To claim Tyneside is desperate for success would hardly be a groundbreaking revelation. Newcastle United have failed to win a domestic trophy since 1955 - meaning at least three generations of supporters are yet to see their team lift any of English football's major honours.
And no, all those second-tier titles or Intertoto Cups do not count as worthy silverware. However, while everyone has endured the barren spell together, the younger generation have been bereft of positivity the most.
For anybody under 25, the majority of their time as Toon supporters has probably felt more like a custodial sentence, engulfed by the dark cloud of Mike Ashley. The famous “Entertainers” era, heartbreaking FA Cup runs and European escapades against the continent’s elite were witnessed on YouTube rather than reality, with older relatives or friends giving them second-hand accounts of better times.
READ MORE: Callum Wilson handed World Cup boost with Newcastle chiefs hopeful of England selection
Since Sir Bobby Robson’s sacking, the Magpies have averaged a 12th-placed finish in the Premier League and only reached the FA Cup fifth round twice. Add the multiple relegations to the mix and it makes you think… why did any young supporter choose Newcastle?
“When you’re born in the area and all your family support Newcastle - it’s just what you do and part of who you are,” Holly Blades, a 17-year-old season-ticket holder, told ChronicleLive. “For me, my grandad was a massive influence on me - I rarely saw him without his Newcastle shirt on!
“I have always loved going to the match. In the first 10 or 11 games I went to, I don’t think we managed to win but it never made me not want to go back. It’s just the pride in your area and the hope that, one day, things will get better.”
The £300million Saudi-backed takeover promises to recreate those “glory” years for a new audience. Last October, United transformed from top-flight also-rans to the most ambitious club on the planet overnight.
Amanda Staveley outlined on arrival her mission statement to win the Premier League within 5-10 years. In that time, fans have witnessed whole changes reminiscent - and en route to surpassing - a time when Sir John Hall promised to create the “Barcelona of the North”.
On the field, Eddie Howe has created an aura among the players akin to that of Keegan’s electrifying side. The Magpies are flying high in the Champions League places and resounding victories over Fulham, Brentford, Aston Villa and Southampton are a far cry from the turgid, backs-to-the-wall system young Toon fans had accepted as the norm.
It is hard to ask somebody to describe a time before they were born - but Holly believes the current feel-good factor provides a good indication to the excitement of yesteryear. She added: “Kevin Keegan is the first person who comes to mind (when thinking of the pre-Ashley era). Shearer, Ginola, Asprilla… all the fantastic memories that I’ve only seen on video. The iconic shirts, too, especially the 1995-96 one with the grandad collar.
“The ‘you score one, we score two’ philosophy under Keegan is similar to what Howe has adopted. He is defensively solid, but he is certainly the most attacking manager I can remember.
“If there are three things I want to experience before I die, it’s a Champions League night at St James’ Park, a European away day and some silverware. I just missed out on trips abroad. Even the last time we made it, under Alan Pardew, I was only about seven or eight so I wasn’t quite old enough to enjoy the experience.”
But what was it like to follow Newcastle’s fortunes - at home and abroad - during the “Entertainers” era? An old-school diehard, who preferred to remain nameless, provided a flavour of what the new wave could sample in the coming years.
“My best experiences of supporting the Toon have been in Europe,” he told ChronicleLive. “It’s a different experience. The San Siro was the best ground I saw Newcastle play in - without a doubt.
“We went for four days and it was just bedlam. The loudest noise I ever heard was when Christian Vieri scored against Newcastle. It was actually an experience to hear a roar like that. You have to go for a few days and make the most of it. The night before is always a good night out when Newcastle fans would be everywhere.
“Kharkiv in Ukraine was my favourite away day. It was cold, but that was a proper destination. You cannot understand the money, road signs or speak the language. I just had to shout at the taxi driver and hope he knew what I was saying! For that reason, I hope we get Europa Conference League football first… Real Madrid etc will come over time.
The takeover has captured the imagination of every Newcastle fan - no matter their age. It would be wrong to suggest that only young fans are excited about the future under new ownership.
Despite experiencing countless jollies abroad to watch his beloved Newcastle, the veteran supporter is still relishing the prospect of reliving his youth. He asserted: “It will be good to get the band back together, get the passport dusted off and travel to obscure places. Looking at the draw and thinking ‘how the hell are we going to get there?’ Because that’s all part of it!”
READ NEXT
The Joelinton landmark nobody noticed against Aston Villa
How Joelinton has shown us he is the true competitor
Newcastle have already found one of the best players that Allan Saint-Maximin has ever seen
Sven Botman issues scary Premier League warning amid verdict on facing Harry Kane and Son Heung-min
Newcastle United to issue 'hands off' stance on Bruno Guimaraes amid Chelsea and Real Madrid talk
