Will the Bantam Cocks be like headless chickens this afternoon?Venue: St James’ Park, Newcastle. Date: Saturday 18th August 2012 Kick-off: 5.30 pm Referee: Martin Atkinson UK TV: ESPN
Dear reader, hello, good afternoon and welcome to our regular “match banter” feature.
As we we made a bit of a bit of a cock up with the match preview this week, with both “Jimbob” and “AndyMac” doing one, I thought we’d make a bit of a departure from the norm this time. You can see Jimbob’s original match preview here, but for this post, I have also decided to show Andy’s preview in it’s entirety to provide an alternative as it’s also very good, provides even more background for our all important first game of the Premiership, and it can’t do any harm!
I will be doing all the usual bits such as putting the team sheets up when they become available, posting some links for the game and so on. When the game is over, I will also be posting highlights and perhaps a link to the whole game if there’s one around.
So for now, it’s over to AndyMac. – Workyticket.(more…)
Fighting cocks? Or headless chickens?Venue: St James’ Park, Newcastle. Date: Saturday, October 18th, 2012. Kick-off: 5:30pm. Referee: Martin Atkinson. TV: ESPN / HD.
After the euphoria of a 5th placed finish, a disappointing yet much improved England showing in the Euro’s, and an Olympics that actually was really rather good, the Premier League and Newcastle United are finally back for another season.
Pre-season has been pretty unspectacular, but slightly more steady than last years showing. There wasn’t any crowd trouble to kick things off, or a José Enrique and Joey Barton ‘Twitter’ blast at the club’s hierarchy. On the actual footballing side, a massacre of Hartlepool United (5-1) was Newcastle’s best result and performance. This was sadly followed by our worst though, a 4-1 reverse at Cardiff City.
Four new arrivals in the shape of Romain Amalfitano, Gael Bigirimana, Curtis Good and as of yesterday, Vurnon Anita, have been introduced into a squad that will be competing in four competitions this coming season. We have had to say our farewells too, most notably to Danny Guthrie and Leon Best. Peter Lovenkrands has also gone, a player who was very well liked and will always be remembered with fondness from most including myself. Sadly we lost Alan Smith too…
But I digress, on to Saturday and our opponents…(more…)
Date: Saturday, 21st July. Venue: Káposztás Utcai Stadion, Sopron, Hungary. Kick off: 7pm local time / 6pm UK time Tickets TBC. UK TV: Live on ESPN UK.
This one sees the Magpies making another step up as they take on last years runners up from the Turkish Super Lig.
This one against the Istanbul club will be another “battle of the birds” as Fenerbahçe, like Norwich City over here, are known as the Canaries back in their native Turkey.
Formed in 1907, the Istanbul giants have been Turkish Süper Lig champions no less than 18 times, also winning the Turkish Cup five times and the Turkish Super Cup eight times. They feature a few names which will be familiar, including ex Liverpool forward and winger, Dirk Kuyt, who tranferred to the yellow Canaries at the end of last season. Another name from the team is Demba Ba’s mate from Senegal, Moussa Sow, who was the subject of Newcastle United transfer speculation when he was a Lille player in the past, with him being Ba’s mate and Yohan Cabaye’s former team mate and such. (more…)
Newcastle United’s series of pre season fixtures starts this evening in Chemnitz, as the Magpies kick off their European tour, playing six games (if you count one against the Dutch Den Haag which is yet to be officially confirmed). Two of the games will be played in Germany, one in Hungary and two in Portugal, though not necessarily against local sides.
The teams will be Chemitzer at their place in Saxony, AS Monaco in Bavaria, Fenerbahçe in Hungary, Olympiacos and SC Braga at Braga’s unusual Estádio Municipal de Braga, which has a huge rockface at one side of the stadium instead of the usual terracing. Finally the as yet unconfirmed one against ADO Den Haag will be played at Den Haag’s Kyocera Stadium in the the Hague. Although not officially confirmed by NUFC, the game has been definitely been confirmed by Den Haag.
Finally (for the moment), back in the UK, there will be another “Battle of the Birds” as the Magpies take on the Bluebirds of Cardiff City at their place, and the reserves / bairns will also take on Gatesheed at the Intenational Stadium. (more…)
Moyes meets the manager of the year!Venue: Goodison Park, Walton, Liverpool Date: Sunday, 13th May, 2012. Kick-Off: 3pm. Referee: Andre Marriner (Sheldon, West Midlands). UK TV: None.
United travel to Merseyside for the final game of the 2011/12 season against Everton on Sunday knowing that there is still plenty to play for.
This is the culmination of a season which has been a very enjoyable roller coaster ride for everyone involved with the club, with plenty of thrills and more ups than downs. Hopefully, the sun will shine and we will register our first victory in the new Puma Burgundy away kit, which we understand will be worn by the lads for the first time on this occasion.
We’ll have our usual “Match Banter” thread, which will be posted about an hour before kick off, and watch out for our season review feature – coming soon.
Going into this game, basically the position is this. With one game left to play United are assured of fifth place in the Premier League and entry to next season’s Europa League. However a win, and results elsewhere for Tottenham and or Arsenal going our way, could see us qualifying for the Champions League from third or fourth position. There is an added complication however, in that the team finishing fourth would not qualify if Chelsea win this season’s Champions League – but the situation for Newcastle is a simple one – we must win to have any chance of the Champions League! (more…)
