Newcastle United – News Roundup – 11 July 2009 [last updated: 3.15pm].
Posted on July 11th, 2009 | 6 Comments |
Shamrock Rovers game (today).
Well, today’s the day of Newcastle United’s first friendly game of the season, this time against the Emerald Isle’s Shamrock Rovers (K.O. 3pm). Shamrock’s manager and NUFC old boy, Michael O’Neill spoke to Newcastle’s Chronicle yesterday about the game, and also of his “heartache” over the current situation facing his old club. He said:
“I have some very fond memories of my times there and you could see then it was a place waiting to take off.
“I played with Gazza and Mirandinha during their pomp at Newcastle, which was a great experience for a young striker.
“Now I’m just as gutted as everybody else up there to see it back in turmoil.
“It certainly has the ability to be a top-four club.
“With the fan-base the size it is and the stadium, it’s all set up, so I hope that they can get sorted up there.
“I was only a kid when I played up there really, and the older lads like John Anderson and Glenn Roeder used to look after me – and Gazza was also around as well!
“It was great playing with Gazza – he was phenomenal. I remember when we beat Spurs 2-0 on a muddy pitch – and they signed him on the back of that.”
The Chronic will be providing live coverage of the game with Lee Ryder. Link >>
Sheffield United game (Nov 2nd).
Meanwhile, there was news from the Shields Gazette yesterday that the Championship game with Sheffield United has now been rescheduled for TV coverage on Sky, which leaves a total of four televised games (so far) for the Toon. United will now play the Blades on Monday, November 2nd, with kickoff at 7.45pm. Check the sidebar of this ‘blog for details of all Newcastle United televised fixtures.
More takeover piffle.
Moving on to more takeover speculation, ex Liverppol star, Steve McMahon has been blathering on about the Profitable Group’s alleged “bid” for Newcastle United to Singapore’s Straits Times. He told them yesterday:
“We have a bid in and it’s under serious consideration” adding
“It’s a strategic move and will be great for Newcastle. We can turn what is a disaster at the moment into a success.”
In a bidding contest which is wrapped in secrecy and non-disclosure agreements, it seems a little odd the the highly controversial land banking group’s representatives would be blathering on to all and sundry about their supposed bid at this stage.
UPDATE [10.00 AM]
This morning, the Journal Live’s Mark Douglas is reporting that the Profitable Group would install Alan Shearer as Newcastle United’s new manager “within days” if their bid for the club is successful. Douglas adds:
The Far East investment company were the first to go on the record about a firm bid for the club yesterday when former England midfielder Steve McMahon – now commercial director for Profitable – revealed that he expects a decision “by the end of the week”.
UPDATE 2 [11.15 AM]
The Sun’s Ken Sweet is reporting that Alan Shearer has said “Sheario” to Newcastle United, as he is (in the imagination of Ken Sweet, anyway) said to be “sick of being kept in the dark over the club’s future”. Sweet drivels on:
The furious Toon idol has no firm idea who is involved in the bidding to take over the relegated Magpies and feels isolated by owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias.” He adds that the Sun can also “reveal”
He then goes on to wheel out the usual, stereotypical, cliched drivel which comes as standard with the Sun’s Toon reporting
“Shearer was hailed as the messiah [zzzz] when he accepted Ashley’s challenge to try to keep Newcastle in the Premier League with only eight games to go… after more worthless verbal diarreah, he goes to string more lazy cliches together in an extremely questionable quote from an apparent “close pal” of the record goalscorer:
“Communication would appear not to be Ashley’s strength. “He and Llambias have kept Alan guessing but time is running out if he is to return and install his plans for a promotion charge. “The Toon fans look upon him as ‘The Messiah’ [yawn]. But he can hardly work a miracle when he’s being frozen out by Ashley.”
UPDATE 3 [3.15 PM] NUFC team for Shamrock game.
Steve Harper, Habib Beye, Callum Morris, Fabricio Coloccini, Tamas Kadar, Wesley Ngo Baheng, Nicky Butt, Joey Barton, Damien Duff, Kevin Nolan, Nile Ranger.
Subs: Jose Enrique, Danny Guthrie, Ryan Taylor, Alan Smith, Shola Ameobi, Steven Taylor, Frank Wiafe Danquah, Ole Soderberg, Ben Tozer, Kazenga LuaLua, Tim Krul, Ryan Donaldson.
Who would have thought after relegation in May that we would be in this situation two months later on the day of our first preseason friendly? Who would have predicted that we would see virtually the same team appearing again and no manager in place? Sad times