'I'll do anything to win': Jason Tindall speaks about his 'Mad Dog' moniker and being Eddie Howe's right hand man

 · April 6 2025, 11:00
'I'll do anything to win': Jason Tindall speaks about his 'Mad Dog' moniker and being Eddie Howe's right hand man
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We can't think of many other clubs who have a chant that mentions their assistant manager by name, but Newcastle United have the "Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall" chant that we hear roaring around St James' Park regularly.

It makes perfect sense that the two would be mentioned together as they are an undoubted double act. Almost as if one does not exist without the other.

In fact, their partnership was so strong that the Premier League tried to bring in a rule to split them up in that only one staff member was allowed in the technical area at any one time.

Thankfully, it didn't take long before they stopped enforcing that stupid rule and the regular sightings of Howe and Tindall returned.

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The best duo since Ant & Dec

Jason Tindall tries to suggest he doesn't know where the 'Mad Dog' moniker comes from

Eddie's right-hand man has been speaking to Luke Edwards for The Telegraph, and one of the first things he addresses is the nickname bestowed upon him by True Faith: 'Mad Dog'.

“I don’t exactly know what that Mad Dog thing is or why it came about.

“I’m very, very passionate, I’ll do anything to win and that’s probably a good thing. Eddie isn’t very emotional on the touchline and I think it is important that I am the way I am. If I wasn’t, that is something he would probably have to be and there is so much other stuff that is important on a match day that he needs to focus on. I take that side of things away.

“When he was younger Eddie used to get much more involved in those arguments, but it has happened naturally, it’s me who does it. I very rarely think I’ve crossed the line. I will vent my frustration if I’m not happy with certain things. I don’t think I’m disrespectful.

“Obviously, the opposition want to win too and sometimes they will say things that I don’t agree with. I will let that be known. If I’m there to be that person to have an argument, that is what I’m going to do.”
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Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall are the perfect balance - football's yin and yang

I was speaking to a mate yesterday and he said that he wishes that Eddie Howe would show more passion, he's too stoic.

For me, he doesn't need to. He gets to keep a level head and take the pragmatic approach because he knows that all of his passion will be funnelled through Mad Dog. Let him get the ref's attention and the cards, while Eddie Howe's calm demeanour can be just as annoying to the opposition.

We wouldn't change Tindall for anything. His sideline antics are what endeared him to the Newcastle fans, and we'd hate to see it go away.

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