Alan Shearer Blackburn
Alan Shearer believes Newcastle United fans finally have a little bit of ‘hope’ and ‘ambition’ after the long-awaited takeover was concluded.
How are you? This is finally happening Alan
“I tweeted maybe a couple of hours ago when the deal was done we can dare to hope again.
“That’s exactly what it is because all we’ve done is tick along and survive for 14 years. We’ve had no real ambition other than to survive, cup competitions have just been non-existent for Newcastle United.
“This city, this football club and particularly our fans deserve better because they’re so loyal, they love their football club and their life is Newcastle United.
“It all depends on whether Newcastle United win on a Saturday, that means fans will have a good week. They work hard all week and spend their money to have a good time, and having a good time is spending money on Newcastle United.
“I understand totally why there is so much happiness in the city today and I’m exactly the same.
“I understand also that questions have to be asked with the human rights issues, it’s really important we don’t brush it under the carpet. We have to educate ourselves and this I think this will only highlight it even more.
“Our fans need to know they matter. For 14 years, they haven’t and that’s why it’s such a special day for them today.
As far as Saudi ownership goes, how comfortable are you with it?
“It should not be swept under the carpet, we have to talk about it. You can not ignore it, but already the Saudis are massively invested in this country and hugely invested into other sports.
“Our government is heavily invested with the Saudis so I think it is a huge issue. But I think we have to highlight with Newcastle fans that this is not their fault, they don’t get a say in who runs their football club.
“Their football club hasn’t been run very well at all for the last 14 years, so I totally understand mine and particularly their excitement.”
You tweeted we can dare to hope again. So what is the dream for you?
“The dream is that we have an owner that wants to try and give us a little bit of hope. There is this assumption about Newcastle fans that they are demanding and want too much.
“There isn’t, they just want a little bit of hope and excitement. They want to know they are going into a season trying – not just trying to survive, but trying to achieve what their football club can be.
“There is no harm in that, and I really understand our excitement because of that.”
We know Newcastle fans are both celebrating new ownership and the end of a regime that many of them were frustrated by long ago.
“I think that’s being polite using the word frustrated! The Newcastle fans haven’t mattered for 14 years, they’ve not been consulted, their money spent hasn’t been invested.
“I think I saw today Mike Ashley had a net spend of around £130m over his 14 years.
“My maths isn’t great but that’s around £10m per year, and to have a football club that has that passionate support, 52,000 almost guaranteed week in week out, then that’s not a huge investment at all.
“We’re now going to have owners that will invest and listen to the fans, and that’s all our fans have asked for.”
Do you hope there is also investment off the pitch?
“When you come to St James’ Park, you’re seeing a tired old stadium that needs a bit of love. If you ever go to the training ground, it has had a lick of paint in the last 20 years or so.
“It’s a million miles behind what it should be in terms of other Premier League clubs. So they can invest in the ground, the training ground, they can invest in the city and I know people will say I’m biased but this city needs it, it needs a little bit of hope and excitement.
“If they do exactly what they say they’re going to do, it will be all the better for it.”
Patience is lot to ask for when there’s so much excitement, but it might need a little bit?
“Yeah, that’s fine. We don’t expect to be winning the league in the next three years, or winning the Champions League. We just expect a little bit of hope, give us something to look forward to, a bit of excitement.
“These fans deserve that, they are such loyal and passionate supporters. They’ve been on the brink.
“We were lucky to go all the way, we’ve played in the Champions League and got so close to winning the Premier League. This place was buzzing, it was happy, it was thriving, it was the place to be.
“There hasn’t been any of that for 14 years. If any fans deserve a little bit of luck, it’s the Newcastle fans.”
