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Alan Shearer tells Gary Neville what desperately needs to change at Newcastle United

2 years ago
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A great conversation between Alan Shearer and Gary Neville.

The former England teammates discussing Newcastle United, Neville asking the NUFC legend what needs to change at St James Park, amongst other things.

With new owners in place, is there room for hope when Newcastle fans look to the future…?

Alan Shearer talking to Gary Neville on The Overlap:

Gary Neville:

“What does this City mean to you, what was it like growing up here?”

Alan Shearer:

“As soon as I could walk, my old man chucked a ball at my feet and a Newcastle top and that was it.

“I’m no different to any other kid, that’s just what happened here. Football means that much to everyone.

“My dad went to watch Newcastle every single week and loved it as much as anybody else. I did exactly the same with my son as soon as he could walk, here’s a football, here’s a Newcastle kit, he goes to all the games now home and away, he’s a mad Newcastle fan just like I am.”

Gary Neville:

“What impact does it have on the City, the football. I know everybody up here is mad about football…?”

Alan Shearer:

“The football club is their life, they go to work all week, to earn money to spend on the weekend, to have a good time…and spending their money means going to watch their club, Newcastle. Going to the pubs and restaurants on a Saturday night, then they start all over again, so Newcastle is their life.

“I have been all over the country and I have never quite seen anywhere…that when you walk around the town you see the nanas and grandads, the mams and dads, the brothers and sisters, all the kids, wearing the black and white, wearing the shirt…so it is their life.

“So for the last 14 years it has been really difficult, they have had no hope.

“Cup competitions have been zero and it has just been about surviving.

“So I can get why all of a sudden there is a bit of excitement in the City.”

Gary Neville:

“Everybody up here has a passion for Newcastle United, why does the club not just hone in…because they want that connection so much between fans and the players. I can see that when I come up here and saw it for this past 25 years when I have came up here…and I’m not from up here. Why does it not have that incredible youth conveyor belt?”

Alan Shearer:

“Well it needs investment. The Academy needs investment and you know as well as I do that you don’t get anything, without putting something in there.

“For the last 14 years it has had nothing.

“I mean, the training ground and Academy is exactly how it was, when I left back in 2006.

“Nothing [invested] at all. It is the same Academy and training ground, it may have had a lick of paint but other than that, nothing.

“Going forward, whatever happens, that has to change…and I’m hopeful that it will.”

Gary Neville:

“Is it the investment in the training ground? Is it the scouting, the recruitment, the quality of the coaching…?”

Alan Shearer:

“Everything. It has to be everything.

“There has to be investment in Newcastle’s training ground, Newcastle’s Academy, the scouting, the coaching, you have to do everything. Without all of that, players are still going to go to other football clubs.”

Gary Neville:

“In terms of yourself, there has been a lot of talk in recent weeks about you being reintroduced into the club. Could that be the type of area that you could look at and completely overhaul it, is that a project you would look at? Talk of an ambassadorial role, whatever?”

Alan Shearer:

“Well that is all it has been so far, talk, because they [Newcastle’s new owners] have got far more important and bigger decisions to make than who they are going to bring in as an ambassador, or who they are going to bring into the games.

“If they want to sit down and talk then of course I would be willing to do that, but at the minute there hasn’t been anything and I wouldn’t expect there to be anything [for the time being].”

Interesting timing for this interview between Gary Neville and Alan Shearer getting released, as only yesterday, the club released an interview (watch it HERE) with Amanda Staveley, where she says the new ownership have been looking at the entire club in terms of where investment is needed.

The simple answer they have found is that investment is needed EVERYWHERE, following these 14+ years of Mike Ashley.

Amanda Staveley though saying that new first team training facilities and building a new Academy are amongst the priorities they have identified.

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