Sol Campbell signs on for one year at Newcastle.

Posted on July 28th, 2010 | 72 Comments |

Sol signs 1 year deal.
Sol signs 1 year deal.
Newcastle have today confirmed that they have secured the services of 35-year old Sol Campbell on a one year deal.

Campbell will take the previously vacant number 5 jersey and will bring with him a whole host of experience that will hopefully help Newcastle establish themselves back in the top flight.

Although Campbell is appraoching the end of his playing career it still looks like it could be a good move for Newcastle. For me, Campbell proved he can still play at Premier League level last season with Arsenal, and the fact that Arsene Wenger was apparently keen to get Sol to sign on at The Emirates again should be a decent sign that he could have another top flight season left in his tank.

“At this stage of my career I couldn’t have wished for a better move. To join a club such as Newcastle United, with its proud tradition, heritage and magnificent support, is absolutely tremendous for me,” Sol told the official club website.

“I’d like to thank Chris Hughton for putting his faith in me and aim to repay him and the supporters by giving everything I possibly can to help re-establish this great club in the top-tier of English football.”

He added: “I just want to play and can’t wait to get started. There’s a real buzz about the place and that’s great. I’ve played at St. James’ Park numerous times and always found it a fantastic place to play, there’s always a tremendous atmosphere.”

Campbell joins the club ata time when we are suffereing somewhat of an injury crisis, especially in defence. As it stands, Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson are the only two central defenders at the club who have played first-team football. The signing of Campbell should help to bridge that gap until we can get the likes of Steven Taylor and Tamas Kadar back.

Chris Hughton has worked with Campbell before, as has Colin Calderwood, so they know very much what they are getting with Sol Campbell.

“I have known Sol since he was a lad at Tottenham and am fully aware of what he has to offer. That is experience, quality, calm assurance and leadership. He’s a dedicated professional, a terrific addition to the squad, and I look forward to working with him again,” Hughton told the officail club website.

Sol Campbell becomes the third signing of the summer at St James’ Park.

Welcome Sol!

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

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Posted on by toonsy in category: Chris Hughton and Interviews and Sol Campbell and Toonsy and Transfers , with tags: ,
Comment on this post

72 Responses

  1. Defence sorted RB- Perch, Simpson CB- S.Taylor, Coloccini, Campbell, Williamson LB- Enrique, Kadar

  3. pleased its just a 12 month deal … and should be a good addition to this seasons team/squad

    good move CH and keep up the good work

  4. With his missus coming from the area he may want to settle here longer term … this may mean that he will give 100% for the team/cause to become a local celebrity and good guy (rather than this being a last chance to earn lots of dosh and then bugger off) … here’s hoping.

  5. For me this is the beginning of the end for Colocinni. Campbell would have been given assurances along the lines of if he is fit and in good form he will play. Who with?
    Colocinni reportedly earns £80k a week. Can see him being moved on January if we don’t have injury problems then.
    Long term I want to see Kadar at the back but think this season it will be Taylor and Campbell.
    Tough on williamson and Colcinni

  6. If our efforts aren’t concentrated next on a cover left back I will not be able to overcome the bewilderment of why we won’t have decent cover for Jose for yet another season – with this being a vital one.

    The wings are very thin for numbers too, and we haven’t had a good, quick natural left footer in ages.

  9. Yep, welcome in Sol – great move all round.

    Good point on the LB. Toon Factor has Kadar in there, but I thought he was a CB. We seem to have 3 RBs (if you include R Taylor) but just one specialist LB.

    Gutted that CH has dismissed any move for van Arnie, too.

    Still – he knows what he’s doing and still has time.

  10. Whumpie says:
    July 28, 2010 at 1:48 pm

    “Good point on the LB. Toon Factor has Kadar in there, but I thought he was a CB.”

    He is, Whumpie. So far, he’s kept cutting in to the centre too much when he plays on the left.

  12. I actually think this is a really good common sense move. Adds MUCH needed prem experience at the back and its not like we’re short of pace with players like Coloccini and Enrique. I think he will organise and lift the ability of our other defenders by just being on the pitch, but of course he is still a beast in the air aswell.

  13. Whumpie says:
    July 28, 2010 at 1:48 pm

    “Gutted that CH has dismissed any move for van Arnie, too.”

    Chelsea aren’t selling Van Aanholt, Whumpie.

  14. With the Campbell signing, it takes our squad Premier League appearances up to over 1900 combined now.

    They must have fluked them appearances though because this team is not good enough for the prem :roll:

    I’ll withdraw now, and take my stirring spoon with me ;)

  15. I disagree about Kadar cutting into the centre too much to be a LB, he was just sitting deep rather than being up and down, and as cover who can blame him. When he did go up the flank he put in some cracking passes to Jonas.

  16. “At this stage of my career I couldn’t have wished for a better move. To join a club such as Newcastle United, with its proud tradition, heritage and magnificent support, is absolutely tremendous for me,” Sol told the official club website.
    YES, SOL, PITY YOU NEVER SHOWED ANY INTEREST IN COMING TO THE TOON IN YOUR PRIME.

  17. I am still concerned with lack of coverage on the flanks. Too many signings/rumors up the middle of the pitch.

    I am getting very positive about the season. Yes, it will be tough but I firmly believe we will survive.

  19. Were we ever in for Sol Campbell when he was in his prime?

    Must’ve escaped me if we were…….

  20. there will be no potential stars or quality coming in,just more angle signings for me.players who dont cost anyhting,cannot get a game elsewhere,lower league players with the potential to maybe step up.
    well fat boy will probably have the kids queueing up for shirts with campbell on the back,all in all nice little derek,put it all on red 17.

  21. glad to have him in there and only for a year too. kind of surprised though because i thought his sticking point with not resigning for arsenal was they were only offering him a one year deal and we were offering two.

    either way, good stuff. lookin forward to who’s coming next. welcome sol!

  22. you in a competition with Bobby or something like Trojan to see who can sound most like a whining bitch? Very boring lads, hope your happy about bringing down the quality of a blog that people have tried very hard to set up.

  23. right who can we get with a good throw in like rory delap,shame mike challinor wasn’t in his prime this day and age lol.

  25. bull sh*t no9 – why would he have come to newcastle when he was winning things at arsenal ???

    don’t just comment to get a reaction … try being sensible …

  26. ILM – They are as entitled to their opinion as you are in fairness mate, however different they may be.

  28. who’s whining i love mike?i’ve never thought for one minute we would bring in players like,raul,ben arfa etc,it was never on the cards.over the last couple of weeks i’ve heard people talking about these sort of players like albin,raul,joe cole,etc more chance of the titanic coming up.me saying we’ll get in battlers and lads who can’t get a game still stands,i’m not trying to be negative but that’s the reality of the situation,if you want to look at it in another way,the by all means go for your life,it’s your right.

  30. aye,toonsy he also takes free kicks,but i dont want him on the pitch the rest of the time lol,mr ryan run five yards and fall over taylor.

  31. I tend to agree with TROJAN on the player recruitment front. I think we will only be signing players who are workman like, and not frill players.

    Function over style if you will.

  32. toonsy says:
    July 28, 2010 at 2:54 pm

    “I tend to agree with TROJAN on the player recruitment front. I think we will only be signing players who are workman like, and not frill players.”

    Going by the finances of the club, and Mike Ashley’s previous M.O. spending will be fairly modest this year, and better next year, Toonsy.

  34. I know some fans were expecting bigger signings such as Ben Arfa etc but realisticly could we have done better than Campbell, i dont think so.
    We are not in the position where we can take a chance on foreign untried players in this league, we have had our fingers burnt in the past with Viana, Marcellino to name just a few.
    Lloyd Samuel from Bolton will be the next one as they have just signed a new left back, we need to consolidate this season and need tried and tested players to achieve this, Campbell is not a gamble, good signing by Hughton.

  35. Worky – Didn’t Llambias say something like that ages ago? That money will be tight this year but should increase next year?

  36. Icedog – It doesn’t happen often. You may want to take a screenshot of it to prove it can be done :lol:

  40. toonsy says:
    July 28, 2010 at 3:28 pm

    “Worky – Didn’t Llambias say something like that ages ago?”

    Yes, he did say something like that, Toonsy. We’re still taking a big hit from relegation and the new sponsorship deals aren’t what they were. The @StJames’s sacrilege seems to have been a bit of a non-starter too.

  41. I think we need to listen more to CH’s words. He’s already said that Vukic is part of his plans, so perhaps that is where he sees our wing cover coming from.

    Not so sure about LB, though – which is a worry. Do we have anyone coming through the ranks who could be an understudy to Toro Nino?

    Frankly, I think we’d survive on what we’ve got. But it would be ugly and stressful. So I also think we’ll see 2 more players in before the deadline. Good ones but probably unexpected – that’s CH’s MO.

    (An MO that drives the press nuts too, which I like)

  42. Hate to say it, but if Owl Heed did say that, it’s pretty sensible. Doesn’t make for an exciting season this year, but it means we don’t over-stretch for no reason, and maximise our options next summer when – hopefully – we’ll be looking to start our push back up into the top half.

    I may not like the people, but the strategy is making sense. Dammit. ;)

  43. Ok, so I’m writing dull docs again, so as a boredom relief, here’s the question:

    Say you’re CH. You can spend up to £5m total (xfer and 1st year’s wages) on one more player who can be realistically bought or loaned. Who would it be? Any takers?

  45. Sorry Toonsy – feel free to remove that post! Try writing Project Stage Gate definitions for a while; makes you want to discuss any old klunge…

  47. Whumpie – Nah man, just joshin with you. It’ll be up soon anyway, and mine is different anyway. Just a hint though, post that on the new thread so it doesn’t get missed ;)

  48. I’d have bought Sooper Hooper mesel.

    He’s gone so mebs get Vela, Van the Man and Clever Dick all on loan – £5m should cover their wages.

  49. Toonsy – how about calling the bluff of all these armchair experts by posting a thread which does call for predictions of recruitment, and then do another reviewing all the submissions when the window shuts? Praps do the same for results for the first part of the season too?

    I think it would help to cut down on all the persistent garbage from some, knowing their ‘expert opinions’ will be examined against what actually happens. It would also be a laugh.

  50. @ I Live Mike

    Oh sorry for spoiling the blog by disagreeing with you. I thought that was the purpose of such a thing, to discuss opinions.
    Just cos me and T69 are right and you are too naive to see it then tough.
    I am not impressed one iota by Ashleys obsession with gambling on our future.
    Let us not forget, it was only by good fortune that we got promoted , cos Ashley had no idea when we went down how poor the championship was.
    If it had been a better standard and we were languishing mid table in the championship, would you have the same outlook. Last season was by luck not design.

  51. T.C.agree m8,might see a big money move for him in the future if things work out for him

  52. Whumpie – I’m screenshotting things all the time. I’m making collage of comments willing the club to be relegated just so they can say they were right.

    I’m calling it “the wall of wasteful thinking”

    I’ll post it up if we stay up ;)

  53. The fact the club have obviously scrapped the naming right issue for the stadium is down to the stupidity of some supporters making a mountain out of a mole hill.

    That could have generated much needed funds.

    Llambias did say that we wouldn’t be punching our weight in the transfer market until our 2nd year in the PL (If there is a 2nd year!).

  54. “it was only by good fortune that we got promoted”

    Cheers Bobby Bullsh!tter – that’s all we needed to confirm just how clueless you really are.

    I think it’s safe to say we can just ignore poor old senile bob from now on.

  55. toonsy says:
    July 28, 2010 at 3:58 pm

    “Whumpie – I’m screenshotting things all the time. I’m making collage of comments willing the club to be relegated just so they can say they were right.”

    It’s quite funny how many of the people who were dead set that we wouldn’t get promoted, that Hughton couldn’t manage a **** up in a brewery etc are the ones who keep saying they were right all along, and that everyone else is stupid apart from them.

  56. Ok, so I know who Robbie Keane is, and I see why you’d want him. It seems an odd-un to me because it just reminds me too much of the old days, with Viduka and co. But yep, see that.

    But who are Sooper Hooper, Van the Man and Clever Dick? Is my brain just soggy from these OCG docs?

  59. Workie – yep, my pet hate isn’t people who have any particular opinion on here, it’s those who claim it to be ‘fact’ (usually in caps) or just won’t see that their guess is no more than that. Worst of all are those who get it wrong but just repeat the same stuff regardless – like those we’ve seen today, still predicting doom like they did before last season.

    Cheerist – imagine having to live or work with them? Would you get away with a plea-bargain to manslaughter?

  61. get over yourself bob. if u think cc was a shit league then u must be mad.the facts are we made it a shit league becasue we won it by a mile.the prem league is even worst.man u chlsea still got old players playing for them why.becasue the standard in this league makes them compete becasue they are playing at the level as these average players.stop this doom and gloom we are going to be ok.like joey barton says i am as good as these england players thats the way forward think postive.

  62. Shame van Arnie’s not available. Perfect signing. Alas, Wenger agrees with me! :(

    I think I’d like to see a youngun as an understudy for LB, and if there is a splashing of cash of any sort, splurge it on a quick left-winger who can score goals. Basically Bellamy without the tendency to be an unmitigated, no-necked twat.

  64. To be honest, I’m not bothered about the standards at the top of the table; I’m interested in the rest. And I’m just not that worried by most of them. We only have to be better than 3 over the season; job done.

    Still need LB and RW cover, though!

  65. Aha! Of course. The Cleverly chap.

    But sureley he’s yet ANOTHER attacking midfielder? Don’t we already have 46 of them?

    We need the people who cloned Dolly the Sheep to do us a special-order mirror-image of Routledge for the RW… :)

  68. The Cardiff lad? Is he definitely a left-winger? Certainly a bit good, and young enough. No idea if we could get him, though.

  69. WHUMPIE might have got him cheap but for that guy stepping in and saved them from the “tax-man”

  70. Whittingham spent most of last season on the right cutting in on his left, Can play on either wing in the middle and at left back.

    This was doing th rounds last week:

    /www.fansfc.com