Magpies should celebrate promotion with the city

[Blyth]

FIRST Sunderland. Now Newcastle United. What is it with North-East clubs choosing to opt against an open-top bus ride to celebrate promotion back to the Premier League?

It will be three years ago in May that, after leading Sunderland to the Championship title in his first season, Keane rejected the plan for a civic reception on Wearside.

He suggested only progress in the Premier League would represent real achievement but, given he is no longer around, it was quite clearly an opportunity missed.

In many respects you can see why he decided to keep a low profile after so many false dawns at the Stadium of Light under his predecessors.

But Keane was looking at the situation from a personal point of view. Having experienced success after success during his time at Manchester United, he would not have regarded winning the Championship as a real honour.

On reflection, however, that was the first piece of glory under the post-Bob Murray regime and the Niall Quinn era deserved to be given the recognition it deserved.

Fast forward three years. Local rivals Newcastle head the Championship, are destined to win the Football League and pick up their first piece of silverware since 1993.

Yes. Newcastle suffered the ignominy of relegation from last season and a summer of absolute turmoil before starting life in the Championship.

And there is strong opinion on Tyneside that the Geordies' club should never have dropped out of the Premier League.

As many clubs have experienced before, though, they did. But unlike the likes of Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest and - perhaps - Middlesbrough, Newcastle have bounced straight back.

Discounting everything that may or may not have gone wrong at St James' Park during the last few years, surely that successful turnaround deserves to be applauded.

Even the supporters demanding owner Mike Ashley moves on throughout the season would have to admit manager Chris Hughton has done an exceptional job.

Surely those same fans would have turned out to pay tribute to the work done by Hughton and his players, regardless of the lingering doubts they may have about Ashley.

Hughton, like Keane, might have chosen not to do it. Whoever it was who made the decision on this occasion has missed a trick.

This would have been an opportunity for the whole city to show their support again for the club and acknowledge the impressive success that Newcastle have enjoyed in the Championship.

Promotion, after all, is the first chance for Ashley to actually enjoy something positive since taking over the club from former chairman Freddy Shepherd.

Perhaps it is an arrogance similar to that which Keane showed in 2007 or a decision made out of embarrassment for the failings of last season.

Either way, unlike Sunderland, Newcastle should have embarked on an open-top bus tour through Newcastle - like they last did for finishing runners-up in the FA Cup in the late nineties.

Let's face it, it is impossible to predict when there will be another opportunity for Magpies fans to do just that.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/spo...with_the_city/

[Rozza]

Originally Posted by Blyth

FIRST Sunderland. Now Newcastle United. What is it with North-East clubs choosing to opt against an open-top bus ride to celebrate promotion back to the Premier League?

It will be three years ago in May that, after leading Sunderland to the Championship title in his first season, Keane rejected the plan for a civic reception on Wearside.

He suggested only progress in the Premier League would represent real achievement but, given he is no longer around, it was quite clearly an opportunity missed.

In many respects you can see why he decided to keep a low profile after so many false dawns at the Stadium of Light under his predecessors.

But Keane was looking at the situation from a personal point of view. Having experienced success after success during his time at Manchester United, he would not have regarded winning the Championship as a real honour.

On reflection, however, that was the first piece of glory under the post-Bob Murray regime and the Niall Quinn era deserved to be given the recognition it deserved.

Fast forward three years. Local rivals Newcastle head the Championship, are destined to win the Football League and pick up their first piece of silverware since 1993.

Yes. Newcastle suffered the ignominy of relegation from last season and a summer of absolute turmoil before starting life in the Championship.

And there is strong opinion on Tyneside that the Geordies' club should never have dropped out of the Premier League.

As many clubs have experienced before, though, they did. But unlike the likes of Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest and - perhaps - Middlesbrough, Newcastle have bounced straight back.

Discounting everything that may or may not have gone wrong at St James' Park during the last few years, surely that successful turnaround deserves to be applauded.

Even the supporters demanding owner Mike Ashley moves on throughout the season would have to admit manager Chris Hughton has done an exceptional job.

Surely those same fans would have turned out to pay tribute to the work done by Hughton and his players, regardless of the lingering doubts they may have about Ashley.

Hughton, like Keane, might have chosen not to do it. Whoever it was who made the decision on this occasion has missed a trick.

This would have been an opportunity for the whole city to show their support again for the club and acknowledge the impressive success that Newcastle have enjoyed in the Championship.

Promotion, after all, is the first chance for Ashley to actually enjoy something positive since taking over the club from former chairman Freddy Shepherd.

Perhaps it is an arrogance similar to that which Keane showed in 2007 or a decision made out of embarrassment for the failings of last season.

Either way, unlike Sunderland, Newcastle should have embarked on an open-top bus tour through Newcastle - like they last did for finishing runners-up in the FA Cup in the late nineties.

Let's face it, it is impossible to predict when there will be another opportunity for Magpies fans to do just that.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/spo...with_the_city/

[chuckyroll]

Either way, unlike Sunderland, Newcastle should have embarked on an open-top bus tour through Newcastle - like they last did for finishing runners-up in the FA Cup in the late nineties

This subject was raised on the legends tonight. According to superdrunk, the city are missing out here because considering they get 50k at home every other week... "any promotion celebration would bring out 250k... if not half a million people onto the streets of newcastle".

They don't quite grapse that the championship isn't owt to be proud of unless you survive the following season. Fair enough, its fantastic to enjoy winning the league but you can do that on a matchday. Once the game is won, once the league is won, the planning starts for the new season. We learnt this under Royston.

[Hawaygordonman]

Small time mentality!

The Mags are bang on, same as Keano!

[ferryhill mackem]

Originally Posted by Hawaygordonman

Small time mentality!

The Mags are bang on, same as Keano!

aye but are they only doing this because we did the same?

[pweller]

Originally Posted by chuckyroll

Either way, unlike Sunderland, Newcastle should have embarked on an open-top bus tour through Newcastle - like they last did for finishing runners-up in the FA Cup in the late nineties

Didn't we do this in 92 ?

[chuckyroll]

Originally Posted by pweller

Didn't we do this in 92 ?

not that i am aware of pal, if we did i wasnt there and wouldnt have been there , pray tell me more

[pweller]

Originally Posted by chuckyroll

not that i am aware of pal, if we did i wasnt there and wouldnt have been there , pray tell me more

I took the kids to an open top parade, got Rushies baseball cap for one of them, I'm sure it was about 92, so that would have been for finishing runners up in the cup.

[chuckyroll]

Originally Posted by pweller

I took the kids to an open top parade, got Rushies baseball cap for one of them, I'm sure it was about 92, so that would have been for finishing runners up in the cup.

embarrassed for ya