Happy (C)anniversary – One Year On.

Thursday 6th October 2021 was a huge day. It was the last time I drank anything alcoholic despite actually quitting drinking months before, I allowed myself one cheeky drink on that fateful day as after years of hell, years of speculation, torment, false dawns and misery, Mike Ashley had finally sold the club to the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, PCP Capital Partners led by Amanda Staveley and Reuben Brothers Sports & Media.

We now had the wealthiest owners in world football and finally had backers who were willing to invest in the club to make us great again.

So one year on, what’s changed? In short … everything!

First and foremost the atmosphere in and around the club has lifted, we as fans have open lines of communication with our owners, a clear vision, an infrastructure capable of delivering that vision. It’s practically an entirely different club now to what it was 365 days ago.

Work is almost complete at Darsley Park to bring the training facilities in-line with a Premiership Club, although the priority remains to build an entirely new training complex which will house the first team, academy teams and the women’s teams, creating one big hub for the entire club.

We have an experienced CEO, Darren Eales as well as the best Sporting Director in the game, Dan Ashworth, both working above a manager who inherited a team at the bottom of the table, winless and directionless and guided them to an 11th place finish, becoming the first team to be without a win in 14 games and avoid the drop.

We’ve brought in actual world-class players in Trippier, Guimaraes, Isak and Botman alongside solid, sensible additions like Targett and Pope. But it’s not just about those who have been brought in, the entire squad has improved under Howe, the poster boy for this transformation is Joelinton. Considered a joke a year ago, Joelinton ended up being crowned Player of the Season and it is seen as a travesty that he hasn’t yet been capped by Brazil.

The best part of all of this is that it is merely the beginning. The tip of the iceberg. It’s such an exciting time to be a Mag!

Of course, it hasn’t all been great. We are despised by every other club in the league who are clearly refusing to do us any favours by hiking up the prices of their players or flat-out refusing to deal with us. Rival fans have let their jealousy turn into anger on social media. But perhaps worst of all is how the media have turned on the club. Now suddenly, the fans and Eddie Howe are complicit in the human rights atrocities carried out in Saudi Arabia.

Yes, there are pockets of fans who were too quick to turn a blind eye to what’s going on over there, but the majority of us have accepted that we can feel uncomfortable about where the money comes from AND enjoy its benefits at the same time. Morally questionable? Maybe. Is there anything we can do about it? Nope.

So it’s just the sad reality that we have to get used to being put under the microscope, but as long as we continue to move forward the right way we can have pride in our club. We’ve endured the bad, now it’s time to revel in the good.

****Vital Newcastle are looking to recruit a new writer for the site. If you are a fan of the club and can commit to writing 3—5 articles at least 4 days per week then we would love to hear from you. Mail paddy@snack-media.com for more information****