Newport County: Why survival costs so much for a club still scarred by the past

another one in tears Last Saturday was former defender Mark O’Brien, now a club ambassador but the goal-scoring hero that saw Newport win on the final day to secure league status in 2017.

“It was probably only after taking on the role that I understood exactly what it meant that day,” said O’Brien, Irish-born but now based entirely in Newport after heart problems forced him to retire from the game aged 27.

“I knew the passion but not the impact on the city, on people’s lives. People came up to me thanking me for not just saving the club from relegation, but saving their jobs.

“When this club is successful – and we’ve seen it with cup runs and the like – everyone benefits. People don’t travel from far away, this support is generational, it’s all around you, so success just brings a lot of joy.”

O’Brien admits he has had lingering fears but, like many around Newport, tries not to dwell on them.

Instead, he flooded fan message groups on social media with a reminder that the club – with all its past – has always fought to the end.

Indeed, amid the excitement of last weekend’s late win, manager Christian Fuchs – The Premier League title is the least likely to win – said he put aside the fear and frustration of the fans after the final whistle, how it helped pull his side over the line, he saw “what’s possible here”.

All season long, it’s been a set of possibilities that have plagued the thoughts of Newport County fans.

They will expect more than most, considering what is going to happen on the long bus trip home from Barrow.