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    Monday June 26th, 2017

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The Never-Ending Tour

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From the author of "Touching Distance" 
and "Tunnel of Love" author-signed 
copies are available here for £19.99 
inc. UK postage (overseas at cost)



 

alt

 
Season ticket public sale dates:
NOW (STs not sold during 16/17)
Mon 26.06.2017 (STs not renewed for 17/18)
 
2017/18:
Bundesliga 
double date

Newcastle will return to Germany for the first time since the Schalke Tournament in 2014, with two friendlies against Bundesliga sides now confirmed as follows:

Sat 29.07.2017 FSV Mainz 05 (a)



Following visits to Hearts, Preston and Bradford, the Magpies head to the Rhineland and the city of Mainz, whose hometown team finished 15th in the table.

It's a 4pm kick-off (local time) at the 34,000 capacity Opel Arena that opened for business in 2011.

This will be the first senior meeting at competitive or friendly level between the two clubs and we've failed to unearth any player or coach with both on their CV.

Wed 02.08.2017 VfL Wolfsburg (n)

Moving around 200 miles to the North East of Mainz, United return to Lower Saxony and a game against a Wolfsburg side who finished sixteenth (level on points with Mainz) and only preserved their top-flight status thanks to a relegation playoff victory 

Rather than their 30,000 capacity Volkswagen Arena home though, they'll face us at the AOK Stadion - a 5,200 capacity venue near the Arena opened in 2015 and hosting reserve, academy and women's sides.  

Kick-off is also at 4pm (local time).

We've never faced Wolfsburg competitively, although coming close in the 2001 Intertoto Cup when French side Troyes beat the Germans to set up a tie with us.

However the two sides have met in a friendly fixture played in Germany at the end of our successful promotion season of 1964/65.

3,000 fans saw United win 3-1 at the Stadion am Elsterweg, with Willie Penman (2) and Bobby Cummings scoring in the second half after the visitors trailed 0-1 at the break.

In terms of player/coach connections, Obafemi Martins swapped Tyneside for Wolfsburg in July 2009 for a reported £9m fee, a year before Steve McClaren was installed as head coach but lasted less than a year.

McClaren also took strength and conditioning coach Alessandro Schoenmaker to both clubs. 

Magpies v Bundesliga sides - PL era:

In Germany:

1999/00 Bochum lost 2-3 (Friendly)
2001/02 Munich 1860 won 3-1 (Intertoto)
2002/03 Bayer Leverkusen won 3-1 (CL)
2006/07 Eintracht Frankfurt drew 0-0 (UEFA Cup)
2014/15 Schalke 04 won 3-1 (Friendly)

Outside Germany:

2001/02 Munich 1860 won 3-2 (Intertoto) SJP
2002/03 Bayer Leverkusen won 3-1 (CL) SJP
2003/04 Bayern Munich drew 2-2 (Friendly) SJP
2008/09 Hertha Berlin lost 0-1 (Friendly) Mallorca

Five games confirmed by NUFC so far:

Fri 14.07.2017 Hearts @ Tynecastle
Sat 22.07.2017
Preston North End @ Deepdale
Wed 26.07.2017 Bradford City @ Valley Parade
Sat 29.07.2017 FSV Mainz 05 @ Opel Arena
Wed 02.08.2017 VfL Wolfsburg @ AOK Stadion

Tbc:

Sun 06.08.2017 tbc
Hellas Verona tbc @ 

2017/18:
Dutch departure

Former Magpie Haris Vuckic has quickly found a new club following his release by United, agreeing a three year contract with Eredivisie side FC Twente. 

The Slovenian forward who turns 25 in August spent time with the Dutch club on trial last March, making the last of his 24 competitive senior appearances for United bacl in January 2015 (an FA Cup defeat at Leicester).

Loan spells at
Cardiff City, Rotherham United, Rangers, Wigan Athletic and Bradford City while at SJP all failed to bring about any permanent move.

Competition time:
New strip giveaway

Thanks to our sponsors The Protector Group, one lucky NUFC.com reader will soon be receiving a new 2017/18 season Newcastle United home shirt.

In order to be in with a chance of winning this prize, we simply require you to answer this question by emailing comps@nufc.com with the subject Shirt:

The Magpies failed to score against just one side in the league last season (2016/17). Name them. 

Closing date is Tuesday July 4th at 5pm and we'll contact the winner via email the same day. Entries welcome from anywhere on the planet but winning entrant must provide a UK address for delivery.

One entry per person please, shirt can be provided in any child or adult size as required and is a replica design, not the "authentic" one also available. 

Established in 1994, The Protector Group offer all types of security cover including Mobile Patrols,
Access Control Systems and CCTV installation.

Contact them on 0800 316 1144 or online here


Loan exit:
Custodian repatriated

Newcastle United goalkeeper Matz Sels has now officially completed a season-long loan to Belgian champions Anderlecht.

Belgian newspapers reported that the 25 year-old passed his medical earlier this week, but formal confirmation of the move was delayed until an agreement over financial terms was reached.

He'll reportedly become Anderlecht's highest earner, although the % of wages they'll pay is unclear.

Nieuwsblad assert that there's no provision for the loan to become permanent after a certain number of appearances, Anderlecht looking to promote teenage prospect Mile Svilar to senior team duty and having the more experienced Frank Boeckx sidelined.

This is the third bit of business between United and the Brussels-based club within two years, following the arrival of Aleksandar Mitrovic and Chancel Mbemba at SJP during July 2015.

The costliest custodian in United's history at £5m, Sels was the first signing made by Rafa Benitez and made his debut at Fulham - with Karl Darlow on the bench, Rob Elliot injured and Tim Krul departing on loan. 

However his unconvincing form saw him replaced by Darlow after the opening nine league games and his pitch time was restricted to Cup ties thereafter - including an EFL penalty shootout loss at Hull City.

Under contract until 2021, Sels ended the season as third choice behind Elliot and Darlow - and with both Krul and Freddie Woodman returning from loans.

What looks to have been his last Newcastle game came for the reserves before less than 500 fans in May - in stark contrast to the Champions League Group Stage action that awaits him next season.  

Parting:
Carr Toon time ends

NUFC press release, Wednesday evening:

Newcastle United’s chief scout Graham Carr has today parted company with the club by mutual consent.

Graham has been United’s chief scout for seven years, taking up the position towards the end of the 2009/10 season which saw the club gain promotion back to the Premier League under former manager Chris Hughton.

Graham was instrumental in identifying players from across the UK and Europe, including signings Yohan Cabaye, Matthieu Debuchy, Vurnon Anita, Moussa Sissoko, Papiss Cisse and Cheick Tiote.

Managing Director Lee Charnley said: “It has been my pleasure to work with Graham over the last seven years as both a colleague and a friend. He can count some of Newcastle’s most successful players in recent years as his ‘finds’.

“Everyone connected with Newcastle United wishes Graham the very best for the future.”

The club is now reviewing its scouting operation and will make an announcement on any further changes in due course.


Now that's what I call Rafa's Way....

The son of Newcastle reserve Wilf Carr, Graham joined United as a schoolboy but failed to win a professional contract and left the club during 1962.

Playing league football for Northampton Town and York City before moving into non-league circles as both a player and manager, Carr's scouting career began in the mid 1990s with Coventry City.

Later working for Spurs, Manchester City and Notts County, then-Newcastle boss Chris Hughton brought him back to Gallowgate as a scout in 2010.

Carr's observations resulted in the unexpected award of an eight year deal in June 2012, after the likes of Hatem Ben Arfa, Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse and Yohan Cabaye were all signed during his watch.

His contacts also resulted in the capture of French quintet Moussa Sissoko, Mathieu Debuchy, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Yoan Gouffran and Massadio Haidara during the January 2013 window.

More recently he oversaw a large-scale recruitment exercise to provide Steve McClaren with Aleksandar Mitrovic, Gini Wijnaldum and Chancel Mbemba. His involvement in the mass transfer activity of last summer was comparatively minimal though.

Less memorably deals for Shefki Kuqi, both De Jongs, Sylvain Marveaux, Emmanuel Riviere, Remy Cabella, Florian Thauvin and Henri Saivet were also struck.

In his defence, some of those ended up here after other targets suggested by him were ruled out on financial or age grounds.

The 72 year-old has always denied responsibility for Gabriel Obertan - and we still don't know exactly who brought Facundo Ferreyra and Seydou Doumbia
here.

His network of scouts also brought a good number of domestic targets to the attention of the club, but failures to complete deals ensured that many didn't end up on Tyneside - principally Dele Alli.

Carr's departure from the club underlines the change on Barrack Road since Rafa Benitez arrived, with the previous structure that saw managers restricted in their role giving way to a more conventional set-up.

Only making occasional visits to watch the first team in person, his favouring players who looked fine when in mainland Europe but were unsuitable for Premier League action arriving ultimately cost us dear.  

PS: Presumably Carr's exit from the chief scout role also means that he's no longer on the board.... 

Inbound claim:
Enter Florian?

Reports from Spain claim that agreement has been reached over the terms of a transfer bringing Florian Lejeune from Eibar to Newcastle United.

The 26 year-old central defender is known to have a €10M release clause in the contract he signed last year following his move from Manchester City. 

El Diario Vasco claim that United had attempted to negotiate staged payments of what will be Eibar's record fee, but will now pay all of it up front.

Paris-born Lejeune played second tier football in his home country before signing for Villarreal B in 2011, debuting for their first team later that same year.

Later featuring for French side Brest on loan and Spaniards Girona, Lejeune - who has also played as a defensive midfielder - joined Manchester City in 2015 before being loaned straight back to Girona.   

By June 2016 he'd signed a four year contract with Eibar, helping them to a tenth-place finish in the Primera Division and starting 33 of 38 league games.

It's reported that Eibar will spend some of the fee for Lejeune on Samu Saiz from fellow Spaniards Huesca, whose promotion playoff hopes ended with defeat to Getafe last Saturday, freeing up their target.

2017/18:
Fixtures

2017/18 fixture list is online here

2017/18:
Reserve pre-season


Three games confirmed by NUFC so far:

Mon 17.07.2017 Darlington @ Northern Echo Arena
Thu 27.07.2017 Celtic @ Whitby Town
Sat 29.07.2017 Whitby or AZ @ Whitby Town

Date tbc
Whitley Bay @ Whitley Bay

2017/18:
Departures etc.

NUFC confirm that Vurnon Anita, Sammy Ameobi, Lubo Satka and Haris Vuckic will all leave the club when their contracts expire later this month.

It's anticipated that Satka will remain with his current loan club DAC 1904 in Slovakia, while Slovenian Vuckic has signed a permanent contract with FC Twente. 

The permanent departure of loan player Florian Thauvin to Olympique Marseille was finally ratified, while Kevin Mbabu has also made his temporary posting at Swiss side Young Boys permanent. 

Talks over a new deal for Yoan Gouffran continue. 

Reserves Gideon Adu-Peprah, Jamie Holmes, Ben Smith, Stefan Broccoli and Daniel Lowther are all leaving but professional deals have been offered to Sean Longstaff, Dan Ward, Jack Hunter, Paul Woolston, Michael Newberry, Tom Heardman, Luke Charman, Owen Bailey and Nathan Harker.

Extensions to existing deals go to Owen Gallacher, Mackenzie Heaney, Owen Bailey, Nathan Harker, Yannick Aziakonou,  Ben Kitchen, Oliver Long, Lewis McNall, Callum Smith and Craig Spooner.

Two-year Academy scholarships go to Max Allen, Ryan Barrett, Thomas Cole, Sam Joyce, Deese Kasinga Madia, Jack Young and Oisin McIntee.

Squad:
Headcount 

Current squad - limited to anyone still on the books who has played a competitive senior game for us:

Status tbc (1):
Yoan Gouffran.

2018 (5):
Jesus Gamez, Curtis Good, Massadio Haidara, Tim Krul, Daryl Murphy.

2019 (2):
Jack Colback, Mohamed Diame.

2020 (9):
Adam Armstrong, Karl Darlow, Siem De Jong, Rob Elliot, Jamaal Lascelles, Chancel Mbemba, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Emmanuel Riviere, Jamie Sterry.

2021 (12):
Rolando Aarons, Christian Atsu, Ciaran Clark, Dwight Gayle, Grant Hanley, Isaac Hayden, Achraf Lazaar, Ayoze Perez, Matt Ritchie, Henri Saivet, Jonjo Shelvey, DeAndre Yedlin.

Undisclosed (6):
Dan Barlaser (signed in 2015)
Paul Dummett (signed in 2016 tbc)
Yasin Ben El-Mhanni (signed in 2016)
Stuart Findlay (signed in 2016)
Callum Roberts (signed in 2015)
Ivan Toney (signed in 2015)

Loaned (1):
Matz Sels (2021)

Non-first team (12):
Sean Longstaff (contract offer made)
Dan Ward (contract offer made)
Jack Hunter (contract offer made)
Paul Woolston (contract offer made)
Michael Newberry (contract offer made)
Luke Charman (contract offer made)
Tom Heardman (contract offer made)
Callum Williams (tbc)
Kyle Cameron (tbc)
Macaulay Gillesphey (tbc)
Alex Gilliead (2018)
Freddie Woodman (2020)

Unlikely lads #1
:
Transfers 

Old boys on the move: 

Sam Allardyce Crystal Palace to (his) villa
Gael Bigirimana
Coventry City to Motherwell
Adam Campbell Notts County to Morecambe
Ryan Donaldson
Plymouth to Hartlepool United

Stuart Green
Cleator Moor Celtic M
Brad Inman Peterborough United to Rochdale (loan)
Peter Lovenkrands Rangers (youth coach)
Ryan McGorrigan
North Shields to Blyth Town
Matty Pattison
Blyth Spartans to South Shields
Nile Ranger Southend United to HMP venue TBC
John Robertson Hearts C to Inverness CT M
Haris Vuckic
NUFC to FW Twente
Andy Woodman
Whitehawk FC to Greggs

Unlikely lads #2:
Hoyoots 

Former Magpies looking for new clubs include:

Joey Barton (Burnley) (NB: 18 month ban)
Sebastien Bassong (Norwich City)
Leon Best (Ipswich Town)
Paul Bracewell
(mackems - coach)
Shay Given
(Stoke City)
Danny Guthrie (Blackburn Rovers)
JJ Hooper (Port Vale)
Conor Newton (Cambridge United)
Gabriel Obertan
(Wigan Athletic)
Remi Streete
(Port Vale)
Mike Williamson (Wolves)

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Fixtures, Tickets etc.
Season 2017/18


The stadium Box Office is located in the Milburn Stand, just up the slope from the Sir Bobby Robson Statue. The previous ticket desk in the club shop has now closed.

Paid-for matchday ticket collections take place from the windows at the back of the Gallowgate End Stand, above NINE Bar.

SJP Box Office phone: 0844 372 1892* 
(7p per minute plus network charge)

* 0044 870 444 1892 from overseas

 

Online Box Office is here

SJP seating plan is here

On the opening day of ticket sales, they officially commence at 10am - with any points reduction for away tickets becoming effective at the same time.

Away tickets are sold only to season ticket holders and members*. All ST holders are automatically members (a non-negotiable fee is added annually by NUFC to each ST).

A £1 administration fee per ticket applies to away sales in all competitions, with no upper limit. In addition, non-NUFC members pay the same fee on home ticket sales.

Away Supporters: there's been no official announcement, but United have obtained a 12 month exemption on logistical grounds to the Premier League requirement to house some away supporters at pitch level.

 

Heading to the Toon?

City guide
here

Geordie Map here  

NE guide here

Mon 03.07.2017 Pre-season training.

Fri 14.07.2017 Hearts (a) @ Tynecastle, 7.45pm. Friendly. Ticket details tbc.

Mon 17.07.2017 U23s v Darlington (n) @ Northern Echo Arena, 7pm. Friendly.

Sat 22.07.2017 Preston North End (a) @ Deepdale, 3.00pm. Friendly. Ticket details tbc.

Mon 24.07.2017 U18s v County Antrim (Northern Ireland) (a) @ venue tbc, ko tbc. NI Super Cup group game.

Tue 25.07.2017 U18s v Beijing Morning Star United (China)
(n) @ venue tbc, ko tbc. NI Super Cup group game.

Wed 26.07.2017 Bradford City (a) @ Valley Parade, 7.30pm. Friendly. Ticket details tbc.

Wed 26.07.2017 U18s v Komazawa Uni (Japan) (n) @ venue tbc, ko tbc. NI Super Cup group game.

Thu 27.07.2017 U18s v opposition tbc
(n) @ venue tbc, ko tbc. NI Super Cup.

Thu 27.07.2017
U23s v Celtic (n) @ Turnbull Ground, Whitby, 7.45pm. Whitby Town Challenge Cup 2017.

Fri 28.07.2017 U18s v opposition tbc (n) @ venue tbc, ko tbc. NI Super Cup.

Sat 29.07.2017 FSV Mainz 05 (a) @ Opel Arena, 4pm (local time). Friendly. Ticket details tbc.

Sat 29.07.2017 U23s v Whitby Town or AZ Alkmaar (n) @ Turnbull Ground, Whitby, 1.30pm or 5.30pm. Whitby Town Challenge Cup 2017.


Wed 02.08.2017 VfL Wolfsburg (a) @ AOK Stadion, 4pm (local time). Friendly. Ticket details tbc.

date tbc.08.2017 opposition TBC (h) @ SJP, KO tbc. Friendly.

Sat 12.08.2017 PL opening fixtures.

Sun 13.05.2018 PL closing fixtures.

League Cup Final 25.02.2018

FA Cup Final
19.05.2018

Live TV games - to be announced:

Sky Sports (126 games)
BT Sports (42 games)

Live TV confirmation dates:  

NB:
these are all "approximate dates"

Mon 10.07.2017
August & September
Fri 11.08.2017 October & November
Thu 12.10.2017 Dec & January
Tue 12.12.2017 February
Thu 25.01.2018 March
Mon 26.02.2018 April
Fri 06.04.2018 May
Tue 08.05.2018 May 13th

Talk-ins etc:

Thu 06.07.2017 Steve Harper
(& Mick Lowes) @ NINE Bar. £15+. here

Fri 07.07.2017 Mick Quinn @ Hedworth Hall, South Shields. £20+ here

Fri 14.07.2017 Peter Beardsley (& Mick Lowes) @ 42nd Street, Whitley Bay. £15. here

Fri 04.08.2017 Malcolm Macdonald (& Mick Lowes) @ NINE Bar. £15+. here

The 2019 European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup rugby union Finals will be staged at SJP on successive days.

Metro engineering works:


Mon 31.07.2017 to Fri 11.08.2017:
No trains will run in either direction between South Gosforth and Four Lane Ends

Sat 12.08.2017 to Sat 02.09.2017:
No trains will run in either direction between South Gosforth and Shiremoor

Replacement buses operate
details

Magpie Movers are now on sale to NUFC ST holders, allowing use of public transport across the city three hours before and three hours after competitive NUFC home games.

After being £20 for three seasons, Movers now cost £30 online or £31 by post
here
 

International Magpies
National Service

Lubo Satka (Slovakia U21s):
Fri 16.06.2017 Poland (a) won 2-1 ECF
Lubo was an unused substitute in Lublin as his nation began their UEFA U21 European Championship campaign with a win.

Mon 19.06.2017 England (n) lost 1-2 ECF
Another night on the bench for the soon to be former Magpie defender in Kielce.

Thu 22.06.2017
Sweden (n) won 3-0 ECF
Introduced to the starting lineup for the fixture in Lublin, Lubo netted the final goal in a 3-0 victory - converting a low shot.

Slovakia failed to make the last four. 

2017/18 international breaks:
Mon-Tue 28.08-05.09.2017
Mon-Tue 02.10-10.10.2017
Mon-Tue 06.11-14.11.2017
Mon-Tue 19.03-27.03.2018

Coxy's Cockup Corner
Whoops, He did it Again...



What's this all about then?
Click here  
for a rambling explanation of sorts....

On This Day in History
26th June


Born Or Died:

1983 Joe Kendrick born Dublin, Republic 
of Ireland.
(1999-2003)

Academy/reserve defender and Eire youth international who failed to make the grade at SJP and was released in March 2003.

Following an unsuccessful trial at Hartlepool, eyebrows were raised when Joe signed a three year contract with 1860 Munich after a successful trial with the German side.

Although his time in Bavaria saw him capped at U21 level by the Republic of Ireland, he  was blighted by injury and failed to make the step up to the 1860 senior team.

Returning to England in 2004 he joined Darlington and had trials at Dunfermline, Mansfield Town and Torquay United.

Moving on to Tamworth, Joe subsequently played for Blyth Spartans, Durham City and Workington while having trials elsewhere, notably Irish League side Drogheda United.

Following Workington boss Tommy Cassisdy across to Newcastle Blue Star, Joe then signed for Drogheda in 2008.

Financial issues there though saw him looking for another club within a year and after a trial with Neftchi Baku in Azerbaijan, he joined them in a permanent deal.

Returning to Ireland with Sligo Rovers in 2009, Jo later played for Drogheda once again and Bray Wanderers before signing for  Mansfield Town in 2011.

Another spell with Blyth Spartans was then followed by a move into the Northern League with Bedlington Terriers and Washington.

1986 Francisco Jimenez Tejada "Xisco" born, Palma. (2008-13)

Beginning his career with Spanish side Deportivo la Coruna in 2003, striker Xisco made his senior bow two years later.

Loaned to lower league side Vecindario in 2006, he was called into the Spanish U21 side for a friendly against England – facing future Newcastle colleague Steven Taylor.

Returning to Deportivo he played regularly, grabbing the headlines with a hat trick against Murcia in March 2008. 

Joiniing United in a £5.7m deal at the end of the August 2008 transfer window (along with midfielder Nacho Gonzalez), both deals were done by Dennis Wise with no input from manager Kevin Keegan, who left before either player kicked a ball for the club.

In the toxic atmosphere that was the Hull City home game, the fact that Xisco scored on his debut has almost been forgotten. 

After three more disappointing performances under Chris Hughton though, he dropped out of the first team picture and was used only fleetingly by his successor JFK (who seems not to have liked Spaniards at all, given his reluctance to field Jose Enrique....)

Thoughts that the Spanish U21 striker would be loaned out in the January 2009 window were rendered redundant by the fact he'd fleetingly appeared for Deportivo before the move to Tyneside - UEFA rules preventing players being registered with more than two teams per season.

A belated introduction to reserve football a month later then saw Xisco net twice against Wigan at SJP, but a broken toe in the same game sidelined him once more.

Despite converting a penalty in his comeback reserve game, Xisco however failed to get back to first team action and was never named among the substitutes during Alan's Shearer brief time in charge. 

His final club appearance of the season saw him score twice at SJP for the reserves in the Senior Cup Final against Ashington - joining the ranks of other continental flops to have suffered this fate, including messrs Andersson and Maric. 

Xisco's season wasn't over though, with his selection in Spain's U21 squad for their Euro Championship campaign in Sweden. He failed to find the net in two sub appearances and one start though, as Spain were eliminated.

Appearing regularly in United's pre-season programme, Xisco then came off the bench to feature against Reading and Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.

He then returned to Spain on loan at Racing Santander, scoring three times in 23 outings as they narrowly avoided relegation.

Under contract at SJP until 2013, United boss Chris Hughton made it clear that Xisco played no part in his plans for the club's top-flight return - save for getting him off the wage bill, on a free if needed. 

But he remained on the club's books, despite being no part of the long term plans of any of our recent managers and after a lengthy loan spell at Deportivo the Spanish side bid for a further loan for 2011/12 that was initially rejected by United.

However, Xisco did join Deportivo on a season long loan and after injuries and brief appearances from the bench he netted in the final two games of the season to help secure a top-flight return for the club.

Returning to United that summer, Xisco then made an unexpected return to reserve team action in October 2012, playing three times and notching a hat trick against Stoke City at Whitley Park that prompted speculation of a callup to the Europa League squad.

Nothing materialised however (with fellow waster Nile Ranger brought back instead) and Xisco's Newcastle contract was finally paid up in January 2013.

That allowed the free agent to join Spanish Second Division side Cordoba, scoring eight times in thirteen games but failing to agree an extended contract.

And as a consequence, June 2013 brought agent-led press claims that Xisco could be poised for a return to England - with some unkind souls suggesting that he was top of JFK's wanted list....

A new one year deal with Cordoba was later agreed and Xisco scored ten times to help the side return to the top flight via a dramatic promotion playoff.

Trailing 0-1 at Las Palmas with seconds remaining of the second leg, a premature pitch invasion by home fans saw the game halted - only for Cordoba to then score when the game restarted and hold on to win via the away goals rule.

Xisco struggled to hold down a place the following season back in the top flight and after scoring just once was loaned out to Real Mallorca in January 2015.

Returning to Cordoba as they ended up back in the second tier, he netted eleven times in the 2015/16 campaign but failed to inspire a promotion push.

A free agent once again, Xisco's next destination was the Thai League club, Muangthong United.  


 

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What Else?

1995 Barry Venison departed from SJP in a £750,000 deal to join Galatasaray of Turkey - managed at the time by Graeme Souness. 

After a brief eventful stay at the Istanbul club he returned to England with Southampton before injury curtailed his career.

1998 England qualified for the second stages of the World Cup with a convincing 2-0 victory over Colombia in Lens. 

Without Tino Asprilla, the Colombians posed little threat to England and Robert Lee was given a late runout when victory was assured. Alan Shearer was bizarrely booked for taking a free kick too early.

1999 United confirmed the signing of another Frenchman, as TV chef lookie-likie Franck Dumas joined from Monaco in a £500k deal.

2000 Argentinean striker Daniel Cordone signed a 12-month loan deal at a cost of £500k from Racing Club Avellaneda - subject to passing a medical. 

He consequently became our second signing from that country in as many months, following Christian Bassedas.

2001 Arriving for a second spell at SJP was Robbie Elliott, who joined up just as United's Intertoto participation was confirmed by UEFA. Elliott returned from Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer.

2006 A penalty conversion with the final kick of the match gave Italy a 1-0 World Cup win over Australia in Kaiserslautern. United's Craig Moore played for the full 90 minutes.

2007 David Rozehnal's move to Newcastle was confirmed after he passed a medical. The 26 year-old Czech international completed a four year deal at a cost of around £3m.

Newcastle beat both Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla in the race to sign the central defender from Paris St.Germain.

2008 Replacing the previous G14 group, European football clubs including Newcastle banded together in a new organisation named the European Club Association.

103 clubs from the 53 nations that participate in UEFA competitions formed the group, with membership being initially based on UEFA rankings.

That meant, despite a season out of Europe, that Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle represented England in the ECA.

2012
Birmingham City confirmed that they had reached agreement for ex-Magpie Lee Clark to become their manager, days after seeing previous incumbent Chris Hughton move on to join Norwich City.

Clark had been out of a job since ending his stint in charge of Huddersfield Town the previous February. He would work alongside fellow Toon old boy Terry McDermott.

2015
Former Valencia assistant boss Ian Cathro found himself linked to a coaching position at United by overseas journalists - who proved to be correct.