I went to Newcastle 2 Burnley 1 on Saturday. Thoroughly enjoyed myself!
After the sad demise of Whitburn & Cleadon FC, who we’d pummelled 12-0 back in August, Percy Main were left without a fixture on Saturday 6th December. In searching around for a game, I’d identified Whitley Bay Sporting Club v Willington Quay Saints on the 4G at St Peter’s Fields as being the best fixture on offer. However, my mate John, who was heading over from County Kildare for the Burnley game, managed to source me one at SJP. Now I’ve finally retired my old BlackBerry, I actually have Google Wallet on my new (old) phone, so I was able to download the ticket and enjoy the 21st Century from Row N in the Leazes East Stand corner, which is now my preferred location whenever possible. The real question is, how come a seat in the middle of a row suddenly becomes available 48 hours before a home Premier League fixture kicks off? I’ve no idea, but John who is a keen observer of these things, noticed how about 60 spaces for Spurs suddenly went on line the day of that game. Apparently, they were unsold corporate ones, with no option for the bland 3-course meal included, available for £55 rather than the usual £300 plus. Must be some decent bait they’re serving these days. On Saturday morning, a dozen or so Burnley tickets also appeared, strangely enough.
Perhaps the NUFC Against Sportswashing crowd should avail themselves of these last minute deals. Firstly, it would allow them to actually see what the inside of St. James Park looks like and secondly they could hold up one of their banners, instead of bellyaching that the Gallowgate Flags organisation hasn’t stumped up for one on their behalf. Then again, we don’t need Denver’s Islamophobic Army in our home, do we? Seriously though, I still feel the unexplained appearance of so many last minute tickets suggests the club still doesn’t have a full handle on who all of our season ticket holders are. Almost certainly, the recycling of the Ashley giveaways from a few seasons back have fallen into the hands of the wrong sorts. I’d like to have asked the immaculately dressed “Hoppy” Hopkinson about that issue at the We Are United event in The Stack on Monday 1st December, but I didn’t know it was on. Afterwards, NUST sent out a comprehensive summary of proceedings via email and, while the content of the evening was predictably anodyne, with lots of warm words but nothing of substance about ground moves and so on, I’m glad the club are no longer behaving like the Ashley regime when it comes to fan engagement. It’s all well and good wanting to be as big as Real Madrid by 2030, but real action, including the welcome backing of our fans to the hilt following the Marseilles debacle (and I’m not talking about either Nick Pope or Holly Blades here) is to be warmly welcomed.
Similarly, we can give two cheers for the team’s performance on the pitch since we got back from the international break. 10 points from 12 in 4 league games may not have moved us significantly higher in the table (though if we’d held on against Spurs we’d be sitting 6th now), but we’re now 9 rather than 2 points above relegation and that can only be a good thing. What is most encouraging is that we faced a couple of daunting fixtures at the start of this run and passed these tests with flying colours. Perhaps we were lucky in the City game to survive two decent penalty claims and to find both Harland and Foden unable to hit a barn door. However, it’s nice to get a rub of the green for once and it was a much improved performance, helped massively by the return of the two best fullbacks at the club and the only one of our 4 wide players who is displaying any kind of form. This was a deeply satisfying and deserved win.
Marseilles was the polar opposite. I’d gone in to this one, saying I’d be happy with a 3-0 loss, if we could guarantee a win away to Everton. In the end, I abandoned that position as Marseilles weren’t really that much cop and we could have been out of sight by half time. Alright, so their winner was a good bit of football (and frighteningly similar to the first Spurs equaliser a week later), but the good work, and missed chances, of the first half were undone by Pope’s insane rush from goal for their opener. What he was thinking I’ll never know, but the result of his actions was that less than a minute of real playing time after Gordon had spurned a gilt-edged opportunity to put us 2-0 at the break, we were back on level terms after a howler of a keeper error that reminded me of Burridge at home to West Ham in September 1990. Frankly, the French riot police ought to have been baton charging Pope and spraying him with tear gas for that one. An action more shameful than the one performed by Holly Blades in the bogs.
And so to Everton. Well, talk about getting the monkey off your back eh? Without an away win in 7 months, we absolutely pulverised them. Thiaw’s two headers were perfect set pieces from brilliant crosses, and the other two goals made me laugh uproariously. Pickford’s usual unprofessional approach to this game saw him drop the kind of rick I’d be ashamed of in the weekly 6-a-side up the West Road, whilst the inexplicable absence of any kind of defence for Woltemade’s delightful finish was redolent of pub football at its worst. Nice though for Elanga to get a proper assist with a measured pass for that one, but we were excellent all over the pitch from first whistle until last.
The Spurs game saw a load of wailing and gnashing of teeth on social media. Unquestionably it was 2 points dropped, and as frustrating as the pair of 2-2 draws with Port Vale at SJP in October 1989 and December 1991, but it has to be recognised that their first was a great header and for the equaliser, it was Thiaw’s unfortunate flick that diverted the ball past Ramsdale, in for the allegedly injured Pope. Bruno finished superbly from Big Nick’s beautiful lay off and the penalty was 100% a spot kick. The defender wrestled Burn for a good 20 seconds or so and never once looked for the ball. Well done VAR, and it’s not often I say that. Well, apart from the 2 we got away with against City I suppose. One thing that did disappoint me was nobody being on hand to finish the rebound after Joelinton had hit the post, but I guess that’s the kind of finish Wissa would be able to provide.
We got to see Wissa on Saturday against Burnley. Two ahead at the break against a team in the relegation zone and facing only 10 men, it should have been a cakewalk. And for 93 minutes it was. After an opening 10 minutes of huffing and puffing, the visitors offered nothing up front, rather like Willock for us. Bruno’s hilarious goal was right in front of me, as were the clear red card and not so obvious penalty. Gordon, who looked much better than of late, put it away well. Livramento was different class, aiding Elanga to be more involved and, of course, Bruno was a class act. Ramsay also looked good, neat and tidy, until the farcical penalty concession. That and one late chance for them gave the scoreline a lopsided look, but a win is a win, and we can go away to Leverkusen in better heart than we would have done a month ago.
A word also about some pubs. John and I enjoyed ourselves in The Town Mouse beforehand, where the Deya Magazine Cover was superb. Afterwards, the Two By Two Snake Eyes in The Bodega was of the usual glorious standard, before a final pair of Almasty Green in The Wobbly Duck. Superb pints. Superb company and we managed it back home in time for Match of the Day. A highly civilised day out. Even the Guinness in the ground was very drinkable.
