Letters to my sons.

Dear Son,

yesterday you attended your first ever football match, Tottenham versus the Toon Army. We were sat in the away end with about 1000 other Geordies singing and clapping the whole way through. You seemed to enjoy the whole day out; from the train ride down there, running around underneath the stand, the actual game itself and then the train journey home.

All day to day you have been singing songs from the match at nursery, the Obafemi Martins song getting the most airplay although you haven’t quite got the words yet which is a good thing as there were some other choice songs being sung by both sides. The best chant was by the Newcastle fans aimed at the Tottenham fans: You’re just a small town in Arsenal.

Before the game had even started you and I went for a quick look to see who was on the pitch and there, only a few feet from where we were stood, was the Newcastle first team going through their paces. I pointed out all the players I recognised but with the current injury crisis there were a few new faces – one who was to become better know to me in the new future.

The game got off to a flying start from Tottenham and they were all over Newcastle but their finishing was poor until Defoe scored from an offside position for Tottenham. Newcastle simply went down the other end and scored themselves, Paul Huntington heading the ball against one of his own players before lashing the ball home.

Chances came and went and then it was half time. Tottenham came out all guns blazing for the second half and managed to score another goal putting them 2-1 up. I wondered how long the Toon could hold out before it went 3-1 to Tottenham, your mother calls this “to catastrophise” and is something I tend to do quite often; again according to your mother.

With these thoughts going through my head the ball was played to Obafemi and he started to run with ball but away from goal. Then he just thumped the ball into the Tottenham goal from 24 yards out, the ball travelling at 84mph. Delirium in the away end ensued because the strike was so totally unexpected – a real bolt from the blue that also took the Tottenham goalkeeper (Paul Robinson) by surprise.

I promised to call your cousin Lewis every time Newcastle scored and I had just got off the phone when Nicky Butt expertly passed the ball into the net when fed a sublime through ball by Obafemi. Cue wild and rampant celebrations in the away end and stony silence from the home fans. Defoe managed to hit the Newcastle woodwork before the end and the 3 minutes of added on time seemed to last for nearer 30 for me but Newcastle prevailed.

I PVRed Match of the Day and guess what? You, me and your mother were all on television last night.

Hopefully this is not the last Toon game all 3 of us will be going to. Howay the lads!