February 2009 Archives

EVER since the reign of that wannabe Tyne superhero Big Bad Sam Allardyce, the Wanderers of Bolton have perceived an ugly win as a thing of beauty.

Nought has changed under Gary Megson, an equally fleeting Toon man, and come Sunday Newcastle will find out again for them winning at the Reebok is not easy.

Bolton retreat to the edge of their penalty area and then thump the ball into the channels for their lone forward Kevin Davies to chase.

NEWCASTLE United's legal row with former manager Kevin Keegan could drag on for months and seriously disrupt the club's summer transfer strategy.

The Journal understands that, while there is a preliminary hearing between the two legal teams to discuss the case early next month, it is highly unlikely an agreement will be reached then.

Both legal teams are adamant they have a strong case, which means the arguments could carry on for weeks, if not months, before a settlement is concluded with a number of hearings required before the matter is eventually passed on to a Premier League arbitration panel. United's owner Mike Ashley is determined not to back down in the dispute as a matter of principle, while Keegan, who is unlikely to work in football again, would like to maximise the size of his compensation claim.

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RYAN TAYLOR has revealed that there is nothing wrong with team morale in the Newcastle United camp.

The former Wigan Athletic ace says that United are confident of keeping their mini unbeaten run of three games going into the Reebok Stadium battle on Sunday against Bolton Wanderers.

And despite some high-profile departures in the January transfer window, Taylor is loving life on Tyneside.

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NEWCASTLE United are braced for an expensive double hit on their revenue streams over the next seven days as they close in on settling the Kevin Keegan and Jonás Gutiérrez disputes.

United's managing director Derek Llambias has revealed that the club expect to shell out "millions of pounds" to settle the Keegan case and pay Real Mallorca for Gutiérrez - two matters that have been hanging over the club since the autumn.

With United effectively operating without commercial revenue at the moment because of the way the Michael Owen deal was structured, that means owner Mike Ashley has had to dip into his own pocket to fund United's on-going operations, Llambias has revealed.

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HABIB BEYE says he hopes to be back to boost Newcastle United's Premier League survival bid in time for next month's mammoth home clash with Arsenal.

In an in-depth interview with the Chronicle, the popular defender spoke openly for the first time since having his ankle shattered in a horror tackle by Lee Cattermole last Boxing Day at Wigan.

Toon star Beye revealed he has yet to receive an apology from the ex-Middlesbrough man after the X-rated incident.

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MIKE Ashley has rediscovered his passion for running Newcastle United after coming to terms with the hate campaign which looked as though it would force him out of St James's Park.

Ashley's failure to sell the club before Christmas - and a softening of the opposition to his regime - has persuaded the owner to take on a more hands-on role as he focuses his attention on developing his vision for the future at Newcastle United.

The billionaire businessman, according to managing director Derek Llambias, was naturally hurt by the abuse he received following the controversial departure of former manager Kevin Keegan and had begun to believe he would never be able to fulfil his dream of owning a successful football club.

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SEASON tickets at Newcastle United are being slashed by 9%, managing director Derek Llambias revealed today.

Aware that many disillusioned diehards may not renew their season ticket after several years of on and off- field agony, the club made the unprecedented move.

It means United fans buying a season ticket for next season will be paying similar prices to those paid in 2007/08.

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DID you see that converted dodgem car driving around the Haymarket before the match against Everton on Sunday, complete with pole on the back?

I looked out of the pub window and my initial reaction was "Nice, someone's had a whip-round to buy Cristiano Ronaldiver a new car".

Or, as a lad next to me said: "All it's missing is some bloke hanging off the back taking your fare".

NEWCASTLE United managing director Derek Llambias is convinced Joe Kinnear will be back as manager of the club as he vehemently denied a replacement is being sought.

Kinnear is currently at home recuperating from a triple heart bypass operation and it had been feared the 62-year-old would be unable to return.

But Llambias is confident Kinnear will be back in charge of the team before the end of the season, as he underlined the boards wholehearted support for the former Wimbledon boss.

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YET another Newcastle game was marred by a refereeing decision. Too many times this season the outcome of the game has been influenced by a big call made by the man in the middle; whether it has been a contentious penalty or a sending off as it was yesterday. On this occasion however, Newcastle can have no complaints.

The referee had no option other than to show Kevin Nolan the red card for his dangerous tackle on the Everton front man Victor Anichebe. Fortunately, the only consequence was heavy bruising of the shin and nothing serious. Both managers defended Nolan's character afterwards, dismissing any accusations that the tackle was deliberate. Nolan also apologised for his recklessness to Everton and Anichebe, so there is no bad blood between the clubs.