Souness - 'He can't ever play for me again'

"I'm not going to dwell on it, but I think in most walks of life, that would be the case.

"I've covered it in my programme notes tomorrow for the game and really people can read my side of the story and then maybe can make their judgement on it.

The comments end five days of speculation with regards to Bellamy’s future and will put an end to countless voting polls, pub arguments and forum discussions.

Tomorrow’s match programme notes will make interesting reading with the Scot stating that they offer his side of the story. It is almost inevitable that a Bellamy response will make its way onto our back pages in the coming week.

It had already been confirmed earlier today that Bellamy would watch the FA Cup tie against Coventry City from the stands with the Welsh striker having been kept away from first team affairs this week.

Indeed, it now appears that the only thing that will save Bellamy is if Graeme Souness is sacked before the end of the season. With this unlikely it now looks as if Bellamy’s last Toon goal will in fact be his header against Sporting Lisbon back in December.

Portsmouth and Birmingham are being touted as Bellamy’s possible suitors, I feel the Welshman will hold out for something better than a move to either of these two. The likelihood is that Bellamy will stay at St.James until the summer unless a deal, be it loan or permanent, can be struck in the three remaining days of the transfer window.

The news will no doubt divide fans and will form the majority of pre-match discussion before tomorrow’s game. The results of our poll that asked what you would like to see happen to Craig Bellamy showed that 55.2% of supporters wanted to see Bellamy forgiven and restored to first team duty. The remaining votes all wanted to see Bellamy be sold with 21% happy to see him sold to any club, 12% only wanted to see him sold abroad and 11% wanted Bellamy to rot in the reserves before finding a suitable buyer at the right price in the summer.

The support for Bellamy now appears to be an insignificance with the fiery forward certain to leave. When Graeme Souness came to the club he was heralded as the man to sort out our under-achieving prima donnas, Bellamy lasted just five months, just how long before Dyer, Bramble or any of the other young, nightclub loving stars feel the wrath of the Scot as a result of their various misdemeanors that have previously gone unpunished under former regimes.