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Well the wheels they keep on turning and the roadshows keep on coming. Thursday 22nd July and the NUSC roadshow rolls into the heart of a true Geordie community and lands in Blakelaw Social Club. The room is set up and in come the punters. Another good turn out with a mixture of NUSC members, Blakelaw social club members, people who have travelled specifically for the night, but the one thing they all have in common is that they love and support Newcastle United.
As the proceedings get underway one of the NUSC committee Steve Hastie recalled how the NUSC came to be, what it had been doing, and more importantly what the future holds. Steve informed the audience about the fantastic community efforts the NUSC were making, particularly getting involved with the strips for kids appeal, helping the Sir Bobby Robson foundation charity, and very recently giving our backing and passing the message on about a young girl Sophie Atay (Visit her Website here) who is in desperate need of help.
Steve finished by telling us how he had a funny encounter with Sir Bobby when we presented a cheque for £3000 to the SBR Foundation raised before the Liverpool game last season. Sir Bobby thinks Steve closely resembles a certain ex-player of his who would not be welcome at Newcastle should we say! The committee of NUSC happen to agree with Sir Bobby!!
The guest speaker former Toon player John Anderson (Ando) was introduced and Ando quickly had the audience laughing with tales of his playing days, particularly funny were the ones to do with , who else!, but Gazza and big Billy Whitehurst (what a brute of a centre forward).
The first session ended with Colin Whittle from NUSC bringing everyone up to date with the move of NUSC to trust status. The Newcastle United Supporters Trust is now a truly representative group which has much more to offer the football club than merely vocal support. It is an organisation run by its members for its members and will continue to grow to become the biggest supporters trust in the UK.
Then a break in proceedings took place. Normally everyone gets another pint in, goes to the toilet, goes outside for a fag, or generally stands up to stretch their legs. Well all this happened, however something else happened. We mentioned earlier about the NUSC giving its backing to an appeal to help out young Sophie Atay. Without saying anything one guy in the audience had got up, left the club, walked home, collected a football signed by the Newcastle first team squad he had at home, walked back to the club and calmly said he wanted to donate it to the Sophie Atay appeal, amazing! Not only that but the secretary at the Blakelaw Club Alan Campbell had also, off his own back, gone and collect a signed authenticated ‘last supper' Toon managers picture and also donated it to the Sophie appeal. Bloody fantastic generosity and for me sums up the true Geordie community spirit that's really at the heart of our football club.
After the quiz and raffle were drawn the night concluded with more tales from Ando and a Q and A session. Ando had the audience in stitches with further tales on Billy Whitehurst, Mirandinha, and big Jack Charlton, particularly the ones where Jack Charlton made him listen to the sound of salmon leaping through water for four hours on a long car journey!! And when Billy Whitehurst reminded a certain former centre half at Newcastle that he played the game, shall we say, in a physical manner, clearly demonstrated by the mess he left the centre half's nose and mouth in after one tasty aerial challenge!!
The Q and A session ended with the questions from the audience focusing on Shearer as manager, Ashley's incompetent efforts, the old chestnut of Joey Barton, and also the never ending saga of takeover / sale or not as the current case is!!
A good night had by all and a big thank you to Blakelaw Social Club.
See an Evening Chronicle article about Blakelaw Social Club here
