Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Whilst most of the world of football is bracing itself for the credit crunch which will surely hit at some stage and the finance of the game becomes ever more prominent, it is reassuring to witness yet another emotional tidal wave hit Newcastle United.
Not since the return of 'King Kev' have the fans at St James Park had such optimism when the prodigal son, Alan Shearer, returned to his beloved club last week.
With Newcastle in desperate trouble at the bottom of the Premiership and with games running out fast, beleaguered owner Mike Ashley turned to the former legend as his last throw of the dice. Since appointing Dennis Wise to advise Kevin Keegan on transfers, his ownership has been under question and since the 'messiah' left under a cloud he has virtually become a silent partner - that was until Shearer's appointment, anyway.
This is clearly the club's last hope of avoiding relegation and it is a slim one at that. Of course, Shearer's arrival, along with former Gulf Air-sponsored QPR manager Ian Dowie as his assistant, has galvanised a city and a club that was going through the motions ... but whether it can make the difference on the field is another question entirely.
Saturday was not the best start as they hosted title contenders Chelsea and apart from the euphoric first few minutes this game was settled very early.
Chelsea's 2-0 victory was as predictable as the post match interview the manager gave. Speaking to the BBC after the game he reassured watching fans that "I'm still confident that we can avoid the drop and my players are too, which is more important.
"One game is a long time and we have seven left to play this season - so I'm sure there'll be twists and turns. My players gave me fantastic effort, as I knew they would, and we're going to need every ounce of that between now and the end of the season." And, on the clichŽs went.
Of course, it is not easy to come up with comments that will appease the media, players and fans alike in such circumstances and what is said behind the dressing room door is much more crucial but nothing will hide the fact this is an average side in an unenviable position.
There are not many clubs that can be run the way Newcastle has over the past few years and not end up in one kind of predicament, or another, and this is no exception.
There have been four managers this season alone and Ashley has been trying to find a buyer for the club for some time with no success. Instability reigns and this shows on the field with a dismal record of only seven victories in all competitions this year.
We do not even know who will be manager at the end of the season as this deal is only for eight matches - and what a deal it is. For keeping them in the Premiership, Shearer will earn a £1m bonus but for each game he is receiving £200,000 - win, lose or draw. These are frightening numbers for a club in such trouble but, more worryingly, it looks almost inevitable the manager's situation will become even more problematic at the end of it all.
Shearer insists he is here for only eight games and Joe Kinnear will be back after his recovery from a heart condition, but what will he do at the end of his short tenure. If he leaves after they are relegated then he will look like he is deserting the club and if he leaves after keeping them up then how possibly could any other manager follow that?
This has months of uncertainty written all over it and, for an owner trying to sell a club, it could not be any worse.
Will they stay up? It is unlikely given home games against Portsmouth, Fulham and Middlesbrough being their only hope as away games at Stoke, Tottenham, Liverpool and Aston Villa on the last day appear beyond them.
This is a tough run and, unless the faith he has placed in Michael Owen is rewarded, then Newcastle fans are likely to face next season in the Championship.
Shearer's ego and reputation may well take a knock should the unthinkable happen but fans of the club should be more concerned about the financial implications of this and need look no further than Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Southampton for the consequences of such a set back.
Whilst Newcastle are somewhat different due to the incredible support in numbers they get from the Geordie fans, these are different times and if the club has been run as badly on the inside, as it appears from the outside, then it could be a very difficult time for the Tyneside club.
