NUFC🖤🤍

Pavel Srnicek arrived in Newcastle unable to speak English. He left as a Geordie. And in that city, there is no greater honour. He was never a global superstar, but to Newcastle United supporters, Pavel Srnicek was something much more special. He was one of their own. Born on 10 March 1968 in Ostrava, then part of Czechoslovakia, Srnicek was the son of a woodcutter. English wasn't taught in schools under the communist regime he grew up in, so he learned Russian instead. He began his career with hometown club Banik Ostrava before Newcastle signed him for £350,000 in January 1991. He arrived on Tyneside unable to speak English and struggled to understand the famously thick Geordie accent. But the supporters quickly took to him. They saw a brave, athletic goalkeeper who gave everything for the shirt. He wasn't perfect, but he could be magnificent. One save against Everton's Anders Limpar was so extraordinary that legendary goalkeeper Gordon Banks considered it one of the ten greatest saves of all time. Srnicek helped Newcastle win promotion to the Premier League in 1993 and became an important member of Kevin Keegan's famous Entertainers side. That team came agonisingly close to the title in 1996, eventually finishing four points behind Manchester United after surrendering a 12-point lead. But the bond between the players and supporters was special, and Srnicek embodied it. After a 7-1 win over Leicester City, he lifted his goalkeeper's shirt during the lap of honour to reveal a T-shirt underneath. It read: "Pavel is a Geordie." St James' Park erupted. The words became a terrace anthem, a declaration of love from a city to a man who had embraced it as home. He left in 1998, playing for Sheffield Wednesday, Portsmouth and West Ham, but returned for a second spell in 2006 at the age of 38. The supporters welcomed him like a long-lost brother. He made 190 appearances across his two Newcastle spells and earned 49 caps for the Czech Republic. But his greatest achievement was the affection he earned from the people of Tyneside. On 20 December 2015, Srnicek suffered a cardiac arrest while jogging near his home in Ostrava. His agent revealed that he had stopped breathing for 20 minutes before being revived. He was placed in an induced coma. On Boxing Day, Newcastle supporters sang his name at St James' Park before their match against Everton. His family played recordings of the crowd singing into his ear, hoping the voices of his adopted home might bring him back. Sadly, scans revealed irreversible brain damage, and his life support was switched off. Pavel Srnicek died on 29 December 2015, aged just 47. His agent, Steve Wraith, announced: "Pav passed away on the afternoon of Tuesday, 29 December 2015, with his family by his side." Former teammate Steve Howey paid tribute: "We’ve lost an amazing person, one of our own, and he’ll be sorely missed." A memorial service was held at St Andrew's Church, in the shadow of St James' Park. Hundreds attended, including his brother Milan, who travelled from the Czech Republic. Overwhelmed by the love shown to Pavel, he said: "Pav lived for Newcastle, touched your hearts and became one of you. Pav will always be a Geordie." He was born in Ostrava, but Newcastle became his home. Pavel Srnicek will always be a Geordie.