Archive for tag: Sheff Wednesday.

Sheff Wed will pull no punches on Boxing Day!

December 25th, 2009 | 4 Comments |

The Owls, predator or prey?
The Owls, predator or prey?
We’re top of the league, they’re third bottom and have one point from the last six games and have lost five out of their last six home games. So tomorrow’s televised Boxing Day game against Sheff Wed should be a walkover, right? Aye, not likely, not when you consider the last time Newcastle won on Boxing Day away from home was in 1988 at, you guessed it, Hillsborough. Although I concede that conversely that might be a good omen in itself. Glass half-full and all that…

Boxing Day is notoriously bad for Newcastle fans, but it didn’t prevent the early sell-out of 5,300 officially allocated tickets. And it’s sure to not stop several hundred, if not thousand, travelling down to fill up the home sections, after the report that it’s only going be about a third full to capacity in a stadium full of tradition, if not the bumper crowds Sheff Wed would always pull in, in the past.

And in terms of looking back at the history between the two clubs, in games over the last 20 years or so, we’ve won ten, drawn five and lost two against The Owls. So with recent form alongside, we should be fairly confident of a technical knockout, but we could easily get a sucker-punch because we’re being beamed out on Sky Sports. And caretaker boss Sean McAuley, shouldn’t need to motivate his players, as the prospect of toppling the league leaders live on telly and in front of a big crowd should be incentive enough, so they will be looking to get us on the ropes early on. (more…)