From Ashes legend with England as the world's No 1 fast bowler to the Press box as the voice of the Toon on Talksport - it's been some journey for Steve Harmison.
Through it all, as he travelled around the world with England, Harmison has always been on red alert when it comes to his beloved Magpies. Harmison has been close pals with United legends Alan Shearer and Rob Lee for years and even this season he was one of the men Eddie Howe telephoned to come in and chat with the current squad about living with the intensity of high-level sport.
It was last summer that Talksport handed Harmison the role of Newcastle correspondent on their much-loved shows. Harmison had already been regular on the station but sees a huge difference between now and before the takeover.
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Harmison told Chronicle Live: "When things weren't going well under Mike Ashley at the end, there were people in the ground but they didn't know anything but 'I go to St James' Park on a match day'. Even in the Press box it felt like just turning up for work! Now it's different.
"Everybody is getting to the ground earlier. It is a big event now. It is a whole day in town now. I have been a few times when I've been working but I have nipped into to town to drop my son off.
"The place is buzzing, whereas before the takeover you could have walked through Newcastle in the last five or six years, and it felt like nothing was happening. The fans still turned up but it was routine. Now it is the start of something special."
Earlier this season Harmison compared Howe with cricketing star Ben Stokes as a sportsperson who is determined to entertain the paying public. This season has already been a success in many ways as the Magpies reached Wembley for the first time since 1999 for a major final.
A European place could well follow in the final 12 matches of the campaign. If Newcastle can keep their cool they should at least walk away with a Europa League slot or place in the Europa Conference League.
For Harmison, he'd love to see Howe get the chance to build something like Kevin Keegan did back in the 1990s. Back then the club rose from a second-tier side to a team fighting Manchester United for the Premier League title.
Harmison, nicknamed the Ashington Express during his playing days, said: "Whatever happens this season, I hope Eddie Howe gets the chance to mould and push this journey. More than the average manager's generation, it should be more than just 18 months for me.
"If he can get three or four years at it and build something. If he can get that trust from the club he will pay them back.
"If he can shape the next phase of Newcastle that would be great. He has the right ideas and knows what Newcastle supporters want.
"That is evident by the way the fans are showing enthusiasm for the likes of Bruno and Miguel Almiron. Look at Joelinton - he would have been ran out of any other football club after his first 18 months.
"But Newcastle supporters can see how hard the guy works and have gave him the time. Now look at him and the amount of love he has for the fans and the love he has for Newcastle is there for all to see.
"I think typifies the type of relationship there is between the players and the fans. As long as you work hard and give everything to the club, like we've always said, the supporters will always back you."
Life since the takeover has been impressive for those in and around the club and Harmison has watched on from the Press box to see it grow. When positioned in the Press box before supporters are allowed entry he has noticed a massive difference in what happens in the build-up to the kick off on a match day.
The cricketing legend added: "What has been evident since the new owners and Amanda Staveley came in is that this a completely different place now. When that buzzer goes off now to let people in the stadium, you can see there's a queue of people trying to get in just to see the warm-up. That is not just down to money.
"I do say this on Talksport but it p***** me off when I hear Jurgen Klopp having a go at us because of the money. Because they've all spent money, just a lot of them have spent it badly.
"Everton and Aston Villa have spent money - and spent it badly. It just shows you the building blocks and stepping stones that Newcastle are putting in place are the right ones. They have the right manager in charge. They have the right people upstairs making the right decision.
"They will always have the right people coming through the gates. It is about patience and time now. The trip to Wembley this season will be the first of many."
