,’ how many would take them back now? Benitez’s arrival at Newcastle saw reliance on the French market come to an end. He said last year: “For me, it doesn’t matter where the player comes from, as long as he has the right mentality, character and the quality we need.” Situations that resulted in Sissoko and Gini Wijnaldum also ceased when Benitez said: “We are not a stepping stone, we are Newcastle United!

“Every player should be honoured to wear the shirt of this club.”

Football is an ever-changing game, and Newcastle United seem to be an ever-changing club with a history of ups and downs.

It always feels like the club can go from the sublime to the ridiculous in a short space of time.

This time last year Newcastle