Voice of the Fans: The pains of being a Newcastle United supporter . . .

Trouble on Tyneside

For a man whose blood runs black and white, the latest twist in the Tyneside tale is too much to bear. John Wisdom asks why Chris Hughton has been forced out:

"As a hugely passionate Newcastle United fan I have endured many ups and downs following my club, however Chris Hughton’s sacking has left me once again angry, embarrassed and disappointed at the actions of Mike Ashley and the board. In the three and a half years since Ashley’s takeover, Newcastle United supporters have seen five managers arrive and depart: Sam Allardyce, Kevin Keegan, Joe Kinnear, Alan Shearer and now Chris Hughton. As with most managerial changes the mood amongst the supporters was usually always mixed, however since the sacking of Keegan, there has been a detectable feeling of latent anger towards Mike Ashley in the North East. This latest decision by the owner has had left many, not just on Tyneside, surprised and exasperated.

 As recently as the 27^th of October the board at St. James’ Park (or to be politically correct ‘sportsdirect@St. James’ Park.com’) came out in support of Chris Hughton, assuring fans that they were more than satisfied with the club’s progress and that negotiations for his contract were underway. However the delay in offering him one was an ominous sign. Then there was Colin Calderwood’s move to Edinburgh, trading the position of Hughton’s right hand man for the hot seat at Easter Road. The club’s failure to appoint a replacement was further evidence of Ashley’s intentions.

Why though should the re-negotiation of Hughton’s contract have ever been anything other than certain? In his 14 months as manager, Hughton won the respect of the players and the fans alike, something that has been extremely rare on Tyneside since the departure of Sir Bobby Robson. Last season he was given the task of overseeing Newcastle United’s return to the Premier League at the first time of asking. He managed it in style, turning St. James’ Park into a fortress and seeing the Magpies achieve 102 points in their campaign, making them only the second team to break the 100 point barrier. Furthermore he laid much of the groundwork for the development of players such as Andy Carroll, and sparked a return to form for Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton. Under his guidance Newcastle United strengthened their defence and developed into a much more organised and sophisticated football team, restoring much of the dignity that was lost in the relegation season. Unfortunately Ashley’s unjustified sacking of Hughton has gone a long way to undoing that restored dignity.

Hughton has brought stability to the club, and the condemnation his sacking has received from the supporters and players today marks just how much he was appreciated and how sorely he will be missed in Newcastle. There will be those who will point to recent poor results, with Newcastle managing only two draws and three losses in their last 5 games. Others may agree with the board’s official position, that for the club to move forward they need a manager with more managerial experience. For many though, Newcastle were doing exactly that under the guidance of Hughton, moving forward by winning the Championship last season and currently sitting mid-table. Newcastle are a newly promoted side, whether or not they are a big club with a large footballing history (4 First Division Victories, 6 F.A. Cup Victories) the fact remains that the past four seasons have seen a subsidence in their standings within the English game. To be sitting in 11^th position approaching the mid-point of the season is certainly as much as – if not more than – most Geordies would have hoped for back in August. Blackpool are also on 19 points, West Brom, after Sunday’s victory over Newcastle, are just ahead on 22. Hughton’s dismissal would be more understandable if he was not on target to meet his season’s objective of staying up in the Premiership, however he has been as successful as Di Matteo and Holloway who gained promotion with him.

Chris Hughton has lost a job that he did not deserve to lose. Never one to publicly criticise, he always came across as humble and respectable. What Hughton might have lacked in managerial experience, he more than made up for in coaching ability. He has done a fantastic job and I hope that I speak for all supporters when I say that he will be sorely missed. It will be a long time before I forget the 5-1 victory over rivals Sunderland and away wins at Goodison Park, the Emirates Stadium and Stamford Bridge (albeit in the Carling Cup).

 Ashley is now under huge pressure to appoint the right man for the job; patience amongst the supporters is beginning to run thin. Unfortunately for Ashley, after the way that Hughton has been treated he will have a hard job convincing anyone to take on the position of manager at Newcastle United."