Newcastle supporters are known far and wide for their passion and loyalty, making St James Park a cauldron on matchdays and retaining the faith come what may.
These ten celebrities are no exception to that rule.
Jimmy Nail
Still a proud resident of the city, the acclaimed actor-turned-singer has been a season ticket holder since childhood. Then he would catch the number 37 trolley bus to the ground with his mates, since describing his younger self as ‘black and white daft’.
In 2015, the gruff crooner joined Sting in protesting against Mike Ashley’s ownership of the club. Both boycotted games though Nail admitted it was difficult to stay away.
Thankfully, his auf wiedersehen was only temporary, pet.
Sam Fender
The ‘Geordie Springsteen’ fulfilled a lifelong dream earlier this year playing a trio of sold-out gigs at St James Park, his spiritual home. Two months prior he played an impromptu gig in a pub close to the ground when the Magpies secured a Champions League spot.
Routinely seen in club gear the singer unveiled a special kit recently to both promote his latest album and to raise funds for the Newcastle United Foundation.
Gabby Logan
The Match of the Day presenter attended Durham University in the mid-Nineties, a period that coincided with Kevin Keegan elevating the club into title contenders.
Known as the ‘Entertainers’ for their sparkling, attacking football, the Magpies were annually fancied in the sports betting to end a prolonged trophy drought only to fall short every time.
That’s to take nothing away from how exhilarating they were to watch, as capable of losing 3-4 as winning 5-0. Logan went regularly to St James Park with her then boyfriend, hooked.
Brian Johnson
The AC/DC singer’s first band was aptly named Geordie, and though he has long been a globe-trotting multimillionaire, Johnson has never forgotten his roots. His strong accent would not allow for that.
In 2005, the man who has belted out such rock classics as Highway To Hell and Thunderstruck on a thousand different stages made a cameo in the forgettable football film Goal. Naturally he wore a Newcastle shirt for the occasion.
Ant and Dec
Who could possibly have predicted when PJ was blinded by a paint gun in Byker Grove that he and his best mate would go on to become Newcastle United’s most famous supporters. As famous as royalty. As associated with the area as brown ale and the Angel of the North.
A staple of Saturday night telly and urging B-list celebs to munch down on fish eyes, Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly are fanatical about their local side and are often spied cheering the lads on.
Sting
With nearly 60 years of support on his C.V. the singer formerly known as Gordon Sumner has seen it all. He grew up idolising Bobby Moncur and the famed side of 1969 that won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
He endured the subsequent trophy drought that lasted until last season. He has celebrated promotions and suffered the many lean years when the Magpies were distantly priced in the football betting.
An attendee at St James Park when touring commitments allow, Sting was known to mutter ‘Don’t stand so close to me’ until moving to the corporate boxes.
Charlie Hunnam
Newcastle born-and-bred, the Sons of Anarchy actor attends games whenever visiting relatives back home, often timing his trips to coincide with big home matches.
Now a Hollywood star, Hunnam is another alumnus of Byker Grove, appearing in three episodes way back when. In 2005 his twin loves of football and acting combined when he scowled a lot in Green Street.
Cameron Norrie
Neither geography nor inheritance explains the tennis pros love of Newcastle. The British number one was born in Johannesburg in South Africa to a Scottish father and Welsh mother before spending most of his childhood in New Zealand.
According to online lore Norrie became enamoured with the black and whites when watching them in the Champions League around 2000.
In fact, his allegiance was far more random than that, the Wimbledon semi-finalist recently admitting: “I picked Newcastle out of a hat and I’ve stuck with them ever since. I have never been to St James’ Park but I would love to go there one day. I follow the games and know all the players."
Jade Thirlwall
A proud daughter of South Shields, the Little Mix star has been snapped on numerous occasions sporting a Newcastle shirt and has recently admitted her ambition is to pen a musical based on the life of Paul Gascoigne.
Now a successful solo performer, Thirlwall gained countless extra Toon points when she altered the lyrics to a song she was covering for Radio 1 Live Lounge. “Have you ever seen a Mackem in Milan,” she sang through the widest of smiles.
Chris Eubank
The thesaurus-swallowing pugilist has been unusually reticent about his support of the Magpies, though he’s been spotted at St James Park on more than one occasion. He has however spoken at length about his love of the Geordie public.
Ironically, it’s his son, Chris Jr - himself a formidable boxer – who has the most well-known connection to the city. In 2021, he was besieged by autograph hunters outside of his hotel and was stunned when handed a microwave oven to sign.
“There were so many questions running through my head,” he later revealed of the incident that went viral.
