In recent weeks, a few issues have come to my knowledge, making me feel outraged, excited, perplexed, annoyed, and proud as a Newcastle United fan.
I dealt with the “appalled” when I posted my diatribe about the match day thread vitriol, particularly addressed at Sean Longstaff, a few weeks ago.
I’m delighted to report that it appears to have been the low point of the fledgling season, and despite the dismal performance at Fulham, things have steadily improved since. Especially given their performance against Manchester City.
This takes me to the “excited” part.
Not only because of the eventual performance on the pitch, but also because it was our “Italian Stallion” Sandro Tonali’s first start in nearly a year. Rarely has a Second Coming been so avidly sought and expected, and the lad did not disappoint.
Strangely, Mrs Lass and I had a premonition of his arrival while on vacation in his birthplace last month. We were waiting for a ferry from Sirmione to Desenzano, but it was late! A massive queue formed behind us, and one or two people became agitated (sound familiar?). It wasn’t truly a 10-month wait, but it sure seemed like it. Suddenly, a dot emerged on the horizon, and tensions eased. Then came the premonition.
As the boat approached, Mrs Lass grabbed my arm and exclaimed, “My God – look at its name!” The SS Tonale came “steaming up” to save the day for everyone! (The signwriter clearly couldn’t spell.)
Tonale saves the day.
The boat, like its compatriot and (nearly) namesake, arrived late, but when it did, it did its job perfectly, quickly, and had everyone comfortable, happy, and enjoying the voyage.
That evening, we watched Italy play Israel, and our child played the entire 90 minutes and was everywhere. He delivered an outstanding effort for the national team (again) and was unlucky to have a goal disallowed for offside. It was so close, I couldn’t picture Liverpool sweating over it. I told Mrs Lass that he should have clipped his toe nails, and her laconic response was, “Did you mean his toe nalis?”
Eddie Howe eventually gave in to popular demand (no doubt because it was what he had meant to do anyway) and started Wor Sandro against Manchester City over the weekend, and his was one of several admirable displays (along with Flash, Hall, BDB, Trips, Schar, Murphy, and Joey).
Among the many individual match-ups, Big Dan’s performance versus Manchester City’s Scary Viking, Erling Haaland, had to be one of the best. That guy has been shattering records for fun since he arrived in England, and this season is no different. So much so that the wonderful @MickyQuinn, an adopted Geordie, felt compelled to respond on his X account:
“FFS I wish Roy Keane had tackled his father in the buttocks, and I would have still had five Premier League records.”
The big man from Blyth hardly gave him a sniff, again!
However, there is one issue that has both baffled and frustrated me. This is what someone referred to as the “elephant in the room”: Newcastle United’s owners’ actions regarding both the new training facilities and St James’ Park, as well as a whole new stadium. So far, despite regular leaks and updates from people who appear to know as little as I do, it’s been a case of inertia.
I’ve lately observed some comments in the comments section indicating that the fans is becoming increasingly concerned about a lack of concrete information. For example:
“How many years after the takeover, with no development on stadium or training facilities, do we give it before becoming concerned? Serious question. Wasn’t there an impending announcement a few months ago?
I think everyone understands that these things take time. Feasibility studies must be quite precise and in-depth in order to be truly useful in informing choices involving billions of pounds. We also appreciate that the club is now a highly professional organization that keeps its cards close to its chest in all aspects of operations.
St. James’ Park
Who knows what sort of negotiations are taking place in the background to lay the groundwork (literally), what government officials are saying about changes to planning laws, and how Manchester City’s litigation over related party sponsorship will affect the financial and legal landscape in which we can operate? All of these variables may induce the owners to postpone their final decision on an enormously expensive project in which they have just one shot to get it right for the next few decades.
How expensive? The most current update was provided by The Telegraph this week and reported on The Mag by Jim Robertson (“Newcastle United owners now deciding on expanded St James’ Park or brand new stadium – cost comparison”).
“The Telegraph have put costings on the two alternatives, putting forward estimates of between £800m and £1billion, with a St James’ Park redevelopment, whilst they give an estimate of between £2billion and £3billion for a brand new stadium on a new site.”
Mouthwatering sums and so far distant from a trip to Argos for a couple of inflatable paddling pools and a wheelie bin that the Ashley-blighted mind struggles to fathom.
Hopefully, this fresh update is more than just a bored journalist trying to revive old news with some made-up financial statistics, and a decision is forthcoming. Jim, however, clearly believed the increased build statistics were excessive.
“Personally, I believe these are excessive, particularly the fresh new stadium option.The state-of-the-art Tottenham stadium cost £1.2 billion to build, whereas the new Wembley Stadium cost £80 million, or almost £1.5 billion in today’s money. Any big project on a brand new site in Newcastle Upon Tyne, such as Leazes Park and/or Castle Leazes, would almost certainly be less expensive than an equal project in London. So, even accounting for inflation, I would not have expected a new Newcastle United stadium to cost more than £1.5 billion.
In response to Jim, I’d want to point out two points.
First and foremost, as far as I know, he has no idea what the real design entails or how much the land may cost. We just saw photographs of new stadiums in Saudi Arabia that are so cutting-edge that Jack Grealish’s hair looks as current as a crew cut or short back and sides. Who knows what engineering marvels the owners may be considering?
Second, without starting a political dispute, everything has gotten significantly more expensive in recent years as a result of increased fuel and raw material prices. I understand how this has affected my own little residential repairs, thus the impact on multi-million pound investment projects might easily explain and justify the alleged PIF estimates. We all know that large engineering projects ALWAYS go over budget.
My stance on the conundrum of new construction versus rehabilitation has always been that I prefer renovation. This is primarily because I have always thought that a new build will inevitably take place on an out-of-town site such as Gosforth Park or Team Valley, and I just believe that the location of St James’ Park in the center of the city is too iconic and ideal to give up.
However, if Leazes Park/Castle Leazes is a viable option, I would definitely support a new development. The benefit would be not just expanded capacity in a cutting-edge facility, but also the elimination of the need to find a temporary home during the construction period. The prospect of sharing ground with our “cousins” on Wearside has sent shivers up my spine. Consider modifying the AA’s signage to “For football, follow Sunderland”. They’d have to get fresh new signage made!
sunderland
The circumstances surrounding Tuesday night’s hastily rearranged cup clash against Wimbledon’s Wombles made me proud of the club this week. Not only were we eager to assist the fan-owned team by moving the game to St James’ Park, but the club also offered an immediate cash commitment of £15,000 to their appeal fund.
The match sold out, which helped them raise even more money. The Wombles guaranteed 45% of gate receipts after deducting our charges. This was made possible by the tremendous demand for tickets to each match, which was possibly aided by the fairly inexpensive ticket prices of £20 for adults and £10 for youngsters.
Read more news on:https://sportupdates.co.uk/
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