Your first footballing hero

[HaydnNUFC]

Just now, Yorkie said:

 

As someone coming into it a bit later than most on here, who was your first after Shearer?

 

For NUFC? Pfft, can't really remember. I liked Martins due to that Spurs goal but only player I've adulated enormously since would be Ben Arfa. 

 

Never had 'idols' so to speak tbh. Just players that I really like or liked. First one I remember as I said before was Ronaldinho, was in absolute awe of those two goals he scored v Real Madrid at the Bernabeu as an almost 5 year old.

[joeyt]

Nobby Solano for me I reckon

[OpenC]

I came to football pretty late after ignoring it for decades, so my first team was the Bobby Robson team around 2002. I can't divide the two wingers I remember most from around that time, Solano and Robert.

 

 

Edited June 11, 2022 by OpenC

[nufcjb]

Wor Pav. Rip.big man.

 

 

Edited June 11, 2022 by nufcjb

[TK-421]

Paul Gascoigne.

 

First NUFC matches I went to were in his standout season 1987-88 when he became the new local hero.

Pity he left that following summer!

[The Butcher]

Shearer

[Yorkie]

7 minutes ago, HaydnNUFC said:

 

For NUFC? Pfft, can't really remember. I liked Martins due to that Spurs goal but only player I've adulated enormously since would be Ben Arfa. 

 

Never had 'idols' so to speak tbh. Just players that I really like or liked. First one I remember as I said before was Ronaldinho, was in absolute awe of those two goals he scored v Real Madrid at the Bernabeu as an almost 5 year old.

 

Funny, the only players I've really loved, like, to a really elevated level are Shearer, Martins and Ben Arfa. Martins I definitely fell out of love with, though. My adoration was probably just more a case of hyping him up in my head, defending him to the hilt because I was desperate for him to be mint, and him starting his career here pretty well. He was decent, like, but mostly phoned it in with the rest of them in 08/09. Hatem was just a tragedy sadly. Imagine buying the 2010 version now...

 

Never experienced a Cole-level sale. Worst for me was Carroll, was gutted and seething when he left.

[LionOfGosforth]

Just now, Yorkie said:

 

What was it actually like when he first arrived? Did it come completely out the blue and blew everyone away, or was there a bit of the modern transfer saga about it? 

 

Great question. As I recall, it was quite out of the blue, not much in the way of rumours, I think even the local reporters were somewhat surprised. In those days, you learned about stuff mainly on the radio, the odd kid yapping at school (ITK's even in those days) and a bit in the Chronicle when they actually had half-decent reporting in those days. Then again I was only 10 and the memory is a bit blurry. It was all very exciting though, I mean Kevin Keegan! Liverpool legend, played for Hamburg, Euro footballer of the year etc It was all kids could talk about at school. Newcastle had been depressingly shite for years according to my dad, late 70's to early 80's was a really dark era. Economically it was horrible, loads of people out of work, power cuts. Can remember sitting having my beans on toast by candlelight, like something from Oliver Twist. NUFC signing KK was incredible, even though I was a bit young to truly appreciate it at first.

 

I remember wanting to go to his debut but at the age of 10, was a bit young and and I can vividly recall how upset I was at missing it, mam and dad wouldn't let me go.  My first game was later that season, Oldham at home. I know we won 1-0 but had to look it up and can't remember a thing about it. 

[Gaztoon]

Rob Lee 

[Weezertron]

Andy Cole was the first I reckon. He was class and has the same first name as me. 

 

The second, after more than decade away from following footy was Habib Beye  

 

I also had a small soft spot for Arshavin around that time cause his playing style reminded me of Beardsley. However, not sure if they're that similar but I thought so at the time?

[madras]

1 hour ago, LeeB said:

The Grimsby 0-1 game was my first game of that season. I can remember their goal into the leazes end clearly.

Jim Dobbin. Without even looking it up, some things just stay with you.

[LionOfGosforth]

Just now, Weezertron said:

Andy Cole was the first I reckon. He was class and has the same first name as me. 

 

The second, after more than decade away from following footy was Habib Beye  

 

I also had a small soft spot for Arshavin around that time cause his playing style reminded me of Beardsley. However, not sure if they're that similar but I thought so at the time?

 

Thought exactly the same, gutted he went to Arsenal at the time 

[manorpark]

Jinky Jimmy Smith . . . 

[TomYam]

Stewart Barrowclough was my favourite player as a child supporter in the mid 70s

[Wild Geese]

Jimmy Smith

[UncleBingo]

Peter Withe was the main man when I first started going, but probably Imre Varadi.

Erratic finisher but the first player I'd seen at Newcastle with any real pace who was exciting to watch.

Unlucky to be sold and decent goals record all things considered.

[manorpark]

3 minutes ago, Wild Geese said:

Jimmy Smith

 

Snap !!

[MrRaspberryJam]

Sergio Georgini. 

[Away Toon]

Tony Green, Jimmy Smith, Irving Nattress. Later the first of the great Barcelona teams, used to love watching them play.

[huss9]

 

devastated when he left, even though we still had KK.

 

 

Edited June 11, 2022 by huss9

[Nun tumblers]

First Hero Super mac.

Favourite all time player Peter Beardsley. 

 

 

[Guest HTT II]

One other thing with Cole, when we sold him I thought that was the end of NUFC, he was literally NUFC to me. I thought we’ll that’s that, we’ll probably go down and never see as good as him in the shirt ever. I didn’t hero worship KK at that point and again, if Cole didn’t score and we won I’d end up disappointed. Thankfully he rarely did not score a goal, as the song went…

 

Once we went up I become obsessed with all things a NUFC and footy and learned about the number 9 shirt, our stars like Beardsley, Gazza and Waddle being sold and then we sold for me the best player on the planet, I mean who scored 41 goals in a year back then? I know he had a falling out with KK, he was homesick, struggled with the adulation and had shin splint problems coming up.

 

I knew even back then there were two more rounded centre-forwards in Shearer and Sir Les, but again Cole was my world. I hated Man Utd at the time, although I liked Cantona and Kanchelskis, but I didn’t have it in me to wish him to fail. What softened me to the sale was KK coming out and saying look trust me, and there isn’t a man alive I’d trust less when it comes to my club and then a whole new hero worship emerged, where today he is my absolute hero alongside the man in my avatar. But again, Cole was my first 

 

 

[Robster]

Kevin Keegan.

Aged 10, I'd started going to home games the season before he signed as a player so to see him play for us was unbelievable. He'll always be my number one.

[Cronky]

The might Wyn was the first. He really was brilliant in the air. 

 

Best of all time though was Tony Green. 

[McDog]

Alan Willey tops my earliest list. Tino Lettieri and Ace Ntsoelengoe close second and third. Englishman Willey was the leader on the Minnesota Kicks and played against Pele at the time.