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Opinion

When booing at the end of the match is…not booing

2 years ago
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The final whistle after Newcastle 1 Norwich 1 on Tuesday night prompted booing to be heard at St James Park.

Little wonder you might say.

The home team at the end of November starting the match without a win all season, 14 games played with eight defeats and six draws, six points from safety, rock bottom of the table.

The home team ending the match moving into December without a win all season, 15 games played with eight defeats and seven draws, six points from safety (and most teams above with game(s) in hand), still rock bottom of the table.

No wonder there was was booing.

However, this is / was one of those strange cases where booing at the end of the match is…not booing.

It couldn’t have happened at any other Premier League club experiencing similar circumstances, in my opinion.

The support last night for Newcastle United was phenomenal.

Proud to be a Geordie indeed, when I walked out of St James Park.

We didn’t win, so what. I have seen us fail to win many matches in the past and will do so again.

More likely to be relegated? Again, so what, I have seen that plenty times before. Indeed, two of those four occasions were experienced in Mike Ashley’s first eight Premier League seasons.

What last night was all about for me was that special feeling of…being part of something special. A coming together of the fanbase determined to support the team no matter what. Just like it used to be.

As for the booing at the final whistle?

Well, for me, the hundreds who did boo, were not booing this Newcastle United team, head coach and owners.

My take on it was that the few that did boo (a few hundred out of fifty thousand), it was booing the match officials and also just booing in frustration at our situation. Almost howling at the moon. Circumstances (Ciaran Clark’s split second of stupidity this time) conspiring against us.

The fact that the boos of the few, swiftly became the whole crowd giving the players a standing ovation for their efforts, will undoubtedly be ignored by our enemies, whether they be journalists, pundits or fans of other clubs…is not worth worrying about.

Those of us who were there know absolutely that this was a St James Park crowd that was right behind this team and head coach.

We have indeed got our club back.

Stats from BBC Sport:

Newcastle 1 Norwich 1 – Tuesday 30 November 7.30pm

Goals:

Norwich:

Pukki 79

Newcastle:

Clark 9 red card, Wilson 61 pen

Possession was Norwich 69% Newcastle 31%

Total shots were Norwich 16  Newcastle 9

Shots on target were Norwich 6 Newcastle 1

Corners were Norwich 5 Newcastle 2

Referee: Andy Madley

Crowd: 50,757 (Norwich 1,000)

Newcastle United:

Dubravka, Manquillo, Schar, Clark, Lewis, Fraser (Fernandez 11), Shelvey, Willock (Hayden 73), Saint-Maximin (Almiron 77), Joelinton, Wilson

Unused Subs:

Darlow, Hendrick, Krafth, Longstaff, Gayle, Murphy

(Eddie Howe shows class with Ciaran Clark comments and acknowledges ‘magnificent’ Fernandez – Read HERE)

(Newcastle 1 Norwich 1 – Instant NUFC fan/writer reaction to Tuesday’s draw – Read HERE)

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