Source: Northern_Echo
Ginola preaches from British book of passion
Former Newcastle United favourite David Ginola talks to Northern Echo chief football writer Paul Fraser about his time on Tyneside, the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and his hopes for his adopted country, England, hosting the tournament in 2018.[LNB] DAVID GINOLA may not have any World Cup memories to share from his playing days, for reasons he chooses not to talk about.[LNB] Rather than dwell on the past, however, he is intent on helping England bring the showpiece to these shores again.[LNB] Ginola, a Frenchman renowned for his flamboyant playing style, has travelled the world in recent months after being recruited by the Football Association as an ambassador for the 2018 bid.[LNB] News of Australia's decision to drop out of the running has increased the likelihood of it happening.[LNB] He wasn't even aware of Tyneside before he deliberated over a move to Newcastle United in 1995, but having spent two years in the North-East he knows exactly how the region will embrace playing host to such a finals.[LNB] It is hoped St James' Park and the Stadium of Light will be host venues in 2018, with Ginola initially purely behind the Newcastle-Gateshead bid until he was head hunted by the FA.[LNB] There have been magical scenes coming out of South Africa building up to the 2010 tournament, with vuvuzelas blowing loudly and flags flying high across the country, highlighting how every corner of the world can be gripped by the showpiece.[LNB] To imagine that being replicated in England is an exciting prospect and Ginola regards Newcastle as a city in which foreigners would fall in love with once they have been.[LNB] Newcastle will host games, that's what I think. England can win the World Cup, everywhere I have been they tell me that, said Ginola, who has been to the Ivory Coast, Malaysia and beyond as part of his ambassadorial role.[LNB] There is passion, devotion here. Football means a lot. I saw it and felt it during my playing days, I know.[LNB] If you won a game on a Saturday, the week was better for people. Lose, and the people felt bad on the Monday.[LNB] It's an area which loves its football and you are not playing football for yourself here. You play for the public, and you have to give them some joy.[LNB] The people might earn 200- 300 pound a week, not thousands, so you have to give them something and football can do that.[LNB] Having the World Cup would also help that. It's a wonderful place.[LNB] For people to come to Tyneside from around the world to get the atmosphere of the Geordies, would be amazing. Everyone would suddenly realise how passionate these people are.[LNB] Imagine when you are watching it in South Africa, this could be England in eight years.[LNB] The country would be crazy for it. We need to communicate that passion now. Let's fight for it now.[LNB] Everyone. Every fan, let's tell the world how much we want it.[LNB] Ginola was in his prime when Kevin Keegan paid £2.5m to Paris St Germain for him to move to Newcastle 15 years ago. He moved at a time when many felt he was being hounded out of his French homeland.[LNB] He infamously over hit a cross in the final qualification match for the 1994 World Cup against Bulgaria with the game poised at 1-1. Bulgaria counter-attacked and Emil Kostadinov scored a winner, leaving manager Gerard Houllier to publicly blame Ginola for the defeat and, ultimately, France's World Cup heartache.[LNB] Having been branded an assassin of French football in his final days at the Parc des Princes, he did not have to think too long about leaving.[LNB] He did take time to think about moving to Newcastle.[LNB] Not too long.[LNB] A little research of the area, seeing a club heading upwards under the ownership of Sir John Hall and the management of Keegan left him in no doubt that he should head for a city in which the Tuxedo Princess and Julies nightclubs and the MetroCentre became regular spots.[LNB] Newcastle is a great club, with history and with a special passion, said Ginola.[LNB] When you talk to people you realise you play for the Geordie people.[LNB] Players are signing for a great club. It's as simple as that, the players should be concerned about where they are rather than where they will be in the future. Players were not educated in that way then.[LNB] When I signed for Newcastle it was brand new, but I asked for information about the place. It was not the English I learned at school, it was all wahey'. When you say Howay the lads' on the pitch, you need to know what it's about rather than being a ghost.[LNB] Plenty has changed on Tyneside since his departure to Tottenham in 1997, with the Quayside's redevelopment a major shock to him, but there has also been dramatic changes at the club he still adores and he believes the good times can return.[LNB] He said: It was not the same time under Keegan. It was great times, but not the same.[LNB] We were training at Maiden Castle in Durham, sharing dressing rooms with students, who would play tennis when we played football. We used to think about other things, rather than me, myself and I.[LNB] Newcastle have made mistakes since then, but this manager, Chris Hughton, could do great things. He needs two to three years. Don't rush it.[LNB] The future is being patient.[LNB] Get the youngsters in the first team, forget focusing on signing players from around Europe, all the stars and splashing out millions. I'd rather get Geordie youths through, added to two or three others, and go from there.[LNB] When he left Newcastle for Tottenham in 1997 he still harboured slim hopes of forcing his way back in to the France squad which he had been omitted from since 1995.[LNB] However, Aime Jacquet never called him up for, arguably, his country's finest hour, when they won the World Cup in 1998.[LNB] As a Frenchman he remains hopeful Raymond Domenech's squad 12 years on can repeat the feat, but he is not expecting too much. Instead he predicts England, who could meet the French in the quarter-finals, will fare better.[LNB] England are a much more solid team, said Ginola. It seems as if Fabio Capello has brought a bit of Italian-style to the team, especially in terms of defending. They can also score at any time but staying in front is another story.[LNB] England have a great squad with great players.[LNB] They play together and if they can show the same talents, they regularly show in the Premier League, that would be fantastic to watch and they will probably go far.[LNB] It is not the same for France. France have got some different problems at the moment, injuries and they have gone through some difficulties with the manager, who is leaving at the end of the tournament. That was not the brightest decision to announce it before the World Cup.[LNB] Despite that, Ginola still believes France have the quality within their ranks to surprise. They have the talent. The problem is that they have not always shown that talent together since the last Euro championships, said the 43-year-old.[LNB] They need to think about their targets because recently they have played very much for themselves. One day, they will discover togetherness and then they will be successful.[LNB] Spain, rather than France or England, is Ginola's tip to succeed in Johannesburg on July 11. But if there is one player capable of joining Lionel Messi, Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo on the world football's top table, he thinks it is an Englishman: Wayne Rooney.[LNB] This year, Messi was on a different planet. No other player came close to him, but Wayne Rooney is right at the top, there is no doubt he has already shown he is a fantastic player, he said.[LNB] Rooney was scoring goals for fun last season, he was assisting for fun as well.[LNB] Taking a lot of pleasure from being on the pitch. He was amazing because everyone was expecting him to stop scoring and he never stopped.[LNB] He showed great talent. He has brought amazing things to English football. He could light up the World Cup.[LNB]
