ST. JAMES' PARK ***1880--2025** 145YEARS OLD! *** HAPPY BORTHDAY TOO YOOO!"

Posted 'high noon bells' Thorzday 16th Octobaa 2025

This iz the orliest known photo of a stand at St James' Park in 1888 when Newcastle West End occupied the groond 

(Oliver Hardy iz on the far left and Stan Laurel iz on the far right!)---HONEST!

Newcastle East End took over the ground when West End folded and a small wooden stand can be seen in the background filled with bowler hatted gentlemen!

This photo woz taken in 1890

The forst ever game of futbaall at St. James' Park took place 145 years ago on 16th October 1880 when a Newcastle Rangers 'Captains X1' took on 'Others' who had 15 players on the field!
Rangers anly had 11 players but won 6-1!
The Daily Journal recorded that: "The new ground is very nicely situated. It is 120 yards by 60 yards broad and is comparatively level!"
Rangers headquarters were recorded as: 'Strawberry House, 78 St James' Park' and Rangers christened the ground St. James' Park az it woz next to St. James' Street which iz still there in the shadow of The East Stand!

*By amazing coincidence aa got married to Val on 16th October 2005 at St James' Park!---on the 125th anniversary of the forst game!

Aa didn't realise this til  aa woz researchin' this article in October 2018!   Aa thought "16th October rings a bell?"--- but aa couldn't remember why??? 

PS: I tell people I got married to Val in a cathedral!  
"The cathedral on the hill!"---az Sir Bobby Robson caalled it!

SJP buildin' work 1890's

SJP 1904 (St James' Street iz on the right)

SJP 1905 WITH THE 2ND WEST STAND IN THE BACKGROOND

SJP IN 1905

SJP 1930 WITH THE NEW LEAZES END ROOF AT THE TOP OF THE PICTURE

SJP car park 1930

SJP 1960s

SJP entrance 1960s

SJP 21st century

SJP 21st century "The cathedral on the hill!"

Here are some fascinating newsreel photos from a game v Liverpool 124 years ago in 1901

NUFC won 1-0 with centre forward Bob McColl scorin' the anly goal, watched by a crowd of 20,000

THE OLD WEST STAND (NOW MILBURN STAND) IZ IN THE BACKGROOND

THE POPULAR SIDE (NOW EAST STAND) WITH LEAZES TERRACE (LEFT) AND ST. JAMES' STREET (RIGHT) WHICH THE GROOND WOZ NAMED AFTER

  

LOOKING TOWARDS THE LEAZES END-- NOTE THAT THE NUFC GOALIE MATT KINGSLEY IZ WEARING BLACK 'N' WHITE STRIPES

NOTE THAT THE REFEREE IN THE MIDDLE OF PHOTO IZ WEARIN' A CAP 

TV FIXTURES IMMINENT FOR DECEMBAA AND JANUARY!

 Posted ‘6.00pm 🛎️ bells’ Tuezday 14th Octobaa 2025

Updated Wedinzday ‘7.00pm 🔔s

The Premyaa Leegue telly times for the fixtures below are due to be released sometime on Wedinzday— but divvint haad yih breath! 

Altogether there are a possible 11 games which could be moved!

The Geordie Times predicts that at least 6 will be on live telly and 5 will stay the same!- Let’s see how many we get reet! 3 oot of 4 so far- The rest not decided yet, despite their promises! 

Decembaa 2025

Wed 3 Sporz home will stay the same ❌ Now Tue 2 at 8.15 🛎️s on Sky

Sat 6 Bornlee home will stay the same ✅

Sat 13 SMB away will definitely be moved ✅ Now Sun 14 at ‘2.00🔔s on Sky

Sat 20 Chelseee home will be moved ✅ Now Sat 20 at 12.30 🛎️ s on TNT

Sat 27 Moan U away will be moved (Nothing decided)

Tue 30 Bornlee away will stay the same (Nothing decided)

January 2026

Sat 3 Palace home will stay the same (Nothing decided)

Wed 7 Leeedz home will stay the same (Nothing decided)

Sat 17 Wolves away will be moved (Nothing decided)

Sat 24 Villa home will definitely be moved  (Nothing decided)

Sat 31 The Liverbirds away will be moved (Nothing decided)

U21s are in action tooneet at Mansfield ⬇️ in the EFL Trophy!

We will bring you news of any goals az soon az we find oot— Or! if you want to watch—-It’s on Sky Sports + tooneet! (7.45 bells 🔔)

GOAL! Cathal Heffernan 4th minute!⬇️

1-0 to NUFC U21s —-in the aall green strip

22nd minute

Goal for Mansfield by Dickov 1-1

HT 1-1

66th minute

Goal for Mansfield by Flanagan 

It’s been coming!

2-1 doon!

91st minute

GOAL! for NUFC by Mc Arthur!

2-2 FULL TIME!

Penalty shootout for extra point⬇️

✅1-0 NUFC score

✅1-1 MTFC score

✅2-1 NUFC score

❌MTFC miss

✅3-1 NUFC score

✅3-2 MTFC score

✅4-2 NUFC score

❌MTFC miss

✅4-2NUFC score

✅4-3 MTFC score 

✅5-3 NUFC score! McArthur wins it for extra point!

🤪👍🏁

PS Looks like I put 4-2 twice and got mixed up!?😵‍💫

DUNSTON 3 BLYTH SPARTANS 0 *** NORTHERN PREMYAA LEEGUE EAST DIVISION

 Posted ‘12.37am bells 🔔’ Wedinzday 15th Octobaa 2025

“ONE GIANT LEAP FROM PEARSON!”

With the International break still in full swing and indeed with England in Latvia, on the same neet in a World Cup qualifier, we decided to watch the match between Dunston and Blyth Spartans at UTS Stadium instead and a bumper 530 crowd were in attendance to witness a great 3-0 win for Dunston and the sad demise of the once feared Spartans of Blyth!

Blyth started off the better side, but gradually ‘The Fed’ (Dunston’s nickname) came more and more into the game az the first half progressed!

The breakthrough came in the 39th minute when Dunston took the lead with a great heeded goal by their captain!

The Dunston Twitter feed enthusiastically announced the goal as follows:  

Micky Pearson leaps like a salmon in the penalty area, allowing him the power a header into the back of the net from a corner!

It should be noted that Dunston sits on ‘the banks o the Tyne’, which iz aalso one of the finest salmon fishin rivers in England!—-So the description of that goal isn’t fishy at aall! (sic!)

HT 1-0 to ‘The Fed’ (Their former name woz Dunston FEDeration Brewery FC)

News had filtered through that England had taken the lead through NUFCs Anthony Gordon, which made the half time ‘booze break’ in the clubhoose even better! (England eventually won 5-0!)

The 2nd half got even better for Dunston and they doubled their lead in the 74th minute when JJ O’Donnell sent in a powerful heeded goal at ‘The Clubhoose End’!

It got even worse for The Spartans az the 3rd and final goal of the game came in the 83rd minute through a Wil Shaw shot from inside the box, az the travelling ‘green army’ fell silent!

The Dunston Ultras then ‘stuck the knife in’ by singin repeatedly to their heed coach: “Your gettin sacked in the mornin!” az they danced behind the away dugoot! ⬇️

This woz followed by a more poignant: “Your not famous anymore!”  

This, the famous non leegue team, who in 1978 I saw play Wrexham in the FA Cup 6th roond at SJP in front of 42,000, woz now in freefall and rock bottom of the NPL East table and facing a 3rd relegation in a row!

The very sad demise of a great non leegue club!

“ITS AALL GO AGAIN FROM SATURDAY ONWARDS!

 Posted ‘1:31pm 🔔 bells’ Munday13th Octobaa 2025

MURIAL ON THE CORNER OF PERCY STREET AND LEAZES PARK ROAD!

Followin the 2nd International break of the season, which haz lasted 13 days, NUFC face 7 games in 3 competitions in 3 weeks and then another International break of 13 days!—and then at least 10 games from 22nd Novembaa til the end of Decembaa!

Thats a crazy 17 games aall told to be crammed into the fixture list before New Year’s day! (At least!)

Meenin in total that we will have played 27 games from the start of the season!

The telly fixtures for Decembaa and January are due to be released on Wedinzday, where nee doubt we will be playin at ‘anytime 🔔 bells’ on any day of the week!?

We start off the marathon at Brighton on Saturday at the very unusual time of 3 bells 🔔 at their ‘Nee where near Brighton Stadium’ which iz in the middle of nee where! (the last 2 times its been played at 2 🛎️s on a Sunday!)

This meenz that we can actually get there and back withoot an owerneet stay!

It’s certainly hectic and very expensive followin The Toon home and away these days! 💴 

THE BEGINNING OF THE END!

Posted ‘2.00pm bells’.🔔 

Friday 10th Octobaa 2025

“AT LAST!— I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO SEE NUFC ON PLANET MARS!”  

“TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER!—

WHEY AYE MAAN!”

News that the AC Milan v Como Serie A game will be played in Perth, Australia in February 2026 and that Villarreal v Barcelona La Liga game will be played in Miami, USA in Decembaa, iz ‘the beginning of the end’az this will set an unstoppable never endin’ rollercoaster 🎢 ride!

What next? NUFC v Sporz in The Premyaa Leegue on the planet MARS! It’s crazy! (DON’T bet against it!)

Are they gannih pay for season ticket holders flights and hotels when we play games in far off places?

I Fink we aall naa the answer to that one! 🙈 

THE BOSTON TEA PARTY BRIGADE 1. THE TOON U21s 3 *** NATIONAL LEEGUE CUP!

Posted ‘6:00 pm 🛎️ bells’ Thorzday 9th Octobaa 2025

SEAN NEAVE PEN (GREEN NUMBER 10)

“TEA PARTY TIME IN BOSTON!”

A Sean Neave forst half hat-trick sealed this victory at Boston United’s Jakeman’s Stadium last neet!

We were ‘Laptophopping’ on ‘You Tube from wor hoose for this one, az we’d been here last season!

(The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers anly gan to these games once to get the new groond in—and the T👕!) (Apart from Glennn from Ashington who did gan again!)😵‍💫

18 year old Sean’s forst goal came in the 16th minute from the penalty spot and the next goal came just before the 30 minute mark when he ran doon the right wing and cut inside the box to fire home! ⬇️

Hiz third goal came just before the break when he ran through the Boston defence to send a shot beyond their keeper! ⬇️

HT 3-0 to us

‘The Tea Party Brigade’ did pull a goal back not lang after the restart through Maguire, (shot) but that woz the end of the scorin!

FT 3-1 to us!

The result lifts NUFC U21’s up to 2nd place after 2 games in the Group D table, behind Boston who have played aall of their 4 games! (Top 2 qualify for the knockoot stage!)

Next up iz Halifax and Scunthorpe away in Decembaa, where we’ve been tee previously az well!

(So nee new groonds for The Toonhoppers in Group D😭)

375 stade joseph marien, brussels (v usg u19s)

Grovelling apologeeez for the late posting of this U19s game, which woz played one week ago in Brussels,  but this IZ The Geordie Times, wot did yoo expect!😵‍💫⬇️

Ground number 375 (376 includin Motspur Park from ootside)

Date of first visit: 1st October 2025

Stade Joseph Marien, Forest, Brussels, Belgium  

Royal Union Saint-Gilloise U19s 2

Newcastle United U19s 0

UEFA Youth League game 2

Attendance: 1,500 (estimated). 50 or so Toon fans (plus 20 or so watchin from a fire escape on a big hoose owerlookin the groond and from behind a fence bordering a forest!)

“YOU NEEDED A MASTERS DEGREE TO BUY A TICKET FOR THIS GAME!”

USGs forst team arn't allowed to play Champions Leegue games at their own stadium az it isnt deemed suitable by UEFA,  with just one 100 year old dilapidated main stand, with the rest of the groond open to the elements!

This iz why wor game against them woz played at Anderlecht's Lotto Park on the other side of Brussels!

However!---there were nee such issues with their U19s UEFA Youth Leegue game bein played there v NUFC U19s, some 4 hours before the main game!

This woz great new for 'The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers' who had been to Anderlecht before to watch The Toon, but have NEVER been to the Joseph Marien Stadium in the Forest district on the southside of Brussels!

The anly problem woz actually gettin a fcukin ticket for the game!

To get one you had to:

1: Create an accoont on their website

2: Enter a 10 digit password usin letters, numbers and astericks

3: You needed to photograph your passport in front of you IF you could find the Onfido option to verify its YOU! (Photos of your passport were NOT deemed good enough!) 

4: Then you needed to download it to your wallet IF it would let you!?

(I had to get help from somebody who iz clued up on these things (Steev) az I havvint got a masters degree in ticketing!

But even he took 20 minutes to find the Onfido option to download it to mee 'telling bone'!---📱 "Horray!"

Honestly! it would be easier to buy a ticket for the Champions Leegue final than for this Under 19s game! (Why did they make it so fcukin hard to buy a ticket for a minor game?)

Anyway!---enough of that!

We stopped in a hotel in Kortrijk, which iz a smaall town a few miles away,  az it woz much cheaper than the hotels in Brussels (100 euros for 2 neets) --- (Brussels iz a shithole anyway!)

After arrivin by train to Brussels Sud (South) we got a tram to Forest, where USG play and wor forst 'port o call' woz a bar near the groond caalled 'Pita Corner', before movin on to 'Union's Taverne' ower the road from the main stand, which woz covered in scaffoldin'!

The bar woz canny full with a mixture of USG and Toon fans (who must of aall had masters degrees!)

It woz soon time to heed to the match, where a gadgy checked wor phone tickets with a scanner and 'hey presto' we were in the groond!

The groond consisted of a dilapidated 99 year old main stand (built 1926) with open terracin on the far side and bucket seat terracin behind both goals, which had nee cover eethaa!---Its hard to imagine that this iz the home groond of the Belgian champions!? (see photos) There woz a forest suroondin the terracin' which iz why this area of Brussels iz caalled 'Forest' —we assumed!?

We took wor seats which were simple wooden planks on conrete terracin' and I had a great view of a metal roof post in front of me! (see top photo!)

It didnt take the home side lang to open the scorin, when in the 6th minute Hamoutahar evaded the challenge of Toon defender Scott Bailey to run into the box and fire into the net, to give USG youngins the lead!---

Sean Neave nearly levelled things a few minutes later, but hiz lobbed effort woz saved by the Union goalie!---Anthony Munda aalso went close to equalisin, but hiz shot woz blocked by a defender!

 It woz mostly USG on the attack for the rest of the half az wor U19s stuggled to contain them!

SPOT THE THIN PLANK 'SEATS'

The crowd numbered aboot 1,500, mixed with USG, Toon fans and USG club staff, who were aall in the ancient stand ---and the anly other 'spectators' were 14 or so on a fire escape of a large hoose on the hill above the groond!---Plus half a dozen or so in the forest behind, glimsing a view of the action from behind a fence! ⬇️

In stoppage time of the forst half USG doubled their lead when Kieta heeded past George Mier in wor goal!  HT 2-0 to them! 

NUFC U19s played better in the 2nd period with Sean Neave running doon the pitch to hit a sweet shot that woz deflected behind for a corner early on!

Neave then hit the post late on with a curling shot, but it deflected to safety and wor hosts held oot for the 2-0 win!

On the final whistle we caught a tram and Metro to Anderlecht for the main Champions Leegue game, which kicked off some 3 hours after this one finished! 

A match report on that game can be foond lookin for 'ground 143 revisited'!

PS: NUFC U21s are in action tooneeet v Boston United at their Jakemans Stadium in The National Leegue Cup!

Az The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers have been here before, we won’t be gannin!

(We anly gan to these games if it’s a groond we havvint previously visited!)