New book by former Toon fanzine editor
RENOWNED former fanzine editor Kev Fletcher has published a new book looking back at some of the greats to have played for Newcastle United.
Fletcher’s latest offering, 100 Toon Army Heroes: Newcastle United’s Greatest, is available on Amazon and showcases terrace favourites down the years at St James’ Park.
The author has written a number of other books over the years but has once again decided to look at his favourite club.
He told The Chronicle: “Born in Newcastle, aged 65, I am a loyal Newcastle United fan who was heavily involved in the Newcastle United fanzine craze of the 1980s and 1990s editor of Talk of the Toon.
“Sir Bobby Robson once said: ‘What is a club? Not the building or the directors, or the people who are paid to represent it. It’s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride of the city. The fans!’
“Whilst other football clubs have their ‘glory-seekers’, fans who latch onto a club because it is more successful than others or have a better history, Newcastle United have the Toon Army.
“In 2020 over 10,000 football supporters voted for the ‘Best Away Supporters In The Football League’ and the Toon Army won it hands down. It wasn’t anything that we didn’t know already, but it’s nice to have it in writing.
“I’m not expecting supporters of other clubs to agree, and I may well be a touch biased, but Newcastle fans are the best in the world.
“For reasons they know, and the rest of the world will simply have to fathom. When the Toon Army falls in love with a player, they make it known. “
Fletcher went on: “Former Magpies midfielder and sports pundit, Jermaine Jenas, couldn’t understand the concept and called the city ‘a goldfish bowl’ because there was no escape from the adulation and the pressure to please.
“The guy just didn’t get it! But many players do, and this book is a collection of the greatest crowdpleasing Newcastle United players since the club formed back in 1892.
“They played in the famous black and white shirt with the passion the Geordie public have come to expect.
“The workhorses (Cheick Tiote, Gary Speed); the skilled (David Ginola, Jinky Smith); and the entertainers (Kevin Keegan, Gazza). They are all here ... 100 of the Greatest!”
The book is available on Amazon for £9.99.
NEWCASTLE can use the training ground bust-up between Steve Bruce and Matt Ritchie to spur them on.
That is the verdict of former Magpies defender Steve Howey who hopes it ‘knits them together’ ahead of Sunday’s huge clash with West Brom.
Bruce is coming under increasing pressure after a run of just two wins in the last 17 matches left Newcastle in serious relegation trouble.
That was heightened when news broke a heated bust-up between Bruce and Ritchie on the training ground.
It has thrown Newcastle’s preparations for Sunday’s vital trip to West Brom into disarray but Howey hopes it can all end with a positive result at the Hawthorns.
“With the comments after the game you can understand Steve was frustrated,” he said.
“He has obviously given Matt Ritchie a job to do to pass on information and he feels that hasn’t been passed on quick enough. We have all seen Jamie Carragher’s analysis on Monday Night Football and it ultimately cost Newcastle a goal because Jacob Murphy wasn’t in the right position.
“That is typical of when things aren’t going right for you. It is one of those things and it is going to get spoken about. Hopefully it is something that spurs the players on and knits them together ahead of a big game against West Brom on Sunday.”
Meanwhile, Ritchie’s former team-mate Jamie O’Hara laid the blame for the incident at Bruce’s door.
He said: “I don’t think Steve Bruce should have come out and slaughtered him in the media.”
He added of Bruce: “I think he made the right decision in saying, ‘I’ll speak to you on Monday’, because after a game emotions are high, so for Bruce to say, ‘I want to speak to you now, I’ll speak to you Monday about it’, I don’t think that’s a problem and Ritchie should respect that.
“Matt isn’t a bad egg; I played with Matt at Portsmouth when he was first starting out and he’s a great lad, he wants to work hard and he’s had a great career.
“I’m surprised to read that he said he’s not going to see the manager, and then Bruce has had to come out and then they’ve had it off on the training pitch.
“That to me spells disaster. When you’re in a difficult period as a manager and results aren’t going your way, you need the dressing room.”