Former British prime minister Tony Blair finally found out the source of a rumor that dogged him throughout his premiership: that he lied about his support for Newcastle United Football Club.
Throughout his time in office, Blair was accused of exaggerating his love of the Magpies in a bid to boost his common man credentials in his constituency.
Widespread reports said Blair claimed he used to enjoy sitting in the Gallowgate End at St James’ Park watching Newcastle legend Jackie Milburn play.
Blair, 55, was just four years old when Milburn retired and the Gallowgate End was all-standing until the early 1990s.
The BBC put the story to rest in 2005 by playing their original tapes while a nervous Blair sat in the studio — and he indeed never made the claim.
He did not mention sitting in the stadium and said his time as a supporter “came just after Jackie Milburn.”
But during a recent interview to promote his Tony Blair Sports Foundation, the Sunday Sun weekly newspaper in northeast England confessed it was one of their reporters who started the rumor — much to the former prime minister’s shock.
A friend misheard the original radio interview, and phoned the journalist who put it in his match report without checking the story. The tale spread nationwide and caused Blair years of ridicule.
“It was you ...!” a stunned Blair said, tailing off before launching an expletive.
“Now I want to launch an official complaint. It was you guys! I used to get so much stick over that and I’ve never said it!” Blair exclaimed.
“People asked me two completely separate questions. One was when I used to go and watch Newcastle,” he said.
“Then they asked, and because of Alan Shearer you might answer it differently today, then someone asked me — this must have been 12 years ago — who was the greatest ever footballer,” Blair said.
“So I said Jackie Milburn and then the two things were elided together. What a load of trouble I had over it,” he said.
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