Why Olympic football deserves more support

Juan Mata was among those devastated by Spain's early exit

In his programme notes for the football tournament at London 2012, Sebastian Coe gushes about the "wonderful" game of football and predicts the event will grip the nation.

However, having listened to the critics of Olympic football, it is clear to see not everyone is so happy to see the beautiful game included in the Games.

In all honesty, I was one of those critics.

I felt football, and other sports like tennis, had no place in the Olympics as the Games are clearly not the pinnacle for the competitors.

However, having attended a double-header of men's group stage action at St James' Park on Sunday, my views have changed.

I expected a near-empty stadium and a dead atmosphere for Japan vs Morocco and Spain vs Honduras, but I could not have been more wrong.

Around 26,500 seats were sold, so the stadium was only around half-full, but it seemed like a lot more were there.

Japan flags and banners were draped across St James' Park and the noise generated by their fans was tremendous.

There was also a pocket of Morocco supporters as well as fans of both Spain and Honduras, while supporters from across England also helped to create a special atmosphere.

I saw fans wearing many different shirts, including Huddersfield, Swindon, Reading and Middlesbrough, so clearly this tournament has caught the imagination more than some would have you believe.

On the pitch, there was an incredible amount of passion displayed.

Spain were dumped out of the tournament after a shock 1-0 loss to Honduras and then went on to berate the officials.

Players like Juan Mata, who has won the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League and FA Cup, surrounded the referee and were booked as they realised their dream of an Olympic gold medal had drifted away.

Seven of Spain's star-studded team were booked and while this created some ugly scenes, it proved how much the competition meant to some of the sport's top names.

It was astonishing to see such passion and made me wonder why Great Britain hasn't embraced Olympic football in the same way as other countries.

It was a fantastic experience to watch these matches as a neutral in a fun, family atmosphere, and while it may have lacked the intensity of a Premier League game, it was still extremely entertaining.

The crowd were involved in both games.

In the Japan-Morocco clash, a group of Japanese fans with a drum made noise throughout the match, with one supporter even carrying a bed-sheet with the words "clap your hands" across the stadium to encourage locals to join in with the chanting.

Japan progressed to the quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Morocco

Most of the stadium seemed to be cheering on Spain in the second match, with cries of "Es-pan-a!" consistently heard, but Honduras managed to hold onto a lead given to them by Jerry Bengtson to knock the World and European champions out.

The Hondurans play-acted for much of the second half, but they had an endearing quality and by the end of the match, the "Es-pan-a!" chants had developed into "Hon-dur-as!".

We love an underdog in this country, of course, and it was fantastic to see the joy on the faces of the Honduras players after they realised the enormity of their achievement in beating a team including the likes of Mata, Jordi Alba, Iker Muniain, David de Gea and Javi Martinez.

Japan triumphed 1-0 in the other game to send their fans home happy, and it cost just £20 to buy a ticket to watch both matches.

Nobody would have been asking for their money back after a terrific day at St James' Park.

There were, predictably, some Mexican waves, and while they are usually a huge bugbear of mine, I still found myself joining in.

Looking across the rest of the competition, it was terrific to see Great Britain get their first win of the competition over the United Arab Emirates, with goals from Ryan Giggs, Scott Sinclair and Daniel Sturridge sealing a 3-1 win at Wembley.

Meanwhile, Brazil continue to dazzle with the likes of Neymar, Oscar and Pato, and medals appear to be there for the taking following the elimination of Spain.

Spain did everything but score against Honduras, with the woodwork hit three times and several last-gasp clearances saving the underdogs.

I have been to some huge games as a Newcastle United season ticket holder, including Champions League nights and massive matches under the floodlights, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the Olympic football experience.

I'm looking forward to seeing Brazil on Tyneside later in the week, while they look likely to return to St James' Park for a quarter-final, where a crowd of comfortably more than 40,000 is expected.

The stadium may have just been half-full on Sunday, but the whole experience proved why this country can host a World Cup.

England - or Great Britain in this case - is unique in that it can offer a home for all countries, as was proved in Newcastle with the presence of fans from all four countries, including a relatively small one like Honduras.

The status of the World Cup would ensure stadiums would be full, and judging by the quality of this Olympic double-header, the Olympics deserves similar recognition too.

It may not be the pinnacle of the sport, but it still means a lot.

The FA Cup is not the pinnacle of an English club's season, but that does not matter one bit to a supporter or player of the team which triumphs.

The same applies to Olympic football and the competition does not deserve to be looked down on in the way it has been.

It is the only sport at London 2012 which involves matches taking place across Great Britain, so for many it is the only sport they can attend this summer without spending too much money on travel.

So if you are one of the many Olympic football doubters, try and get yourself along to a game. You might just get a pleasant surprise.

Time for Newcastle's youngsters to make their breakthrough

Prospects like Sammy Ameobi and Haris Vuckic will be eager to make an impression in the next 12 months

There are a number of promising youngsters coming through at Newcastle United and next season should be a crucial one in their development.

A Europa League campaign ought to offer the likes of Haris Vuckic, Shane Ferguson, James Tavernier and Sammy Ameobi a route into the first-team as the fixture schedule is likely to be packed and manager Alan Pardew will need to utilise his squad.

The aforementioned players have shown promising glimpses in their limited first-team experiences so far, but they can't afford to waste the next year of their careers and must force their way into the reckoning.

Vuckic's talent has been obvious since the moment he moved to St James' Park from Slovenian outfit NK Domzale as a fresh-faced 16-year-old in 2009.

He made his debut later that year in the League Cup and immediately looked confident and it seemed inevitable he would swiftly become a Newcastle regular.

Vuckic can play in the centre of midfield or slightly further forward and at 6ft 3in he has a physical presence which should allow him to make an impact at a young age.

However, his career has been blighted by injuries since his initial early appearances for the Magpies and he now desperately needs a breakthrough season.

Vuckic has been incredibly unlucky. He missed most of his first season with knee and ankle injuries and dislocated his finger on his Premier League debut in August 2011 after impressing in pre-season.

That knock caused him to miss four months of first-team action, but he showed enough on his first Premier League start in December 2011 to highlight his potential.

Vuckic looked raw but West Brom struggled to handle him and he went close with a number of superb, ferocious long-range efforts.

He also impressed the season before in the Carling Cup against the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal, so much so that the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea were said to be considering a move for him.

The Slovenian has been lauded as a wonderkid for three years now though and, at 19, he will be wanting to make an impact at St James' Park now.

Vuckic spent some time on loan at Cardiff last season but only played five times before returning to Newcastle, where he again struggled with injuries.

His career has been extremely stop-start but Newcastle could do with an exciting young player like him making the breakthrough ahead of what will be a testing campaign.

He will turn 20 in August so he still has time on his side, but if he is to realise his potential, the forthcoming season will be a crucial one for him.

As for Ferguson, he looks lightweight for the Premier League but has worked hard to gain strength and is clearly highly-rated by Pardew.

Ferguson will turn 21 before the start of the season

Again, he has been given chances in the League Cup and made a few cameo appearances in the league without ever establishing himself in the first-team squad.

A substitute performance against Stoke in the 2010/11 season, capped by a weaving run which almost resulted in a consolation goal for a Newcastle side that were well beaten at the Britannia Stadium, offered a lot of hope but Ferguson finds his route to the first-team blocked.

Jonas Gutierrez's industry makes him a crucial member of the team for Pardew and it is hard to see Ferguson displacing him soon.

The left-back slot may be a more realistic opportunity for Ferguson to fight his way in though, with Davide Santon a possible right-back should Danny Simpson leave.

Tavernier is yet to make an appearance in the league for Newcastle but loan spells at Gateshead, Carlisle, Sheffield Wednesday and MK Dons have built up his experience and he looks ready to challenge for a place in the first-team squad next season.

He signed a new three-year deal at St James' Park earlier this week after speculation about his future, and Newcastle's lack of strength in depth in defence should give him some opportunities to prove his worth to Pardew in the next campaign.

Another youngster looking to have a big season will be Nile Ranger, who Newcastle have seemingly tried endlessly to get off their books.

Ranger is very raw but showed a lot of good signs in Newcastle's Championship-winning campaign, although his off-the-pitch scrapes seem to have scuppered his chances of success with the Magpies.

If he can somehow knuckle down and concentrate on his football, he has enough about him to revive his career and unlock his potential, but it will be up to him to prove to Pardew that he is a changed man.

Ranger's career has stalled over the last year

With fringe strikers Peter Lovenkrands and Leon Best leaving St James' Park this summer and the possibility of both Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse spending time at the African Cup of Nations next season, Ranger could earn himself a first-team chance.

There are plenty of others who will be looking for a big campaign, such as Dan Gosling, Sammy Ameobi and Mehdi Abeid, so Pardew has an array of youngsters at his disposal who offer great hope for the future.

Newcastle are always on the lookout for new talent, too, as the acquisition of Coventry's Gael Bigirimana and Frenchman Romain Amalfitano proved, so the talent currently at the club know they only have a limited time to prove their worth before someone else is brought in and placed ahead of them in the queue.

The Europa League campaign should be a blessing for those youngsters as Pardew is likely to give some a chance both in that competition, the League Cup and the league, but it is up to them to make an impact quickly or become forgotten men who have to ply their trade away from St James' Park, at least temporarily.

Newcastle haven't had a great track record of developing youngsters good enough for the Premier League, with Andy Carroll, Shola Ameobi and Steven Taylor the only real top flight players the club has produced recently, along with Tim Krul, who was signed late in his development.

For every Carroll or Taylor there has been a Tamas Kadar or Matty Pattison, but there is a growing belief there are a number of youngsters at the club ready to make an impact.

Newcastle's current batch of youngsters are extremely talented, but now is the time for them to shine.

The future for Newcastle looks bright regardless due to their successful transfer policy, but the young players already on their books need to make sure they are a part of it.