Magpies modern classics – Arsenal 1-3 Newcastle.

Posted on May 21st, 2010 | 71 Comments |

Episode three of my series of modern memories takes us on a trip to the capital city and to Highbury, the former home of Arsenal. We had a shocking record of playing in London at the time and hadn’t won in the previous thirty visits to the capital, something that was to change that evening.

It was a night where we came out on top against a magnificent Arsenal team that featured the likes of Thierry Henry and Robert Pires in their pomp.

Arsenal dominated the early exchanges and deservedly took the lead after Newcastle failed to clear an audacious overhead cross from Thierry Henry, only for Robert Pires to pounce on the loose ball and slot home from close range. It looked like Arsenal would stroll to a comfortable success until Ray Parlour got sent off just before half-time.

Newcastle came back into the match and scraped an equaliser through Andy O’Brien before the referee decided to level the match up a little by sending Craig Bellamy off. So now it was 10 v 10, and further goals were scored for Newcastle by Alan Shearer from the penalty spot and Laurent Robert who caught Arsenal on the break to finish the game off in stoppage time.

It was a cracking result on that Decemeber night back in 2001, and one that will be remembered by me for some time due to the unlikely nature of the result and some personal rivalry with a mate who follows Arsenal and had been winding me up for a good few weeks prior to the match.

It was the sweetest bet I have ever won.

NUFCBlog Author: toonsy toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.

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71 Responses

  5. Gooner here, Still angry about that result even now. Dodgy sending off, dodgy pen.

  7. after this flukey loss and Sheeeeraaah dive for the pen.. u might wanna mention that the Arse actually won ALL their games and stroll to the title.. tk u toon for the kick up the bollocks that im sure the team needed..

    and yeah.. was a clean tackle from Sol.. and sheeeerah dived!!!

  8. It was Robert anyway you fackin mug!

    And was the description ‘magnificent Arsenal’ not good enough?

  10. yep Toonsy sniff sniff…one of those staunch Mackems who’s never been to a game in his life.

  12. Joni – No probs ;)

    To add to Richie’s question, will the Wenger spend the cash if Cesc does end up leaving? Or will it pay a chunk off that rather plush stadium you have?

  13. Arsenal will win fook all again this year…they are on a roll.
    Give Mr Wonger a new 10 year deal I say :)
    All the gunner glory chasers will be following chelsea now anyway.

  14. 13: Well, Arsenal are a club you should tip your hat for mate. The way they go about their business nursing young players instead of building a giant debt like the other top teams is a feat in itself… I would also take them over those filthy spurs anyday… Credit where credit is due i say

  15. Valle – I agree. Champions League football for 13 years running is something I would love to have at Newcastle.

  17. Football is about winning-Arsenal don’t do that anymore the dog has had it’s day – time for a new challenger or two Spurs and Man City.

    Much more of a prospect than Arsenal-Prepared to invest big..I tipped Arsenal on here to win Nish start of the season and I will tip them again….GO ! GOONIES….ER I MEAN GOONERS.

  18. Toonsy Wonger is on Borrowed time-real gunners season ticket holders are starting to get unsettled calling for Wonger to walk on the radio the other day…ignore what the glory chasers say mate

  19. Ditto…I’d rather Arsenal won the league than Chelski,Manure,Citeh and Spuds but they need to spend some cash,even if Fabregas was staying.

  20. 18 sirjasontoon says:
    May 21, 2010 at 7:48 pm
    Toonsy Wonger is on Borrowed time-real gunners season ticket holders are starting to get unsettled calling for Wonger to walk on the radio the other day…ignore what the glory chasers say mate

    Only problem with tat theory sjt is i could call up a radio phone in saying im the queen n i support arsenal n i want wenger to walk , You talk complete shite sometimes

  21. Weak Spine in the team…all the hardmen have gone….they have a nice stadium,pretty football but sadly will win nothing…they have had there time and that’s the way it goes.

    Less skillful teams scare them and get stuck in…..then they start crying and fold like an ironing board and fall over…

  22. So loads of people on an football phone in ring up and pretend to be arsenal fans….even the hosts where saying it don’t look good :)

    Me talk shit?
    Speak for yourself Fookwit.

  27. That aint going to happen…think your childs,childs,childs child will see us possibly winning the Europe Lge in 70 years time ;)

  28. oh well,I’ll have to make do with the fairs cup when I was 2 then mate :-(

  30. I certainly miss those days when we could beat Arsenal and it wasn’t seen as a shock result. Those days are gone gor a long time now lads, we just have to be patient and some day possibly if we believe hard enough, say our prayers we might get close to being as good as we were then.

  31. Not even I can take that, you’ve killed me, the morale officer can’t take any more :(

  32. Morale officer Howay man you cant stop now we need you, dont let your head drop come on head up chest out and keep going. The Toon Needs You ;)

  33. Laurent, Laurent Robert,
    everyone sing his name……………………….

    worky,
    Robert’s ‘actionman’ hair don’t could be a candidate.
    :)

  35. Glad Morale officer can’t take anymore…I have Sam Allardyce waiting in stockings and lipstick ready to bum you off the blog….Amstel’s all round Cheers For The mammeries-TIT. :evil:

  39. irish 2000 guineas = fencing master @ 9/2..

    ….lump on , make sure the fridge is fully stocked with refreshing drinks..lie back & watch the sun splitting the trees.

    …collect & enjoy the weekend.

    ..happy days.

  41. Devon – Just type in ‘Magpies modern classics’ in the search bar at the top of the page.

    There is only 3 to watch at the minute :)

  42. 38-Not bothered if you love me or hate me Morale Officer….focus on yourself -you may find it more rewarding.

  44. Great match, when are we going to have ketsbaia kicking the shite of the boards.

  45. Toonsy what is Big Mick doing with the 90 Million premiership money?
    I bet he is going to razz it all up the casino wall on big nights out with Owl Heed,Buy a new helicopter,a bigger mansion and more fabric for his sweat factory workers to stitch into slazenger and dunlop jumpers :)

    Can’t see any being invested in real quality players….they are all too old and their wages are way to high…we must cut our cloth accordingly :)

  48. SJT – I see after preaching that I shouldn’t believe everything I read, you go and do exatly that.

    The Sun printing a misleading headline? Nah.

    To clarify, it’s £90 million if they go up, get relegated and don’t come back again within 4 years.

    Or to make it clearer, £40 million guranteed for finishing bottom (I dont know how they work that out as Pompey only got £20 million), plus 4 years parachute payment = £88 million.

    As I said, The Sun, misleading people? Nah ;)

  49. No matter how much it is Toonsy-We will see little spent on quality players…it could be £150 million it makes very little difference my friend.

  50. BTW I wasn’t preaching-I was just trying to simplify the benefits when spending millions on a business to have due diligence done as a general rule of thumb.

  51. Sounded like preaching to me. It actually sounded like the type of thing one of those right wing types would say, or one of those god men.

    “Toonsy don’t believe all you read or hear mate it is dangerous, always question,question again,think about it and keep the mind and your senses free to make your own personal judgement.”

    Aye right, so make my own judgement, ok ok.

    “You mention many broadsheets as back up and they all tell lies anyway on a daily basis so we can ignore them.”

    Then go on to say I should follow your judgemnet and ignore my judgement, whilst omitting the ctuall article that was written by Ashley himself, with direc quotes and everything.

    But it’s ok to ignore that to suit an agenda?

  52. It wasn’t preaching….if you understood politics Toonsy you would not have use that Jaded left analogy.

    There is no left and right in politics anymore….the left and right is a paradigm to keep the bemused amused they all have the same agenda….set out for the by the IMF,Council on Foreign Relations,Bilderberg,Major Banks and Un Elected Euro-Crats etc

    Think Jim Henson and the Muppets…do you really think Kermit drank the Kool Aid?
    Exactly Jim made him do it :)

  54. Even if we will see a large income of money, we have to remember that 37 million of those gained would go to break even on costs, since thats what we lost last year apperently… I have to say, that looking back on Souness spendings of 34 million on Owen, Luque and Boumsong I really like our new way of going about things. Sure it was exciting times in those transfer windows, but the money wasted by this club in those days are criminal. Houghton’s buys remind me a bit of Bobby’s, imagine how he could make use just half that amount these days… Sure there’s a Best for every Routledge and Williamson, but he see where we need to strenghten and he gets what we need for that position… Speaking of old Bobby, sacking him must surely go down as the biggest mistake made in NUFC’s history?.

  55. Anyway enough Bickering.
    Back to football.

    If Cardiff came knocking looking for a swop deal ranger,Shola and Best straight swop for Chopra would you be up for a trade?

    I would drop all three off on my BMX.

  57. Btw Toonsy, id like to congrats you on this blog… Reminds me of how Ed Harrisons started out and how it should have remained, great job mate.

  58. Toonsy take everything Mick says with a large dose of salt….he does not have what is best for NUFC at heart he is looking after number 1 and has continually lied to both the media and fans and he will continue to do so.

  59. Aye Jay Jay…what a Toon Animal !!
    Proper passion and a Rocket in his Boot !!

  60. Valle – Cheers man, but it’s more than just me who have put towards it.

    I said it before, but I’ll say it again, It’s you guys who make it really to be honest.

    SJT – No, at least Ameobi has goals in him at PL level (however little), something Chopra has never had. He is the poster boy for finding his level in The Championship.

  61. How many goals can you see us scoring with the current line up next season with the big boys?

    Best-1
    Nolan-5
    Smith-1 (Bolted on)
    Carroll-7
    Shola-4
    Ranger (5 for a championship team)
    Barton – 2
    Harper-1 (injury time header)

  62. sirjasontoon says:
    May 22, 2010 at 11:26 am

    “Toonsy take everything Mick says with a large dose of salt”

    I’ll make my own mind up if it’s all the same. Jump on the bandwagon if you wish, but I don’t need to follow the crowd.

  63. Ameobi is not premiership quality Toonsy…watch him struggle this year (again).
    Chopra is a better more mobile player and will score more than Shola if they get promoted…I will have a tenner on it if you like?

  64. Toonsy I was one of the first on blogs to start seeing him for what he is..I have articles I done on 606 from way back long before the pitchforks and bedsheets came along :)

  65. sirjason chopra has been proved rubbish time and time again at prem level, whereas I don’t personally rate shola or best, Ranger’s barely 19 man! Who knows what he’ll grow into?

  67. Not getting on Rangers Case…think he could do with a good loan at somewhere like Leeds…might come good,just seems to lack composure and clinical finishing and would find the premiership a bit heavy going at the minute.

    Come on Toonsy it was only a bit of banter-no offence meant fella.

  71. Gotta love the Gunner’s having a go at Shearer for the sending off even though he was trying to talk the ref out of the red card for Parlour.

    You know how the cockney’s keep calling us uneducated?

    Yep.