I was never really a big fan of football in my earlier years. The game never really appealed to me and I didn’t understand what all the hype was about. However on Saturday 23rd November 2002, I switched on Sky Sports and there was Manchester United and Newcastle United at Old Trafford. From then on I didn’t look back.

Newcastle lost that game 5-3 but I didn’t seem to care. I felt like I had been injected with Magpies Disease and it was never going to leave me. That is what Newcastle United to does to you. All Newcastle fans, young and old, have an experience of their first encounter with the club, and that first encounter is the start of a love affair that will last you a lifetime.

It’s kind of like a binding contract between you and the club, you won’t leave them no matter what and despite time after time being let down, we return to St. James’ Park week in week out shouting and singing from our hearts for the club we love.

The buzz that you get and that funny feeling inside when Newcastle score is indescribable but it’s a joy and one you hope to have time after time.

My first game was in 2004 when I went to watch the game with Mallorca in the UEFA Cup. We went 1-0 down but we were still singing and chanting and that evening I saw 4 shots hit the back of the net from a Black and White shirt.

They looked instrumental and couple the performance along with the atmosphere and you get one hell of a game. I don’t really think my throat has recovered from that cold winters evening because I screamed as much as my lungs would allow me that night, no matter how important the result was or not because that is what you do when you are St. James’ Park; “Toon, Toon Black and White Army” coming from the Gallowgate and “United! United!” coming from the gods in Level 7.

From time to time, the performances have not been their best but when the ball hits the back of the net all is forgotten. The Mansfield game saw a landmark for Alan Shearer as he made it 200 goals for Newcastle.

The first 79 minutes had been poor but when Shearer hit that ball into the bottom left hand corner, it was all forgotten; our injury troubles, our ridiculous manager, our poor performances, our unstable league position and our slow thinking chairman were all thrown out of the window and for one minute we didn’t care because our No 9 Legend had done what he deserved.

It may not be a trophy but it was something that made 41,000 Newcastle fans and probably millions throughout the world unite together and rise to salute the greatest English goalscorer of all time.

The words of the announcer sent chills down my spine and will live in my memory forever “Goal for Newcastle, Equalling a record that has stood since 1955 with Jackie Milburn, Ladies and Gentlemen, scoring his 200th goal for Newcastle United, your captain and No 9 Alan Shearer!”

I was there the day he did it and it will be something that I, and many others, will probably be telling their grandchildren about in the years to come. It shows he has still got it and I can definitely feel number 201 coming at Cheltenham in the FA Cup, Saturday week.

The city of Liverpool has Everton and Liverpool FC, the city of Manchester has Manchester City and Manchester United FC, the city of London has Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham and West Ham but the city of Newcastle has only one; Newcastle United.

And United is what is special about our fans; time after time supporters move from club to club trying to find the best but at Newcastle we stick together forever. Some people may call it crazy but we call it loyalty.

In recent times we may not have had our hands on silverware but in the past, we used to rule the league and get our hands on the FA Cup as well. Plus those heroes we have picked up along the way who will never be forgotten; Milburn, Beardsley, Supermac, Gallacher, Keegan, Robson, Tudor and of course Alan Shearer.

That is what Newcastle United is all about; it’s not about the manager or the wasters that use our club to their own advantage. It is about players on the pitch giving their all for the cause and those who adopt the Geordie passion such as Given and Parker and are adopted into our North East family. It is about the fans that sing week in week out for the club that they love.

It is about those famous victories and performances that make us great. After all, Newcastle fans will forever remember that 5-0 thrashing of Manchester United, the 2-2 draw in Milan where we almost got one over on the Italian giants, that last gap 3-2 win in Feyenoord which made Champions League history, the time where by we lead the Premiership by 12 points, that famous Kevin Keegan speech at Alex Ferguson, our ‘Entertainers’ tag which made us famous worldwide, but most importantly all of the entertaining attacking goalscoring football which has delighted our fans in past years.

This club is important to us. Half of the players who have worn the black and white shirt did not deserve to. The problem with them is they did not understand what it means to be a Geordie. The passion was just not there. They don’t feel what the fans feel. We would all kill to wear that shirt and walk out in front of 52,000 fans if just once in our lives to play at St. James’ Park.

It means so much to us Newcastle fans; after all it’s in our blood.