Unspoken reality of St James’ Park extension as familiar name has unusual take on the debate

He is a man of many faces. Known mainly as a influential member of Sir John Hall’s Magpie Group which successfully fought a two year war to unseat an entrenched Newcastle United board of directors where power was passed from father to son, John Waugh was rewarded with the role of a club vice president which has has retained to this day.

However what may not be realised by the vast majority of the Toon Army is that Waugh was front man and song writer with a series of North East pop groups in the sixties, a talent that is currently being totally revived. Indeed Waugh is the inspiration behind a charity CD of football songs based round his beloved NUFC that has just been released to raise money for three local foodbanks.

If Geordie Ridley penned the Geordie anthem Blaydon Races 162 years ago dying aged 30 without ever realising that his song would ring round the national football stadium as Newcastle United won the FA Cup three times in five years in the fifties could by some stretch of the imagination another Geordie inspire his fellow football followers to take up their voice in support of their club?

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Why not? You never know because the songs, while catchy which is very necessary, are also very topical to United rising from the ashes of no hope. One track in particular, called St James Park, echoes thoughts about whether NUFC ought to cling on to their heritage, their ground for the last 130 years, rather than sacrifice all that is history, that is tradition, that is us.

The lyrics include: “The time is right and time has come to expand, with funds secured and now we’ve also got the land, the first new build the Gallowgate has got to be in Strawberry Place, this will be seen and indicate our great new state.”

A later verse goes on: “Let’s relocate Leazes Terrace in the park, the tennis courts look the place let’s make a start, St James’s Street that in the West, let’s move it over that’s the best, relocate it make it East we’ll pass the test.”

Waugh’s belief having done ample research is that with good will on both sides, the Listed Buildings restrictions can be overcome to the satisfaction of all parties allowing United to remain where they are and expand outwards as well as upwards. Football followers would be ecstatic but would residents be persuaded?

The rebuilding of the total Leazes Terrace complex, it is argued by those batting for the retention of SJP, would include all modern building materials (including modern insulation) and would avoid any complication regarding Grade 1 listed building regulations. The internal structure of Leazes Terrace is actually not Grade 1 listed, only the external stonework is safeguarded.

Therefore the argument goes residents would continue to live in their existing houses with the whole structure simply moved 50 yards into a newly completed building whilst the outer cladding is systematically installed onto the new building. There could well be a stern local backlash on moral grounds of course which is where it would eventually come down to finding common ground.

I worked with John on the Magpie Group, when initial heavy resistance also had to be overcome in changing the face of Newcastle United, and we met up in the last week to discuss his new project on football songs. The CD covers a much wider spectrum of United life than just the future of SJP of course.

“I think they are very much singalong,” Waugh told me. “I got together with a few old band mates and started writing. I have always been able to write lyrics and combining it with my love of football seemed a perfect fit. I remember hearing all the songs Celtic fans sang when we played them a little while back and I wanted to do the same with United.

“I am proud of what we have achieved. The CD under the name of Maggies Chorus can be bought from Windows for £6 and downloads from shopify online. The idea is to raise money for the foodbanks at Byker, Wallsend and North Shields.”

John was the front man in the drive to buy shares from individuals big and small on behalf of the Magpie Group. He was so successful alongside other United fanatics seeking change that John Hall was catapulted into the chairman’s suite and the birth of the Entertainers under Kevin Keegan was about to spectacularly unfold.

Waugh’s musical background dates back to the exciting days of the swinging sixties when he was the leading light in bands like Jerome and The Clockwork Orange.

Now he has reconnected with fellow musicians Billy Hogg, Nick McGuckin, Dave Gibson, Brian Wells, and Jim Turnbull to go into the recording studio and lay down a succession of tracks. He is launching a PR blitz to back their work including an initial airing of all songs tonight on a top Tyneside podcast. The question is: which one is the best? Fans will decide.