17th February 2005
By
Gaz Pearson
You have just woken up from what undoubtedly was the best night of
your entire life so far. Only a few hours earlier Alan Shearer had
lifted the FA Cup high above his head. Newcastle Utd 3 Man Utd 1.
The most amazing week in the history of Newcastle United had taken
place. The FA Cup had now taken its place along side the UEFA Cup
in the Newcastle trophy room. That had been there a few days now,
after an astonishing 4-0 win over Valencia the previous Wednesday
night.
OK, OK, so you are still dreaming, but what if? Imagine that this
fiction was to become fact. Unlikely as it now seems but the reality
is that it could happen. What if Newcastle beat Chelsea on Sunday?
What if they destroy Heerenveen? What if this time next year the Toon
are sitting pretty on top of the premiership? That's the beauty of
this game we all love, it may seem like a dream but in football dreams
can become reality.
If we as Newcastle fans have learned anything it must be that we have
learned to accept the lows with the highs. It's a ride, it's what
makes the black and white coarse through our veins, it's Newcastle
United Football Club. So we may not be sitting on top of the table
right now, we may not stand a Mackem in the Premiership chance of
beating the awesome Chelsea on Sunday, and we might have as much hope
as an asthmatic in smoggieland of winning the UEFA Cup. Thus, your
head tells you to concede defeat in all areas this season, but your
heart tells you to keep the faith against all odds and why is this?
It is because of a simple little, annoyingly addictive question, what
If?
Hindsight is a word exclusively in the diction of historians. Yet
we live in the present and all the scenarios are yet to be played
out. Therefore we just do not know what can happen. Could any of us
have imagined the way King Kev would have taken us on such an amazing
roller coaster ride? Could any of us have seen us beating Barcelona
or Juventus in the Champions League? Could any of us have felt any
more delight that night when Craig Bellamy netted the winner against
Feyenoord in the dead of time added on? No. That's the beauty of 'What
If?'
So therefore I conclude with giving you some food for thought as we
embark upon what is the most exciting and crucial part of our troubled
season. Let's go back to dreamland. What if Newcastle beat Chelsea
on Sunday? What if the Toon destroy Heerenveen in the UEFA Cup? What
if this time next season we are top of the league?
Well we just don't know, it's in the fate of the football God's. However,
this is the time for the men to stand up and be counted. After this
period we shall have some clarity at least as to who is in this for
the long run, who truly wants it, who deserves to have our emotions
thrown at them week-in week-out.
Keep the faith because as Newcastle United fans you just never know
what lies ahead in the next chapter. Lets all find some comfort here
in the present, no matter what happens in the future, with the serene
question; what if? |
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