THE TOON 0 LEEEDZ 0 ***PREMYAA LEEGUE 2022-2023

 Posted '9:38pm🔔 bells' New Years Eve 2022

"YI CANNIT WIN THEM AALL!"

A frustrating day at 'The Cathedral on the Hill' ended in a goalless draw in heavy rain and thick fog!

We had many (many!) chances to win but bad misses by Longstaff, Schar, Wood, Joelinton and Botman meant NUFC had to settle for a point az Leeedz wasted az much time az they could which heated over in the final minutes with Leeedz goalie theatrically gannin to ground after bein shoved by Wilson for blatent time wastin! (Sommik the very poor ref didn't dee anything to stop!)

It ended a run of 6 succesive Premya Leegue wins but overall in 2022 we have lost just ONE Premyaa Leegue home game--last season v Livaapoool in April!  The anly othaa home defeat in 2022 woz against (wait for it!) CAMBRIDGE! in the FA Cup last January!

NUFC end the year in 3rd place in the table--a position that not even the most optimistic Toon fan could have dreamed of! (We were 19th at this point last season!)

2023 can anly get BETTER me 'finks'!  "ONWARD AND UPWARD!" 🤪👍🍺

PS: A minutes applause for Pele preceded the kick off az Brazilian Bruno wore the Pele number 10 shirt in hiz honour before reverting to hiz number 39 Toon top az the game started!

Attendance: 52,211 (3,200 Leeedz fans)

*

THE TOON V LEEEDZ *** THIS AFTERNOOON!

 Posted 'high noon bells' New Years Eve 2022

THE LEAZES END NORTH CORNER FROM LEAZES PARK

If yoo include aall wor Premyaa Leegue, Leegue Cup games and mid season friendlies, NUFC have won 11 games in a row gannin into the last game of 2022!

A remarkable and unforgettable run!

Not sure if Callum Wilson will take any part? az the most likely line up will be the startin line up that destroyed Lestaa 3-0 in just half an hour on Boxin Day!

A full Geordie Times match report will appear here later on!  Az per usual "Watch this space!"

AT LAST!---SOME COMMON SENSE PREVAILS!

 Posted '7:17pm bells' Thorzday 29th Decembaa 2022

 

THE ORIGINAL POST ON THE CLUBS WEBSITE AT THE BEGINNIN' OF THE WEEK

AND THE UPDATED NEWS FOR LEVEL 7 SEASON TICKET HOLDERS ON WEDINZDAY

For the past few seasons, season ticket holder in 'level 7' of The Milburn and Leazes End corner sections have had to relocate to the lower bowl of SJP, az under 'The Fat Controller's' disastrous regime, we couldn't fill the top deck of the groond for cup games---and so that woz understandable!

HOWEVER! Under the new regime this practice haz continued, even though there are now sell out crowds for cup games!---We then had to relocate to anothaa part of the groond and look up to level 7 and spot some strangers sittin in wor seats, while we had to settle for inferior seats in The Leazes or Gallowgate End!

I sent an 'E mail' to the club askin just WHY we couldnt buy wor own seats when a sell out woz guaranteed! (I got no reply!)

For wor cup game v Bournemoooth we managed to get seats in row 'DD' of The Milburn Stand, which woz pitch level and wasnt a good view at aall! (3 rows from the front!)

Now at last we hear that we can at last buy wor own seats in The Milburn Stand balcony for the Leegue Cup tie with Lestaa City next month!

We understand that some season ticket holder could be displaced in The Leazes west corner, az Lestaa might ask for more than the 3,000 away tickets for the game----they are entitled to double that number for cup games!

But where I sit iz miles away from the visitin' fans and it woz infuriatin' to have to wait a few days after sales commenced  to get 'the scraps' that season ticket holders didn't buy in eethaa The Leazes or Gallowgate ends!

Common sense haz finally prevailed!  "HIP HIP HORRAY!"    

THE BASIL BRUSH BRIGADE 0 THE TOON 3 *** PREMYAA LEEGUE 2022-2023

 Posted  '1:00pm🔔 bells' Tuezday 27th Decembaa 2022

Chris Wood penalty     1-0 to NUFC (VIEW from row 'LL' in the away corner)

"FROM 2ND BOTTOM TO 2ND TOP!"

A year ago NUFC were in free fall after the mess Broken Nose Bruce had left--just ONE win and heedin for the Championship abyss!

A year on and under 'Steady Eddie' ("The guy who got Bournemoooth relegated!" said Brucey) we have won 7 in a row and can dream of a Champions Leegue place!--or a miracle of the title (unlikely but not impossible!)

Within 3 minutes we had a penalty at the far end from us when Joelinton woz hacked doon in the box!

Chris Wood took the spot kick and fired hiz shot into the centre of the net!---Within 2 minutes of that we had doubled wor lead when a 'one-two-one' between Almiron and Bruno had Miggy jink through the Lestaa box to shoot into the far corner for a brilliant goal!---which sent the 3,300 Toon fans in the far corner into meltdoon!

Toon fans started singin': "We're gonna win the Leegue!"  Not me mind--lets wait til we DEE and I will sing alang then!

Joelinton trebled wor lead before the half hour mark when he rose above the home defence to heed home from the edge edge of the box from a Kieran Trippier corner to virtually seal the win and the 3 points, well before the half time break!

The 2nd half wasnt az good az we eased off the gas but *The Basil Brush Brigade misfired badly and hardly had a shot on goal!  (Lestaaz nickname iz The Foxes--Basil Brush iz a fox!---get it!???) The atmosphere from their fans woz crap, but the one good thing iz they don't have them horrible clappers anymore! (Just crap plastic blue flags to wave!)

Jamie Vardy came on az a sub for Lestaa to chants from the Toon faithful of: "Jamie Vardy--your lass iz a grass!" (In relation to hor lost libel case against Wayne Rooney's wife!)

By this time there were thooosands of empty blue seats az their fans left in droves!

" We can see yoo sneakin' out!"

Anothaa clean sheet az well, az we climbed above Man City into 2nd place! (For the time being at least!)

Anothaa fab win under Steady Eddie's guidance!---wot a difference a year makes!

*PS: We said in The Geordie Times preview of the match that we hoped that the Toon fans could sing the "Jingle bells" song;

Wor wish woz granted!

Aaltogether now!

🎵Jingle 🔔 bells- Jingle 🔔 bells--Jingle aall the way!--oh wot fun it iz to see Newcasil win away!🎵

*Attendance: 32,185 (3,300 very happy Toon fans!)

Az usual when we come doon these parts we heeded for The Regent Club for the pre match 'gargels' which iz aboot a 20 minute walk from the groond!) 

Wor 84th Liquid Lubrication Location of the season so far!

THE BASIL BRUSH BRIGADE v THE TOON **** BOXIN' DAY 2022

 Posted '6:00pm bells' Xmas Day 2022🎄🎄🎄

"A VERY MERRY XMAS TO AALL WOR READERS!"

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

*We heed for deepest Leicestershire tomorrow when we take on 'The Basil Brush Brigade' in a '3:00 bells' kick off Premyaa Leegue fixture!

NUFC have won wor last six games in the Leegue and Leegue Cup and have lost just once (Unjustly v Livaapoool) in wor last 20 games!

Aaall 3,300 tickets were snapped up lang ago and there shud be a canny atmosphere at The King Power (Crisp) Stadium!

Hopefully we can sing that old Xmas classic: "Jingle bells--jingle bells---jingle all the way!----Oh wot fun it iz to see Newcasil win away!"----Hopefully?

We of course play Lestaa az well in The Leegue Cup qwaataa finals on Tuesday 10th January at SJP and so a victory would be very nice to set us up for that tie!

WOT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES!

*********THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS*********

ON THE 12th DAY OF CHRIST-MAS!

JOE HARVEY ^ SAID TO MEEE!

TWELVE! ^ ALAN FOGGON!

ELEVEN! ^ JACKIE SINCLAIR!

TEN! ^ JIMMY SCOTT!

NINE! ^ WYN 'THE LEAP'!

EIGHT! ^ POP ROBSON!

SEVEN! ^ KEITH DYSON!

SIX! ^ BOBBY MONCUR!

FIVE! ^ Mc-NAAA-MEEE!

FOUR!  ^ TOMMY GIBB!

THREE! ^ FRANKY CLARK!

TWO! ^ DAVY CRAIG!

AND!  Mc-FAUL ^ IS OUR GOAL-EEE!

*'Smokin' Joe Harvey was captain of the NUFC team which won the

FA Cup in 1951 and 1952.

He then went on to become manager in the 1960's and won

the Inter Cities Fairs Cup in 1969.

Aall the players mentioned played some part in that campaign

DOON MEMORY LANE *** QPR 1968

Posted just after 'high noon bells' Friday 23rd Decembaa 2022

This week 54 years ago we travelled to west London where we took on QPR at Loftus Road in an old Division 1 game!

A Geordie Times archive match report from that game is printed below (Ground number 006) 

006 rangers stadium (loftus road) qpr

(GROUND NUMBER 6)

Date of First Visit: 21st DECEMBER 1968
RANGERS STADIUM, LOFTUS ROAD, LONDON


QUEENS PARK RANGERS 1
NEWCASTLE UNITED 1 (Alan Foggon)


(OLD) DIVISION ONE

ATTENDANCE 16,444 (1,000 Toon fans----aall in 'The Loft'!)


 

  

"SERVIN' WOR APPRENTICESHIPS!"




"MERRY XMAS FROM SHEPHERDS BUSH!"



 
This was Q.P.R.'s inaugrial season in the 'top flight', and we arrived in good time, (six am again!) for this Christmas fixture at Shepherd's Bush. (where Q.P.R. play)

('We' bein', Me, Billy, Dylan, Collie and Dekka)

Shepherd's Bush waz aalso the 'home' of two of mee telly cult hero's of the time, namely, Harold and Albert Steptoe, who were 'rag 'n' bone' men in the classic 'Steptoe and Son'. Alang with their trusted horse 'Hurcules' they used tih trawl the streets of London collectin' anythin' from scrap metal tih peoples cast off clayz.


 


And low and behold!, az we were mekin' wor way tih the groond, a horse 'n' cart appeared around the corner with a gadgie shoutin' sommik unprenooncable at the top of hiz voice! (az they did!)



                                                                

And I 'kid you not', he waz the 'spit' of Harold with hiz cloth cap, lang sideborns, scruffy coat and rolled doon wellies! He waz deein' a roarin' trade az he strolled alang with half an aad car exhaust pipe as an impromptu waalkin' stick!


 
(Aa naa that it's a rare sight theeze days, but!, back in the 60's, rag 'n' bone men were a common sight on the streets of Britain) (az were milkmen!---remember them???)


 
Hiz cart was full tih the brim, with an aad tin bath tekin' 'pride of place' on the top of the pile of junk, as his horse (Hercules II?) 'clip clopped' it's way doon the street!

The anly problem of course, was---it WAS'NT Harold!---but! (az yh dee!) ah felt ah had tih have a bit 'crack' with him anyway!


 
For a laugh ah asked where hiz faatha Albert waz, but aall ah got waz one of those: "YEE'D BETTA F*** OFF!, OR ALL BRAY YIH WI' MEE 'WAALKIN' STICK'", looks! (needless tih say---ah did'nt press him for an answer and 'hurried' towards the floodlights!)


 
ANYWAY!---(and getting' back tih futbaall matters!) 'The Leazes End Boot Boys' had came doon in force, and their aim that day was tih 'take' 'The Loft', which was the Rangers 'End'.

Wih entered the groond and before lang aall hell broke loose!

"YOUR GONNA GET YOUR F*****' HEADS KICKED IN!", the 'Boot Boys' sang az they charged towards the terrified Q.P.R. fans, boots and fists flyin'!


They found little resistance, and the Toon fans showed their Rangers counterparts plenty of 'Christmas spirit', by chasin' them to the other end of the groond!.


Because there was nee segregation, and very few aall ticket games in them days, it became the 'done thing' tih try and tek the 'Home Ends', and tih do so was a 'feather in the cap' for the 'Boot Boys'.


As far as they were concerned, another 'End' had been taken tih add tih the 'HIT' 'LIST'!, although, tih be fair tih Q.P.R., they neva had a reputation for bein' 'hard cases' and they were considered 'easy meat' for 'The Leazes Enders'!


(There's one thing for certain, we DEFENATELY would'nt be on the Q.P.R. fans, 'Christmas card' 'LIST'!) (For THAT YEAR at least!)


"THE LEAZES END IS HERE!---THE LEAZES END IS HERE!", the Toon fans sang triumphantly, as though wi'd won the war or sommik!?.


It's amazin' tih think nuw, that back in the 'sixties', there was nee attempt at aall tih try and segregate rival fans, and yih could just gan anywhere yih wanted tee in the groonds, by payin' at the turnstiles. (Try deein' that nuw!)


 
'The Loft' was behind one of the goals and had a low pitched roof which covered aboot half the spectators. To wor reet was the main stand, again this had a low roof and was aall seated with the touchline so close to the fence that fans could actually grab the players as they took a throw in!


 
Opposite this was the brand new South Africa Road Stand (nee where near---by the way!) that had been opened at the start of the season to 'commemorate' Rangers forst ever visit to the top flight, with seats at the back and a lower stand underneath, which had a small standin' terrace to the front (now private boxes!)


 
Behind the other goal was an open terrace with maisonettes 'pearin' ower the back. This was aalso the 'end' of the groond that aa 'spotted' Harold Steptoe and his 'orse (now 'remamed' 'The Rag 'n' Bone End'!)


The game at Loftus Road was an uninspirin' affair as Rangers huffed and puffed and ran aroond a lot, but 'The Toon' seemed to contain them fairly comfortably for most of the match. The Magpies relied on the occasional coonter-attack and the best that can be said aboot the game was that it was 'hard and rugged'.

 

The Toon were mid-table and Q.P.R. were 'rock bottom', so predictableee!, we were expected to win easily, aalthough, it was Rangers who had more of the possession in the orly stages. But!---on the other hand, it was Newcastle who created the more scorin' chances owerraall.

 

In fact, we would have won quite easily if it had not been for Ron Springett in the Rangers' goal as he produced some spectacular saves. He anly made one mistake – but it was a costly one!. He should have held on to a Pop Robson corner in the 16^th minute but he dropped the baall and eighteen year old Alan Foggon, who played on the
wing that day, reacted quickest, pooncin' to open the scorin' at 'The Rag 'n' Bone End'.

 

'The Cragheed Flier' (where Foggon came from) frequently had the Rangers' defence in trouble with his pace and exuberance although his positionin' left sommik to be desired. Nevertheless, he forced Springett into a top class save late in the forst half as the 'keeper went full length to hold a shot by the Beatles-mopped winger.

 

The heavy pitch was strength sappin' as it was covered in thick sticky clarts and both teams were leg weary as the game approached its closing stages. Unpredictableee!---just when it seemed like we were gannih collect both points, (2 points for a win, then) a fatal lapse in concentration by the defence five minutes from time allowed Rangers to equalise. It seemed more by luck than intention that a clearance upfield by Bobby Keetch landed just in the right place for Barry Bridges to score with the Tyneside defence at sixes and sevens.

 

It seemed as if the final whistle came two or three minutes orly which upset Les Allen, the QPR manager. He felt that they might have got the winner, a view not shared by Jawnil reporter Bob Cass, "I didn't fancy their chances of scoring before Shepherd's Bush became a dense forest", he wrote.

Certainly The Toon were well worth their point – a point that kept them in 12^th place in the league.

(Unfortunatly for QPR, they stayed rooted tih the bottom, and come May, they were relegated back tih the old Second Division)


After the match wih headed for the centre of London, where the older Toon fans had gone for a 'gargel'. Not bein' or lookin' old enough tih get in the Bars, wih had tih stay ootside and 'cadge' a 'swig' off them, every nuw and again, when they sneaked the beer oot tih us!.


(Yih could say we were bein' 'weened' and were 'servin' wor apprenticeships'!)


At 'chuckin' oot time', wih headed for Kings Cross tih catch the bus yem, but not before nearly 'keelin ower' with the half dozen or so 'liquids' that wi'd each consumed!.

(Divvint forget!---ah was still a 'spring chicken' aged 14 (and a half!) and the 'apprenticeship weenin process' was still in it's orly stages back then!)



Aa got yem at 'seven a.m. bells' and crashed oot in mee 'pit' for the whole of Sunday with a rather large hangower! And it was just az well that a'd broke up for the school Christmas holidays, az the next day was a 'non starter' iz well!

(It's not easy bein' an 'apprentice'!) ("OH!"------"MEE ACHIN' HEED!")


 
©Fink™ (the mad-sad gr☺undh☺pper!)

 

LEEGUE CUP QWAATAA FINAL DRAW TOOONEEET!

 Posted 'high noon bells' Thorzday 22nd Decembaa 2022

"CAN WE HAVE ONE OF THOSE PLEEEEZE!?"

BEST AND WORST CASE SCENARIOS!

The draw for the qwaataa final of the Leegue Cup takes place at aroond aboot '10:00 bells' toooneet after the Man City v Livaapoool tie!

From the teams left in the competition the best case scenario for NUFC (and wor fans) iz a home draw against Leegue One Charlton.

The worst case scenario (for the fans) iz a midweek away tie at Sooothampton! ("Pleeeze God, NO!")

The teams left are: NUFC, Lestaa, Sooothampton, Wolves, Forest, Man U, Charlton and eethaa Man City or Livaapoool

It doesn't reeely matter just who we get az there are aalways gannin to be be some of the so caalled 'big six' to beat, to win it!

The draw iz live on SKY 

The Geordie Times will of course bring yoo the draw az soon az we find oot--- in wor case aboot 3 hours after the event!

"Watch this space below!"

Updated at 'midneet 🔔bells' 

*It's The Basil Brush Brigade of Lestaa at SJP!

"Home sweet home!"

THE TOON 1 BOURNEMOOOTH 0 *** LEEGUE CUP 4th ROOND

 Posted '1:00pm bells' Wedinzday 21st Decembaa 2022

"ROOM WITH A DIFFERENT VIEW!"

Anotthaa different seat in the stands for us---this time row DD in The Milburn Stand (3 row from the front) which gives a much different view from wor normal Level 7 Balcony seats high up behind us!

We were too low doon for my likin and cannit wait to sit in mee normal 'birds eye view' seat for the next Leegue game!

The game it haz to be said woz aaful, but NUFC were well on top and a dubious disallowed goal for Callum Wilson at The Gallowgate End in the forst half woz the highlight of that half.

It woz ruled oot for 'offside', but from wor pitch level perch we couldnt make oot if it woz or not? (Apparently NOT!)

Anyway!---the 2nd half wasnt much better and the main taalkin point woz a handbaall which wasnt given and an own goal from Bournemooth's number 15 Adam Smith, after he heeded past hiz own keeper from a Kieran Trippier cross in the 67th minute!----The anly goal of the game!

The 400 away followin had the cheek to keep singin "This is a loybree!" (Library) when they couldnt even fill the 500 section that they were in at the top corner of The Leazes End! (Hence the below capacity crowd of under 52,000!)

They were right up to a point az the atmosphere wozint very good at times!

We didnt play well and won ugly---which iz wot Man City, Chelseee and Livaapoool have done for years!   Thats just one loss in the 20 games we have played this season! (The one loss woz undesorved az well v Livaapoool!)

The draw for the qwaataa finals iz tomorrow neet after the Man City v Livaapoool tie!---so at least one of the so caalled 'big six' will be eliminated! 

Attendance: 51,579 (Just 453 from Bournemoooth)

*Spot the difference:

The view of the game that we had last neet

And the last time we were in wor normal seats high above! 

PS: On the same neet less than 2 miles away across the river Tyne, Gatesheed beat Gloucester 5-1 at The Gatesheed International Stadium in front of a 253 'crowd' (200 less than wot Bournemoooth brought to SJP)

That 253 included ONE FAN from Gloucester! Who got  a standin' ovation!😀👏