Colombus Crew's club crest.You may be happy to know that a video stream of Newcastle United’s game with Ohio’s finest, the ‘Columbus Crew’ is available on the club’s website here. Columbus Crew’s matchday page on the game with other braodcast informtion, radio, live updates etc is also available here.
The game will kick of at 7.30pm local time (12.30pm UK time) so be ready!
Hopefully, the lads will perform better than they did against Orlando City, and not lose any more key players like Hatem Ben Arfa for the upcoming Premier League season.
Newcastle United manager, Alan Pardew’s pre match interview for the game is available for your viewing and listening pleasure below to get you in the mood for the match.
And also a pre match interview with Jonas Gutierrez and Steve Harper with an American lass called Ashleigh Ignelzi. (more…)
Turf ripped upPitch problems needed to be solved ahead of Newcastle United’s pre-season game against Orlando this evening.
It seems there are a few problems with the pitch at Orlando. Apparently the Orlando team usually play on astro-turf (not be confused with Astro Boy) but Pardew wasn’t keen on that idea due to its alleged proclivity for producing injuries. So Orlando owner Phil Rawlins spent a six figure sum getting real turf laid for tonight’s game.
However, after a pitch inspection today, both teams have agreed that they don’t particularly fancy the freshly rolled pitch after all.
It was thought that Rawlins might acquire a magic carpet from Orlando’s ‘Olde Shoppe of Inexplicable Items’ to play on but, alas, they’d sold out, so it looks like they’re going to have to put the astro-turf (not to be confused with Batman) back.
As a result, Pardew may have to rethink his team selection for tonight and it’s thought he may opt to leave Demba Ba and Steve Harper on the sidelines in case the synthetic pitch affects their troublesome knees in some way, although Bolton played on the astro-turf (not to be confused with Deputy Dawg) last week without any problems. (more…)
This is the penultimate part of my transcription of Alan Pardew’s long interview for BBC Radio Newcastle’s ‘Total Sport’ programme.
I know I wrote that last time, and that this would be the final episode, however as many of you may know by now, once Alan Pardew starts blathering, you can take it as read that it will be quite some time until he stops!
In this one he tackles the three goalkeeper dilemma, the thorny issues of the £35 million Andy Carroll booty and the departure of Kevin Nolan, along with that of weaker members of the squad, and what’s to be done with them.
We begin this time with a question from Total Sport listener, ‘Phil’.
“Can you ask Mr Pardew about the goalkeeping sitution? Fraser Forster and Tim Krul, as well as Steve Harper on your books, so all of them will be wanting to play first team football obviously.” (more…)
£1.5m bid rejectedCeltic are still interested in Newcastle United keeper Fraser Forster despite getting their first offer rejected, and the Charles N’Zogbia rumour has been resurrected a bit.
Celtic are likely to pursue Fraser Forster with increased vigour – along with increased money – after getting their £1.5m offer for the goalkeeper rejected.
Celtic boss Neil Lennon said:
“Obviously I need a goalkeeper. A bid has gone in for Fraser Forster. At the minute they are saying he’s not for sale but we will maybe pursue that again later on.”
Since he’s never actually played a game for the Newcastle first-team and has expressed a strong desire to join Celtic, I think there’s a good chance the Scottish club will eventually get their man.
I think it will be hard enough for Pardew to keep Harper and Krul happy as both players will be making a claim to be the first choice keeper, and keeping a third goalie – one who’s just come back from a season of first-team football – happy is probably asking too much. I reckon £2m-£3m will probably see him between Celtic’s sticks next season. (more…)
Moving on from my previous article on Gary Speed, it is now time to profile another ex Newcastle United legend from the past decade. This time focusing on current Manchester City and Ireland international goalkeeper, Shay Given.
Born April 20th 1976 in Lifford, County Donegal, Ireland, Shay started his career at his boyhood club, Celtic, before moving onto Blackburn Rovers. Whilst at Blackburn he spent loan spells at Swindon Town and Sunderland. It was at Sunderland where Shay won his first trophy, picking up the Football League Championship in 1996, this was also the same year he won his first cap for Ireland, in a friendly match against Russia at Lansdowne Road.
He joined Newcastle United In the summer of 1997, signed by former Magpie’s manager Kenny Dalglish for £1.5 million from Blackburn Rovers. This was the second time Dalglish had signed Given, previously signing him for Blackburn from Celtic in the summer of 1994. Demonstrating his athletic nature and sharp reflexes, Shay spent a total of 12 excellent seasons on Tyneside. In my opinion, he was the best ‘keeper Newcastle have ever had, certainly in my lifetime so far anyway, and one of the best shot stoppers the Premier League has ever had.
His outstanding shot stopping ability was evident from the moment he first featured for us, in a pre-season competition ‘The Irish Tournament’ at the start of the 1997-1998 season. United subsquently won the tournament (anybody else remember Rob Lee shaking the trophy over his head like a mad man?) and as an impressionable 12 year old boy, I remember thinking, not only about how much are new green ‘keepers top looked like a Crocodile / Human hybrid skin shedding, but also that we potentially had got ourselves a great player. I also remember really wanting a pair of Adidas ‘Fingersave’ gloves like Given’s and how I would be able to convince my parents to get me a pair! (more…)
