By The Northern Philosopher
December 30 2005

A copy of a letter written by John R Williams which has also been sent to all local fanzines and newspapers - including The Chronicle, The Journal and the Sunday Sun. I've sent both this letter and a copy of my article on Stability and Continuity etc, to -

Michael Martin, the editor of True-Faith fanzine
The Sunday Sun
The Chronicle
The Journal
Nufc.com

I'll get round to sending it to The Mag shortly.

Enjoy.

Dear Mr Martin

Recently I have been disgusted by the disgraceful comments published by the Chronicle and The Journal regarding Graeme Souness. The levels of negativity in these newspapers combined with the displays of ignorance, especially by Mr Oliver, have been astounding. And I include in this statement the articles which have been published in these papers by you, Mr Michael Martin, and by ex-player Mr Malcolm MacDonald.

Given the nature of this reporting by Mr Oliver, The Chronicle, their contributors and The Journal I am not in the least bit surprised that communication has broken down!

No opportunity seems to have been missed by any of the aforementioned individuals to have a 'dig' at Souness or the team. I'm not against justified criticism of anybody at the Club but this orchestrated, unthinking witch hunt carried out against Graeme Souness is helping no one! For the good of Newcastle United Football Club it has to stop. Graeme Souness has to be given the opportunity to manage this football club free from the constant threat of an imminent lynching!

I am not naive; I fully expect this style of reporting from the national press especially the tabloids. It is in there interests to always portray there being a storm brewing or a crisis occurring at a club. It's how they sell newspaper. But from the local press and fanzines! I find it absolutely disgraceful that you yourself and the others already mentioned have chosen to write in this way. You should, or at least you supposedly should, care about this club and have some knowledge of it. Instead you, The Chronicle and others seem to have thrown that out of the window in pursuit of the same dollar that the tabloids and media at large have gone after!

Instead of writing objectively and knowledgably about the club for the good of the supporters you’ve done the opposite! You’ve adopted a stance whereby Souness and everything he does is wrong. When what this football club is crying out for is continuity and stability you’ve chosen a path promising neither of them.

Whether done intentionally or not, the path you and the local newspapers have chosen to take has increased the chance of Souness getting the sack. Now, I can well understand why the national media vultures – such as Sky – would be pleased if not delighted to see this happen. It would be another juicy story for them to write about and talk about. But why would you want it? Why would you, The Chronicle, The Journal, Malcolm MacDonald and Alan Oliver want it? Perhaps it’s because all of you have forgotten your responsibilities to the fans and have forgotten what Newcastle United Football Club means to some people?

Newcastle United should not be treat as some cheap pawn for you to fill your or anybody else’s newspapers and magazines with. It’s more important than that and I wish that you and the others would realise this.

Yours sincerely,

John R Williams, Wallsend