Girona (h) Public sale now
Brest (h) Public sale now
Saints (h) ST forwarding/resale/member sale now
Spurs (h) Member sale now
Bournemouth (a) ST sale now, 63pts

Update:
Striker signs 

Newcastle confirmed on Thursday that they had completed the signing of William Osula from Championship side Sheffield United.

The 21 year-old Danish-born striker joins in a reported £10m deal, although the fee is officially undisclosed.

Speaking to reporters Eddie Howe said:

"He's a player I've known since Jason Tindall's time at Sheffield United really. We've been tracking him for three years. He excites us. Raw ingredients to become a great centre-forward. Good physical profile at 6"3, 6"4 and good technical skills. Areas of his game need to develop but he's coming to the right place to do that.

"It's a very tricky situation. We have two outstanding centre-forwards and to find someone to compliment them isn't an easy job. To find a young striker to develop, he won't have two better to learn from. He's coming to a healthy environment.

"Financially, it has to work for us as well. It's a good deal for us. We've got a lot of work to do with him but he's a good character."

Osula's most recent competitive appearance for the Blades came from the bench during their 1-5 Premier League loss at St. James' Park last April. 

He netted twice in pre-season for them but didn't feature on Friday against Huddersfield Town, as the finishing touches were put to his Tyneside switch.

Sky Sports News report that the deal is a £10m initial fee with £5m in add-ons, prompted by Callum Wilson's latest injury setback and a lack of forward cover from the club's academy.

Debuting for Sheffield United in the Championship in March 2022, Copenhagen-born Osula played and scored in a training ground game against Newcastle U21s in July 2022.

That was then followed by a report in the Sheffield Star newspaper that the Magpies held an interest in signing the player, although no more was heard after that.

Loaned out to League One Derby County soon after, William netted five times in all competitions for the Rams, returning to Bramall Lane last season to score three goals (all in the FA Cup). He made nine PL starts and a further 12 substitute appearances without netting.

He's set to become the third Danish-born player to appear for the Newcastle in the Premier League, after Jon Dahl Tomasson and Peter Lovenkrands. 

Older readers meanwhile will recall Benny Arentoft, Benny Kristensen....and Frank Pingel. 

2024/25:
October live PL games

Premier League fixtures selected for live UK TV broadcast have now been confirmed until the end of October. Two of Newcastle's three scheduled games that month have been altered as follows:

Sat 05.10.2024 Everton (a) 5.30pm Sky
Sat 19.10.2024 Brighton (h) 3pm no UK TV
Sun 27.10.2024 Chelsea (a) 2pm Sky

Friendlies:
Sela Weekender

Update: The club have issued a statement ahead of the matches in relation to recent public disorder. Online here.

The Magpies conclude their pre-season programme with home games on successive days this weekend.

Fri 09.08.2024 NUFC v Girona (Spain) (7.30pm)
Sat 10.08.2024 NUFC v Brest (France) (4pm)

The event is labelled as the Sela Weekender, but rather
than last year's four team Sela Cup format, the trophy will go to the winners of Saturday's game. 

Presumably that would require a penalty shootout if the game was drawn after 90 minutes.

Tickets remain on public sale now online here. Note that there's no weekend ticket available.

NUWFC will also be in friendly action against AC Milan women on Saturday (1pm), with the winners of that fixture playing for the inaugural Sela Cup. 

Saturday tickets include admission to both the men's and women's games.

Both Girona and Brest finished third in their respective leagues last season, meaning that they will be playing Champions League football this time around.

The two sides were in friendly action against Italian sides last weekend, Girona beating Napoli 2-0 and Brest sharing four goals with Juventus.

Team: Callum Wilson, Lewis Miley, Sven Botman, Jamaal Lascelles and Matt Targett remain out, with Joe White and Trevan Sanusi reporting ailments in pre-season.

Kieran Trippier, Anthony Gordon, John Ruddy, Martin Dubravka and Mark Gillespie are yet to feature in pre-season, while Dylan Charlton, Johnny Emerson, Garang Kuol, Anthony Munda, Leo Shahar, Ellis Stanton and Ciaran Thompson didn't travel to Japan.

Ryan Fraser and Isaac Hayden remain away from the first team squad, but Jamal Lewis has featured in three of the four publicised friendlies despite his uncertain future.

Sandro Tonali remains ineligible to play under the conditions of his suspension.

Referee: tbc x 2

VAR: n/a x 2

UK TV: none

Overseas TV (Girona):  
3 Cat (Spain)
Arena 4 (Hungary)
Arena Sport 1 (Slovakia)
Claro TV+ (Brazil)
DAZN Belgium
Disney+ Mexico/Norte
ESPN Mexico/Norte
Movistar+ (Spain)
ViaPlay (Iceland/Netherlands/Norway/Sweden)
Vivo Play (Brazil)
V Sport Premier League (Norway)
V Sport Premium (Finland/Sweden)
V Sport 2 (Finland)
Zapping (Brazil)

Overseas TV (Brest):  
DAZN Belgium
NET+ (Hungary)
ViaPlay (Iceland/Netherlands/Norway/Sweden)
V Sport Premier League (Norway)
V Sport Premium (Finland/Sweden)
V Sport 1 (Finland)

NORD VPN products protect and secure
your online activity. Click here for fast
and secure sport streaming guidance.

UK Radio: None

Local Radio: Live on BBC Radio Newcastle

Hospital Radio: Radio Tyneside commentary is accessible free of charge in local hospitals via Spark Media (NB: Saturday game only is listed so far).

Buses: Go North East confirm that there will be no X50 Metro Centre football service on either day.

Metro: No scheduled closures or alterations

Magpie Mover public transport tickets aren't valid for friendly matches but remain on sale to 2024/25 season ticket holders here. 

The price remains £25 and more details can be found here. NB: ST holders must be logged on to their NUFC ticket account on order to purchase Magpie Movers.

Rail:  No scheduled closures or alterations.

Roads: The Tyne Bridge refurbishment programme is 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.

Foodbank: The usual stall and bucket shakers will be on Strawberry Place as follows:

Fri: 5.30pm onwards
Sat: 2pm onwards

Stats:

Last 10 NUFC public home friendlies:

2023/24 Villarreal won 4-0 (34,721)
2023/24 Fiorentina won 2-0 (36,725)
2022/23 Raya Vallecano won 2-1 (34,596)
2022/23 Athletic Bilbao won 2-1 (46,856)
2022/23 Atalanta won 1-0 (40,596)
2021/22 Norwich City won 3-0 (20,139)
2019/20 St. Etienne won 2-1 (16,686)
2018/19 FC Augsburg lost 0-1 (21,331)
2017/18 Hellas Verona won 2-0 (23,906)
2016/17 Vitesse Arnhem won 3-2 (19,200)

2024/25:
NUWFC @ SJP
 
In addition to the friendly visit of AC Milan Women this coming Saturday, Newcastle United's Women's team are to play two home league games at Gallowgate:

Sun 17.11.2024 Southampton (h) 2pm
Sun 23.03.2025 mackems (h) 2pm

(The first Tyne-wear meeting of the sides will be staged at the stadium of plight on Sun 13.10.2024 @ 2pm).

NUWFC season tickets online here
NUWFC fixtures online here

2024/25:
Academy success

Following a training camp in Spain, Newcastle U18s continued their pre-season preparations on Tuesday with a home friendly against Blackpool.

The Magpies ran out 2-0 winners, thanks to goals from Sean Neave and Matty Taylor.

Old boy:
Fratt's my boy

Matt Ritchie has completed a free transfer return to former club Portsmouth, following his exit from SJP.

Now 34, the Hampshire-born midfielder made the first of 10 senior competitive appearances for Pompey in the 2009/10 season before making a permanent move to Swindon Town in 2011.

Newly-promoted Portsmouth kick off their Championship campaign at Leeds United on Saturday, with Ritchie and fellow former Magpie Elias Sorensen in line to make their first appearances.

2024/25:
Mariners fail to 
make net gains

South Shields  1  Newcastle U21s  1

Match report

2024/25:
Tokyo drift

Yokohama F. Marinos  2  Newcastle  0

Match report

Update:
Transfer bid made:
response awaited 

Writing for The Athletic, the usually well-informed David Ornstein has divulged that Newcastle are in contact with Crystal Palace over central defender Marc Guehi.

Negotiations are said to be ongoing for the 24 year-old England international who has two years left on his current contract at Selhurst Park. A bid of £60m has been claimed in the media.

Born in the Ivory Coast, Guehi moved to South London as a youngster and was picked up by Chelsea at youth level and progressed through their academy (emulating current Magpies Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall).

Making two League Cup appearances in the 2019/20 season during his time at Stamford Bridge, Marc was loaned out to Championship side Swansea City - returning to South Wales for the 2020/21 campaign.

An £18m transfer then took the defender to Crystal Palace in July 2021, gaining his first England cap the following March.

2024/25:
Academy updates

Ahead of the new season, Newcastle remain busy in the transfer market at youth level. Here's what we know - or not - about the incomers so far:

Officially announced:

Aaron Epia (defender) Everton
Ezra Tika-Lemba (defender) West Ham
Miodrag Pivas (defender) FK Jedinstvo
Kayden Lucas (striker) Clevedon Town

Others yet to be announced:

James Taylor (goalkeeper) Hemel Hempstead Town
Rory Finneran (midfielder) Blackburn Rovers
Kyle Fitzgerald (midfielder) Galway United
Mo Sedibeh (striker) Bradford City

Both Fitzgerald and Sedibeh featured as trialists for Newcastle U21s against South Shields on Sunday.

News outlets in Ireland report that Fitzgerald will play on for Galway until his 18th birthday in January when his contract with the Magpies is concluded - following the example of defender Alex Murphy who moved from Galway to Newcastle in July 2022 aged 18. 

Moving on to the younger age groups, last week's U15 game in Japan featured two 14 year-old recruits:

CJ Afumuzor (midfielder) Portsmouth
Les Yeutembip (defender) Charlton Athletic

It's also reported that United have signed up:

Theo Benjamin (position tbc)

2024/25 U18 league fixtures are online here

The youngsters open up with a home meeting against Boro on Saturday August 17th at 11am.

2024/25 PL2 league fixtures are online here

Their elders meanwhile host the mackems on Monday August 19th at 7pm. The venue for that is currently listed as Whitley Park.

Update:
Tommy Cassidy RIP

We're sorry to report the passing of former Magpie Tommy Cassidy on Friday, at the age of 73.

The Northern Ireland international made a £25,000 switch from Glentoran in his native Belfast during October 1970, debuting in a 0-2 defeat against Southampton at the Dell the following month.

That would be the first of 239 senior appearances in all competitions over the next decade, before moving on to join Burnley for the 1980/81 season. 

Originally a striker he became a regular in midfield, finishing on the losing side for the Magpies at Wembley in the 1974 FA Cup Final and 1976 League Cup Final.

Cassidy's 28 league and cup goals included a brace in a 3-2 home win over Manchester United in 1973 and six in his final season, memorably including one in the 3-1 derby victory at Gallowgate on New Years Day 1980. 

A late flourish for the Clarets included winning the Third Division title and appearing for Northern Ireland at the 1982 World Cup Finals, the last of his 24 caps as substitute in the epic 1-0 wins over hosts Spain.

Ending his playing days in Cyprus with Apoel Nicosia, Tommy's managerial career began there before spells in charge of Gateshead, Glentoran, Ards, Sligo Rovers, Workington, Newcastle Blue Star, Whitby Town and Blyth Spartans - leaving Croft Park in October 2012.

2021 brought the sad news that Tommy had been living with dementia since 2017.

Update:
No Summer holiday 

Among the free agent players to have taken advantage of a PFA-sponsored pre-season training camp are former Magpie duo Dwight Gayle and Ciaran Clark.

Both now 34, the pair were clubless after leaving Derby County and Stoke City respectively, joining around 30 other unattached players at the Champneys Springs hotel in Leicestershire.

And in the case of Gayle, the programme may have paid dividends with League Two Stockport County giving him a trial and some pitch time in a kickabout against Blackburn Rovers last Friday night.  

2024/25:
Diamonds cut

Urawa Red Diamonds  1  Newcastle  4

Match report

Match action

2024/25:
Bournemouth (a)
ticket sale update



NUFC's additional notes for this fixture are as follows:

AFC Bournemouth has introduced licensed safe standing in the away end at the Vitality Stadium. 

Safe standing locations will be found in Rows J – R of our allocation. Those that prefer to remain seated should secure seating in Rows A – I, option indicated during the purchase process.

Unaccompanied children/young people under the age of 16 years must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 and above.

All concession sales are advised to carry proof of age including photo ID and valid expiry date when paying student rate.

Tickets will be in the form of paper.

There are major rail disruptions during the weekend of the Bournemouth game on Sunday August 25th, principally the closure of Kings Cross Station from Saturday night until Monday morning.

More details are online here

Closer to home, the Metro is closed between St James and Wallsend in both directions from Saturday August 24th to Sunday September 1st.

Replacement bus service 900 will operate.

More details online here

96 tears:
"Love It..." offer

Following a successful run there last year, "Love It If We Beat Them" returns to the Live Theatre on Newcastle Quayside from September 10th to the 28th.

Rob Ward's play mixes football and politics against a backdrop of Newcastle's fruitless pursuit of the 1995/96 Premiership title.

NUFC.com readers can buy tickets for just £19.96 by using promo code NUFC here. 

The discount also extends to personal callers at the box office but is only valid until the start of the PL season on August 17th. 

2024/25:
Change kit launch

Newcastle launched their new third kit during the club's Japanese tour Shola Ameobi meeting fans at a sports shop in the Ginza area of Tokyo. 

That's on sale now from JD Sports online here

The inspiration for the colour scheme looks to be the 1999/00 season change kit, reviving the NUFC round crest not seen on a Magpies strip since 1988. 

Eagle-eyed NUFC.com reader Neil Rutherford spotted the 2024/25 change strip - or the shirt anyway - already on sale in a sports shop near Times Square in NYC, USA.

A UK release date for that is still awaited.

Premier League:
Man City (h) ticket
sale information 

Ticket sale dates for Newcastle's home game against Manchester City have been confirmed as follows.

A reminder that ticket sales are restricted to members, but a limited sale on a first come, first served basis now follows the ballot.

Full details of that are online here

Manchester City (h)
Ballot open: Tue 27.08.2024 @ 10am
Ballot closes: Thu 29.08.2024 @ 10am
Ballot winners notified: by Thu 29.08.2024 @ 5pm
Ballot winners purchase open: Fri 30.08.2024 @ 10am
Ballot winners purchase closes: Sun 01.09.2024 @ 10am
Ticket forward/resale: Mon 02.09.2024 @ 10am
Member sale opens: Tue 03.09.2024 @ 10am

2024/25:
Away tickets: no change 

NUFC have divulged the details of their recent away ticketing survey. The main points are as follows:

No change to the loyalty point system, with points only applied to season ticket holder accounts once it has been confirmed that it was used to gain entry. 

Spot checks of ID to continue unchanged, with the manner in which they are conducted to be subject to review.

No change to the situation where away tickets can be transferred, but further consultation to take place over a possible limited change to that rule.

The full document is online here  

Update:
Transfers

First team arrivals and departures:

Inbound:
Odysseas Vlachodimos Nottingham Forest
John Ruddy unattached
Lloyd Kelly unattached
Lewis Hall Chelsea
William Osula Sheffield United

Outbound:
Elliot Anderson Nottingham Forest
Yankuba Minteh Brighton
Paul Dummett unattached
Matt Ritchie Portsmouth
Loris Karius unattached
Kell Watts Cambridge United
Jeff Hendrick unattached  

Old boys:
Unlikely lads

SJP old boys with new clubs/jobs include:

Craig Bellamy Wales Manager
Kyle Cameron St.Johnstone (loan)
Adam Campbell Hartlepool United
Lewis Cass Grimsby Town
Ian Cathro Estoril (Portugal) Head Coach
Luke Charman Hartlepool United
Stephen Clemence Barrow Head Coach
Kyle Crossley South Shields
Mathieu Debuchy Lille (France) C
Ryan Donaldson Blyth Spartans
Cameron Ferguson Inverness CT (Scotland)
Owen Gallacher Stockton Town
Dwight Gayle Stockport County (trial)
Dan Gosling Westfield
Jamie Holmes North Shields
Jack Hunter Hartlepool United
Joselu Al-Gharafa (Qatar)
Dan Langley Morpeth Town
Steve McClaren Jamaica Manager
Michael Ndiweni Darlington (trial)
Michael Ndiweni Gateshead (trial)
Michael Ndiweni Blyth Spartans (trial)
Michael Newberry Cliftonville (Northern Ireland)
Scott Parker Burnley Manager
Ben Pollock Chester
Allan Saint-Maximin Fenerbahce (Turkey)
Antoine Sibierski Troyes DoF (France)
Moussa Sissoko Watford
Elias Sorensen Portsmouth
Dylan Stephenson Dagenham & Redbridge
Jude Smith Carlisle United
Lewis Suddick North Shields
Ben Tozer Forest Green Rovers
Dan Ward South Shields
Callum Williams Tow Law Town