Inevitably great love can breed even greater hate, and there are few loves quite as strong as that which binds Newcastle fans to their club. As we are so often reminded by media outlets more fond of cliche than of actual reporting, football is a way of life in the North East, and every Geordie bleeds black and white; and while the words are empty, the sentiment remains totally justified. Because of that irresistible devotion to the team, disappointment tends to hurt more, and players who would usually be tolerated for their poor performances and what they've publicly said negatively about any other club become pantomime villains, booed by their own club's fans. And unfortunately, modern football is such an arena for toxic egos that a lot of them deserve everything they get. Very rarely, Newcastle players can haul themselves out of the bog of hatred - just as Yohan Cabaye did after going on strike to attempt to force a move to Arsenal - but it doesn't happen very often, and the crowd will gleefully remember old scars every time those players return with another team. So who actually deserves that hatred...?
