RELATED
Liverpool's Andy Carroll Broke My Newcastle Heart
He was supposed to be a hero, a legend, a Geordie monster truck that mixed his drinks and didn't give a monkey's about any team but Newcastle. Now he's at Liverpool, saluting the Kop. Oh how it hurts...
'Heard the one about Mike Ashely Kenny?'
He was supposed to be a hero, a legend, a Geordie monster truck that mixed his drinks and didn’t give a monkey’s about any team but Newcastle. Now he’s at Liverpool, saluting the Kop. Oh how it hurts…
Before we go any further, I’d just like to point out that I’ve never had a relationship with Andy Carroll, and nor have I ever wanted to – I mean just look at his hair. Yes I’d admired him from a distance – from about halfway up the Gallowgate End to be exact – and we’d shared some special moments, but I was never in love with him. At least that’s what I thought until he swanned off to Liverpool.
Since then it’s been a confusing time to say the least. He sent a lot of mixed messages if I’m being honest. “All I’ve ever wanted to do was wear the number nine shirt for Newcastle.” That’s what he said, just before he left. Perhaps he’d whispered the words “for about six months,” under his breath at the press conference, but I didn’t hear him, and the Newcastle Evening Chronicle didn’t report it. I was sold.
Pain isn’t an unusual emotion for me where football is concerned. Twenty-eight years of supporting Newcastle United has obviously offered more misery than joy. Two relegations, countless seasons of mediocrity and roughly five years of happiness sandwiched in-between – suspiciously just the right amount to raise expectations and heap further misery on the generations to come.
Then came Carroll. I’ll be honest; I wasn’t impressed when I first saw him. “Here’s another six-foot-something-clogger,” I thought. “Division One striker, nothing more.” And even after he bagged 19 in our promotion season, I still wasn’t convinced of his top flight credentials.
He would see out his career here, and when Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger came knocking, he would politely tell them to jog on as he was going down the Bigg Market for a pint.
But he stepped up, and Newcastle fans, for the first time in a long time, had something to cling to. A barnstorming striker who had long hair, fights in pubs, and a penchant for the occasional threesome (his catchphrase is allegedly, “Ride me, ride me,” incidentally). Oh, and he could play a bit too. What’s not to like?
After years of being the Comedy Club, the papers and pundits were full of platitudes and plaudits. Here stood the future of English football, and he was ours. No more years of meekly surrendering at Old Trafford, Anfield, and Highbury. Although he wasn’t the finished article, nobody was going to fancy marking Carroll. There was a good chance he’d eat them.
The best thing about him, for me at least, was that as a local lad he loved Newcastle and wanted nothing more than to play for the club. Yes, the highly priced prima donnas would come and go, but this one was for keeps. He would see out his career here, and when Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger came knocking, he would politely tell them to jog on as he was going down the Bigg Market for a pint. Who knew that in the end, all it would take to turn his head would be a Boyzone gig, a posh house in Formby, and 80 grand a week?
When it comes to pain, the brain doesn’t differentiate between the physical and emotional. But it does try to help us avoid it. However where Carroll is concerned I have a complete lack of nociception. A sadomasochistic streak that keeps me from turning away. Watching Liverpool against Man City the other night was like spying on an old girlfriend with her new bloke, all happy and bright. I won’t lie to you, I was confused. I wanted him to do well, was almost happy when he scored, but then tortured myself watching him celebrate with his new teammates. It was a bit like self harm.
“All I’ve ever wanted to do was wear the number nine shirt for Newcastle.” That’s what he said, just before he left. Perhaps he’d whispered the words “for about six months,” under his breath at the press conference, but I didn’t hear him.
The galling thing is that he does things with Liverpool that he used to do with us. Did you see that whole corner thing? Where Martin Skrtel acted as a buffer between him and Carroll’s marker, allowing the striker a better opportunity to get a header in on goal? Well he used to do that with Kevin Nolan at our corners. That hurt. Did nothing of what he did at Newcastle mean anything to him, were we that transferable?
I guess what stings the most is knowing that Liverpool can offer him something we never could: a real chance of success. He’s already starting to show some form, his new side is steadily improving and they’ll no doubt pilfer a few more players in the summer – our full-back Jose Enrique very probably being one of them. Meanwhile we’ll struggle on in mid-table, if we’re lucky . Yes Carroll could have stayed, but he’d have only ended up resenting us. Let’s be honest, he probably did the right thing, the thing Shearer most likely wanted to do but was just too loyal to act upon.
I know this all sounds like a bitter fan’s bile-soaked whining. And to an extent, it is. But I don’t remember feeling like this when Andy Cole turned into Andrew Cole and left for Old Trafford. I guess I’m hoping, above all else, that by explaining how I feel it’ll have some sort of cathartic effect, allowing me to move on, be the better man, and wish him all the best. But I doubt it. Football love is a tricky emotion.
I suppose there’s always the chance that he could turn into a one season wonder of course. How good would that be? The ponytailed Michael Ricketts. What a perfectly justifiable slice of shadefraude. As ever unfortunately, it seems that the life of a Newcastle United fan is destined to be one of pure, unadulterated blind hope.
Click here for more Football and Sport stories
Click here to follow Sabotage Times on Twitter
Click here to follow Sabotage Times on Facebook
If you like it, Pass it on
COMMENTS
We Liverpool fans sympathise with you! Honestly. The lad that was bought who we turned into a superstar changed his mind 18 days after committing his long term future to the club to join Chelsea! He left to join a (ageing team at a) club that's never won a european cup, to win a european cup! Don't get me wrong, we're delighted with Carroll. He looks as if he could beneift playing with the excellent-so-far Luis Suarez.
As an LFC fan, and a lover of 'the other team' in this sordid little affair, I have to say I'll never watch Andy Carroll's arm sneak lovingly around Skrtel's waist again, in preparation for a massive leap, without being troubled by the nagging thought of: 'he did that with his last team, too- has the lad no shame?' Knowing he did all the same moves is like seeing a porn video of your lovely new girlfriend, and seeing her sucking enthusiastically upon the nether regions of her previous boyfriend... Having said that, if he scores a header from said leap, obviously I couldn't care less how many teams he 'did it' with before :) But it's not even that simple. LFC fans ended our seemingly eternal affair with the all-too-fickle Fernando T, who spurned us for the flash city slickers of Chelski (and what now seems to be an uncertain future, as we hope happens to all unfaithful lovers). And what did we do? We went and nicked another team's golden boy. If its any consolation, the truth is he's a great player, but with 35 million and all summer to play with, you can get two strikers of pretty much the same quality for the money. But yes, I know- they won't be fans of Newkie Brown Ale, or fight in the local pub. How could it ever be the same as it was... (I would like to add that I am no way gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Just saying)
Great article echoing my exact same sentiments. I try to act indifferent and uninterested but deep down I'm broken hearted. Having clung on to the hope that we would one day find a local number 9 to call our own in the same vein of Alan Shearer and he'd be ours for life, I thought I'd finally found him. Football is no longer the same game it was. The romance has gone and the transfer of Carroll to Liverpool has confirmed it for me.
I feel the same and i've been supporter ever since the fifties. One saving grace I keep telling myself, when Alan Suddick was sold to Blackpool in the sixties that was the end I thought but no we went on to win the Fairs Cup after spendfing the money we got from Blackpool
I thought I had finally supressed these emotions but his two goals against City the other day and now this article has brought it all back to the forefront. I want to cry like a baby.
I remember reading that Carroll was forced out (unsure at how valid this textgate turned out to be). As a red obviously I would rather that wasn't true but hopefully it will soften your pain. Using your analogy it akin to your dad taking you to one side and saying look lad, Robert Redford has just offered us £35m for your missus. It doesn't matter if she loves you, it's best for all of us that we take the money. You can find some other b-rate sl@g to spend your nights with and in the long run Demi would have left you anyway. To be fair to you, Toon fans have taken Andy's leaving a lot better than Liverpool fans have Torres leaving (you fukking Judas cvnt). So take some solace in that too.
It's funny that it's the player who people are angry and disappointed with. Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias had the opportunity to reject the offer - and persuade Carroll to stay at the club he supposedly loved. Instead, five minutes after the £35 million offer came in, Carroll had turned in a transfer request (we all know what happened there). As many bad things as we could say about Shepherd, he never allowed such a carrot to dangle in front of Shearer's face.
You have completely nailed it on the head with this article. Something deep down inside is saying I hope he flops but he is a Geordie and a character and that also wants me to make him succeed. We had the chance of a new Shearer in our midst, possibly not the all-round player Al was but a robust, passionate powerhouse who would kiss our badge for the next 15 years, but all we have now is £35m and a jealous feeling! Don't get me wrong it is a lot of money and I would have been happy to turn it down but I think really he isn't worth more than £12m so we got a great deal. When you see Lovenkrands and Ranger leading the line though, my feelings change again! I miss the big guy and hope he does a Robbie Keane and leaves liverpool after flopping :D
Shearer wouldn;t have left, even if he was shown the carrot... Carroll handed a transfer request in and will never be forgiven... I expected little else from Ashley... and I expected a HELLUVA lot more from a geordie. It honestly hurt me to see Carroll move, in the way he did... at the very least he should have stayed till the end of the first season back int he Premiership. My feelings are the same as most others I know... I wouldn't relieve my bladder in his general direction if instantaneous combustion took place... and call me bitter... but I can't wait to see his face on May 1st when he hears the Away fans reaction to him.
Yep good article and Tony the LFC fan summed it up and i seen the goals against city the other night and i was confused coz here's a local lad knocking in the goals in the very same way he used to for us PROUD he's a Geordie but sad he'll never playing for us again,good luck to him and to LFC lets hope you knock Chelski and Manure off their perches next season coz like us NUFC fans you know your football and how it should be played
Just one last thing... for the scousers trying to compare Torres leaving them to Carroll leaving us... imagine Torres was a local lad who stuck it to you and left... and he left with less than half a day to go and you couldn't replace him. Be fair... you's knew well in advance it was likely, had Suarez lined up (top notch signing btw) and then threw the rest of the money at the Carroll signature. Carroll knew all this, and he is big and ugly enough not to let anyone force him out... and what would the club do if he had stood his ground? Benched him in favour of Nile Ranger? :-p He handed in a transfer request and no one could make him do it... I hope he likes Liverpool, as he's not welcome in Newcastle anymore.
Ian... indeed good words... this article hits my feelings on the nose... I am married to a scouser, and everytime she mentions AC, I swear loudly "Judas B@stard", so we have agreed to ban his name from the house, its just not right in polite conversation (apparently)... He was never forced out, he signed a new contract less than 6 months previous, and was given assurances it would be discussed again in the summer, his agent (with whispers from Liverpool) guaranteed him 80g a week, and the only reason this has not been reported to the FA, is that F@T Ash, was happy with the cash.... Rant over... its time for the weekend.. :-)
Sorry but Carroll's old 'corner routine' partner was Collocini not Nolan. Anyway, I was gutted at his departure on the day. Resigned a month later. I'm actually slightly relieved that we don't have to plan a footballing future based on long-ball battleship football to get the best of his aerial skills. To his credit he is a handful, a cold-blooded finisher and a charismatic presence; but any footballing comparison to Shearer is woefully misjudged. Shearer Mk. 1 was an all-round rampaging forward - lightening quick and able to turn with the ball from deep positions - akin to Rooney. Carroll comes from a long line of players who look to knock on long-balls wide then turn and look for a return pass. It's pretty 1 dimensional stuff and as much as I have a soft spot for Liverpool - believe that he will score goals but also stymie their traditional passing game, and be moved on to spurs or somewhere where they like a brute type.
Agree with the article, TBH even if he is a "trator" or whatever i still trust his word over Ashleys anyday, I understand Ashley knew if we could get a MAX £10 Million striker who bangs in the same goals he would save the club and recoup £25 Million, He is a man of Buisness he knows this was too good to refuse. And the Whole end of the window being doom a gloom for us when things looked positive, i remember thinking we only needed maybe a Winger and Striker in and not sell anyone and it would of been a GOOD window but then we let Wayne go and our main top scorer go without no replacement, all we got was this Ireland who was and is useless. Whats worse is we had to endure the pain of losing a local lad nothing like losing Torres, this guy was the new Shearer for us they dont come alone every day. A guy who would represent our club and always a threat and would always be a pain in every team. Now we have to watch him for 10 Years at Liverpool, scoring goals for fun a bringing them up from a "Has Been" club to real contenders. Also we will have more doom and gloom in the Summer with all the false words from the mangement saying Jose will stay, he wont! losing our 2ND best player and (1st in Jan) isnt a way of moving foward. Also i hate to say this but in the Summer you will see us hardly improve we will get rid of a top defender, bring in replacement, buy Ireland (crap) and a striker from the Championship. End of the window we will look back and say at the start of last season we were stronger than now and the whole £35 Million wont see the light of day, we wont even spend half of that. Why is it us the NUFC fans always getting the brunt of stupidity thats infested at our club.
Great article and I totally agree. The last time I felt like this was Sir Les and before that Gazza, Pedro and Chrissy Waddle. We didn't need to sell and we can't replace him although I'd like to see Daniel Sturridge complete the Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle striker merry go round. Won't happen though realistically!!! I felt proud to say Carroll was our number nine first time he pulled on an England shirt and totally gutted the second time. He will score against us it's a dead cert and will haunt is for years to come but Andy come on fella you're a Geordie and everyone watching the toon would love the chance to be our number nine for free never mind the 40k a week you were getting. With all us fans struggling to afford our season tickets to follow the toon it doesn't wash to leave over money when your weekly wage is more than m
Great article and I totally agree. The last time I felt like this was Sir Les and before that Gazza, Pedro and Chrissy Waddle. We didn’t need to sell and we can’t replace him although I’d like to see Daniel Sturridge complete the Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle striker merry go round. Won’t happen though realistically!!! I felt proud to say Carroll was our number nine first time he pulled on an England shirt and totally gutted the second time. He will score against us it’s a dead cert and will haunt is for years to come but Andy come on fella you’re a Geordie and everyone watching the toon would love the chance to be our number nine for free never mind the 40k a week you were getting. With all us fans struggling to afford our season tickets to follow the toon it doesn’t wash to leave over money when your weekly wage is more than most toon fans earn in a year. You were living Our dreams and you let us and yourself down and I for one would have stayed for life just look at a certain Mr Shearer he'll be loved forever up here and it so could have been you breaking his record but sadly it's not to be.
aye andy boy i wouldnt like to try it but im sure some one in the bigg market will chin you if you ever return for a pint there-came down to greed in the end and i hope the geordies sing exactly that to you on May 1st-as your absolutely HATED up here now you back stabbin turncoat "Your just a Greedy Judas Bas****!"
For god's sake. If someone comes to you and says sell yourself so we can buy chemotherapy for your daddy, wouldn't you do it? It is very evident that Carrol loved NUFC more than he loved himself, just look at his face in his first interview for us on LFCtv and you will understand that he felt like crying when he talked about the Geordie fans. Ashley got him to write the transfer request after emotionally splitting him in order to ensure his fat arse doesn't get sliced to pieces at St. James' Park. Cut Carrol some slack. We stole him from you, I won't deny it and we'll always be indebted to you guys if he maintains the way he has been playing. The article was a great way of showing your emotions towards a player who was your heartbeat and promised to be much more. Half of us liverpool fans felt like this when Torres left (The rest of us wanted to burn him alive :P) and if you say we can't compare the two, then I guess one needs to remember that Torres had become a legend for us, we sung songs in his name and our love affair had reached a point of no return with him before he ditched us. Trust us, we feel your pain. But we just hope you guys get the money from the sale to spend on replacements.
Rahul... truth is you don't feel out pain... you were betrayed by a Spaniard... no ties to Liverpool beyond a couple years of songs for him... we were betrayed by a 'Local Hero' in the making... a potential No 9 great people whispered could even better Shearer's tally... you may think you feel our pain, but we were betrayed by one of our own. As for Ashley, Like I said before... I expected no better from him... but Carroll has been at the club long enough under Ashley to know damn well that money will not go into rebuilding the squad... we won't have a transfer kitty of whatever it was supposed to be PLUS the Carroll money... Ashley will allocate 35M... for fee's and wages... we'll never replace what Carroll offered as a player. He was a potential legend here, he could have been someone who would always have been loved in his home town... but HIS DECISION to hand in a transfer request (please do NOT try and make it out as if Ashley could force him to do anything... he's big and ugly enough to look after himself) means that he'll never be welcome anywhere in Newcastle really... tolerated maybe, but always known as a traitor.
Come on guys get real. If Carroll stayed at Newcastle and developed into a top European striker, do you think for one minute you would have kept hold of him. I tell you if he scored 30 goals a season for the next two years at Newcastle you would be well P***** when the big guns came in for him. So just sit back, be happy for the guy and watch his development knowing he's a Geordie. You all know we at Liverpool have always likened ourselves to you guys and its Newcastle and Liverpool against the rest. We have a lot in common when it comes to support and long may it be.
Oh my word - I sooo feel your pain! Wanted to cry reading this article. Seriously, very well written. I hope the Toon fans eventually find a way to forgive and once again support Andy in his career cause there's no doubt who is closest to his heart, even though he's changed clubs & I think getting stick from the Toon fans would be devastating for him - he's just a young lad after all.
well said ian (newcastle fan), but you missed something. another reason you can't compare torres to carroll, is defenders cant mark carroll and if you use him as ur target man he'll score for fun. LFC fans will see this soon enough, unfotunately
He will get stick on May 1st.. unless there's a 'mysterious' 1 game injury... and then it will be the next time we meet, and the time after, and the time after, and the time after... you getting the drift here?
Ian and Andrew, Great words there, i think you speak for most of the geordie nation when you say carroll will never be welcomed into Newcastle again, he has betrayed all of us, i thought i was the only one feeling like this as i don't live in Newcastle, i live in Brighton some 344 miles away but still get to most home games (it costs me a small forture) but i gave up smoking to help fund my love for NUFC Carroll has died in my eyes and will never be welcome to even visit the home of football @ SJP again
I don't understand any of this. There is an assumption that Newcastle eat at the same table as Liverpool, the don't this is why a 47 year old Shefki Kuqi was signed to fill the hole. Liverpool did some great business in offloading a "confused" Torres and bringing in Suarez and Carroll. Well done Scouse fellas. Geordies, live with it.
Hi all toon fan here.ashley rejected £30 million on deadline day for carrol. some might say he was gambling on them coming back with improved offer which they did £35 million but what if they hadnt and we hadnt sold him yous ashley haters would never back him for rejecting offer would you. im not his biggest fan but hes done a lot for us if it wasnt for him who knows where we would be?? another leeds! were lucky he bankrolled keepin top earners not many owners do that! carroll asked for new contract on deadline day to improve his wages £30k cause he knew he could get £80k with liverpool but he only just signed a new contract 2 months before cant renew contracts whenever players want thats why he left in all. at the end of the day he wasnt forced out NEVER he could of rejected move did he look unhappy when arrived in liverpool at tea time deadline day NO!! i want to play for the toon for the rest of my career and wearing number 9 is greatest thing of my career is that not what he said?? the guy is greedy and fair enough liverpool are bigger than us but if he wanted to move on eventually dont come out and talk bulls**t no one made him say things.top class centre forward better than carroll ALAN SHEARER TURNED man u down, barca and liverpool in all thats a true geordie
i hope on may the 1st he gets loads of s***e off newcastle fan i would of been one if i could get tickets but never mind im sure he will get loads i really hate the man for what he done a mean not even playing a full season in our number9 the only thing the horrible b*****d wanted the dirty scum bag
newcastle fans are so dumb. Carroll didn't leave he was sold to liverpool because your owner rather have money. Plus blame chelsea they brought torres who is shit now, who where liverpool gonna buy robbie savage! newcastle fans dont blame carroll hate mike dean your owner who sold him.
I have read all the for and against in relation to Andy Carroll. I am black and white and the truth is if I had the opportunity to play for the club I love, I would have done it for free. Carroll's transfer request timing tells me everything I need to know. I understand that local clubs take the michael with local boys often offering less than they are worth as they play on their loyalty, however Carroll was not exactly short of money and he had signed for a liverpool side that is not exactly winning trophy after after tophy. I hope he turns into a drunken ferguson were he spends more time in the physio room than on the pitch
Do you 'Pool fans think he will stay with you guys very long? I've heard talk of "He will be our new hero for the next 1o0 years. Well newsflash .... HE LEFT THE CLUB HE SUPPORTS FOR 80K A WEEK!!!! If Man U or Citey or Chelski offered him 120K+ Don't you think his head will turn again???? Mark mt words ... He will be at 'Pool for 2 seasons MAX before a real big club come a calling
Andy who? I once had a dog that died and is buried at the bottom of the garden, I remember that, but don't recall any low life called Carroll, must have done something extremely bad for my mind to blank it. Move on.
excellent write... it was like someone in the family had died... to have snuck away in the wee hours of the deadline day. i hope all you geordies wiil raise hell if he dares set foot in Newcastle...
lol what a joke reading all this moaning, crying and spiteful talk, you Newki fans should just be happy that big Andy never left you to play for Sunderland, coz then you would have had something to cry about.....
Rob43 - you are a total dick. The owner is Mike Ashley you tool so it's obviously you who are stupid and likely a cockney who has never even graced Old Trafford. In addition, a 10 mill player for 35 million was bought. Good business and no self respecting Geordie would have hair like a girl anyway. Let's face it... He would have won nothing with Newcastle and Liverpool have little chance. Yes we do sit at the same table, unfortunately for both clubs it's one bought from Ikea.
rob43 man united fan tell ya a manc idiot mike dean is a referee ya idiot
@ dondatta13...yeah sure...in 4 years time maybe he's had a couple of injuries and the King will have noticed that he's past his best so we'll sell him to Chelski or Al Citeh...for some 80mil...and replace him with another one of your upcoming stars...
wiz is that you? 11 time to come back to game 14
Dev Garware, Show a little respect, if a young scouse lad was sold we would feel the same. Toon fans, we love him but we know where he came from. Good luck.
Rob43 Newcastle fans are dumb? Do you come from Manchester?
Who here has seen the transfer request that Andy Carroll supposedly handed in? I believe Carroll, the club wanted wanted to sell him.
A good article and some good comments from the LFC and NUFC fans. I suppose Liverpool would have the same feelings we do about Carroll if Gerrard had decided to move to Man U to win more medals instead of staying at his "home" club. Good luck to Liverpool, they have shown good business (by selling a player who was struggling for form for £50m) and also shown abmition. Buying Suarez, Carroll and Enrique by the looks of it in the summer. We have shown our ambition (or lack of), sell our best assset for £35m and HOPE we stay up so we don't lose a lot more by being relegated. Two clubs who were on similar points when Carroll was sold going in two directions as a result of the men at the top.
Andrew... that is unfortunately true... but the summer will tell what serious financial backing LFC now have, and what MA is prepared to spend... personally I am hoping to be pleasantly surprised by him... I'm not going to hold my breath mind ;-) Groucho... Serriously, try and engage your brain before speaking... the club have made it public that AC handed in a transfer request... Carroll is going to get SOOOO much abuse for that he could have mitigated it by simply calling the club liars and asking them to prove it if he hadn't.
Well imagine how I feel. Got a fridge magnet of big Andy in the red of LFC. Will he ever wear it again? I wish!
SABOTAGE
