This website was originally published with the intention of becoming a news aggregator. Somewhere people could come and find their Newcastle United news. But there’s plenty of those available to people already. It’s been some three years since I have put the proverbial pen-to-paper on this website, with life and work somewhat taking over for me. That said, of late I have found the itch to write growing stronger and stronger. The soap opera that has always been Newcastle Utd dominates the vast majority of my content ideas, so it feels like now might be a good time to reintroduce TBOTT – only this time as a personal blog as opposed to any sort of news outlet.
With that in mind, I feel now is likely a good time to reintroduce myself. My name is Kieran – I run the TBOTT X account, and am the sole proprietor of this here blog. I have been a season ticket holder (with a 3-year-break for uni) since 2011/12. I bought my first season ticket as 13-year-old young man having saved all the money from my paper round to be able to afford a young person’s ticket in the old family section up on Level 7. That season is where a growing love became an obsession.
Many will remember that season as one of the few shining lights of the Ashley era. Pardew’s Mags navigated their way to a fifth place finish in the league, enabling a European adventure. With a new look continental side having replaced the old-school Bartons and Nolans of the promotion era, excitement was rife and the football was fun. I look back on that season fondly, with plenty of memorable evenings spent at SJP – the most notable being the 3-0 demolition of Manchester Utd. Yohan Cabaye’s free-kick that evening cemented him as one of my favourites.
Fast forward a few years to 2016, I sadly had to give up my season ticket as I departed the north east to move to Brighton for three years for my university studies. Journalism, if you were wondering. Upon my return to the north east, my primary objective once I found myself a job was to get back on the terraces. The only problem being that we were a little bit sh*te. But that made it easier. My mate Adam & I agreed we’d make the return for the beginning of the 21/22 season, this time in the Gallowgate, where we still sit today. The thought process being that it wouldn’t always be shit. We’d get taken over eventually and everyone would want a season ticket, but we’d already be in… completely unaware that would come just six weeks into the season!
Those first few games were ugly. West Ham, Southampton and Leeds if I remember rightly. We looked poor. Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson were our only real hope of any results. Steve Bruce looked as though he didn’t know what day of the week it was most of the time, and was becoming more and more of a meme with his infamous bacon-related faux pas dominating the social media landscape. That final home game pre-takeover at home to Leeds felt as bad as anything I’ve ever seen, and I’d seen us relegated in 15/16. It was pure toxicity in the ground. Thankfully, we had an away game and an international break after that… during which everything changed.
You don’t need me to tell you the difference that Amanda Staveley’s PIF backed takeover of the club made to us not only as a fanbase, but as a city. The next home game against Tottenham brought about some of the most emotional scenes I’ve ever been fortunate enough to be a part of. That pre-game buildup with ‘Big River’ echoing around the stadium will live with my for a very long time. The game didn’t go quite to plan, but it didn’t matter. The build up, capped off by Callum Wilson’s very, very early strike sealed one of the greatest hour of my life. The beginning of something new. The beginning of a new era. A new Newcastle United.
Plenty of water has passed under the bridge since that day. We’ve had glory, heartbreak, anger, joy and created memories that will last a life time. That day at Wembley. March 16th 2025. I was lucky enough to be there. It’s a day I will never, ever forget. As is the case for all of us. I cried. I cheered. It was incredible. The celebration on the Town Moor a few days later too. All of it was just incredibly special.
That evening against PSG in our first game back in the Champions League. I had never felt a stadium shake the way SJP did when Miguel Almiron beat Donnarrumma down to his right to send us ahead. In fact, Dan Burn’s goal in the final is still probably the only thing I’ve experienced that beats it. Feelings I will never, ever forget. Amazing times. An era to tell our kids about, just the way our fathers spoke to us about Keegan’s entertainers.
Back in the present, we’ve got an exciting young team and we sit in the fledgling days of another new era. “Newcastle United 2.0” as the brass have dubbed it. Eddie is gone, Matty is in. We have a whole list of brand new club legends that sit in a time that is, for better or worse, now behind us. Now, a new group hoping to add their own name to the history books of this storied club. We haven’t really had time to form connections or grow to love the new cast just yet, but with time, there’s no doubt that will come.
As we go on that journey together and experience the new memories we will make this season and beyond, I hope to bring you along with me to give you a glimpse into my perspective of it all. I’ll be there for the games. I’ll stand on the terraces every week, as I have done for the majority of my life… and give my honest to God thoughts on what I see. Some of it will be status quo, some of it will be controversial, but all of it will be honest.
I don’t intend to follow too much of a structure at first. Much like this has been, I expect it will mostly consist of me sitting at my laptop and jotting down the thoughts that come to my mind. If there’s anybody beyond my Mother still reading, then I appreciate it. Let me know if there’s anything you would like to hear my thoughts on.
See you in the next one!
