He had always been an adopted Geordie but in the last few months… | OneFootball

My big pal John Paul hails from Glasgow, he grew up supporting Rangers.

His family moved to Haydon Bridge and went to school in Northumberland.

He racked up in Tynemouth about thirty five years ago and made a name for himself in business, running various leisure and hospitality outlets.

He has since worked in construction for many years, as far afield as Texas and South East Asia.

After a horrendous accident on a site in Vietnam over a year ago, JP had to return home to recuperate and undertake extensive physiotherapy.

This led to him finding out the terrifying news that he had cancer.

My team Newcastle United then really became John Paul’s team too.

He has always been an adopted Geordie but in the last few months he has taken an even greater interest in our results.

I could tell how happy he was for his mates after our Carabao Cup victory. Newcastle United had actually given him a massive ‘pick me up’ when he needed it most.

He had been made to feel a part of something, because mark my words, we all love and think the world of this bloke.

With King Eddie now hopefully fully recovered from pneumonia and back in the Toon dug out against Ipswich on Saturday, JP and all of the rest of us for that matter, have been given another tonic just at the right time.