Newport County: Welsh club’s latest League Two escape act

Victory at Barrow came exactly 10 years after a Leicester City team featuring Fuchs won the Premier League title in one of the greatest sporting upsets of all time.

“It’s like we’ve won the league,” the Austrian added of Newport’s celebrations at Barrow.

“But that’s what it means to the fans. It’s very high [in Fuchs’ career achievements].

“You get to know the players, you get to know a lot of people and I’m just very pleased for them.”

It will be a while until the euphoria subsides for Fuchs, his players and the club’s fans.

But once the celebrations are done, Newport will face a significant summer to ensure they do not find themselves in this same situation again in 12 months.

The Exiles have been in decline for years, and they need to buck that trend.

After losing the 2021 League Two play-off final to Morecambe at Wembley, the Exiles finished 11th, 15th, 18th and 22nd in the table, before this season’s 20th place.

Considering their wage bill is among the smallest in the division, that is arguably to be expected.

Yet former Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins did not see it that way when he took a majority shareholding in Newport two years ago.

Having guided the Swans from the brink of fourth-tier relegation to the Premier League, Jenkins had hoped to rekindle some of that magic at Rodney Parade.

That has not happened yet. He has spent £3m of his own money to stabilise the club and, as the losses keep coming, Jenkins has been open about the need for new investment.

Various potential takeovers have been mooted in recent months, with most seemingly dependent on whether Newport were able to secure their League Two survival.

Now they have managed to do that, County can prepare for the summer with more hope.

Fuchs signed what was described by the club as a “long-term contract” when he was appointed last November, with the Exiles bottom of the table.

Having since led them to safety, the 40-year-old will have a say in Newport’s latest rebuild.

Once he’s had a chance to savour this latest escape act, that is.

“I think they’ve shown in the last 10 games what they’re capable of doing, some really good performances,” Fuchs said of his team’s hopes for the future.

“We have to reconsolidate, review the season, analyse it and see where we need to better ourselves.

“But right now it’s about enjoying the moment.”