1997–98 Newcastle United F.C. season
Encyclopedia
In the 1997-98 football season, Newcastle United played in the Premier League. They finished 13th and reached the FA Cup final, losing to Arsenal.
Star striker Alan Shearer
suffered a serious ankle injury in a pre-season game and did not return to action until February. Two other key players, David Ginola
and Les Ferdinand
, were sold to Tottenham
before the season started. Replacements like Jon Dahl Tomasson
, John Barnes
and Ian Rush
failed to deliver where their predecessors had so memorably succeeded.
, midfielder Temur Ketsbaia, striker John Barnes
and be-wilderingly signed veteran striker Ian Rush
, the club's eldest player signing aged 36.
The highlight of the 1997/1998 season was to be the club's time in the Champions League, seeing them beat Barcelona F.C. 3-2, after a hat-trick from striker Tino Asprilla. The club's premier league form however began to suffer following Asprilla's departure from the club in January, and despite the return of Alan Shearer to the starting line-up, he was unable to recapture the form he had found under Keegan. The club reached the FA Cup
final only to fall to a 2-0 defeat by Arsenal
.
Controversy surrounded the club in March 1998 when two board members, Douglas Hall, son of Chairman Sir John Hall, and Freddie Shepherd were filmed in a Spanish brothel making a series of remarks to an undercover tabloid journalist. They ridiculed Alan Shearer, boasted of "ripping off" supporters with the club shirts they sold, and called the women of Newcastle "dogs". Almost unbelievably, Shepherd subsequently became Chairman the following season.
Newcastle enjoyed a good run in the 1997-98 FA Cup and reached the final for the first time in 24 years. They never looked like winners, and the final whistle blew with a 2-0 scoreline giving the trophy to opponents Arsenal. But as Arsenal had completed the double, Newcastle entered the 1998/99 Cup Winners' Cup.
Dalglish's cautious brand of football proved unpopular with supporters used to Newcastle's previous swashbuckling style; more importantly this cautious style was not producing results. Many players signed by Dalglish were not considered to match the quality of those who had left the club this season. The team's 13th-place finish gave particular cause for concern, as Newcastle had finished runners-up in the last two seasons and had never finished below sixth since returning to the top flight in 1993.
Despite signing Dietmar Hamann
, Nolberto Solano
, and Gary Speed
, several unsuccessful transfer deals along with a poor start to the 1998/99 season
led to Dalglish being sacked.
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
Points allocation: Three points awarded for a win; one for a drawn match; none for a loss.
League Cup
Star striker Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
suffered a serious ankle injury in a pre-season game and did not return to action until February. Two other key players, David Ginola
David Ginola
David Karl Ginola is a French former international football player who has also worked as an actor and model.Ginola was born in Gassin, Var...
and Les Ferdinand
Les Ferdinand
Leslie "Les" Ferdinand MBE is a former English footballer. His playing career included spells at Queens Park Rangers, Besiktas J.K., Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Bolton Wanderers F.C., during which period he earned a number of appearances for England...
, were sold to Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
before the season started. Replacements like Jon Dahl Tomasson
Jon Dahl Tomasson
Jon Dahl Tomasson is a retired Danish footballer and assistant manager at the Dutch football club SBV Excelsior....
, John Barnes
John Barnes (footballer)
John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE is an English football manager and former player.During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England 79 times...
and Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
failed to deliver where their predecessors had so memorably succeeded.
Season summary
During the summer, David Ginola and Les Ferdinand were sold to Tottenham Hotspur, and in a pre-season friendly match Alan Shearer sustained a horrific ankle injury which would keep him out for half the season. Dalglish signed goal-keeper Shay GivenShay Given
Séamus John James "Shay" Given is an Irish footballer who plays for Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland national team as a goalkeeper. He won the PFA's Player of the Year in 2002....
, midfielder Temur Ketsbaia, striker John Barnes
John Barnes (footballer)
John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE is an English football manager and former player.During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England 79 times...
and be-wilderingly signed veteran striker Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
, the club's eldest player signing aged 36.
The highlight of the 1997/1998 season was to be the club's time in the Champions League, seeing them beat Barcelona F.C. 3-2, after a hat-trick from striker Tino Asprilla. The club's premier league form however began to suffer following Asprilla's departure from the club in January, and despite the return of Alan Shearer to the starting line-up, he was unable to recapture the form he had found under Keegan. The club reached the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
final only to fall to a 2-0 defeat by Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
.
Controversy surrounded the club in March 1998 when two board members, Douglas Hall, son of Chairman Sir John Hall, and Freddie Shepherd were filmed in a Spanish brothel making a series of remarks to an undercover tabloid journalist. They ridiculed Alan Shearer, boasted of "ripping off" supporters with the club shirts they sold, and called the women of Newcastle "dogs". Almost unbelievably, Shepherd subsequently became Chairman the following season.
Newcastle enjoyed a good run in the 1997-98 FA Cup and reached the final for the first time in 24 years. They never looked like winners, and the final whistle blew with a 2-0 scoreline giving the trophy to opponents Arsenal. But as Arsenal had completed the double, Newcastle entered the 1998/99 Cup Winners' Cup.
Dalglish's cautious brand of football proved unpopular with supporters used to Newcastle's previous swashbuckling style; more importantly this cautious style was not producing results. Many players signed by Dalglish were not considered to match the quality of those who had left the club this season. The team's 13th-place finish gave particular cause for concern, as Newcastle had finished runners-up in the last two seasons and had never finished below sixth since returning to the top flight in 1993.
Despite signing Dietmar Hamann
Dietmar Hamann
Dietmar "Didi" Hamann is a German footballer who was most recently manager at Stockport County. Throughout his career, he has played for Bayern Munich, Newcastle United, Liverpool, and Manchester City primarily in a defensive midfield position. He also spent time at Milton Keynes Dons as a...
, Nolberto Solano
Nolberto Solano
Nolberto Albino "Nobby" Solano Todco is a Peruvian footballer who plays for Hartlepool United. He has spent much of his career in the English Premier League and also played 95 times for Peru between 1994 and 2009...
, and Gary Speed
Gary Speed
Gary Andrew Speed, MBE was a Welsh football player and manager. He was captain of the Wales national football team until he retired from international football in 2004 and he remains the most capped outfield player for Wales and the second overall, having appeared 85 times at senior level between...
, several unsuccessful transfer deals along with a poor start to the 1998/99 season
1998–99 Newcastle United F.C. season
In the 1998–99 season, Newcastle United competed in the FA Premier League . Newcastle's season was an almost carbon copy of the one before...
led to Dalglish being sacked.
In
| Date | Pos. | Name | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1997 | MF | Paddy Kelly |  CelticCeltic F.C. Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the... |
Free |
| June 1997 | GK | Shay Given Shay Given Séamus John James "Shay" Given is an Irish footballer who plays for Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland national team as a goalkeeper. He won the PFA's Player of the Year in 2002.... |
 Blackburn RoversBlackburn Rovers F.C. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.... |
£1,500,000 |
| June 1997 | MF |  Temuri KetsbaiaTemuri Ketsbaia Temuri "Temur" Ketsbaia is a Georgian football manager and former player. As a player he represented the Georgian national team and played for Dinamo Tbilisi, Anorthosis Famagusta, AEK, Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Dundee.Ketsbaia is often regarded as having played a major role... |
 AEK AthensAthletic Union of Constantinople The Athletic Union of Constantinople , more commonly referred to as AEK or in European competitions as AEK Athens, is a sports club based in the city of Athens, Greece.The club was founded on 13 April 1924 in Athens by Greek refugees from... |
Free |
| July 1997 | FW |  Jon Dahl TomassonJon Dahl Tomasson Jon Dahl Tomasson is a retired Danish footballer and assistant manager at the Dutch football club SBV Excelsior.... |
 Heerenveen |
£2,500,000 |
| July 1997 | DF | Stuart Pearce Stuart Pearce Stuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team... |
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest F.C. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship... |
Free |
| July 1997 | DF |  Alessandro PistoneAlessandro Pistone Alessandro Pistone is a former Italian footballer.-Early career:Pistone started his career at Solbiatese and Crevalcore, two small Italian teams who in recent years have slid to the lowest tier of professional Italian football, before moving to Vicenza for the duration of the 1995–96 season... |
Internazionale F.C. Internazionale Milano Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always... |
£4,500,000 |
| Jully 1997 | DF | Brian Pinas Brian Pinas Brian Pinas is a Dutch professional football player of Surinamese descent. He is a left-footed winger.Pinas started playing football at DHC Delft, an amateur football club in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. He actually started as a goalkeeper, but discovered soon enough that he... |
Feyenoord |
Free |
| August 1997 | MF | John Barnes John Barnes (footballer) John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE is an English football manager and former player.During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England 79 times... |
Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
Free |
| August 1997 | FW |  Ian RushIan Rush Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield... |
Leeds United Leeds United A.F.C. Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system... |
Free |
| November 1997 | MF |  Ralf KeidelRalf Keidel Ralf Keidel is a German footballer playing for FC Ingolstadt 04 II. He made his debut on the German professional league level in the Bundesliga for MSV Duisburg on 31 March 2000 when he came on as a substitute in the 88th minute in a game against SSV Ulm 1846.-External links:* at transfermarkt.de... |
Schweinfurt 1. FC Schweinfurt 05 1.FC Schweinfurt 05 is a German association football club that plays in Schweinfurt, Bavaria.-History:The club was founded on 5 May 1905 and played in the local leagues. The team attempted a merger with Turngemeinde Schweinfurt von 1848 which lasted from 1928 to 1930 before the two groups parted... |
Free |
| November 1997 | FW | Paul Dalglish Paul Dalglish Paul Kenneth Dalglish is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.-Playing career:Dalglish, son of former Scotland international Kenny Dalglish, was born in Glasgow though spent his childhood in Liverpool where his father managed Liverpool F.C... |
Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
Free |
| November 1997 | DF |  David TerrierDavid Terrier David Terrier is a retired French football defender who last played for US Créteil. He played for FC Metz and AC Ajaccio in Ligue 1.-Clubs:*1992-1997: FC Metz*1997-1998: West Ham United*1998-1999: Newcastle United... |
West Ham United West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current... |
Free |
| January 1998 | FW |  Andreas AnderssonAndreas Andersson Andreas Claes Andersson is a Swedish footballer. He retired in 2005, but has started playing for lower league side FC Andrea Doria in Sweden. He was capped 42 times and scored 8 goals for Sweden, and he played at the 2002 FIFA World Cup... |
AC Milan |
£3,000,000 |
| January 1998 | DF | Andy Griffin Andy Griffin Andrew "Andy" Griffin is an English footballer, currently playing for Championship team, ReadingGriffin began his career at Stoke City, where he established a reputation as a solid wing-back defender... |
Stoke City Stoke City F.C. Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts... |
£1,500,000 |
| February 1998 | MF | Gary Speed Gary Speed Gary Andrew Speed, MBE was a Welsh football player and manager. He was captain of the Wales national football team until he retired from international football in 2004 and he remains the most capped outfield player for Wales and the second overall, having appeared 85 times at senior level between... |
Everton Everton F.C. Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football... |
£5,500,000 |
| March 1998 | MF | James Coppinger James Coppinger James Coppinger is an English professional footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Doncaster Rovers.-Early career:... |
Darlington Darlington F.C. Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003... |
£250,000 |
| March 1998 | MF | Paul Robinson |
Darlington Darlington F.C. Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003... |
£250,000 |
| March 1998 | MF | Stephen Glass Stephen Glass (footballer) Stephen Glass is a Scottish professional footballer currently playing for Carolina RailHawks in the North American Soccer League.... |
Aberdeen Aberdeen F.C. Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen... |
£650,000 |
| March 1998 | DF | Nikos Dabizas Nikos Dabizas Nikolaos "Nikos" Dabizas is a retired Greek professional footballer and former Newcastle United, Leicester City, Olympiacos and Larissa defender . He was also in Greece's 2004 European Football Championship winning squad.... |
Olympiacos Piraeus |
£2,000,000 |
- Total spending: £21.65m
Out
| Date | Pos. | Name | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1997 | MF | Lee Clark |
Sunderland Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League... |
£2,500,000 |
| July 1997 | DF | Robbie Elliott Robbie Elliott Robert James "Robbie" Elliott is an English former football left back who is currently the strength coach for the United States U-20 men's football team.... |
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers F.C. Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001.... |
£3,500,000 |
| July 1997 | MF | David Ginola David Ginola David Karl Ginola is a French former international football player who has also worked as an actor and model.Ginola was born in Gassin, Var... |
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane.... |
£2,000,000 |
| July 1997 | FW | Les Ferdinand Les Ferdinand Leslie "Les" Ferdinand MBE is a former English footballer. His playing career included spells at Queens Park Rangers, Besiktas J.K., Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Bolton Wanderers F.C., during which period he earned a number of appearances for England... |
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane.... |
£6,000,000 |
| August 1997 | MF | Peter Beardsley Peter Beardsley Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain... |
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers F.C. Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001.... |
£450,000 |
| January 1998 | FW |  Faustino AsprillaFaustino Asprilla Faustino Hernán "Tino" Asprilla Hinestroza is a former Colombian football player. He was known by his supporters in his home country as The Octopus for his voracious appetite... |
Parma AC Parma F.C. Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its... |
£6,000,000 |
| February 1998 | DF | John Beresford John Beresford (footballer) John Beresford is a former English football player who played as a defender, who is currently a pundit for ITV Tyne Tees and ESPN.-Football career:... |
Southampton Southampton F.C. Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club... |
£1,500,000 |
| March 1998 | MF | Jim Crawford Jim Crawford (footballer) Jim Crawford is an American born Irish former footballer-Playing career:Crawford began his career at schoolboy level with Rangers before moving to Bohemian making his debut against Bray Wanderers on 3 November 1991... |
Reading Reading F.C. Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship... |
£100,000 |
| March 1998 | FW | Paul Brayson Paul Brayson Paul Brayson is an English footballer who plays for Harrogate Town as a striker.-Career:Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Brayson started his career with Newcastle United before moving to Swansea City on loan. He signed for Reading in March 1998 for a fee of £100,000. He joined Cardiff City on loan in... |
Reading Reading F.C. Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship... |
Free |
| May 1998 | FW | Brian Pinas Brian Pinas Brian Pinas is a Dutch professional football player of Surinamese descent. He is a left-footed winger.Pinas started playing football at DHC Delft, an amateur football club in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. He actually started as a goalkeeper, but discovered soon enough that he... |
Feyenoord |
£200,000 |
| May 1998 | FW | Ian Rush Ian Rush Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield... |
Wrexham |
Free |
- Total spending: £22.25m
Squad
Left club during season
Appearances, goals and cards
- (Substitute appearances in brackets)
No. Pos. Name League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total Discipline Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals 
1 GK Shay Given Shay GivenSéamus John James "Shay" Given is an Irish footballer who plays for Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland national team as a goalkeeper. He won the PFA's Player of the Year in 2002....24 0 4 0 0 0 6 0 34 0 1 0 2 DF Warren BartonWarren BartonWarren Dean Barton is a former English football player and a TV Pundit for Fox Soccer Channel.-Club career:...17+6 3 4+1 0 2 0 5 0 28+7 3 11 0 3 DF John BeresfordJohn Beresford (footballer)John Beresford is a former English football player who played as a defender, who is currently a pundit for ITV Tyne Tees and ESPN.-Football career:...17+1 2 2+1 0 3 0 7 3 29+2 5 6 0 4 MF David BattyDavid BattyDavid Batty is an English retired professional footballer, who played as a defensive midfielder....32 1 6 1 2 0 7 0 47 2 14 3 5 DF Darren PeacockDarren PeacockDarren Peacock is an English former professional footballer who played as a central defender.He made nearly 400 league appearances, beginning his career in the lower reaches of the Football League, before spending eight seasons in the Premier League for Queens Park Rangers, Newcastle United and...19+1 0 1 0 2+1 0 4+1 0 26+3 0 6 0 6 DF Steve HoweySteve Howey (footballer)Stephen Norman "Steve" Howey is a former footballer who played for the England national team. At club level, he made more than 300 appearances in the Football League and the Premier League, playing for Newcastle United, Manchester City, Leicester City, Bolton Wanderers and Hartlepool United...11+3 0 5 0 1 0 1+2 0 18+5 0 2 0 7 MF Robert LeeRob LeeRobert Martin "Rob" Lee is a retired English footballer who played the majority of his career for Charlton Athletic and Newcastle United.-Charlton Athletic:...26+2 4 6 0 2 0 6 0 40+2 4 5 0 8 MF Peter BeardsleyPeter BeardsleyPeter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 FW Ian RushIan RushIan James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...6+4 0 0+1 1 2 1 1 0 9+5 2 0 0 9 FW Alan ShearerAlan ShearerAlan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...15+2 2 6 5 0 0 0 0 21+2 7 5 0 10 MF John BarnesJohn Barnes (footballer)John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE is an English football manager and former player.During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England 79 times...22+4 6 3+2 0 3 0 5 1 33+6 7 0 0 11 FW Faustino AsprillaFaustino AsprillaFaustino Hernán "Tino" Asprilla Hinestroza is a former Colombian football player. He was known by his supporters in his home country as The Octopus for his voracious appetite...8+2 2 1 0 0 0 5 4 14+2 6 1 0 11 MF Gary SpeedGary SpeedGary Andrew Speed, MBE was a Welsh football player and manager. He was captain of the Wales national football team until he retired from international football in 2004 and he remains the most capped outfield player for Wales and the second overall, having appeared 85 times at senior level between...13 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 17 2 1 0 12 DF Stuart PearceStuart PearceStuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team...25 0 7 0 0 0 3+1 1 35+1 1 5 0 14 MF 
Temuri KetsbaiaTemuri KetsbaiaTemuri "Temur" Ketsbaia is a Georgian football manager and former player. As a player he represented the Georgian national team and played for Dinamo Tbilisi, Anorthosis Famagusta, AEK, Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Dundee.Ketsbaia is often regarded as having played a major role...16+1 3 2+4 1 1+1 0 3+5 1 22+25 5 3 0 15 GK 
Shaka HislopShaka HislopNeil Shaka Hislop, CM is a former professional football goalkeeper. The majority of his career was spent in the top division in England where he was a part of the Newcastle United team which finished second in the Premier League for two successive seasons under Kevin Keegan's first tenure...13 0 3 0 3 0 2 0 21 0 0 0 16 FW Jon Dahl TomassonJon Dahl TomassonJon Dahl Tomasson is a retired Danish footballer and assistant manager at the Dutch football club SBV Excelsior....17+6 3 2 0 2+1 1 6+1 0 27+8 4 2 0 17 MF Jimmy Crawford Jim Crawford (footballer)Jim Crawford is an American born Irish former footballer-Playing career:Crawford began his career at schoolboy level with Rangers before moving to Bohemian making his debut against Bray Wanderers on 3 November 1991...0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 MF 
Keith GillespieKeith GillespieKeith Robert Gillespie is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays in midfield for Longford Town....25+4 4 5 0 2 0 5+2 0 37+6 4 6 0 19 DF Steve WatsonSteve WatsonSteven Craig "Steve" Watson is a former English footballer, who retired after being released by Sheffield Wednesday on 15 May 2009. As of November 13, 2010, he is the Development Coach at Football League One side Huddersfield Town.-Playing career:Watson began his career with Newcastle United,...27+2 1 3+1 0 2+1 0 8 0 40+4 1 5 0 20 MF 
Bjarni GuðjónssonBjarni GuðjónssonBjarni Eggerts Guðjónsson is an Icelandic footballer who currently plays for KR Reykjavík. His position is midfielder. He has two brothers who have also played professional football, Þórður and Jóhannes. All three played together at Genk...0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 GK 
Pavel SrníčekPavel SrnícekPavel Srníček is a Czech former football goalkeeper.-Career:Srníček was originally signed by Newcastle in December 1990 on loan from Banik Ostrava by manager Jim Smith, who left within months to be succeeded by Ossie Ardiles - by this time his transfer had been made permanent, and he was soon...1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 22 DF Des HamiltonDes HamiltonDerrick Vivian "Des" Hamilton is an English retired professional footballer. He was a midfielder, who played most notably for Bradford City which counted for nearly half his career appearances and in the Premier League with Newcastle United...7+5 0 1 0 1+1 1 2 0 11+6 1 0 0 23 DF Alessandro PistoneAlessandro PistoneAlessandro Pistone is a former Italian footballer.-Early career:Pistone started his career at Solbiatese and Crevalcore, two small Italian teams who in recent years have slid to the lowest tier of professional Italian football, before moving to Vicenza for the duration of the 1995–96 season...28 0 5 0 1 0 5 0 39 0 9 0 24 MF Brian PinasBrian PinasBrian Pinas is a Dutch professional football player of Surinamese descent. He is a left-footed winger.Pinas started playing football at DHC Delft, an amateur football club in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. He actually started as a goalkeeper, but discovered soon enough that he...0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 25 FW Paul BraysonPaul BraysonPaul Brayson is an English footballer who plays for Harrogate Town as a striker.-Career:Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Brayson started his career with Newcastle United before moving to Swansea City on loan. He signed for Reading in March 1998 for a fee of £100,000. He joined Cardiff City on loan in...0 0 0 0 0+1 0 0 0 0+1 0 0 0 26 MF David Burt0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 27 DF 
Philippe AlbertPhilippe AlbertPhilippe Julien Albert is a former Belgian football defender. He played with R. Charleroi S.C., KV Mechelen, R.S.C. Anderlecht and Newcastle United in England...21+2 0 2+1 0 3 0 7+1 0 34+4 0 10 0 28 FW Aaron HughesAaron HughesAaron William Hughes is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for Fulham. Hughes is able to play centre back, right back or left back, as well as anywhere in midfield. He is usually deployed in a centre half position for his club and country, and is the current Northern Ireland captain...4 0 0+1 0 1 0 0+2 0 5+3 0 0 0 29 GK Steve Harper0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 DF Paddy Kelly 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 31 MF Stuart ElliottStuart Elliott (footballer born 1977)Stuart Thomas Elliott is an English footballer who plays for Bedlington Terriers as a midfielder.Elliott started his career as a schoolboy at Arsenal, and after being released by the club he signed an apprenticeship with Newcastle United in 1995. He spent five years with the club, during which...0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 32 MF Ralf KeidelRalf KeidelRalf Keidel is a German footballer playing for FC Ingolstadt 04 II. He made his debut on the German professional league level in the Bundesliga for MSV Duisburg on 31 March 2000 when he came on as a substitute in the 88th minute in a game against SSV Ulm 1846.-External links:* at transfermarkt.de...0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 33 DF David TerrierDavid TerrierDavid Terrier is a retired French football defender who last played for US Créteil. He played for FC Metz and AC Ajaccio in Ligue 1.-Clubs:*1992-1997: FC Metz*1997-1998: West Ham United*1998-1999: Newcastle United...0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 34 DF Nikos DabizasNikos DabizasNikolaos "Nikos" Dabizas is a retired Greek professional footballer and former Newcastle United, Leicester City, Olympiacos and Larissa defender . He was also in Greece's 2004 European Football Championship winning squad....10+1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 12+1 1 3 0 35 FW Paul Robinson0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 38 DF Andy GriffinAndy GriffinAndrew "Andy" Griffin is an English footballer, currently playing for Championship team, ReadingGriffin began his career at Stoke City, where he established a reputation as a solid wing-back defender...4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 39 GK Peter KeenPeter KeenPeter Alan Keen is an English professional football goalkeeper.Keen was born in Middlesbrough and began his career as a trainee with Newcastle United, turning professional in August 1995...0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 40 FW Andreas AnderssonAndreas AnderssonAndreas Claes Andersson is a Swedish footballer. He retired in 2005, but has started playing for lower league side FC Andrea Doria in Sweden. He was capped 42 times and scored 8 goals for Sweden, and he played at the 2002 FIFA World Cup...10+2 2 2+1 0 0 0 0 0 12+3 2 0 0
Starting 11
- Only considering Premiership starts.
| No. | Pos. | Name | Starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Shay Given Shay Given Séamus John James "Shay" Given is an Irish footballer who plays for Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland national team as a goalkeeper. He won the PFA's Player of the Year in 2002.... |
24 |
| 2 | RB | Warren Barton Warren Barton Warren Dean Barton is a former English football player and a TV Pundit for Fox Soccer Channel.-Club career:... |
17 |
| 27 | CB | Philippe Albert Philippe Albert Philippe Julien Albert is a former Belgian football defender. He played with R. Charleroi S.C., KV Mechelen, R.S.C. Anderlecht and Newcastle United in England... |
21 |
| 5 | CB | Darren Peacock Darren Peacock Darren Peacock is an English former professional footballer who played as a central defender.He made nearly 400 league appearances, beginning his career in the lower reaches of the Football League, before spending eight seasons in the Premier League for Queens Park Rangers, Newcastle United and... |
19 |
| 3 | LB | John Beresford John Beresford (footballer) John Beresford is a former English football player who played as a defender, who is currently a pundit for ITV Tyne Tees and ESPN.-Football career:... |
25 |
| 18 | RM | Keith Gillespie Keith Gillespie Keith Robert Gillespie is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays in midfield for Longford Town.... |
25 |
| 7 | CM | Rob Lee Rob Lee Robert Martin "Rob" Lee is a retired English footballer who played the majority of his career for Charlton Athletic and Newcastle United.-Charlton Athletic:... |
26 |
| 4 | CM | David Batty David Batty David Batty is an English retired professional footballer, who played as a defensive midfielder.... |
32 |
| 10 | LM | John Barnes John Barnes (footballer) John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE is an English football manager and former player.During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England 79 times... (Captain) |
22 |
| 16 | CF | Jon Dahl Tomasson Jon Dahl Tomasson Jon Dahl Tomasson is a retired Danish footballer and assistant manager at the Dutch football club SBV Excelsior.... |
17 |
| 9 | CF | Alan Shearer Alan Shearer Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team... |
15 |
Pre-season
Premier League
| Club | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Southampton Southampton F.C. Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club... |
38 | 14 | 6 | 18 | 50 | 55 | ||
| 48 | |||||||||
| 13 | Newcastle United Newcastle United F.C. Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger... |
38 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 35 | 44 | ||
| 44 | |||||||||
| 14 | Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane.... |
38 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 44 | 56 | ||
| 44 |
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
Points allocation: Three points awarded for a win; one for a drawn match; none for a loss.