It is a great honour to wear the captain’s armband, especially for a club like ours. A captain leads by example and is a supreme motivator, one who the squad can look to for advice and guidance. Many have worn the armband for Newcastle with great pride and passion, the likes of Alan Shearer, Bobby Moncur, and much more, but the Geordie faithful have also had to watch a number of cowardly and unconvincing captains in recent years.
There has been a lot of debate as to who Steve McClaren should give the captain’s armband to for the coming season and, following the recent news of Fabricio Coloccini penning a new contract extension and staying on as club captain, I’m going to take a look at our last five captains and analyse how each of them got on while wearing the armband.
Geremi, 2007-2008
Geremi joined Newcastle on a free transfer in 2007, after years at Chelsea and Real Madrid. Then manager Sam Allardyce believed he had bagged a bargain – an experienced midfield maestro capable of leading his teammates to bigger and better things. He was immediately appointed club captain by Allardyce, but Geremi turned out to be a cowardly captain who was incapable of motivating and leading the players around him. Even though he was just 28-years-old, the former Nigerian international often lacked fitness and mobility. As a result, he was then stripped of the captaincy. Geremi left the club soon after. A captain to forget.
Verdict – Failure
Michael Owen, 2008-2009
Shortly after Geremi was stripped of his captaincy, Michael Owen was appointed as his replacement. Yet another player who had an illustrious career before he came to Tyneside – he also had a spell with Real Madrid, a fabulous time at Liverpool and a great England career. The Geordie faithful were filled with optimism by the prospect of a Premier League legend captaining their side. That optimism soon turned to doubt, which then turned to hatred for the former Liverpool star. His unprofessional conduct in the year we suffered relegation to the Championship will always be remembered and, even though he had a good goal-scoring record of 30 goals in 79 appearances, his time on Tyneside was injury played and, when fit, Owen seemed disinterested. He was a terrible figure for the squad to look to for guidance.
Verdict – Failure
Nicky Butt, 2009-2010
Signed by Sir Bobby Robson for a fee of £2.5million in 2004, Nicky Butt certainly blew hot and cold during his time on Tyneside. He was another injury prone player who was consistently inconsistent. Butt had a torrid time in his first few seasons on Tyneside and was shipped out on loan to Birmingham, but he was brought back by Glenn Roeder and established himself as a regular in midfield. He often filled in as captain for the injury prone Michael Owen and, when he did, the Geordie faithful were impressed by his leadership. As a result, his popularity among the Newcastle fans began to grow.
Butt was made permanent captain for the 2009-2010 season in the Championship and he is proof that a captain does not need to be the most gifted player on the team. He would give 100% every game and encourage his teammates to push on to the best of their ability. He lifted the Championship trophy that year. Shortly after, he announced his retirement from the game. Nicky Butt wasn’t an amazing player, but there’s no denying his passion and he knew what it was to wear the armband.
Verdict – Success
Kevin Nolan, 2010-2011
One of the most popular captains among Newcastle fans in recent years, Kevin Nolan was the inspiration behind our immediate return to the Premier League and he was awarded the Championship Player of the Year. It was no surprise when he replaced Nicky Butt as captain following his retirement as he was everybody’s first choice. Nolan always spoke about how much he loved the club. He once said: “I love everything about the football club and the city.”
In his first and only season as captain, the Liverpudlian notched up 12 goals from midfield and scored a memorable hat-trick against our bitter rivals Sunderland. Nolan was everything a captain should be. He took over the armband during a controversial time at the club, ripe with off the field distractions. He transformed a troubled dressing room and motivated his fellow teammates to give their all in every single game, just like he would.
When he was forcibly sold to West Ham in 2011, the fans were devastated to see the back of a once great captain of the club. I think if we still had his leadership and passion in our squad nowadays, we would be in a much better position.
Verdict – Success
Fabricio Coloccini, 2011-Present
The Argentine was signed for £10million from Deportivo La Coruña in 2008. His spell with the club started with a disaster debut season, in which Newcastle were relegated and his performances were woeful.
But his second season was the polar opposite. He began to impress the spectators during his one and only season in the Championship. Many wondered if he could make the big step up to the Premier League, after his mediocre performances in the 2008/09 season. He formed a partnership with Steven Taylor and they were a real brick wall for us.
In the 2011-2012 season, Coloccini was praised by Taylor and other members of the squad. They said: “he’s a great person and a top, top leader.” This praise was soon backed up as he played brilliantly during that season, earning himself a place in the PFA Team of the Year and winning the North East Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year also.
However, in 2013, he stunned the club and its fans by handing in a transfer request as he wanted to return home for personal reasons and Coloccini has been less than impressive ever since. It certainly doesn’t help that he has had to play alongside Mike Williamson in defence, but Colo showed a distinct lack of leadership and often turned his back on the opposition’s attackers last season. With news come out that he’s staying on as captain and that he’s signed a 1-year contract extension, let’s hope that he can get back to his former self.
Verdict – Relative success
