An open letter to Newcastle United fans

An open letter to my fellow Newcastle United fans – The 12th man.

To the supporters of Newcastle United.

‘We call ourselves the best supporters in the world. We wear our black and white stripes with pride. We sing about loyalty, passion, history and what it means to be a Geordie. We talk about St James’ Park being a fortress, about the noise, the atmosphere and the incredible connection between this club and its supporters.

But I have to ask a question.

Are we actually living up to the names we give ourselves?

Because, if I’m being honest, what we’ve witnessed at St James’ Park, particularly towards the back end of last season and continuing into this new chapter, has been difficult to watch. Not because of the football alone, but because of the attitude coming from the stands.

The atmosphere has, at times, become toxic. The groans, the negativity, the frustration, the booing at half-time and full-time. Players being written off before they’ve had a proper opportunity to settle. A new team being judged against the standards of a team that took years to build.

And I can’t help thinking that as Newcastle United fans we’ve lost sight of something incredibly important.

We are supposed to be the 12th man.

Look at what has happened at this football club. We’ve experienced significant change. A new manager, the loss of our club captain, the departure of experienced senior players and leaders, both on and off the pitch. The familiar faces, personalities and voices that helped shape the identity of this team have changed.

The dressing room has changed. The leadership has changed. The dynamics have changed. The team is evolving.

And yet, almost before this new group has had the opportunity to find its feet, we’ve been quick to turn on them.

What exactly did we expect?

Did we think a new manager would walk through the door, inherit a changing squad and everything would immediately click into place? That new partnerships, understanding, confidence and leadership would magically appear overnight?

Football doesn’t work like that.

Players need time to understand each other. New leaders need time to emerge. A manager needs time to implement his ideas. Confidence needs nurturing, not destroying.

And that last point is particularly important.

Imagine being a player walking out at St James’ Park, knowing that one misplaced pass, one poor decision or one disappointing half could be met with a chorus of groans or boos.

Imagine trying to build confidence in an unfamiliar team when the very people who are supposed to lift you are making you feel ten feet tall one minute and ten feet under the next.

We all want to win. We all want to see Newcastle competing at the highest level. Nobody is suggesting we should accept poor performances, abandon ambition or pretend everything is perfect when it isn’t.

We’re football supporters. We have every right to be frustrated, disappointed and demanding.

But there is a difference between demanding better and actively contributing to making things worse.

There is a difference between supporting a football club and only supporting it when things are going well.

This is Newcastle United. We know our history. We’ve experienced the highs, the lows, the heartbreak and the near misses. We’ve stood on the terraces through some truly difficult times. We know what loyalty means.

So why, now that the club is trying to build something, are we so quick to turn on the very people representing it?

The irony is that we constantly talk about the incredible atmosphere at St James’ Park. Opposition supporters talk about it. Players talk about it. Managers talk about it. It’s one of the things that makes Newcastle United special.

But that atmosphere isn’t created by the architecture, the pitch or the players alone.

It’s created by us.

We are the 12th man. Not a marketing slogan. Not something we sing about when we’re winning. Not something we switch on for the big European nights and switch off when a game isn’t going our way.

It’s our responsibility.

When the team is struggling, that’s when they need us most. When confidence is low, that’s when the noise should be loudest. When a new player makes a mistake, that’s when we should be getting behind him, not making him dread his next touch.

Imagine what it could do for a young player, a new signing or someone finding their feet in a different role to hear 52,000 people behind them rather than against them.

Imagine the confidence that could give a team still learning to play together.

We pride ourselves on being different. On being passionate, fiercely loyal and united behind our club. Well, perhaps it’s time we started showing it again.

Let’s stop comparing every new player with someone who has left. Let’s stop expecting a team in transition to perform like a settled side. Let’s give the manager and his players the opportunity to build relationships, develop an identity and find their rhythm.

And, above all, let’s remember that supporting Newcastle United isn’t conditional on the scoreline.

There will be poor performances. There will be mistakes. There will be frustrating afternoons, and Monday night catastrophes. There will be games when we leave St James’ Park wondering what on earth we’ve just watched.

That’s football.

But we should never allow frustration to become the defining feature of our support.

We have an opportunity here. A new chapter, a new group of players and a chance to build something together. The club has changed, and perhaps it’s time we changed our approach too.

The players have a responsibility to give everything for that shirt. The manager has a responsibility to get the best out of his squad. The board has a responsibility to take the club forward.

And we, the supporters, have a responsibility too.

Our job is to make St James’ Park a place opposition teams fear and our own players feel inspired.

So the next time we go through the turnstiles, let’s think about what we’re bringing into that stadium.

Let’s sing a little louder. Let’s get behind the players. Let’s lift them when they’re struggling. Let’s make some noise when things aren’t going our way.

Let’s be the supporters we constantly tell the rest of the world we are.

Because being the best fans in the world isn’t something you earn when your team wins.

It’s something you prove when they need you most.

We are Newcastle United. We are the Toon Army. We are the 12th man.

It’s about time we started acting like it.’

Chris Hall