Remaining Premier League fixtures/result:
(3pm unless specified)

Tue 15.04.2014:
Arsenal 3-1 West Ham 

Wed 16.04.2014:
Everton v Crystal Palace (7.45pm)
Manchester City v mackems (7.45pm)

Sat 19.04.2014:
Spurs v Fulham (12.45pm) BT 
Aston Villa v Southampton
Cardiff v Stoke Cardiff City
West Ham v Crystal Palace
Chelsea v mackems (5.30pm) Sky

Sun 20.04.2014:
Norwich City v Liverpool (Noon) Sky
Hull City v Arsenal (2.05pm) Sky
Everton v Manchester United (4.10pm) Sky

Mon 21.04.2014:
Manchester City v West Bromwich Albion (8pm) Sky

Sat 26.04.2014:
Southampton v Everton (12.45pm) BT
Fulham v Hull City
Stoke City v Spurs
Swansea City v Aston Villa
West Bromwich Albion v West Ham
Manchester United v Norwich City (5.30pm) Sky

Sun 27.04.2014:
mackems v Cardiff (Noon) Sky
Liverpool v Chelsea (2.05pm) Sky
Crystal Palace v Man City (4.10pm) Sky

Sat 03.05.2014:
West Ham v Spurs (12.45pm) BT
Aston Villa v Hull City
Manchester United v mackems
Stoke City v Fulham 
Swansea City v Southampton
Everton v Manchester City (5.30pm) Sky

Sun 04.05.2014:
Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion (1.30pm) Sky
Chelsea v Norwich City (4pm) Sky

Mon 05.05.2014:
Crystal Palace v Liverpool (8pm) Sky

Tue 06.05.2014:
Manchester United v Hull City (7.45pm)

Wed 07.05.2014:
Manchester City v Aston Villa (7.45pm) Sky
mackems v West Bromwich Albion (7.45pm) 

Sun 11.05.2014 (TV picks yet tbc):
Cardiff City v Chelsea
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Hull City  v Everton
Manchester City v West Ham
Norwich City  v Arsenal
Southampton v Manchester United
mackems v Swansea City
Spurs v Aston Villa
West Bromwich Albion v Stoke City

Internationals: 
Country call for Alex

Fresh from scoring twice in United's U18 league victory over Chelsea on Saturday, Magpies midfielder / forward Alex Gilliead linked up with his England team mates ahead of tonight's fixture with Germany.

The young Lions are based at Barnsley's Oakwell ground ahead of tonight's friendly, which will be staged at the New York Stadium home of Rotherham United.

Assuming he features, Alex will win a second cap at U18 level, having previously represented his country in both U16 and U17 categories without finding the net.  

Local lads: 
Non-League frenzy!

Aside from the latest episode of torture at SJP, there's a wealth of football action across the region this weekend - including another Northern League groundhopper event.

For the uninitiated, part of the Northern League's 125th anniversary celebrations has seen staggered kickoffs at various games, allowing fans to watch two...or more.

The last - and maddest - of these events is the Easter Hop and although the organised travel is all booked out, there's nothing to stop anyone turning up and paying on the gate (around £4-£6 per game).

There are some Thursday night games, but the hop kicks off at North Shields on Friday at 11am, when the top two sides in the Second Division meet - champions Shields receiving their silverware at full time. 
 
Good Friday:
North Shields v West Allotment Celtic 11am (D2)
Whitley Bay v Newcastle Benfield 2:30pm (D1)
Ashington v Crook Town 6:30pm (D1)

Easter Saturday:
Jarrow Roofing BCA v Heaton Stannington 11am (D2)
Washington v Seaham Red Star 2:15pm (D2)
Birtley Town v Chester-le-Street 6pm (D2)

Easter Sunday:
Consett v Durham City Noon (D1)
Ryton & Crawcrook Albion v Whickham 3pm (D2)

Easter Monday:
Bishop Auckland v Crook Town 12 noon (D1)
Spennymoor Town v Team Northumbria 3pm (D1)
Newton Aycliffe v Shildon 6pm (D1)

For details of the other Northern League games over the weekend, directions and other info check online here

Meanwhile, Friday is shaping up to be an important one for Conference side Gateshead, as they close in on a promotion playoff slot and dream of a Wembley visit. 

Southport provide the opposition at the International Stadium in a 3pm kickoff and a decent attendance is expected - not least with SJP season ticket holders taking advantage of the £5 saving on adult entry. 

On production of their NUFC ST card, fans pay just £9 for adult entry, while the deal offering all accompanied U16s entry (not just ST holders) for £2 remains in force.

Moving on to Monday, and having failed to have the game rescheduled in order to prepare for the Northumberland Senior Cup Final a day later, Blyth Spartans conclude their home league programme at Croft Park.

Their opponents in an Northern Premier League game are Whitby Town and the kickoff is confirmed as 3pm. 

U18s: 
Tom topples Tees teens



Newcastle U18s  3  Middlesbrough U18s  2

A second half brace from striker Tom Heardman took him into double figures for the season on Tuesday, as United edged a well-contested Tyne-tees derby fixture.

Having beaten Chelsea 3-2 at Little Benton on Saturday, Dave Watson's youngsters went into this rearranged game looking for a fifth successive win on their own ground - and an eighth home victory in nine outings this year.    

And they got off to a decent start when a low shot from Ben Drennan from the edge of the box seemed to catch out visiting goalkeeper Joe Fryer after 18 minutes.

Boro almost hit back from the kickoff as striker Jordan Jowers exploited some confusion in the United area and shot against the goal frame from a narrow angle. 

The equaliser wasn't long in arriving though and when Jowers was challenged in the box by Ryan McKinnon midway through the first half, referee James Simpson pointed to the spot - and Joe Wheatley converted.

In glorious conditions, Newcastle regained the lead barely two minutes into the second half when Tom Heardman netted from 18 yards - Fryer again less than impressive.

Ten minutes later Heardman struck again, after substitute Liam Gibson wormed his way to the byline and pulled the ball across the six yard box for the 18 year-old striker to force past Fryer and a couple of covering defenders.

That never looked likely to be the end of the scoring though and Boro reduced the arrears on 67 minutes, Lee Hetherington beating Freddie Woodman from close in.

A Boro equaliser seemed inevitable as the visitors began to dominate possession, but some poor shooting and an instinctive stop from Woodman in the final seconds of normal time ensured that United held on for the win.

There were first starts at this level for Jack Hunter and Luke Charman, while Macaulay Gillesphey made his comeback following ankle ligament problems.

Team: Woodman, Newberry, Cameron, Hunter, McKinnon, Gillesphey, Kerridge, Drennan (Gibson 50), Heardman, Charman, Laidler.
Subs n/u: Woolston, Tatters, Trodd, Suddick.

U21s: 
City stiffs stalemate



Newcastle U21s  0  Manchester City U21s  0

Match report

Peter Beardsley's side return to action on Tuesday when Blyth Spartans at SJP in the final of the Techflow Group Northumberland Senior Cup.

And the curtain finally falls on what has been a poor season on Friday 25th, when Arsenal provide the opposition in a 1pm kickoff at Whitley Park.

The Gunners have also had an indifferent season and  remain odds-on to finish in the bottom half of the table - meaning they will join Newcastle in the lower of two re-formed U21 Premier Leagues next season.  

Premier League: 
Fluke goal - but
defeat no accident

Stoke City  1  Newcastle  0

A sneak preview of United's new crowd flag design

Match report is online here

Book:
Chronicled: the men 
who made the Toon

Of a similar size and weight to 2011's Ultimate Record, "Newcastle United: The Ultimate Who's Who" is a completely separate, newly -compiled book from club historian Paul Joannou,    

Comprising of profiles and photos of Magpie players, managers and officials the UWW will be published in November 2014.

Subscriber copies can be ordered now online here.

Subscriber copies are individually numbered, feature a personalised certificate mounted within the book, and allow the name of the purchaser to appear on a roll of honour that is reproduced in every copy of the book.

Advance purchase price of £30 is the same as the cover price but subscribers get their copy hand-delivered or posted to them at any address in the UK for no extra charge (overseas orders welcome, shipping at cost).

Pre-season:
Toon reunion 
set for Schalke 
 

Friday saw West Ham confirm that they are to be the fourth side at the Schalke 04 tournament in August, meaning another meeting between Newcastle and the Green Street old boys, currently consisting of Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan, Sam Allardyce and Neil McDonald.  

The Magpies will play two warm-up games this coming August in the German city of Gelsenkirchen (a twin town of Newcastle since 1948) to participate in a four team tournament involving home club Schalke 04.   

The event takes place at the Veltins Arena on Saturday August 2nd and Sunday August 3rd - two weeks before the Premier League kicks off on Saturday 16th. 

In addition to the Bundesliga hosts and ourselves, West Ham and Spanish Primera Division side Malaga are also now confirmed for the inaugural event.

Tickets are on public sale now, with Schalke promising to provide guidance to Newcastle and West Ham followers over the coming days.

The games will be in stark contrast to United's last two games on German soil in 2012, low-key friendlies against third tier outfit Chemnitzer and AS Monaco - the latter played on a neutral field in deepest Bavaria....

Opened in 2001 as a replacement for the Parkstadion that hosted games in the 1974 World Cup, the Veltins Arena (originally christened the Arena AufSchalke) has a capacity of almost 62,000 for domestic fixtures - which reduces to 54,000 when rail seats at one end allowing fans to stand are locked into their down position. 

Boasting a retractable roof, the Arena staged the 2004 Champions League Final and five matches in the 2006 World Cup Finals, including England's defeat on penalties by a Portugal side featuring old boy Hugo Viana.    

United's last meeting with Schalke 04 came back in May 1960 when Charlie Mitten's side won 3-0 in Germany during a post-season tour that also saw kickabouts played in Ireland, Yugoslavia and Spain. 

The only notable player link between the clubs came in 2009, when Peter Lovenkrands moved "on a free from Germany" to SJP after his Schalke deal was cancelled.

PS: There's an interesting article about Schalke, Lovenkrands, Freddy Shepherd & NUFC online here

2014/15: 
Kiwi claims emerge

Reports emanating from New Zealand in recent days suggest that Newcastle are among a handful of Premier League sides under consideration to participate in a pre-season tournament later this year.

Ourselves, Everton and West Ham have all been linked with a proposed series of games involving Wellington Phoenix (who actually play in Australia's A League) at their 34,500 Westpac stadium. 

The option of Auckland's 25,000 North Harbour Stadium hosting games has also been mooted, but like previous reports of United heading to South Africa, the club haven't given any hint that future plans for friendlies involve them going further than mainland Europe.

United have previously visited New Zealand, playing a series of four matches against the national side in May 1985 in Christchurch, Wellington, Napier and Auckland.

Old boy: 
History maker Harps

Despite conceding three goals, former Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper enjoyed a successful day at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, as his Hull City side beat Sheffield United 5-3 in their FA Cup Semi Final.

The Tigers will make their first-ever appearance in the FA Cup Final on Saturday May 17th against Arsenal - a serious kidney injury sustained by first-choice custodian Allan McGregor giving Harper an unexpected second chance of glory in this competition, following his losing experience with the Magpies in the 1999 Final. 

Sunday also brought a sniff of cup glory for another ex Toon 'keeper, with Tommy Wright overseeing the first Scottish Cup semi-final success that his St.Johnstone side have enjoyed in their history.

The Perth side will face a Dundee United side including fellow SJP old boy Darren Jackson on their coaching staff in the final at Celtic Park on Saturday May 17th.