309 priestfield stadium gillingham

(Ground number 309)
Date of First Visit: 26th August 2014
Priestfield Stadium, Gillingham

Gillingham 0
Newcastle United 1 (Egan og)

Capital One Cup (League Cup) 2nd round

Attendance: 10,204 (1,295 Toon fans)


"GARDEN OF ENGLAND???---YOUR HAVIN' A LAFF!!!"



"WELCOME TO 'THE GARDEN OF ENGLAND'!"




PRIESTFIELD ROAD, GILLINGHAM
THE 'AWAY END' IZ AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STREET

We set off @ '10 bells' from HQ in Barrack Road in a 22 seater mini bus with just 13 saddos on board az we heeded doon to deepest Kent ower the Redheugh Bridge!

Seven hours later we arrived exhausted and ready to down several liquid refreshments in 'The Dog' az kick off waz still nearly three hours away!

A'v never ever been to Gillingham before and for some reason (unbeknown to man nor beast!) aa half expected rows of neat semi detached hooses with manicured lawns and immaculate flower beds, az Kent, after aall, is known az 'The Garden of England'

And wot did we get???---Row upon row of shabby and run doon terraced hooses with paint peelin' from the doors and wood wormed windows, alang with old mattresses, broken bedsteads, discarded three piece suites and various amoonts of rubbish adornin' the tiny front gardens, with a sprinklin' of weeds, split bin bags, barkin' dogs, scruffy cats and empty tin cans owerflowin' into the main thoroughfare to the groond!
"Welcome to Gillingham!"

"PART OF 'THE SCENIC ROUTE' TO THE PRIESTFIELD STADIUM!"

On enterin' the away section of the groond the 'scene' waz ne better az we were greeted by a 'golf stand', complete with scaffoldin' poles to hold the whole contraption up!  There waz ne roof of course and it started to drizzle to complete the picture!

The Toon fielded a fairly strong line up (see below) but struggled from 'the off' against a p*ss poor Gills outfit az we attacked 'The Rainham End' of the groond at the opposite end from us! (very appropriately named considerin' the drizzle!)

YOO CAN'T READ IT IN THE PICTURE, BUT THE BLUE SCOREBOARD
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 'BUS SHELTER STAND' ACTUALLY SAYS:
'THE GILLS 0   THE TOON 1' !

The breakthrough did come however in the 25th minute, courtesy of an own goal at 'The Rainham End', when Obertan ran doon the right and beat two of their players before crossin' towards Riviere in the box.
Ex mackem player John Egan got there forst and tried to chest the baall towards hiz keeper, but he missed it and the baall rolled into the net to give us the lead!

There waz nowt else to taalk aboot til the break and the best move waz when aa heeded for 'the manky tool-shed' at the bottom of 'the golf stand'!

The 2nd period wasn't much better az 'The Gills' pressed for the equaliser but thankfully the dreaded extra 30 minutes didn't materialise <(we naa aall the big words!) and we managed to hang on for the victory and a place in the next roond of the competition!

A'd now completed 'the set' of domestic groonds that still exist, where 'The Toon' have played a competitive game, since aa started gannin in the 1960s (Aa wasn't at Layer Road, Colchester in 1982, my only 'blemish', but they have now moved onto pastures new!) 

It waz then the waalk back doon 'the scenic route' on Priestfield Road towards where the busses were parked and the lang jorney back yem! (we eventually arrived back on Tyneside at '5 bells' the next mornin'!)

Toon team: Krul, Janmaat, Haidera, Abeid, Coloccini, Steve Taylor, Obertan, Sissoko, Aarons (Cabella 60), Riviere (Gouffran 86), De Jong (Perez 68)

NUFC MAD-SAD GROUNDHOPPERS NEWS!

Posted '9:47pm bells' Tuesday 2nd September 2014

Attention aaall 'mad-sad groundhoppers!---an important announcement that will 'rock yoo to the core'!---Wor forthcomin' U21 (resorve) visits to both 'The Arse' and 'The P*ss Potts of Stoke' have been changed!

The new dates and venues are az follows!

Mon 22nd September @ '7 bells': The Arse U21s v The Toon U21s @ Meadow Park, Boreham Wood, Hertfortshire (waz Fri 19th September)

Fri 14th November @ '7 bells': 'The P*ss Potts of Stoke U21s v The Toon U21s @ Moss Rose, Macclesfield, Cheshire (waz Fri 26th September)

By the way!!!!---- I am workin away fevourishleee on the report from groond number 309 @ The Priestfield Stadium, Gillingham from last week !  ("GARDEN OF ENGLAND?---YOUR HAVIN A LAFF!!!") 
 A little bit late perhaps, but THIS IZ 'The Geordie Times' after aall! ----and remember wor motto!  "We bring yoo aall the news forst hand, second!"----or iz it second hand, forst!????"

NE DEADLINE DEALS FOR TOON! <"WOT DID YOO EXPECT!?"

Posted '12:55pm bells' Tuesday 2nd September 2014

The transfor deadline's come and gone!
A proven striker, we've signed none!
"We've signed enough!", Pardew haz said!
Ben Arfa's gone to Hull, instead!

BAD BLUE BOYS v TOON X1 OLD BOYS *** THIS AFTERNOON @ '2 BELLS'

Posted 'high noon bells' Sunday 31st August 2014

FEDERATION PARK

This afternoon @ Federation Park, Dunston the home side are takin on an 'old boys' NUFC X1 in a charity game for two local bairns.

The match iz in aid of 3 year old Amber who suffers from cerebral palsy and 5 year old Neve who iz battlin' cancer

Ex Toon player who will be takin' the field include: Tino Asprilla, Steve Howey, John Anderson, Stewie Elliott and Alan Shoulder and The Bad Blue Boys will be represented by their 2012 FA Vase winnin' side!

Admission iz just £1 for big kids and 50p for bairns and the new extended clubhoose will be open shorty---az aa speak!

Get yerselz alang and support the bairns if at aall possible!

Update: Dunston won 5-2 in front of a 550 crowd.
Tino Asprilla scored from the spot for 'The Toon Old Boys'

'GEORDIE TIMES' EXCLUUUSIVE!
TINO (NUMBER 11 IN YELLOW) SCORES FROM THE SPOT!



THE TOON 3 THE CRYSTAL BALLS 3 *** PREMYAA LEAGUE 2014-2015

Posted '10:10am bells' Sunday 31st August 2014


A TRIBUTE TO JOHN AND LIAM IN 'THE BLACK BULL'


The day started off at 'The Black Bull' on Barrack Road (where John 'The Undertaker' drank pre match) and then onward to 'The Leazes Club', (where Liam 'from the Lamp' drank) before makin' wor way to the 'Alder Sweeney Memorial' which had just been opened the day before in the presence of both families.
We laid a black rose and a white rose on the memorial in honour of both super fans and stood in reflection before heedin' for the tornstiles.

From the word 'go' we shot worsels in the foot by concedin' a goal at The Gallowgate End with barely 30 SECONDS on the clock in wot waz to prove an error ridden game!

The goal sequences were az follows:

30 seconds: A strike from Gayle gives the visitors the lead after Tim Krul failed to hold a shot from Chamkh! *** 0-1 !

37th minute: Janmaat scores at The Gallowgate End in a scrambled effort to score hiz forst goal for The Toon *** 1-1 !

48th minute: 'The Crystal Balls' retake the lead just after the re-start through a Puncheon volley, with The Toon's defence in array! ***1-2 !

73rd minute: Super sub Rolando Aarons brings us back to 'level torms' az he rises to a heeder which beats the Palace keeper 'aall ends up'! *** 2-2 !

88th minute: Aarons skims a defender to cross for Mike Williamson to poke home wot waz surely the winner az the roof lifts off the ground! *** 3-2 !

95th minute: WRANG!----Zaha breaks wor hearts with an equaliser 5 minutes into injury time, much to the delight of the 1,500 Crystal Balls follower high in 'level 7' of  'The Leazes End'! *** 3-3 ! final score!

Verdict: We chucked it away against a poor Palace team!---It looks like anothaa lang hard season for us to endure once again!

Games played: 3 *** games won: 0 *** points won: 2 *** points dropped: 7 !

Toon team: Krul, Janmaat (Anita 79), Coloccini, Williamson, Haidera, Colback, Sissoko, Cabella, De Jong (Perez 79), Gouffran (Aarons 67), Riviere

Attendance: 49,226 (1,500 Crystal Balls)  The crowd waz much bigger than wot we expected includin' the away contingent!

'BAR LOCO' IN LEAZES PARK ROAD *** NE EXPLANATION NEEDED!

   

MEMORIAL GARDEN OPENS

Posted '2:10pm bells' Friday 29th August 2014

News that a memorial garden in honour of Liam and John haz been opened near the main entrance to St James' Park

A match report from Gillingham will finally follow sometime on Sunday, az aa simply havvent had time to de the game which waz played last Tuesday, due to work commitments and a few othaa things ---Apologies for that!

A match report from wor game with Palace tomorrow at St James' will aalso follow sometime on Sunday!

THE TOON U21s 5 THE BISCUITMEN U21s 2 ***FA RESERVE LEEGUE

Posted '7:28pm bells' Monday 25th August 2014

"BISCUITMEN CRUMBLE TO TOON PRESSURE!"

On a sunny afternoon in downtown Benton 'The Toon's U21' side overcame an orly onslaught, where we were 1-0 doon after just 30 seconds of the game and 2-0 doon not lang after to *The Biscuitmen of Reading! *(Reading were known az 'The Biscuitmen' many moons ago when a huge biscuit factory used to dominate their toon!) <(so 'biscuitmen' it iz!)

However!---The Toon soon recovered from this orly setback and rallied to bring the scores back level at half time through goals from Adam Armstrong and Sammy Ameobi! 

Armstrong completed hiz hat-trick in the 2nd period with Ben Arfa gettin' the other to complete an unexpected torn around @ The Blue Flames Sports Groond in front of 415 hardy souls!

The crossbar waz aalso rattled on several occasions in this entertainin' bank holiday fixture!

After the match me and 'The Mad Professor' celebrated wildleee in 'The Ship' on Front Street! <(whey!--one pint 'a piece' anyway!)

Tomorrow neet we face Gillingham in Kent for a forst team fixture in the Leegue Cup 2nd roond and we can anly hope that wor manager fields a strong team or else we will be dumped oot of this competition once again by so caalled 'inferior opposition'!

We leave at '10 bells' in the mornin' and a full match report on this shud be forthcomin' in the next few days!

Watch this space intentleeee--- az per usual!

TOON U21s v THE BISCUITMEN U21s *** THIS AFTERNOON!

Posted '11:07am bells' Monday 25th August 2014

This afternoon at wor Benton base (Blue Flames) we take on Readin' @ '1:00 bells' and we will bring yi a match report later on toneet!



Admission iz FREE to season ticket holders and members!

So if yi ganni yi'd better get yi skates on!--like!

THE HAZBEENZ AND VILLIANS 0 THE TOON 0 *** PREMYAA LEEGUE 2014-2015

Updated '10:15am bells' Monday 25th August 2014

"THE SAME OLD STORY!"


"38 TICKETS TO RIDE!" (A WORLD RECORD--PERHAPS?)


We boarded the direct train to Bormingham New Street from 'The Central @ '6:15 am bells' and 'Sarnie Steve' produced a 'mind bogglin' 38 train tickets for just 3 of us!, az he had booked from (wait for it!), The Toon to Darlo, Darlo to York, York to Derby and finally Derby to Bormingham! (PLUS the retorn tickets!)
The reason for this waz that it worked oot at £20 cheaper each to book short journey tickets, than it waz to simply booked straight through! (see top foto for proof!)

On arrival at 'New Street' we heeded for 'The Briar Rose' Wetherspoons boozer for the forst 'liquid refreshments' before movin' on to wor 'fave haunt' doon here, which waz 'The Wellington' real ale boozer up the hill from the station!

With a 12:45 bells' kick off. it waz soon time to heed for 'Villa' and we arrived in good time before the kick off! <(not like us normally!)

Huge gaps in the seatin' in the home sections greeted us az we took up wor standin' positions in the top corner of the away stand and aa estimated that there could be no more than 25,000 in Villa Park az the game kicked off!


A lack of 'bite' proved to be costly for The Toon, az again we failed to find the net, despite several good chances to win the game!

Yoan Goffran had wor forst chance near the far post at 'The Holte End' but sliced hiz shot into the crowd!
It waz then the torn of Remy Cabella who shot just wide when he shud have scored!


VILLA FANS UNVEIL A TRIBUTE BANNER TO LIAM AND JOHN
IN 'THE HOLTE END' (CENTRE OF PICTURE)
"CHEERS LADS AND LASSES!"


In the 17th minute the whole groond had given 'Flight MH17' victims John and Liam a thunderous roond of applause in honour of them, and we thank the Villa fans for unveilin' a tribute banner in 'The Holte End', a magnificent gesture towards wor great friends!

In the 31st minute a miracle happened?--when!---we had wor forst shot on target of the season so far! (we had none against Man City last week!) --when Emmanual Riviere jinked past two defenders but hiz weak shot waz easily saved by Guzan in the Villa goal!

It waz 0-0 at half time az the teams trooped off and we wished we had stayed in 'The Welly'!

The 2nd period waz a bit better and we shud have won the game az Daryl Jamaat shot ower the bar and then Mike Williamson fluffed an easy chance! 
Jamaat then heeded narrowly ower the bar while sub Siem De Jong shud have scored at the end, but shot straight at the keeper when it looked certain he would score!

THE TOON LINE UP A FREE KICK (2nd HALF)

Then to cap it aall Williamson got himself 'sent off' for a 2nd bookable offence!

One point from six so far and ne goals in two games!---az we said at the top of this page: "It's the same old story!"

Toon team: Krul, Jamaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Anita (De Jong 70), Colback, Sissoko, Cabella, Gouffran, Riviere (Perez 77) > (Steve Taylor 92)

Attendance: 30,267 < (they must have included ticket holders who didn't torn up?) (2,800 Toon fans)

*VILLA PUB CRAWL PIX (THREE!)

THE HAZBEENZ AND VILLIANS v THE TOON *** SATURDAY DINNAATIME!

Posted '9:50pm bells' Friday 22nd August 2014


ACTION FROM THE TOON'S GAME @ VILLA PARK LAST SEASON
*** A 2-1 VICTORY TO 'US'!


Wor forst competitive away game of the new campaign takes us to deepest Bormingham on Saturday when we take on Villa in a live TV game (12:45 kick off)

If we play like we did on Sunday we have a chance, but just who will score the goals for us iz anybodys guess???
(We had NE shots on target against The Blue Moonies on Sunday!)

A proven striker must be wor top priority before the 'window closes' at the end of the month!
Ne team news yet,but fear not!--'The Geordie Times' will bring yoo it az soon az we find oot!?

Not suprizingleee we have sold wor entire allocation of 2,800 tickets!

Forst port o call will be 'The Wellington' near Bormingham New Street Train Station which won 'The Geordie Times' 'pub of the year award ' last season!---Happy drinkin' "Hic!"

A full Geordie Times match report to follow sometime on Sunday!