Tricky tie at Home Park!Cup fever hits Tyneside for the first time in the new decade, as Newcastle visit Plymouth in today’s FA Cup 3rd Round tie at Home Park! As the last few have been relatively successful, here’s another link you can just use for the match banter. Unfortunately, my better half changed our holiday plans, so as we’re not in the area, ‘wor lass’ frowned on the idea of me going.
Like yours truly, not all Toon fans are lucky enough to be there (if lucky is the right word to embark on a such a hike!). With the game not being beamed out live anywhere, it’s probably not going to be possible to watch directly, as I’m not sure how the ITV links will work abroad. But if anyone can find radio, video links etc to the game for people who don’t have it, I’m sure that would be appreciated. As ever, this can be the place to come together during the match and p*ss and moan, as we usually do.
There’s no probable teams news [UPDATED BELOW], as Hughton has suggested a much changed side, and it’s likely to be anyone’s guess who plays, although Deb has done a preview article and both have strong squads to choose from. Hopefully we’ll get line-ups on here before the start. (more…)
Plymouth Argyle's Home Park Stadium.What better way to recover from your post new year celebrations than an 800 mile round trip down to the West Country, when Newcastle United face Plymouth Argyle in the 3rd round of the FA cup this Saturday?
As a previous six times winner of the competition, albeit the last time over half a century ago, the FA cup still brings out a sentimental streak among many Toon supporters. Who could forget that 1974 cup campaign when Tyneside well and truly had cup fever? Despite being a child at the time I remember the highs (Supermac’s goals, amongst others) and lows (team performance in the final) and the excitement of the build up to Wembley.
Sadly the competition no longer has the same kudos, and of course successes and failures in other areas can have such a dramatic financial impact on football clubs today. With so many teams willing to sacrifice progress in the FA cup to a greater monetary god such as promotion / avoiding relegation / Champion’s League success etc. Who can blame them with the cash implications of any of those having such a major impact on their football clubs? (more…)
Old boy makes PilgrimageOur path to FA Cup glory could be thwarted by an old acquaintance, if reports are true that former Newcastle United coach John Carver is back in football. It’s been mentioned on .com that JC is going to be assistant to Paul Mariner at Plymouth Argyle, who has taken charge after Paul Sturrock was removed from the Home Park hotseat.
Carver coached our reserves and academy sides, before being promoted to assistant to Sir Bobby Robson, and stepped in as Caretaker when Robson was sacked. When Souness got the job, he then moved onto Leeds as first team coach before once again stepping in as Caretaker for Kevin Blackwell, who he then followed to Luton Town before taking up the role of head coach at MLS side Toronto. (more…)
Harper: FA Cup doom and gloom.As Newcastle United goalkeeper, Steve Harper wrestles with his slightly dodgy back before Watford, he looked forward slightly gloomily to the Magpie’s forthcoming FA Cup ‘Pilgrimage’ to Plymouth on January 2nd.
Playing down Toon’s cup ambitions, he worries about injuries may take their toll, and how re-entry to the Premiership must take priority over everything.
He fretted:
“We beat them a few weeks ago, so they’ll be looking to get one over us.
“The FA Cup’s a very special competition, but our priority this year isto get out of this division.
“We’ve got a lot of games between now and then, so depending on the injury situation, who knows how we’ll do at Plymouth?(more…)
Could this be our year?“Tell me mam, me mam, a won’t be home for tea, we’re going to Wemb-er-ley, tell me mam, me mam.”. Well it’s a long shot, but who knows? And before we dream of finals we’ve got the fairly hideous task of an away trip to Devon at the start of 2010, after Newcastle were drawn away to Plymouth Argyle in the third round of the FA Cup in today’s draw.
Having beaten the Green Arrrrmmmyyy already at home this season, the reverse fixture was always one that most supporters weren’t going to look forward, considering the 800+ miles round trip. And just for good measure we’ve now got to do it twice in one season, though history is on our side, because our last tie at Home Park in the FA Cup saw us run out 6-1 winners back in the 1957/58 season. Although our last trip down there was a dismal 2-0 (un) festive defeat in the run-up to Christmas ’91, in a fairly depressing season. Thankfully, my dad wasn’t mad enough to take us down there for that one. Although this time round, as coincidences go, I might be in the area and it would be a bit rude not to go? (more…)
