3rd May 2005
By
Gaz Pearson
Firstly, congratulations for Chelsea on winning the Premiership Title
and breaking up the monotonous Manchester United-Arsenal trend we
have seen over the last ten years. Not only have they played the best
football this season they have taken English football up a level with
their exploits in Europe. They have great players and a great exciting
manager. But I can't help the green eyed monster coming over me and
thinking back to when Chelsea could have been Newcastle United!
Re-wind to the entertainers: Kevin Keegan is manager, Sir John Hall
is bankrolling the club, we are top of the League, well clear of the
team from Manchester and on our way to Premiership success. Les Ferdinand
banging them in up front, Peter Beardsley the architect, Rob Lee controlling
midfield, David Ginola terrorising full-backs, Phillippe Albert the
master at the back, David Batty breaking up play. Christ we were the
envy of the country and we blew it!
Chelsea have spent millions and they have won the League. We spent
Millions and we didn't deliver. The rest, as they say, is history.
That's in the past yet those painful memories cannot help but be awoken
as Chelsea are crowned Champions. That so easily could and should
have been us, but it wasn't. Watching Chelsea fans jubilant in celebration
at seeing their side end a 50 plus year wait for the trophy, makes
me wonder what the celebrations would be like on Tyneside should we
one day manage that feat.
We have all moved on from then of course, team and fans alike, and
now nearly ten years on we have to look to the future. This season,
in stark contrast to Chelsea's, has been nothing short of a disaster
both on and off the field of play. Yet with the emerging youth and
the resources the club can call on, namely the fans, the future doesn't
look too bleak. It's not all rosy but there is hope surely?
When will we be where Chelsea are now? It is 78 years to be precise
since we last won the League Championship and maybe it's going to
be pushing 100 years when we eventually do bring the trophy back to
Inside. As my colleague Howaythetoon alluded to, maybe we need a 'Geordie
Abramovich' type figure for us to get anywhere near where Chelsea
are now? Either that or divine intervention, and if you pray hard
enough someone must hear you? Maybe not!
Chelsea could go on and dominate for the next ten years. I hope not
because that would be more boring than the Man Utd-Arsenal double
act but the fact is we could have gone on and dominated if we had
won the league all those years back, and who of us would have found
that boring?
We can only wonder what would have happened if we had taken all three
points at Anfield, Ewood Park and The City Ground. But Alas! Like
I say that's in the past and we will move onwards believing we can
challenge the likes of Chelsea one day. Unrealistic? Maybe but if
we don't believe that we can win the League then we shouldn't be in
it. More to the point, if we don't aim to win it...
Chelsea could have been us! The millionaires of West London have tasted
the richness of success we should have had, eaten, and have thrown
the scraps to the rest. Sadly it was not to be, but hey there is always
next year…
One day the name of Newcastle United will be etched onto the trophy,
one day!
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