One Player Certain To Start Bolton Match
Last updated : 08 August 2007 By Footy Mad - Editor
Shay Given will not recover in time from injury and Harper goes in at number one (well ... number 13 actually).
Harper has been at Newcastle since the 1993/4 season when Pavel Srnicek and Mike Hooper battled for the multi-coloured goalkeeper's shirt, but this will only be the second time in 14 years that the Easington-born 'keeper will start the season between the sticks.
He last did it in 1999 when we lost at home to Aston Villa and Alan Shearer was sent off in one of the most ridiculous decisions ever seen at St James' Park (match report to follow).
Although he signed as a youngster in 1993, it wasn't until a substitute appearance in the 3-1 win over Wimbledon in November 1998 (when Given was injured) that he made his debut.
But Sam Allardyce has seen enough of Harper in pre-season games to know he can depend on him.
Harper: He added: "We are very fortunate to have two excellent goalkeepers here and we have no problem at all with playing Steve at the weekend. He has already shown that he is more than just an able deputy for Shay."
1999/2000
NEWCASTLE UTD 0 ASTON VILLA 1
NEWCASTLE: Harper, Barton, Marcelino (Dyer 45), Goma, Domi, Dumas, Solano (Robinson 85), Speed, Serrant (Maric 75),Ketsbaia, Shearer. Subs Not Used: Perez, Charvet.
ASTON VILLA: James, Delaney, Southgate, Calderwood (Stone 87), Ehiogu, Wright, Boateng (Hendrie 56), Taylor, Thompson, Dublin, Joachim.
Subs Not Used: Oakes, Merson, Garyiayeb.
Att: 36,376
Newcastle striker Alan Shearer was sent off for the first time in his career as Aston Villa snatched all three points at St James' Park.
Referee Uriah Rennie dismissed Shearer for a 71st-minute challenge on midfielder Ian Taylor to leave the England captain and his team-mates fuming.
The referee had already issued seven yellow cards, including one to Shearer, to infuriate the crowd in what was always a competitive but rarely dirty match.
And to rub salt into the wound, Villa took just four minutes to make their numerical advantage count as Julian Joachim sneaked in to score with a near-post header for the only goal of the game.
The hot sun which had bathed the North-East for the past fortnight departed with impeccable timing as Tyneside got a premature and unexpected taste of an eclipse of sorts for the new season.
Newcastle's summer signings Alain Goma, Marcelino and Franck Dumas were all handed Premiership debuts, but £6million winger Kieron Dyer had to make do with a seat on the bench as Carl Serrant won a start.
Rennie proved the key man before the break as he booked no fewer than five players, Goma starting the ball rolling with an X-rated challenge on Boateng and Warren Barton, Shearer, Mark Delaney and Thompson joining him in quick succession.
Goma's foul on 12 minutes gave Thompson a shooting chance and keeper Steve Harper got down well to turn his well-struck effort away for a corner.
But after their early scare, it was Newcastle who dominated play with Frenchman Franck Dumas, a £1million signing from Monaco, operating well in central midfield.
It was compatriot Goma who almost opened the scoring on 18 minutes when he headed Serrant's cross against the bar with James beaten, and Gary Speed sent a header over from Nolberto Solano's improvised delivery three minutes later.
James had to help out his defenders with 26 minutes gone after Speed, Solano, Temuri Ketsbaia and Shearer combined in the best move of the half to allow Serrant to fire in a dangerous cross.
Villa rarely threatened, but the pace of Joachim caught out Dumas eight minutes before half-time, and although Goma cut out his cross, the ball ended up a Dion Dublin's feet and he smashed his effort into the side-netting.
Dyer replaced the injured Marcelino at the break, and the midfielder's introduction and looked lively from the off.
But it was Ketsbaia who looked the most likely to break the deadlock, firing a volley high over before forcing two excellent saves from James.
The Georgian ran on to Didier Domi's pass to fire in a right-foot shot which the keeper did well to parry, and he was denied by an even better save on 55 minutes from another long-range effort.
But for all their pressure, they were unable to force a way through, and Joachim reminded them of his ability when he beat Dumas in the air but volleyed hopelessly high.
The game erupted into controversy on 71 minutes when Shearer and Taylor clashed and the astonished England skipper saw Rennie brandish the red card.
Things went from bad to worse four minutes later when Joachim got his head to Delaney's cross from the right and glanced a header past Harper to make it 1-0.
Gullit immediately replaced Serrant with Silvio Maric as his side went in search of an equaliser which never really looked like coming.
The furious manager had to be led away by fourth official Jeff Winter as he tried to confront Rennie following the final whistle.