The final bow

The geordie boy took his final bow infront of a packed St. James' Park last night.

It was something that I have never witnessed before. I wasn't able to get a ticket for Alan Shearer's testimonial match against Celtic, but I was able to feel the atmosphere on the streets. The entire city turned black and white. On my way home, I saw numerous supporters making their way to St. James' Park where their hero will kick a football for the last time. I saw the geordie pride in their eyes. And I saw the grief of losing their greatest warrior.

This city has slowly ate me up - engulfed me with the passion about the place, and the football club. I am not someone who is born and brought up in this city - I came from a far-away place. But I understood very well what it meant when Shearer said -

"I thought, `it doesn't feel quite right. I'm going to achieve my dream and go back home and play for the team I've always wanted to play for'.

"If you're not from this area or you haven't lived here I wouldn't expect you to believe that. But if you ask anyone who's lived here or does live up here, they will understand."

For the rest of my life, I will rue my misfortune, that I wasn't amongst those 52,000 when the legend bid his final farewell. But I will remember the black and white city which stood up to acknowledge the man.

(The picture of Shearer is taken from the BBC website).