In order to better bring you Newcastle United thoughts and coverage, we have expanded the writing staff at Coming Home Newcastle. These are the gentlemen that will be bringing you your Newcastle fix:
Jon Hudson
Chris Parry
Chris Parry discovered Newcastle United while in college in the early 1990s. While the rest of his friends were jumping on the Manchester United bandwagon, Chris was mesmerized by Kevin Keegan’s entertainers. Watching Faustino Asprilla, Les Ferdinand, Laurent Robert, and the one and only Alan Shearer terrorize opposing defenses. He soon began to learn about the history of NUFC and its trophy-less drought. The ups and downs … and downs … and downs, but never losing hope that once again Newcastle will win a major trophy.
Ryan Ptomey
Being a Midwesterner, Ryan Ptomey is still relatively new to this whole soccer thing. The beautiful game caught his eye on a trip to the UK in 2012 when he noticed that there was far less faffing about in association football than in American football. After a few years of casual interest, he decided to commit himself to a Premier League team and chose Newcastle United for three entirely arbitrary reasons: an appreciation for the beer that no longer sponsors them, an admiration for the team’s unique fashion sense (seriously, they look like overly aggressive referees), and a desire to never be labeled as a bandwagon fan.
Ryan’s first game viewed as an avowed NUFC fan was on January 18, 2014. Others may recall that this was the last game with Cabaye and the start of the late season slump. Ryan could’ve jumped ship, but he’s stubborn and still believes that his faith will be rewarded sometime in the next 20 years or so. He even bought an original ’96 home kit on eBay, but his dog went nuts when he opened the package, so he’s a little leery about wearing it.
Ryan lives in Kansas City, so on occasion, you might hear him talk about how his other team’s sponsor logo isn’t nearly as bad as the big blue Wonga box. In his free time, he falls down Wikipedia rabbit holes and plays video games. He’s also on an indoor soccer team, and he’s probably one of their top 5 defenders (except for when the forwards get tired and drop back and show him up on that part of the field, too).
Ryan is also known as @WriterRyan and @ToonArmyKC on Twitter, Slab on the soccer field, and "Who are you? How did you get in here?" at other times.
Adam Snider
Longtime Fan, First Time Caller
My Name is Adam Snider. I recently turned 30, and I am one of the founders of Toon Army Chicago. I am a systems analyst for a large accounting firm, and I am recently engaged.
I have been a Newcastle fan since I was 11 after my grandparents brought me back a shirt on their first UK trip. I desperately tried watching matches on ESPN at the time, but those chances were rare. I watched more as the matches became available on Fox Sports World (later Fox Soccer Channel), and my passion for the club grew. I loved the fans' passion as they cheered on Sherer and co. on the pitch.
This past year was the most enjoyable for me. Despite the season’s quality, I have had the best experiences as a Toon supporter. I made it to my first home and away matches (Arsenal away and Villa home). I met up with Newcastle supporters all over the USA for the Easter derby. Regardless of where I go, Newcastle fans are among the most passionate and friendliest supporters I have ever met!
Follow Adam on the twitters at @sniderjadam