The man who called for a Chris Hughton statue...
He was branded "bonkers" by sneering members of the Press pack - but while goalkeepers are said to have their very own union, Paul Barron was to be proved exactly right.
For, it was the Londoner who called for a statue of Hughton to be built in the car park at St James' Park - and it was this memory that came seeping through when seeing him back in football at Nottingham Forest today as goalkeeper coach to Steve McClaren.
Was he being farfetched? Yes, probably, but now and only now, do you see where he was coming from.
Of course if we aren't going to see statues of Robson and Shearer, we'll never see one of Hughton but this was a lovely gesture from Barron who was clearly one step ahead of the situation at this time.
Take the clock back to August 3, 2009, Tannadice Park, Dundee.
Just days after the passing of Sir Bobby Robson, a week after Newcastle had been smashed 6-1 by Leyton Orient in a friendly and just months after relegation from the Premier League.
Back then nobody really appreciated what Chris Hughton was doing as caretaker of a ship without a captain and a club without a public voice.
In the centre of a disaster, Hughton was still somehow, getting something (a miracle really) out of a dressing room of top flight stars with several team members not even wanting to be there.
We couldn't see it then, but Hughton was laying the foundations and assuring his team that they really could - despite all of the crap flying around them - challenge for promotion.
It was a fact not lost on Barron, who said back then: "I don't know what people think of Chris but the work he has put in here is incredible - they should build a statue of him in the car park."
Some journalists believed using it would be merely making Hughton and Barron look stupid but sometimes a quote is said with such clear intent, I opted to include it.
Take the clock forward to May 2010 v Ipswich Town.
With the game kicked off and the two sides playing out an end of season affair, a flag is unfurled at the Gallowgate End reading "Hughton is a Geordie."
It marked an incredible story for Hughton, Barron and NUFC but the seeds were sown in places like Dundee and the ex-Crystal Palace keeper's judgement could not have been better.
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Lee Ryder - Proudly born and bred on Tyneside, the Chronicle's chief sports writer has followed the fortunes of the club over the last three decades as a Toon fan and football writer.
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Very good Lee; CH turned out to be a cracking manager for us. I said even if we went back down he would have my support.
We get to hear people like CH for what 1-2mins after a game, and every time he spoke I and thousands of others listened and nodded in agreement. Not since SBR (a little while KK and AS were with us) had we been pround of our manager.
Like most of us I thought he was just an Ashely plant at first but I think the power of 50K geordies got him to change sides and from then on he was a geordie but also from then on his days were numbered...
Today Ronnie Reagan got his statue unveiled in Grosvenor Square, and I have no problem with Chris Hughton getting one put up in a car park. BUT, if they deserve such a type of immortality then I do too. My statue however should be put inside my Theatre of Laughs with my first choice being a life-sized replica of me sitting next to Mike Ashley.
Regarding Chris’ statue, one of my mates up top suggests it should have a slippery surface so that it will be hard for the pigeons to land on it. And it is no laughing matter, because Wor Jackie often cries in his suds when he sees that pigeon droppings stick to the surface of his replica.
And now before closing this missive I’ll give a few word of advice:
To Alan Pardew: make sure that not so many of the zebra stripe players pretend to be statues on the pitch during next season.
To the Beer Belly Dancers: keep up the good work because we will undoubtedly need you distractions again.
Carry on Reading Lee’s Blog. Your eternal mate, Saint Sid
Hughton is a Geordie cos like the rest of us he was shafted by the Fat Controller!
Well said! Chris Hughton is a Newcastle hero.
Anyone think the fans will be unfurling a similar flag with Alan Pardew's name on it in five years' time? OK, I'll get my coat...
I totally agree. Chris Hughton was well on the way to becoming an absolute legend of the club when he was senselessly axed.It could only happen at Newcastle.
Thanks for everything Chris.
Sometimes you need the passing of time to give you the distance to see what was right in front of your eyes. Chris Hughton will ALWAYS be welcomed back to Newcastle. The model of dignity and far better than the idiots in the NUFC boardroom deserved.
There'll be plenty of room in the St James' car park for a statue next season, I would have thought. Season ticket sales are clearly desperately disappointing. Can someone at the Chronicle please ask the club how season ticket sales are going? If they don't tell you, can we be told about that? Many thanks.
Flair - If you'd asked the same question about Chris Hughton three years ago you'd get the same response you expect to your question now.
Who knows what we will think of Alan Pardew in three years time? If he gets us back into Europe and a top four finish then YES I think the fans will get the flags out for him.
toonagain said -
"Not since SBR (a little while KK and AS were with us) had we been pround of our manager."
I certainly wasn't proud to have Shearer as a manager. Final game of the season and he couldn't rouse the players to have a shot at goal. Imagine what he would have been like in the Championship????