Nope. It could be a lot worse. We could be Coventry City fans. I think the point I was making in my earlier post is that Newcastle fans deserve it. All of it.
Why?
Because talkSport and 606 say we're deluded?
It's a source of great amusement on Tyneside when Ashley said we can't compete with the finances of Man City. Who the fuck suggested that? We should, at least be able compete with Huddersfield though, or Stoke, or West Brom.
We got pelters from fans of other clubs because we had the temerity to want rid of Pardew, "He got you 5th!" they cry. Well, we did end up 5th that season, but how did we fair before and after, what was Pardew's record breaking runs without a win like, what was his behaviour like? "They hate him because he's a cockney". Did we hate Rob Lee for being a Cockney too? Malcolm Macdonald? Chris Hughton? We don't hate Cockneys, we hate cunts.
The last time any of our lot "expected" top 5 was under Robson, who wasn't fired by the fans, but by the owners. Owners who had completely undermined him by stating this would be his final season. Even 11/12 when we ended up fifth under Pardew we knew it was because we were the beneficiaries of a perfect storm; luck with injuries, incredible purple patch for strikers, other teams having poor seasons (by their standards). And we expected a drop to follow in the following season.
This deluded Geordie tag is as accurate as the claim that all Man Utd fans are from Surrey and Kent, all Chelsea fans arrived in 2003, Woolwich fans are all like Woolwich Fan TV, all Spurs fans are obsessed with Woolwich and being thought a "big club".
It's cliched horseshit that belongs on the pages of whatever blog Richard Keys is writing for now.
I honestly think there's an enmity between fans of clubs that have, in my lifetime anyway, been close enough to the top table to have ambition, but far enough away that they're disappointed. Aston Villa, Everton, Spurs, Newcastle, we're all "big clubs", with a good sized fanbase, a proud history, and the potential to grow further. We've had chances of winning the title (Everton actually won it twice and Villa once) and we've had chances to win domestic cups. And we've, at times, competed for the same spots just away from the top table. With that will obviously come a competitive rivalry and as the fortunes of each club waxes and wanes so shifts the bragging rights. Right now, you and Everton can legitimately crow, while ourselves and Villa cannot. Fast forward 10 years and the roles could well be reversed (though I doubt it unless the stars align for either club).
I just think it's daft to believe cliches about fanbases that are, at best, out of date, if not wholly inaccurate in the first place.
Once you sit down with fans of any club, there'll be as many good lads as there are bellends. Except with Millwall. Fuck those guys.