Newcastle United - SAFC Blog

Ruing the failure to nail Liverpool, grudging recognition of Newcastle boss, Hammers ahead

December 12, 2014 by Colin Randall

Even observers beyond the red and white segment of the North East can see that Newcastle United, “Geordie Nation” and “everyone’s second team” nonsense aside, are not an especially likeable football club.

The self-promotion can verge on the absurd. The babyish bans imposed on locally based reporters bring Mike Ashley into disrepute and make the job of honest communications staff a nightmare (even if, on a winning run, some Mags are at last willing to support the Stasi-like assault on free expression).

Man United, Man City, Liverpool and Everton: European Big Business or local small fry?

November 15, 2014November 14, 2014 by Colin Randall

I suppose the referendum on Scottish independence was the starting point for this post, that and my trip up for …

Catts for us, Colback for Newcastle in list of top Premier performers

November 11, 2014November 11, 2014 by Colin Randall

Jake: 'deserved praise for Catts' — Jake: ‘deserved praise for Catts’

What do Alexis Sanchez, Diego Costa, Adam Lallana, Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria and Lee Cattermole have in common? Oh, and I almost forgot to mention Jack Colback, also in the list.

Each has been chosen as his club’s star performer of the season so far by the team of bloggers who write about Premier League football at ESPN. That team includes Monsieur Salut.

The gloomy stats that doom QPR, Burnley and Newcastle (or us)

October 24, 2014 by Colin Randall

John McCormick:
reading between the lines

Lost in the deluge of post-Southampton news, anger and gallows humour, John McCormick applied a scholarly eye to the statistics he considers relevant factors in determining who goes down, who stays up. Ominously, in this update, the 8-0 defeat is seen as not only wrecking our goal difference but pushing us more obviously into the frame, on John’s interpretation of trends. He hopes and we hope he is completely wrong …

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Dodgy numbers raise the question: ‘Can we dodge the bullet?’

October 23, 2014October 21, 2014 by Colin Randall

Before the season started I used some dodgy stats and history to predict this season’s relegated candidates, including a couple of wildcards. From 20th place upwards they were:

QPR – Purely because a promoted team is almost certain to go down and most often it has been the playoff winner. I had to go with this, whatever the bookies said about Burnley.

Hull, on the basis that second season syndrome’s due and as two London teams have never been relegated in the same season QPR’s demise must mean Palace are safe.

Villa, on the grounds of their being the only club to have been in the bottom three for each of the last three seasons without being relegated. That’s scary stuff for a fan.

Southampton were the first wildcard, chosen because of the personnel changes and turbulence the club has experienced this year.

West Brom, because of last season’s iffy form and the way they appointed their manager, were the second.

You can read the whole post here: https://safc.blog/2014/08/good-news-for-burnley-and-leicester-our-stats-man-has-qpr-hull-city-and-aston-villa/

A tale of two cities, Sunderland and Newcastle, on league cup duty

September 5, 2014August 29, 2014 by Colin Randall

Let Rob Hutchison explain for himself how he came to see us and the Mags on successive nights …

Are we in the mix for the Money Football League?

July 29, 2014July 25, 2014 by Colin Randall

For the last couple of years I’ve reported on our progress towards the Deloitte Money Football League. I had just about started an update in February when other things took priority – we had a double to celebrate, then a cup final, and then we started digging what we thought was a grave, only it turned out to be a tunnel. I finished my piece around the start of the World Cup, when there was a lot going on and then went off on holiday. Now here we are, in the transfer window with friendlies underway and next season’s fixtures around the corner, and I’m hoping our esteemed editor can find space between Pete’s reports and Borini’s never-ending saga.

Solidarity with the families of Newcastle fans killed in Malaysian Airlines disaster

July 19, 2014July 18, 2014 by Colin Randall

When banter ends and football seems unimportant

Salut! Sunderland, or the collection of individuals who make it happen, is tonight thinking of all the victims of the despicable shooting-down of the Malaysian Airlines Amsterdam-Kuala Lumpur flight MH17 over Ukraine, and of the bereaved.

Since this a football site that predominantly concerns a North-eastern club, it is natural that our thoughts should go especially to the families of John Alder and Liam Sweeney, Newcastle United supporters who were on their way to watch their team in a pre-season tournament.

Colback’s departure to Newcastle: the sting in the tail

June 10, 2014 by Colin Randall

Yesterday we had the sanitised version: Jack Colback realises his boyhood dream, joins the club he supported as a North Tyneside lad and leaves the Stadium of Light in the knowledge that his efforts on behalf of Sunderland are warmly appreciated.

Today comes the sting in the tail.

Farewell Jack Colback. Newcastle’s prodigal did a good job for Sunderland

June 9, 2014June 9, 2014 by Colin Randall

Jake captures that rare moment as Colback celebrates his goal — Jake captures that rare moment as Colback celebrates a cracking goal in the rout of Newcastle Mark II

At the time of writing, no one has yet confirmed that Jack Colback’s free transfer to Newcastle United has finally gone through. But it’s all over the internet, with the Sunderland Echo and Sky among many reporting the deal.

ESPN was sufficiently sure of the transfer happening to ask for a quick piece on players who have made the Wear-Tyne or Tyne-Wear switch, or just played for both clubs. As I said there, supporters on each side of the divide have little need of record books to rattle off a parade of names.