ANDREW CUSHIN

The Geordie singer-songwriter on offering Shay Given a job and being taught a lesson by Noel Gallagher...

- James Andrew

What was the first match that you ever attended?

I went to games when I was knee-high, but anyone who says they remember those is a liar. The first one I remember was a 2-2 draw with Stoke in December 2008. Newcastle were 2-0 up at half-time and Michael Owen had scored both goals. I remember thinking how good it was to go to the match when Newcastle were winning. Then Stoke scored twice, with one in the last minute. But I remember walking from our estate with my dad, jumping on the bus, then seeing the pitch and hearing Blaydon Races and Local Hero for the first time, and after the first 45 minutes I was thinking, 'This is what it's like to be a Newcastle fan'. Then, after the second 45, it was, 'This is what it's really like'.

Do you have a matchday routine?

Yeah, there's a little pub down the road from the ground called the Labour Club, which has been there for years. All of the old fans drink there, so I always go in for a couple. The club means so much to the city and the people, so it becomes a full day out. If I've got a ticket for the match, the game doesn't start at 3pm - it starts at 10am, when you're getting ready and you're going for your first few beers with your pals. There's always some kind of routine or ritual going on.

Who was your childhood hero and did you ever meet them?