Uefa have confirmed Newcastle United and Rangers will not be allowed to play in Europe together, even if they qualify for different competitions, because of Mike Ashley’s involvement in the running of both clubs.
That means, even though Newcastle are pushing hard for a Champions League place, they may never play in Europe again while he remains the club’s owner.
Ashley told Telegraph Sport back in September that he wanted to take control of Rangers, but he had no intention of selling Newcastle.
That got the billionaire into a tricky situation with UEFA.
Ashley insisted he will not sell Newcastle for “any price” until the end of next season, which is when Rangers could (and are expected) get into Europe.
But ... if Rangers win the Scottish Cup this season, and Newcastle qualify for the Champions League or Europa League ... the shit will hit the fan!
The question is - will Rangers get priority?
According to media reports in Glasgow, they will, but Ashley only holds around nine per cent of Rangers shares.
If both teams qualify for the same competition, the one with the higher UEFA co-efficient ranking would be allowed to enter at the expense of the other. As things stand, Newcastle are ranked 65 and Rangers are down at 101.
In the short term, it is Rangers who will suffer as they have the lower ranking.
In the long term, Rangers have a far greater chance of playing in the Champions League than Newcastle, which would mean the Magpies would not be allowed to compete in the Europa League, even if they won a domestic cup competition or finished fifth or sixth in the Premier League.
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Do We Need To 'Hate' The Mackems?
PLEASE VOTE!
The Mackems come to SJP on December 21 and the city will stop.
However, the local media suggest "Newcastle United versus Sunderland is not life and death. There are more important things."
All well and good, but will this fixture be any different?
A statement released by the Football Supporters Federation (FSF): “In recent seasons, the white-hot atmosphere of the Tyne-Wear derby has, occasionally, spilled over into disorder.
“However, in the past 12 months there’s been a level of co-operation among fans not seen for many decades, if ever.
“Back in January news emerged that a “bubble” match was to be imposed on Sunderland fans travelling to St James’ Park. These are games where no independent transport is allowed, infringing on freedom of movement and smearing all fans as hooligans.
“Fans from both sides of the divide stood together in a unique coalition to say “no” to the bubble, demonstrating the strength of feeling and supporter unity on this issue.
“Remarkably, the campaign succeeded in its goals with both clubs releasing a statement saying they would be “withdrawing the terms and conditions of ticket sales, which previously stated that all supporters must attend the game on official transport.”
This scheme is being backed by various supporters groups including A Love Supreme, Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust, NUFC Fans United, nufc.com, Ready To Go, Roker Report, Seventy3, #time4change, The Mag, True Faith and Wise Men Say.
The tragedy of Flight MH17 saw the deaths of Newcastle fans John Alder and Liam Sweeney, and Sunderland fan Gary Ferguson raised a staggering £34,000 for charity.
I was at Liam's funeral and afterwards a lot of us went back to St James' Park, then on to the Labour club.
A lot was said about the Sunderland fans and their fabulous gesture, but one guy said to me: "Nothing will change. Yes it was nice of them, but we would have done the same for them.
"They will come here in December and we will hate them as much as ever. We NEED to hate the Mackems!
"And they need to hate us. That is why the derby is so special."
What do you think?
PLEASE VOTE:
http://www.newcastleunited-mad.co.uk/interactive/voting_polls.asp
1) There will be no change.
2) Fans will be more friendly.
3) Friendly for one season only.
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IT'S HAMMER TIME - BOLEYN GROUND
How To Get There By Car & Where To Park
Directions from the M25:
Travel to M25 Junction 27, and go on to the M11 southbound. Follow the M11 south until it divides to join the A406 (North Circular Road). Take the Left Hand fork signposted A406 South. Do not follow the signs for the City.
The end of the motorway joins the A406 from the left, creating a 4 lane road for a short distance. You need to be in one of the outside 2 lanes (this can be tricky if traffic is heavy). Proceed south (dual carriageway with slip roads) passing the junctions for Redbridge, and Ilford.
Leave the A406 at the Barking junction. At the roundabout at the bottom of the slip road, turn right, taking the 3rd exit towards East Ham (Barking Road). Proceed West along Barking Road through several sets of traffic lights until you have passed the lights at East Ham Town Hall (big red Victorian building on the left just before the lights). 3/4 mile further, you pass the ground on your right (behind a parade of shops, including the Hammers Shop). At the next lights (Boleyn Arms Pub on right hand corner), turn right into Green Street. The main entrance to the ground is 200 yards on your right. Thanks to Gareth Howell for providing the directions.
On Saturday matchdays, parking is very restricted with little or no off-road parking. The best areas to look for spaces are roads left off Barking Road, once you are past the lights at East Ham Town Hall. Andy Wright suggests; 'You can park at Newham General Hospital, where there is a pay and display car park, which costs £2 for three hours, or £4 for six. To find the hospital; From Barking Road, passing the ground on your right, after a few traffic lights turn left into Prince Regent Lane (Newham General is signposted at the lights), the hospital is just up this road and is about a 15 minute stroll away from the ground'.
Rob Wells adds; 'As a season ticket holder who travels to home games from Nottingham I can offer an alternative route from the M11 to avoid the nightmare of Barking Road on a Saturday. After leaving the M11 on the A406 take the exit for A12 signposted Stratford. Stay on this road taking the underpass to the Green Man roundabout, which is a major junction. Then take the A11, again signposted Stratford. After about three miles turn left onto the A112 signposted East Ham, through Plaistow. Carry on over the junction with Barking Road (A124). Third left after this junction is Glen Road, which takes you to the aforementioned Newham Hospital for parking. I find this journey a lot easier, although not recommended for midweek matches as the traffic gets too heavy'.
Whilst Alex Stewart suggests an alternative route; 'come off the M25 at J29 and take the A127 to Upminster. Park at Upminster tube station (£2 for the day) and you can get a return ticket to Upton Park which will get you there in less than 25 minutes' (Cost £8 return adults, under 16's go free). Chris Ackrill agrees; 'I've experimented over several years with various routes to the stadium, and my conclusion is that it saves time and frustration by parking well in the suburbs and getting a tube. Getting anywhere near the ground by road can easily add on an hour, and it'll be the hardest hour's drive you've ever had. Things are no better on Sundays either'.
Post Code for SAT NAV: E13 9AZ
By Train and Tube
The nearest tube station is Upton Park which is on the District, plus the Hammersmith & City Lines. The station is a short walk from the ground. Please note that West Ham tube station is nowhere near the ground. Steve Cook adds; 'the queue at Upton Park tube station after the game can be horrendous. You are better off going for a couple of pints and letting the queues die down. There are plenty of pubs along Plaistow High Road which are only a 5-10 minute walk from the stadium and as long as visitors are 'well behaved' they are more than made welcome'. Adam Long a visiting Reading fan informs me; 'After the game you are probably best to walk up to East Ham, which will at least mean you will get a seat, before everyone else gets on at Upton Park'. Craig Belcher a visiting West Brom fan adds; 'Rather than face the long queues at Upton Park, we walked down to the next station on the line, Plaistow, which is only a ten minute walk away from Upton Park. We managed to get on a tube okay, as apparently according to station staff the tubes are not filled to full capacity on leaving Upton Park''. Just turn left after Upton Park station, into Harold Road. Walk down to the end of this road (it becomes Terrace Road) and then bear left into Pelly Road/Clegg St. At the bottom of Clegg Street is a T-junction with Plaistow High Street. Turn right into the High Street and Plaistow station is further down on the left.
Whilst Andrew Saffrey suggests; 'Forest Gate station is about 25 minutes walk from Upton Park, and it's much less busy than Upton Park Station after the final whistle. It is served by local Great Eastern trains from Liverpool Street. Turn right out of the station, then left at the corner next to the pizza shop into Hampton Road. Walking down Hampton Road, turn first right into Richmond Road, a small street with traffic calming and lots of roundabouts. Go straight down this road and this eventually becomes Green Street. Then for the long walk down Green Street which has lots of shops and takeaways, before arriving at Upton Park'.
What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters?
Away fans are housed in one end, in the lower tier of the relatively modern Sir Trevor Brooking Stand. The usual allocation for away supporters is 2,200, but if demand requires, away fans can be allocated the whole of the lower tier of the North Stand, where up to 3,600 supporters can be accommodated. The ground is compact, with the fans are seated close to the pitch. This coupled with the passionate support of the West Ham faithful can make for a vibrant atmosphere. However this can be intimidating for away supporters, so exercise caution around the ground. If you find yourself seated on the far left of the away section (towards the East Stand) then as the pitch is situated towards the West Stand, you may experience some sight difficulties of the action going on, in and around the corner on the other side.
I personally enjoyed my visit and it is certainly not as bad as it was a few years ago and the West Ham fans can still give rendition of their club anthem 'I'm forever blowing bubbles..' I was though surprised to see the local Metropolitan Police erecting portable metal detectors outside the entrance to the away turnstiles. They then subsequently announced that it was a condition of entry into the stadium to pass through a detector, if instructed to do so by a Police officer. Charming! My mate was convinced that the metal plate in his arm was going to set them off (he had a bad accident some years ago), but alas the officers waved us by without going through them. The turnstiles do not have human operators, so entrance is gained by putting your ticket into a bar code reader.
Inside the ground the stewards were fine, however the concourse is somewhat cramped, which leads to somewhat of a scrum at half time. There are flat screen tv's on the concourse to keep fans entertained. Food on offer includes a range of Peter's Pies; Chicken Curry, Steak, Meat and Potato, Cheese and Onion Pastie and large Sausage Rolls (all £3). Burgers and Herta Hot Dogs are also available (£3.80). Alcohol is also served but is rather pricey and no draught is available, so it is either cans or plastic bottles; Carlsberg £4 (500ml bottle), Tetley's Bitter £4 (440ml can), Magners Cider £4.20 (330ml bottle), Guinness £4.20 (520ml can) and Red or White wine (187ml) £4.
Where To Drink?
Kevin Hosking informs me; 'Probably the best option for away fans is the Wetherspoon outlet called Millers Well which is opposite East Ham Town Hall. It is though about a twenty minute walk away along Barking Road (although it may be an idea to travel to East Ham tube station before the game, go to the pub and then walk on to the stadium). Another good option is the Denmark Arms also on the Barking Road near the East Ham Town Hall; this is a large pub which shows all live football games'.
Peter Bennett a visiting Newcastle fan adds; 'We had a drink in safety in the Queens on Green Street'. This pub is also near to Upton Park Underground Station (as you come out of the station turn right and the pub is down on the right).
Most of the other pubs around the ground are very partisan, and are for home supporters only. The Boleyn Pub on the corner near to the ground, plus the Greengate, Wine Bar and Village pubs all on Barking Road should all be given a wide berth by away fans.
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Next game ...
Saturday November 29 kick-off 3.00
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Saturday November 29
12:45 W Brom v Arsenal
15:00 Burnley v Aston Villa
15:00 Liverpool v Stoke City
15:00 Man Utd v Hull City
15:00 QPR v Leicester City
15:00 Swansea City v Crystal Palace
15:00 West Ham United v Newcastle United
17:30 Sunderland v Chelsea
Sunday November 30
13:30 Southampton v Manchester City
16:00 Tottenham v Everton
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PERFECT CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR THE LOYAL NEWCASTLE UNITED SUPPORTER
ONLY £5
MAGPIES IN EUROPE -
HARVEY TO PARDEW
The retail price is £10.95.
"Magpies In Europe" will be available from us next week.
The official new title is "Magpies In Europe - Harvey To Pardew" and is an up-dated version of "From Antwerp To Zurich" - which includes the 14 Europa League fixtures we played two seasons ago.
The 280-page book features match reports from the 134 European matches Newcastle United have played, starting with the memorable 4-0 win over Feyenoord in 1968 on our European debut.
Included are stats and the figures you would expect, but also each away fixture has the remarkable experiences of individuals who travelled to watch the matches.
Introduction by "Big Bad" John McNamee, part of the Fairs Cup winning team of 1969.
It is a fascinating history that every Newcastle United fan will enjoy.
And with a limited print-run, make sure you order a copy.
Mail order: Send a cheque for £5.95 made payable to K.Fletcher to:
K Fletcher, 5 Dunelm, Sacriston, Durham DH7 6NU
Include your own address.
ON SALE NOW AT: M&M City News; 140 Northumberland St, Newcastle NE1 7DQ.
if you want to order, contact us:- Kevnumad@fsmail.net
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Newcastle Utd Fixtures ...
2014/15 SEASON
Sunday August 17
NEWCASTLE 0 MAN CITY 2
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Colback, Anita (63' Obertan), Cabella, Sissoko, Gouffran (74' Aarons), Riviere (83' Perez).
Subs: Haidara, Elliot, S Taylor, Abeid
Saturday August 23
ASTON VILLA 0 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Anita (70' de Jong), Colback, Cabella, Sissoko, Gouffran, Riviere (77' Perez - 90+2' S Taylor).
Subs: Haidara, Elliot, Obertan, Abeid
Tuesday August 26
LC GILLINGHAM 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Egan OG)
Krul, Janmaat, Coloccini, S Taylor, Haidara, Sissoko, Abeid, Obertan, de Jong (68' Perez), Aarons (60' Cabella), Riviere (86' Gouffran)
Subs: Anita, Ferreyra, Elliot, Dummett
Saturday August 30
NEWCASTLE 3 CRYSTAL PALACE 3 (Janmaat, Aarons, Williamson)
Krul, Janmaat (79' Perez), Williamson, Coloccini, Haidara, Sissoko, Colback, Cabella, de Jong (79' Anita), Gouffran (67' Aarons), Riviere
Subs: Elliot, Obertan, S Taylor, Dummett
Saturday September 13
SOUTHAMPTON 4 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Haidara, Anita (45' Tiote), Colback, Cabella (69' Perez), Sissoko (90'Ameobi), Gouffran, Riviere
Subs: Elliot, Obertan, S Taylor, Armstrong
Saturday September 20
NEWCASTLE 2 HULL CITY (Cisse 2)
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Tiote (85' Ameobi), Colback, Sissoko, Cabella, Gouffran (90+4' Perez), Riviere (69' Cisse)
Subs: Anita, Haidara, Elliot, S Taylor
Wednesday September 24
LC CRYSTAL PALACE 2 NEWCASTLE 3 AET (Riviere 2, Dummett)
Elliot, Janmaat (46 Haidara), Coloccini, S Taylor, Dummett, Colback, Abeid, Obertan, Armstrong, Ameobi (66 Sissoko), Riviere (80 Perez)
Subs: Anita, Ferreyra, Cabella, Alnwick
Monday September 29
STOKE CITY 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Tiote, Colback, Sissoko, Cabella (74' Ameobi), Gouffran (68' Obertan), Riviere (45' Cisse)
Subs: Anita, Elliot, S Taylor, Armstrong
Saturday October 4
SWANSEA CITY 2 NEWCASTLE 2 (Cisse 2)
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Obertan, Tiote, Sissoko, Colback (69' Riviere), Gouffran (58' Ameobi), Cisse (85' Perez).
Subs: Anita, Haidara, Cabella, Elliot
Saturday October 18
NEWCASTLE 1 LEICESTER CITY (Obertan)
Krul, Janmaat, S Taylor, Coloccini, Dummett (72' Haidara), Tiote, Anita (59' Perez), Colback, Obertan, Sissoko, Gouffran (90+2' Cabella), Cisse
Subs: Elliot, Abeid, Armstrong
Saturday October 26
TOTTENHAM 1 NEWCASTLE 2 (Ameobi, Perez)
Krul, Janmaat, S Taylor, Coloccini, Dummett, Anita (45' Cabella), Colback, Obertan (45' Ameobi), Sissoko, Gouffran, Perez (79' Haidara)
Subs: R Taylor, Ferreyra, Elliot, Armstrong
Wednesday October 29
LC MAN CITY 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Aarons, Sissoko)
Elliot, Janmaat (64' Sissoko), Coloccini, Dummett, Haidara, Colback, R Taylor, Abeid, Obertan, Armstrong (65' Riviere), Aarons (46' Ameobi)
Subs: Krul, Gouffran, Perez, Cabella
Saturday November 1
NEWCASTLE 1 LIVERPOOL 0 (Perez)
Elliot, Krul, Janmaat, S Taylor, Coloccini, Dummett, Abeid, Colback, Obertan (27' Aarons), Sissoko), Ameobi (66' Cabella), Cisse (45' Perez)
Subs: R Taylor, Gouffran, Haidara, Elliot
Sunday November 9
WEST BROM 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Perez, Coloccini)
Krul, Janmaat, Coloccini (78' Williamson), Dummett, Haidara, Abeid, Colback, Cabella (82' R Taylor), Sissoko, Ameobi (78' Gouffran), Perez
Subs: Anita, Cisse, Elliot, Armstrong
Saturday November 22
NEWCASTLE 1 QPR 0 (sissoko)
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Dummett, Haidara, R Taylor (34' Gouffran), Colback, Cabella (68' Cisse), Sissoko, Ameobi, Perez (89' Armstrong)
Subs: Anita, Ferreyra, Elliot, Streete
Saturday November 29
West Ham United v Newcastle United
Tuesday December 2
Burnley v Newcastle United
Saturday December 6
Newcastle United v Chelsea
Saturday December 13
Arsenal v Newcastle United
Sunday December 21
Newcastle United v Sunderland
Friday December 26
Man Utd v Newcastle United
Sunday December 28
Newcastle United v Everton
Thursday January 1 2015
Newcastle United v Burnley
Saturday January 10 2015
Chelsea v Newcastle United
Saturday January 17 2015
Newcastle United v Southampton
Saturday January 31 2015
Hull City v Newcastle United
Saturday February 7 2015
Newcastle United v Stoke City
Tuesday February 10 2015
Crystal Palace v Newcastle United
Saturday February 21 2015
Manchester City v Newcastle United
Saturday February 28 2015
Newcastle United v Aston Villa
Wednesday March 4 2015
Newcastle United v Man Utd
Saturday March 14 2015
Everton v Newcastle United
Saturday March 21 2015
Newcastle United v Arsenal
Saturday April 4 2015
Sunderland v Newcastle United
Saturday April 11 2015
Liverpool v Newcastle United
Saturday April 18 2015
Newcastle United v Tottenham
Saturday April 25 2015
Newcastle United v Swansea City
Saturday May 2 2015
Leicester City v Newcastle United
Saturday May 9 2015
Newcastle United v West Brom
Saturday May 16 2015
QPR v Newcastle United
Sunday May 24 2015
Newcastle United v West Ham United