The Newcastle United squad are now set to fly off to Singapore.
A friendly against Arsenal on Sunday.
Ahead of Sunday’s match – Reintroducing Newcastle United Supporters Club Singapore.
In December 2023, they became the latest NUFC Supporters Club to do a feature for The Mag.
Here is what they shared with us back then.
Here’s hoping they and those travelling from elsewhere have a great time in Singapore (and then South Korea for the following two friendlies against a Team K-League All Stars team and the match against Tottenham).
31 December 2023 on The Mag:
Welcome to the latest addition to our new feature on Newcastle United Supporters Clubs.
This is now a regular feature and after Toon Army Chicago, Toon Army Minnesota and Toon Army Baltimore (Mobtoon Mags), Hong Kong Newcastle United Supporters Club, we now welcome Newcastle United Supporters Club Singapore.
Our thanks to Ian Howe and everybody else from Newcastle United Supporters Club Singapore.
We want to feature Newcastle United Supporters Clubs from all over the globe, whether in the UK or overseas.
If you help to run one of the Newcastle United Supporters Clubs and would like to see your club featured on The Mag in the future, please drop a quick email to [email protected] and we will send you the questions and other info, then once we get your replies we will schedule your NUFC Supporters Club to go up.
Name of your supporters club?
Newcastle United Supporters Club Singapore – NUSC.SG
How big an area do you cover drawing fans from?
Singapore Island spans 734.3 square kilometers with a population of around 5.45 million.
Our fanbase is cultivated through active engagement on our social media platforms, in person activities and we proudly boast a widespread global presence with memberships extending worldwide.
Most recently, in November 2023 we hosted a members evening with John Beresford and Les Ferdinand. Past events have included evenings with Keith Gillespie, Rob Lee, John Beresford and Andy Cole.
Year it was formed?
There has been strong support for “The Toon” in Singapore since the 90s, when both local and expat fans were following Kevin Keegan’s “The Entertainers”.
With the growth of the various social media platforms the first official supporters club was formed in 2008. After the successful promotion season of 2009/10 the supporters club moved to its current home at The Penny Black on Boat Quay, for the start of the new season.
In 2020, the title of Newcastle United Supporters Club Singapore (NUSC.SG) was officially adopted prior to the new season as it had been used to sign all contracts with The Penny Black since 2009.
How/why did it get started and who were the main people responsible?
Ian “Geordie” Bell, an expat married to a Singaporean and living and working in Singapore, has been involved with the creation of the supporters club since its inception in the early 90s. He was instrumental in arranging our move to The Penny Black in the pre-season of 2010.
More recently, Ian Howe, an expat from Sedgefield in County Durham, has become the main focal point for liaising with our financial sponsors and for determining the strategy of our club and contact with Newcastle United Football Club.
How many people are part of your supporters club?
We currently have 130 active spending members within Singapore, who all benefit from a FOC membership, which gives them a 10% food and beverage discounts at The Penny Black and the associated venues, Scruffy Murphy’s, and Muddy Murphy’s. Discounts are also applied for members to attend organised events, and the purchase of merchandise, such as Tees and Polo shirts.
All members have a personalised membership card and unique number.
We have 1000+ followers on Facebook, 960+ followers on Instagram and we want to move forward and build on relationships we have made over the past few years with other overseas supporters clubs.
What is your presence online, do you have Twitter account, Facebook, website, whatever?
We have a strong presence on multiple social media platforms as follows:
Website: www.nusc.sg
X formerly Twitter: @NUSCSGOFFICIAL
Instagram: @nusc.sg
Facebook: Newcastle United Supporters Club – Singapore (NUSC.SG)
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: +65 8126 6354 (NUSC.SG – General)
Please feel free to give us a follow on any platform, let us know where you’re from and if you will ever visit Singapore.
If somebody lives in your area and wants to join up with you, how do they get in touch (or somebody who might be visiting your area)?
The fact that we have been based at The Penny Black since 2010 is very well known within the Singapore based football fraternity and our extensive social media presence means we are easily found online. They can reach out to us via the multiple channels listed above. We also have our Football 7’s and over 35’s social teams to look out for.
Tell us a bit about your people / membership, what kind of split is it of Geordies / expats and locals, also any other way you would describe your people and the mix?
The current active membership is presently a healthy mix of 70/30 in favor of our expat members, with many Chinese, Indian and Malay fans making up the balance. We would love a more local presence but with the fragility of support in Asia we happily take each season as it comes. Support will only grow. Our Geordie members certainly encourage it. The Penny Black is, and has always been, known as the home of NUFC in Singapore
When it comes to people who had no previous connection to Newcastle United / Newcastle Upon Tyne, what are the typical things that have led to them start and follow NUFC?
The membership discounts that we offer, have certainly encouraged historically non NUFC supporters to join and watch our team. The quality of the football played by Eddie Howe’s team is also a strong influence.
Do you have a regular meeting place to watch matches? If so, what’s it called, where is it and what kind of numbers turn up?
The Penny Black on Boat Quay has been our home since July 2010. The management has even stayed loyal to us through our Ashley inspired EFL seasons. Irregular live matches during those periods. There are also permanent NUFC shirt displays within the pub and more recently, signed shirts by legends.
Address:
26-27 Boat Quay, Singapore 049817
Tel: +65 8872 0464
WhatsApp: +65 8872 0464
Email: [email protected]
It is an extremely popular and well attended traditional English pub on the banks of the Singapore river. It’s a typical sports bar, featuring a range of live events, but very much focused on football and rugby. Therefore, it’s a great venue for like-minded people to congregate and enjoy a pint or two.
Generally, we have an attendance of 30-50 fans on a match day. The Penny Black is completely decorated from floor to ceiling with flags, scarves, and banners and hopefully we will be able to add a drum to heighten the atmosphere, in the near future.
What are the very best and very worst UK kick-off times and what time are they in your area?
Singapore is
UTC +7 hours – end of March till end of October
UTC +8 hours – end of October till end of March
The Penny Black opening times are as follows:
Mon – Tue 1500 – 2400
Wed – Fri 1130 – 2400
Sat – Sun 1200 – 2400
Kick off: +7 +8 Venue
1230 hours 1930 2030 The Penny Black
1500 hours 2200 2300 The Penny Black (Normally get an extension)
1730 hours 0030 0130 Muddy Murphy’s
2000 hours 0300 0400 Only option is at home!
Since the COVID lockdown, The Penny Black is no longer able to open past midnight. With so many NUFC matches now being screened late, we can only watch at our sister bar – Muddy Murphy’s. We can watch every EPL game live via our local TV channels or by streaming here in Singapore.
Tell us about some of the big characters who are part of your supporters club?
Ian Howe is the President of the Newcastle United Supporters Club in Singapore. He works closely with Newcastle United and also creates events / opportunities in Singapore to bring legends down for fans to meet them. Nothing is impossible. Always can be found with a pint in hand sat outside of The Penny Black.
Sunita Howe is our Treasurer of the club where she is the “most important person” as she manages the funds for any activities in regards to the club (QUIETLY A LEGEND).
Lenny Harbottle is the Vice President of the club and also who manages our Facebook page. He worked in Singapore from 2007 till 2016 and during that time was a regular at the Lok, Stock & Barrel and then The Penny Black. He is now retired and with his wife Tracey, they spend approximately six months in Singapore, visiting their daughter and grandsons. On a recent trip to the UK, he assisted ‘WOR FLAGS’ in their preparations for the PSG and Dortmund games.
Grace Harbottle is the Club Secretary. She is tasked with supporting Ian Howe to manage fan and charity events.
Mick Ridley is the Chairman of the club who finds sponsors to support and host our events. He has brought Alan Shearer to Macao (China) and recently John Beresford and Les Ferdinand to Singapore.
Have there been group visits from your supporters club to Newcastle / England for matches?
Seven of us went to London in February this year to catch the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley.
However, we needed to go through the hospitality route as it is challenging for us to get a group booking. We are planning future trips to Newcastle but we will need assistance from NUFC for tickets as ticket demand is crazy currently. Although we are all based in Singapore we are all aware of the ticketing issues currently being faced by NUFC fans.
Any plans for the future?
A small group of NUSC.SG will be in Newcastle for the FA Cup match with Sunderland on 6 January 2024. Other group visits are being discussed but nothing confirmed, at the moment.
What would be involved in traveling from where you are based to Newcastle Upon Tyne? How would you make the journey, how easy / difficult would it be, what kind of rough costs involved?
We would travel via air to Newcastle from Singapore. The most popular routes are via Amsterdam, Dubai, Heathrow, and Paris, with fares ranging from SGD 1500 – 3000 (Approx £900-£1,800), depending on the time of reservation. The total travel time is about 14+ hours. Not only that, we would need to get accommodation booked.
When it comes to people in your NUFC supporters club, which local football club(s) do they also support, if any. Or maybe supporting teams of other sports in your area?
NUSC.SG are currently in discussion with a Singapore Premier League team regarding partnership. This is a work in progress. However, rugby, cricket and golf are also majorly pursued by a number of our members. Our supporters club also supports and manages a number of competitive football teams in the local non-professional leagues.
Talk us through the Mike Ashley years, how it affected your supporters club?
To be fair, our local fans diminished majorly. We were hugely reliant on the expat community but our relationship with The Penny Black remained strong. The lack of investment and ambition from the former owner was a constant source of loss of opportunity and despair. We felt strongly this could change in an instant and we’re so happy that it did.
Tell us about when the takeover happened in October 2021, how did your club / members react, did you have a special celebration?
We couldn’t do much since it was still locked down in Singapore. Also, due to the time difference, the news was out at one in the morning. The chat groups were going crazy and it’s safe to say there were an awful lot of “CANS” opened to celebrate remotely.
What kind of impact (if any) has the takeover and these past couple of years had on the numbers of people and interest in your club?
It has restored our faith and reinvigorated our support in our team. It has also now created a community worldwide for supporters clubs. We have not had a huge increase in new supporters, but we are starting to see a lot of the old faces starting to come back, which is great.
Any amusing tales to tell of your meet ups, your members, your club’s trips to Newcastle for matches, or whatever?
What happens on tour, stays on tour! We won’t talk about Trafalgar Square fountains or emptying business class lounge fridges.
Apart from possibly meeting up on match days, does your club get up to any other activities, how do you interact / keep in touch, whatever else you’d like to tell us about what your club / people get up to?
Generally, we maintain daily contact via a series of WhatsApp groups that have different purposes.
We meet socially in The Penny Black regularly and not just on match days.
We try to host as many special events as possible such as Meet-and-Greet with ‘John Beresford and Les Ferdinand visit’ in November.
We make annual donations to ‘Wor Flags’, the Foundation and the NUFC Fans Food Bank.
We support and manage local football teams.
We take part in social events such as ‘The MRT Marathon’ and ‘The Twelve Bars of Christmas’. Needless, to say, copious amounts of liquids were consumed.
We have purchased a range of flags and banners to decorate The Penny Black.
We produce and distribute our own beer mats.
We have our own ‘Last Man Standing’ event which runs throughout the premier league season.
We are members of the Newcastle United Supporters Club
We maintain close links with the NUSCs in Abu Dhabi, Doha and Dubai.
In your area, what is the level of interest in Newcastle United compared to other Premier League clubs, their local supporters clubs in your area etc?
Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal are by far the most followed teams in Singapore due to their early success and also the color of their shirt (red) which is considered a lucky colour in Asia context.
There is also a small following for Chelsea, Manchester City and Spurs. All these clubs even have a remote office here to specifically grow the fanbase.
Newcastle United is slowly gaining strong support, which is indicative of their status as a big name in the EPL and this will only increase with our sponsorship with Adidas next season. Hopefully, we can help grow the fanbase here as they become more aware of Newcastle United.
(Last time out it was Hong Kong NUSC who appeared on The Mag – Go HERE to read about them, previous to that it was Toon Army Chicago who were featured, go HERE to read their write up. They followed on from Toon Army Baltimore who were featured a week earlier – Go HERE to read their article. Whilst Toon Army Minnesota were the very first club featured – Go HERE to see their piece)
