'It means so much' - Sir John Hall breaks silence after Newcastle United complete his dream at 91
Sir John Hall has vowed Newcastle United are “not going away” while sharing his joy at the Carabao Cup triumph.
In 2021, the former Toon owner - then 88 - was resigned to never seeing the Magpies win silverware. Hall would have been 22 when Newcastle last tasted domestic success in 1955.
His dream was to see a team of Geordies wearing the famous black-and-white stripes while challenging for the Premier League. The businessman bankrolled Newcastle’s revival from the brink of the Third Division to top-flight title contenders in the 1990s.
Appointing ex-Newcastle favourite Kevin Keegan as manager began a romantic journey that almost resulted in success. Hall was involved when the Magpies came within a whisker of Premier League success in 1995-96.
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He held a sizable stake in the club when Kenny Dalglish and Ruud Gullit led Newcastle to FA Cup finals in 1998 and 1998. However, Newcastle’s trophy curse remained - until Eddie Howe delivered success against Liverpool on Sunday.
Turning 92 tomorrow, Hall has opened up about what Wembley victory means to Newcastle supporters. He told talkSPORT: “I could live on this for the rest of my life. I’m 92 on Friday, it’s a great birthday present for me. We’ve waited a lot of years for this to happen.
“Up here today, the sun is shining, the weather is glorious and everybody is happy. The productivity has gone through the roof! People outside of Tyneside cannot realise what this actually means to us. We live the club. When you’re born, it’s Newcastle United in this area.
“You can change your religion or your politics, but you never change your football team. I can’t put over how I feel and how the rest of us feel up here. It is such a joyous occasion and I think we’ll now move forward. We're there now - we’re not going away.”
Hall also praised Howe and believes he deserves all the recognition that comes his way. He added: “I’ve watched his progress and I think he’s a great manager. He’s planned this well.
“ I would give him all of that (freedom of the city and a statue). He’s given a lift up here to the area. We’re a people’s club.”
Sir John Hall gave up on Newcastle United dream four years ago
While the takeover sage stalled, Hall - still Newcastle’s honorary president - conceded he may never see his club win silverware. He told The Sun: “Without significant investment, we've no chance of competing with the elite. Mid-table is the target.
"I'm 88 now and fortunately fit and healthy - but I cannot see Newcastle winning anything in my lifetime. Even if someone comes in within the next year, it will take time to build a team capable of challenging for honours. You cannot do it overnight."