NEWCASTLE’S most famous footballing son knows better than anyone how important the region he grew up in is to football in Australia, and the history of the game there.
Former Liverpool star Craig Johnston – the patron of Northern NSW Football – is desperate to see Newcastle Jets step forward confidently having been taken over by a consortium of Australian Professional Leagues (APL) clubs after previous owner Martin Lee had his licence withdrawn.
Calling on football fans across the Hunter Valley and beyond to show their backing for the club, Johnston said the new ownership offers the chance for the Jets to put recent issues of sustainability behind them, and build strong teams in both the A-League and W-League.
Johnston moved back to Newcastle four years ago, having left as a teenager to forge a trophy-laden career in England – including winning the European Cup, the English League title and the FA Cup – and believes it has become evident that a successful Jets is good for the city and good for the leagues.
“Having a thriving club in Newcastle – not just a team, but a club – is fundamental to the success of Australian soccer,” Johnston told aleague.com.au ahead of Sunday’s unique A-League doubleheader at McDonald Jones Stadium, when Wellington will play Brisbane before Newcastle host Adelaide. “I feel that the circumstances are now in place for that to happen.
“When successful, credentialled businessmen who are already involved in the game here step in to ensure the Jets’ future, you understand how important we are to the league.
“We’ve had owners before with good intentions but things haven’t worked; this time I have the sense that a long term plan is in place, one the city and the area can and should get behind. Only two or three years ago you saw how the people rally when the A-League team got to the grand final.
“It needs investment from everyone, the owners, the fans, local businesses, to make the men’s and women’s teams build something special.”
Johnston said the club’s regional identity is key to its success, as a counterweight to big-city rivals.
“The Jets have an A-League captain from the area, we have young players in the first team squads who were fans as kids and now are representing their hometown,” he said. “These things matter to Novocastrians like me.
“Most importantly, the people in charge of the Jets understand what is unique and important to Newcastle. People like me who come from the region are not from Sydney, or Melbourne, or the Gold Coast – we have our own identity, a culture that is based on hard work and the history of the area.
“All the old mines that were built in our region had football pitches attached, and thanks to that we have clubs that are older than Manchester United or Liverpool – and a proud history of producing top players.
“For a number of reasons, the pathways from top to bottom haven’t been too clear for a long time. Now, with the new ownership, we have the chance to build a really strong link from grassroots to glory, so the kids who grow up playing soccer round here have both a dream to follow and a clear pathway via the Jets.”
