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Daily Newcastle - NUFC Identity? Kev goes solo on a Wildcard Wednesday
0 Playsin 3 hours
Kev goes through what it means to be a Newcastle United fan as the club look to change the badge and increase the capacity of SJP. What do you think it means to be Geordie?
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Transcript
Introduction and Solo Hosting Challenges
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Welcome to the daily Newcastle podcast. m It's strange, there's no introductions. I cannot believe the team are letting me go solo, which is absolutely mental when you think about it, because the one person on this team, if you've been listening regularly, who shouldn't be allowed to go solo, is actually going solo.
00:00:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But yeah, I did think when I realised I was doing this pod on my own, what on earth am I going to talk about? So I think what's very important is just, it sounds stupid on a Daily Newcastle podcast, but we're going to talk about Newcastle and we're going to talk about them in general, but mainly around identity because there was a lot of talk at the minute about stadiums and badges and all these things. So I really just want to have...
00:00:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's It's kind of like a ah therapy session, really. I don't know who's listening. I don't know who's going to comment. I don't know who cares. But I bought ah certainly do because it's Newcastle and I love this club. and I love this club more than probably most people. I'm going to argue with people about that. But um yeah, we'll see.
00:01:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
So talking about identity and what makes Newcastle.
Newcastle's Historical Identity and Transformation
00:01:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
um I think Newcastle's identity... is you've got to look at the past and I'm not going to give you a massive lesson on Newcastle or I'm not going to give you a huge lesson on on where we've come from and how it all started.
00:01:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just a case of we're quite an iconic club and we're not iconic for winning other than this season. We finally won a cup. I don't know if anybody knows and you would never have guessed by the trophy celebrations. so But we just have so many iconic moments. We have the 4-3 losses.
00:01:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
We have Bottle of the League. Okay, probably regretting going down this route now because a lot of it is failure We have a famous Mike Ashley years where we had a streets will never forget team under Alan Pardew with the likes of Papi Sissi and Ben Arthur and Kabai and Demba Barr and Jonas Gutierrez, Cotaccini.
00:02:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And there's loads stuff in between them years. There's loads stuff before them years. And obviously, the last three years have just been magical. So I think, rather than give you a full lesson, I think we've got to look at the last three years. I think this is why the changes are now getting spoken about in terms of the badge in the stadium and Newcastle United's identity.
Recent Success and the Impact of New Management
00:02:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
So let's look at it then. The last three years have been absolute unbelievable time. to be a Newcastle fan. We are on the verge, hopefully, I know the the team will be on this and we'll be covering the Everton game coming up, but we are hopefully on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League for the second time in three seasons, which...
00:02:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Over three years ago, that was unthinkable, regardless of who came in as the new owners and all of this stuff and then the rules which got created to stop us. um But yeah, the second Champions qualification in three years, we've won a cup, first domestic trophy in 70 years, and and And the scenes from that were absolutely insane. and We have a team who get the city and they get the club, they get the fans, they play how we want to see Newcastle play with high intensity, passion, energy, get into them. As a famous flag says, we've got so many things right now to be proud of as Newcastle United fans. And it's all down to really the new owners. It's down to a massive part of Amanda Stavely and her husband who came in as well. Um,
00:03:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I think most of us down Eddie Howe, Jason Tindall and his coaching team, because without them, I genuinely believe this wouldn't have happened, no matter what the backing. and Because that guy, them guys, them gals, everybody involved in his team are just absolute geniuses.
00:03:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
So with that success is what I, again, it's a long intro, I apologise, but it's just
Identity Concerns: Stadium and Badge Changes
00:03:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
me. So, you know, with all that success coming in with a trophy in the Champions League,
00:03:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Our identity has been brought into question. There's been talk of a new stadium, which for the record, i think anybody who's listened to a previous episode will know I am strongly against.
00:04:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah do not want to move stadium. I think St. James's Park is so special. um I think it won us the game against Chelsea because it turned it into a battle. It turned it into a fight when Jackson got sent off. That sheer raw emotion and atmosphere affected Chelsea, it affected PSG, it's affected Villa in the past, it's affected the semi-final against Arsenal. um At home, we got a disallowed goal early and honestly, I've never heard a noise like it.
00:04:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
and So I genuinely believe our stadium and our atmosphere and where where we're at and and that whole place is is just magical and it's special. I never want a new stadium. and But we don't really know too much about the stadium. We don't know if it's going to be built up. We have no idea if we're going to build a new one.
00:04:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Lots of rumours out there, but nothing's been confirmed by the club. What has been confirmed by the club is a new badge, but I'll kind of rephrase new. They're going to revisit the badge.
00:05:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
And
Fan Involvement in Badge Redesign
00:05:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
um this weirdly, when it was announced, brought out a horrendous reaction in me, really. I didn't realise I liked our badge so much and I didn't realise that I would be that passionate about it But The news broke that we were going to update or change or of the current badge was holding us back, was the words, and I got really defensive. i was like, what on earth?
00:05:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is the club talking about, are we are we finally selling our soul? Are we finally selling out now to just have a circle badge and and become just another team, which that's not what Newcastle is.
00:05:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
It never will be, I don't think. m But yeah, the that news came out a about the badge and I had a strong reaction, which I didn't expect. I think if somebody said, without the club officially saying it, by the way, if somebody said, Newcastle change badge, I think I would have reacted, nah, okay, we've had four.
00:05:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's all right. worry about it. It's fine. When the club announced it, my reaction was not bad at all. It was talking about the intricacies and the inconsistencies of the badge. And I was like, what a whole load of rubbish. This is my club. This is my badge. I grew up this badge.
00:06:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
This is Newcastle United. How can you take this away from us? And despite the strong reactions I had at first, I was invited along to... um the club to be part of the club badge workshop and actually have a chat with with a couple of people um and other supporters.
00:06:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
And if I'm being honest, I'm not going to cover too much into this because I know loads of people have watched other YouTube channels and listened to podcasts where this has been mentioned and I've got no real new information to give to But what I was impressed with was the sheer work they are doing to include the fans. And that surprises me when I say that because...
00:06:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
I thought when we first released the statement of the fans will be involved, thought, yeah, course we are, whatever. um But that's not the case at all, actually. We genuinely did listen. um A lot of the opinions I shared was...
00:07:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
um how rare our badge is and and I don't want a circle badge and the club have said is as you'll know if you've watched other channels um the club have said it it won't be a circle it's it's it's not what Newcastle is about they want to keep the shape of the badge now because it is very recognisable and very iconic but it was when they highlighted the the mistakes on the badge the seahorses don't really have consistent feet they have different feet on both sides of the shield in the middle And the lion or monkey or whatever on whatever the hell it is, because no one actually knows what it is, and doesn't have a face and it's just all blurred out. It doesn't really make a lot of sense.
00:07:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
And even around the bar, the rope along the club crest is not symmetrical and it just doesn't really work, unfortunately. So when we explained that and I got to listen to their thoughts on changing the badge, I started to get a little bit excited because...
00:07:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's not going to be a brand new badge. It's going to be something which hopefully is just refined and it's it's very nice to look at and it's it's easy on the eye because we love our badge but you know in that bigger market now we're in the upper echelons of football, Champions League qualification, winning trophies, maybe even challenging for a Premier League next season...
00:08:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
The club wants, you know, something nice to look at for for other supporters too and and other and clubs who hopefully eventually want to be like us. So I'm very assured that we're not going to be like a PSG badge or, you know, any other badge, Man City badge when we've changed.
What Makes Newcastle Unique?
00:08:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
and But that reassured is, but What i really want to talk about after a very quick advert is what I actually think our identity is and what our badge should represent. And if we are going to move stadium, what should happen with it?
00:08:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So I'm going to touch on that in the second part of this. It's going to be a short one because you don't want to hear me drone on for ages. um But yeah, we're to take a quick break. I've explained very briefly about the last three years and moving forward with new stadium, a new badge and kind of what the club have said.
00:08:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
And after this advert, I'm going to cover what I think it means to be a Geordie and what our identity should be.
00:09:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Lovely stuff. Strange when there's nobody else to talk to. um Anyway, like I said, the last three years have been a dream. The club are now moving forward. We're starting to think of the identity of the club and a new stadium and badge is going to be part of that.
00:09:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. Our identity as a Newcastle fan. What really, like I said in the last part, what really provoked the reaction of me was the badge, surprisingly. The stadium, definitely want to stay, but nothing's been announced. So hasn't been any real massive raw emotion, but the badge was announced and that did.
00:10:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it got me thinking. what What is it to be Newcastle then? what What is it to be a Geordie? What is it to support this club? but And I think what i thought was it's been different because there's no other a club like us.
00:10:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's be honest about it. it There's no other club who has a badge that looks like ours. There's no other club which has seahorses in. I'm going to come to that in a minute. um And there's no other club who has a stadium like ours.
00:10:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Two sides built up. The East Stand just kind of... I think one of the original versions of the East stand and the Gallagher being so famous. We have a s slope on our pitch still. It's 2025 and we have a slope. If we do ever build a new stadium, we better include a slope. Imagine building this £2 billion pound stadium.
00:10:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
What we're going to do now, lads, we're going to put in a slope. I hope they do do that if they do build a new stadium, but they probably won't. and We play in black and white stripes. In England, that's so rare. There's not many clubs having two or three clubs playing black and white stripes.
00:11:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
in the football league, and we are one of them, and it's iconic, and it's something, again, which is very special to us. And... Our identity has never been about winning trophies or being the biggest club.
00:11:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Our identity has been different. It is the badge. It is the stadium. It is the kick colours. And I mean, God, supporting Newcastle is like nothing else, is it? i just don't think other teams understand it. I remember when I i think I've told the story before. So I'll try and tell it very quickly. When I lived down in Hertfordshire, I was around loads of Spurs fans, Arsenal fans, West Ham fans, loads of just different London clubs.
00:11:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we were in the championship at the time when I was working down there and I used to ah kept my season ticket. used to travel back up um midweek and weekends to watch Newcastle at home. And I remember traveling up on a Tuesday or a Wednesday night to watch Burton Albion at home.
00:11:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And the other, like the Spurs, Arsenal, West Ham fans just didn't get it. They were like, What, you're travelling, like, what, six hours, seven, eight hours round trip just to watch Burton Albion at home? You know you're going to win. We did win 1-0. Actually, funnily enough, a Matt Ritchie penalty got given as a goal kick after scoring it. But go back and watch that again.
00:12:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
When else does that happen? What it means to be a Geordie. Um... And they just couldn't get their head around it. They barely travelled 20 miles just to go watch their team. They just can't bothered to watch it on TV, but it's different for us. It's the Cathedral on the Hill, the City Centre Stadium, another rarity. how where does that Where else does that happen? A City Centre Stadium.
00:12:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Within something like a two-mile radius, we have over 100 pubs, and I think the next one closest to that is 30 in the Premier League. Again, it is so, so, so rare. No away fan pubs or specialised away fan pubs because you can drink with the Newcastle fans or you can just all go to the first one you see when you get off at Central, which is what most away fans do. Very frustrating. and So again, there's so many rarities in supporting us.
Preserving Unique Identity Amidst Change
00:12:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
The Keegan head tilt over the sponsor boards, the Bobby Robson quote about climbing the camera and the steps, which every club now looks at is an amazing thing.
00:13:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
m Just the entertainer side, having rogues like Asprea and Ginola and just Kevin Keegan himself again we are such a rare club and our identity is about being rare which is why I'm so happy that the badge the badge is going to stay rare we've been assured in these workshops for fans which cover the club are trying to include us I guess they're telling us we're not going to go to a circle badge if we're going to try and keep the shape of how it looks now we're going to try and refine it and just make it a little bit better m
00:13:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Which reassures us because that's our identity and matter's that's Newcastle United and that's what it means to be at Geordie. Everything about us is different. The stadium, everything. Speaking of the stadium.
00:13:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
please don't build a new one but if you're gonna build a new one make it rare don't build a toilet bowl like Spurs don't build a circle like Arsenal slightly more symmetrical than Spurs I guess m build something we've never seen before build St James's Park again but all the way around that would keep me happy if it's a new stadium but if you don't want to do that because some people might think it's looking a little bit dated Then build something like a spaceship, which we've never seen. Build something which isn't even seen in American stadiums. I don't care how you do it. It's got to be rare because everything about this club is rare.
00:14:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
It is the intricacies which they attacked in the original post to about the badge. That's what it is to be a Geordie. And that had me thinking. The club just don't get us. What are doing? The intricacies is what makes us. The differences is what makes us.
00:14:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
But after that workshop, after listening to these people who were making these decisions and and being involved in the in the process, it really does have me trusting the club again. ah think there was an element. um I'm not going to mention the previous owner's years.
00:14:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
m I'm not going to mention his name. um But there was a period where we knew that the club didn't care. And I genuinely believe now after that workshop, we do care. And they are bothered about what we think. And they are bothered about how we move forward, maintaining our identity of being a Geordie, which in my opinion, and you can let me know if I'm wrong,
00:15:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
is about just being different. Everything about is different, with passion, everything. So we are going to keep the shape of a badge. The stadium is to be decided. But for me, I would like to stay, build up the Gallagher, keep the slope, keep everything about that place.
00:15:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
we finally brought a trophy home to it. We don't want to move out yet, do we? um But yeah, if you are going to build a new stadium, it has to be rare. If it is going to be a new badge or refined badge, it has to look different to everything else. um And that's that's what I believe our identity is. It's not about trophies. It never has been.
00:15:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've got people, people listening to this and me personally, who other than that but League Cup win, have never seen people win a trophy. Sorry, you've never seen Newcastle win a trophy. So, Look, it's massive and ah I think we shouldn't just chase glory and we shouldn't just chase success.
00:16:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's not what our identity is. We all love to win the Premier League every year, but I would rather win the Premier League once every five years and keep our soul than win it every year and just have a completely different vibe, a completely different feel of a stadium which just looks like every other modern stadium then that won't be the club I recognise and that scares me a little bit, but I guess all change is scary and I guess that's what's so big about the but future.
00:16:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But I think my mindset, thanks to the club and thanks to that workshop really, and has changed from being scared, I as still am scared, but there's also a little bit of excitement and now I'm actually excited
Trust in Management and Future Vision
00:16:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
to see the new badge. These people are very clever who run these workshops, I've manipulated my mind to think, let's get them excited and I am excited to see the new badge.
00:16:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
m if we announce a new stadium, I have no idea how I'll react. to have I don't know what kind of emotion that'll emote out of us. But again, look at the emotion which pours out of this club. It's different.
00:17:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Everything about this club is different. Everything about being a Jodie is different. And I'm going to keep saying it over and over again because nobody else gets it. They said we over-celebrated the League Cup. They said that we were going over the top and all this rubbish, but We didn't. They just don't understand what it means to us.
00:17:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
This is our religion. This is our cathedral on the hill. m So, yeah, let's hope that cathedral on the hill, personally, for me, stays um and maybe just gets built up and modernised slightly.
00:17:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But, yeah, i don't want a new stadium. But I guess even at this point, with my mindset being I'm excited for the new badge and I trust the people at the club at in the minute who are making these decisions,
00:17:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
I guess if it were to renounce new stadium and they would honour St James's Park in the right way and honour what it means to be a Geordie in the right way and do something very unique with that new stadium, then that would also turn to excitement as well.
00:17:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
What a time to be a Newcastle fan. I've just talked for around about 17, 18 minutes about but last mean Newcastle's identity and where we're at and I mean, three years ago,
00:18:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'd be so saying something very different there would be no thought of ever leaving St James's and there'd be no thought of a new badge three years ago so the fact that the success is here is brilliant it's very exciting I think if we are goingnna build new if we are going to build a new stadium it should be called the Eddie Howe Stadium and if we are going to have a new badge it should just be the crest take the seahorses out as much as I think we are important I know some people don't m and just put Eddie Howe on one side and Jason Tindall on the other side and have that as a new badge I'd be on board with that Legends.
00:18:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
What it means to be a Geordie. Anyway, I don't want to go on too long because e you don't want to hear me speak this long. B, I don't want to listen to myself speak this long. and But let me know my comments, what do you think it means to be a Geordie? What are your thoughts on the club kind of having a new brand and and moving forward to join the elite?
00:18:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
And since we are going to be a slightly new brand and we're trying to join the elite, what does it mean to be a Geordie? What's very important not to get rid of or lose um And how do we not set our soul?
00:19:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've explained over the last little bit of time how I think we do that. We keep everything about us unique. The stadium, the badge, the atmosphere, what it means to us. All of that has to stay in my opinion.
00:19:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But let me know what you think. And again, if this is going forward, or if it is a move forward, some people think it's a move backwards, which I really don't think it is. But how is it going to affect us? Because let's face it, having a new badge isn't going to make the players play any better or attract new players. um But it is going to affect how we, how we you know, perform the digital age and um revenue and and how much of a big brand we become.
00:19:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I think, again, Just to finish it, Newcastle's identity isn't about being a brand. It's just about being different. Thank you very much again for giving me 20 minutes of your morning or your evening or your afternoon.
00:20:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you very much. Tune in tomorrow for another Team Pod.