‘Didn’t fancy Bruno’ - Meet baby Eddie! Newcastle United fan names son after head coach Howe

A Newcastle United supporter named his son Eddie after he was born the night the Toon confirmed Champions League football for the first time in 20 years.

Lee Smith became a dad for the first time the night United drew 0-0 against Leicester after three years of trying, miscarriages and two rounds of IVF.

“We didn’t know what we were having at first. We had a girls name but didn’t have a boys name so we were struggling for inspiration,” said Lee.

“We came to the conclusion that it should be football related because I’m named after a footballer, Rob Lee from the 1990s teams. So it runs in the family.”

Get the latest Newcastle United headlines with our free football newsletter! Follow the action from St James’ Park and beyond as we bring the sport news to you. Visit our website here to sign up.

Lee and his wife went into hospital on Monday 22nd to get induced. In the early stages they sat in their Newcastle tops watching the match on a propped up iPad. A season ticket holder in the Gallowgate end, it was an entirely different experience for him.

“Everybody in the hospital was asking me if I was going but I couldn’t because my wife was in labour,” he laughs.

The couple joked while watching the game that if Newcastle made it to the Champions League they would go for the name Eddie, but it wasn’t the first time the name had been suggested.

“We had gone through the whole Newcastle team a few weeks before that but didn’t fancy Bruno or Joelinton.”

Laughing again Lee said: “He looks like an Eddie as well, but he likes to have his hand above his head like Alan Shearer- does that a lot.”