One of the big things among football supporters is to wear a replica shirt of their favourite team. None more so than at my team, Newcastle United. Our team wears black and white vertical stripes and they are known everywhere as The Magpies. These shirts on sale for about 40 pounds ($56) each. That’s for one shirt. not the whole team.

This and other accessories are a major source of income to the club, so being infinitely resourceful where leaching the money out of we supporters is concerned, they change the shirts slightly on a regular basis. This causes the sucke.., er ,  supporters to rush out for the latest shirt.

So many people buy these shirts to wear them at the match, that when they are herded together on the terraces, it looks like the Plains of the Serengeti covered in zebras. So much so, that one of the nicknames for these supporters is zebras. The big difference is that our zebras are grazing on pies, not grass.

Some time ago, when Michael Owen was transferred from Real Madrid, Newcastle United had a welcome reception for him at which approximately fifteen thousand attended. There was no game you understand, just an unveiling of Owen’s shirt with his name and number on the back. They immediately became as rare as hen’s teeth, so you can imagine the pride when my friend, O.D. Malone, ever succinct, announced, ” Ah got me Owen top.”

Subsequent events have made Owen’s transfer a cause for sorrow, not joy, but for one shining moment, having an Owen top was a time for happiness not regret.

Related posts:

1. Football (Soccer) Chronicles. Part 1, It’s the pies, innit?