FOOTY FAIR

5 Odd Summer Transfers (2016)

2016-09-01T11:15:00.000-04:00

With the transfer window closed as of yesterday, I take a look at some transfers that I found to be a bit odd (for various reasons).

David Luiz (PSG to Chelsea)

With nine winner medals from his two seasons with French club Paris Saint-Germain, Brazilian defender David Luiz is back with Chelsea. Sure, we have seen similar situations on many occasions in the past, after-all, there is nothing wrong with a footballer going back to a club he had played for previously. But was this a smart decision on Chelsea’s part? As the news of Luiz coming back to Stamford Bridge made the rounds many fans were happy with Sideshow Bob’s doppelganger's return, while many felt it was a bit of bad business and a desperation last minute signing from Antonio Conte.

Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle to Tottenham)

After a Harry Houdini like disappearing act in the past couple years while wearing the Newcastle United uniform, Moussa Sissoko got his wish to leave the relegated club for "greener pastures". The entire saga leading up to the French midfielder’s departure was more of a circus show than magic however. After Everton seemed to have reached an agreement with Sissoko, the unhappy footballer decided to leave the club hanging at the last minute when Spurs matched the offer, despite claiming to be an Arsenal fan earlier in the year when rumors about interest from the Gunners were circulating. But the real reason this transfer made our list is the whopping £30 million both the Toffees and Spurs were willing to pay for Sissoko who was one of the star players Newcastle needed to perform in order to stay in the Premier League; a player who disappointed in the majority of match-days with the Magpies in the last couple of years.

Joe Hart (Manchester City to Torino - Loan)

Once (and quite recently) hailed as one of the world’s best goalkeepers, Joe Hart fell out of favor with new Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola pretty quickly. With his first spot in the England squad hanging in the balance Hart decided to go where playing minutes would be plenty. Why Torino though? The club has not enjoyed any kind of real success in the Italy’s Serie A for quite some time and although Hart is very likely to get the playing minutes desired, a lack of defensive skill at the club may very well expose the weaknesses that prove to new England manager Sam Allardyce that Hart may afteral not be the greatest first choice for the Three Lions.

Joleon Lescott (Aston Villa to AEK Athens)

Once a big part of England’s back-line, Joleon Lescott is pretty far from his best days at Everton and Manchester City. After a disastrous campaign with Aston Villa in which Lescott’s say it like it is approach got him in hot waters with the club’s fans, the former England international has earned a transfer at last. AEK Athens however, is quite an odd destination for the defender. The club had recently been playing in Greece’s lower leagues after a voluntary relegation due to financial instability and although a 3rd place finish in last season’s table handed the Greek club a Europa League spot, the club was eliminated in the third round of play which makes the signing of the Englishman seem weird.

Mario Balotelli (Liverpool to Nice)

I genuinely once thought that young Mario Balotelli will once become one of the greatest footballers of my generation. Some years later and the ever controversial striker is no longer a part of the Italian national squad and is now changing the shirts of the likes of Milan, Liverpool and Inter Milan for the kit of small club OGC Nice in the south of France. Perhaps less attention could be good for the now 26 year old striker, although it seems that the spotlight has not been on Balotelli for quite a while now, as even his biggest fans have given up on the player to reach his full potential.

10 Terrific New Kits for the 2016-2017 Season

2016-07-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

The Euros might be over, but with some European clubs already kicking off their preseason friendlies while other sides around the world continue to battle for domestic supremacy there is plenty of football still on tap.

With many of the top tier leagues starting into their league schedule in a few weeks, several have taken the opportunity to release new kits that their fans will invariably want to get their hands on. Here are ten that have caught our eye so far:

1.) FC St. Pauli - Third Kit

2.) Bayern Munich - Away Kit

3.) Pumas UNAM - Home Kit

4.) Pumas UNAM - Away Kit

5.) Newcastle United - Away Kit

6.) River Plate - Home Kit

7.) Club America - Away Kit

8.) Flamengo - Home Kit

9.) Fiorentina - Home Kit

10.) AC Milan - Home Kit

Why I Love Newcastle United - With True Geordie (Video)

2016-05-07T09:32:00.001-04:00

As a Newcastle United supporter myself, I do take the time to watch and subscribe to the YouTube channel of the "True Geordie". If you don't know who he is, well, let me tell you...True Geordie is somewhat of a YouTube sensation out of the North East of England who (while drinking beer) can hilariously and passionately take on and analyse any topic of discussion about his favorite football club, Newcastle United FC.

With over 200k subscribers on YouTube nowadays, True Geordie's claim to fame came after his very first video, a rant about former NUFC footballer Nile Ranger. Recently, our friends at Copa90 have caught up with the true Geordie, a video in which he (hilariously as always) describes just why he loves The Magpies.

If you've never seen an episode of The True Geordie, here's what you can expect with an episode recorded just after Newcastle's bad loss to Norwich City in recent weeks:

Throwback Thursdays: Alvin Martin's Unique Hat-Trick

2016-04-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

Thirty years ago today, West Ham United center back Alvin Martin bagged a rare hat-trick against Newcastle United and it wasn't simply because he was a defender.

At Upton Park, on 21 April 1986, Newcastle keeper Martin Thomas walked onto the pitch nursing a sore shoulder but with the club's reserve keeper out of action the club had few options but to play Thomas.

Martin grabbed the first goal of the day after only four minutes and by halftime, West Ham had grabbed three more to build themselves up a resounding 4-0 lead.

The clearly ailing Thomas was replaced at the half by midfielder Chris Hedworth for the second half and Martin put his second past him.

Unbelievably, Hedworth went down with a damaged collar bone in the 75th minute and he himself was replaced by Peter Beardsley.

The England forward didn't do very well between the sticks either, as he surrendered another three goals to see out a terrible 8-1 thrashing.

Martin scored the final goal of the day, completing a unique hat-trick against three different keepers.

Middlesbrough FC: The Only Club to Represent the North-East in the EPL Next Season?

2016-04-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

After their 25th victory of the season on Tuesday, a 2-1 home win over Reading FC, Middlesbrough FC sits first in the Football League Championship table with only five matches remaining in their campaign. A successful season through the first 41 matches has already guaranteed Boro at least a shot at the promotion playoffs, but a finish in the top two spots will hand the club an automatic spot in the Premier League for the 2016-17 season; their first in England's top tier since they were last relegated at the end of the 2008-09 EPL campaign.

With Newcastle United and Sunderland AFC dominating NorthEast's footballing scene most years, next season could prove to be one in which Middlesbrough is the one in the spotlight. With the Black Cats and Magpies deep in relegation battle and the Premier League season winding down, Boro could be the only club from the region featured in the top tier next season; a phenomenon that has not occurred many times in the past.

One would have to look all the way back to EPL's first season under the new league format in 1992-93 to find the last time Middlesbrough played in England's highest league while both Newcastle and Sunderland were competing in a lower tier. To be fair, before researching the exact season this was the case last time I was sure I would have to dig even further; on the other hand, if my math doesn't fail me, that was a cool 23 years ago.

Undoubtedly, the tyne-wear derby between the Toon and Sunderland is one of the most exciting and intense clashes in all of England. After all, when the two sides lock horns league standings and general recent success becomes irrelevant, with the two towns nearly coming to a halt on derby day with its citizens either at the stadium or glued to the TV screen. Nonetheless, the Tyne-Tees derby between Middlesbrough and Newcastle and the Tees-Wear tie in which Boro contests Sunderland are also noteworthy rivalries in English football; two derbies that may not be contested next season even if The "Smoggies" achieve the highly sought after promotion.

Middlesbrough's main rivals are Sunderland, with the two club's stadiums just over 30 miles away from one another. The two sides last met in the League Cup in October of 2012, with Middlesbrough winning the match by a final score of 1-0 despite playing one tier lower than their rivals. As for Newcastle United, Boro hasn't been able to defeat the Toon in the last 7 tries, with their last victory over the Magpies coming at the end of 2006.

If league standings in both the Championship and Premier League indeed stay as they currently are, Middlesbrough's fans will not experience a tie with either of their rivals (barring a League Cup or FA Cup draw); an idea that is perhaps both disappointing and intriguing at the same time. After all, as exciting as derby meetings are, avoiding rivalry distraction mid-season could be crucial for a newly promoted side to keeping their focus on staying in the top league.

5 Interesting Manager Facts - Rafael Benítez

2016-03-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

With news of Spanish manager Rafael Benítez due to take over reigns at yet enother EPL club, this time relegation battling Newcastle United, here are a few interesting facts about "Rafa".

Real reserve

Benitez spent the first 7 years of his playing career with Real Madrid Castilla, which is essentially the reserve or 'B' side for Spanish giants Real Madrid. Although it is mostly for the benefit of developing young talent to become the future of the senior squad, Rafa managed to stay with the reserve squad from the age of 14 to 21 before leaving for AD Parla in the third division of Spanish football.

Rafa the champ

As a footballer Benitez did not enjoy a lot of glory and even split time between playing football and studying in University. But before he retired from professional playing at the age of 26, Rafa won one trophy in 1982, that the title for the Tercera División which is the fourth tier in Spain.

Last manager to...

Currently Rafa Benitez holds the recognition of being the last to win many different trophies with the various clubs he had coached. He is still the last manager to have club Extramadura promoted to LaLiga. He is the last to win the FA Cup, the UEFA SuperCup and the Champions League with Liverpool. Last to win the Italian SuperCopa with Inter Milan and the last manager to win LaLiga and UEFA Cup with Valencia.

Only Spaniard for Reds and Blues

Simple as that; Rafa Benitez has so far been the only Spanish coach to take charge of Liverpool or Chelsea. Neither club has hired a Spanish manager before or after Benitez.

Madrid in the blood

Born in Madrid, Rafa Benitez's father was a die-hard Real Madrid supporter. That is a bit surprising considering that Rafa's grandfather (the Father's father) was an Atletico Madrid fan.

5 Brazilians Who Flopped in England

2016-01-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

Chelsea confounded some fans and pundits alike this week with their signing of Alexandre Pato on loan from Corinthians.

Although an it's an odd looking signing, if the Brazilian striker can recapture the form he displayed some years back for AC Milan, before injuries seemed to ruin what was once a promising career, he could prove to be a shrewd signing, but that's a big "if".

The fact is that there have been few Brazilians that have truly shone in England, for a variety of reasons, and for every Gilberto Silva there's an Andre Santos and an Afonso Alves.

The following are five of the biggest Brazilian flops that have played in the English top flight:

Mirandinha (Newcastle United 1987-89)

With an impressive scoring record in his home land, much was expected of Mirandinaha when he became the first Brazilian footballer to ply his trade in England upon signing for Newcastle United. Struggling to adapt to the hurly burly of English football in the late 1980's though, he managed only 19 goals in 54 matches before being sent packing.

Jo (Manchester City, 2008-11)

An early signing of Manchester City's recent emergence as a major player in the transfer market, Jo turned out to be a complete disaster for the Blues. After bagging 44 goals in 77 games for CSKA Moscow, much was expected of the Brazilian striker but very little was delivered. Joining the club in August 2008, by Feburary 2009 he had already been loaned out to Everton. Jo managed only one league goal in 21 appearances for City before being sent packing to Internacional of Brazil in 2011.

Roque Junior (Leeds United, 2003-04)

Joining Leeds United on loan from Milan in the Yorkshire club's ultimately doomed final season in the Premier League before relegation and ruin, Roque Junior came to the club as a recent World Cup and Champions League winner. He left after being a part of a desperate backline that conceded 25 goals in 7 matches, while also seeing red in one of his miserable appearances.

Kleberson (Manchester United, 2003-05)

Despite all of the success Sir Alex Ferguson brought to Manchester United and some of the brilliant signings he made, he also brought a few duds to Old Trafford as well. One of which was Brazilian World Cup winner Kleberson. With Ferguson claiming that signing Kleberson was part of the reason he sold Juan Sebastian Veron and Brazil manager Luiz Felipe Scolari stating that he was the driving force behind the country's victorious 2002 campaign, expectations were high for the player. But he failed to deliver, getting injured in his second match for the club and when he regained his fitness he never really fit in at United. Kleberson made 20 appearances across two seasons while scoring only two goals before being sold on.

Anderson (Manchester United, 2007-15)

Signed from Porto for an incredible £26m in the summer of 2007, Anderson never achieved his potential despite sporadic half decent performances for the club. A fondness for food, as evidenced by his ever expanding waistline, seemed to be the players undoing before his free transfer to Internacional in January 2015.

5 Greatest FA Cup Third Round Shocks of All Time

2016-01-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Does it qualify as a shocking FA Cup upset anymore when a Premier League side fields their reserves in the Third Round against a lower division side that subsequently turns them over?

On Friday, plucky Exeter City held Liverpool to a terrific 2-2 draw which forced a replay at Anfield, but the Supporter's Trust owned club was facing a Merseyside outfit bereft of most of their regular starting eleven.

So while it was a great achievement for the League Two club, you can't help but feel that it's tempered by the fact that they didn't come up against a full strength Liverpool side.

Before the emergence of the Champions League, and the all consuming need of the big clubs to finish in the top four, to go along with the obscene TV deals that make Premier League survival critical for smaller sides, the FA Cup really meant something. Club's would never have considered fielding a weakened side in years gone by.

It is the oldest club competition in world football and a big day at Wembley in May is still the dream of many supporters, so old misty eyed romantics like me wish that club's took it as seriously as they once did.

With the big club's entering the competition at the Third Round stage this weekend, and hopefully more than a few of them fielding full strength sides, I thought we'd have a look at five of the greatest all time shocks at that stage of the competition:

5.) Shrewsbury Town 2-1 Everton, Third Round, 2003

David Moyes went on to have a great reign in the hotseat at Goodison Park, as he transformed Everton into a tough to beat outfit that was often threatening the top five of the Premier League. Moyes didn't get off to the best of starts though as his first season at the club saw his side dumped out of the FA Cup by League One Shrewsbury Town at Gay Meadow thanks to two goals from journeyman striker Nigel Jemson.

4.) Bournemouth 2 Manchester United 0, Third Round, 1984

The 1980's were an up and down decade for Manchester United. Sandwiched between their FA Cup winning triumphs of 1983 and 1985 was this shocking defeat to Third Division Bournemouth. Not only did Harry Redknapp's side knock Ron Atkinson's cup holders out of the competition at the first hurdle, but they thoroughly outplayed them and deserved to go through.

3.) Wrexham 2 Arsenal 1, Third Round, 1992

Going into this tie, George Graham's Arsenal side were the reigning First Division champions, with their famous backline anchored by Tony Adams at its pomp and Wrexham were a struggling club in the Fourth Division. After taking the lead through Alan Smith, The Gunners seemed to be comfortably heading into Round Four but then 37 year old Micky Thomas thundered in a brilliant freekick to level the score with only eight minutes to go and then Steve Watkin grabbed the winner two minutes later.

2.) Walsall 2 Arsenal 0, Third Round, 1933

Arsenal, under legendary manager Herbert Chapman, were the best team in England during the 1930's. So their humiliating defeat by Walsall, then plying their trade in the Third Division North, was by some distance the greatest pre-war FA Cup upset. That day at Fellows Park 24,032 witnessed a near miracle as second-half goals from Gilbert Alsop in the 60th minute and Bill Sheppard ten minutes later sent the eventual league champions crashing out. Chapman was so enraged by the defeat that he immediately sold Tom Black, the defender responsible for the goals.

1.) Hereford 2 Newcastle 1, Third Round, 1972

Newcastle were a solid top flight side in the early 1970's, with goalscoring superstar Malcolm "Supermac" Macdonald terrorizing defences around the country. Hereford were a non-league club with a ramshackle ground and seemingly no hope against their illustrious opposition. Unbowed, Hereford took 5,000 away fans to St. James Park to witness their side snatch a terrific 2-2 draw in the Third Round, but the best was yet to come in the replay back at Edgar Street. On a bog of a pitch, 14,000 supporters witnessed Newcastle grab an 82nd goal through Macdonald before Hereford's Ronnie Radford scored one of the most famous goals in the competition's history with a stunning 30 yard blast into the top corner to level the score on 85 minutes. In extra time, second half substitute Ricky George lashed home the winner in the 103rd minute to send Hereford's fans into dreamland.

Football Fans Tell FootyFair Which Matches They Wish They Had Been At

2015-12-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Imagine that you had immeasurable wealth and you could jump into a time machine, most likely a DeLorean because as Doc Brown once said "(this) car's stainless steel body improves the flux dispersal generated by the flux capacitor", and you could transport yourself to any football match in history.

What match would you turn up to?

Would you zip off to Montevideo to see the 1930 World Cup Final between Uruguay and Argentina, or would you turn up at Edgar Street in 1997 to witness the Third Division crunch match between Hereford United and Brighton & Hove Albion?

We asked a few football fans what matches they would have loved to have witnessed live and the following are their varied responses:

Parmar

Supports: Chelsea and Brazil (Or maybe Argentina?)

Matches:

Argentina v West Germany, Azteca, 1986 World Cup Final.

Why? Did you watch the match? Most of you here probably didn't watch it live, I did. Maradona was fucking double teamed all match and even triple teamed at some points in the match. He still found ways to send his strikers through on goal or his wingers down the flanks for runs. What he was able to do in that match might have been greater than his entire body of work in that tournament as a whole.

By the final the world had figured out Maradona was the greatest football player in that time and of that generation. Nothing the Germans did could stop the man.

I might as well throw in there another match I'd have love to have been at, the Champions League Final of 2012 at the Allianz. I'd be a fucking wreck all the way through but knowing what I know now LMFAO I'd want to be there so I could hold up a sign for a couple of people saying "I told you mother fuckers, anything can happen!"

Iain

Supports: Manchester United and England

Matches:
Germany v England, WC Qualifier, Munich, 2001. After years of disappointment and ineptitude, which saw Germany and most of the other big European sides surpass England, we finally looked to have a good generation of players coming through in the early 2000's. This night in Munich, which ended 5-1 to England was stupendous. Like watching decades of frustration stripped away. We humiliated the Germans on their home ground (apologies lads) and it was incredible. I watched this in the Peel Pub in Montreal and got absolutely shit faced that night.

I'd have rather have been in Germany though.

As a United supporter I would have of course liked to have been in Moscow in 2008 or in Barcelona in 1999 for the Champions League Finals, but I think my nerves would have been shot to bits. Rotterdam in 1991 for the Cup Winners' Cup Final would have been a wonderful night, but one United match in particular I'd have like to have been at was the Manchester Derby at Maine Road in 1993-1994. City led 2-0 at HT, then Cantona scores two after the break to equalize and sets up Keano for the winner. Fucking awesome. I taped Soccer Saturday the week they had extended highlights of that one and must have re-watched that match 20 times. That United side was so quick at transitioning from defending to attacking and had great width with a young Giggsy and Andrei Kanchelskis. They were pretty much the opposite of the current team.

Bramble

Supports: Manchester United and England

Matches:
If I had to pick one from modern history it'd have to be United's 7-1 demolishing of AS Roma. That match was probably the pinnacle of English football in the Champions league while it was the absolute lowest point for Italian football. Especially since the first leg was a really hard fought 1-1 draw. We came home and just destroyed them in every part of the field. Geez remembering that makes me feel sad after yesterday's freaking performance against AFC Bournemouth.

I'd also have to say I'd have liked to have been at the USA 94 match between Brasil vs Netherlands. There were five goals in that game and Brasil took a two nil lead, gave it up and then got it back. I watched it on TV but man that would have been amazing to go to live. On that note it shouldve been played in a different location as the fan atmosphere was nowhere near what it should've been, because it was in America and the newborn US Soccer fans didn't know how to get "Footy crazy" yet.

Luka

Supports: Hajduk Split and Croatia

Match:
If I could attend any match in history before my birth it would undoubtedly be Hajduk Split v Crvena Zvezda (aka Red Star Belgrade) fixture that took place on October 29, 1950. It was the second last match of the season and despite being undefeated with 8 wins and 8 ties, Hajduk needed to win the last two matches of the season against Crvena Zvezda and bottom dwellers Budućnost to ensure the league title. Now, there are several reasons why this is such an iconic match in Hajduk’s history.

1. This was before European competition, so for the club, the league title was the ultimate prize.

2. Hajduk had not yet won the league since it was reformed after WWII where the club fought hard to keep its identity and away from the control of the Communist Party (then Partizan army) which wanted to move the club to Belgrade and rename it Partizan.

3. Hajduk had a remarkable squad. The keeper, Vladimir Beara was one of the greatest of his generation with even Lev Yashin insisting that he was a greater keeper than himself. The left winger, Bernard Vukas is recognized as the greatest Croatian footballer of the 20th century by the Croatian FA and is a 2x Olympic Silver medalist (back when it meant something). Frane Matošić, Hajduk’s greatest goalscorer and greatest ever captain. Many attribute the fact that Hajduk is still a club to Matošić’s leadership and defiance in WWII. And Slavko Luštica, who like the others would go on to win a silver medal for Yugoslavia at the 1952 Olympics.

4. The oldest supporters group in Europe was formed the day before the match to give the club extra support to win the match. Torcida Split, was formed by a group of students (just as the club was 40 years earlier) inspired by the Torcidas in Brazil that they had heard about during the World Cup that past summer. This was a pivotal moment and would change the Football culture in Europe forever. The support seen on that day had never been seen before in Europe and caused backlash from the government in Belgrade who tried to ban Torcida and sanction Hajduk.

5. The game is reportedly a classic, a packed stadium of around 40k, fervent support and many of the best players in Yugoslavia on display. The game ended 2-1 for Hajduk with the winner scored in the 86th minute by Božo Broketa. Hajduk went on to win the league after defeating Budućnost 2-0 two weeks later.

Juan

Supports: Liverpool and Spain

Match:
I think the 2005 CL final would have been wild to have seen. A roller coaster of emotions for me.

Kon

Supports: Newcastle and Ukraine

Match:
October 20, 1996 St. James' Park. Newcastle 5-0 Manchester United. Would give my left ball to have been there!

Steve McClaren Sent Me an Email This Morning

2015-10-22T12:00:00.000-04:00

OK, so perhaps it wasn't Steve himself, and even if it was it went to thousands of other Newcastle United supporters. Nonetheless, I was a bit surprised to receive an email from an account named Steve McClaren in my inbox this fine morning.

The letter was in fact a public statement (that can also be seen on the club website), a letter to the fans before the club's Tyne-Wear Derby this weekend with hated rivals Sunderland. Not really a traditional way to make a statement, but perhaps something that was much needed after the Magpies' awful start to the season under the new manager and poor results in the derby itself in recent years.

So what point does McClaren want to get across? Well, here's the entire letter, outlining the new bench-boss' views on the season thus far and the upcoming weekend.

WE WON’T BE COMPLACENT

Win every personal battle, handle the occasion and be disciplined

Hi Kon,

It's derby day on Sunday and the importance of this match is not lost on me or any of our players. Quite simply it is one of the most important days of the season.

We travel to the Stadium of Light at the weekend delighted to have our first win under our belts and looking to make it back-to-back victories. Needless to say it was imperative that we won last week and whilst we all said beforehand that we would have taken a scrappy one-nil win, the bonus for everyone at the club and, in particular, you the supporters, was that it was an exciting, entertaining game with some fantastic periods of play and of course terrific goals.

It was great to finally send everyone home happy and smiling after what has been a difficult start to the season.

Just as we refused to over-react to the defeat at Manchester City the week before, we have not over-reacted to the victory against Norwich. It was a step in the right direction, but that is all. No one is complacent. We have to ensure we deliver a consistency of high level performance not just over a number of games but also within games.

Gini took most of the plaudits after the game, and rightly so, but there were good performances all over the pitch which pleased myself and the coaching staff. However there were still areas we identified that need to be worked on and that's what we've been concentrating on this week on the training pitch. We have to keep working hard and focussing one hundred percent on getting our preparation spot on for Sunday.

I don't need reminding that we have lost the last five derbies and for everyone associated with the club that is simply unbearable. It wasn't so long ago that we won five in row and we are desperately keen and hugely motivated to turn the tide and bring the points back to Tyneside. The atmosphere is always incredible and I think unique to the North East and we have to go there, stand up and be counted.

There’s no question that our players understand what it means to win the derby. A number of the squad have a great deal of experience of this particular game, but don’t forget that Mitro, Gini and Daryl have also played in huge derbies for their former clubs and the enormity of the occasion is not lost on any of them.

My message to the players is simple. Win every personal battle, handle the occasion and be disciplined. If we can do all that and put one or two of our chances away then we can come away with the positive result we all crave.

Sam Allardyce is a manager I've come up against in the past when he was with Bolton and I have huge respect for him. He gets the job done with a minimum of fuss and if you want to come out on top against one of Sam’s sides every part of your preparation and strategy has to be perfect. It's his first home game with Sunderland and the crowd and players will be fired up. If we at least match that, I am confident the quality within this group will prevail.

Enjoy the game on Sunday and I sincerely hope that come 2pm on Sunday afternoon, we’ve given you a performance and result to be really proud of.

Steve

No More Tuxedos for the Toon

2015-10-04T10:47:00.001-04:00

As if this weekend wasn't going badly enough for Newcastle United's beleaguered squad, following their 6-1 thrashing by Manchester City the news broke that the club is putting a stop to certain players showing up on match days in tuxedos.

Killjoy in chief Mike Ashley, the much detested owner of the St. James Park club, has decreed that the players will be receiving official suits that they are expected to wear when coming to the ground on match days.

The trouble started up when new summer signings Chancel Mbemba and Florian Thauvin started turning up for home matches in formal evening attire. The pair's best James Bond impression did not go unnoticed and has drawn criticism from some fans and media pundits.

Newcastle legend Alan Shearer in particular had his nose put out of joint by the evening wear sporting pair and accused them of not taking matches seriously.

Assistant coach Paul Simpson summed the club's opinion up best when he said:

"I think over the time we probably will try to introduce a club suit so that everyone turns up looking the business," said Simpson.

"I always think it looks good when the whole team turn up and they look smart and I think it's a statement of intent, that's the way we look at it."

So suits it is for the Toon!

5 Strange or Random Football Stories

2015-09-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

Sure, knowing who has scored the most goals in the World Cup Finals is interesting, but what about random and strange football facts that aren't quite as commonly known?

While Miroslav Klose holds the record for the most goals in World Cup tournaments with 16, if you were wondering, did you know that Aston Villa's Chris Nicholl's once scored four goals in a 2-2 draw against Leicester in 1976? He achieved this unique feat by popping in two goals for the Villains and then belted in two own-goals for the Foxes. They didn't let him keep the match ball though sadly.

The following are five other completely random football facts and stories:

Lincoln City and Coventry City and Cancellations

During the particularly bad winter of 1963 in England, an FA Cup fixture between Lincoln City and Coventry City was called off due to weather an unprecedented 15 times. The match between the two sides was finally played 66 days after it was originally scheduled, bringing to an end the longest FA Cup round in history.

Alvin Martin's Three Man Hat-Trick

West Ham's Alvin Martin has the unique distinction of scoring a three goals against three different keepers in the same match. During his side's 8-1 demolition of Newcastle United in April 1986, Martin scored his first against Martin Thomas, his second against Chris Hedworth who had gone in goal after an injury to Martin, and then he completed his hat-trick with a goal past Hedworth's replacement Peter Beardsley.

The Ultimate Journeymen

Although the player who, by my research at least, appears to have played for the greatest number of clubs is English keeper John Burridge, who played for an incredible 29 clubs over the course of his 28 year career, spare a thought for German keeper Lutz Pfannenstiel. Not only did Pfannenstiel play for 25 different clubs over his 21 year career, but he has also been officially recognized by FIFA as the only person to have played professionally in all six FIFA confederations. Besides playing for clubs in Norway, Namibia, Brazil and New Zealand, among many others, Pfannenstiel also spent five months in prison in Singapore for being falsely accused of participating in match fixing. He was also once pronounced clinically dead while playing for Bradford Park Avenue after his lungs collapsed and his nervous system shutdown after a nasty collision with an opposing striker. Thankfully, Pfannenstiel recovered and went on to play another nine seasons.

The Shortest Managerial Reign Ever

Virtually every manager will experience the sack at some point, but possibly none will have as short a time in charge of a club as Leroy Rosenior. Appointed as the new Torquay United boss in 2007, Rosenior was sacked 10 minutes later after the sale of the club went through and the new owners quickly decided they weren't keen on him.

The Player That Gave Back

In a playoff match last season between Suffolk arch rivals Ipswich Town and Norwich City, Tractors midfielder Paul Anderson scored a crucial equalizer in the first leg at Portman Road. Jubilant Ipswich fan Ross Morgan punched his ceiling in delight, sadly putting a dent in it. We've all been there Ross. A happy ending to this tale of a celebration gone awry was provided by Anderson, who saw Morgan's tweet about his damaged ceiling and kindly offered to pay for the repairs.

The Transfer Window is Like Dating

2015-08-24T14:00:00.000-04:00

On the evening of August 31 the summer transfer window will thankfully draw to a close, and the speculation on who our clubs probably won't sign will die down until the whole shitty merry-go-round starts up again in January.

During the window you learn some harsh truths about life in the 21st Century.

First of all you quickly realize that there are a lot of filthy liars on Twitter and a lot of dimwits that follow their every tweet like its a mystical truth you could only find in a fortune cookie.

You also learn about crushing disappointment. One night you'll go to bed thinking your club have a new signing locked up and then you'll awake to find that they've signed for flipping Chelsea.

You wonder how the hell it happened, and sure part of it is the money the West London club threw at the player but much of it is the glamour of living in the capital rather than a grim Northern town where it rains all the time.

The biting reality is that the player is a ten and your club may only be a seven now, so the attraction just isn't there. It's like dating really, there are just some people that are out of your league and even something drastic like joining CrossFit and telling everyone who'll listen about your goddamn W.O.D. (*Workout of the Day) won't change that.

You can fool yourself into thinking you've got a chance to take the hottest guy or gal to the prom, but you just know that the rich guy douchebag jock Real Madrid will be taking them.

Then there's the club's that fall back on past history, like a former star on the pitch and the dance floor, who landed some hot dates years ago but now has let themselves go and hasn't had a date on a Friday night in years. Let's call this person Liverpool for arguments sake. They're not getting "the ten", so they need to stop fooling themselves.

There's also the guy who should have it all, they have a pile of friends, lots of potential and are the only one in town with a car, but this fella who goes by the name of Newcastle United has insane legal guardians who fuck everything up for him, including any half decent relationship he's ever had.

Another character is the ridiculous buffoon who has won the lottery and takes on a trophy wife, PSG let's say, the Swedish wife he has on his arm doesn't really love him, it's all about the money and everyone knows it.

But alas it's almost over, we just need to get through the last week which is like last call at the bar when the drunks have lowered their standards considerably and are falling over each other to take anyone at all home.

They'll wake up hating themselves, bank on it.

Throwback Thursdays: You Can't Win Anything With Kids (1995/1996)

2015-08-13T12:00:00.000-04:00

Former Liverpool and Scotland defender Alan Hansen was generally considered to be one of the best football analysts on British television in the summer of 1995.

Particular harsh on slack defending, Hansen brought to the broadcast studio the eye of a player who had won everything with his club side over his illustrious career and he was never hesitant in pointing out flaws in sides where he saw them.

The Liverpool team he played for from the late 1970's up until the early 1990's had been renown for playing attractive passing football, with squads led by seasoned professionals and only a sprinkling of youngsters, as the club preferred to ease youthful players into the first team rather than throw them in at the deep end at Anfield.

So with this background it's hardly surprising, ignoring for a moment the benefit of hindsight, that Hansen made the most famous mistake of his broadcasting career twenty years ago this week when assessing Manchester United's chances for success in the 1995/1996 season.

United manager Alex Ferguson had let veterans Paul Ince, Mark Hughes, and Andrei Kanchelskis depart in the summer of 1995, and while the media and supporters alike expected Ferguson to sign replacements he instead looked to his youth side.

For a club that had narrowly missed out on the 1994/1995 league title and was expected to challenge again, it was a bold move. That summer there was widespread talk that Ferguson had lost it and that the club was in trouble.

With United's boss bringing in unknown kids like David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Phil Neville, Gary Neville, and Nicky Butt while rivals Liverpool and Newcastle United had splashed the cash that summer, alarm bells were ringing.

Another significant issue for Ferguson was that his talismanic captain Eric Cantona wouldn't be back from suspension until October, this left some pessimists even fearing that United could slip into mid table obscurity.

When the Red Devils were thumped 3-1 at Villa Park on the opening day of the season the naysayers concerns seemed to be confirmed, with many more now questioning the manager's logic of relying so heavily on a number of players that were 20 years old or younger.

On BBC's Match of Day following the debacle against Aston Villa, Hanson gave a stern assessment of United's apparent problems:

"The trick to winning the championship is having strength and depth, and they just haven't got it."

The key line though, and one that would go down in football folklore was Hansen's matter of fact remark: "You can't win anything with kids."

Perhaps Hansen's logic at the time was sound, as what other team in England can you name that brought in so many youth players at once and then went on to win a title?

But what the Scot, and many others, hadn't realized was the outstanding quality of these kids and how the returning Eric Cantona, with help from veterans like Roy Keane and Peter Schmeichel, would lead them to an incredible League and FA Cup double by season's end. United overtook Kevin Keegan's high flying Newcastle United side in March and would go on to win the league on the last day of the season. As for the FA Cup, it was Hansen's old Liverpool side that United saw off 1-0 in the final at Wembley.

It was a truly remarkable achievement, and as a result Hansen's comments on 18 August 1995 will always be linked to it.

What Now for Mario?

2015-07-03T12:00:00.001-04:00

Three summers ago Mario Balotelli helped Manchester City win their first league title in forty-four years and he followed that up a month later with two goals in the Euro 2012 Semi-Final against the favoured Germans which led Italy into the Final.

But a lot can change in football in three years. After an ill fated stint at AC Milan, Balotelli returned to England last season with Liverpool and his career appears to have hit a new low.

The 24 year old player, who once appeared to be on the cusp of being spoken of as one of the best strikers in the world, scored a measly one goal after his £16m move from AC Milan.

Liverpool are now reportedly listening to offers for Mario, but manager Brendan Rodgers will be under no illusion that he can recoup the fee they paid for him last summer.

One place he won't be going apparently is Newcastle United, with the Daily Star reporting this morning that new boss Steve McClaren is "not keen" on the Italian striker.

So what now for Balotelli? Although he still bears the reputation of someone who is difficult to manage, and his goal return certainly doesn't offset any off the pitch issues he has, the player is still young enough to get his career back on track and could just need the right place, with the right manager to do so.

5 Players Who Went on Strike

2015-06-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

When you mention the word 'strike' some people immediately start worrying about how they're going to get into work as the transit workers have likely walked off the job again, or perhaps for those of you with kids you immediately start shaking your head at the latest labour dispute involving teachers.

But aside from strikes involving essential services like transit or education there have been several footballers over the years that have walked off the job over a dispute.

The following are five of the most notable:

George Eastham, Newcastle United

George Eastham, a midfielder for Newcastle stormed out of St. James Park in 1960 over his frustration with the club blocking him playing for the England U23 side, providing him with a dump of a house to live in and for setting him up with a second job he didn't like to get around the maximum wage they were allowed to pay him as a footballer by league rules. Eastham railed against the retain and transfer policy in English football at the time, that essentially bound a player to a club for life unless they chose to sell him, and referred to it as a "slavery contract". After spending several months away from the game selling cork, Newcastle eventually relented and sold him to Arsenal. His stance eventually helped pave the way towards providing fairer terms for players looking to re-negotiate contracts.

George Best, Manchester United

Dropped by manager Tommy Docherty for going on a three day bender prior to an FA Cup match, Manchester United legend George Best went on strike in early 1974 and never again played for the club. FIFA eventually sanctioned a release from his contract, as Best went on to play in the United States and elsewhere over the next nine years.

Carlos Tevez, Manchester City

After refusing to warm up against Bayern Munich during a Champions League group stage match in 2011/2012, Carlos Tevez felt the full wrath of Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini who said he'd never play for the club again. Tevez went awol for several months, golfing in Argentina for the most part, and eventually rejoined City towards the end of the season and helped them to a league title.

France, 2010 World Cup Squad

Squeaking into the 2010 World Cup after a Thierry Henry assisted handball goal against Ireland, a lot of neutrals were chucking when France got off to an abysmal start at the finals in South Africa and were in positive raptures when Patrice Evra led a player revolt against manager Raymond Domenech. The players refused to train after Nicolas Anelka was booted off of the team for arguing with the Domenech and the French almost didn't turn out for their last group fixture before crashing out in disgrace.

Pierre Van Hooijdonk, Nottingham Forest

After firing Pierre Van Hooijdonk helped fire Nottingham Forest into the Premier League in the 1997/1998 season, he felt that he had been given certain assurances that the club would strengthen before going into the top flight. The club didn't live up to his expectations in the transfer market, so Van Hooijdonk stat out the start of the season. Forest struggled and even his return to the squad did little to help their cause. The Dutch international had become a pariah in the eyes of the fans and teammates, so his return may have actually had more of a negative effect than a positive one any way.

Newcastle's Adam Campbell Dumped via Twitter

2015-05-31T12:00:00.000-04:00

Newcastle United youngster Adam Campbell must have known that his days were numbered with his local side, after making only three appearances in the 2012/2013 season and then spending the subsequent years out on loan.

Despite a short, but decent, spell for Gateshead in the Conference, Campbell is now aged 20 and it was inevitable that the Premier League club was faced with a decision as to what to do with him.

The decent thing would have been to have called him into the manager's office, had a quiet chat and said, "It's not us son, it's you. You're not Newcastle class and that's saying something considering some of the joker's we currently have on the payroll."

John Carver would have then given Campbell a nice warm hug, a £20 voucher for Marks and Spencers, a set of Newcastle Brown Ale beer coasters, and then sent him on his way.

But instead they went either the cowardly, inept or just plain stupid route and announced his release over Twitter.

In a world where people breakup on Facebook by simply changing their relationship status to "it's complicated" and then the brutal finality of "single", I guess this was bound to happen one day.

In total, the club released five players on Saturday, including cancer survivor Jonas Gutierrez who presumably received more courteous treatment from the club.

Campbell's girlfriend was certainly not happy with the club's treatment of a player who had been with the St. James Park outfit since he was seven years old, blasting the club with the following tweet: "Adam has never been told this officially, nice to find out through Twitter. #disrespect".

Hashtag disrespect indeed, it was pretty shameful stuff from Newcastle.
Hopefully Campbell lands at another club this summer.

The Round Table: Our Favourite Kits

2015-05-24T16:29:00.000-04:00

Every weekend we go beyond the headlines and talk to real football fans about current topics, issues or random tomfoolery in the football world.

Today the group discussed their favourite kits.

On the round table today we were joined by:

Bramble
Parmar
Luka
Jay
Kon
Iain (me)

What is your favourite football jersey, or jerseys, that you've owned and why?

Iain: Manchester United 1993/1994 - 1994/1995, Black away kit from Umbro.

Just a classic looking black kit with a slick gold trim. This was a prime example of the great kits Umbro used to make before they were bought out by Nike.

Oh, and it's the kit of Cantona. Specifically the one he wore when he drop kicked that thug at Selhurst Park.

Jay: United's Theatre of Dreams kit from 94/95 to 95/96. Still have mine but it's a wee bit small, haha.

Parmar: I had the 1986 World Cup Canadian Men's National Team shirt, that was pretty special.

Iain: I had the England 1986 and 1990 World Cup kits. They were both pretty nice.

Bramble: In order of personal faves most fave to least:

United Theatre of dreams hologram kit *Umbo*
Italia 90 England kit *Umbro*
United home kit from the 99 season(still have it) *Umrbo*
United Black sharp viewcam 94-95 *Umbro*
Holland kit from 1994 WC *Lotto*
Brasil 1994 away kit *Umbro*
Special mention my Rep kit for Burlington youth soccer in 94ish which looked like the Sweden kit in USA 94. I really loved that man. *Adidas*

I'm jealous that Parmar had the 1986 CMNT kit!

Parmar: (Laughs) Had it. I wish I had kept that with me for life. Back then framing shirts wasn't even a thing and you didn't "worship" it, you fucking wore it to practice, to kickabouts and to school. It got pretty worn down.

Iain: I hear you. I wore my old kits until they were thread bare. Even my Black United - Sharp Viewcam is a little beat down, but I saved it because I loved that kit so much and was a bit older (16 or 17) when I got it. My '80s ones are all long gone.

Parmar: Shit, I also had a first season (1974) Whitecaps shirt that was my Dad's that he passed down to me. And ya, wore the crap out of that one too.

Bramble: I had a Toronto Blizzard kit from the late '70s that my dad handed down to me. He bought it when going to watch Toronto play Pele's NY Cosmos.

Kon: All of my Newcastle kits are by far my favorites, however, I really like getting my hands on club kits from small countries and leagues, ones that are otherwise hard to get. So I'd have to say CD Motagua and CD Marathon from Honduras, LD Alajuelense from Costa Rica and FC Sheriff Tiraspol from Moldova.

From my Newcastle collection I own a David Ginola match-worn shirt, so that one is probably my most prized one!

Iain: I'm the same in terms of buying kits from smaller, lesser known clubs. I have a few non-league kits from England and a bunch of kits from El Salvador including FAS, Firpo and Alianza in my collection. As for Newcastle, I always dug the collar on the 95/96 kit. It was a real throwback with a great collar and that was the best Newcastle side I've seen.

Luka: 2000-01 Lazio Home - I try my best to avoid buying jerseys with sponsors but this one makes my list because it's got fucking Nedved on the back! I'm pretty sure that I run faster with the ball when I wear this.

AC Milan "Retro" - Not a real jersey per se but a pretty sweet looking top that Adidas made a few years back. I like wearing this, comfortable, nice fit. Never play in it though, it's too nice.

1996 Croatia Away Shirt - Only white Croatian away shirt and by far my favourite (maybe it's the Hajduk fan in me but I never liked the blue kits nearly as much). Also one of the NT's finest victories was secured wearing this shirt, defeating the defending EURO champs Denmark 3-0.

2013-14 Roma Home Shirt - Yup, I own both Lazio and Roma kits, so what? Are they rivals or something?! I'm no Roma fan but when I saw this I was dying to get my hands on one so i ordered it direct from the Roma Webshop. Roma for the season, didn't have a shirt manufacturer on contract, so they decided to make their own kits in house. The kit was clearly designed by a Roma diehard because it reeks of class and of shirts from their history. The material is great to play in so it's my favourite kickabout/practice shirt. Looks better in person.

2010-12? Hajduk Split Away Shirt - I'm unclear on what specific seasons this shirt was used but who cares, it's awesome. Barcelona can only dream of having a shirt this nice. The crest also marks the centenary.

EPL Relegation Shakedown: 2 Down, 1 To Go

2015-05-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

With both Burnley and a dismal QPR side consigned to relegation this weekend, there is one more team that could join them in the second tier next season dependent upon the outcome of the two remaining matches of the English Premier League season.

The following are the five teams that could still get dragged into the Championship and what their remaining fixtures look like:

Hull City - 34 points

Hull City, with their two remaining matches against Tottenham and Manchester United to go along with them needing other sides to drop points appears to make them odds on favourites for relegation. However, Tottenham have nothing much to play for now that they've already missed out on Champions League qualification, while Manchester United's form of late has been patchy, so it's not beyond the realms of possibility that Hull could get something out of these two fixtures.

Newcastle United - 36 points

Before their crucial 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion on Saturday the struggling Magpies had not picked up a point since February 28 and looked to be in free fall. Their remaining fixtures are against the already relegated QPR and a mid table West Ham side with nothing to play for, so it should be straightforward for John Carver's side to secure safety, but nothing is ever straightforward with Newcastle.

Sunderland - 36 points

Newcastle's bitter rivals Sunderland have three matches remaining, but the first of which is a pressure packed "six pointer" against fellow relegation battlers Leicester City. A win in that fixture may see Sunderland near enough to safety. Their other two remaining matches are against an Arsenal side battling to secure second place and the already crowned Champions Chelsea, whose minds may be on the beach when this match rolls around.

Leicester City - 37 points

A few months back Leicester looked dead and buried, but their resurgence in recent weeks is a credit to manager Nigel Pearson. He's formed a strongly knit unit without the benefit of a lot of money to spend and has made the Foxes a tough team to beat. The above mentioned clash with Sunderland is massive however and could either virtually assure them of safety or setup a nervous last day against the already doomed QPR.

Aston Villa - 38 points

Going nowhere under former manager Paul Lambert, the surging Aston Villa side led by the outspoken Tim Sherwood have already booked themselves a place in the FA Cup Final and appear to be on safe footing baring a disaster over the course of their last two matches against Southampton and already relegated Burnley.

Would You Boycott Your Club?

2015-04-24T12:00:00.000-04:00

What does it take for a seemingly uncaring football club owner to notice the discontent among his clubs support?

The answer in nearly all cases is when it affects his bottom line.

As they stagger along to the finish of another lackluster season, some Newcastle United fans are desperately trying to get absentee owner Mike Ashley's attention through an organized boycott.

Amid much talk before the fixture against Tottenham last Sunday that fans should avoid St. James' Park, and despite the hopes of the organizers that up to 16,000 supporters would stay away, it's estimated that only 2,500 to 3,000 didn't take up their seats. It could only be viewed as a crushing disappointment for the fans that wanted to send out a strong message of their frustration.

In order to force an owner like Mike Ashley to reconsider his position it will take more empty seats than that, and it will certainly take more than airing grievances on social media.

But how hard must it be to turn your back on the club you love, even if it is for the greater good?

There are undoubtedly Newcastle United fans that have attended every home match for a decade or more and to get them to stay away, no matter how upset they are, is no easy task.

Some of them no doubt feel like they would be abandoning their club and not sticking with them through thick and thin, despite the fact that most of what they're seeing right now is thin.

While others will continue to go out of habit, because that's what they do on a Saturday they meet up with their friends and watch their local side, no matter what the football on display is like.

Unrelated to Newcastle, I asked a good friend once about why he continued to renew his season tickets for the club he supported, despite an ownership group that gleefully exploited it's supporters, a continually losing team, a hapless manager and absolutely no hope of improvement. He said that despite everything he wanted to support football in his community and wanted to be there when things eventually turned around and times were good.

I'm sure a lot of Newcastle fans feel like that as well. It's a massive club and you have to figure that at some point Ashley will sell the club on, hopefully to investors that will put the required funds in to make the Magpies competitive again.

Like most sides there are 'loyalty points' for renewing a season ticket and if you let yours slip in the bad times, you may not get one back if and when times change.

Despite all of this, in order to affect this kind of change, a message does need to be sent out that the supporters aren't happy and won't continue to plow cash into the club for a mediocre return. So a mass boycott or a series of well attended protests might be their only course of action.

Throwback Thursdays: Supermac Hits Five

2015-04-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

One of the most prolific scorers of the 1970's for Newcastle United and then Arsenal, Malcolm "Supermac" Macdonald didn't have a lot of success at international level, with the notable exception of a scoring rampage he went on forty years ago today.

The man who had been discovered by Bobby Robson at Fulham, but went on to his greatest success in the North East, bagging 95 goals in 187 appearances for Newcastle, was first capped for England in 1972.

It was a difficult period for the national side though, as Sir Alf Ramsay's time in charge of England was coming to an end and the Three Lions would shockingly fail to qualify for the 1974 World Cup in Germany.

After his debut, caps were hard to come by for Macdonald despite his scintillating form for his club, but under new England boss Don Revie he was given his chance in the 1976 UEFA European Championship Qualifiers.

On 16 April 1975, England faced Cyprus at Wembley in front of 68,245 fans and Supermac wasted little time in getting off the mark. Macdonald had his and England's first goal in the 2nd minute, before going on to notch further goals in the 35', 48', 53' and 86' minutes.

His five goal outburst, that staked England to a comfortable 5-0 win, is still the only time an England player has scored that many goals in a competitive fixture.

Later that year, Supermac would score another goal for England in an impressive 2-0 friendly win over West Germany.

It was to prove a false dawn for England and Macdonald though, as defeat away to Czechoslovakia and a draw away to Portugal saw off their qualification for Euro 76 hopes and Supermac never scored for England again.

Macdonald left Newcastle for Arsenal in 1976 and was The Gunners top scorer for two seasons before a serious knee injury at the start of the 1978/1979 season effectively ended his career at only age 29.

Five Wacky Premier League Moments

2015-03-26T12:00:00.000-04:00

As Liverpool's Steven Gerrard was shown a straight red after only 38 seconds on the pitch against Manchester United on Sunday, it was the latest example of the wildly unexpected moments we've come to love about the English Premier league.

Whether it's ridiculous red cards, hilarious rants, or colourful owners, there's never a dull moment in England's top flight.

The following are five wacky moments since the start of the Premier League in 1992/1993:

Cantona Kicks Off

With two time defending champions Manchester United embroiled in a title race with Blackburn Rover in 1994/1995 the Red Devils would be dealt a massive blow in late January when they lost their talismanic striker Eric Cantona to a long term suspension.

After seeing red against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, as the Frenchman made his way towards the players tunnel, Cantona was on the end of a stream of abuse from Palace fan Matthew Simmons. Simmons, who allegedly racially abused Cantona, didn't know what hit him though as the United player launched into his chest with a 'kung-fu' kick and a flurry of punches.

Cantona was suspended for eight months and United were pipped to the title by Blackburn on the final day of the season.

Kevin Keegan Loses the Plot

Newcastle United under manager Kevin Keegan had enjoyed a renaissance in the mid-1990's, as he led the club back to the top flight and after two seasons of consolidating their position in Premier League they were primed for an assault on the title in 1995/1996.

Playing some thrilling attacking football, the club at one point held a twelve point lead in the title race and seemed odds on to win their first league championship since 1926/1927.

However a young Manchester United side, galvanized by Eric Cantona, who had returned from his previously mentioned suspension, surged past them in the table and with Sir Alex Ferguson playing his famous mind games on his rival manager, the pressure began to tell on Keegan.

During a post match interview towards the tail end of the season, Keegan unleashed the following famous rant in response to Ferguson's opinion that club's wouldn't be trying as hard against Newcastle as they would against Manchester United:

"When you do that with footballers like he said about Leeds, and when you do things like that about a man like Stuart Pearce - I've kept really quiet, but I'll tell you something, he went down in my estimation when he said that - we have not resorted to that. But I'll tell ya - you can tell him now if you're watching it - we're still fighting for this title, and he's got to go to Middlesbrough and get something, and... and I tell you honestly, I will love it if we beat them, love it!"

Manchester United would go on to win the league on the last day of the season.

Delia Smith's Halftime Announcement

For those unfamiliar with Delia Smith, the Norwich City co-owner is a famous British celebrity chef who has sold over 21 million cookbooks and presented numerous television shows on cooking during her long career. If you like to dabble in the kitchen, I'd actually suggest looking up a few of her recipes as she's got a few great dishes in her arsenal.

Anyhow, on the football side of things she's most famous for an epic rant in February 2005 during half time of a Norwich home match against Manchester City. With her club in a relegation fight, an inebriated looking Smith made her way down to the pitch, grabbed the microphone and said the following:

"A message for the best football supporters in the world: we need a 12th man here. Where are you? Where are you? Let's be 'avin' you! Come on!"

If I owned a football club, I'd probably do this every other week if I'm being honest. Despite Delia's encouragement Norwich lost the match 3-2 and were relegated at the end of the season.

Phil Brown's Team Talk

As his newly promoted Hull City side struggled through an awful first half against Manchester City in December 2008, manager Phil Brown resorted to desperate measures.

Brown, feeling the players weren't putting in enough effort, conducted his half time team talk on the pitch in front of the where the Hull supporters were sitting.

The furious Hull boss tore into his side, who were two down at the time, for three minutes in front of puzzled travelling supporters.

Brown, who would just about manage to keep Hull in the Premier League at the end of that season, had this to say of his team talk:

"It was unacceptable behaviour, an unacceptable performance from a Phil Brown side and I am bitterly disappointed."

[On his on-field half-time talk]: "I thought it was nice and cold and I thought I would keep the boys alive because they looked as if they were dead.

"Our 4,000 travelling fans deserved some kind of explanation for the first-half performance and it was difficult for me to do that from the confines of a changing room.

"We owed them an apology for the first-half performance."

Luis Suarez Bites Again

Biting an opponent once is awful, but we all make mistakes. But having three instances of biting in your career, sandwiched around a charge of racially abusing a fellow professional, doesn't mark you out as being a role model for young fans. After receiving a ban for biting an opponent when playing for Ajax, Luis Suarez's second instance of biting another player came towards the end of a 2-2 draw between his Liverpool side and Chelsea in April 2013 when he sank his gnashers into Branislav Ivanović.

The player was suspended for ten matches, but would later return in some style as he almost carried the Anfield club to the title the following season.

Unfortunately, he followed that up by biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during a first round match at the 2014 World Cup while playing for Uruguay. Some people never learn.

Throwback Thursdays: Alvin Martin’s Incredible Hat Trick

2015-03-19T16:00:00.000-04:00

Scoring a hat trick while a difficult achievement it is very common in football, but very few players can score the hat trick that West Ham’s defender Alvin Martin scored against Newcastle.

In April of 1986, West Ham defeated Newcastle United 8-1 and Alvin Martin scored a hat trick in that match. The peculiar aspect of his hat trick is that all three goals were scored against three different goalkeepers, making him the only player to have scored three goals in one game against three different goalkeepers.

The West Ham defender scored his first goal against Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Thomas, who would end up being replaced by Chris Hedworth due to injury. Martin would then score against Hedworth, who would also be replace by Peter Beardsley near the end of the match, but with still time to play he would score his final goal against Beardsley, thus sealing his hat trick and having his name engraved in Premier League and world football history as the only player to achieve this feat.

He was a Hammer at heart, and to be able to set this remarkable feat wearing the kit of the club he loved must have been an honor for him. He played 20 years with West Ham and his final game was at the age of 37 on May 5th 1996 against Sheffield Wednesday.

North American NUFC Supporters Will Gather in New York City in April

2015-01-28T16:00:00.000-05:00

So we all know that there are supporter groups for most major football (soccer) clubs that are located away from its domestic fronts. For English club Newcastle United it is no different when it comes to its North American die-hard fans, with chapters of the Toon Army well established across the United States and Canada.

But what rarely happens is an opportunity where the various chapters get together and the supporters from across the continent can meet one another and enjoy a few pints while watching their beloved club take on their respective opposition. This rare occurrence is about to happen for the black and white fans of North America, and the "respective" opposition on the day will be none other than (to quote Toon Army Dallas) the soap-dodging mackems, Newcastle's neighbors and fierce rivals Sunderland.

The event is set to take place on Sunday, April 4th, 2015 in New York City at the awesome Legends Bar, with many Toon fans due to arrive one or two days before prior to the meet.

For more information on the event click here and join the Toon Armies from around America.

10 Best Sir Bobby Robson Quotes

2015-01-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

While not a fan of any of the teams coached by Sir Bobby Robson, I cannot say enough about how great this man was. He was indeed one of the great gentlemen of the game of football and when he died the game lost someone who was loved and adored by all.

I have never met anyone that has had anything bad to say about him and I don’t think such a person even exists. I had the pleasure to follow his career as a coach when he moved to Portugal to first coach Sporting CP and then FC Porto, and while I hated those teams and the titles he won with FC Porto the league was better just for having him in it.

It is only fair that this week’s best quotes are from Sir Bobby Robson, a man that has become synonymous with class in a game that sometimes can be classless.

Here are my ten favorite Sir Bobby Robson quotes.

"We can't replace Gary Speed. Where do you get an experienced player like him with a left foot and a head?"

“We didn't underestimate them. They were a lot better than we thought.”

"With Maradona, even Arsenal would have won the World Cup." (in 1986)

"He's the only man I know who could start an argument with himself" (On Craig Bellamy)

"People want success. It's like coffee, they want instant."

“Alan Shearer has done very well for us, considering his age. We have introduced some movement into his game because he has got two good legs now. Last season he played with one leg.”

"Gary Speed has never played better, never looked fitter, never been older."

“The margin is very marginal.”

"When Gazza was dribbling, he used to go through a minefield with his arm, a bit like you go through a supermarket."

“Some of the goals were good, some of the goals were sceptical.”