Newcastle United Stole My Heart

The magnificent story of a writer’s lifelong obsession with his city and its football club.

When 5-year-old Michael Chaplin landed in a strange city of ships in the late 1950s, he looked in vain for something that would anchor him to it, make him feel at home. Then, one Saturday afternoon, it came: the roar of a crowd, and a football team to support. Young Michael became an avid Newcastle United fan, and has remained one — if sometimes disenchanted — for over sixty years.

In this football memoir with a difference, the celebrated playwright and screenwriter tells the story of his six-decade love affair with the club, each chapter recreating an iconic Newcastle match: the players who graced the game, the managers in the dug-out, and the backdrop outside the stadium — both the changing face of Newcastle, and the ups and downs of Michael’s own life and career.

This vivid, thoughtful and entertaining book is an absolute must-read for all Newcastle United supporters, and indeed — given that the club is often described as everyone’s second favourite — for football fans everywhere…

‘A writer whose work always glows’ — The Sunday Times

‘[A] marvellous book.’ — The Guardian

‘Newcastle United Stole My Heart is a testimony to the power of modern sport and how it reaches way beyond the playing fields. … Beautifully written.’ — The Irish Times

‘Enjoyable and sympathetic.’ — David Kynaston, New Statesman

‘A remarkable evocation of place, of time and obsession with a football club — as well as a lovely read.’ — Sting

‘Each story is cleverly interwoven with flashbacks to what was happening in [Michael Chaplin’s] own fascinating life and career at the time which produces a delicious window on the world.’ — The Chronicle