305 (revisited) pirelli stadium burton on trent

Ground number 305 (revisited)

Date of this visit: 17th December 2016
Pirelli Stadium, Burton on Trent

Burton Albion 1
Newcastle United 2 (Gayle, Diame)

EFL Championship
Attendance: 6,665 (1,600 Toon fans)

"Xmas puddin' jokes avoided!---JUST!"

1st half action az we attack the away end goal
(Toon in white)

Beleeeve it or not, we'd actually been here before in 2013 when wor U21 side were thrashed 6-2! by Aston Villa's U21s in a resorve leegue game---little thinkin' that we would ever be back here again, especially for a forst team game!---back then there were just 12 of us who had travelled doon from the north east in a 'crowd' of 222

The train trip doon waz uneventful and we arrived in Burton around aboot 11:30 bells' and heeded for a micro pub not far from the station caalled 'The Weighbridge'!

THE WEIGHBRIDGE CHIMNEY----SANTA'S ENTRANCE!

From there it waz off on the '2 mile route march' to the groond caalin' in at 'The Derby Inn' a mile doon the road to quensh wor thirsts once again!

We arrived at the ground in good time in case there were problems (when a small club gets a much bigger crowd than they normally de, sometimes its chaos to get in!)

Just like the Wigan game in the previous midweek we didn't play well but somehow managed to take aall 3 points against a team who thought that this waz their cup final!

Dwight Gayle opened the scorin' for us in the 15th minute with a neat back heel after a low cross from Richie foond hiz feet, but typically for us it didn't last lang and Burton produced an equaliser just 5 mins later to send their 5,000 fans into raptures!

A 2nd goal for us in the 35th minute when Diame slotted home after slippin' a defender waz enough to claim the points, but the 2nd half waz very scrappy with Burton gannin close on a few occasions with Karl Darlow in fine form to make a couple of great saves!

The Toon kick off the 2nd half

Not a game yoo would save to watch in future years!---that's for sure!, but we gan into Xmas week top of the Xmas tree and 9 points above 3rd place!
Roll on the new year!

A view to die for!---The optics in the private boxes behind the away seats!

After the match we made the lang trek back to the station a caught a train to Sheffield where a few celebratory drinks were consumed befor reboardin' the train back yem!

Toon team: Darlow, Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett, Hayden, Shelvey, Ritchie (Gouffran 85), Atsu, Diame, Gayle

The post match gargels took place in Sheffield!

  

Sheffield Tap --£5 a pint!

 

 

 

251 (revisited) jjb stadium wigan

Ground number 251 revisited 

Date of this visit: 14^th December 2016

JJB Stadium (its original name!) Wigan

 

Wigan Athletic 0

Newcastle United 2 (Diame, Atsu)

 

EFL Championship

Attendance: 14,562 (4,800 Toon fans)

“OWER THE MOON!”

 

This waz a scrappy performance under a full moon, which

hovered aboot above the groond, and Toon fans were definatly ‘ower the moon’ with this result, which takes us back to the top of the table by 1 point from Brighton, but more importantleee, NINE points above Reading in 3^rd place (and with a goal difference of plus 27!)

The big breakthrough came in the 26^th minute when Mo Diame played a one-two thre with Issac Hayden to welly the baall into the net in front of the Toon faithful to lift the roof off that end of the groond!

Up until this point the game had been dire az aa watched the full moon rise above the ground---(aa waz THAT bored with the proceedings on the pitch!)

If anything the 2^nd half waz WORSE iz we failed miserably to add to wor score.

Wigan had chances to equalise and one shot in particular waz brilliantly saved by Karl Darlow in The Toon goal!

And then the decisive goal!

Gouffran ran doon the left flank and crossed the baall to (super sub) Atsu who hit a sweet left footer into the roof of the net to claim the 3 points and send us back to the top of the table!

 

Not a good game to watch---but it’s the points that matter!

Toon team: Darlow, Anita, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett, Richie (Atsu 69), Shelvey, Hayden, Gouffran, Diame, Gayle (Perez 82)

 

The pre match ‘gargels’ took place here!



NEWTOWN CLUB

 

  

"NO LEEK SHOW TOMORROW!"------

Posted 12:50pm bells Thorsday 15th December 2016

"LEEK PUDDINGS!"

News reaches the (new) Geordie Times that wor under 23s game at Leek against Stoke U23s scheduled for tomorrow neet haz been moved at the last minute to Stoke's trainin' groond!
"THE B*STARDS!!!"

Thiz iz a dastardly deed az a'v taken a day of work to visit Leek az av nevaa been there before to watch The Toon!
I have of course been to Stoke's Clayton Wood trainin' groond before (in NEWCASTLE-under Lyme!) so will just gan 'on the hoy' in the Toon instead tomorrow afternoon! <(Xmas jumper Friday!)

This isn't the forst time that Stoke have done this to us and a letter of complaint signed on behalf of 'The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers' iz in the post aalready! (WITHOOT a Xmas card!)

The match report from last neets game in Wigan will not appear here til much later, az av got to gan to graft today---I'll have much more time to do it tomorrow of course!---won't I just!!!!

THE TOON 4 BORMINGHAM BRUMMIES 0 *** EFL 2016-2017

Posted '11:23am bells' Sunday 11th December 2016

GOUFFRAN GOAL! (Geordie Times excluuusive!)

"IT'LL BE AALL DWIGHT ON THE NIGHT!" ("sic!")

A suburb hat-trick from Dwight Gayle put NUFC 'back on track' and back to the top of the Championship with a resoondin' fower-nil victory ower 'The Blue Noses' in front of wor biggest crowd of the season!

Goal one: A Diame cross iz heeded into the Gallowgate End net by Gayle in the 18th minute az we completlee dominate wor opponents!

1st HALF ACTION AZ WE ATTACK THE GALLOWGATE GOAL!

Goal two: A deflected cross from Hayden finds the feet of Gayle and from 3 yards oot he haz the simple task of slottin' the baall into the net after 24 minutes on the clock!

Goal three (2nd half): Goofy Gouffran gets in on the act just 3 mins after the restart to slot home an easy chance at The Leazes End after Gayle had fluffed a good chance!

Goal fower: Shelvey pulls the baall back across the box and Dwight Gayle fires home with 8 mins left on the clock to seeel the victory and 3 points!

"WE'VE SEEN THE LIGHT!" (The Leazes corner celebrates wor win!)

Brummie fans have a song which gans: "Keep right on til the end of the road!"---perhaps they shud adopt a new song: "This iz the road to HELL!", after their capitulation at SJP in front of their 3,000 plus travellin' fans!

Toon team: Darlow, Anita, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett, Richie, Shelvey, Hayden (Laasar 81), Gouffran (Atsu 69), Diame, Gayle (Mitrovic 78)

Attendance: 52,145 (3,100 Brummies!)

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NUFC GEORDIE TIMES COMMENT

Posted '1:45pm bells' Tuesday 6th December 2016

It's been a month since aa started this new blog az aa couldn't renew the old one (geordietimes.com) despite tryin' for ower THREE WEEKS!

I then got an e mail tellin' me that it would cost me $95 to renew when the old price waz $15!

Az aa'd made nothin' whatsoever from that blog aa decided to gan back to 'Blogspot' which iz FREE!

I am still tryin' to work oot just how to download some of my old stuff from there to my new blog---but it isn't eazy---aa can tell yiz.!

I have managed to download a 'classic' tale' from a qwaataa of a century ago (see below) and will endeavour to download the rest (eventually!)

I had exactly 888 hits in mee forst month to add to the 241,856 aa had with my old blog----Not bad for a brand new website, but I've still lost some 3,000 pageviews az followers obviousleee gan to my old site! (which iz doon!)
Tell everyone yoo know that The (NUFC) Geordie Times iz alive and kickin'

Cheers!

Fink (the mad-sad groundhopper!)  

THE FRIAR TUCK MOB 2 THE TOON 1 *** EFL 2016 20127

Posted '10:49am bells' Sunday 4th December 2016

"CAN YOO SPOT THE EMPTY BLOCKS OF SEATS!?"

"ROBBIN' HOOD!"

The jorney doon waz uneventful (for a change!) and we had to change at Newark to continue wor jorney to Nottingham.
The walk between Newark Northgate station and Newark Central iz aboot 20 minutes and (az yi de!) there waz time for a quick pint of liquid lubrication in a boozer near to the station!

It waz my torn for the drinkx and aa spotted a very expensive bar near some traffic lights (see photo below!) and heeded there!

It waz actually £1 for a half, but at just £1.50 for a pint it waz still a bargain, especially az mee drinkin' partner 'Big Al' < (not the sheet metal workers son!) had paid nearly £10 for 2 pints in Hadrians 'Wigwam Bar' (see photo below) next to the Central Station in The Toon before we departed!

It waz then onward to Robin Hood Country and a boozer aboot a 20 minute walk from The City Groond called 'The Vat and Fiddle'.
PS: This iz NOT a spelin' missteak--The pub used to be called 'The CAT and Fiddle, but rumour haz it that the pub cat climbed into a vat of beer in the cellar and met a very drunken end!---Hence the name change!

The VAT and Fiddle

ANYWAY!---After several liquid lubrications here it waz time to heed for the ground across the river Trent from the city centre.

We had been allocated just 2,002 tickets for this one and just like at Hull a few days orlier there were thoosands of empty seats in the home sections! (ie: they both thought that they could sell aall there remainin' tickets to their own fans!)

1st HALF ACTION AZ WE ATTACK THE TRENT END
("CAN YOO SPOT THE EMPTY SEATS!?")

We started off the better side and went for the 'jugular', but the ref--a certain Steve Martin waz havin' non of it and he sent Shelvey off in the 33rd minute for retaliation to bein' kicked by a Forest player!---The Forest player stayed ON the pitch while Shelvey went for an orly bath!

A penalty waz awarded because of this, which waz brilliantly saved by Darlow and just a few minites later the 10 men took the lead at The Trent End when Ritchie scored bang on half time!
(Clark had orlier had a porfectlee good goal chalked off for ne apparent reason)
Again, thr ref waz havin' non of this and imminently after the goal he awarded the home side ANOTHAA penalty and sent Paul Dummett off, when a bookin' waz more appropriate!
AGAIN---Karl Darlow guessed right and saved brilliantly to deny the ref and Forest an equaliser.

The 2nd half waz aalways gannin to be a 'backs to the waall' defensive effort from us, but with anly 9 men left Forest made the breakthrough and levelled things in the 52 minute through Bendtner!
We managed to 'haad on' til the 85th minute when Lascelles put through hiz own goal to give 'The Friar Tuck Mob' and undeserved victory!--    "2-1 to the referee!"   

Verdict: Robin Hood iz alive and well and now gans under the alias of Steve Martin, 'cr*p futbaall referee'?
A porfectleee good goal disallowed ---Two sendins off for us and two penalties awarded because of this, ultimately seeled wor fate az the 9 men played a desperate defensive formation!

"WE WAZ ROBBED!" 

Toon team: Darlow, Lascelles, Yedlin, Clark, Dummett, Hayden, Shelvey, Ritchie, Gouffran (Diame 77), Perez (Anita 46), Gayle (Mitrovic 87)

Attendance: just 21,317 (2,002 Toon fans) This iz 7,000 below the groonds capacity --but of course, (like Hull at 8,000 below capacity), they wouldn't sell us any more tickets!---
Taak aboot cuttin' your nose off to spite your face!!!!!

SOME OF THE 2,002 AWAY FANS!

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THE TIGER LILLYS 1 THE TOON 1 (3-1 to HULL on penalties) *** EFL CUP QWAATAA FINAL 2016 2017

Updated '1:35pm bells' Thorsday 1st December 2016

ACTION AT 'THE FAR END' (TOON IN WHITE)

"REEEALITY CHECK!"

NUFC put in wor most inept performance of the season in this qwaataa final Leegue Cup tie in Hull!

It waz obvious from the word 'go' that this waz a game likely to gan to extra time and penalties az both team put in abysmal performances!

Misplaced passes, shots way ower the bar and off target were the norm for this game az we froze to death on the terraces of 'The KC' for 2 and a half hours, wishin' we were actually at work!

ACTION AT 'WOR END'

Even when Hull had a player sent off late in normal time we couldn't find a way through until extra time waz played!
In the 8th minute of et we eventually made the breakthrough when Diame poked the baall home from close range to send the near 3,000 Toon fans wild with delight az the players celebrated in front of us!
THIS!---waz short lived to say the least az the home side equalised less than a minute later az the dreaded penalty shoot out loomed!

Shelvey took the forst one, but he'd played badly and az he ran up to take it I just knew that he would miss!---and he DID az their keeper dived to the right to save it!
Hull scored their forst one and then Gayle hit the bar for us!
Wor aanly successful kick came from Atsu, but Hull scored again--meanin' that if Gouffran missed then we were oot!
Their goalie saved hiz spot kick az well az the home fans celebrated!
Ne silverware in this competition for us (again!), but this waz definateleee a 'reality check' and if this team waz in the top flight we would surely struggle!

Forest away on Friday neet iz next up for us, but PLEEEZE can we try a bit harder or else the wheels of the bandwagon will faall off!

Toon team: Sels, Anita (Yedlin 109), Lascelles, Clark, Laazar, Hayden (Murphy 105), Shelvey, Richie (Atsu 80), Gouffran, Diame, Gayle

Attendance: 16,243 (2,500 Toon fans) <(they wouldn't give us any more tickets and the groond waz 8,000 below capacity!

SOME OF THE TOON FANS WHO WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET A TICKET!

THE PRE MATCH 'GARGELS' TOOK PLACE HERE!

PS: Thanx for readin' mee new blog!

THE TOON 0 BLACKBORN (Venky Chicken ) ROVAAZ 1 *** EFL 2016 2017

Posted '11:16am bells' Sunday 27th November 2016

"BLACK Saturday follows BLACK Friday against-----BLACKborn!!!"

A BLACK day indeed for the 50,000 plus Toon Army who had assembled @ HQ to witness wor 10th win in a row!
BUT!--this IZ! NUFC and we have said many many times before that we are the most likely team in futbaall to shoot worsels in the foot when a certain win looks on the cards!

From the start wor visitors attacked the Gallowgate goal az we defended frantically---it waz gannin to be 'one of those days' aa thought az me and grandson Jamie froze in the stands!

Rafa the Gaffa had made several changes from the Leeedz game and this time it backfired on him!
And we went in at the break thankful that we were still on level torms!

THE TOON ATTACK THE LEAZES GOAL (1st half)

The 2nd half waz a bit better for us az we tried in vain to get the aall important forst goal and several good chances were missed!

And then 'disaster'!---with just 15 minutes left on the clock Rovaaz got the 'breakthrough when Mulgrew volleyed home from a corner to put the visitors in front.

Despite a few good chances after this from us and great saves from their keeper, 'it wasn't to be' and it waz the smaall contingent of Blackborn fans in level 7 of The Leazes End who were celebratin' and not us!

Anothaa BLACK weekend for aall Tynesiders!

Toon team: Darlow, Yedlin, Mbemba (Gayle 84), Clark, Gamez (Dummett 54), Richie, Shelvey, Atsu, Hayden, Perez, Mitrovic

Attendance: 52, 092 (just 1,600 Rovaaz fans!)

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LEEEEDZ 0 THE TOON 2 *** EFL 2016-2017

Posted '2:30pm bells' Munday 21st October 2016

Forst of aall apologeeez for not updatin' on a more regular basis---this iz because my 'geordietimes.com' website went doon and up til now aa still cant get it back online, despite tryin' for the last 3 weeks! (The Google helpline iz NE help by the way!)

"THE TALE OF CHRISTOPHER COLAMITOUS!" 

"IT'S MUCH QUICKER CIRCUMNAVIGATIN' THE WORLD, THAN LEEEDZ!"

The 3 carriage Trans-Pennine train wasn't big enough to take aall the Toon fans and regular customers and this resulted in some people havin' to stand in the allyways for the entire jorney (memo to Trans-Pennine----put more carriages on the next time, yoo idiots!)
Aa waz lucky and managed to grab a seat before they were aall taken--and didn't dare move an inch in case someone nicked it!

On arrival 2 hours later in central Leeedz, we heeded for a couple of boozers just doon the road from the station for some much needed 'liquid lubrication'

Amongst wor party waz 'Colonel Gadaffi' (the one from Bracknell in Berkshire, NOT Tripoli!), 'Faulty Towers' (who didn't have a ticket!) and hiz bruvvaa 'Norman the Cowboy Plumber'!
It waz soon time to heed for the match (1:15 ko) and 2 taxis were hailed to take us to Elland Road which iz on the outskirts of Leeedz. Wor taxi cost £12 (plus a £2 tip) and the othaa one cost £6!  (theres a 'rabbit off' somewhere mee finx!)
We were allocated less than 3,000 tickets but there waz still chaos at the tornstiles az my ticket wouldn't scan! (amongst othaa fans!)----A ticket office waz just roond the corner and the gadgie gave me a new one---with a different seat number on it to the one aa had!?

After pushin' mee way up the stairs aa just saw the kick off and sat in a seat near the exit! (NOT mee new seat!)  Aall the alleyways were full with fans unable to get to their propaa seats az it waz total chaos here az well!

1st HALF ACTION AZ THE TOON (IN WOR 'BUMBLE BEE' KIT)
ATTACK THE ELLAND ROAD END

The Toon were on the 'front foot' from the start and were by far and away the better side' az we attacked the Elland Road End.
In the 11th minute there waz loud applause for the late Gary Speed who played number 11 for both clubs
The forst goal came in the 23rd minute when the Leeedz goalie parmed a baall ott---straight to Gayle whod had some teeth knocked oot a few days orlier in a fight--and he 'knocked' the baall into the net to the delight of the travellin' faithful who were situated on the side of the pitch near to that goal line!

The 2nd came from Gayle again in the 2nd half when an Anita cross in the 54th minute foond Gayle who slammed the baall home to claim the 3 points and 9th league a cup victory in a row, which equalled wor all time record set in 1994 in the Kevin Keegan era!

IT'S NEARLY FULL TIME!----LET THE CELEBRATIONS BEGIN!!!

After the match we called into 'The Bull' which iz on Pleasant Terrace!---(see pix) for a quick gargle on wor waalk back to the city centre. A'm not sayin' the boozer waz rough but it had ne windows (which had ne doubt been put in by some local plonkies!)--and the hooses in 'Pleasant Terrace'? had bars on the windows and doors to keep oot the local burglars!

PLEASANT TERRACE?---YI HAVIN' A LAFF!

'Norman the Cowboy Plumber' had worked in Leeedz for 12 weeks in the past and knew the quickest way back to the train station (NOT!) The 25 minute walk torned into a one which waz an hour plus az we heeded for the large tower block which dominates the skyline---despite waalkin for 30 mins we were ne closer az we circumnavigated every postcode in Leeedz!--- eventually arrivin' back at wor forst 'port o call' near the station at 5 to 5 bells-- with blisters on wor blisters! (the match ended at 3:15!)

"WE'RE GETTIN' CLOSER!---OH NOT WE'RE NOT!!!"

'Colonel Gadaffi' commented that Christopher Columbus would have got us there quicker---(the gadgie that circumnavigated the world a few hundred years ago----'Norman the Cowboy Plumber' waz then renamed 'Christopher Colamitous' on hiz 'circumnavigation of Leeedz!

* Toon team line up: Darlow, Anita, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett, Richie, Colback (Hayden 83), Shelvey, Gouffran (Diame 76), Perez, Gayle (Mitro 79)

Attendance: 36,002 (2,764 Toon fans) Leedz largest crowd for 6 years!)
     

THE TOON 2 WARNOCKS WELSH WHINGERS 1 (CARDIFF!)

Posted 'high noon bells' Sunday 6th November 2016

ATSU (foot raised) SCORES THE FORST GOAL

It took barely 2 minutes to open the scorin' when Christian Atsu fired in @ The Leazes End az we pounded the Welshmens goal lokin' to icrease wor lead!
This came bang on half time when 'Goofy' Gouffran doubled wor advantage and aall looked good.

HOWEVER!---we didn't get oot of the blocks in the 2nd period az Warnocks Wanabeez looked to get back into the game.
This happened in the 77th minute when Whittinham scored after a blatant hand baall waz missed by the officials (see photo!) 

Cardiff then went for the equaliser in a game we shud have won at a canter and when Mitrovic tumbled in the box with one of their forwards it looked az though wor luck waz oot! ---BUT! the linesman on the far side ruled it waz Mitro who had been fouled and WE won the free kick!

After the game Cardiff manager Neil Warnock moaned and whinged that it shud have been a penalty--but totally missed that 'hand baall' which gave hiz side a way back into the game <(funny that like---isn't it!?)

"HAND BAALL!" BUT THE REF (AND WARNOCK!) DIDNT SEE IT

An EIGHTH win on the spin waz well desorved in the end though az we gan into yet anothaa international break next weekend!

Toon team: Darlow, Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett, Atsu (Diame 89), Shelvey, Hayden, Gouffran (Anita 72), Perez ,Mitrovic

Attendance: 51, 257 (approx. 700 Cardiff fans)

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