2022/23:
ST sellout
confirmed

Update: a formal announcement from NUFC confirming the capture of Botman is expected today. The player posted a farewell message to fans of his previous club Lille on Monday evening.

Eatlier: United are closing in their third senior acquisition of the close season, with Lille central defender Sven Botman flying into Newcastle by private jet on Monday.

The 22 year-old Dutchman was driven to Darsley Park before later appearing at St. James' Park for the formalities of his signing and subsequent presentation

A fee in excess of £35m will reportedly be paid with a five year contract agreed.

Born in a suburb of Amsterdam, Sven began his career in the Ajax Academy and played second tier football for them from the age of 18.

Featuring for Ajax's first team in summer 2019, Botman then spent the next season on loan at Heerenveen before a £7.5m switch to Lille followed in July 2020.

A maiden year in French football brought Europa League action and ended with title success - last season adding Champions League experience and a tenth place finish in a side featuring SJP old boy Hatem Ben Arfa.

Internationally, Sven represented his home nation from the U15s to the U21s, recently captaining the latter. Twice on the bench for the Dutch seniors in 2020, he's yet to feature at that level.  

2022/23:
Magpie Mover:
longer for less

This season's Magpie Mover pass is now on sale to NUFC season ticket holders at a new price of £25 for all age categories (previously £30) and with an extended period of usage.

Magpie Movers permit public transport use across Tyne and wear on home matchdays* beginning three hours before kick-off and now valid from any Newcastle city centre departure point until the end of service that day, replacing the previous three hour post-match window.

Applications must be made online via the NUFC box office online here and passes will be posted out. 

* Magpie Movers are valid for Premier League home games and any FA Cup or Carabao Cup ties at SJP. Friendlies and U18/U23 games aren't included.

2022/23:
Third shirt
confirmed

Having brought forward the on sale date for the 2022/23 home kit, Tuesday saw Newcastle place their third kit on sale.

Leaked online some weeks ago, it's a white shirt with green detail, which is accompanied by green shorts.

And has been widely mentioned, the kit bears more than a passing resemblance to that of the Saudi Arabian national team - although United's is supplied by Castore, with Nike manufacturing the KSA one.

Asked about that back in May, Magpies boss Eddie Howe said:

"I'm aware of the criticisms. I think from my perspective it's not something I've had any control over.

Monday saw Newcastle confirm their new shirt sleeve sponsor, in the shape of Saudi Arabian e-commerce firm, noon.com.

Seen as the main rival to Amazon in the Middle East, noon was established in 2016 with help from investors including NUFC backers PIF, who have since providing further financing to aid their expansion.

There had been recent speculation that the Botswana tourist board were set to acquire the sleeve rights that were last held by travel search engine KAYAK.

PS: This isn't noon's first association with Premier League football clubs, having become "the official online business partner in the Middle East" of Manchester City in April 2021. 

Up and under:
Magic... giveaway

Magic Weekend is heading back to Tyneside next month - the sixth time that Rugby League's annual showpiece event will be staged at SJP.

12 Super League sides will meet over two days as follows:

Sat 09.07.2022:
Wakefield v Toulouse (2.30pm)
St Helens v Wigan (4.45pm)
Leeds v Castleford Tigers (7pm)

Sun 10.07.2022:
Huddersfield v Salford (1pm)
Catalans v Warrington (3.15pm)
Hull FC v Hull KR (5.30pm)

Tickets are available now online here and we have pairs of weekend passes up for grabs in a free-to-enter competition.

In order to be in with a chance of winning, tell us which Magic Weekend side play home games at the venue pictured below, when hosting the Magpies in its other guise as a football ground.



Entries to comps@nufc.com subject line of Magic by Noon on Friday July 1st. No age limit, entries welcome from anywhere on the planet but tickets will only be posted out to UK addresses. One entry per person.

Collector's corner:
Programme fair
this Sunday

Old boy:
Chops chooses Celtic 

Following the permanent acquisition of Matt Targett, Newcastle have confirmed their second signing of the summer in the shape of Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope.

The 30 year-old England international was seen at St. James' Park on Thursday as he completed the formalities of his medical before joining Eddie Howe's squad on a four year contract for a claimed £10m fee.

Pope was in the final year of his deal at Turf Moor and unwilling to drop into the Championship, while the Clarets had a pressing need to bolster their squad and meet debt repayments.

He arrives to provide competition for Martin Dubravka, days after United finalised the sale of Freddie Woodman to Preston North End and with the future of Karl Darlow yet to be determined.

What was Pope's 141st and final PL game for Burnley saw beaten twice by Callum Wilson during Newcastle's 2-1 win in Lancashire back in May - a result that condemned them to relegation.

Released by Ipswich Town at the age of 16, the Cambridgeshire-born 'keeper was playing for non-league Bury Town when Charlton Athletic took him on trial in 2011.

Loan spells at Cambridge United, Aldershot, York City and Bury followed before establishing himself as first choice for the Addicks during 2015/16.

The following season saw Pope sold to Burnley, debuting against Crystal Palace in September 2017. A first senior outing for England followed against Costa Rica the following June. 

The Borrowers:
Loan lads

Rodrigo Vilca (Universitario)
Our man appeared as a 77th minute sub on Sunday as his current club lost 0-2 at Sport Huancayo in the Primera Division.

Isaac Hayden (Norwich City)
The Canaries kick off their pre-season preparations on Friday night at local league side Dereham Town.

Departure confirmed:
Woodman exits

2022/23:
Pre-season

Details of Newcastle's pre-season programme remain sketchy, with just three of an expected six or seven friendly matches confirmed so far.

Following the cancellation of a proposed US trip, it's predicted that Eddie Howe's side will stage a training camp in Austria, featuring one or two low-key kickabouts against other sides similarly engaged.

Ahead of that, it's anticipated that United will play a behind closed doors game in the UK.

Following the overseas training camp, they'll face Benfica in Lisbon, before games on successive days at SJP against Italian and Spanish sides respectively.

By then, those players granted additional time off due to post-season international duty should have returned:

Tue 26.07.2022 Benfica (a) 8pm
Ticket details awaited.

Fri 29.07.2022 Atalanta (h) 7.45pm
Tickets on sale from Tue 05.07.2022.

Sat 30.07.2022 Athletic Bilbao (h) KO tbc
Tickets on sale from Tue 05.07.2022.

Compo:
Gig giveaway

This year's Hardwick Festival in County Durham takes place over the weekend of Saturday August 20th/21st and boasts the usual eclectic line-up of live music, plus separate arenas for House and Soul DJs.

Among those appearing are Stereophonics, The Specials, The Proclaimers and Seasick Steve while the DJ line-up includes Huey Morgan and Arielle Free.

More details/tickets online here

We had separate pairs of tickets for both the Saturday and Sunday shows and asked which football club The Reid brothers aka the Proclaimers supported.

Multitudes of you correctly responded that it was Hibernian* and the winners were:

Stuart McKinnon
Sean Heslop

* nine misguided souls went for Hearts.... 

2022/23:
Home again

For the sixth time in seven top flight seasons, Newcastle begin their Premier League season on home territory, facing newly-promoted Nottingham Forest.

That game will take place on Saturday August 6th with a 3pm kick-off and won't be shown live on UK TV.

Find the 2022/23 fixture list online here

Considering rearrangements for opponents in European competition, Manchester United's Europa League Group Stage commitments mean that our visit to Old Trafford won't be on a Saturday.

West Ham's progress from the Europa Conference League Playoffs to the Group Stage would also preclude our game at the London Stadium in September from going ahead on a Saturday. 

Old boy:
Unlikely lads

Ex-Magpies with new clubs include:

Tom Allan (Gateshead)
Jak Alnwick (Cardiff City)
Kieren Aplin (Consett)
Fraser Forster (Spurs)
Nathan Harker (Whickham)
Mackenzie Heaney (South Shields)
Jack Hunter (FC Halifax Town)
Darren Lough (Ashington)
Oisin McEntee (Walsall)
Alex Nicholson (Blyth Spartans)
Michael Richardson (Blyth Spartans)
Henri Saivet (Pau)
Mo Sangare (Accrington Stanley)
Callum Smith (Birtley Town)
Jon Dahl Tomasson (Blackburn Rovers Mgr)

SJP old boys now without a club:

Sammy Ameobi (Middlesbrough)
Andy Carroll (West Bromwich Albion)
Papiss Cisse (Caykur Rizespor)
Mo Diame (Fuenlabrada)
Carl Finnigan (Morpeth Town)
Paul Huntington (Preston North End)
Peter Lovenkrands (Fremad Mgr)
Neil McDonald (Barrow Asst Mgr)
Mark McGhee (Dundee Mgr)
Alan Pardew (CSKA Sofia Mgr)
Stuart Pearce (West Ham C)
Steve Watson (Chester FC Mgr)

Talk-in:
Mariners tales

Tickets are now on sale for a night with former Magpie Steve Howey at South Shields FC next month, at the bargain price of just £10 including pie and peas.

The event takes place in the marquee at the 1st Cloud Arena aka Filtrona Park on Thursday July 7th, starting at 7pm.

Tickets can be purchased from the venue between 10am and 4pm weekdays, via 0191 454 7800 or from michelle.leadley@southshieldsfc.co.uk