Steve Wraith Time To Bury The Hatchet With The Mag , True Faith And The Newcastle United Supporters Trust By Steve Wraith June 23rd 2013 A lot of people ask me why I don’t get on with Mark Jensen and Mick Martin from The Mag and True Faith fanzines? Well the answer is….I do. I don’t actually have a problem with these lads. Let’s face it they both edit the 2 most successful Newcastle United fanzines in town. Both were involved in putting the Supporters Club together during our last crisis…Mick chaired the meeting before departing for a steak dinner if I recall. The Supporters Club became the Trust and then for a variety of reasons they hit a brick wall and the wheels came off as far as there bid to buy the club is concerned and the original gang split and went their own ways for various reasons. When the Supporters Club was launched I attended, I joined and I got behind it. I didn’t want to be a leader of men. I was chuffed to see others finally pushing for something I believed in without me having to bother my arse. A lot couldn’t understand why I was sitting back. It’s because the lads were doing a great job and wouldn’t have wanted me involved anyway. When it became the trust I helped get the huge flag into the ground as part of a protest. I helped leaflet the bars around St James Park. If I believe a cause is a just one I don’t really care who is in charge as long as I can help make a difference. The wheels fell off for me when I was asked to carry adverts in my fanzine. I said I would do it for free if the others were. They weren’t so I told them what I would charge them my going rate at the time. Without getting into a slanging match and boring you all to death let’s say my invoices took a while to be paid!! If it hadn’t been for friends on the inside looking after me then maybe I would still be waiting who knows but I did get paid eventually. Rewinding a little, at the start of the Millenium when I was the paid Fans Liaison Officer at the club (as Lee Marshall is now) I was the victim of a character assassination by Jensen and Martin via their respective fanzines. (I guess I’m an easy target being an associate of the Kray family.) But they didn’t give me a chance at the job. I may not have been able to change the NUFC world in that position but the committee that was voted in were top class and by undermining me they ruined any chance that the FLC had of making a bond with the club. It was eventually disbanded after the club had spent thousands on the whole process. What I couldn’t understand is why we had ALL being calling for communication with the club, yet when we got the opportunity they let their personal views on me get in the way of the biggest chance we had been offered in years. My departure at the club 2 years later (which I engineered myself) was greeted with delight and ridicule. I wonder if a different fanzine editor had been in that position would have fared better? I certainly would have supported them and not revealed that at school they supported Liverpool but that’s a different story! (C’mon I have to be allowed one dig!) I kept all the articles that they published about me and read through them the other day. I had to laugh to be honest at the childish undertones. I then looked back at a few issues of ‘Number Nine’ fanzine that I used to edit…I’d forgotten Michael used to write for me. So I started thinking why would Michael be upset with me? Did I edit a piece of his work? Did I bin an article for the political bullshit he loves so much. Maybe it was another review of ‘Joy Division.’ Whatever it is though he has always had it in for me since he nestled under Jensen’s wing. Now Mark. Well he created the monster within me. I sent a few articles to him after the first Mag came out and he didn’t want to publish my work. So I thought stuff him then, I’ll make my own fanzine. ‘The Mighty Quinn’ was born. It was never a money making venture. It was always just a chance for me to get my views that Jensen wouldn’t print out there to all of you. I’ve seen them around over the years. There’s often a smile that coveys a different emotion behind the matchday mask. People tell me what they have allegedly said about me behind my back yet they have never said anything to my face. I’ve learned to live with it. We have shared the same airwaves and the same column inches and quite often the same views and opinions for over 20 years now. Time flies when your enjoying yourself! So what’s the point of this rant? To sort a fight in the car park opposite St James? To challenge them to a fight to the death wearing Sports Direct kit? No not at all. It’s a challenge of a different type. I’m 41 lads. I’m not sure how old you 2 are but you look older (joke). I’m prepared to put the past behind us. I’m prepared to forget about all those awful things you have said in print about me and the alleged things you have said to our mutual friends. It’s time to put aside our differences and ‘Unite’ the supporters for the greater good. We are never going to agree on everything (that’s NUFC for you) but I’m prepared to sit round a table with you and make a few plans to take this club forward from a supporters point of view. I get that some people don’t like me. I am a divisive figure, but I will give 150% to any cause I believe in and I’m not that fussed at being a leader of anything. I prefer to use my experience and contacts to help make things happen. NUFC Fans United is a coalition of supporters. We meet once a month with the same club officials you met on that freebie at the Europa game last season. We discuss all things NUFC over a pint and the minutes are typed up and sent to the club, the media and our ever growing database. We are not looking to lead the fans. We are a critical friend and are here to help groups with a plan or something to say. We may be able to help you who knows!? So come on. Let’s put the past behind us eh and grow up. Come along with your friends and give us your voice, support and experience as part of a fans coalition…Our Club needs us….. There is a meeting tonight, at the Labour club in Leazes park at 6pm. Hosted by the Nufcfans group, Steve Wraith will be there along with Two Reps from the Club. There has also been an invitation for Kinnear to attend, but unsure if he will. All are welcome, so get yourself along and air your views and opinions to the Club Reps \COLE//
Posted on: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 10:08:49 +0000
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