NEWCASTLE UTD MAD
CONTACT US (Kev): Kevnumad@fsmail.net
Newcastle had safety concerns over the fourth-round tie in 1998 being held at their opponents’ tiny Broadhall Way ground – and wanted the game switched to St James’s Park.
I was on the makeshift stand that day at Broadhall Way and it was a JOKE!
The non-League side’s chairman Victor Green accused the Geordies of bully-boy tactics, and the Stevenage players hurled insults at the Toon players (mainly at Alan Shearer) in the build up and during the two games.
Yet at the final whistle four or five players gathered around Shearer asking him to swap shirts. He refused to hand over his Newcastle.
Personally, if I was Shearer, I'd have taken one of the Stevenage shirts - wiped my arse on it - and handed it back!
Steve Howey: “Stevenage were bang out of order. Whether you’re a Sunday pub side or the best team in the land, there’s a professional etiquette to uphold.
“But Stevenage, from the chairman Victor Green down, ignored it.
“He and their manager Paul Fairclough were two of a kind.
“Both loved the sound of their own voices and loved seeing their faces on telly and their pictures in the papers.
“They were determined to milk their five minutes of fame for all it was worth.
“The club had genuine safety concerns which Stevenage made public for their own ends.
“I could understand them enjoying their time in the limelight. After all, a David versus Goliath tie is what the Cup is all about.
“But Stevenage went too far. Even their players were mouthing off about what they were going to do to us.
“Come the day of the game, we didn’t have a lot of respect for them and just wanted to shove all their words down their throats.
“I suppose they did well from a footballing perspective, but their behaviour left a lot to be desired. They must be the only non-League side ever to be booed on to the pitch.
“The Newcastle fans showed exactly what they thought of them when they came up to our place.
“It will probably be freezing again this time and the pitch will be just as heavy, but let’s hope they are the only comparisons to last time.”
STEVENAGE BOROUGH - THE LAMEX STADIUM
(But still known to many fans as Broadhall Way)
How To Get There And Where To Park
Leave the A1 (M) at Junction 7 and take the A602 towards Stevenage. Go straight across the first roundabout and as you approach the next roundabout you can see the floodlights of the ground over on the right. However, if you go straight across the roundabout then you will see the entrance on the left to the large official car park which is free. The car park though has only one entrance/exit, so this can lead to bit of a bottleneck after the game has finished.
By Train
The nearest station to the ground is Stevenage which is about one mile away from the ground. Leave the station booking hall and turn left towards the town. Take the stairs on the right before the bridge over the dual carriage way and head along the A602, Lytton Way. At the roundabout which has the police station on the right, take the second exit into Six Hills Way. At the next roundabout take the third exit (south) continuing along the A602, Monkswood Way, passing a large Asda store on your right. After about 3/4 mile (McDonalds/Burger King etc will be on your right) you will arrive at a roundabout and the ground will be opposite you on the other side of the A602.
You can also get the Arriva No.5 Bus to the ground, from Stop E at the nearby bus station. The ten minute journey costs £1.50 single, or £2.30 return. As the ground is not easily spotted in the distance, ask the driver to drop you off on Monkswood Way, opposite the entrance to the retail park.
What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters?
Away fans are located at one end of the ground in the Buildbase South Stand, where up to 1,400 supporters can be housed. As you would expect from a relatively new stand the facilities and views of the playing action are good. I found the public address system though within the away end to be particularly loud, which interrupted a few conversations. The atmosphere within the stadium is aided by a drummer on the home East Terrace, who keeps the Stevenage fans going throughout most of the game. If you are into plane spotting then from the away stand you can watch a steady stream of jets descending into London Stansted airport. There is a good selection of catering on offer, although I thought a little bit on the pricey side.
Rob Parker a visiting Macclesfield Town fan adds; 'The club is one of the most friendly I've ever visited, with everyone from the stewards to the staff in the shop keen to be as helpful as possible. The home fans were passionate about their club but in a non-threatening way, which made a for a relaxed atmosphere. Away fans were admitted into the spacious social club behind the South Stand, with no admission charge. Large numbers of home and away fans mingled inside and outside without a hint of trouble. There were no long queues at the (reasonably priced) bar and plenty of room as well. There was a large TV screen showing the early kick-off.
Once inside the ground, the away end has good views of the action with no obstructing pillars and being elevated above the action. The only slight negatives were that the catering consisted of just one small hut which looked like it would run out of food pretty quickly (selling steak slice pasties for £3.50) and the toilets which are medium sized but lack sinks, instead providing sanitary spray to wipe your hands.
Broadhall Way is a decent ground which really only needs some work on the North end to turn it into a really professional looking stadium. It's hard to find an example of a more friendly and relaxed away days anywhere else in the league and while it may not be top of my list for a return visit, I would happily go back in the future'.
Where To Eat & Drink?
There is a large Club House bar at the ground, behind the South Stand, which is popular with both home and away fans alike. However, for some high profile games, the bar will be open to home fans only, but this is only for a small minority of games. On my last visit, eventhough the bar was busy, I was served relatively quickly and it was a friendly atmosphere.
Otherwise there is not much in the way of pubs near to the ground. Still if you like your real ale then it is worth taking the 15 minute walk to the 'Our Mutual Friend' pub in Broadwater Crescent. This pub which is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide offers seven beers on hand pump, plus real cider and perry. If you have time on your hands then you can take the 15-20 minute walk into the town centre, where there are plenty of pubs to be found including a Wetherspoon outlet (called the Standard Bearer, which is located near to the Bus Station).
Across the roundabout from the ground there is a Retail Park that has various eating outlets such as Pizza Hut, McDonalds & Burger King. There is also a Harvester outlet called the 'Roaring Meg, which also has a bar.
FA CUP FIXTURES
Saturday 08th January 2011
Arsenal v Leeds Utd 12.45
Blackburn v QPR 15.00
Bolton v York City 15.00
Brighton v Portsmouth 15.00
Bristol City v Sheff Weds 15.00
Burnley v Port Vale 15.00
Burton Albion v Middlesbrough 15.00
Coventry v C.Palace 15.00
Doncaster v Wolves 15.00
Fulham v Peterborough 15.00
Huddersfield v Dover 15.00
Hull City v Wigan Athletic 15.00
Millwall v Birmingham 13.30
Norwich v Leyton Orient 15.00
Preston NE v Nottm Forest 15.00
Reading v West Brom 15.00
Scunthorpe v Everton 15.00
Sheff Utd v Aston Villa 15.00
Southampton v Blackpool 15.00
Stevenage v Newcastle 17.30
Stoke City v Cardiff City 15.00
Sunderland v Notts County 15.00
Swansea City v Colchester 15.00
Torquay v Carlisle Utd 15.00
Watford v Hartlepool 15.00
West Ham v Barnsley 15.00
FA Challenge Cup Second Round Replay
Lincoln City v Hereford 15.00
Sunday 09th January 2011
Chelsea v Ipswich 15.00
Leicester v Man City 16.00
Man Utd v Liverpool 13.30
Tottenham v Charlton 13.30
Monday 10th January 2011
Crawley Town v Derby 20.00
Tuesday 11th January 2011
Wycombe v Hereford/ Lincoln City 19.45
NEWCASTLE 5 WEST HAM 0
NEWCASTLE: Harper, Simpson, Steven Taylor (Williamson 46), Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Barton, Nolan, Tiote, Gutierrez (Ferguson 66), Lovenkrands, Best (Ranger 64). Subs Not Used: Krul, Guthrie, Routledge, Perch.
WEST HAM: Green, Ben-Haim, Tomkins, Upson, Gabbidon, Sears, Parker, Kovac (Obinna 46), Noble (Hines 70), Piquionne (Behrami 46), Cole. Subs Not Used: Boffin, Reid, Barrera, Spector.
Att: 42,387
We hold up our hands ... yes we questioned if Leon Best was good enough for the Premiership ... and (if the truth was known) we even questioned if he was good enough for the Championship!
And I'm sure (if Besty reads NewcastleUtd-mad) he will take great pleasure in giving the NU-Mad editorial team a good kicking in the balls!
Kevin Nolan said a lot defending the ex-Coventry City striker prior to the game, suggesting "you only get match-fit if you play a lot of games, and with Andy Carroll the man of the moment, I feel for Besty being stuck on the sidelines".
The man himself said: "I want to impress, but it's very difficult being frozen out of the team because we have so many capable strikers at Newcastle".
Alan Pardew was happy to give him his first Barclays Premier League start for the club in the absence of the injured Carroll and Shola Ameobi, and it was the chance for the striker to show the Toon Army what they have been missing.
64 minutes - and a hat-trick later - he told Carroll to start looking over his shoulder as Newcastle dumped woeful West Ham deep into relegation trouble.
Best opened his account on his 15th appearance with a fine hat-trick to repay a large slice of his £1.2million transfer fee.
They were the 24-year-old's first goals in a week short of a year and came on the day it was revealed Newcastle had rejected an approach from Tottenham for Carroll.
Best's first-half brace and skipper Kevin Nolan's 45th-minute strike put the Magpies in the driving seat, and his third on the hour completed a first double of the campaign and ended the Hammers' recent revival before Peter Lovenkrands helped himself to a fifth.
It was the third time this season Newcastle had scored five or more at St James' Park, and substitute Nile Ranger passed up a glorious opportunity to match the six they managed against Aston Villa back in August.
There was an air of anxiety when it was revealed that Ameobi had joined Carroll in the treatment room.
However, manager Alan Pardew had insisted that both Best and Ranger would get chances this season and his faith in the former Coventry man proved spectacularly well-founded.
Best made his first appearance of the season as a substitute at the DW Stadium at the weekend after a miserable run of injuries had hampered his progress on Tyneside.
But he needed just 18 minutes to justify his selection when he ran on to Lovenkrands' ball over the top to thump a left-foot volley across Robert Green and into the bottom corner.
West Ham had arrived in the north east buoyed by a run of four league games without defeat, but in the relegation zone as a result of victories for Fulham and Birmingham on Tuesday.
Former Magpie Scott Parker had earlier tested Steve Harper with a swerving shot and he attempted to stamp his authority on the midfield battle as the visitors looked for a way back into the game.
However, Cheik Tiote and Joey Barton recognised the danger and started to close Parker down, and with Jonas Gutierrez and Jose Enrique teaming up to terrorise the Hammers down their right, the home side were threatening at regular intervals.
They increased their lead six minutes before the break when a quick-thinking Barton and Lovenkrands carved the sleeping visitors open from a free-kick.
Barton picked out the Dane's run into space and when he slid the ball across goal, Best was again on hand to fire home left-footed.
West Ham's woes deepened markedly on the stroke of half-time when Gutierrez once again found space down the left and sent in a low cross which James Tomkins could only stab out to Nolan two yards inside the penalty area.
Nolan was a model of composure as, with Green desperately trying to recover his ground, he sidefooted the ball firmly into the bottom corner.
Hammers boss Avram Grant sent on Valon Behrami and Victor Obinna for Radoslav Kovac and Frederic Piquionne at the break in a desperate attempt to breathe new life into his team as Mike Williamson replaced Steven Taylor for the Magpies.
But despite Parker's continuing industry they were unable to create anything of note, and Newcastle killed off any hope of a fightback with 30 minutes left when Nolan turned Enrique's pass into the unmarked Best's path and he completed his hat-trick with aplomb.
Lovenkrands added a fifth three minutes later and there was still time for Ranger to fire horribly wide with the goal at his mercy 10 minutes later with the Hammers in tatters.
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NEWCASTLE UNITED 2010/11
PREMIERSHIP
NEWCASTLE 5 WEST HAM 0 (Best 3, Nolan, Lovenkrands)
Harper, Simpson, Steven Taylor (Williamson 46), Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Barton, Nolan, Tiote, Gutierrez (Ferguson 66), Lovenkrands, Best (Ranger 64).
Subs Not Used: Krul, Guthrie, Routledge, Perch.
WIGAN 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Ameobi)
Harper, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Barton, Nolan (Smith 86), Tiote, Gutierrez, Ameobi (Best 77), Lovenkrands (Routledge 70).
Subs Not Used: Krul, Williamson, Perch, Ranger.
TOTTENHAM 2 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Coloccini, Steven Taylor, Perch, Tiote (Lovenkrands 79), Barton, Routledge, Simpson, Smith, Gutierrez (Ranger 67), Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Williamson, Xisco, Best, Kadar.
NEWCASTLE 1 MAN CITY 3 (Carroll)
Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Routledge (Ranger 60), Barton, Tiote, Gutierrez, Nolan, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Williamson, Guthrie, Perch, Smith, Best.
NEWCASTLE 3 LIVERPOOL 1 (Nolan, Barton, Carroll)
Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Campbell, Jose Enrique, Barton (Routledge 90), Nolan (Smith 87), Tiote, Gutierrez, Carroll, Ameobi (Ranger 63).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Guthrie, Lovenkrands, Perch.
WEST BROM 3 NEWCASTLE 1 (Lovenkrands)
Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Campbell, Jose Enrique, Routledge (Ranger 74), Guthrie (Smith 73), Tiote, Gutierrez, Carroll, Ameobi (Lovenkrands 46).
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Perch, Best, Kadar.
NEWCASTLE 1 CHELSEA 1 (Carroll)
Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Campbell, Jose Enrique, Routledge, Guthrie, Tiote, Gutierrez, Carroll, Ameobi (Ranger 77).
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Lovenkrands, Perch, Smith, Best, Kadar.
BOLTON 5 NEWCASTLE 1 (Carroll)
Krul, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Guthrie (Routledge 71), Nolan, Smith, Gutierrez (Campbell 77), Carroll, Ameobi (Lovenkrands 72).
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Perch, Steven Taylor, Ranger.
NEWCASTLE 0 FULHAM 0
Krul, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Guthrie (Routledge 76), Tiote, Nolan, Gutierrez, Carroll, Lovenkrands (Ranger 76).
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Campbell, Smith, Xisco, Steven Taylor.
NEWCASTLE 1 BLACKBURN 2 (Carroll)
Krul, Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Barton, Nolan, Tiote (Routledge 88), Gutierrez, Carroll,Ameobi (Ranger 46).
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Campbell, Lovenkrands, Smith, Steven Taylor.
ARSENAL 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Carroll)
Krul, Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Barton, Tiote, Nolan, Gutierrez, Carroll, Ameobi (Ranger 82).
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Campbell, Routledge, Lovenkrands, Smith, Steven Taylor.
NEWCASTLE 5 SUNDERLAND 1 (Nolan 3, Ameobi 2 - 1 pen)
Krul, Jose Enrique, Coloccini, Williamson, Simpson,Tiote, Barton, Nolan, Gutierrez, Ameobi (Ranger 86), Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Routledge, Lovenkrands, Perch, Ryan Taylor, Smith.
WEST HAM 1 NEWCASTLE 2 (Nolan, Carroll)
Krul, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Barton, Nolan, Tiote, Gutierrez, Carroll, Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Guthrie, Routledge, Lovenkrands, Perch, Ryan Taylor, Smith.
NEWCASTLE 2 WIGAN ATH 2 (Ameobi, Coloccini)
Krul, Perch (Ranger 89), Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Guthrie (Routledge 66), Tiote, Barton, Gutierrez, Lovenkrands (Ameobi 60), Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Ryan Taylor, Smith, Kadar.
MAN CITY 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Gutierrez)
Krul, Perch, Williamson, Coloccini (Campbell 36), Jose Enrique, Ben Arfa (Routledge 7), Nolan (Carroll 76), Tiote, Barton, Gutierrez, Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Lovenkrands, Ryan Taylor, Smith.
NEWCASTLE 1 STOKE CITY 2 (Nolan pen)
Krul, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Ben Arfa (Gutierrez 62), Barton, Tiote (Ameobi 74), Routledge, Nolan, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Lovenkrands, Ryan Taylor, Smith, Ranger.
EVERTON 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Ben Arfa)
Harper (Krul 35), Perch, Coloccini, Williamson,Jose Enrique, Routledge, Tiote, Barton,Ben Arfa (Gutierrez 84), Nolan, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Campbell, Lovenkrands, Ryan Taylor, Smith.
NEWCASTLE 0 BLACKPOOL 2
Harper, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Routledge (Ameobi 81), Smith (Lovenkrands 62), Barton, Gutierrez (Ben Arfa 73), Nolan, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Krul, Campbell, Ryan Taylor, Tiote.
WOLVES 1 NEWCASTLE 1 (Carroll)
Harper, Perch, Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Routledge, Smith, Barton, Gutierrez, Nolan, Carroll (Ameobi 81).
Subs Not Used: Krul, Lovenkrands, Ryan Taylor, Kadar, Vuckic, Ranger.
NEWCASTLE 6 ASTON VILLA 0 (Barton, Nolan 2, Carroll 3)
Harper, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Routledge (Ameobi 76), Smith (Ryan Taylor 76), Barton, Gutierrez (Xisco 80), Nolan, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Krul, Lovenkrands, Vuckic, Tavernier.
MAN UTD 3 NEWCASTLE 0
Harper, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Routledge, Smith, Nolan (Ameobi 71), Barton,Gutierrez (Xisco 80), Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Krul, Ryan Taylor, Vuckic, Ranger, Tavernier.
CARLING CUP
NEWCASTLE 0 ARSENAL 4
Krul, Perch, Williamson, Kadar, Ryan Taylor, Routledge (Gutierrez 56), Guthrie, Smith (Barton 71), Vuckic, Lovenkrands (Carroll 57), Ranger.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Tiote.
CHELSEA 3 NEWCASTLE 4 (Ranger, R Taylor, Ameobi 2)
Krul, Ryan Taylor (Tiote 63), Campbell, Coloccini (Williamson 63), Ferguson (Barton 90), Ranger, Gutierrez, Vuckic, Smith, Ameobi, Lovenkrands.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Nolan, Carroll, Ben Arfa.
ACCRINGTON STANLEY 2 NEWCASTLE 3 (Ryan Taylor, Ameobi, Lovenkrands)
Krul, Ryan Taylor, Kadar, Tavernier, Ferguson, Ranger, Donaldson, Vuckic (Nolan 90), LuaLua, Ameobi,Lovenkrands.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Williamson, Barton, Routledge, Perch, Smith.
PRE-SEASON
CARLISLE 0 NEWCASTLE 3 (Best, Ranger, Vuckic)
Harper (Krul 46), Tavernier (R Taylor 46), Coloccini (S Taylor 46) (Henderson 81), Williamson (Perch 46), Enrique (Ferguson 46), Inman (Routledge 46), Smith (Barton 46), Nolan (Guthrie 46), LuaLua (Vuckic 46) , Carroll (Best 46), Lovenkrands (Ranger 46).
NORWICH CITY 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Ameobi)
Krul, Taylor (Routledge 45), Tavernier, Coloccini (Williamson 45), Diaz (Ferguson 57); Ranger (Xisco 45), Barton (Smith 45), Nolan (Guthrie 45), Vuckic (Edmundsson 72); Best (Lovenkrands 45), Carroll (Ameobi 45).
NEWCASTLE 2 PSV EINDHOVEN 2 (R.Taylor, Best)
Harper, Perch, Enrique, Coloccini, Williamson, Guthrie, Nolan, Smith, Ryan Taylor, Lovenkrands, Ameobi. Subs: Carroll, Xisco, Best, LuaLua, Krul, Vuckic, Ranger, Donaldson, Tavernier.
DEPORTIVO 0 NEWCASTLE 0 (NUFC win 5-4 on penalties - Lovenkrands, Nolan, Carroll, R Taylor, Barton)
Harper (Krul 46); R Taylor, Perch (Tavernier 52), Coloccini, Enrique; Routledge, Barton, Guthrie (Nolan 46), Xisco (Gutierrez 46); Carroll, Best (Lovenkrands 73). Subs (not used): Smith, Ferguson
RANGERS 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Lovenkrands)
Harper; Perch (Tavernier 81), Coloccini (Ferguson 81), Williamson, Enrique (R Taylor 56); Routledge (Xisco 83), Barton, Nolan, Guthrie, Gutierrez (Lovenkrands 69); Carroll (Ameobi 46).
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