What is happening with St James’ Park PA…?

Just a quick one about the Newcastle United PA guy at SJP.

It’s about time he upped his game, or else faces the club doing an upgrade on him.

I made the point the first day that Staveley, Reuben and Ghodoussi sat in the directors box at St James’ Park, when the PA guy horribly interrupted a rather splendid rendition of Big River, right at the point where Jimmy Nail was about to proclaim that this was a mighty town, build upon a solid ground, just as the banner in the Gallowgate End was telling the world.

Not a dry eye in the ground and yet the moment was totally messed up, gone, just like the Capstans, the Cargo boats and the Stevadores had.

Our House by Madness should have echoed round St James’ Park after Nick Pope’s heroics in the League Cup tie against Palace. Not so, we had Harry Styles instead.

We also had that awful poem at half time against Leeds. Repeated against Leicester for those who hadn’t been there on New Year’s Eve.

Then fast forward to Sunday.

First off, we had Gala Rizzato’s ‘Freed from Desire’, much to the delight of the travelling Fulham fans who must have been thinking, fair play to the Geordies, they not only make you welcome in the local hostelries in the city centre, but in the stadium as well.

Not so, rather paradoxically underneath them, the banner had Eddie telling them that we aren’t trying to be popular, we’re trying to win.

Then there was the Europa League anthem blaring out as the players lined up to shake hands. I know this was a top six clash…but talk about jumping the gun.

Finally, what about the substitution during the anxious moments leading up to Mitro’s monumental penalty mess up. Replacing Joseph (yes, not Joe) Willock, he boomed, as Nick Pope did his level best to put the Serbian off.

Maybe that was the PA guy trying to redress the balance for his earlier faux pas?

Who knows? Either way, he has to shape up or ship out.