Newcastle's home stadium is the sportsdirect.com @ St James' Park Stadium[85] which has been their home since the merger of East End and West End in 1891, though football was first played there in 1880. At the turn of the 20th century the ground could hold 30,000, but this was soon expanded to 60,000.[86] However, the ground was altered little in the next 70 years, and by the 1980s was looking dated.
The Bradford City stadium fire in 1985 prompted renovation, but progress was slow due to financial difficulties. The takeover of the club by Sir John Hall in 1992 resolved these difficulties, and the stadium was redeveloped to comply with the Taylor Report. In the mid-1990s, the club wished to build a new ground in the nearby Leazes Park, however these plans were quashed. In response to this, the club expanded St. James' Park further. Following the completion of the construction in 2000, St James' Park became the club ground with the second highest capacity in England with 52,387 seats,[87] behind Manchester United's Old Trafford. It later became the third highest capacity after the completion of Arsenal's Emirates Stadium. Following Newcastle's relegation to the Championship in May 2009 it became the largest home stadium of a club playing outside the top flight of English football.
Two stands, the Sir John Hall stand and the Milburn stand, have two tiers and are of cantilever construction, whereas the East Stand and the Gallowgate End are roughly half as high, and each have a single tier. This can make the stadium look quite lopsided. The Leazes End was traditionally home to Newcastle's most vociferous supporters, until it was pulled down and replaced with a smaller, roofless terrace, and the 'singing section' was moved to the Gallowgate End. In recent years, a fan based group named Toon Ultras to assemble in Level 7 of the Sir John Hall Stand to attempt to "Bring Back The Noise" which supporters feel was lost when the club expanded the stadium and split fans to cater for executive boxes.
It was announced on 2 April 2007 that the club intended to submit plans for a new £300 million development that would increase the stadium's capacity to at least 60,000.[88] However, the council who owns the land where St James' Park stands on declined any further plans for expansion and also a possible move to the town moor. Complaints regarding the size of the Sir John Hall stand and Milburn stand may have led to this decision not to allow any unnecessary expansion. These plans were abandoned after the takeover of the club by Mike Ashley.
After a second failed attempt to sell the club, Ashley announced that the club would look to lease the naming rights to St James' Park in the hope of increasing revenue.[50] After protests, the club clarified that this would not involve the loss of the name St James' Park altogether.[89] Pending the announcement of an official sponsor, the stadium was temporarily renamed sportsdirect.com @ St James' Park Stadium until the end of the 2009–10 season, to showcase the potential rights package, however this has remained the stadium's official name throughout the 2010-11 season. Local supporters still refer to it as St James' Park.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Alan Pardew
On 6 December 2010, following the sacking of Hughton, Peter Beardsley was appointed Caretaker Manager with his assistant Steve Stone. They were previously in charge of the reserve team.
On 9 December 2010, Alan Pardew was appointed as the next permanent manager of Newcastle United on a five and a half year contract.
On 11 December 2010, Pardew recorded an impressive 3–1 home victory over Liverpool for his first game in charge of the club,and a few matches later they recorded a 5–0 win over his former club West Ham United in the club's first home game of 2011.
On 8 January 2011, Newcastle suffered a crushing blow in the FA Cup, losing 3-1 to Stevenage.
16 January 2011 saw Pardew's first Tyne/Wear derby in charge saw the Magpies gather a point after a disappointing 1-1 draw, Newcastle were on the front foot for much of the game and a 50th minute back heel goal from skipper Kevin Nolan gave the away team a 1-0 lead, but Asamoah Gyan saved Sunderland from defeat with a 94th minute goal after Steve Harper deflected a shot from Phil Bardsley into the path of the Ghanaian and Sunderland gained the point.
Newcastle would continue their undefeated form, but not how they would have like. On January 22, 2011 Newcastle faced Tottenham at St. James' Park, the game would be very much end to end throughout, until Fabricio Coloccini opened the scoring giving Newcastle a 1-0 lead. However another injury time goal from the opposition meant Newcastle had dropped another 2 points, manager Alan Pardew has stated that the team had "commited too many bodies forward to try and get a second".
On 31 January 2011, striker Andy Carroll was sold to Liverpool to replace striker Fernando Torres for a club record of £35 million plus 25% of Liverpool's next sale
5 February 2011 saw Newcastle pull off a remarkable comeback against Arsenal at St James' Park. Theo Walcott gave Arsenal a 1-0 lead inside just 43 seconds, Johan Djourou put Arsenal 2-0 up on 3 minutes, then Robin van Persie added insult to injury with a 3rd goal inside the 10th minute. Arsenal went in at half time 4-0 up after another goal from van Persie, however early in the second half Arsenal's Abou Diaby was shown a straight red card for pushing Midfielders Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan after what he felt to be a bad tackle in which replays showed was legal. It was all downhill for Arsenal from there. Barton slipped a cooly taken penalty in to make 4-1, then Leon Best made it 4-2 with a thumping close range effort not long after a goal he scored just before had been judged offside. Another penalty gave Newcastle hope with Barton scoring again, and the returning midfielder Cheik Tioté scored a phenomenal volley from 30 yards to give Newcastle a well deserved point with the final score being a massive 4-4. This was the first time any Barclays Premier League had ever come back from being 4-0. Newcastle were not beaten by Arsenal in 2010/11 season (League) having beating them 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium earlier in the season under Chris Hughton's management.
On 10 February 2011, former Finland international Shefki Kuqi joined Newcastle for the remainder of the season.
On 9 December 2010, Alan Pardew was appointed as the next permanent manager of Newcastle United on a five and a half year contract.
On 11 December 2010, Pardew recorded an impressive 3–1 home victory over Liverpool for his first game in charge of the club,and a few matches later they recorded a 5–0 win over his former club West Ham United in the club's first home game of 2011.
On 8 January 2011, Newcastle suffered a crushing blow in the FA Cup, losing 3-1 to Stevenage.
16 January 2011 saw Pardew's first Tyne/Wear derby in charge saw the Magpies gather a point after a disappointing 1-1 draw, Newcastle were on the front foot for much of the game and a 50th minute back heel goal from skipper Kevin Nolan gave the away team a 1-0 lead, but Asamoah Gyan saved Sunderland from defeat with a 94th minute goal after Steve Harper deflected a shot from Phil Bardsley into the path of the Ghanaian and Sunderland gained the point.
Newcastle would continue their undefeated form, but not how they would have like. On January 22, 2011 Newcastle faced Tottenham at St. James' Park, the game would be very much end to end throughout, until Fabricio Coloccini opened the scoring giving Newcastle a 1-0 lead. However another injury time goal from the opposition meant Newcastle had dropped another 2 points, manager Alan Pardew has stated that the team had "commited too many bodies forward to try and get a second".
On 31 January 2011, striker Andy Carroll was sold to Liverpool to replace striker Fernando Torres for a club record of £35 million plus 25% of Liverpool's next sale
5 February 2011 saw Newcastle pull off a remarkable comeback against Arsenal at St James' Park. Theo Walcott gave Arsenal a 1-0 lead inside just 43 seconds, Johan Djourou put Arsenal 2-0 up on 3 minutes, then Robin van Persie added insult to injury with a 3rd goal inside the 10th minute. Arsenal went in at half time 4-0 up after another goal from van Persie, however early in the second half Arsenal's Abou Diaby was shown a straight red card for pushing Midfielders Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan after what he felt to be a bad tackle in which replays showed was legal. It was all downhill for Arsenal from there. Barton slipped a cooly taken penalty in to make 4-1, then Leon Best made it 4-2 with a thumping close range effort not long after a goal he scored just before had been judged offside. Another penalty gave Newcastle hope with Barton scoring again, and the returning midfielder Cheik Tioté scored a phenomenal volley from 30 yards to give Newcastle a well deserved point with the final score being a massive 4-4. This was the first time any Barclays Premier League had ever come back from being 4-0. Newcastle were not beaten by Arsenal in 2010/11 season (League) having beating them 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium earlier in the season under Chris Hughton's management.
On 10 February 2011, former Finland international Shefki Kuqi joined Newcastle for the remainder of the season.
Chris Hughton
Following Keegan rejecting talk of an unlikely third return to Newcastle, feeling the fans had "had enough" of him,Chris Hughton was given the caretaker's job and was later confirmed as the club's full time manager in late October 2009 until the end of the 2010/11 season after Newcastle's more than impressive start to life in the second tier of English football. He stated "It's a very proud day for me to be named as the manager of this magnificent football club," and that he "will be doing everything in my power to get the club back into the Premier League at the first time of asking."
On 27 October 2009, Ashley announced that the club was no longer for sale, reporting that he had been unsuccessful in finding a buyer who could produce proof of funds, despite reducing his asking price to £80 million. The club claimed that Ashley would continue to invest money into reducing the club's financial debt and he had the best intentions for the club at heart.
The start of the 2009–10 season in the Championship saw the club placed top of the table at Christmas with an 8 point lead and a defensive record of only 12 goals conceded in 22 games. Manager Chris Hughton was named Manager of the Month for August, September and November 2009. In 2009 under Hughton in the league Newcastle won 15, drew 6 and lost just 3 against Blackpool, Scunthorpe and Nottingham Forest. The January transfer window was active with permanent signings of on-loan defender Danny Simpson,defender Mike Williamson from Portsmouth,Queen's Park Rangers winger Wayne Routledge and Leon Best from Coventry.These were added to by the loanings of Fitz Hall from QPR and defender Patrick Van Aanholt on a month's loan from Chelsea.
On 5 April 2010 the club secured automatic promotion with 5 games remaining after Nottingham Forest were held to a goaless draw by Cardiff City.Chris Hughton announced a promotion party at the stadium following their match against Sheffield United, which they celebrated with a 2–1 victory.Newcastle were promoted back to the Premier League after just one season away, 316 Days after being relegated on the final day of the 2008/2009 season against Aston Villa.Newcastle secured the league title after a 2–0 win over Plymouth Argyle on 19 April 2010 at Home Park with goals from Andy Carroll and Wayne Routledge. 2,500 fans made the 420-mile (680 km) trip to Plymouth to watch United win the Championship title. Newcastle lifted the trophy at St. James' Park after a 2–2 draw against Ipswich Town which made United the only team in the country to have an unbeaten home record. The game was also watched in front of a Championship record crowd of 52,181. The club finished the season with a 1–0 victory at QPR on 2 May, completing a total of 102 points earned during the season which is a club record and the first time the Magpies had achieved 100 or more points in any league campaign.
During the summer of 2010, Chris Hughton completed the signings of defender James Perch from Nottingham Forest, young midfielder Dan Gosling from Everton after a administrative error at Goodison Park allowed the 20 year-old to move to Newcastle on a free transfer and experienced centre-half Sol Campbell from Arsenal also on a free in preparation for life back in the Premier League. Towards the end of the transfer window Ivory Coast international Defensive Midfielder Cheik Tioté was also signed by the club from FC Twente for a reported £3.5 million and Hatem Ben Arfa on a season long loan from Marseille for a reported £2 million, with the view of a permanent move for a further £5 million should he make more than 25 appearances for the club but after only 4 appearances, Ben Arfa suffered a double leg fracture in an away match against Manchester City when Nigel de Jong made an unpunished challenge on Ben Arfa just 7 minutes into the match which saw the Frenchman taken straight to hospital. This season also saw the departure of captain Nicky Butt who opted to retire from football, and Fabrice Pancrate due to his contract expiring and no new deal being agreed.
The opening match of the season away to Manchester United saw the club lose 3–0, they continued to remain unbeaten at St James' Park with a 6–0 victory over Aston Villa on 22 August 2010, which welcomed a hat-trick from the new number nine Andy Carroll, as well as Joey Barton shaving his moustache, which was part of the "Magpies Moustache Challenge". Following games saw Andy Carroll on the score-sheet, with people calling for a call up to the senior England squad for the 21 year old. Newcastle showed an impressive run of form with an largely unexpected 4–3 win at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea in the Carling Cup, marking the first match since the 1980s the club had won at Stamford Bridge. After their Carling Cup heroics Newcastle lost their unbeaten home record to an unexpected defeat to Premier League newcomers Blackpool FC but the geordies bounced straight back with a fantastic away win on Merseyside against Everton. A brace of 2–1 defeats followed this result at the hands of Stoke City(h) and Manchester City(a). In the next game United found themselves down by 2 goals to nil after 23 minutes at home to Wigan Athletic, gaining no mercy from old boy Charles N'Zogbia. Luckily for Hughton he managed to rally his troops at the interval and scrape an injury-time equaliser through Argentine centre-back Fabricio Coloccini after a Shola Ameobi header mid way through the second half.
The ninth game of the season, away to West Ham United, was played on 23 October and resulted in a stunning 2–1 victory with Joey Barton winning Man of the Match. On 31 October, Newcastle beat local rivals Sunderland 5–1 in a famous victory which included Kevin Nolan's first hat trick in the Premier League. This impressive run of form continued with a famous 1–0 away victory at Arsenal, which was Newcastle's first win at Arsenal since the 2001–2002 season.
A disappointing run of draws and losses however followed the victory, seeing Joey Barton given a 3 match ban for assaulting Blackburn player Morten Gamst Pedersen, and Ameobi injured. During this period nonetheless, Andy Carroll made his debut for the England national team.
Newcastle parted company with Chris Hughton on 6 December 2010 following Newcastle's 3–1 defeat to West Brom. The NUFC board stated that "the board now feels an individual with more managerial experience is needed to take the club forward." Hughton's dismissal was an unpopular decision with the fans and the players, and was highly criticized by many pundits.
On 27 October 2009, Ashley announced that the club was no longer for sale, reporting that he had been unsuccessful in finding a buyer who could produce proof of funds, despite reducing his asking price to £80 million. The club claimed that Ashley would continue to invest money into reducing the club's financial debt and he had the best intentions for the club at heart.
The start of the 2009–10 season in the Championship saw the club placed top of the table at Christmas with an 8 point lead and a defensive record of only 12 goals conceded in 22 games. Manager Chris Hughton was named Manager of the Month for August, September and November 2009. In 2009 under Hughton in the league Newcastle won 15, drew 6 and lost just 3 against Blackpool, Scunthorpe and Nottingham Forest. The January transfer window was active with permanent signings of on-loan defender Danny Simpson,defender Mike Williamson from Portsmouth,Queen's Park Rangers winger Wayne Routledge and Leon Best from Coventry.These were added to by the loanings of Fitz Hall from QPR and defender Patrick Van Aanholt on a month's loan from Chelsea.
On 5 April 2010 the club secured automatic promotion with 5 games remaining after Nottingham Forest were held to a goaless draw by Cardiff City.Chris Hughton announced a promotion party at the stadium following their match against Sheffield United, which they celebrated with a 2–1 victory.Newcastle were promoted back to the Premier League after just one season away, 316 Days after being relegated on the final day of the 2008/2009 season against Aston Villa.Newcastle secured the league title after a 2–0 win over Plymouth Argyle on 19 April 2010 at Home Park with goals from Andy Carroll and Wayne Routledge. 2,500 fans made the 420-mile (680 km) trip to Plymouth to watch United win the Championship title. Newcastle lifted the trophy at St. James' Park after a 2–2 draw against Ipswich Town which made United the only team in the country to have an unbeaten home record. The game was also watched in front of a Championship record crowd of 52,181. The club finished the season with a 1–0 victory at QPR on 2 May, completing a total of 102 points earned during the season which is a club record and the first time the Magpies had achieved 100 or more points in any league campaign.
During the summer of 2010, Chris Hughton completed the signings of defender James Perch from Nottingham Forest, young midfielder Dan Gosling from Everton after a administrative error at Goodison Park allowed the 20 year-old to move to Newcastle on a free transfer and experienced centre-half Sol Campbell from Arsenal also on a free in preparation for life back in the Premier League. Towards the end of the transfer window Ivory Coast international Defensive Midfielder Cheik Tioté was also signed by the club from FC Twente for a reported £3.5 million and Hatem Ben Arfa on a season long loan from Marseille for a reported £2 million, with the view of a permanent move for a further £5 million should he make more than 25 appearances for the club but after only 4 appearances, Ben Arfa suffered a double leg fracture in an away match against Manchester City when Nigel de Jong made an unpunished challenge on Ben Arfa just 7 minutes into the match which saw the Frenchman taken straight to hospital. This season also saw the departure of captain Nicky Butt who opted to retire from football, and Fabrice Pancrate due to his contract expiring and no new deal being agreed.
The opening match of the season away to Manchester United saw the club lose 3–0, they continued to remain unbeaten at St James' Park with a 6–0 victory over Aston Villa on 22 August 2010, which welcomed a hat-trick from the new number nine Andy Carroll, as well as Joey Barton shaving his moustache, which was part of the "Magpies Moustache Challenge". Following games saw Andy Carroll on the score-sheet, with people calling for a call up to the senior England squad for the 21 year old. Newcastle showed an impressive run of form with an largely unexpected 4–3 win at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea in the Carling Cup, marking the first match since the 1980s the club had won at Stamford Bridge. After their Carling Cup heroics Newcastle lost their unbeaten home record to an unexpected defeat to Premier League newcomers Blackpool FC but the geordies bounced straight back with a fantastic away win on Merseyside against Everton. A brace of 2–1 defeats followed this result at the hands of Stoke City(h) and Manchester City(a). In the next game United found themselves down by 2 goals to nil after 23 minutes at home to Wigan Athletic, gaining no mercy from old boy Charles N'Zogbia. Luckily for Hughton he managed to rally his troops at the interval and scrape an injury-time equaliser through Argentine centre-back Fabricio Coloccini after a Shola Ameobi header mid way through the second half.
The ninth game of the season, away to West Ham United, was played on 23 October and resulted in a stunning 2–1 victory with Joey Barton winning Man of the Match. On 31 October, Newcastle beat local rivals Sunderland 5–1 in a famous victory which included Kevin Nolan's first hat trick in the Premier League. This impressive run of form continued with a famous 1–0 away victory at Arsenal, which was Newcastle's first win at Arsenal since the 2001–2002 season.
A disappointing run of draws and losses however followed the victory, seeing Joey Barton given a 3 match ban for assaulting Blackburn player Morten Gamst Pedersen, and Ameobi injured. During this period nonetheless, Andy Carroll made his debut for the England national team.
Newcastle parted company with Chris Hughton on 6 December 2010 following Newcastle's 3–1 defeat to West Brom. The NUFC board stated that "the board now feels an individual with more managerial experience is needed to take the club forward." Hughton's dismissal was an unpopular decision with the fans and the players, and was highly criticized by many pundits.
Alan Shearer
In another surprise move on 1 April 2009, former club captain Alan Shearer took a sabbatical from his Match of the Day presenter's role to became the club's interim manager, in an attempt to try and steer the club clear from relegation.Dennis Wise departed shortly afterwards, with the club announcing he would not be replaced by a new Director of Football.Despite Shearer's appointment Newcastle won only one game under Shearer with a 3–1 win over Middlesbrough at St. James' Park, drew 2 and lost 5. All three North East Premier League teams, Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough faced the prospect of relegation with one game to play on 24 May 2009 threatening Newcastle's Premier League status for the first time in 16 years. Newcastle United were relegated along with Boro when they lost 1–0 to Aston Villa at Villa Park after an own goal by former midfielder Damien Duff.
Following their relegation, the club was put up for sale again for a price of £100 million. Owner Mike Ashley noted that "It has been catastrophic for everybody. I’ve lost my money and I’ve made terrible decisions. Now I want to sell it as soon as I can."Newcastle United released an official statement on the clubs sale and included a press phone number and email address which was quickly made further public by the national press, although the address provided was merely for general enquiries. This resulted in a large number of hoax bids being sent, most of which were made by rival Sunderland supporters.More controversy was once again caused by Dennis Wise who claimed the club were still paying him £80,000 a month despite his departure in April 2009, and claimed it was a factor in why Ashley was struggling to sell the club.
In October 2009, Keegan’s dispute with the club was resolved, 10 months on from his departure, with the Newcastle legend receiving £2million compensation as agreed in his contract which the club failed to pay him following his resignation. A Premier League arbitration panel, ruled in Keegan’s favour citing that player Ignacio González was signed by Director of Football Dennis Wise against Keegan’s wishes, but also against the principles of the generally understood role of a Premier League manager, which usually states the manager’s decision is final on player signings. The panel revealed that Wise asked Keegan to review González from youtube.com, no more than 24 hours before the closing of the summer transfer window, from which Keegan refuted the player. The club revealed to the panel that their response to the media and public critique was just ‘PR,’ that Keegan had never been informed his word was not final, and that they were not in a position to sack him should he not have agreed to their demands.
Following their relegation, the club was put up for sale again for a price of £100 million. Owner Mike Ashley noted that "It has been catastrophic for everybody. I’ve lost my money and I’ve made terrible decisions. Now I want to sell it as soon as I can."Newcastle United released an official statement on the clubs sale and included a press phone number and email address which was quickly made further public by the national press, although the address provided was merely for general enquiries. This resulted in a large number of hoax bids being sent, most of which were made by rival Sunderland supporters.More controversy was once again caused by Dennis Wise who claimed the club were still paying him £80,000 a month despite his departure in April 2009, and claimed it was a factor in why Ashley was struggling to sell the club.
In October 2009, Keegan’s dispute with the club was resolved, 10 months on from his departure, with the Newcastle legend receiving £2million compensation as agreed in his contract which the club failed to pay him following his resignation. A Premier League arbitration panel, ruled in Keegan’s favour citing that player Ignacio González was signed by Director of Football Dennis Wise against Keegan’s wishes, but also against the principles of the generally understood role of a Premier League manager, which usually states the manager’s decision is final on player signings. The panel revealed that Wise asked Keegan to review González from youtube.com, no more than 24 hours before the closing of the summer transfer window, from which Keegan refuted the player. The club revealed to the panel that their response to the media and public critique was just ‘PR,’ that Keegan had never been informed his word was not final, and that they were not in a position to sack him should he not have agreed to their demands.
Joe Kinnear
In a surprise move former Wimbledon manager Joe Kinnear took charge of Newcastle on 26 September 2008 initially on a 10 week contract. The intention was that he would manage the club until the owner Mike Ashley had sold it. Kinnear's contract was extended by one month in October, and he was then confirmed on 28 November to manage the club until the end of the season.
In late December 2008, Ashley announced he had been unsuccessful in finding a suitable buyer for the club and took the club off the market.He announced that he still had the very best intentions for the club and would continue to find ways forward for the club to progress.
Ashley was reported to have opened talks with Kinnear about a permanent move to the club as manager,.but Kinnear's offer was debated by many fans as whilst some acknowledged a vast improvement in the teams confidence and morale, as well as notable player signings in Kevin Nolan, Ryan Taylor, and Peter Løvenkrands, others were angered by rumours that Ashley was to be offering Kinnear the same conditions that Kevin Keegan demanded on his departure. In February 2009 however Kinnear was admitted to hospital following reports of heart trouble, and subsequently underwent heart surgery. Kinnear withdrew from his managerial duties while on convalescent leave.
In late December 2008, Ashley announced he had been unsuccessful in finding a suitable buyer for the club and took the club off the market.He announced that he still had the very best intentions for the club and would continue to find ways forward for the club to progress.
Ashley was reported to have opened talks with Kinnear about a permanent move to the club as manager,.but Kinnear's offer was debated by many fans as whilst some acknowledged a vast improvement in the teams confidence and morale, as well as notable player signings in Kevin Nolan, Ryan Taylor, and Peter Løvenkrands, others were angered by rumours that Ashley was to be offering Kinnear the same conditions that Kevin Keegan demanded on his departure. In February 2009 however Kinnear was admitted to hospital following reports of heart trouble, and subsequently underwent heart surgery. Kinnear withdrew from his managerial duties while on convalescent leave.
The Return of King Kev
It was confirmed on 16 January, that Kevin Keegan had made a sensational return to Newcastle as manager, eleven years and eight days since leaving the club on 8 January 1997. A popular choice amongst many Newcastle fans Further appointments in January 2008 saw Dennis Wise join the club as Director of Football, as well as Tony Jimenez as Vice President (Player Recruitment) and Jeff Vetere as Technical Co-ordinator. The idea was to complete a continental-style management structure working in support of Keegan. Wise and Vetere should make the initial assessment before calling in Jimenez to do the deal. In addition to this David Williamson was appointed Director of Operations in April 2008. Mort decided to step down as chairman in June and he was replaced by Derek Llambias who is a long-term associate of Ashley.
Keegan's return initially did not live up to expectations as the club went 8 games without a win, made an FA Cup exit, and briefly looked at relegation, but Newcastle were playing the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool. The remaining 8 games of the season saw the club's fortunes turn around and won enough matches to ensure survival in the Premier League, finishing a respectable 12th place. As the season drew to a close, Keegan publicly criticised the board claiming they were not providing him the financial support necessary to break into the Top 4. His accusations caused controversy for owner Mike Ashley who was already battling reports that he had lost millions in a disastrous stock market venture.
As the summer transfer window closed weeks into the 2008–09 season after three days of talks between the board and Keegan on 4 September Keegan resigned after 232 days in charge stating he was unable to continue as manager if he was not in control of who was bought by the club. He said upon leaving "It's my opinion that a manager must have the right to manage and that clubs should not impose upon any manager any player that he does not want". Major protests occurred against the board outside of the ground St. James' Park, in particular against the owner Ashley and Director of Football Wise and during the next league home fixture against Hull City on 13 September.
Owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias were warned by the League Managers Association on 5 September 2008 to satisfy the next manager who took charge of the club to avoid a similar situation happening again and damaging the clubs image. The club's board hit back at the warning claiming Keegan was aware of the structure when he joined back in January but Keegan was firmly backed by Richard Bevan, Chief Executive of the LMA, claiming a contract agreement had been broken between Keegan and the board. It was reported in December 2008 that a legal dispute was in brewing between Keegan and Mike Ashley,with Keegan claiming for breach of contract during his time at the club and Ashley claiming damage to his public image. In a long official statement the following day, Ashley announced that he would be putting the club up for sale while outlining the state of the club when he found it, the financial limitations his regime was under and the changes he had made to provide a stable future for the club. While making clear that his statement was not intended to be seen as an attack on Keegan and that he was "still a fan" of Newcastle United and "did not buy Newcastle to make money", in light of safety concerns over attending future matches, he was "no longer prepared to subsidise" the club.
On 24 September, the club registered their lowest attendance of 20,577 for a competitive match since the 1993 promotion to the top flight,a drop of over 4,000 from previous lows. Though the 20,577 crowd was still the sixth-highest attendance in a round with 32 teams including the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Aston Villa. This was for a League Cup visit of Tottenham Hotspur, which Newcastle lost 2–1. At the time, Tottenham were bottom of the Premier League with just two points from eight games, while Newcastle themselves were second-bottom on four points.
Keegan's return initially did not live up to expectations as the club went 8 games without a win, made an FA Cup exit, and briefly looked at relegation, but Newcastle were playing the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool. The remaining 8 games of the season saw the club's fortunes turn around and won enough matches to ensure survival in the Premier League, finishing a respectable 12th place. As the season drew to a close, Keegan publicly criticised the board claiming they were not providing him the financial support necessary to break into the Top 4. His accusations caused controversy for owner Mike Ashley who was already battling reports that he had lost millions in a disastrous stock market venture.
As the summer transfer window closed weeks into the 2008–09 season after three days of talks between the board and Keegan on 4 September Keegan resigned after 232 days in charge stating he was unable to continue as manager if he was not in control of who was bought by the club. He said upon leaving "It's my opinion that a manager must have the right to manage and that clubs should not impose upon any manager any player that he does not want". Major protests occurred against the board outside of the ground St. James' Park, in particular against the owner Ashley and Director of Football Wise and during the next league home fixture against Hull City on 13 September.
Owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias were warned by the League Managers Association on 5 September 2008 to satisfy the next manager who took charge of the club to avoid a similar situation happening again and damaging the clubs image. The club's board hit back at the warning claiming Keegan was aware of the structure when he joined back in January but Keegan was firmly backed by Richard Bevan, Chief Executive of the LMA, claiming a contract agreement had been broken between Keegan and the board. It was reported in December 2008 that a legal dispute was in brewing between Keegan and Mike Ashley,with Keegan claiming for breach of contract during his time at the club and Ashley claiming damage to his public image. In a long official statement the following day, Ashley announced that he would be putting the club up for sale while outlining the state of the club when he found it, the financial limitations his regime was under and the changes he had made to provide a stable future for the club. While making clear that his statement was not intended to be seen as an attack on Keegan and that he was "still a fan" of Newcastle United and "did not buy Newcastle to make money", in light of safety concerns over attending future matches, he was "no longer prepared to subsidise" the club.
On 24 September, the club registered their lowest attendance of 20,577 for a competitive match since the 1993 promotion to the top flight,a drop of over 4,000 from previous lows. Though the 20,577 crowd was still the sixth-highest attendance in a round with 32 teams including the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Aston Villa. This was for a League Cup visit of Tottenham Hotspur, which Newcastle lost 2–1. At the time, Tottenham were bottom of the Premier League with just two points from eight games, while Newcastle themselves were second-bottom on four points.
The Mike Ashley Era
Sam Allardyce was appointed Roeder's replacement as manager on 15 May,with what proved to be Freddy Shepherd's last act as Chairman, who reluctantly sold his final shares in the club on 7 June to Mike Ashley and was replaced by new chairman Chris Mort.
Despite making a promising start to the season Newcastle lost to bottom club Derby County and the exclusion of fan favourites from the starting line up saw Allardyce depart the club on 9 January 2008 by mutual consent after less than eight months in charge.
Mike Ashley has recently announced that he has no intention of selling Newcastle United Football Club, despite numerous attempts to do so. The overweight Magpies owner has achieved little respect from the fans, and is constantly mocked at Newcastle United home games.
Despite making a promising start to the season Newcastle lost to bottom club Derby County and the exclusion of fan favourites from the starting line up saw Allardyce depart the club on 9 January 2008 by mutual consent after less than eight months in charge.
Mike Ashley has recently announced that he has no intention of selling Newcastle United Football Club, despite numerous attempts to do so. The overweight Magpies owner has achieved little respect from the fans, and is constantly mocked at Newcastle United home games.
More managerial upheaval
Graeme Souness was his replacement. His appointment was questionable among the fans in comparison to Robson's status,and despite nearly achieving a 10 game unbeaten streak upon his appointment, several disagreements with the squad and high transfer fees for players both in the 2004/05 and 2005/06 season, and the signing of Michael Owen for a record £17 million, did not see the squad meet expected standards and was sacked on 2 February 2006.Youth academy director Glenn Roeder replaced Souness beginning on a temporary basis. His first game in charge saw Alan Shearer overtake Jackie Milburn as the club's highest ever goal-scorer. Roeder was appointed full time manager at the end of the season following his guiding of the team from 15th place to 7th in just 3 and a half months.Shearer retired at the end of the 2005–06 season, with a total of 206 goals for the club, overwhelmed with contributions and awards. Despite finishing the 2005–06 season well, Roeder's fortunes quickly changed in the 2006–07 season, following what has since been classified as the worst injury run to the senior squad in the club's history, relying on youth academy players to compete in the Premier League and Europe, and he left the club by mutual consent on 6 May 2007.
Sir Bobby Robson Era – Return of the Entertainers
Former England manager Bobby Robson was appointed as the new manager.His first home game in charge was particularly memorable and impressive; with an 8–0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday, which remains the club's record Premier League home win.Good performances such as these helped the club ensure survival in the Premier League in Robson's first season, although the following season the squad did not manage to qualify for Europe. A title challenge however emerged during the 2001–02 season, and Newcastle achieved qualification for the Champions League after finishing in fourth place.The attacking style that Robson's men played led to comparisons being made between Robson's team and Keegan's entertainers eventually leading the entertainers tag to return to the Tyneside outfit. Highlights of this season were the 4–3 epic against Manchester United, the 3–1 win away to Arsenal and fabulous comebacks at Leeds United and Derby County. The following season, Robson guided the team to 3rd in the League, and the second group stage of the Champions League,but did not make the knockout stages.The 2003/04 season however proved less memorable as the club exited the Champions League in the qualifying rounds,falling back into the UEFA Cup for the season, and despite an impressive trail to the semi-finals they failed to win the Cup and finished 5th in the Premier League.Following disagreements with the board and some players and failure to qualify for the Champions League, Robson was sacked.
Managerial upheaval
Keegan's shock resignation in early January 1997 caused much heartache and confusion among the fans, although many felt it had been brewing as early as the 1995/96 season following the collapse of the title race. Kenny Dalglish was named his successor and the club finished second in the league again, however this time it got them the prize of Champions League qualification. Dalglish achieved this without a change to Keegan's squad.His fortunes, however, quickly changed following major losses to injury and the transfer market in the 1997–98 season, as well as players signed not thought to be anywhere near as useful as players departed, and the team after a bright start, that saw them beat FC Barcelona in their opening Champions League game, finished thirteenth in the league and failed to win the FA Cup Final.Following Dalglish's sacking early in the 1998–99 season, Ruud Gullit took charge of the team. Despite player signings made, the club once again finished thirteenth in the league and qualified for the FA Cup Final but failed to win. Gullit quickly fell into disagreements with the squad and chairman Freddie Shepherd the following season, forcing public apologies by the manager, and denying a rift with captain Alan Shearer. Gullit left the club four games into the 1999/2000 season with the team towards the bottom of the Premier League.
The Keegan Years – The Entertainers
Later, Keegan returned to Tyneside to replace Osvaldo Ardiles as manager on a short term contract in 1992, taking what he claimed to be the only job that could tempt him back into football. Newcastle were struggling at the wrong end of Division Two; Sir John Hall had all but taken control of the club and he needed a minor miracle to stop Newcastle from tumbling into the Third Division for the first time in their history. Survival was confirmed by winning both of their final two league games, at home to Portsmouth and away to Leicester City, the latter to a last minute own goal, although as it transpired, Newcastle would have survived even if they had lost at Leicester.
The 1992–93 season saw a dramatic turn around in the club's fortunes. They won their first eleven league games before a 1–0 home defeat against Grimsby Town ended the run, two games short of the then English league record of 13 consecutive wins. Playing an exciting brand of attacking football Newcastle became Division One champions with a 2–0 away win, coincidentally at Grimsby on 4 May 1993, and gained promotion to the Premier League.
Under Keegan, Newcastle continued to succeed, impressing with their attacking flair and a third place finish during the 1993–94 season - their first season back in the top flight. The attacking philosophy of Keegan led to Newcastle being labelled "The Entertainers" by Sky television. This was highlighted in a fantastic attacking display in a 3–0 win against Liverpool. The following season Newcastle sold top scorer Andrew Cole to Manchester United and finished 6th that season despite leading the table for the majority of the first half of the season. This season also marked the club's return to European competition in the Uefa Cup although they went out in the second round on away goals.
Using the transfer money from the sale of Cole, Newcastle rebuilt during the 1995-1996 season with the signings of David Ginola and Les Ferdinand, amongst others. The club came very close to winning the Premier League that season, and were at one time 12 points ahead of nearest rivals Manchester United, but eventually lost out. One match in particular from that season stood out, the 4–3 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield on 3 April 1996; in April 2003 it was named "Match of the Decade" in the Premier League 10 Seasons Awards. On 30 July 1996, the disappointment of missing out on the title was lessened to an extent, as the club signed Alan Shearer for a then world record fee of £15 million. The 1996–97 season saw Newcastle once again finish in second despite thrashing eventual champions Manchester United 5–0 at St. James Park. The club also reached the Uefa Cup quarter final this season.
The 1992–93 season saw a dramatic turn around in the club's fortunes. They won their first eleven league games before a 1–0 home defeat against Grimsby Town ended the run, two games short of the then English league record of 13 consecutive wins. Playing an exciting brand of attacking football Newcastle became Division One champions with a 2–0 away win, coincidentally at Grimsby on 4 May 1993, and gained promotion to the Premier League.
Under Keegan, Newcastle continued to succeed, impressing with their attacking flair and a third place finish during the 1993–94 season - their first season back in the top flight. The attacking philosophy of Keegan led to Newcastle being labelled "The Entertainers" by Sky television. This was highlighted in a fantastic attacking display in a 3–0 win against Liverpool. The following season Newcastle sold top scorer Andrew Cole to Manchester United and finished 6th that season despite leading the table for the majority of the first half of the season. This season also marked the club's return to European competition in the Uefa Cup although they went out in the second round on away goals.
Using the transfer money from the sale of Cole, Newcastle rebuilt during the 1995-1996 season with the signings of David Ginola and Les Ferdinand, amongst others. The club came very close to winning the Premier League that season, and were at one time 12 points ahead of nearest rivals Manchester United, but eventually lost out. One match in particular from that season stood out, the 4–3 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield on 3 April 1996; in April 2003 it was named "Match of the Decade" in the Premier League 10 Seasons Awards. On 30 July 1996, the disappointment of missing out on the title was lessened to an extent, as the club signed Alan Shearer for a then world record fee of £15 million. The 1996–97 season saw Newcastle once again finish in second despite thrashing eventual champions Manchester United 5–0 at St. James Park. The club also reached the Uefa Cup quarter final this season.
Decline
By the start of the 1980s, Newcastle had declined dramatically and were languishing in the Second Division. Gordon Lee had replaced Harvey as boss, yet he in turn soon gave way to Richard Dinnis and then Bill McGarry. But it was Arthur Cox who steered Newcastle back again to the First Division with players such as Peter Beardsley, Chris Waddle, Terry McDermott and ex-England captain Kevin Keegan the fulcrum of the team. With managers such as Jack Charlton, Willie McFaul and Jim Smith, and players such as Paul Gascoigne, Newcastle remained in the top-flight until the team was relegated once more in 1989.
The Glory Years
During the 1950s, Newcastle won the FA Cup trophy on three occasions within a five year period. In 1951 they defeated Blackpool 2–0, a year later Arsenal were beaten 1–0 and in 1955 they defeated Manchester City 3–1. Newcastle had gained a high profile, and so had their players; 'Wor Jackie' Milburn and Bobby 'Dazzler' Mitchell in particular. Other players of this time were Frank Brennan (like Mitchell a Scot), Ivor Broadis, Len White and Welshman Ivor Allchurch.
The old war horse Joe Harvey, who had captained the team to much of their post-war success, returned to revitalise Newcastle. He teamed up with Stan Seymour to rebuild them and they won the Second Division Championship in 1965. Newcastle then became very much an unpredictable and inconsistent team, always capable of defeating the best, but never quite realising their potential.
Harvey's team qualified for Europe for the first time in 1968 and surprised many the following year by winning the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, (which was a forerunner of the Europa League), beating Sporting Lisbon, Feyenoord, Real Zaragoza and Rangers along the way, before triumphing over two legs against Hungary's Újpest in the final. Newcastle possessed a reliable team and Newcastle's tradition of fielding a popular goalscorer at number 9 continued, as Welshman Wyn Davies was prominent.
In the years that followed European success, Harvey brought in a string of talented entertainers who thrilled the Newcastle crowd. Players such as John Tudor, Jimmy Smith, Tony Green, Terry Hibbitt and in particular striker Malcolm Macdonald all became favourites among the supporters. Nicknamed 'Supermac', Malcolm Macdonald was one of Newcastle's most popular figures and is still held in high regard by supporters to this day. He was an impressive goal scorer, which led United's attack to Wembley twice, in 1974 and 1976, against Liverpool in the FA Cup and Manchester City in the League Cup, but on each occasion Newcastle failed to bring the trophy back to Tyneside. A small consolation was back to back triumphs in the Texaco Cup in 1974 and 1975.
The old war horse Joe Harvey, who had captained the team to much of their post-war success, returned to revitalise Newcastle. He teamed up with Stan Seymour to rebuild them and they won the Second Division Championship in 1965. Newcastle then became very much an unpredictable and inconsistent team, always capable of defeating the best, but never quite realising their potential.
Harvey's team qualified for Europe for the first time in 1968 and surprised many the following year by winning the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, (which was a forerunner of the Europa League), beating Sporting Lisbon, Feyenoord, Real Zaragoza and Rangers along the way, before triumphing over two legs against Hungary's Újpest in the final. Newcastle possessed a reliable team and Newcastle's tradition of fielding a popular goalscorer at number 9 continued, as Welshman Wyn Davies was prominent.
In the years that followed European success, Harvey brought in a string of talented entertainers who thrilled the Newcastle crowd. Players such as John Tudor, Jimmy Smith, Tony Green, Terry Hibbitt and in particular striker Malcolm Macdonald all became favourites among the supporters. Nicknamed 'Supermac', Malcolm Macdonald was one of Newcastle's most popular figures and is still held in high regard by supporters to this day. He was an impressive goal scorer, which led United's attack to Wembley twice, in 1974 and 1976, against Liverpool in the FA Cup and Manchester City in the League Cup, but on each occasion Newcastle failed to bring the trophy back to Tyneside. A small consolation was back to back triumphs in the Texaco Cup in 1974 and 1975.
Achieving success
Newcastle United went on to win the League Championship on three occasions during the 1900s; 1905, 1907 and 1909.The club's success continued in cup competitions, as they reached five FA Cup Finals in seven years, appearing in the final of 1905, 1906, 1908, 1910 and 1911. However they went on to win just one of them, the 1910 Final against Barnsley, in a replay at Goodison Park. However, there was still one particular low point during this period, as the team suffered a 9–1 defeat by fierce rivals Sunderland in the 1908–09 season, Sunderland still count the result as their record highest win.
The team returned to the FA Cup final in 1924, in only the second ever final at Wembley Stadium. They were successful in defeating Aston Villa and therefore winning the club's second FA Cup trophy in its history.
Newcastle won the League a fourth time in 1927, the last time they have to date. Notable players during this period include the likes captain Hughie Gallacher (the most prolific goals per game scorer in the club's history), Neil Harris, Stan Seymour and Frank Hudspeth.
The team returned to the FA Cup final in 1924, in only the second ever final at Wembley Stadium. They were successful in defeating Aston Villa and therefore winning the club's second FA Cup trophy in its history.
Newcastle won the League a fourth time in 1927, the last time they have to date. Notable players during this period include the likes captain Hughie Gallacher (the most prolific goals per game scorer in the club's history), Neil Harris, Stan Seymour and Frank Hudspeth.
Early history
The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End who were previously rivals in the Northern League, but after West End fell into financial difficulties they decided to merge.The deal included the lease on West End's stadium St James' Park and several names were suggested for the new club, including Newcastle Rangers and Newcastle City, however they chose the name Newcastle United.
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club are an English Premier League association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. Founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, they have won four First Division titles—in 1905, 1907, 1909 and 1927—and six FA Cups—in 1910, 1924, 1932, 1951, 1952 and 1955—as well as the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup.
Newcastle United played in Newcastle East End's red kit until 1894 when they adopted their current black and white striped shirts.They have a long-standing and fierce rivalry with neighbours Sunderland with whom they have contested the Tyne-Wear derby since 1898.
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