SUNDAY SUN: Sorry seems to be the hardest word - except, perhaps, when you don’t really mean it.
Last week the Sunday Sun’s back page was given over to a slightly tongue-in-cheek apology to Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew after the embattled Toon boss blamed the local media for the team’s slump in form that has seen them win only four and lose 11 of their 16 games this year.
And the response was phenomenal.
After the dismal defeat last Saturday - during which fans had turned on the boss with banners and anti-Pardew chants - the manager had claimed: “I don’t think the local press have helped.”
And so the Sunday Sun decided to apologise for our role in the Toon’s downfall.
Our page read: “WE’RE SO SORRY. As Pardew blames the local Press for fans’ anger after disastrous form in 2014, your Sunday Sun would like to apologise for losing 3-0 to Sunderland, 4-0 to Manchester United, 4-0 to Southampton, 4-0 to Spurs, 3-0 to Chelsea, 3-0 to Everton, 2-0 to Manchester City, 1-0 to Fulham, 1-0 to Stoke, 1-0 to West Brom and 2-1 to Cardiff… oh, and for headbutting David Meyler too.”
The response to the back page was immediate and phenomenal.
Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine said: “Classic back page from today’s Newcastle Sun after Alan Pardew accused ‘local media’ of causing problems for his team.”
Jeremy Vine Radio 2
Sky’s Supplement programme described it as “that extraordinary back page on the Sunday Sun with its mock apology” - the Metro free newspaper and the Daily Mail.
The Guardian’s head of sport Ian Prior said: “Hats off to Newcastle’s Sunday Sun.”
And of course ... great support from NewcastleUtd-Mad.