‘Incredible’ - Eddie Howe reveals moment he fell in love with Newcastle United supporters
Eddie Howe has highlighted the post-match reaction to Cambridge United and Watford in early 2022 as the moment he became infatuated with Newcastle United.
Less than three years ago, the Magpies were teetering over the abyss. Excitement surrounding the Saudi-backed takeover had threatened to wane given the looming fear of relegation.
Just one win from his opening eight games showed little signs of a honeymoon period - with some already to question the appointment. League One outfit Cambridge came to St James’ Park in what was supposed to be a confidence booster, with Kieran Trippier making his Toon debut.
However, Newcastle were stunned 1-0 by the visitors, causing many to write them off as the “richest” club in the Championship. A week later, the Magpies conceded an 87th-minute equaliser against relegation-threatened Watford - another nail in the confidence coffin. Watch on Shots! Geordie Journos reflect on Newcastle United takeover - three years on
But an unlikely win at Leeds United proved the turning point - and Newcastle never looked back. Another 11 wins until the end of the season provided the building blocks for a Champions League finish the following year.
Almost three years into his reign, the support shown by Newcastle fans during those tough early days sticks out for Howe the most. He told the Adopted Geordies podcast: “I think it’s incredible. You go back to several key games throughout our time here. I go back to the very early days, it was difficult.
“The Cambridge game. The Watford game, where we conceded really late. At that stage, we were in dire straits. But the supporters stood until the end and clapped us off. It was like ‘Wow, we have to reward this loyalty’. The supporters are unbelievable, they could have easily turned. This early days, for me, set the foundation.
“They were loyal and helped the players. Thankfully, we were able to win some games to thank them for that. We don’t take that as a sign of ‘We don’t care about the result’. We know it’s a show of support.
“We have to reward that support and work even harder to show we recognise how good they are. We want to create a team people can be proud of every time we play. We’re going to go to the end, play hard and in a way supporters want to see.”