After years of false dawns and empty promises, there was a blend of apprehension and excitement lingering in the air when Newcastle United fans were informed the £305m takeover was back on the table last October. When that eagerly-awaited Premier League statement dropped one year ago today all that angst and uncertainty turned to sheer jubilation as fans flocked to St James' Park to celebrate an unprecedented moment in their football club's history.
The whirlwind 12 months that followed doesn't need to be explained in too much detail given the plethora of coverage but to sum it up; there has been managerial changes, shrewd boardroom appointments, a tidal wave of problems solved, major investment in almost every single area of the club and subsequent success on the pitch.
Of course, the ushering in of a new era meant saying goodbye to much-loved veterans of the football club. A raft of senior and junior staff have been moved on, with Eddie Howe also saying painful farewells to players who soldiered on during the worst moments of the Mike Ashley era.
