3 Amazing Moments in Amazon's New Documentary: We Are Newcastle United
The long-awaited We Are Newcastle United documentary is finally here. It is launching on Prime Video, with a new episode of the four-part documentary series set to be released every Friday.
Newcastle United’s transformation over the past couple of years has been nothing short of extraordinary, and this documentary promises to immortalise the incredible journey, looking at where the club has been in the past and where it could be heading in the future. Read on to learn about three of the most amazing moments in We Are Newcastle United.
Looking for a New Sponsor
The We Are Newcastle United documentary follows the club’s owners and board members as they go through the process of finding a new sponsor for the club. The club’s new CCO, Paul Silverstone, was overseeing things, and they had just a number of months to find a sponsor for the team.
Newcastle underwent a much-publicised takeover in 2021, turning them into one of the richest clubs in the world overnight. However, despite their newfound riches, Newcastle couldn’t simply go out and buy the world’s best players straight away. There are strict financial fair play rules in football, designed to keep the playing field relatively even and to stop money from becoming the primary cause of success.
This is why Newcastle’s search for a sponsor was so important. The new owners had lofty aims of becoming the next Real Madrid, so they had to find a sponsor that would bring in enough money to allow them to spend big on players.
Silverstone and his team made up a shortlist of nearly 1,200 companies, eventually holding face-to-face talks with around 60. In a short space of time, they had whittled down this list to just two companies, finally deciding on events company Sela to be the Newcastle United sponsor.
Newcastle’s Rise – Against the Odds
Before the takeover, Newcastle United were in freefall. If you were to visit any bookie or an online gambling platform, even just to find out what is a casino marker, you’ll have no trouble noticing how favoured Newcastle were for relegation that season.
However, when the new owners came in they quickly moved on manager Steve Bruce and replaced him with hotly tipped young talent Eddie Howe, who turned down an imminent move to Celtic to take the job. Eddie helped rally a flagging team and escaped relegation.
The We Are Newcastle United documentary begins at the start of Eddie Howe’s first full season with the Magpies. People expected them to do well, but few could have anticipated just how well they would actually do.
They finished the season in fourth place and with a guaranteed spot in the Champions League, a remarkable achievement considering where the club had been just a season prior.
Newcastle’s revolution was well publicised, but the documentary really drives home how impressive the achievement was, using exclusive behind-the-scenes footage to heighten the excitement and the emotion.
The Battle for Anthony Gordon’s Signature
The We Are Newcastle United documentary deals a lot with the rules of financial fair play. This is unsurprising, given how salient the issue has become in recent years and considering the criticism levied at Newcastle as a result of the takeover.
In the winter transfer window of the 2022/23 season, Newcastle looked to bring in reinforcements to help them maintain their push for a top spot and a place in the prestigious Champions League. However, they could only look to make one major signing, due to fair play rules.
The documentary takes a deep dive into the process behind the selection of this target and how the clubs negotiated a deal. Newcastle identified Everton youngster Anthony Gordon as the player they wanted and made contact with the club to arrange the transfer.
This led to a bitter dispute between the two clubs, with Everton accused of inflating the player’s value because of Newcastle’s new owners. After several crunch talks, the deal was made, and Gordon signed for Newcastle.
This is a fascinating look behind the scenes at the wheelings and dealings that are involved with mega-money football transfers.
Conclusion
Any football fan, whether you’re a supporter of Newcastle United or not, should strive to watch the We Are Newcastle United documentary. The filmmakers have created a rollercoaster ride of emotional excitement that takes you from the perilous lows of a relegation battle to the dizzying highs of the champions league. Be sure to check out this fantastic documentary when it airs on Amazon Prime Video!