General NUFC stuff

[Disco]

What was Charvet like? I can't remember much about football around then, kinda stopped watching it.

 

Better at full back than centre back but fairly shit.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

HTT[/member] love when you recount the old times man, a well of knowledge on the Toon

 

I'd def agree on Acuna, Domi. I had high hopes for the random signings - Daniel Cordone, Andreas Anderson.

 

Cheers

 

I thought Kevin Gallagher was underrated, or rather the job he did/his stint here when he played. An old head on young shoulder who had a bit of pace, worked his socks off and give us a bit of movement/fresh legs despite his age and some selfless running.

 

He’s another player who for whatever reason had more talent than many knew and could have had a more stellar career at the right club under the right manager when he was younger. Think of a slightly slower, but less radge and maybe a less hit and miss when one one one Bellamy. Or a PL level Lovenkrands who was always Championship/SPL standard, albeit at the top end.

 

I always thought Kitson was way better than he ended up showing. We beat off lots of teams for his signature and paid over 2m for him, a lot of money at the time when the record fee for an English club was only a million or so more.

 

Apparently he had a fall out with other team-mates and didn’t impress KK with his attitude either. For a spell at West Ham alongside Hartson he looked a very capable player, more so as a second striker/provider than a finisher.

 

Back then we had Andy Cole of course and were genuinely linked and interested in the likes of Baggio, Weah, Signori and any other top forward, domestically and internationally so Kitson like Huckerby another talented player we had on the books, were never going to shine. When KK worked with England under 21s, I think Fowler scored 5 and KK said to the board after that, if he had to sell anyone and had to spend whatever money would be available to him over 2 seasons or so even, he’d happily put it all together to buy Fowler.

 

He knew not even at 20-25m NUFC stood zero chance of getting Fowler who by the way I noted as saying he loved working under KK. But that’s how we thought, that’s what we were prepared to do and pay to land the best. Of course we ended up breaking a world record transfer fee for Shearer, almost double the then British record. The headlines back then man, you’d think we ruining football.

 

The truth is KK never pushed for Shearer, the board did, he was every bit a commercial signing as much as he was signed to give the team star quality. KK of course wasn’t going to refuse, but I think he would have if his signing was only made possible on the proviso that he’d have to sell to buy after that and the bulk of the reasoning behind his signing was for commercial purposes first and foremost.

 

Back then KK was steering the club/finances towards foreign markets where players’ values weren’t so big and could be had by paying them bigger salaries which the club could manage/achieve by way of doing what was customary in say Italy, top ups, bonus and incentives.

 

From everything I’ve learned the club would have paid 25m for Shearer because the money was tied into a more commercial deal others namely S&N were in on, a deal that would also help the club maximise its IPO appeal and markability by having the golden boy of English football, the European Championship golden boot holder, the world’s most expensive footballer, the England Captain and Geordie boy coming home superstar signed up.

 

Great KK thought, but not at the expense of the team and success. Otherwise he’d have never signed him. We were looking at all kinds back then, namely foreign players as KK didn’t quite rate the top English strikers at that time, after all he sold Andy Cole.

 

Davor Suker, Signori, Batistuta, Hakon Suker, Baggio, Del Piero, Bergkamp before he went to Arsenal, Weah before he went to PSG, a young Henry and Fowler again were all players that interested KK after Cole was sold and Ferdinand had signed, either over or along with Shearer. KK rated him, but I don’t think he fancied him anywhere near as much as the club certainly did.

 

Fergie probably fancied him more and I’m positive although can’t back it up that some behind the scenes dealing went on between NUFC and Jack Walker to get the deal done at a fixed 15m Man Utd could have easily matched. As a PLC though they were reluctant to get into a bidding war and couldn’t sweeten deals under hand behind closed doors. Not that Walker would have entertained them in such a way anyway because he would only do business with them in a cash up front deal and for a lot more than 15m. He hated them.

 

Would Fergie have paid whatever it took though if he could in the same way NUFC would? 100%. KK, he’d have preferred paying whatever it took on Fowler or Del Piero.

 

The deal was worth more to the soon to be PLC NUFC and its partners the most though and as signings go, 206 goals, over a decade service etc. Shearer was the bargain of the century for them. It cost the club KK though and put the commercial value of its players above the value of their worth to the team’s success which if anyone is ever in doubt as to what signing Shearer was all about for the board/the business vs the manager and his team, stripping Ferdinand of the number 9 and giving it to Shearer, tells you, or should, all you need to know about everything behind the signing the most. £££££££

 

Fergie wanted Shearer to strengthen his team to help them win trophies. KK OK’d Shearer because he was a great player offered to him on a plate who would strengthen his team and help win trophies, providing he wouldn’t be the only or last one or meant he’d lose a Ferdinand or a Ginola. Shearer signing for Man Utd was a commercial prize on offer too, but worth nowhere near to them as much as he was to NUFC or their commercial partners as a brand and in marketable terms.

 

As a PLC they would have had to justify paying the 20m or so on him and Fergie would have had to balance the books all the same. Maybe they would have had to have sold Cole who Arsenal, Spurs, Rangers and Juventus were rumoured to be willing to pay upto 10m + for. Or Giggs who Juventus were rumoured to be willing to pay upto 15m plus a player in exchange for at that time.

 

Back then Fergie was complaining he couldn’t compete with the likes of us in the transfer market, had warned fans he would have to sell in order to buy and that despite beating NUFC to the title a year earlier to us signing Shearer with kids, he was actually forced to play them and into selling the likes of Ince, Sharpe and Kanchelskis to sign Cole, May, Poborsky etc. for example.

 

So Shearer, our greatest ever goals-scorer, our greatest ever player arguably, but his signing signed sealed and delivered the end of KK and all that the club stood for during his time as manager. 15m on Shearer showed NUFC’s intent to win off the pitch commercially, not on the pitch to win titles.

 

KK cottoned onto that straight away and rightly wasn’t going to play along with it all, not for any salary, not where selling the number 9 to Ferdinand so he’d chose us and sign rather than Villa or whoever one year and the next he’d be robbing off him to sell to someone else to wear, Geordie or not. You see the shirt mattered to KK, number 9 or number 5, the black and white of Newcastle can’t be traded or compromised. He was lucky enough to wear his dad’s team’s colours and all those that did were fortunate to do the same.

 

TLDR

 

 

 

[Guest]

I thought Claudio Cacapa looked a tidy player for us up until that game against Portsmouth when he was hung out to dry by Allardyce when he was clearly nowhere near being fit.

 

 

 

Aye he started well. He was even MotM in his first game back after that (turgid 1-0 win at Fulham).

[Guest neesy111]

Right.....

[Guest]

He did.

[Guest neesy111]

He did.

 

Sorry it was relation to HTT's ridiculous long post.

[Judge Holden]

He did.

 

Sorry it was relation to HTT's ridiculous long post.

 

Aye I thought the same. Going out and buying the best striker on the planet having just missed out on the title to Man Utd wasn't a move to help us win the league!?

 

He seems a cheerful chap does HTT and I don't want to seem too critical but I've seen him compare Domi to Evra and Distin & Woodgate to Ferdinand and Vidic! The daft owld git.

 

 

[Kanj]

HTT[/member] as mad as this sounds, I sometimes do wish KK wasn't full-on KK at times and just had stayed on to see out that season and longer. But that's super hindsight, and I know he's a man who only listens to his own mind and heart - which you can't fault.

 

I'm still staggered by how terrible we were under Kenny after him and the signings made after were just not up to it.

[Kanj]

He did.

 

Sorry it was relation to HTT's ridiculous long post.

 

Aye I thought the same. Going out and buying the best striker on the planet having just missed out on the title to Man Utd wasn't a move to help us win the league!?

 

He seems a cheerful chap does HTT and I don't want to seem too critical but I've seen him compare Domi to Evra and Distin & Woodgate to Ferdinand and Vidic! The daft owld git.

 

 

 

HTT is basically the godfather of this place man. He's got loads of stories and anecdotes, part and parcel of N-O.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

He did.

 

Sorry it was relation to HTT's ridiculous long post.

 

Aye I thought the same. Going out and buying the best striker on the planet having just missed out on the title to Man Utd wasn't a move to help us win the league!?

 

He seems a cheerful chap does HTT and I don't want to seem too critical but I've seen him compare Domi to Evra and Distin & Woodgate to Ferdinand and Vidic! The daft owld git.

 

 

 

Of course the club would and rightly so expected signing Shearer would also help a team that had just finished runners up a few months before to go one better and win the league with his added quality. But at that time the real prize for the Halls, Shepherd and the board was the riches going public promised that took on the bigger priority for them over any success on the pitch.

 

Which would come eventually either way with Kevin as manager, the squad they’d assembled and the way we played they thought. But where they were previously very forward thinking and almost leading the way and 100% focused on success, they become very shortsighted when they saw all those pound signs they could get in return for their efforts rather than what they could go out and give the manager and it’s no surprise one of the key men behind the scenes in the transformation of the club off the pitch commercially happened to be Freddie Fletcher.

 

A man who previously helped transform Rangers’ own commercial growth while on the Ibrox board and indeed had worked for Scottish Newcastle, famous for producing Newcastle Brown Ale of course and who had a long lasting and commercial association with NUFC going back to the club‘s early beginnings. A relationship that they profited from the most when S&N pretty much funded the signing of KK as a player back in the 80s and paid his wages in part which commercially all three parties made a lot of money from.

 

A percentage KK actually donated back to the club so high was the figure he was taking home and before any bonuses. Appearances, goals, promotion, England caps, a share of gate receipts the club topped up. The brewery paying his basic salary which was the highest in the country at the time, which he signed over any image or commercial rights over to the brewery and the club to profit from in return for his fixed wage. And profit they did. Even a hard nosed businessman himself like KK with no loyalty to what was then some tin pot second division run down dilapidated club his father supported having been born a Geordie, his wages embarrassed him and made him think twice about how much money the club and it’s partners should be paying out to build a decent side, improve the training ground, kit out the youth team and give the stadium a lick of paint.

 

He donated back his share of gate receipts on the condition the club spent it on improving the training ground, dressing room, kit-wear for the youth team and on travel and accommodation for the senior team. KK was already a legend among his team-mates, one of the greats off-all time, but his gesture endeared him even more to them, which he doubled up out on the pitch giving it his all.

 

Fletcher played no small part in that deal and despite popular belief, it was he who was instrumental behind KK’s appointment as manager too. Recommending him firstly and also putting trust into KK that the financials of the club would eventually grow and allow him to build a decent side. He was key to putting that kind of trust into SJH and co too, proving his worth over the commercial growth of the club which was unprecedented at the time, 6m in debt with a circa 2m turnover to a circa 45m turnover in 4 years second in world football to Man Utd only by a few million, who had a larger capacity, a bigger global fan base and were of course a PLC.

 

Fletcher was always a business man and he had the business all systems go for an IPO which he actually made hardly anything out of, and in ways whatever KK was to loyalty to the club and fans and not himself, Fletcher was the same to the business.

 

Shearer was his idea, S&N would finance the deal and part pay his wages like they did KK and the SE would see the club securing an asset, investing in the business as much as the playing side and proving capable of money spinning commercial partnerships with big business. When we floated, if I remember right at one point the club was valued at over 250m and SJH’s initial 2m or so outlay on shares give him a 30m + return plus a stakehold, gave FS who to be fair put in 100k of his own money in the early day ten times the return and also made S&N and indeed KK good money too who cashed in his small share holding. It made a few fans rich too, in terms of thousands not millions of course.

 

It didn’t make the club rich though and the hope a major company would buy up most of the shares namely Sky never happened. Fletcher stayed on for a while and oversaw further expansion to the stadium and deals with NTL, which in particular soured relations with S&N and Adidas who were commercial partners on many projects/deals together, NUFC being the biggest.

 

NTL of course collapsed and while Adidas would still supply the kits for a while, S&N were rebranding away from the famous blue star, the club was now worth less value commercially to either as a partner.

 

Shearer in the Adidas grandad top with that blue star, however, unveiled to 15-20k fans, beamed live on Sky, radio and across the world as the most expensive footballer in the world, was gold to both brands and gold to NUFC’s IPO.

 

Shearer the signing signalled the end of the SJH-KK dream team and that whole era and brought in an era of a club managed by a two-bit-bob local businessman who actually put more back into the club (buying back shares) than be took out. Who despite his flaws wanted the club to succeed, but was a shit businessman who knew even less about football. Who ended up having to sell his share to someone even more shit at business, knew even less, wasn’t a fan and who is a nasty spiteful hateful bastard cunt.

 

Btw for KK and Shearer, read Owen and Northern Rock and Adidas.

 

The club would have needed a bank loan to buy Shearer and even if they got one, at almost double our previous record only a few months before splashing out on Tino, the club were thinking what will we have to pay to sign another top player the summer after, double what Shearer cost?

[Judge Holden]

In a nutshell someone? I've just woke up

[Rafalove]

Just read it man, HTT writes extremely well

[Judge Holden]

Just read it man, HTT writes extremely well

 

I know, I read his post the other day in the What Are You Eating thread where he described someones bait as looking like Simon Weston. Had me chuckling away.

[Kanj]

HTT[/member] class post. I always think about Freddie Fletcher and how he was such the driving force behind Hall's cash

[GavMcEl]

He did.

 

Sorry it was relation to HTT's ridiculous long post.

 

Aye I thought the same. Going out and buying the best striker on the planet having just missed out on the title to Man Utd wasn't a move to help us win the league!?

 

He seems a cheerful chap does HTT and I don't want to seem too critical but I've seen him compare Domi to Evra and Distin & Woodgate to Ferdinand and Vidic! The daft owld git.

 

 

 

Of course the club would and rightly so expected signing Shearer would also help a team that had just finished runners up a few months before to go one better and win the league with his added quality. But at that time the real prize for the Halls, Shepherd and the board was the riches going public promised that took on the bigger priority for them over any success on the pitch.

 

Which would come eventually either way with Kevin as manager, the squad they’d assembled and the way we played they thought. But where they were previously very forward thinking and almost leading the way and 100% focused on success, they become very shortsighted when they saw all those pound signs they could get in return for their efforts rather than what they could go out and give the manager and it’s no surprise one of the key men behind the scenes in the transformation of the club off the pitch commercially happened to be Freddie Fletcher.

 

A man who previously helped transform Rangers’ own commercial growth while on the Ibrox board and indeed had worked for Scottish Newcastle, famous for producing Newcastle Brown Ale of course and who had a long lasting and commercial association with NUFC going back to the club‘s early beginnings. A relationship that they profited from the most when S&N pretty much funded the signing of KK as a player back in the 80s and paid his wages in part which commercially all three parties made a lot of money from.

 

A percentage KK actually donated back to the club so high was the figure he was taking home and before any bonuses. Appearances, goals, promotion, England caps, a share of gate receipts the club topped up. The brewery paying his basic salary which was the highest in the country at the time, which he signed over any image or commercial rights over to the brewery and the club to profit from in return for his fixed wage. And profit they did. Even a hard nosed businessman himself like KK with no loyalty to what was then some tin pot second division run down dilapidated club his father supported having been born a Geordie, his wages embarrassed him and made him think twice about how much money the club and it’s partners should be paying out to build a decent side, improve the training ground, kit out the youth team and give the stadium a lick of paint.

 

He donated back his share of gate receipts on the condition the club spent it on improving the training ground, dressing room, kit-wear for the youth team and on travel and accommodation for the senior team. KK was already a legend among his team-mates, one of the greats off-all time, but his gesture endeared him even more to them, which he doubled up out on the pitch giving it his all.

 

Fletcher played no small part in that deal and despite popular belief, it was he who was instrumental behind KK’s appointment as manager too. Recommending him firstly and also putting trust into KK that the financials of the club would eventually grow and allow him to build a decent side. He was key to putting that kind of trust into SJH and co too, proving his worth over the commercial growth of the club which was unprecedented at the time, 6m in debt with a circa 2m turnover to a circa 45m turnover in 4 years second in world football to Man Utd only by a few million, who had a larger capacity, a bigger global fan base and were of course a PLC.

 

Fletcher was always a business man and he had the business all systems go for an IPO which he actually made hardly anything out of, and in ways whatever KK was to loyalty to the club and fans and not himself, Fletcher was the same to the business.

 

Shearer was his idea, S&N would finance the deal and part pay his wages like they did KK and the SE would see the club securing an asset, investing in the business as much as the playing side and proving capable of money spinning commercial partnerships with big business. When we floated, if I remember right at one point the club was valued at over 250m and SJH’s initial 2m or so outlay on shares give him a 30m + return plus a stakehold, gave FS who to be fair put in 100k of his own money in the early day ten times the return and also made S&N and indeed KK good money too who cashed in his small share holding. It made a few fans rich too, in terms of thousands not millions of course.

 

It didn’t make the club rich though and the hope a major company would buy up most of the shares namely Sky never happened. Fletcher stayed on for a while and oversaw further expansion to the stadium and deals with NTL, which in particular soured relations with S&N and Adidas who were commercial partners on many projects/deals together, NUFC being the biggest.

 

NTL of course collapsed and while Adidas would still supply the kits for a while, S&N were rebranding away from the famous blue star, the club was now worth less value commercially to either as a partner.

 

Shearer in the Adidas grandad top with that blue star, however, unveiled to 15-20k fans, beamed live on Sky, radio and across the world as the most expensive footballer in the world, was gold to both brands and gold to NUFC’s IPO.

 

Shearer the signing signalled the end of the SJH-KK dream team and that whole era and brought in an era of a club managed by a two-bit-bob local businessman who actually put more back into the club (buying back shares) than be took out. Who despite his flaws wanted the club to succeed, but was a shit businessman who knew even less about football. Who ended up having to sell his share to someone even more shit at business, knew even less, wasn’t a fan and who is a nasty spiteful hateful bastard cunt.

 

Btw for KK and Shearer, read Owen and Northern Rock and Adidas.

 

The club would have needed a bank loan to buy Shearer and even if they got one, at almost double our previous record only a few months before splashing out on Tino, the club were thinking what will we have to pay to sign another top player the summer after, double what Shearer cost?

Very interesting read that?

[Stifler]

HTT[/member] love when you recount the old times man, a well of knowledge on the Toon

 

I'd def agree on Acuna, Domi. I had high hopes for the random signings - Daniel Cordone, Andreas Anderson.

 

Cheers

 

I thought Kevin Gallagher was underrated, or rather the job he did/his stint here when he played. An old head on young shoulder who had a bit of pace, worked his socks off and give us a bit of movement/fresh legs despite his age and some selfless running.

 

He’s another player who for whatever reason had more talent than many knew and could have had a more stellar career at the right club under the right manager when he was younger. Think of a slightly slower, but less radge and maybe a less hit and miss when one one one Bellamy. Or a PL level Lovenkrands who was always Championship/SPL standard, albeit at the top end.

 

I always thought Kitson was way better than he ended up showing. We beat off lots of teams for his signature and paid over 2m for him, a lot of money at the time when the record fee for an English club was only a million or so more.

 

Apparently he had a fall out with other team-mates and didn’t impress KK with his attitude either. For a spell at West Ham alongside Hartson he looked a very capable player, more so as a second striker/provider than a finisher.

 

Back then we had Andy Cole of course and were genuinely linked and interested in the likes of Baggio, Weah, Signori and any other top forward, domestically and internationally so Kitson like Huckerby another talented player we had on the books, were never going to shine. When KK worked with England under 21s, I think Fowler scored 5 and KK said to the board after that, if he had to sell anyone and had to spend whatever money would be available to him over 2 seasons or so even, he’d happily put it all together to buy Fowler.

 

He knew not even at 20-25m NUFC stood zero chance of getting Fowler who by the way I noted as saying he loved working under KK. But that’s how we thought, that’s what we were prepared to do and pay to land the best. Of course we ended up breaking a world record transfer fee for Shearer, almost double the then British record. The headlines back then man, you’d think we ruining football.

 

The truth is KK never pushed for Shearer, the board did, he was every bit a commercial signing as much as he was signed to give the team star quality. KK of course wasn’t going to refuse, but I think he would have if his signing was only made possible on the proviso that he’d have to sell to buy after that and the bulk of the reasoning behind his signing was for commercial purposes first and foremost.

 

Back then KK was steering the club/finances towards foreign markets where players’ values weren’t so big and could be had by paying them bigger salaries which the club could manage/achieve by way of doing what was customary in say Italy, top ups, bonus and incentives.

 

From everything I’ve learned the club would have paid 25m for Shearer because the money was tied into a more commercial deal others namely S&N were in on, a deal that would also help the club maximise its IPO appeal and markability by having the golden boy of English football, the European Championship golden boot holder, the world’s most expensive footballer, the England Captain and Geordie boy coming home superstar signed up.

 

Great KK thought, but not at the expense of the team and success. Otherwise he’d have never signed him. We were looking at all kinds back then, namely foreign players as KK didn’t quite rate the top English strikers at that time, after all he sold Andy Cole.

 

Davor Suker, Signori, Batistuta, Hakon Suker, Baggio, Del Piero, Bergkamp before he went to Arsenal, Weah before he went to PSG, a young Henry and Fowler again were all players that interested KK after Cole was sold and Ferdinand had signed, either over or along with Shearer. KK rated him, but I don’t think he fancied him anywhere near as much as the club certainly did.

 

Fergie probably fancied him more and I’m positive although can’t back it up that some behind the scenes dealing went on between NUFC and Jack Walker to get the deal done at a fixed 15m Man Utd could have easily matched. As a PLC though they were reluctant to get into a bidding war and couldn’t sweeten deals under hand behind closed doors. Not that Walker would have entertained them in such a way anyway because he would only do business with them in a cash up front deal and for a lot more than 15m. He hated them.

 

Would Fergie have paid whatever it took though if he could in the same way NUFC would? 100%. KK, he’d have preferred paying whatever it took on Fowler or Del Piero.

 

The deal was worth more to the soon to be PLC NUFC and its partners the most though and as signings go, 206 goals, over a decade service etc. Shearer was the bargain of the century for them. It cost the club KK though and put the commercial value of its players above the value of their worth to the team’s success which if anyone is ever in doubt as to what signing Shearer was all about for the board/the business vs the manager and his team, stripping Ferdinand of the number 9 and giving it to Shearer, tells you, or should, all you need to know about everything behind the signing the most. £££££££

 

Fergie wanted Shearer to strengthen his team to help them win trophies. KK OK’d Shearer because he was a great player offered to him on a plate who would strengthen his team and help win trophies, providing he wouldn’t be the only or last one or meant he’d lose a Ferdinand or a Ginola. Shearer signing for Man Utd was a commercial prize on offer too, but worth nowhere near to them as much as he was to NUFC or their commercial partners as a brand and in marketable terms.

 

As a PLC they would have had to justify paying the 20m or so on him and Fergie would have had to balance the books all the same. Maybe they would have had to have sold Cole who Arsenal, Spurs, Rangers and Juventus were rumoured to be willing to pay upto 10m + for. Or Giggs who Juventus were rumoured to be willing to pay upto 15m plus a player in exchange for at that time.

 

Back then Fergie was complaining he couldn’t compete with the likes of us in the transfer market, had warned fans he would have to sell in order to buy and that despite beating NUFC to the title a year earlier to us signing Shearer with kids, he was actually forced to play them and into selling the likes of Ince, Sharpe and Kanchelskis to sign Cole, May, Poborsky etc. for example.

 

So Shearer, our greatest ever goals-scorer, our greatest ever player arguably, but his signing signed sealed and delivered the end of KK and all that the club stood for during his time as manager. 15m on Shearer showed NUFC’s intent to win off the pitch commercially, not on the pitch to win titles.

 

KK cottoned onto that straight away and rightly wasn’t going to play along with it all, not for any salary, not where selling the number 9 to Ferdinand so he’d chose us and sign rather than Villa or whoever one year and the next he’d be robbing off him to sell to someone else to wear, Geordie or not. You see the shirt mattered to KK, number 9 or number 5, the black and white of Newcastle can’t be traded or compromised. He was lucky enough to wear his dad’s team’s colours and all those that did were fortunate to do the same.

 

TLDR

Just read that, my 12 weeks of isolation is now over.

[Yorkie]

[Guest Howaythetoon]

HTT[/member] love when you recount the old times man, a well of knowledge on the Toon

 

I'd def agree on Acuna, Domi. I had high hopes for the random signings - Daniel Cordone, Andreas Anderson.

 

Cheers

 

I thought Kevin Gallagher was underrated, or rather the job he did/his stint here when he played. An old head on young shoulder who had a bit of pace, worked his socks off and give us a bit of movement/fresh legs despite his age and some selfless running.

 

He’s another player who for whatever reason had more talent than many knew and could have had a more stellar career at the right club under the right manager when he was younger. Think of a slightly slower, but less radge and maybe a less hit and miss when one one one Bellamy. Or a PL level Lovenkrands who was always Championship/SPL standard, albeit at the top end.

 

I always thought Kitson was way better than he ended up showing. We beat off lots of teams for his signature and paid over 2m for him, a lot of money at the time when the record fee for an English club was only a million or so more.

 

Apparently he had a fall out with other team-mates and didn’t impress KK with his attitude either. For a spell at West Ham alongside Hartson he looked a very capable player, more so as a second striker/provider than a finisher.

 

Back then we had Andy Cole of course and were genuinely linked and interested in the likes of Baggio, Weah, Signori and any other top forward, domestically and internationally so Kitson like Huckerby another talented player we had on the books, were never going to shine. When KK worked with England under 21s, I think Fowler scored 5 and KK said to the board after that, if he had to sell anyone and had to spend whatever money would be available to him over 2 seasons or so even, he’d happily put it all together to buy Fowler.

 

He knew not even at 20-25m NUFC stood zero chance of getting Fowler who by the way I noted as saying he loved working under KK. But that’s how we thought, that’s what we were prepared to do and pay to land the best. Of course we ended up breaking a world record transfer fee for Shearer, almost double the then British record. The headlines back then man, you’d think we ruining football.

 

The truth is KK never pushed for Shearer, the board did, he was every bit a commercial signing as much as he was signed to give the team star quality. KK of course wasn’t going to refuse, but I think he would have if his signing was only made possible on the proviso that he’d have to sell to buy after that and the bulk of the reasoning behind his signing was for commercial purposes first and foremost.

 

Back then KK was steering the club/finances towards foreign markets where players’ values weren’t so big and could be had by paying them bigger salaries which the club could manage/achieve by way of doing what was customary in say Italy, top ups, bonus and incentives.

 

From everything I’ve learned the club would have paid 25m for Shearer because the money was tied into a more commercial deal others namely S&N were in on, a deal that would also help the club maximise its IPO appeal and markability by having the golden boy of English football, the European Championship golden boot holder, the world’s most expensive footballer, the England Captain and Geordie boy coming home superstar signed up.

 

Great KK thought, but not at the expense of the team and success. Otherwise he’d have never signed him. We were looking at all kinds back then, namely foreign players as KK didn’t quite rate the top English strikers at that time, after all he sold Andy Cole.

 

Davor Suker, Signori, Batistuta, Hakon Suker, Baggio, Del Piero, Bergkamp before he went to Arsenal, Weah before he went to PSG, a young Henry and Fowler again were all players that interested KK after Cole was sold and Ferdinand had signed, either over or along with Shearer. KK rated him, but I don’t think he fancied him anywhere near as much as the club certainly did.

 

Fergie probably fancied him more and I’m positive although can’t back it up that some behind the scenes dealing went on between NUFC and Jack Walker to get the deal done at a fixed 15m Man Utd could have easily matched. As a PLC though they were reluctant to get into a bidding war and couldn’t sweeten deals under hand behind closed doors. Not that Walker would have entertained them in such a way anyway because he would only do business with them in a cash up front deal and for a lot more than 15m. He hated them.

 

Would Fergie have paid whatever it took though if he could in the same way NUFC would? 100%. KK, he’d have preferred paying whatever it took on Fowler or Del Piero.

 

The deal was worth more to the soon to be PLC NUFC and its partners the most though and as signings go, 206 goals, over a decade service etc. Shearer was the bargain of the century for them. It cost the club KK though and put the commercial value of its players above the value of their worth to the team’s success which if anyone is ever in doubt as to what signing Shearer was all about for the board/the business vs the manager and his team, stripping Ferdinand of the number 9 and giving it to Shearer, tells you, or should, all you need to know about everything behind the signing the most. £££££££

 

Fergie wanted Shearer to strengthen his team to help them win trophies. KK OK’d Shearer because he was a great player offered to him on a plate who would strengthen his team and help win trophies, providing he wouldn’t be the only or last one or meant he’d lose a Ferdinand or a Ginola. Shearer signing for Man Utd was a commercial prize on offer too, but worth nowhere near to them as much as he was to NUFC or their commercial partners as a brand and in marketable terms.

 

As a PLC they would have had to justify paying the 20m or so on him and Fergie would have had to balance the books all the same. Maybe they would have had to have sold Cole who Arsenal, Spurs, Rangers and Juventus were rumoured to be willing to pay upto 10m + for. Or Giggs who Juventus were rumoured to be willing to pay upto 15m plus a player in exchange for at that time.

 

Back then Fergie was complaining he couldn’t compete with the likes of us in the transfer market, had warned fans he would have to sell in order to buy and that despite beating NUFC to the title a year earlier to us signing Shearer with kids, he was actually forced to play them and into selling the likes of Ince, Sharpe and Kanchelskis to sign Cole, May, Poborsky etc. for example.

 

So Shearer, our greatest ever goals-scorer, our greatest ever player arguably, but his signing signed sealed and delivered the end of KK and all that the club stood for during his time as manager. 15m on Shearer showed NUFC’s intent to win off the pitch commercially, not on the pitch to win titles.

 

KK cottoned onto that straight away and rightly wasn’t going to play along with it all, not for any salary, not where selling the number 9 to Ferdinand so he’d chose us and sign rather than Villa or whoever one year and the next he’d be robbing off him to sell to someone else to wear, Geordie or not. You see the shirt mattered to KK, number 9 or number 5, the black and white of Newcastle can’t be traded or compromised. He was lucky enough to wear his dad’s team’s colours and all those that did were fortunate to do the same.

 

TLDR

Just read that, my 12 weeks of isolation is now over.

 

Anything for you mate 

[Ashley17]

I was watching Shearer on Soccerbox on Sunday and it doesn't really tie in with your story. Shearer met with Keegan and then Ferguson and Shearer was 90% certain he was going to Man Utd. Keegan rang again and asked for another half hour with Shearer to convince him to sign - and succeeded.

[t00nraider]

I heard he wasn't allowed to go to ManUtd due to his agent having an issue with them.

 

[Paully]

I love reading HTT's posts 

 

Aaron Hughes gets my vote - one who hasn't been mentioned who I liked was Alain Goma!

[Anderson]

Who did that 11/12 season review YT vid to Florence & Machine - Shake It Out? Just came on the radio, always the first thing I think of when I hear it. Slightly tainted because The King, but what a fucking season that was.

[Conjo]

Who did that 11/12 season review YT vid to Florence & Machine - Shake It Out? Just came on the radio, always the first thing I think of when I hear it. Slightly tainted because The King, but what a fucking season that was.

 

HBA vs Bolton and HBA vs Blackburn  No other Newcastle player, at least in the last 30 years, would be able to that except him.

[Paully]

[Guest neesy111]

Loved Jon Champion's commentary of that game.