HE never wanted to leave Newcastle United, so neither wonder Ian Bogie’s loyalty and affection for the club remain as steadfast as ever. Why else – though he counts Preston North End among his other past employers – will he be rooting for the Magpies tomorrow night? Why else – with a recommendation to strengthen the St James’ squad by at least two players in January – is he adamant United will continue their march back to the Premier League? He could have felt differently, of course. Having been mentioned in the same breath as Paul Gascoigne – by Gascoigne himself, no less – Bogie was effectively forced out of his hometown club when Jim Smith opted for experience over exuberance. He is far from bitter, however, and refuses to dwell on what might have been, given that Smith’s successor Osvaldo Ardiles famously put his faith in youth. By then Bogie – now doing great things as manager of Gateshead – was gone, and discovering Deepdale – and its artificial pitch – to his liking. So another reason his allegiances might understandably have shifted. But United runs deep in Bogie, and his first love endures. “Newcastle are my club, they always will be,” Bogie said. “Managing Gateshead means I don’t get to see them too much – the only game I’ve seen this season was the Carling Cup match against Huddersfield Town. “But theirs is the first result I look for and, although I look for Preston’s as well, if you’re asking me who I want to win tomorrow it’s Newcastle, no doubt. “I grew up watching them, had the great honour of playing for the club and they’re still very important to me.” Preston too though, after that unwanted exit from Tyneside. “Jim Smith was the (Newcastle) manager and I don’t think I was his sort of player,” said Bogie. “Newcastle were struggling and the personnel he went for to try and get them out of it were experienced. Some would say a few of us were forced out, and maybe I was a little bit naive at the time. “With hindsight, Jim didn’t last much longer, and when Ossie Ardiles replaced him he gave the young players their chance. But you cannot think about what might have been. “It was disappointing for me at the time, but I went to Preston and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. It’s a smashing club with massive history and a great public, and I loved living in the area. I can’t speak more highly of the club – even the astroturf suited me! “The club’s improved tenfold since then, with a proper grass pitch now and four new stands. Back when I played there, they were in the Third Division, getting six or seven thousand. “I’d come from Newcastle in the old First Division, when they were getting 25 or 30 thousand. “There was a massive difference in resources and, although a lot’s changed for both clubs, there’s still a big difference. “Preston probably get about 15,000 now, but the Newcastle players will deal with that comfortably enough.” And deal with promotion too, Bogie adds, providing they can insure against injury and suspension by signing a couple of new players. “I want to see them get back in the Premier League,” he said. “The gulf between the top flight and the Championship is massive, which has been proven by how well they’re doing now compared to last season. “They’re in pole position and going about getting back up the right way. I believe they can maintain that and win promotion, but they might need to strengthen the squad. “Not even the likes of Manchester United or Liverpool could cope if they lost players like Wayne Rooney or Fernando Torres. “So if Newcastle pick up one or two injuries and lost key players for a spell it could have a massive knock-on effect and harm their promotion run. “They’re probably one or two players short of what they need, but if they can get them in January, I can’t see anything stopping them.”
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