It's over 15 years since that infamous May day in B6 when an Aston Villa fan unfurled a plucky banner poking fun at Newcastle United's plunge into the Championship.
Two clubs separated by 207 miles and connected by years of underachieving were no more than competitors in the same division back then. He's got a lot to answer for, has Leighton Castle! He's the Villan responsible for the 'Sob on the Tyne' banner that sparked the bizarre rivalry with Newcastle. And that rivalry will be reignited once again when the two clubs face each other in the Premier League at St James' Park on Thursday (3pm kick-off).
It all started in May 2009 when Leighton gently mocked Newcastle's relegation - sealed with defeat at Villa Park - with banners in the Holte End. It is not just the inspiration for the ‘Sob of the Tyne’ banner that Leighton can lay claim to. The ‘We’re not fickle, we just don’t like you’ classic which firmly put David O’Leary in his place was also his. As for the ‘Who’s Your Next Messiah ANT or DEC?’ unveiled during Newcastle’s relegation game, yep, that’s his too. Leighton is still chuckling about the faux rivalry. Here we re-tell how this Sob (on the Tyne) Story first came about.
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Are you still amused about this rivalry you have created?
The Geordies will never understand that the more they overreact then the more winding up they will receive.
Micky Quinn stoking up the fire on Twitter is just a direct result of the fact that the banners annoyed him off and I take great pleasure from that.
He must have blocked more Villa fans on twitter than Stan Collymore, such is his bitterness.
Aston Villa fans Mike McKiernan and Leighton Castle with the banners
Aston Villa fans Mike McKiernan and Leighton Castle with the banners
Have you left yourself open to stick from the Toon Army if Villa lose future matches?
I know one day the Geordies will beat us and we, myself in particular, will be left with egg on my face for a few days.
But that's okay as to me it's nothing more than good old fashioned fan rivalry.
If we give it we should be able to take it and the way Villa fans reacted last season with one of the best examples of self deprecating humour was what fun on the terraces should be all about.
Aston Villa fan Leighton Castle with his Sob on the Tyne banner
Leighton Castle with his Sob on the Tyne banner
Here's what Leighton told us in a previous interview about his banners.
On the sulky reaction from Newcastle fans
I find all of that talk hilarious to be honest.
If Newcastle would have gone to any other ground on that weekend back in 2009 they would have got the same kind of stick, whether it was at Villa, Blues, Wolves, United or anywhere.
Why it has suddenly become this big deal in the minds of Newcastle fans that Villa hate them. We don’t, we don’'t particularly think anything about them.
On terrace tribalism and putting the fun into football
It’s what football is all about for me, the p*** taking.
I’ve been going down the Villa since the late eighties and I don’t want to sound patronising, but the best thing about it is having a laugh.
Football is about tribalism and being part of crowd. I don’t mean in a hooliganism sense, because I find all that pathetic, but going along and winding up the opposition fans is all part of the fun surely.
Aston Villa v Fulham in 2006: Villa fans display a banner stating "We're Not Fickle, We Just Don't Like You", referring to manager David O'Leary.
Aston Villa v Fulham in 2006: Villa fans display a banner stating "We're Not Fickle, We Just Don't Like You", referring to manager David O'Leary. (Image: Getty Images)
On making the most of left-over material
I bought a roll of cloth from a shop called Hole in the Wall in Walsall town centre for the O’Leary banner and I had some left over material so we made the Ant and Dec one.
That’s how much thought goes into it, Newcastle. We’re not all plotting about you all season!
The Ant and Dec one was up all game and because the away fans were near our part of the ground I could see them getting annoyed.
I didn’t want the Sob on the Tyne one going up too early because if Newcastle won we’d have looked stupid.
I did get a bit anxious though because I didn’t want our work wasted, so when Damien Duff scored an own goal I tried to text and ring my mate in the Holte, to tell him, ‘now, now’.
The 3G was rubbish so I couldn’t get through to him. People around me were saying ‘What’s up Leighton? What are you getting excited about?’
Eventually, a couple of minutes before full time the banner was up, the Holte End cheered and everybody was smiling - except the Newcastle fans!
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