Nolan returns to his old stomping ground.

Posted on November 19th, 2010 | 66 Comments |

Will our former Bolton player do the damage?
Will our former Bolton player do the damage?
Newcastle United captain Kevin Nolan insists he has no regrets about leaving Bolton to sign for The Magpies.

The Scouser prepares himself for an emotional return to The Reebok Stadium tomorrow afternoon.

In a clearly emotional and extended interview with The Chronicle, Nolan reflected upon his time with Bolton, his move to Newcastle and his pride at playing for Newcastle United among other things.

“It was a fantastic move for me, and I was delighted when I made it.

We went down, but I wanted to prove it wasn’t the wrong move. And bit by bit, year by year, I can continue to improve and prove that why I came here was because I could see bigger and better things for this club.”

Since arriving Kevin has always always had a positive attitude and said the right things to the press. He spoke about how proud he is to be skipper at United:

“I was Bolton captain for three or four good years, and I really enjoyed it. But when I got the captaincy here, it was probably a bit of a prouder moment, because I know what it means to so many people here with the fan base.”

“It was a great achievement from where I was 18 months before. It’s been a rollercoaster since I’ve been here, but everything’s steady now, and we’re on a gentle climb as we’re going up.”

Nolan is looking to help drive Newcastle forward ater a turbulent few years. Whilst the main focus of this season has to be survival, it isn’t stopping Nolan from looking at the bigger picture with regards to the future of Newcastle and where he would like us to end up.

“I’m just delighted I’m going to be going back to Bolton fit and ready to go and with a Newcastle side we can all be proud of. That’s all I ever wanted, and I think I’ve got it.”

“It has got to get even better – we’ve got to make sure we stay in this league this year. Hopefully, we can get back to where this club wants to be, which is Europe.”

Fair play for planning for Europe over time, but first and foremost it’s Bolton. Small steps and all that.

This will be the first time that Nolan has played at the home of his former club after his, seemigly rushed, £4 million transfer back in January 2009. Nolan reflected on that transfer, and some of the good times he had at Bolton;

“I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to a lot of people. It will be an emotional day for me, but at the end of the day, I’m delighted with what I’ve got here.”

“I’m really looking forward to going with my new team, and trying to take three points off them – That’s the be all and end all.”

“We did some fantastic things down there. I got my chance under Sam Allardyce, and I do look back and it feels really weird not being part of things there, as it was so much of my life, even my family life, for so many years.”

“It’s all changed. I never ever thought I’d say it, but it’s exactly how I am here now. I just love it here, and so does my family.”

“Last time we played at Bolton I was suspended, and that really dented it when I went back. I got a great reception because I took a hospitality box that day, and they all gave me a bit of a song. That was when we were losing 1-0.”

Good interview from Kevin. He obviously has big affections for his old club who he achieved so much with. It’s bound to be an emotional day for him. But it’s good to hear of his love for Newcastle.

Kevin struggled when he first arrived on Tyneside, but despite the slow start he became pivotal in our promotion season and was one of many influential players. He is an excellent leader in fairness to him, and scoring a hat-trick against the unwashed inbreds wouldn’t have done his reputation any harm either.

Kevin will be hoping to add to his seven goal tally for the season. An impressive goal return for the midfielder who finds himself joint top goal scorer in the league. Let’s hope that sentiment doesn’t come into it tomorrow and Kev can return to haunt his old club.

Goodness knows we’ve had a long list of former players that have come back to haunt us. Charles N’Zogbia anyone? Luckily enough Damien Duff didn’t manage to get on the score sheet when Fulham visited though. I thought I’d add that because Mr ‘I’m as loyal as they come’ Duff’s exit struck the biggest nerve with me.

Bolton will be a tough test for sure. Hopefully we can take our excellent away form into this game and nick it. Bolton currently sit 1 point above us in the table. My prediction for this one is a well fought 1-1 draw.

NUFCBlog Author: MarkToon MarkToon has written 10 articles on this blog.

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66 Responses

  1. Last time he was due to play for us against Bolton he went out of his way to get sent off in the match before, in the process doing a De Jong on Victor Anichebe.

    I hope he puts all his effort in this time, he has become a fan favorite, and is the captain… Always a dodgy one predicting how a player will play on his old stomping ground.

  2. He,s not captain for nothing. I,m sure his heart, mind, and feet will be in the right place tomorrow. 2-3 to the mags.

  3. The thing is, this is actually a good side. When they all put in 100% and it clicks they win. Not every team has that talent and ability. Lets see some sweat and heart tomorow plz. Bolton are getting bigged up atm but they nothin really. Can’t imagine O’Brian, Robinson, Davis, McCann troubling Barcelona in the champions league anytime soon can you?

    What they are primarily is organisation, graft and fight. We’ve got that now, plus talent.

  4. To be honest lots of people on this blog have slated Nolan but he is joint top scorer in perm – yup he is slow but you don’t need to be that fast if you have a football brain – go on kev, hatrick against your old team would be magic ;)

  5. DJG – to be fair Coyle has them playing some decent stuff this season – amazing what a decent manager can do, he’s changed a bunch of cloggers into a decent footballing team

  6. fourfouroneone

    Totally agreed. You could have the best striker on the planet ect but in football generally your only as good as your manager and goalkeeper.

  7. Considering the theme of this thread I though this point of view from an opposition fan might interest.

    ‘Tomorrow will cap a big day for Nobby, and will bring his career full circle (no fat jokes!)

    Kevin Nolan started his Wanderers career after being let go as a Liverpool academy player at just 16-years old.

    Nobby soon rose out of our academy, and made his way into the first team. His early promise was fulfilled, a young spritely box-to-box midfielder with an eye for goal, his most memorable moments always seemed to come on at Old Trafford; scoring two goals, in two landmark victories for the Wanderers.

    As Bolton stepped up and began to fight for European honours, Nolan too stepped up, scoring more regularly and challanging for an international berth with England…Ireland…and Holland.

    Whilst international honours never came, his hard-work paid off, Nolan was at his most prolific in the 05-06 season and was rewarded when he was made captain in 2006.

    Replacing Jay Jay Okocha, Nolan led the team into January 2007, 3rd in the table, everything seemed rosy.

    But then Bolton’s fortunes petered out, and Nolan’s form began to decline, Allardyce left, and such began the demise of one of Bolton fans most revered sons.

    Nolan struggled to make an impact in the coming couple of years. He found himself out of position, out of form, and out of shape. Gone was the box-to-box goalscorer, and replaced was the sluggish captain whose main contribution to games would be bawling at referees and getting cheered as he was substitued.

    When the Bolton board accepted a bid of £4M for Kevin Nolan, there weren’t many who complained, there were more likely those dancing around the streets. It was a sad end to his Wanderers career, and there were many, me included that thought he’d more likely do a Michael Ricketts and finish up in the lower-leagues than bounce back.

    And he nearly did, Kev struggled in an already sinking Toon team that were ultimately relegated.

    But at 27, Nolan was still young enough, and motivated enough to turn his career round, a season in the Championship proved the best rehabilitation possible.

    He rediscovered his goalscoring touch, shed (some) of the weight, and whilst he’ll never be that agile, young box-to-box midfielder, he’s as lethal as ever in the box; already contributing seven goals to the Newcastle team- including that superb hat-trick against ‘The Mackems’.

    Ahead of the big return, Nolan has spoken very well of Bolton, and his time here, and even promised not to celebrate should he score!

    I hope, and can only imagine, he will be given the reaction he deserves. There aren’t many of our ex-players who deserve a standing ovation, but if anyone does, it is Kevin Nolan.

    There will be those who remember the bad times, and hopefully they will be the silent minority but lesser Bolton players such as El Hadji Diouf and Eidur Gudjohnsen are given a heroes reception on return, and tomorrow, I’m sure the fans will raise the roof for Nobby.

    Prediction: A good game, a good atmosphere and a few scares but with Newcastle missing key players, and Bolton in positive form, I’m going to stick my neck out and go for a 2-0 home-win- Matty Taylor to be rewarded for his recent ‘nearly’ efforts by bagging a couple of goals.’

  8. Great attitude from a great player/captain for the Toon.
    Heart, fight, passion, loyalty, eye for a goal, great influence.
    Howay, wor Kev!

    Toon, Toon…

  9. Soz like Mark, but isn’t the term ‘Stamping ground’, not ‘stomping ground’?
    I know, pedantic n’ stuff, just wondered like.
    :)
    Anyone know for sure, out there?
    worky?
    ;)

  10. clint flick, thats funny you should mention. Toonsy played around a bit with this article.. i wanted to call it……… it will be emotional-Kev.
    Toonsy changed it, whilst sorting a pic for me!
    Toons is a top bloke though and rarely gets it wrong :D

  11. Just read that Darren Bent had his land rover glassed in a car park in Newcastle……couldn’t help but wonder if someone thought it was Andy Caroll’s!

  12. You can actually use both stamping and stomping ;-)

    Jill….if it was done in Newcastle then I suspect they knew xactly who’s it was ;-)

  13. violence solves loads of stuff…at least when ya fight bent ya know he needs to swing at least 10 punches before he hits the target wi one :-)

    batty :-) :lol: :-) :lol: :-) :lol:

  14. reet I’m offski enjoy the match lads, jay jay did ya manage to get a ticket? ;-) :lol:

    jay jay I’ll be the fat lad wi nae shirt on and nufc tattooed around my belly button……and a red carnation in me hai….er behind me ear :lol:

  15. derby @ 4/6

    smoggies @ 10/11

    the heed @ 5/6

    a £20 stake will give returns of £116.67.

    …dont be daft..get on !

  16. CC – If I did I could only slate the arseholes that did it…….. and point him to Hodgson’s Toyota where I could sort him out ;)

  17. icedog , got my hands on 1500 top qaulity (slight seconds) dinner plates & been busy painted pictures of wills & katy on them..

    …coming to a market near you in the very near future.

    pub.

  18. Yeah its a bit childish the sort of thing id expect from them lot like the sugar puffs boycott… :roll:

    Not condoning it but why is he shocked when he lives on tyneside knowing the feeling between the fans, I understood his shock when his mother was racially abused at the s.o.s but thats history apparantly.

  19. KOMFORT git batty to paint them, heard hes good with a brush,(sweeping things under carpet) :)

    keep it ganning m8

  20. how on earth did nasri score there? I thought the spuds would go for it today but they are not as attacking as us!

    Today will be tough, we are the best away team in the league at the moment so maybe a sneaky draw

  21. Johno – Just after 2pm mate. I can get it asap like, even though people always ask if I have got it right :roll:

    Never been wrong on that front yet ;)

  22. toonsy says:
    November 20, 2010 at 1:11 pm

    “Just after 2pm mate. I can get it asap like, even though people always ask if I have got it right” :roll:

    See you at 2.30… :lol:

  23. lets hope so. how poor was lennon. so glad we havent tried to get him.

    So do we think CH will go for the juggler again or a 4-5-1 formation? I would like to see us go for it with mclovin uo top with avatar but cant see it

  24. watching the spuds v arsenal, if ever there was a game of two halves. Goes to show if you attack teams like arsenal you can get joy. we did as did wbrum, I hope we do against bolton today. We need to attack them with 4-4-2 imho