Friday, September 26, 2008 Drama-packed clashes of three rivals By John Dykes Special Contributor
HAVING watched seven matches in 10 days and in three English cities recently, I fully expected to be writing about the drama-packed clashes involving Liverpool. Chelsea and Manchester United. Instead, it has proved impossible to overlook the stories thrown up by three very different clubs and their enigmatic legions of fans.
Newcastle United, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur have been making enough headlines already this season but the last two weekends saw them take their respective dramas to new heights.
First, Newcastle, whose game against West Ham at Upton Park was played out under blue skies and in a party atmosphere:
Upton Park was abuzz at the prospect of Gianfranco Zola’s first game in charge. The Hammers had been in good enough home form already this term to warrant a degree of optimism. However, the home fans seemed prepared to deal only in superlatives.
Without resorting to the word “Messiah”—one so loved by Saturday’s opposing fans—the Upton Park faithful seem convinced that unqualified, inexperienced manager Zola is going to take the club to dizzying heights.
Indeed, such was the extent of the hysteria gripping them that on-loan striker Di Michele’s two goals against a woeful Toon defence prompted one elderly fan, who should have known better, to comment, “Dean Ashton’s never going to get back in the team now.”
But when it comes to limitless optimism, West Ham were in the presence of the best in the business: Newcastle took up their full allocation of tickets for away fans and packed their corner of the stadium with singing, cheering, ebullient Geordies.
A weird juxtaposition, given the limp, uninspired showing on the pitch in front of them by the team they so passionately
support.
Magnificent
Indeed, on a TV talk show the next day, a Geordie journalist from one of the leading dailies spoke with unabashed pride of the “magnificent” Newcastle fans at the game. Another insisted that once Mike Ashley (or whoever he sells to) understands just how much the fans love the club then things will magically start to improve.
But, like many great love stories, this one is turning tragic. Those magnificent fans were witness to a shocking display from their managerless, rudderless team. Newcastle contrived to have the game lost at 3-0 down before they started to play the football they are capable of. MIchael Owen scored a classy goal and they proceeded to pound a West Ham defence which
will leak loads of goals this season, even with Zola and Steve Clarke to educate them.
But of course it was all in vain for Newcastle—yet another rousing failure. And so the fans sing, and exhort the team to attack at all costs. More performances like that one and Newcastle will be in serious trouble. Off the field, the farce continues to take turn after comical turn. Perhaps the likes of Mike Ashley feel they can continue down this path because the fans are so blindly in love with being magnificent that it doesn’t occur to them to do what anyone else would do in this situation.
Should the Toon Army refuse to pay to watch this half-baked nonsense then maybe it would hit the owners where it hurts: in the pocket. Should their criticism prompt players to leave, then perhaps it would provide the sort of shock needed to effect change.
(John Dykes is the lead presenter of the Barclays Premier League, and host of ESPN's Football Focus, Tiger Football Up Close, and First Edition.)
