Years that meant a lot to me as a Newcastle United fan – Taking you back to 2010 | OneFootball

Now that the EPL is in recess for another international break, I thought I’d concentrate on a few years that meant a lot to me growing up as a Newcastle United fan.

Next up is 2010.

Chris Hughton’s Magpies were flying high at the top of the Championship going into 2010.

There will be no mention of the songs that topped the UK charts in this article. Cowell by this time had well and truly stamped his pointless and mediocre brand into the psyche of the gullible public.

There was a hung parliament in the General Election, that culminated in David Cameron’s Conservatives creating a coalition with the Liberal Democrats to form a new government.

An earthquake in Haiti claimed the lives of approximately 230,000 people.

There was never really going to be anyone in the second tier to stop the Toon from bouncing straight back into the EPL and we eventually crashed through 100 points to easily win the league.

Chelsea won the Premier League and FA Cup double.

Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the Champions League Final. In doing so, they became the first Italian side to complete the treble.

When the 2010/11 fixture list came out, United got the team I wanted more than anyone else to play in our first game back in the top flight, Aston Villa at St James’ Park.

Aye the Villans, the team whose fans had unnecessarily took the ‘Proverbial P’ out of Newcastle and our loyal fans when we had been relegated at Villa Park 15 months earlier.

There was no mercy shown and United put on a Gallowgate masterclass slaughtering the hapless Brummies 6-0, Andy Carroll grabbing a hat-trick.

It soon became apparent that Hughton’s team could more than hold their own in the Premier League.

Sunderland and their phoney manager Steve Bruce were our visitors for a Halloween showdown that would turn into a horror show for the Wearsiders.

The Black Cats were demolished 5-1 with Kevin Nolan scoring a splendid hat-trick. Shola the Mackem Slayer also nabbed a brace.

Bruce couldn’t take it though and not for the first or last time would make a fool of himself. A ‘Fraudy Geordie’ indeed.

Next up was an impressive 1-0 win against Arsene’s Wenger Boys at the Emirates. Things were looking up and so what could possibly go wrong?

The snow fell heavily at the beginning of December. I was on my offshore leave and because of the bad weather I was giving my brother a hand with a job in Corbridge. It was here that we heard some alarming news coming out of St James’ Park.

Chris Hughton had been sacked and he was to be replaced by a more experienced manager. You had to feel for poor Chris, getting the bullet after all he had done for us in just over a year.

Who could his successor be, with this necessary requirement of having far more valuable experience than the Honorable Chris Hughton we wondered?

Alan bloody Pardew, that’s who.

Yet again Mike Ashley’s persistent acts of treachery and crimes against NUFC seemingly knew no bounds or limitations.

That concludes this mini-series.

I have to say 2017 was also quite a memorable year for me and certainly deserves a mention. Rafa Benitez and his solid United team restored a lot of local pride when they were also promoted as Championship winners at the first time of asking.

Since our takeover in 2021 the club is now moving forward, we have a great coach in Eddie Howe, a good side and everyone is a hell of a lot happier. There will surely be much greater times and years to come.