Hughes; 'I Never Gave Newcastle Job A Thought'!
Last updated : 29 February 2008 By Footy Mad - Editor
Mine, goes back to an incident at St James' Park when we played Manchester United in the FA Cup 5th Round back in 1989/90.
Kevin Scott had just scored for Newcastle, but we were put back on the defensive and faced a corner.
Before it was swung over Hughes threw a punch at Scott and caught him full in the nose, then amazingly dropped to the ground holding his head as though he had been head-butted by Scott.
I still remember the incident as though it was yesterday. The referee had words with Scott, and almost sent him off!
But that was Hughes for you. And how I was delighted when the rumours of him replacing Sam Allardyce as Newcastle were just newspaper bollocks.
Hughes: "There has been a fantastic reaction off the field but maybe that has not transferred as yet on to the field of play in terms of performances and results, which haven't gone the way they would have liked.
"Kevin knows the club very well, better than anyone, and he knows what it takes to turn that around and he will be given time, which maybe any other manager wouldn't have been.
"At the moment it is a little bit difficult and there is a lot of focus and attention on the club and the team but really that is their concern and not mine.
"I think they have struggled with injuries to players Kevin would have liked to have called upon but it is difficult to come in and have an immediate impact on the style of play.
"You can have an impact on what's happening in and around the club and there can be a goodwill factor towards you but, at the end of the day, you still have to get results whoever you are.
"I don't give it (Newcastle job) a thought one way or another.
"There was a lot of speculation at the time and I didn't comment too much on the situation as I thought anything I said would be magnified and taken out of context so I took a step back and got criticised for that.
"I very quickly moved on and I don't really believe I was ever in the thoughts of anyone at Newcastle.
"I think with the appointment of Kevin Keegan it was very clear that, after Harry Redknapp, they were very much in the frame for Kevin and it was never an issue for me."