Why are Newcastle United’s local heroes are often ‘held to a higher standard’ by certain sections of their fan base

Before their 4-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United supporters unveiled a banner that celebrated 11 members of their first-team squad who grew up supporting the club.

Beneath it was a quote from Sean Longstaff: “I love representing the city… Representing the people that are me”. It’s a beautiful line, but Longstaff hasn’t cut a figure of happiness representing his city at times this season.

After the Tottenham game Longstaff’s team-mate, Dan Burn, spoke to The Athletic and said “When things are all going well, it’s never down to the local lads. It’s the lads that come in, which is absolutely fine. And then when it goes the other way, sometimes it’s like we [local players] are held to a higher standard than other people.”

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As a Newcastle supporter of 30+ years, I agree with Burn. Earlier in the year I spoke to Sean Longstaff for FourFourTwo. Longstaff was born in North Shields and came through the academy. His younger brother Matty also came through after him.

Yet certain things he said during our interview troubled me. “If you're playing and the team's not winning it's easier to go after a lad from North Shields than it is to go after a lad who's from Spain or whatever other country – know what I mean?”

I did know what he meant. A moment that demonstrated his point came vs West Ham at the end of March. Longstaff and Alexander Isak both missed almost identical chances in quick succession at the Gallowgate End and the response to Longstaff’s was brutal. You felt it. Anger, bile, hatred aimed solely in the direction of a local lad trying to score a goal for his club.

The same level of discomfort was felt a month earlier during a bonkers 4-4 draw with Luton. Dan Burn had a hellish game. Calls for him to be substituted were deafening. When he was, it was an uncomfortable exit for the Blyth-born defender who was one of the heroes of the 2022/23 season. This is a player who rushed back from a broken back earlier in the season to help out Eddie Howe’s injury-ravaged team. 

Likewise, Longstaff has played for long spells of the season with injections – sometimes in both ankles – to get him through games. Naturally, it has impacted his level of performance. But you can guarantee no one will be more frustrated at these levels than Longstaff himself who admits, “I'm a bit of a perfectionist, even in training the manager and staff laugh because I can have a great session but if I give two balls away, I'll be just beating myself up over them two balls – for whatever reason – and they try to make me less like that. I suppose that's just something that was instilled in me.”

For all the weight in which certain sections of the Newcastle United fan base come down on their local players, the flip side is the reverence players receive when things are going well.

Jacob Murphy’s purple patch last season saw him elevated to cult status on social media, Dan Burn’s infamous dancing and “suit-measured” post-match comments were repeated in pubs across the city while Sean Longstaff’s stock skyrocketed when he was benched vs Aston Villa and the team suffered a 3–0 humbling. Later on, his four-game absence coincided with a late-season wobble, and the lack of Longstaff was widely perceived as the reason for the whole team’s dip in form.

Yet at various stages this season each player has held the unwanted (and unwarranted) public enemy No.1 title. “I think when you play well, you're the best thing since sliced bread and then if you don't play well, it's like you should never play for Newcastle ever again” says Longstaff.

“There's no middle ground with it, but that's probably what makes the place so special. When you're from here you can sort of feel the way people are towards you slightly change. Not so much people you meet day-to-day but more social media-wise, people in the stadium – you can definitely feel it as a player. I think you'd be stupid to say you don't.

“There's no better place to play, but for us [local players], it's about not getting too high when it's good and when it's bad, not getting too down. As long as the manager's with you and the lads in the dressing room are happy with you. Ultimately, that's got to be your day-to-day guide.”

Wor Flags’ banner before the Tottenham game was well-time and much needed, especially for certain players it featured: Burn, Longstaff, Murphy, Dummett and Hall. Each of whom has felt the wrath of certain sections of the Newcastle United fan base during a rollercoaster season.

Eddie Howe’s ‘difficult second album’ hasn’t been to everyone’s taste, but it has had its moments: a 5-1 opening day hammering of Aston Villa, beating PSG 4-1 at home (with Burn and Longstaff each scoring), an 8-0 win at Sheffield United, wins in the cup vs both Manchester clubs, a 3-0 win over arch-rivals Sunderland and the stunning 4-0 demolition of Tottenham.

The club could yet earn a European spot. Taking into consideration the absences and extra games the squad had faced, that would be a remarkable achievement. 

The issue of holding local players to higher standards may boil down to idealisation and high expectations. Often the closer you feel to someone, the more roles you attribute to them in your mind. Expectation levels rise, these people mean more to us. We idealise them, therefore any action not in accordance with our idealised image might be perceived more sensitively and therefore hurt us more. 

Does seeing Sean Longstaff miss a chance to score at the Gallowgate End hurt Newcastle fans more than seeing Alexander Isak miss? The sound of the crowd's reaction suggests it actually might.

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