Reserves lose Leeds in A Friendly

Leeds United Reserves 5 Newcastle United Reserves 1

Friendly Thorp Arch Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Behind close doors game.

Toon goal scored by Haris Vuckic, Leeds hero was Tresor Kandol who scored four goals in last 30 minutes of the game. Not much for Richard Mooney and Alan Thompson to report back to HQ as positives.

NUFC: Ole Soderberg, Callum Morris, Darren Lough (Michael McCrudden, 77m), Tamas Kadar, Ben Tozer, Ryan Donaldson, Haris Vuckic (Patrick McLaughlin, 71m), Frank Danquah (Brad Inman, 11m), Fabio Zamblera, Nile Ranger, Wesley Ngo Baheng (Phil Airey, 46m)

Alan Smith to Continue as Captain Against Reading

Chris Hughton talking to nufcTV

"We do not want to bring him (Nicky Butt) back too soon. It is the type of injury which, if we brought him back too early, he could end up fracturing it again. The home game with Reading is certainly too early for him. Alan will again be captain. I must say I thought he was excellent at West Brom and led by example with his desire and commitment. But that's what you get from Alan and that's why he has been captain in the absence of Nicky."

International Call Ups

Damien Duff has been named in the Republic of Ireland squad for their friendly with Australia

Damien Duff; Wed 12th Aug: Rep of Ireland v Australia, Limerick, FR

Andy Carroll has his first call up to the England U21 squad to face Holland away, following his successful England U19 career.

Tue 11th Aug: Netherlands U21 v England U21, Groningen, FR

Tim Krul is the Holland U21 Squad to face England U21 and Andy Carroll

Tue 11th Aug: Netherlands U21 v England U21, Groningen, FR

Jonas Gutierrez and Argentina travel to Russia for a match.

Jonas Gutierrez; Wed 12th Aug: Russia v Argentina, Moscow, FR

The highest opening weekend crowds since 1963

The highest opening weekend crowds since 1963 have welcomed the start of the new Coca-Cola Football League season. More than 450,000 people attended the 36 matches played in the Coca-Cola Championship, League 1 and League 2. The average attendance for the opening weekend was 12,694, up by 14% on last season.

Reading Referee Named

Anthony Taylor from Greater Manchester will take charge of his first Newcastle United fixture during this weekend's Championship clash with Reading at St.James' Park, assisted by Mr C Harwood and Mr K Lawson.

Obafemi Martins Newcastle A Shambles

talking to The Sunday Sun

“If things had been different, I would not have wanted to leave, but the club is a shambles right now,It is going nowhere. I love Newcastle, the city and the fans but the situation at the club is ridiculous. As players, of course we felt guilty about relegation. But what has happened there this summer is crazy, with the club not being sold and no coach in place. It is impossible to see the future there.

“I hope the fans understand, but when a player of my age in this situation is offered the chance to play in the Champions League, he has to take it. I hope for the fans and players left at Newcastle that they have a good season and return to the Premier League, but it will be very difficult if the situation at the club does not change.

Newcastle was a great move for me, But things became more difficult because of Michael Owen’s injuries. It meant I had to take a lot of responsibility up front on my own. “The players were hoping that Alan Shearer would get the manager’s job, but the people supposedly running the club didn’t seeem capable of making a decision. And with no manager, no new owner and most of the top players wanting out I felt I had no future there. It was a pity because I enjoyed most of my time there. When the previous chairman Freddy Shepherd persuaded me to join Newcastle from Inter Milan three years ago I thought it was a great move. I love the city and the fans but the situation at the club is ridiculous.

As players, of course we feel guilty about relegation. But what has happened this summer is crazy, with the club not sold and no coach in place. It is sad to see how the club has gone downhill in the last couple of years. There is absolutely no direction.The players are demoralised by the lack of leadership and I just can’t see things getting better. You hope for the sake of the fans that they will attract a top new coach and an owner who will invest in the club but the longer this goes on then the more you fear for the future.”