Newcastle United supporters’ group Wor Flags kicked off the new season with a rousing display against Nottingham Forest. The group delivered a message of hope and of a club reborn for the new Premier League campaign.
As usual, before kick-off a giant banner was unveiled in the Gallowgate, this time with the words ‘it’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life for NUFC and we’re feeling goods,’ printed on it.
With the song - sung by Nina Simon - played around the stadium as the flag was flown and the players entered the pitch, it created an atmosphere that few clubs will be able to rival.
READ MORE: Newcastle United vs Nottingham Forest LIVE - Early team news and score updates from St James' Park
The flag itself arrived from Poland earlier in the week and measured a staggering 60m wide and 3m high. The skyline banner that was shown during the Big River display before the clash with Tottenham back in October was flown in the Leazes End, while a tribute to Derek White - the club's long-serving physio who retired last month after 38 years of service - was lofted high in the East Stand.
The group had intended to do something to honour Wright but were further spurred on after Newcastle defender Paul Dummett reached out. Fans in Level 7 unveiled the banner 'Eddie Howe's Black and White Army.'
Speaking about the display, a spokesman from Wor Flags said: “The lyric seems fitting for heading into a new season, a full campaign with our new owners. It looks towards the future we are hoping to have as a football club and highlights what the fan base is feeling at the moment. So much anticipation and excitement for what is to come.
“Everyone is so excited for the new season. It’s been in some ways a difficult time for us when it comes to thinking up a new plan for display because the Arsenal game really set the bar and we’ve had to reign ourselves in to know we can’t go that big all the time.”
Wor Flags took part in displays for the two pre-season games at St James' Park at the end of July which more than 90,000 supporters attended across the two days.
Speaking about those displays, the spokesman added: "We felt it was important to do the pre-season games because we knew the attendances were going to be up and we knew it was an opportunity for a lot of people to get to their first game, and we knew it might be the only opportunity for some people to go this season.
"So we thought why not get them out and start on a high? It went down really well with everyone who was there. We saw kids running around with the flags. It was brilliant and a no-brainer."
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