Spurs (h) Forwarding/resale/seats now
Palace (a) ST sale now, 11 points
Sheffield United (h) SOLD OUT

Ex-manager: 
Joe Kinnear dies

From Sky Sports on Sunday evening:

Joe Kinnear, the former Tottenham defender and Wimbledon manager, has died at the age of 77.

Dublin-born Kinnear, who won the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup as a player with Tottenham, went on to manage Luton, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle among others.

A statement from his family said: "We are sad to announce that Joe passed away peacefully this afternoon surrounded by his family."

His wife Bonnie revealed in 2021 that her husband had been living with dementia since 2015.

Kinnear resigned from his role of Director of Football at SJP in February 2014 after being appointed by Mike Ashley eight months earlier.

He had been Interim Manager at Newcastle between September 2008 and February 2009 after Kevin Keegan's shock departure.

2023/24:
Centurion completes
Cottage conquest

Fulham  0  Newcastle  1  

Match action

Match report

Latest PL results:

Thu 04.04.2024:
Liverpool 3-1 Sheffield United
Chelsea 4-3 Manchester United

Sat 06.04.2024:
Crystal Palace 2-4 Manchester City
Aston Villa 3-3 Brentford
Everton 1-0 Burnley
Fulham 0-1 Newcastle
Luton Town 2-1 Bournemouth
Wolves 1-2 West Ham
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-3 Arsenal

Sun 07.04.2024:
Manchester United 2-2 Liverpool
Sheffield United 2-2 Chelsea
Spurs 3-1 Nottingham Forest  

2023/24:
Youngsters fall short 

Blackburn Rovers U18s  2  Newcastle U18s  1  

An inexperienced Magpies side lost by the odd goal in three on Saturday at Blackburn's Brockhall Academy.

Debutant goalkeeper Noah Cooper - most recently with Arsenal U18s - was beaten by Joe Boggan's 22nd minute effort and picked the ball out of his net again five minutes later from Jackson Shorrocks.

Newcastle introduced Joe Brayson from the bench at half time and he reduced the arrears in the 65th minute with his sixth U18 goal of the season. The striker had also featured for our U21s the previous night.

In addition to Cooper, United fielded 16 year-old defender Theodore Adelusi, formerly at Spurs. There was also a debut at this level for midfielder Sam Alabi.

Team: Cooper, Bryant, Adelusi, H.Powell, Palmer, Watts, Bloomer, O'Donovan (Alabi 84), Taylor (Brayson 46), Donaldson (Wooster 76), Ferreira (Durrant 90+1). Sub n/u: Ad.Harrison

Booked: Watts

PS: Goalkeeper Cooper (presumably a trialist) was in the Gunners side that beat Newcastle 3-2 in last season's FA Youth Cup Fourth Round at SJP. 

Non-league: 
Tynesiders triumph

A crowd in excess of 3,000 were at the International Stadium on Saturday to see Gateshead reach their second successive FA Trophy Final.

A 2-1 win over Macclesfield Town was enough to seal a visit to Wembley Stadium on Saturday May 11th. 

SJP old boy Rob Elliot's side will face Solihull Moors following their 2-1 victory at Bromley on Saturday. 

2023/24:
Baggies bounced! 

Newcastle U21s  3  West Brom U21s  2  

Match report

Meanwhile, tickets for Tuesday's Northumberland Senior Cup semi-final tie at Ashington are now on general sale online here

Prices: £9 adults, £5 seniors/students, £3 U16s. 

PS: The Mail report that eight development squad players have been informed of their release:

Lucas De Bolle, Will Brown, Kyle Crossley, Amadou Diallo, Jordan Hackett, Michael Ndiweni, Jude Smith, Dylan Stephenson.

Extended contracts have been given to James Huntley and Ellis Stanton.

The Borrowers: 
Loan lads

Yankuba Minteh (Feyenoord)
Our man was in the starting line-up for Sunday's home meeting with Ajax in the Eredivisie and scored the second and fourth goals as they thrashed them 6-0. Yankuba was subbed in the 76th minute after all the goals had been scored.

Isaac Hayden (QPR):
The midfielder completed 69 minutes of Saturday's 0-2 Championship home loss to Sheffield Wednesday at the cost of a booking. 

Jeff Hendrick (Sheffield Wednesday):
The midfielder was an unused substitute against his former side QPR on Saturday as the Owls won 2-0 at Loftus Road in the Championship.

Harrison Ashby (Swansea City): 
Still no place for the defender in the Jacks squad, beaten 0-2 at Boro in the Championship on Saturday.

Ryan Fraser (Southampton): 
There was a 75 minute shift for Fraser on Saturday as the Saints were held to their third successive draw in the Championship - this one 0-0 at Blackburn Rovers.

Jamal Lewis (Watford):
It also finished scoreless at Vicarage Road against Preston North End in the Championship on Saturday, with Lewis playing the full game and putting a late chance narrowly wide. 

Matty Bondswell (Newport County):
Saturday saw the Exiles suffer a single goal loss at Grimsby Town in League Two, Matty brought off the bench in the 88th minute.

Dylan Stephenson (South Shields):
The Mariners hit seven goals without reply at home to Bishops Stortford in National League North on Saturday - with Dylan contributing a brace.

Michael Ndiweni (Annan Athletic):
A 1-3 home loss to Hamilton Academical in Scottish League One on Saturday saw Michael complete the first half and pick up a booking. He failed to reappear for the second half.

Garang Kuol (Volendam) 
RKC Waalwijk (h) Eredivisie, Sunday.

Rodrigo Vilca (Vozdovac):
Radnicki Nis (a) Serbian Super Liga, Sunday.

Kelland Watts (Wigan Athletic): 
The defender isn't currently in line for selection.

2023/24:
Burnley (a) no TV 

Friday brought confirmation - a week later than expected - of the Premier League's live UK TV selections for the first weekend in May.

Newcastle's visit to Turf Moor isn't among those selected and therefore remains as a 3pm kick-off on Saturday May 4th.

That leaves news of two games still awaited:

Sat 11.05.2024 Brighton (h)
???  ??.05.2024 Manchester United (a)

Along with the rest of the league, our final day visit to Brentford will be a 4pm KO on Sunday May 19th.

2023/24:
Dummy

Newcastle  1  Everton  1

Youtube footage

Match report

Transport:
Strike updates 

Planned walkouts of London tube drivers affiliated to the ASLEF union on Monday April 8th and Saturday May 4th have now been called off.

Meanwhile, ASLEF have announced a one day strike affecting LNER only on Saturday April 20th and an overtime ban from Friday April 19th to Sunday 21st. 

That doesn't coincide with any NUFC fixture. 

Update:
Country call for Kuol 

Currently on loan at Dutch league basement club Volendaam but struggling for pitch time there, United's Garang Kuol has unsurprisingly been released to answer a call-up by Australia's U23 side.

The Olyroos are one of 16 participants in the U23 Asian Cup finals staged in Qatar between April 15th and May 3rd. They are in Group D along with the host nation and will play their group games in Doha: 

Mon 15.04.2024 Jordan
Thu 18.04.2024 Indonesia
Sun 21.04.2024 Qatar

Kuol - who is joined by elder brother Alou in the squad - earned a call-up after helping Australia reach the final of the WAFF (West Asian Football Federation) Championships in Saudi Arabia last month.

The top three sides in the competition will earn a place in the Olympic Football tournament in Paris between July 24th and August 9th. The side that finishes fourth enters a qualification playoff.

Update:
Strip club 

Newcastle United kit sponsors SELA have confirmed that a special one-off shirt will be worn by the team in the Premier League home game against Spurs this coming Saturday.  

The Saudi-Arabian event management company are to donate the front of shirt advertising to an as-yet undisclosed charity for that game.   

Update:
Sandro D-Day 

The deadline for a response by Sandro Tonali to FA charges arising from multiple breaches of football betting rules was Friday (5th).

The Italian midfielder is currently suspended from all forms of football until August 27th 2024 - just under a fortnight after the next PL season kicks off. 

Black & white army:
Book compo winners

Recently released by Lower Block is "Toon Army 1996" a collection of photographs taken at Newcastle games during the 1995/96 and 1996/97 seasons.

Rather than Lee, Shearer or Ferdinand though, the stars of photographer Keith Pattison's images are the Newcastle fans themselves, as he turned his camera away from the pitch to document crowd scenes.

Exhibited in the Laing Gallery and appearing in poster form on bus stops across the region many years ago, 30 black and white photographs are featured in this 44 page, limited edition soft cover A5 publication.

Books cost £8.50 plus postage and can be ordered now online here. A limited number are also available from the Back Page shop. 

A run of prints are planned - anyone with an interest in those can register at [email protected]

We had two copies to give away and asked you to name the side that we faced in the final game of both the 1995/96 and 1996/97 seasons.

It was Nottingham Forest - May 1996 being the Stuart Pearce testimonial and May 1997 a PL game - we didn't say competitive....

Winners were Christopher Diball and Dave Stewart (not that one).

2023/24:
Academy switches

News from Teesside that Newcastle's U18 league visit to Boro has a new date, kick-off time and venue.

Originally an 11am start at Hurworth on Saturday May 11th, the game has been switched to the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday May 8th with a 7pm start.

That's one of two forthcoming evening league games for the U18s; a home meeting with Liverpool at Whitley Park set for Tuesday April 16th at 7pm.

PS: The U18s visit to Wolves later this month has a new date, moving back a week from Saturday April 13th to Saturday April 20th. Kickoff remains 11am.

Giveaway:
Wor Bella winners

Following a successful tour of the region two years ago, Wor Bella returns to the stage in both London and Newcastle later this month.

Playwright Ed Waugh's work about the prolific female footballer Bella Reay runs at Clapham's Bread & Roses Theatre for three nights from Monday April 22nd, switching to Newcastle's Theatre Royal for a trio of shows over the following weekend.

More details/bookings online here

Ed's play centres on Bella's starring role for Blyth Spartans Ladies in the 1918 Munitionettes Cup final, played before an aggregate crowd of 22,000 fans at Gallowgate and Ayresome Park. 

We had a pair of tickets for each venue to give away and asked what the Palmers company of Jarrow that Bella also played for manufactured.

The answer was ships and correct answers were received and randomly selected from the following:

Newcastle winner: Paul White
London winner: Graham Hammonds

2023/24:
Spurs (h) 

Next up at Gallowgate is another Saturday lunchtime kick-off, when Spurs provide the opposition in a 12.30pm start on Saturday.

The game is live on TNT Sports.

Team: to follow

THFC: to follow

On the road this season, Ange Postecoglou's side have won six times, drawn six times and lost just three (at Wolves, Brighton and Fulham).

Three of their last five away games have ended in score draws and they've scored at least once in all but one of their 15 PL games away from home.

Referee: tbc 

VAR: tbc

UK TV: Live on TNT Sports

Overseas TV: to follow

UK Radio: tbc (if any)

UK Radio: None

Local Radio: Live on BBC Radio Newcastle

Hospital Radio: Radio Tyneside commentary is accessible free of charge in local hospitals via Hospedia.

Buses: The Go North East X50 football service from the Metro Centre will be in operation. Details here

Roads: The Tyne Bridge refurbishment programme is now underway and expected to take four years to complete. One lane in each direction will remain closed at all times until further notice, leading to inevitable congestion and delays. More details

Temporary road closures around the SJP will be in place from an hour before kick-off until 30 minutes after the final whistle.

Metro: 

Buses will replace trains between Benton and North Shields in both directions for seven days from Monday 8 April to Sunday 14 April.

Trains will be running frequently to all other stations but may not be to the usual timetable.

The replacement bus service number 900, will run between Four Lane Ends and North Shields in both directions. 

You may find it easier to transfer between Metro and the replacement bus service at Four Lane Ends rather than Benton, as Four Lane Ends is an interchange station. 

Train services between Four Lane Ends and North Shields will resume on Monday 15 April.

More details online here

Foodbank: The usual stall and bucket shakers will be on Strawberry Place. NUFC Jamie Reuben will once again double all cash donations made on matchday.

Upcoming PL fixtures: 

Sat 13.04.2024:
Newcastle v Spurs (12.30pm) TNT
Brentford v Sheffield United (3pm)
Burnley v Brighton & Hove Albion (3pm)
Manchester City v Luton Town (3pm)
Nottingham Forest v Wolves (3pm)
Bournemouth v Manchester United (5.30pm) Sky

Sun 14.04.2024:
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (2pm) Sky
West Ham v Fulham (2pm)
Arsenal v Aston Villa (4.30pm) Sky

Sun 15.04.2024:
Chelsea v Everton (8pm) Sky

Stats: 

Spurs in Toon: PL era:

2022/23 won 6-1 Murphy 2, Joelinton, Isak 2, Wilson
2021/22 lost 2-3 Wilson, og (Dier)
2020/21 drew 2-2 Joelinton, Willock
2019/20 lost 1-3 Ritchie
2018/19 lost 1-2 Joselu
2017/18 lost 0-2
2015/16 won 5-1 Wijnaldum 2, Mitrovic, Janmaat, Aarons
2014/15 lost 1-3 Colback
2013/14 lost 0-4
2012/13 won 2-1 Ba, Ben Arfa
2011/12 drew 2-2 Ba, Sh.Ameobi
2010/11 drew 1-1 Coloccini
2008/09 won 2-1 N'Zogbia, Duff
2008/09 lost 1-2 Owen (LC)
2007/08 won 3-1 Martins, Cacapa, Milner
2006/07 won 3-1 Dyer, Martins, Parker
2005/06 won 3-1 Bowyer, Sh.Ameobi, Shearer
2004/05 won 1-0 Kluivert (FAC)
2004/05 lost 0-1
2003/04 won 4-0 Shearer 2, Robert 2
2002/03 won 2-1 Speed, Shearer
2001/02 lost 0-2
2000/01 won 2-0 Speed, Cordone
1999/00 won 6-1 Shearer 2, Speed, Dabizas, Ferguson, Dyer (FAC)
1999/00 won 2-1 Glass, Dabizas
1998/99 drew 1-1 Ketsbaia
1997/98 won 1-0 Barton
1996/97 won 7-1 Shearer 2, Ferdinand 2, Lee 2, Albert
1995/96 drew 1-1 Ferdinand
1994/95 drew 3-3 D.Peacock, Gillespie, Beardsley
1993/94 lost 0-1

2023/24:
Toon down under

Newcastle have confirmed two post-season games in Australia, both to be staged as part of the Global Football Week in Melbourne.

United will face fellow Premier League side Spurs at the 95,000 seat Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Wednesday May 22nd at 7.45pm (local time). 

On Friday May 24th they'll move to the 53,000 capacity Marvel Stadium and face the A-League All Star Men. That's a 5.15pm kick-off, followed by a game between the A-League All Star Women and Arsenal Women at 8.05pm.

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