Whenever fans wonder if following Newcastle United is all worth it after a bad defeat or a miserable bus journey home after an away-day disaster, it is probably a good time to pop on any DVD featuring Sir Bobby Robson. His passion will always epitomise everything that is good about watching the Magpies. Today marks the FA’s Sir Bobby Robson National Football Day. A great idea and one that is designed to get everybody back involved with grassroots football, with events taking place all over the country inspired by Robson. No doubt memories of Sir Bobby will come flooding back, and let’s be honest there are enough to last us a lifetime. Sir Bobby has left a lot of legacies since he sadly passed away in 2009 but his memories will always remain golden to supporters. I always think back to when Robson first arrived as manager at Newcastle back in 1999. The mood could hardly have been lower. Having lost 2-1 to Sunderland in monsoon conditions on a night when Alan Shearer and Duncan Ferguson watched on helplessly for large parts of the contest, the Magpies found themselves stranded near the foot of the table. But Sir Bobby lifted the city. Just listening to his interviews gave Geordie fans the feelgood factor again. And after Ruud Gullit’s management had left fans frustrated and concerned about their team, Sir Bobby began to build up some pride again. He took the club from the bottom of the Premier League to the very top. True, Newcastle didn’t stay there but having tapped into the crowd he underlined the importance of it to his players. There’s no doubt in my mind that when Robson came in as manager, Newcastle were heading for relegation. Within two years they were challenging for the title and playing in the Champions League. If that shows anything it shows the potential that will always be at St James’ Park. Alan Pardew managed Newcastle to a fifth-place finish just over a year ago to again show that there is a snowball effect in this city that doesn’t exist at every football club. Both Sir Bobby and Kevin Keegan showed that, Pardew has too to an extent, and can do so again if he plays his cards right. Newcastle challenged for the title in 2002 and 2003 and Bobby’s take on the situation was exactly right: “We might not win it. “But we can challenge for it.” When talking about rubbing shoulders with Barcelona and Inter Milan, he said: “I wouldn’t say getting into the Champions league was beyond our wildest dreams because we do have wild dreams.” Even during the bad times Bobby always had a way of making the fans feel better. Remember when Dennis Bergkamp scored that wonderful goal at the Gallowgate End when he spun past the back four before stroking the ball home? The former Toon boss gave credit where it was due but when asked if he was scared of Bergkamp pulling off the trick again in the FA Cup game days later, he said: “Does he do that every week, does he?” Managing expectations in football is a tricky job, especially at Newcastle. The Magpies are always a source of news, opinion and gossip, not just in Newcastle but up and down the country. Robson always dealt with criticism in a unique way. Memorably when his team were under the cosh after some harsh TV punditry, Robson snapped back: “Who are these critics? “I’ll tell you – they are muppets. “Anyone can do their job. “They don’t know anything about the pressure of being a manager and how to create a successful team. “That sort of criticism is destroying the game.” Managing the passion here is a lesson that any manager can learn from the ex-England manager. It has to come from the top. Even long after Robson had parted company with Newcastle, he was still a regular at St James’ Park. After a friendly against PSV Eindhoven in 2008, I asked Sir Bobby for two minutes to share his thoughts on the game. Forty-five minutes later we were still talking, and by this time a huge crowd of fans had gathered listening to every word. Typically, the much-loved Toon icon stayed even longer to sign an autograph for everybody who asked. Sir Bobby always had time for the people. That’s why just five days before he passed away it was fitting he got the chance to say goodbye to the fans. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house on July 26 when a West Germany XI took on England in a benefit game at St James’ Park. It was a perfect night as 35,000 fans spontaneously stood up as Robson arrived to meet the two teams. This wasn’t just a minute of applause, this was more like ten! It was emotional and best summed by Tim Krul after the game who said: “The hairs were standing up on the back of my neck.” You have to wonder what the respected Geordie Godfather would make of the coming season. But I’d bet his glass would still be half full. Looking at this season, and having finished 16th, the current United team should be thinking top 10 for next season. Yet you can also be realistic enough to say that if Pardew can field a team that features Krul, Debuchy, Coloccini, Santon, Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Cisse, Sissoko and Remy on a frequent enough basis, beyond the top 10 is a possibility. As for wild dreams this season? I’ll leave that to your own imagination. We all know what Sir Bobby would say. /Loraine
Posted on: Fri, 09 Aug 2013 23:56:59 +0000
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