Onwards And Upwards?Imagine you’re 67 years old, and the Club you’ve supported all of your life, your home town club, offers you bucket loads of cash, plus expenses, to travel abroad and watch football – lots of football. Stay in nice hotels, eat at the finest restaurants – but best of all, watch loads and loads of football. A dream for most fans, but it just came true for arguably one of the biggest United fans of them all – Graham Carr, superscout!
And of course when you’re not away on United business, you can watch the mighty Magpies – without having to buy a seasons ticket!
Graham Carr has just signed a new contract with Newcastle United for the next 8 years! This is excellent news for Newcastle United fans everywhere. Graham, of course, has been digging up diamonds for the Toon ever since he came here. Apparently, he got a phone call from Derek Llambias asking if he could pop in and chat to Mike Ashley about transfer targets. This invitation turned into numerous chats over a few days, then Graham was hit with the contract offer! According to the NUFC Official website, he signed on the spot! (more…)
Will he still be smiling this time next year?My esteemed colleague, Jimbob, has already taken a look back at the season past, you have already voted Fabricio Coloccini as our “Player of the Season,” but now it is time to look forward to next season.
Being the hopelessly deluded, stereotypical Geordies that we are, Alan Pardew seems to think that our expectations will go into overload now that we have finished fifth, and that he needs to embark on a mission to “educate” us to lower our expectations now that a new European front has opened in Newcastle United’s war for supremacy.
Well let’s find out how deluded we really are!
Undoubtedly, we had a very good season. However, though we did well, perhaps our expectations have been just a little on the low side if anything. Our fifth placed finish wasn’t, perhaps, quite the miracle some have thought bearing in mind what Pardew had at his disposal. Bearing in mind previous catastrophes under the current regime though, it has been understandable that expectations have been lowered somewhat by experiences in recent years. (more…)
Another award for el Capitán - This time it's the big one!Well, 1485 of you have voted, and we can finally declare that the NUFC Blog readers’ “Player of the Season” is (drumroll):
Fabricio Coloccini!
Second in our 2010 vote, and third in 2011, it’s a case of third time lucky for the curly locked Capitán Colo after beating second placed Tim Krul and third placed Yohan Cabaye convincingly to finally clinch the greatest honour a Newcastle United player can receive. His excellent defensive performances apart, perhaps it was his leadership role this season, a season which saw Newcastle United make it into the Europa League for the first time since 2006/7, which has finally clinched it for him this time?
Though undoubtedly small beer now he has scooped this, the ultimate award, our captain was also the only Newcastle United’s only player to make the Professional Footballers’ Association Premiership “Team of the Year” for his key role in what has been a very good season for the Magpies overall. (more…)
On it's way to three lucky winners soon!Hoolie wins the NUFC Blog prediction competition! We have another, smaller competition coming up during the summer break.
It’s all about those three-pointers!
The second NUFC Blog prediction competition ended with the Premier League’s last game on Sunday.
First place – and £100 – this time goes to Hoolie who was 4 points clear at the top.
Second place – and £50 – goes to GrandPoobah, who was also in the prizes in our last competition.
Third place – and £25 – goes to kav2011, who improved upon his 12th place finish last time.
Yaya Double TroubleVenue: St James’ Park. Date: Sun 06th May 2012. Kick-Off: 1:30pm. Referee: Howard Webb.
On a day that United unveiled a statue of the late great Sir Bobby Robson, Manchester City were in town desperate for a win to keep their title hopes alive.
United were also in need of a win to keep our Champions League aspirations going, so the scene was set for a titanic battle between two of the best teams in the English Premier League, with both sets of fans able to point to players capable of winning the game.
There was a pre-match scare with Tim Krul having a hand injury but relief when the teams were announced and Krul’s name was there. Not many United fans would have wanted to go into this game without our Dutch keeper, who Alan Pardew reckons has won us at least 12 points this season on his own.
First Half
Cheick Tiote started the game with 8 stitches in his head and it was a bit of a concern early on when he overhit his first couple of passes. Was he affected by the head wound or maybe he’d eaten too many shredded wheat. Anyway the good news is that he settled down as the match went on. The first six minutes were cat and mouse with the only highlight being Cabaye’s boot unintentionally colliding with Barry’s face – sadly for Barry, the event didn’t improve his looks. (more…)
