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Kluivert A Bigger Signing Than Shearer?
Don't Be Daft! |
Newcastle-Online comment: 22nd July 2004
Patrick
Kluivert's signing has drawn obvious comparisons with Alan Shearer's
signing back in the Summer of 96 and although the Dutchman's signing
has generated a lot of excitement on Tyneside and he is indeed a big
name player, arguably a world-class player when bang on his game,
but to even suggest, as some are, that Kluivert represents a bigger
signing than Shearer - well I have one thing to say to that: Don't
be daft!
As far as I'm concerned it's not even comparable. Shearer had just
come off the back of a 5 goal salvo in Euro 96 which earned him the
Golden Boot and a whole host of admirers. Already the Premiership's
(and England's) deadliest marksman Shearer was also the best alround
centre-forward in the world back then. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester
United and Juventus all expressed an interest - they all wanted Big
Al to score goals for them. Another club, Newcastle United were also
interested in his signature. For a Geordie lad brought up on Kevin
Keegan's 12 months at the Toon, when the call come from the man himself,
Shearer wasn't going to say no. Furthermore Newcastle were genuine
Championship contenders - a match made in heaven.
And
when KK announced to the world that Shearer had signed for a then
world-record £15m, well all hell broke loose in bonny Newcastle.
I remember running into the street screaming we had signed Shearer
about 10 times. We bought every paper that day, every one of our tellys
and our radios were switched on. The neighbours were sending their
kids in with news from SKY TV (we didn't have Sky) to feed our insatiable
quest for Shearer news. The whole street went Shearer daft, everybody
was talking about him. On the buses old biddies were saying: "Eee
isn't it great that they've brung that local fella hyem". Shops
went crazy, Shearer stickers, Shearer posters, hats with Shearer 4
the Toon were selling like hot-cakes. People were actually out in
the street nattering about the signing.
And then there was the open-air Press Conference and the 10s of thousands
of supporters packed around St. James' park. Black & White balloons
filled the air - it was pandemonium on Tyneside and not just in Newcastle
either. It took the whole country by storm, the whole footballing
world. All eyes were on the banks of the Tyne.
The Toon had just signed the best centre-forward in the world for
a world-record fee - a local lad, a Geordie. We beat Man Utd to his
signature just to top it off. It goes down as one of the most memorable
moments (for me) in our club's history. I guess you had to be in the
City to feel it, to get a taste of just how big a signing Big Al was
for the Toon. I have goose-pimples just writing this because it's
so vivid yet so unreal.
Kluivert is a very very good player, on his day he is world-class
but he joins the Toon on the back of a no-show for his Country in
Euro 2004 and on the back of two average seasons for Barcelona. He
has joined NUFC for free. Lets be honest, had those circumstances
not come into it - we wouldn't have had a chance in signing him. I'm
glad we have finally signed him, like Shearer I've always wanted to
see him in a Toon top, he is a very big signing - but bigger than
Shearer? Nee way.
Sorry lads and lasses (Talksport mainly) but it just doesn't hold
weight I'm afraid. We could sign Ronaldo or Henry and they still wouldn't
match up to the day we brought Shearer home. It was a special time
at Newcastle, we were the hot-shots of the Premiership, we were bucking
the trend, we had gate crashed the upper echelons of world foootball
and not just that, there is something special about signing such a
great player who was born and raised in Newcastle. The day we signed
Shearer was a landmark in our history, a landmark that stands out
like the Angel of The North as our biggest ever signing. |
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