By OEB
July 8 2005

I am not going to sit here and admit Craig Bellamy is a pain in the rear, but I am going to sit here and make a point along the lines of the trouble he caused made him a pain in the arse and why football fans are hypocrites. But that shall come later. For now I'm going to focus on the fact we've taken a stance we all wanted and will hopefully stop all the problems we have encountered over recent seasons.

Craig Bellamy was arguably Newcastle's finest player up to December last season but he continued to cause himself (and Nufc) problems off it. Calling his Manager a f*ckin pr*ck live on TV in October when being substituted, then apologising as he tends to, was the start to the end of his Newcastle career.

Bellamy then managed to keep his mouth shut and his nose clean for 2 months which must be some kind of record for him, before we were left with a half-fit Kluivert to partner Shola away to Liverpool, as Bellamy pulled up with a back problem in the pre-match warm-up and had to be withdrawn. It turns out Bellamy trained the next session and his back injury miraculously recovered.

A Month later and Bellamy reveals to team mates that he is going to feign injury to get out of training as he's sick of being played out of position. The Management learn of his behaviour and tell him to apologise to his team-mates and all will be forgotten, in anticipation of this request being fulfilled, he is named in the squad for the Arsenal game. Bellamy being Bellamy, doesn't bother apologising to his team-mates and because of this is left out of the squad and to protect the player and the club, the press are informed it's because of injury. But big mouth, oblivious to the fact the club are trying to protect him has to go on live TV and force Souness into explaining himself and ultimately ending his Newcastle career there and then.

He then went beyond the realms of stupidity and accused his Manager live on TV, of being a liar, despite even Dyer telling him it wasn't a good idea. Well done Craig, you just gave Souness the final nail and the hammer, lie down in that box son.

Lets not go over-board here, Craig Bellamy is no Eric Cantona, no Maradona and no George Best.

For those who want to blame everyone but Craig Bellamy, ask yourself would Bellamy have been shown the door if he had respected the club, from his peers to the Manager? Would he have been shown the door if he had played where he was told? Would he have been shown the door if he had apologised to his team-mates for letting them down? Would he have been shown the door if he wanted the best for NUFC before what was best for Craig Bellamy?

Would he hell!

I would love those fans who blame anyone but Bellamy, to see what a legend he could have been here, if only he could keep his trap shut off the pitch.

Would Arsene Wenger or Sir Alex Ferguson or Jose Mourinho have kept a player that feigned an injury because they didn't want to play where they were told to? Would they have kept a player that called them a liar live on TV? One thing those 3 Managers have at their clubs are a common goal, unity, professionalism and trophies. What NUFC have are none of those things. To move forward we've decided we need a collective unit with a common goal, not individuals whose own personal glory and a playboy lifestyle is their main objective.

But of course not all supporters see it this way, some fans like to blame everyone but the obvious culprit. The two main bone's of contention are Souness and Shepherd. If you are able to be subjective and able to weigh everything up before making a decision you're apparently just burying your head in the sand. You see to be a real fan you must:

1) Blame Souness for everything.

2) Blame Shepherd / Halls for everything.

3) Love Bellamy unconditionally because he doesn't get on with Souness.

4) Love Laurent Robert unconditionally.

5) Whinge everyday because we have not signed 5 new players and of course blame Souness and Shepherd for not knowing what they are doing.

6) Whinge everyday because we've sold some average members of our squad without signing any first.

7) Ask everyday when Souness is going to sign Dickov, Emerton or Lucas Neill.

8) Ask everyday when Souness is going to sign another Rangers player.

9) Ask everyday when Souness is going to be sacked so we can employ Martin O'Neill, whilst conveniently forgetting he's won less than Souness.

10) Mock the club you love everyday because Souness wants to sign "Top Class" players and write off the chances of that ever happening.

11) Predict the date Souness will have us relegated.

There you go that's a real fan, not a bitter, ignorant fool.

You see that wonderful stadium you watch from TV everytime NUFC are on Sky, the very people you begrudge their salary (rightly or wrongly) are the reason that wonderful stadium looks the way it does and is admired by most.

You see that man in the number 9 shirt? The best striker of his generation? The very people you begrudge their salary (again rightly or wrongly) are the reason he is wearing our beloved shirt.

Champions League, title challenges, trips to Wembley, regular European football and the players that have represented this club were all pipe dreams til the very people you begrudge their salary got involved with this club.

As for Souness well nobody wanted him did they? I doubt anyone does, but lets conveniently forget the fact that people like Steve Bruce and Sam Allardyce turned this job down for a reason, because that wont tie in with our ideals. It's easier to whinge about signing rubbish players because that's what he did in the past and it ties in with your ideals. Ignore Boumsong and Parker, remember all the rubbish signings from his Liverpool and Blackburn days, because it ties in to ideals. Lets forget the fact Souness fell out with Bellamy and Robert just as Sir Bobby did, and just concentrate on him falling out with players as it ties in with ideals. Again lets forget these players fell out with other Managers for the same reasons. And lets conveniently forget out great run we were on before Dyer and Bowyer got their hand bags out and a spate of injuries, combined to ruin our season.

Now to hypocrisy.

These "proper fans" that look at everything so subjectively and impartially cannot be the same fans that:

1) Booed Laurent Robert off the field against Wolves a couple of seasons ago.

2) Wanted the brat pack sorted out and discipline installed.

3) Chastised Keiron Dyer for refusing to play on the wing.

4) Judged Souness before he came based on his past but are willing to forget Bellamy's and Robert's which has actually tarnished our club.

The very cancer that has undermined us has been removed and some people choose not to see it, but we all wanted it, whether we're man enough to admit it or not. If Arsene Wenger had come in and done the same job Greame Souness now, I'd bet everyone would be applauding the stance for the good of the club and willing to give him a chance, sadly for us its Greame Souness and many aren't willing to give him the chance.

Who knows what the future may bring? The only thing you should ever come to expect with NUFC is the unexpected.