A new era has dawned on Newcastle United. A new board, almost a new team too, in fact. During the summer we have brought in 9 new players – Barton, Capaca, Enrique, Smith, Viduka, Rozenhal, Geremi,
Beye and Faye.

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Arsenal, ManUtd, Liverpool, Chelsea. The impregnable top 4, forever, never to be replaced, so say the media, mostly the cockney media, strangely.

Turn back the clock to the onset of the premiership. The Sky deal was negotiated while the Big 5 were ManU, Arsenal, Liverpool, Everton and Spurs. These clubs supported the idea to capitalise and build on their impregnable status.

NUFC were nowhere. We were stuck in the depths of the old 2nd division, and hadn’t had a sniff of this elite for the thick end of 40 years.

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Recently, I wrote that I wanted Sam Allardyce as our manager. I’m not usually so prophetic - neither do my predictions always come about either so don’t lay the blame at my doorstep if the appointment of Big Sam goes the way of some of his predecessors.

I’m definitely not guilty of marking Fred’s card on this one.

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It’s a Monday evening, and I’ve been asked to make a contribution to what I am told is a new [ish] publication. As it is going to go out in the NE6 area of the city, I’m racking my brains to think of something that a westender from NE5 can say that is remotely interesting, other than something on the one thing that binds us all in this grand city of ours.

Newcastle United.

Aye, Newcastle United.

I could go on about the years I spent working at Longbenton when I was younger, and the Friday afternoons spending my dosh in the Newton when i took a half day. Well, thats about all I could say, because apart from one visit to the Chilli, many years ago, I’ve hardly set foot in the East End, unless you count the Corner House last Saturday night.

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