Category: football

Three Mags at Wembley!

It was a bit of a funny old weekend. Those international breaks are rarely that entertaining and I think we’d all much prefer to be watching our beloved Newcastle United. But then with three players in the England squad for Sunday evening’s game against the Republic of Ireland, I’m guessing that a lot of us found ourselves watching.

I found out via social media that we had three starters in the team. It took me by surprise, despite the fact that Anthony Gordon and Lewis Hall had both played a part in the victory away in Greece a few days earlier. I thought that Hall deserved the start this time, but England being England, was still quite surprised to see him in the team. I mean, I’d have been less surprised if I was told that they’d just called up the perma-injured Luke Shaw.

And then there was Tino Livramento, a player highly rated at St. James’ Park, but who so far had been largely ignored by England despite making the last couple of squads. I thought I’d read it wrong when suddenly he was in the starting line up for Wembley, even though I really rate the lad and think he could be England’s first choice right back for many years to come. Still, there was no time for grumbling and just about enough time to get the telly on and watch the match.

I thought our lads did extremely well. Gordon was a constant threat out on the left hand side, despite being handled quite well by the Irish and in particular their right winger Ebosele when tracking back. Gordon being Gordon though, he just kept making the runs and would eventually get his reward when scoring his first international goal. A good run across his defender and a cute finish too that gave the keeper no chance of ever getting across to it. And there was double the reason to celebrate as it was from Livramento’s cross via a flick on. A goal made on Tyneside. Well, sort of.

Tino had a good, solid debut. I thought he was a bit more conservative than he is with us, in terms of getting forward, but as the game wore on he just got better and better. He looked like he belonged in the shirt, playing alongside some of the best the country has to offer.

Lewis Hall, for me was a contender for Man of The Match. He was calm, assured and dynamic going forward; the player that we’ve grown used to watching for Newcastle, week in, week out. What a player we’ve got on our hands and what a left back England have too!

All three of our players did their country proud on Sunday evening and in doing so no doubt made all Newcastle fans proud, too. This was the first time in 27 years that we’d had three players in an England starting line up; an indication that our future really is bright.

So, it was a lovely Sunday evening for us Mags. The icing on the cake though came with just a little bit of help from our ‘friends’ down the road. On the weekend that mackems celebrated another famous social media win – their lesser Bellingham started for the U-21s and got asked for some autographs and their manager was spotted by one of their fans enjoying the delights of our city – we had the three starters for England…

Clearly, there are levels to this game.

NUFC: The ones that got away – Hugo Viana.

You would have had to have been either exiled on a remote island or taking some time out in space to not know that Manchester City have been in the news a bit lately. The 115 Premier League and Uefa related charges against them, the success of their challenge to the Premier League or just the fact that they seem to be stumbling a bit and really not maintaining their happy habit of winning football matches, Citeh are never far away from the news. But did many of us notice the appointment of Hugo Viana as their incoming Sporting Director for the 25/26 season?

Now any of you younger readers may be muttering ‘Hugo who’? Well, let me inform you and at the same time remind some of us older Mags of Hugo’s past. Because Hugo really was one that got away from Newcastle United.

Hugo Viana was signed by Newcastle as a 19-year-old from Sporting Lisbon (or Sporting CP as they seem to be known nowadays). His was a record Toon fee for a teenager at £8.5m and having won the Young European Player of the Year award in his previous season (now the Golden Boy award) he arrived with a lot of expectation. This was undoubtedly an exciting signing. But sadly, it just didn’t work out.

Viana joined us as a hugely gifted footballer. Playing as a left sided central midfielder he was viewed by Bobby Robson as being a natural successor to Gary Speed. And maybe this was part of the problem. Speed was not only a favourite of Robson – one of his ‘blue chip boys’ – but of the fans too. Despite age creeping up on him, he wasn’t slowing down and was still very much a dominant force in our midfield alongside the likes of Kieron Dyer, Jermaine Jenas, Clarence Acuna and Nobby Solano. As a result, Viana’s chances were limited and he never really got the run of games that would have hopefully seen him become a mainstay of the team for years to come.

Viana had an excellent passing range but probably lacked the pace and physicality to succeed in the Premier League. It didn’t make him any less of a player though. Think Yohan Cabaye, but crucially without Cabaye’s experience, aggression and will to win. So it was then, that we only ever really saw glimpses of Viana’s greatness on Tyneside.

There are a few standout memories of Viana’s time at Newcastle for me. Firstly, the goals. Viana didn’t score many, but he was never one for tap ins, either. He scored only 4 goals in 61 appearances, but they were all pretty special. A first time screamer into the near top corner against Chelsea at the Gallowgate springs to mind as well as his strike from the left hand corner of the box against Feyenoord away in the Champions League. The other two were free kicks that he elegantly caressed into the near corner, before running off laughing like this was the easiest thing in the world.

Viana was a player that promised much in flashes. There’d be moments of brilliance where he made the game look simply effortless and in those moments it wasn’t overly hard to understand what the club had seen in order to shell out millions. However, Hugo was obviously very young and as a result – at a time when not too many very young players were joining our league – the move just didn’t work. The league felt too physical for the nuances of his game and he just wasn’t afforded the time on the ball that was perhaps needed for him to flourish. As often with players coming in from the smaller European leagues, he just couldn’t seem to get going at Newcastle.

In the end, it was inevitable that we’d cut our losses and that Hugo would be allowed to move on. I imagine that it came as a relief to the player when he was loaned out to Valencia for the 2005 – 2006 season. However, it was a similar story there as he struggled for game time and consistency and by 2009 he was off to Braga, back in Portugal. Here he was much more successful, making 123 appearances and scoring 16 goals in 4 seasons.

Following a spell playing in Saudi Arabia, Hugo returned to Portugal, eventually taking up the post of sporting director at Sporting Lisbon, where after getting through a number of managers and hugely expanding their scouting network, his success has now led to his recent appointment to the same role at Manchester City. Hopefully, he can be a success in his new role…just as long as it doesn’t harm us!

What do you remember of Viana’s time on Tyneside?

Anthony Gordon: Our latest long term superstar!

As an advocate of his from the very start of his Newcastle career, the recent news that Anthony Gordon had signed a new long term deal was music to my ears. As it would have been to many a Newcastle fan too, no doubt.

Gordon joined the club in January 2023 for £40m in slightly controversial circumstances. I say slightly controversial but it feels like Everton supporters have been apoplectic about it ever since, despite claiming to be glad to be rid of the lad. You’d think it wouldn’t be much of a problem as they’re constantly reminding us of how bad he is, but here we are.

At the time of the signing I wrote another article and was happy to state that Gordon was ‘a fantastic player’, ‘a very talented footballer’ and that in my opinion he’d prove to be ‘a genuine success’. All words that I’ll happily stand behind getting on for two years later! Not that I think I showed any real insight when we signed him, of course. Gordon just felt like the kind of player that was always going to be a fan favourite at Newcastle. And so it has proved.

After a slightly shaky start when Gordon himself admits he wasn’t fit enough to play effectively in Eddie’s system, the lad has gone from strength to strength. In front of a set of fans that want a team that tries, Anthony Gordon’s most obvious strength is his will to win and work rate. Whether it’s chasing down seemingly lost causes or leading the press and pressuring an opposition goalkeeper at full speed, Gordon never lacks effort.

However, while a phenomenal work rate is a plus, it’s Gordon’s attacking flair that gets people off their seats. Following in the footsteps of stars like Wayne Fereday and Ian Stewart must have been daunting, but Anthony has revelled in the challenge… (If you’re a Toon fan of a certain vintage, you’ll get that joke. If you’re not, please don’t Google Wayne Fereday NUFC).

Playing predominantly as a right footed left winger, that ability to cut in onto his right foot and either find a pass, a give and go or just get off a shot at goal is priceless. It feels obvious that he’s going to do it and yet at times he looks unstoppable. In terms of going past full backs Gordon is a bit of a throwback, bringing to mind memories of players like Ginola and Robert and although he doesn’t have their delivery, it’s safe to say that the game has changed since their day anyway. Nowadays, a lot of teams favour a winger that can cut inside as part of a front three and while Gordon doesn’t supply the sort of arrowed crosses that Laurent Robert would ping in for Shearer, we’re just not that type of team any more.

Anthony Gordon has proved himself to be crucial to the team. Firstly, he’s reliable. He’s almost never injured, which with the demands of the modern game is quite something and at Newcastle United is a bloody miracle! He’s generally a 7 or 8 out of 10 kind of player as well. The performances – give or take a few games this season – are generally there. For me, when he’s running at a defender and threatening to go past them on either side, he’s worth his weight in gold and is a real crowd pleaser.

Personally, I think tiredness could be a key factor so far this season as the lad hasn’t had a decent break from football for a while because of two summers worth of international duty. Maybe there’s been some kind of hangover from the Euros when he was criminally ignored by Gareth Southgate, when even the most narrow minded mackem or Evertonian could see that we were crying out for his pace and ability to get the team up the pitch. Whatever it is, I expect that sooner or later he’s going to kick into gear again and hit the heights that we witnessed at times last season.

Perhaps the comfort of this long term contract will be the making of the lad again this season. In life, when we’re settled, we’re often at our best. I know that if I have less to think about or worry about, then I’m capable of focusing more on the things that matter. With Gordon, there have been flashes of his best form and ability this season, but it’s been widely acknowledged that he’s not been quite at the levels he previously set for himself. And personally, although I would have never let him anywhere near that penalty against Everton, I admire the guts he showed in taking it and also in continuing to give everything afterwards. I for one am still very firmly of the belief that we have a hell of a player on our hands.

His comments after signing his new deal should be music to the ears of Newcastle fans. “I think the club’s in a great place…I love it here…I feel very connected to everyone – team mates, fans and everyone involved.” So far, Gordon has scored 15 goals and provided 11 assists in his 74 appearances for the club; not at all bad for a winger playing on the wrong side! He’s been involved in some fantastic moments too. There have been spectacular goals against Sheffield United and Manchester City last year, as well as the goal against Liverpool at home when he showed the pace and power to get in behind their defence and the composure to finish one on one. I also enjoyed his tap ins against Arsenal and Man Utd, just because he had the intelligence to be in the positions and stay onside, when not every winger does.

Gordon seems to be a cracking lad too. It’s evident that he’s happy to make time for fans and that – as far as we can ever really know – he absolutely loves the club. Then there’s the charity work, visiting sick children and just generally making their day. And of course touches like leaving money behind the bar at The Strawberry can’t be ignored either!

The future is inevitably bright for Anthony Gordon. A fixture for both club and country and fully settled too. Hopefully, he can rediscover the form from last season soon – although 2 goals in 10 this season is hardly bad – and help to get us up that table!

Thoughts on Gordon so far at Newcastle?

Gallowgate Cult Heroes; Number 9 Craig Bellamy.

To this day, and despite him having a chequered past as far as Newcastle United are concerned, Craig Bellamy remains one of my favourite players ever to wear the shirt. Sure, he left in controversial circumstances and with his reputation in tatters in the eyes of lots of us. But, let’s face it, anyone could have fallen out with Graeme Souness and for the 4 years that he was at the club Bellamy was largely electric to watch. Playing in Bobby Robson’s sides that also featured the likes of Shearer, Speed, Robert, Lee, Dyer and Solano it was Bellamy who got me off my seat more often than not.

Bellamy was signed by Sir Bobby Robson in the summer of 2001 for £6.5m from Coventry City. It was a case of us finally getting our man and also of Craig getting his wish. We’d been looking to sign him the previous summer, but without an agent Craig somewhat bizarelly found himself being talked into the move to Coventry by John Fashanu who had decided to involve himself in the talks after a chance meeting with Bellamy’s financial advisor! Bellers preferred the move to Newcastle, but felt pressured to sign with Coventry and so had to wait until the following season and Coventry’s relegation to get his wish.

Bellamy arrived with a reputation as a bit of a bad egg. I remember reading a story at the time about the senior pros when he was at Norwich locking him in the coach toilet on the way back from an away game just to shut him up! And his time at Newcastle wasn’t short of controversy either. But more of that later.

For me, there are two abiding memories when it comes to performance, with Craig Bellamy. The first came in his first Tyne Wear derby at St. James’ Park in 2001. We’d gone behind to an early Kevin Phillips header and then Bellamy struck. After a bit of a skirmish in central midfield, Lauren Robert emerged with the ball at his feet and looked up before scooping a timely pass forward for Bellamy to run onto. He easily outpaced the defender, nodded the ball down and then finished with a beautiful strike from just inside the area past the mackem keeper. In was in the Gallowgate on Level 7 that day and went suitably mental. They’d call it ‘limbs’ nowadays, no doubt. It was just people celebrating back in 2001! We couldn’t quite get the win that day, but the relief when Bellamy scored was tangible.

The other lasting on field memory for me would be the last second winner in the Champions League against Feyenoord in 2002. He scored the first in added time in the first half, but the best was yet to come. Having taken a 2-0 lead, we were pegged back late in the game – a typical Newcastle-like collapse. And then, Bellers popped up again, in the 91st minute. Kieron Dyer’s effort was saved and the when the keeper parried the ball wide of the post it looked like the chance had gone. Somehow though, Bellamy got to the rebound and hit it goalwards, the ball going in off the keeper. We’d just become the first team ever to qualify from our group having lost our first three games. Cue bedlam. I wasn’t there that night and watched it on the telly, like a lot of other Mags, but I’ll never forget it!

I loved the way Bellamy played. All pace and raw energy, I don’t think I’d ever seen a forward as quick. He was like a little wasp, always bothering defenders, always involved and always likely to get on the end of a decent through ball. He struck up a useful partnership with Alan Shearer, but also worked well with the likes of Dyer and Robert. But he played on the edge at all times and was generally a yellow card – at least – waiting to happen. In fact, I seem to remember a time when for several games in a row it felt like the whole ground were shushing him in unison as he made his mouth go again to a referee!

Issues off the field would be Bellamy’s downfall at Newcastle. There are loads of stories to choose from. The multitude of red and yellow cards. Throwing a chair at John Carver at Newcastle airport springs to mind. And of course the fall out with Souness when Bellamy refused to play on the left against Arsenal, which eventually led to him leaving the club. The best part of that particular tale, by the way, was Bellamy doing a live interview on Sky after the game and telling them that Souness had ‘gone behind my back and lied to my face’! I mean, which was it, Craig? Personally though, whatever had actually happened, I’d have had Bellers back and got rid of Souness, but there you go!

The best of the negative stories has to be of a fleeting fall out with Sir Bobby Robson though. Apparently, in a team meeting as Bellamy kept complaining at being the first player subbed every game, Bobby eventually snapped, telling him to shut up, before adding, ‘I’ll squash you like an ant.’ But it got better as Robson then asked, ‘Who are you? Ronaldo, Romario, Stoichkov, Hagi, Guardiola, Luis Enrique, Gascoigne? These are the people I deal with. And who are you?’ Bellers could only reply with, ‘He’s got a point!’

In total, Bellamy made 93 appearances over 4 seasons for Newcastle, scoring 28 goals. He left under a bit of a cloud and would come back to haunt us many times later in his career with the likes of Blackburn, Liverpool and Manchester City. However, for the time he spent at the Toon, for many of us he became a real cult hero. As I said earlier, one of my favourite Newcastle players ever.

What are your views of Bellamy’s time at Newcastle? And do you have any stories of his many misdemeanours?

NUFC: Sandro’s back, olé, olé, olé!

There are loads of things that shouldn’t really be exciting, but just are. The two pence machines at the arcade. Jumping waves with the kids. Getting something that scans at the wrong (reduced) price at the self checkout. Christ, for some of us getting a text or a WhatsApp message still causes a flutter. Truth be told though, none of these can hold a candle in the adrenaline stakes to things like white water rafting, bungee jumping or skydiving and yet there’s still at least a tiny bit of excitement to be had from them.

In a weird way, it’s a similar story with the return of Sandro Tonali for Newcastle United. We’re excited to see him back because he’s one of ours, but truth be told we’ve barely seen the lad play. We’ve certainly not seen anything like the best of him, I’d expect. Still though, there’s a skip in the step kind of feeling to the fact that he’s about to be available for selection once again.

In truth, Sandro owes us, really. We’ve stuck by him, just as the club has. His name has been sung lustily by thousands both home and away, but he hasn’t played in front of us for 10 months. But then, it’s not in the nature of Newcastle fans to hold back when it comes to support. Whether we’ve been telling the world that he “drinks Moretti” and “eats spaghetti” or just giving it the old “Sandro, olé, olé, olé”, we’ve been right behind a player that hasn’t kicked a ball for us in a a long, long time. Yes, there’s always a scapegoat or two, particularly if you enter the cesspit of the NUFC hashtag on social media, but in the main our team can be sure of receiving our backing. It’s just what supporting Newcastle is about. If they’re in the shirt, they’ll be backed by the majority at least. I mean, none of us are in it for the trophies…

Tonali’s ban ends this week and it’s already been revealed that he’ll be in the squad for Wednesday night’s game away at Forest in the Carabao cup. I for one, cannot wait. I honestly don’t know what to expect as well. He was someone who I’ll happily admit to knowing nothing about before he signed – I’d never seen him play. And I don’t play FIFA. So, after only 13 appearances and 1 goal last year, there’s still a lot to learn. To haul out the old cliché, it really is just like a new signing. Which given the window we’ve had as I write, can’t be sniffed at!

Since being banned for breaching betting rules by the Italian Football Federation, we’re told that Sandro has been working hard. “Incredibly hard” in fact according to Eddie Howe. And rightly so, to be fair. He’s trained as normal while also finding time to learn English, which will benefit him enormously. He’s also made numerous visits to Italy to undergo counselling for his addiction.

It’s to be hoped that being able to train regularly with is team mates will have helped help Sandro immensely, acting almost like an extended pre-season. Howe says that Sandro is popular within the group and so it’s to be hoped that he can slot straight into the action quite smoothly. I guess all that’s likely to be missing is match sharpness, but hopefully his reading of the game, natural athleticism and footballing intelligence can compensate in those first half dozen appearances. After that, it’s to be hoped that he’s flying for the rest of the season.

It could be argued that the highlight for Tonali in a black and white shirt was his debut. The link up play with Bruno and Joelinton promised much, the range of passing and the drive to get on the end of the cross and volley in the opening goal, well you couldn’t have written that. Now, after ten months of frustration for all, he’s back and vowing to repay everyone at the club. This far into his career at Newcastle, it shouldn’t be exciting. But it is!

Welcome back, Sandro!

Ben Brereton Diaz v Fabian Schar – what really happened?

So, even though we got three points and recorded a clean sheet in our first game of the new season at the weekend, there was really only the one talking point. What on God’s green earth was Ben Brereton Diaz’s reaction to Fabian Schar’s so called headbutt all about? I mean, I could end this one early and just confirm that he’s a massive cheat, but I’ve been having a think and wrote a few alternative ideas down, just for a bit of fun. Here’s what might have actually happened.

The famous sniper in the stands returns. The same person who got Steven Taylor all those years ago against Villa, the same one who regularly targets Mo Salah and sometimes hangs around SJP to get a pot shot at Miggy.

Or could it be the same one who ‘shot’ at Donald Trump a little while back? And if it made a superhero like Donny fall, then why not a bang average Premier League footballer? Will Diaz appear for his next game with an elastoplast on his forehead like Trump’s famous ear bandage, just to be even more convincing? Maybe, like Trump’s supporters, Southampton fans will follow suit. Who knows? Whatever happens, Diaz will forever look like a tw*t.

Thinking about the future. We all know that footballers have a short career. And gone are the days when they could just go and run a pub when they hit thirty something. So maybe Diaz is thinking of becoming an actor and just getting his audition in early. If they ever remake Platoon, he’s got to be up for a role along with the aforementioned Taylor.

Garlic Surprise? Even the most biased Newcastle fan can’t think that Fabian Schar was entirely blameless. You stick your head in, you’re asking for trouble. That said though…it was all Diaz’s fault, the cheat. But what if Fabian had eaten one of his famous garlic surprise (with extra garlic) sandwiches before the match? Or had a cheeky lamb bhuna for his pre-match meal. I mean, they’re famous for their love of curries in Switzerland, apparently. Death breath plus a very sensitive nose? Could be…

Karaoke? It’s a little known fact that Ben Brereton Diaz is a big, big fan of karaoke. Apparently, he’s got his very own machine. A top of the range one from Tandy with disco lights and everything. Could it be then, that in an effort to diffuse the situation, he was simply bursting into song. I mean, by the look on his face he’s got to be doing Total Eclipse of The Heart by Bonnie Tyler, right? Either that or he’s just a dick.

Hair problems. Fabian Schar leans in towards Diaz’s head and in an effort to pull away and, in the spirit of fair play, not get Wor Fabby sent off he lashes himself back just too quick and gets a stray lock of hair from that frankly magnificent mane in his eye. Listen, back in the day, I too had magnificent long, flowing locks. Or was it a shit mullet? I’m too old to remember. What I do remember though, is picking up a similar injury at a Europe concert at Newcastle City Hall in the late eighties. I think it was during The Final Countdown and believe me, it stung.

Or maybe all of this is just b*ll*cks and the truth is that VAR failed us and Ben Brereton Diaz is a cheat? In the end though, three points is all that matters. Ain’t karma a bitch, Benny boy?

NUFC: Reasons to be cheerful…

Let’s be honest, even for the most positive and patient of Newcastle fans it’s been a bit of a frustrating pre-season. It seems like a lot of our fans had expected a bit of a spend up after the last second PSR related drama that led to the sales of Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson. Now was the time, in their informed opinion, for us to spend big. In fact, some of them seemed to think that they had a genuine insight into how the PIF work and that now they’d just be throwing money at big name signings.

And yet, here we are. Hardly in crisis, but with some of our fans seemingly apoplectic with rage for a range of reasons such as a £65m transfer taking too long or, at the time of writing maybe not actually happening, a club in a town you’ve never heard of in America being unable to afford Miggy Almiron and well, John Ruddy. Aye, John Ruddy seems to be a very unpopular 4th or 5th choice keeper with some people!

Anyway, in the interest of balance and hopefully common sense, I thought I’d offer some reasons to be cheerful. So, in no particular order, here they are.

The transfer window doesn’t close until August 30th! Now, I’m no mathematician, but that still leaves a decent amount of time for us to make more signings. So that right winger that most crave could well arrive yet! We all know that the last few days of the window are always when it all starts to heat up and so I fully expect us to get some quality in even if it takes until those last few days. And for the real naysayers, that’s also plenty of time for us to get rid of a few too!

Lloyd Kelly and Will Osula. For me, both are very good signings. Hear me out. Lloyd Kelly looks both solid and agile. He’s no slouch either. Fitting in with the Eddie Howe criteria, he appears to be a very good character too and so you’d imagine he’ll fit in well. In my opinion, he improves us even just as a back up, but I suspect we’ll see quite a lot of him this season, should he steer clear of injury. Will Osula is another good signing. OK, it’s all potential and statistically there’s not a lot to back things up, but I’m hopeful that he’ll make the step up and maybe just be inspired by the support that he’ll get. I remember people questioned the signing of Andy Cole at the time and look how that turned out. The lad is young, so let’s give him time. Osula is quick, skillful and athletic which are all good qualities for a modern day striker. And if Eddie can work his magic, then we might just have got a steal at £10m.

Football’s back! I take a different view to most during pre-season in that I actually quietly enjoy the lack of games to worry about. Maybe it’s down to my formative years watching teams managed by Bill McGarry, Jack Charlton and Jim Smith or maybe just a direct result of Mike Ashley’s tenure, but while I miss watching football, I don’t miss the stress of it all and the idiot that it turns me into! Like I say though, I’m definitely in the minority here. So, crack a smile and enjoying getting back to the match, man! And regardless of whoever might be playing right wing, just support the team as you always do!

Sandro olé, olé, olé! By the time you read this it’ll be under a fortnight until Sandro Tonali is able to make his return in black and white. There was a lot of excitement when he signed last year. Here was a Serie A superstar and mainstay of AC Milan’s midfield signing for the Toon! I mean, what a signing! And then he made a great start with a goal and Man of The Match performance against Villa, as well as an unexpected appearance at ‘Spoons too! After that, there were more tidy performances, although he looked like he was still finding his feet a bit. And then, the betting allegations surfaced and all of a sudden he was banned. But Sandro was not forgotten, hence the chant. Sandro Tonali’s return is within touching distance and adding him into a midfield with Bruno and Joelinton is very much a reason to be cheerful.

Joe Willock. Injury restricted Joe Willock to just 9 starts and 5 sub appearances last season and there were times when we missed his guile and hard running. Since signing on loan under Steve Bruce in 2021 he’s played 95 times and scored 15 goals, creating some amazing memories in that time and in the last year or so he’s struck up an excellent relationship on the pitch with Alexander Isak. I, for one, can’t wait to see the lad back.

The future’s bright! In terms of youth, last season was all about Lewis Miley. He was superb and it was a joy to see another local lad break through into the first team. As we gear up for a new season, Trevan Sanusi seems to have had a breakthrough in pre-season and been the standout performer in terms of our young players coming through. And I’ve no doubt that he’s got a real future at the club and will make his first team debut in this coming season. However, he’s not the only prospect that could make strides in ’24/’25. Add in the likes of Alfie Harrison, Cathal Heffernan, Leo Shahar, Alex Murphy, Travis Hernes and even younger players like Anthony Munda and Sean Neave and there’s a lot coming through the ranks that can offer some hope. And don’t forget, another Miley – Jamie – has been performing pretty well in pre-season too!

So, while we might not have got your preferred option in at centre back, right wing or even up front – yet – I’d hope you’d agree that there are still plenty of reasons to be cheerful as a Toon fan! Here’s to a successful ’24/’25 season!

NUFC: The Magnificent Sevens, Part 2.

In the second of this series I’m having a look at another 5 of my favourite number sevens. As I mentioned last time, I’ve always loved watching wingers and so I thought I’d write a couple of blogs about some of the ones I’ve loved watching most. Mind you, as a disclaimer I have to point out that some of our best number 7s haven’t really been wingers at all!

‘Jinky’ Jimmy Smith. Growing up, I’d hear about someone called ‘Jinky’ a lot. It sounded like a daft name, but my dad would regularly bang on about him. Eventually, as I got old enough to understand and old enough to go to games, I started to listen. Sadly for me, ‘Jinky’ had left by the time I was able to watch him play. His skills lived on though, with tales of his genius passed on by my dad and grandad, as I’m sure they were for many of my generation. From what I could gather, Smith was a bit of a maverick; one of those unpredictable players that a crowd might fall in love with while never truly knowing what they’re going to do next. ‘A box of tricks’ is how my dad described him and if you need a modern reference point, then perhaps Hatem Ben Arfa would have been a similar type of player. Jinky – nicknamed so because of his ability to ‘jink’ past an opponent – was a skillful player. Already a Scotland international when he joined the club, he would become a crowd favourite because of his flair and willingness to take on defenders. Making 179 appearances and scoring 16 goals, Jim became a real crowd favourite until tragedy struck and a series of knee injuries forced him into retirement aged just 29.

Darren Jackson. Darren Jackson will always bring back special memories for me. Partly because I just liked him as a player, but mainly because I happened to look quite like him in my late teens and was genuinely mistaken for him on a couple of occasions. Believe me, having someone stop you in the Metrocentre to ask if you’re a footballer will stay with you for a while! Jackson was signed in 1986 from Meadowbank Thistle for the princely sum of £240,000 and while he was never a world beater, he was definitely a player who seemed to be giving everything he had for the club. Slightly built, but quite skillful, Jackson had the ability to take on full backs and – as John Barnes once memorably rapped – get round the back. As such could usually be relied upon for an assist or a decent attacking performance. He was quite a fiery character too and never let himself be intimidated by some of the old Division 1’s more burly defenders. His career on Tyneside lasted just 3 seasons, taking in 69 appearances and 7 goals and I for one was saddened when he was sold to Dundee United for £200,000 in December 1988.

Tony Green. Younger supporters have possibly never even heard of what is likely to be their grandad’s favourite ever player. In fact, there can’t be that many people left who actually saw him play. But to those who did, the mere mention of Tony Green’s name is likely to light up their eyes and bring a smile to their face. Signed for £150,000 – big money in 1971 – Green only made 39 appearances before his career was ended by a knee injury. He was an integral part of Joe Harvey’s rebuilt United, the star of the show in a team that included the legendary Supermac. Green had it all; searing pace, skill, hard work, an eye for a pass and a will to win. Without having seen him play, perhaps the best thing to do is to leave it to those who did. So here’s what Stan Mortensen, Joe Harvey (his mangers at Blackpool and Newcastle) and Harry Crosby (my old man and a bloke who spent many a year in the Leazes end) had to say about Green. Mortensen – “He was never afraid to take on a man…which allied to his enthusiasm, ability, guts, strength and temperament makes him a great player.” Harvey – “After they made Tony Green they threw away the mould. His skills thrilled me in a way that no one else has ever been able to achieve.” My dad (a man of few words, unless he’s regaling you with tales of Aussie Gold Hunters or something!) -“The best player I ever saw. Simple as that.”

Rob Lee. Legend has it that Kevin Keegan persuaded Rob Lee to join Newcastle rather than Middlesborough by telling him that we were technically closer to London because of the airport. Lee wasn’t keen to move so far from his London roots, but I’m sure he’d agree that the potential for home-sickness didn’t last long. Signed from Charlton for a bargain £700,000, Lee is – in my humble opinion – one of the greatest players Newcastle fans have witnessed in the modern era. He started as a right sided wide player, all power, turn of pace and in possession of a neat line in body swerves and as a result was popular from the start of his time. In later years he’d play more as an attacking central midfielder and wherever he played, powerful, driving forward runs were his hallmark. Staying with the club from 1992-2002, Lee had many highpoints in his Toon career. For me though, three stand out; firstly, his ghost ‘goal’ at Brentford in 1993 when he hit a volley from inside his own half following a clearance only for the ref to blow up for a free kick. Then, there was his hat-trick – all headers if I remember rightly – in our first game back in Europe since 1977. I didn’t get to go to the game and there was no TV coverage, so myself and a mate listened on the radio and when Lee scored after only a minute, we went mental! Finally, Rob gave me one of my favourite memories ever when he scored the equaliser at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea in 2000. If I close my eyes, I can still see him leap and power that header into the back of the net and although it amounted to nothing as we lost, it’s a cherished memory. After surviving the Ruud Gullit era, Lee was eventually sold to Derby in 2002, when truth be told, he was past his best. For those of a certain age and those that remember Keegan’s Entertainers, Robert Lee will always be a favourite and an adopted Geordie.

Joelinton. Big Joe, J7, Joey…however you know him, it’s safe to say that none of us could have envisaged the player that Joelinton would become! Joelinton Cassio Apolinario de Lira was signed from Hoffenheim for a record fee of £40m and given the number 9 shirt, and sadly didn’t take long to look like a bit of a waste of money. In truth, he was played out of position, but still, the four goals in his first season was definitely not the return we’d hoped for. And while I always hoped there was a player in there somewhere, when he was struggling against Rochdale or blasting the ball into his own face when it would have been much, much easier to score, I didn’t think we’d still have Joelinton today. But thank goodness we do. Big Joe only took the number 7 shirt when Callum Wilson was signed, but it was Eddie Howe’s arrival and not the change of shirt that made the difference. And what a difference it was! We’re all familiar with the Norwich game and the whole transformation into a powerhouse midfielder, so I’ll save the repetition. However, as we prepare for a new season – Joe’s 6th in black and white – I think we’re all hopeful that he can stay injury free and push us back into Europe. The power, the pace, the attitude and the love of the fans – Joelinton’s turnaround has been remarkable really, seeing him become a vital part of the team as well as a Brazilian international too. In fact Joelinton has become so popular that not only does he have his own song, but a couple of years ago he became the face of a new fashion trend as the bloke who’s face we’d wear on Hawaiian shirts! As the song says, ‘He’s Brazilian’ and ‘we think he’s f***ing brilliant’!

So, there you have it. The second part of my Magnificent Sevens piece and my final five favourite players to wear the shirt. I hope you enjoyed reading about them, whether you agreed with me or not!

Euro 2024 Final Preview: Some people are on the pitch…

They say that it’s the hope that kills you, don’t they? But sometimes as a football fan, hope is all you’ve got. Certainly, as an England and a Newcastle United fan, well I’ve bought the t-shirt and the season ticket as far as hope is concerned! So, tonight, I’ll go with hope as a means to help me get through the final.

Being born just 6 years after we’d won the World Cup hasn’t helped. It’s meant that I’ve spent my entire life almost expecting that it’s only a matter of time before we win again. And yet, waiting is all I’ve done. Unless you include the holding of my head in my hands and the crying over the latest failure. So hopefully tonight can bring an end to the waiting and the tears.

I’ve always loved my country and always been very proud of being English, despite the fact that sometimes it can seem like there’s not a lot to take any pride in. Watching even a minority of England fans throw tables and chairs around any town that they’ve found themselves in over the years has been hard to take and can make you question your loyalty a bit at times. Throw in the weather, the years and years of awful governments and the right wing associations that are sometimes levelled against any form of patriotism and being a proud Englishman can feel a little awkward to say the least. Not to mention the sporting flops over the years.

All of that being said though, every tournament brings out the same sense of belonging in me. The house is decorated with flags, England tops are worn and life comes to a bit of standstill while we tailor everything around England games. It’s been exactly the same this tournament; hope, optimism, pride…and a huge dollop of frustration, given some of the performances! It doesn’t matter though. Tonight, we play in the final and fingers crossed we get the result we all want.

Having watched our cricket, rugby, athletics and even our women’s football team achieve varying types of glory over the years I can’t help feeling cheated as a football fan. Sure, it’s great when any England team wins a tournament and I’ve revelled in those successes as much as any of us. But I can’t say it’s been the same as the feeling I hope for if the England men’s team can win something in my lifetime. Having made the final a few years ago, I really believed that we’d win, especially on home soil. That we didn’t left me devastated. The exact same feeling as I’d had years before with the World Cups in 1986, 1990, 1998, 2018 and 2022. I’m hoping tonight that some sort of higher power – Harry Kane maybe? – will decide that enough’s enough.

Over the years it’s even felt like we’ve even had more success with our tunes than we’ve had on the pitch. In fact, sometimes our accompanying songs have made our failure even worse, given their quality. I mean, I still have my 7 inch vinyl copy of ‘This Time [We’ll Get It Right]’, but since then some of our songs have been more than memorable. If we could have matched our performances to tunes like ‘World in Motion’ and ‘Three Lions’ we’d have won some silverware years ago! Sadly though, the music’s usually been one step ahead of the team.

I really hope it all changes tonight. We’ve not been great this tournament, yet still here we are in the final. I don’t buy the criticism of Southgate as frankly, his record speaks for itself. We tried proven ‘winners’ with managers like Capello and went with what you might call with the people’s choice in Keegan, Venables and even Sam Allardyce. It brought us precisely nothing. Meanwhile, Gareth Southgate has come within a hair’s breadth of leading us to our first trophy since 1966 and blooded some cracking players over the years. In fact, if we’re completely honest he’s changed the face of the England football team in his time in charge. Jesus, he’s even made us feel like we can win penalty shoot outs! I for one would rather we were fighting at the top end of tournaments than heading home ranting about a perceived injustice as we’ve done in the past.

There’s no doubt that we have a lot of potential matchwinners in the squad. Despite his evident lack of fitness, Harry Kane has scored goals in this tournament, like he always does. Bukayo Saka has done the same and also offers the hope that he can beat a full back and put over the kind of cross that’s begging to be rammed home. Then there’s Jude Bellingham. I can’t say that I’ve been particularly impressed with him, but can’t deny that when it’s mattered he’s turned up. Kobie Mainoo has really impressed me since breaking into the team and I feel like he’ll play a big role tonight. It also seems to me that Phil Foden is growing into the tournament and he was really unlucky not to score in the semi. Hopefully tonight could be his night.

Even our bench has match-winning talent. Palmer, Watkins, Toney and Eze feel like the obvious picks here, for obvious reasons, but as a Newcastle fan I still hope that Anthony Gordon can get on and give us a few moments of quality. He’s very much a big game player and that pace can create something for us, without a doubt.

Tonight, we face a Spain team that will really test us. But I only have eyes for England. Can we win it? Is it finally coming home? I really don’t know, but I hope so, even if it really might just be the hope that kills you.

The form isn’t great and actually a lot of the optimism seems to be based around some kind of ‘feeling’. Still though, some people are on the pitch…so, COME ON, ENGLAAAAAAAAND!

Gallowgate Cult Heroes Number 8: Steve Watson.

At 16 years, 7 months and 9 days old, Steve Watson was our youngest ever debutant. And although he made his debut at home, during a time when I went and watched us play wherever and whenever, I missed it. A big thank you to Happy Shopper cash and carry in Blaydon where I was working at the time, for denying me the afternoon off to go to the match. I missed a bit of NUFC history, but I bet the sweet aisle looked amazing by the end of my shift. So, swings and roundabouts, eh?

A week later Watto would make his full debut – I was there for that one -, starting the home game against Derby, getting Man of The Match and assisting in a 2-0 win. He’d go on to play 24 times in that first season while also playing for 3 different managers as United struggled against relegation to the old third division before saving themselves on the final day.

While primarily playing as a full back, Watson played all over the field for the Toon. He made regular appearances in midfield, but also played up front on occasion too. In fact, on one such occasion after coming on as a sub at Liverpool in a League Cup tie, he grabbed the only goal of the game and still one of the most memorable I’ve ever seen and cemented his place as a cult hero in the eyes of many mags.

As the tie moved towards full time Newcastle broke out of their own box and Peter Beardsley took the ball from midway inside his own half from a headed clearance. Watson spun in behind the two defenders and Beardsley played a through ball that sent him a little right of target, but still heading towards goal. Watson still had a lot to do and little support, but twisting and turning he made his way to the edge of the box before chipping David James for a fantastic solo effort. An inspired moment that possibly no one in the ground would have seen coming and a brilliant goal from a very talented footballer.

Steve had produced an even more outrageous piece of skill years before though. Even as a 16-year-old he had an eye for something different. And so it was that his particular take on throw ins arrived in 1991. Steve had a good throw on him anyway, but little did we know he’d been working on something special; the somersault throw in! He needed a bit of space around the pitch to do it, but on occasion he’d bring out a throw where he would run forwards towards the line before performing a kind of forward flip, ball still in hands, and release it as he got back to a standing position. I’m hard pushed to remember where I saw it first and I can’t recall any particular successes, but it was brave to say the least, from one so young. Entertaining, as well!

Steve played for Newcastle from 1990 until 1998, taking in life in the then 2nd division, but mostly playing in the Premier League. He was a valued member of Kevin Keegan’s Entertainers before playing under Kenny Dalglish too. But then, mere months after a substitute appearance in the 1998 cup final, he was on his way to Aston Villa in a £4m deal.

For me, Watson seemed to suffer because of his versatility. Too often he was kept around to fill in various positions, never quite nailing one down for himself. Injuries didn’t help Steve either, but in all he never quite fulfilled his early promise. He always struck me as a good athlete; quick, agile and strong. He was a good attacking full back and so presumably would have made an excellent wing back in today’s systems. But alas, despite 208 appearances across 8 years at the club it felt like he never really cemented a place in the first team, which given his obvious talent was a real disappointment.

Some Toon fans might be able to draw a parallel between Watson and Elliot Anderson. Both were local lads that excited the fans. Both were skillful and athletic and should have had a bright future at the club, but both ended up leaving to further their careers. In Watson’s case, as the club’s youngest ever debutant, it felt like a real waste. I remember being excited watching his full debut against Derby and it wasn’t long before I was wondering if this was the next player to follow on from the likes of Beardsley and Gazza. Sadly, although an undoubtedly excellent player, Steve didn’t quite hit those heights.

Steve went on to have a long career, playing for Villa, Everton, West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday before retiring in 2009 after a long term injury problem. After that he teamed up with Lee Clark as a coach at Clark’s Huddersfield. Subsequent coaching moves took him to various clubs such as York and Gateshead and Steve is now the manager of Darlington in the National League North.

Another cult hero and another local lad done good!