On March 16th, tens of thousands of Geordies descended on Wembley Way as Newcastle United ended a 70-year wait for domestic silverware as they lifted the Carabao Cup. But beyond the result, it was the striking black and white spectacle in the stands, a display that brought St James’ Park to Wembley, that defined the day for many fans.
Wor Flags is a fan group that has been behind Newcastle matchday displays for the last 8 years. As a mouthpiece for the club’s huge following, they display messages and sentiments shared by the community across St James’ Park and away stadiums across the country.
Rob Brodie has been volunteering for the group for most of their existence and has helped with the organisation of some of their biggest and most memorable displays.
One of these was organised in collaboration with Adidas to announce the return of the brand as a club sponsor in 2024.
“We chucked a massive flag off the Tyne bridge, and it said ‘Howay the stripes’. That was at the crack of dawn, 5:30 in the morning, sunrise. It looked absolutely amazing,” says Rob.
“They really went all out for this launch, they knew it was going to be big. No other kit manufacturer would probably give the same height that Adidas would for us.”
The PR stunt marked the end of the club’s 3 season partnership with Castore, one fraught with controversy. Fans criticised the quality of the kit and there were multiple reports of people receiving misprints when buying their own.
The new partnership was warmly welcomed by fans, with Adidas seen as a reminder of the club’s memorable heyday in the 1990s, when the likes of Faustino Asprilla and David Ginola wore the iconic stripes under Bobby Robson’s managment.
“People were excited to get Adidas back as a sponsor, because they are the stripes, and they even changed the logo a little bit and did black and white stripes.
“People think of the mid to late 90s, we were Adidas sponsored. We were doing fantastic in the league. We were sponsored by Newcastle brewery. We had some amazing players back then and we had Adidas kit. When they came back, it brought us memories of that time.
“At the end of the day they’re not just a sports brand, they’ve become a fashion brand. It’s mainstream streetwear now, and you see these sports providers becoming streetwear.”
Whilst this collaboration received national coverage and raised the group’s profile, Wor Flags’ work is community oriented. Fans donate to their website and a devoted team of volunteers design flags and banners ranging from handheld foil flags, to huge surfers that cover whole stands.
As the mouthpiece of tens of thousands, meticulous planning and care goes into ensuring the right message is put on display.
“We’ve got to know how to get the tone right. We’ve got to know when to pick the team up, when to celebrate individuals, or when to celebrate the whole city, or to celebrate your local culture, your local history,” says Rob.
Wor Flags show that supporting Newcastle United goes beyond cheering, it’s a creative community united by passion. Their visual displays both express and celebrate the club’s deep-rooted culture.
As one of thousands of season ticket holders, Rob journeys nationwide to support his team and has noticed how fans on the road express a strong community spirit through their distinctive attire and fanwear.
“On away days there’s almost like a uniform. If everyone’s dressed individually fair enough but it brings people closer together when you’re on an away day, you look down and everyone’s got a set of gazelles on. There’s just that sense of belonging really.
Adidas gazelles were released in 1966 as sports shoes but found their way into streetwear culture. Nowadays they are commonly seen as part of the away day ‘uniform’ that Rob mentioned.
“You know, walking down Wembley, when everywhere around you is a sea of your club colours, black and white, you just feel a part of the bigger picture. Being connected to it, it’s not just the people there. You’re all interlinked by something.
Regarding Newcastle specifically, Rob believes the fans possess a distinctive pride, as he explains.
“I don’t think we’re afraid as much as other people to be called out. We probably wear club colours more than most, but we’ve still got that away following of your stone islands and stuff like that and it does bring in together that local pride and identity.”
Rob believes the true beauty of Newcastle’s distinctive black and white lies in its enduring continuity over more than a century.
“We’ve always been black and white. Never changed it. Fans get annoyed even if we put red numbers on the back. Never mind the black and white stripes.
“When you look down the Premier League at the moment, there’s not that much colour variation. There’s a couple of blues and a lot of red.
“When you think black and white, you think Newcastle first. Black and white is us. It’s more than just the kit colours. It’s our whole history and its distinctive compared to the others. It’s club heritage, and we don’t really seem to change too much from it.”
The people who support a club forge its culture in the ways they express their support. Individual decisions, like wearing a certain pair of shoes on a matchday, and huge group efforts that cover a stand all act as visual representations of the atmosphere surrounding a club. Without personal and group self-expression, football clubs would lose their identities.