30 minute Tyne Tees Television special programme from 1984, where David Burton reviews Newcastle United’s 1983-4 promotion season. Featuring Arthur Cox, Kevin Keegan, and some classic Keegan, Waddle and Beardsley goals from the days when the club had a front three that I’m sure quite a few Toon fans would happily include in their NUFC all time “Dream Team”. One telling point was the commentator looks back at when the club were ninth early in the season and had problems scoring goals, “but the signing of Tyneside born Peter Beardsley changed all that”. It certainly did. As well as being one of the club’s great goalscorers, he was also quite possibly the greatest goalmaker in the club’s history. Despite all the above though, the real star of the show for me is the old St James’ Park scoreboard with those daft little gadgies kicking a football across it.
Warning: As this is the eighties, these videos do feature lots of men running around in VERY tight shorts, and a streaker! (more…)
Two great legends - One sadly missed,, and another who will be.Gary Speed MBE: 1969 – 2011.
With the sad news on Sunday morning of the passing of the ex-Newcastle United midfielder and Wales manager, I thought it would be a nice gesture to post something that would give an opportunity for our readers to reminisce about Speed’s career on Tyneside.
I wrote the this article as a tribute to the great man about three months ago. After contemplating doing a series of pieces highlighting some of my favourite Newcastle United players of the last decade. Gary Speed was the first player that entered my head when I thought of the more recent legends who have graced the black and white shirt, so he was the first subject of my ‘Magical Magpie Legends’ pieces.
I have also included a video below, posted by youtube user “pbraddazz”. It is a video tribute to Gary’s six and a half great years at Newcastle United, from his signing by Kenny Dalglish in February 1998, to the time of his departure in July 2004. There is also another video of Gary Speed’s his final appearence on Saturday’s “Football Focus”, which was recorded only a few hours before his tragic death.
Derek Llambias: Absolutely full of it.With the news that Newcastle United will be changing it’s name to “Sports Direct @ St James’ Park”, the Managing Director of the club, Derek Llambias, has sought to reassure fans that the St James’ Park name would remain so long as he and current owner, Mike Ashley “reigned” at the club.
Firstly though, he told BBC Radio Newcastle about how this would be a “showcase” to lure prospective outside sponsors would would bring much needed revenue into the club saying:
“We will showcase Sports Direct until the end of the season,” then adding:
“I’m sure we’re going to get a sponsor in for next season.”
When asked if the name “St James’ Park” would always remain, Llambias then reassured fans by responding:
“Absolutely. In our reign, absolutely.”
“It’s adding to it, and if it brings in a good chunk of money to the club, that goes straight to the team, then do you know what, it’s a revenue we should look at.”(more…)
£15,536.13 raised from sign sale.Eight days ago, the letters which used to make up the famous “Newcastle United” sign were offered for sale on the online auction site EBay, with all proceeds from the sale going towards a night in Asper’s Casino for Mike Ashley, Derek Llambias and Alan Pardew the “Newcastle United Foundation” charity, who in their own words endeavour to:
“Use the local passion for football to encourage learning and promote healthy lifestyles that will make a real difference to the lives of disadvantaged children, young people and families in our region.”
After a week of bidding, the letters finally went under the virtual hammer for a total of £15,536.13 (minus commission). The higest price paid for one individual letter was £3100.00 for the first “N” in the sign to go on sale, though the other “N”, which was exactly the same went for a far more modest £959.99. The chepest of the letters was the letter “I”, which went for a mere £555.44. (more…)
Kevin Keegan: The Entertainer.Speaking in a recent interview (here and here) on his “Entertainers” side of the 1990s, ex Newcastle United manager, Kevin Keegan, suggested that his own “Entertainers” side of the ‘nineties were the vanguard for current attacking teams such as Barcelona, Manchester City and Manchester United.
Speaking on the eve of a reunion last weekend with a Liverpool team who produced a nailbiting 4-3 classic which is still mentioned over fourteen years later, plus an “impostor” in the side who goes by the name of Alan Shearer. The Mighty Mouse started with a classic Keegan quote saying:
“Everybody said at the time we couldn’t win the league playing like that. Unfortunately they were proved right.”
Then adding:
“We should have won it, we just couldn’t get over the line. If you look at football now, Barcelona, Man City and Man United are playing like that now. The centre-backs and full-backs bomb on now and I think if we’d won the league like that, then there would be teams playing like that before now. We were ahead of our time.”(more…)
