The 20-year-old – who cost a reported £1.6m – had scored 16 goals in 34 league games last season.
Alan Pardew: “I want to play a few of our younger players.
“Certainly Arma will feature, as will Perez and Mehdi Abeid.
“I might have a look at them in this game. It’ll be a strong side with some stars.”
OLDHAM ATH. V NEWCASTLE UTD.
What Is It Like For Away Supporters?
Away fans are housed on one side of the Rochdale Road Stand at one end of the ground. This stand is shared with home supporters. It is divided into sections, the larger of which holds 3,000 fans and the smaller 1,600 fans. The predicted size of the away support, dictates on which section is allocated, but for most games it is the smaller area. The sections are separated by a large moat like gap, which certainly makes for a lot of banter across it. The facilities in this modern stand are fairly good, as are the acoustics. If you get chance, make sure to try one of the pies; Cottage, Steak & Pepper, plus Cheese & Potato. Some fans reckon that this is the best part of a visit to Boundary Park! Make sure you wrap up well though as the location of Boundary Park on the edge of the Pennines, means that it always seems to be cold, with a biting wind that goes right through you. Generally a friendly day out.
Where To Drink?
The closest pub is the Clayton Green, which is a Brewers Fayre outlet and can be found two hundred yards from the corner of the Main Stand and the Chaddy End, on Sheepfoot Lane. There is also the Greyhound pub, which is across Broadway down Holden Fold Lane.
Chippy Lees, an exiled Latics fans in Cornwall, recommends the following; "The Old Grey Mare on Rochdale Road is worth a visit. If you walk to the top of Sheepfoot Lane and turn left at the newspaper shop, the pub is about 100 yards down the road on the right. There's a varied selection of beers available, and again a warm welcome is assured. Further down on the right is The White Hart".
How To Get There By Car & Where To Park
Leave the M62 at Junction 20 and take the A627(M) towards Oldham. Take the second slip road off the A627(M) following the signs for Royton (A663). At the top of the slip road you will find a large roundabout that around it has a McDonalds and a KFC. Turn left at the roundabout onto the A663 towards Royton (beware though of 30mph speed cameras on this stretch). You will be able to see Boundary Park over on your right. Take the next right hand turn into Hilbre Avenue which will take you up to the large Club car park, situated behind the demolished stand. The cost of the car park is; cars £5, minibus £10, coaches £15.
If you want to go straight to the Club main entrance, then at the roundabout take the second exit onto A627 Chadderton Way (signposted Oldham). After around 300 yards take the first left into Boundary Park Road and at the end of the road turn right into Sheepfoot Lane.
Post Code for SAT NAV: OL1 2PA
By Train/Metrolink/Bus
The new Metrolink line from Manchester to Oldham has recently been completed. The closest Metrolink station to the ground is Freehold which is around a 20 minute walk away from Boundary Park, whilst the nearest railway station is Mills Hill, which just over a two miles away from Boundary Park and a 40-45 minute walk. Both these services depart from Manchester Victoria. Whilst the Metrolink also has a number of other pick up points in Manchester City Centre, see the Metrolink website for more details and timetables. Tickets need to be bought prior to getting onto the Metrolink. Currently it costs £3.80 return from the Manchester City Centre to Freehold.
If arriving from the South at Manchester Piccadilly railway station, then catch a Bury bound tram from the adjacent Metrolink station for Manchester Victoria. If your train ticket takes you through to Oldham then the cost of the Metrolink to Victoria is included.
Freehold Metro Station
On exiting Freehold Metro Station turn right along Agnes Street. At the bottom of this street turn left into Robinson Street, then the third right into Gordon Street and then right onto Denton Lane. Crossover the road and at the roundabout turn left into Walsh Street. Where the road forks, bear right into Peel Street. Cross over Middleton Road (A669) into Garforth Road. At the end of Garforth Road turn right onto Burnley Lane and the left along the A627 Chadderton Way (you should be able to see the floodlights over on the right). Take the next right at the traffic lights into Westhulme Way and then Westhulme Way for the ground.
Mills Hill Railway Station
George Sutcliffe a visiting Sheffield United fan informs me; 'On leaving Mills Hill station descend the ramp then turn right. Then bear left into Haigh Lane which becomes Chadderton Hall Road and then Burnley Lane (although it is the same road) this takes you to the Toby Carvery at the M627 roundabout from where the ground is visible. Apart from a handful of Blades and a few Manchester based Latics hardly anyone took this route. There was also a large JW Lees pub called the Rose Of Lancaster on Haigh Lane 200 yards from Mills Hill Station which served food and had Sky Sports'. It is around a 40 minute walk.
By Bus From Manchester Piccadilly
Jon Brierley adds; 'Alternatively, rather than getting a train or metro from Manchester to Oldham, you may find it easier to take a bus from Manchester Piccadilly Bus Station. Services numbers 24, 181 & 182 make the 25 minute trip to Oldham and go past the ground. They operate six buses an hour on Saturday afternoons, with three an hour on evenings and Sundays. Alternatively, fans from the Yorkshire direction might like to consider taking a train to Rochdale (direct services from York, Leeds, Bradford & Halifax) and then continuing to Boundary Park on bus 409 (every 10 minutes Saturday daytime, journey time 25 minutes)'.
Bjorn Sandstrom adds; 'Please note that for weekday games, Bus 181 is the only one of the three that you can catch back to Manchester Piccadilly Gardens. It passes the area near Boundary Park at 21.40. In addition, it might help to know that the Piccadilly Gardens bus stop for Oldham is located on nearby Lever Street'. Matt Lambo informs me; 'On weekdays there are later buses that still travel to Manchester but you have to catch them from Oldham town centre which is about a mile away from the ground (turn right out of the away end, left up to the top of the hill, then turn right for the town centre).
SKY SPORTS GAMES
AUGUST
Sat 16: Arsenal v Crystal Palace (5.30pm)
Sun 17: Liverpool v Southampton (1.30pm)
Sun 17: Newcastle United v Manchester City (4pm)
Mon 18: Burnley v Chelsea (8pm)
Sat 23: Everton v Arsenal (5.30pm)
Sun 24: Hull City v Stoke City (1.30pm)
Sun 24: Sunderland v Manchester United (4pm)
Mon 25: Manchester City v Liverpool (8pm)
Sat 30: Everton v Chelsea (5.30pm)
Sun 31: Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool (1.30pm)
Sun 31: Leicester City v Arsenal (4pm)
SEPTEMBER
Sat 13: Liverpool v Aston Villa (5.30pm)
Sun 14: Manchester United v Queens Park Rangers (4pm)
Mon 15: Hull City v West Ham United (8pm)
Sat 20: West Ham United v Liverpool (5.30pm)
Sun 21: Leicester City v Manchester United (1.30pm)
Sun 21: Manchester City v Chelsea (4pm)
Sat 27: Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur (5.30pm)
Sun 28: West Bromwich Albion v Burnley (4pm)
Mon 29: Stoke City v Newcastle United (8pm)
OCTOBER
Sat 4: Aston Villa v Manchester City (5.30pm)
Sun 5: Chelsea v Arsenal (2.05pm)
Sun 5: West Ham United v Queens Park Rangers (4.15pm)
Sun 19: Queens Park Rangers v Liverpool (1.30pm)
Sun 19: Stoke City v Swansea City (4pm)
Mon 20: West Bromwich Albion v Manchester United (8pm)
Sat 25: Swansea City v Leicester City (5.30pm)
Sun 26: Burnley v Everton (1.30pm)
Sun 26: Manchester United v Chelsea (4pm)
Mon 27: Queens Park Rangers v Aston Villa (8pm)
NOVEMBER
Sun 2: Manchester City v Manchester United (1.30pm)
Sun 2: Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur (4pm)
Mon 3: Crystal Palace v Sunderland (8pm)
Sat 8: Queens Park Rangers v Manchester City (5.30pm)
Sun 9: West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United (1.30pm)
Sun 9: Swansea City v Arsenal (4pm)
Sat 22: Arsenal v Manchester United (5.30pm)
Sun 23: Crystal Palace v Liverpool (1.30pm)
Sun 23: Hull City v Tottenham Hotspur (4pm)
Mon 24: Aston Villa v Southampton (8pm)
Sat 29: Sunderland v Chelsea (5.30pm)
Sun 30: Southampton v Manchester City (1.30pm)
Sun 30: Tottenham Hotspur v Everton (4pm)
BT SPORT GAMES
AUGUST
Sat 16: Manchester United v Swansea City (12.45pm)
Sat 23: Aston Villa v Newcastle United (12.45pm)
Sat 30: Burnley v Manchester United (12.45pm)
SEPTEMBER
Sat 13: Arsenal v Manchester City (12.45pm)
Sat 20: Queens Park Rangers v Stoke City (12.45pm)
Sat 27: Liverpool v Everton (12.45pm)
OCTOBER
Sun 5: Manchester United v Everton (12pm)
Sat 18: Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur (12.45pm)
Sat 25: West Ham United v Manchester City (12.45pm)
NOVEMBER
Sat 1: Newcastle United v Liverpool (12.45pm)
Sat 8: Liverpool v Chelsea (12.45pm)
Sat 29: West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal (12.45pm)