A Newcastle United fan with huge YouTube and Twitter followings lets rip after Sunday. No one offended by bad language should click on the link to four minutes and 42 seconds of bile aimed not at us but at his own manager and team. 106,310 people had done so as I started posting this.
Now I think The True Geordie is genuinely funny. He reminds me of the Grimsby fan Poojah, who came up with what one SAFC fan called the best football rant he’d ever seen (https://safc.blog/2010/04/the-sinking-of-grimsby-town-poojahs-polemic/ ).
And yes, I can imagine a Sunderland equivalent. In fact I have already remembered one, though it comes from nowhere near social media.
It had an airing here all of seven years ago, as part of a piece headlined Swearing Loyalty (I add the link with apologies to Claire and Emma, who had nothing to do with the reference I have in mind and may have preferred not to be reminded of the occasion they experienced vile abuse from a pair of “our own”).
This is how the relevant anecdote went (it followed discussion of a terrible 5-0 defeat at Chelsea):
… my friend Graham [was] at another 5-0 humiliation, the one at Ipswich under Peter Reid in 2001 (they ended up going down; we survived for another season).
Graham, not one of life’s natural football supporters but dragged along to the odd game by his SAFC-supporting partner, absent-mindedly applauded as the teams left the field at the interval. It was almost as if he was at the theatre.
Unfortunately, we were already four down.
“Applaud! Yer f****** applauding, yer stupid f****** twat? Aah’ve paid half a week’s f****** wages gannin’ doon heeyah to see that heap of f****** sh*** and youse f****** applauding the c****!”
Many or even most of us would probably own up to the occasional expletive aimed at refs or players. But the asterisk-laden quote above, reproduced from memory of Graham’s description, probably does no justice to the true nature and content of the poor man’s rant. Good job things perked up on the field; we only lost the second half 1-0.
Speaking of applauding the enemy, I understand why the Sunderland fan at Ipswich was rattled by Graham’s instinctive applause. And why True Geordie felt the need to sound off at YouTube, incensed at Tim Krul for congratulating Jermain Defoe on the wonder goal that beat him on the stroke of half time. It isn’t hard to see True Geordie’s anger at a goal that is “gonna be shown on Sky Sports for 20 f****** years probably” and then his goalie “patting Jermain Defoe on the f****** back smiling and laughing at him”.
But that’s it. Jamie Carragher is not a member of the Toon Army. He should have seen it as an act of sportsmanlike decency from a man who has been brilliant in goal for NUFC but accepts, as a pro, when he’s beaten by a moment of genius. I may be wrong but I believe his attitude, unlike True Geordie’s with his excuse of needing to care, stinks.
Make up your own minds – Sky’s headline at
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11678/9791484/thierry-henry-and-jamie-carragher-criticise-newcastle-and-tim-krul wrongly implies Thierry Henry felt anywhere near as strongly as Carragher about the gesture – but only once you’ve stopped laughing at the clip.
Seconded here William. Richie’s voice was the sound of summer when I was a kid. Rest in peace. A one off, of the very best kind. It seemed like he would be around for ever.
They [ pundits ] could all take a lesson from the late great Ritchie Benaud. Always fair, balanced and unbiased. Great man – sad loss.
Sky sports interviewer couldn’t wait to twist the knife further on Krul as well….in a pathetic attempt to get a professional player into trouble…..I really expect more than this juvenile tosh.
Krul calmly explained he could not repeat the words he used but that he told Defoe that he has been lucky and it wouldn’t happen again….. and all out of sight…as he thought….pathetic,cowardly media coverage.
Oh and I hope someone videos Carragher as he goes home so we can see what he says and does when not on camera……
I think it’s a fair bet that he’d do both at the same time lads. You wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of him would you?
Nope !
Glad he was not giving the half time pep talk last weekend.
He’d either inspire them or scare them to death !
Just watched The True Geordie. Agree with every word the lad has to say apart from the comment about Krul.
He’s usually right I’ve found. Straight truth. Their players should be watching it.
I think, sadly you are right Drummer. On the one hand we have political correctness which prevents people from saying almost anything funny these days, and on the other hand low grade punditry from the likes of Carragher and Murphy and Savage (particularly Savage) and co. Incapable of providing insight of any genuine depth, as well as nothing in terms of entertainment value. They resort to what is effectively a modern form of tabloid tittle tattle.
My son who is a goalkeeper was commenting on this and he though that Krul’s actions were entirely understandable. His point was also that it depends on who the particular players are. If it was a player he knew well and got on well with he’d be the first to tell the bloke it was a hell of a goal.
The world we live in is dominated by internet trolls, a Twitter mentality where there’s a lack of graciousness and dignity. Often a cloak of anonymity creates the impression for some, that they can say what they like. The likes of those mentioned above don’t even have the savvy to pipe down. When they are on the box they tend to pipe up even more. Carragher is especially guilty of this. His comments about Sterling’s contract are much along the same lines as everything else he’s come out with this week. He’s not winning friends. I hope he realises that.
Fair play to the Geordie….he obviously cares about his team. He is right in that the Derby is the one game you would expect the players to be really up for regardless who you support and regardless of ability. Too many foreign players perhaps not understanding the cultural importance of the Wear Tyne rivalry? It’s just another game isn’t it?
Had our lot showed as much passion throughout the season as our fans do we would have been champions weeks ago.
Another excellent piece but the thing I found most sadly amusing was the linked article (The sinking of Grimsby Town: Poojah’s polemic) which I’d not read before.
The emotions displayed in that I think we can all associate with, if not that poor lad’s exact situation.
It’s strange that nobody has jumped up and started shouting about a moment in last night’s Palace v Man City game when DiMichelis congratulated Julian Speroni on a great save from Toure. That was pure sportsmanship; the same as Krul.
Jamie Carragher has outlived his usefulness in football and should go and open a fish ‘n chip shop in Kirkby (God knows they need something in Kirkby). He has fallen foul of the temptation to be controversial in order to attract attention. Maybe some bromide in his tea would help.
I’m fairly disgusted but not surprised by the mean spirited nature of punditry.
Isn’t it just a symptom of society as a whole Jeremy. Any act of kindness , sportsmanship ,camaraderie or manners is perceived as weakness and is to be sneered at . The pundits are reflecting that . I can understand the likes of the True Geordie being apoplectic , its he’s team , they’ve lost another derby and to be honest its he’s ‘ act ‘ and its an entertaining one . But the likes of Carragher and Murphy probably think they’re just tapping into the general attitude of the nation . Hopefully they’re still wrong .
I hope so too Drummer. Carragher, Murphy etc might like to consider what genuinely great players like Matthews, Finney, Moore and Haynes would make of their infantile opinions?
However, as you say, that was a different age, and sadly [ in my opinion ] a better one – football-wise at least!
Had the Sky camera not been nosing down the tunnel no-one would have seen it. Carragher and Murphy to me are just mean-spirited. It is a Sport after all. Well at least it used to be.Why does top class football need to be so bitter. In Conference North Barrow asked that their game against North Ferriby shold be postponed as Ferriby were in the Trophy Final at Wembley even though it would have meant Barrow facing a weakened team.Eat your heart out scousers.
The true geordie clip is hilarious , whether he intended it that way is debatable ,but he sums up every fan of every teams frustration at a captulation and we’ve had more than our fair share of those . Warning , the language would make Chubby Brown blush !