Not for the first time, Newcastle United have endured a summer of controversy under the ownership of Mike Ashley, with a lack of transfer activity and the puzzling appointment of director of football Joe Kinnear dominating the headlines.
This after a torrid campaign last season that saw the Magpies flirt dangerously with relegation from the top flight before finishing in 16th place, just five points clear of the drop zone.
But despite their obvious struggles, the club’s fans continued to back their team to the hilt, with St. James’ Park’s average attendance of 50,517 the 10th best in Europe ahead of the likes of Inter Milan, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
Only Manchester United and Arsenal can boast higher averages in British football, both of whom have delivered dozens of trophies over the past 20 years at home and on the continent.
For Newcastle’s last major piece of silverware, however, you have to go back to 1969, when Joe Harvey’s side lifted the original incarnation of the Europa League.
Regardless, the Geordie supporters turn up en mass every season in the hope that their long wait for success will come to an end, and this term will be no different.
While 99.9 per cent of the club’s followers will admit that the Premier League title is completely out of reach, glory in the FA Cup or the League Cup are realistic targets for the Toon.
Recent winners of both should give United cause for optimism. Last season Swansea City lifted the League Cup for the first time in their history, while relegated Wigan shocked everyone by winning the FA Cup at Wembley.
Such success may be hard to bear for the Newcastle faithful, who have seen clubs such as Luton Town, Wimbledon, Portsmouth and Coventry get their hands on domestic silverware ahead of them over the years.
The club’s surrender in the aforementioned competitions of late have been equally galling. Championship outfit Brighton have knocked Alan Pardew’s side out of the FA Cup two years in row, while recent exits in the League Cup have come at the hands of Blackburn and Peterborough.
Manager Alan Pardew has already challenged his players to become "history boys" this term, and promised to learn from previous mistakes in the cups, as reported by Ian Murtagh in the Daily Star.
And if that ambition becomes a reality, with the exception of local rivals Sunderland, few would begrudge the Magpies their first piece of silverware for 34 years.
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