I was going to write something about the final game against Everton but in hindsight that seems like a day most would like to forget so instead I’ll reminisce about some of the best moments from the past 275 days.  Here are my top 5 moments from the past season and don’t be shy about pointing out all the ones I’ve missed.

1. Over The Wall

This may have only been the second game of the season but being the Tyne-Wear derby it felt like something much more important.  What may have turned out to forgettable game will be remembered for one shot by Ryan Taylor which he put “Over The Wall”

2. Double Demba

Going into the new year Newcastle were still riding high and Demba Ba had become one of the most crucial memebers of the squad by scoring 16 goals before leaving for the African Cup of Nations.  He abscence was sorely missed during that time but his return was something to remember as it was not only his first game back but also the debut of his Senegalese strike partner Pappis Cisse.  They both managed to score in a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa and it began a run of form for Cisse which would continue for the rest of the season.

3. Shola to the rescue

I just couldn’t go without mentioning another example of Shola the Makem-Slayer as he came on to score a memorable goal late in the home match to draw the game level at 1-1.  Pardew himself said this was his moment to remember from the season and it gave us 4 points from a possible 6 against Sunderland.

4. Ben Arfa Wondergoal

Even though Ben Arfa had scored an amazing goal earlier in the season against Blackburn Rovers, it came during the FA Cup and therefore didn’t get as much attention.  This time he chose to create another moment of brilliance during a match that had very little in terms of chances for both clubs and was just  screaming out for a moment of brilliance.  And he delivered in abundance.

5. Cisse Wondergoal

You can’t make a list of top moments of the season and not mention what has been deemed the goal of the season by Papiss Demba Cisse.  His first goal in the match was nothing to be ashamed of and it had secured European football for the club for the first time in years but that didn’t seem to be enough.  With the game winding down, when most players would just hold the ball and wait for the whistle, he decided to attempt a shot that defied the laws of physics.  It’s one that will be remembered for a long time.

From what I can gather the attraction was not necessarily for the game itself but for the availability of a wide variety of game pieces and team colours.  The fact you could get pieces which represented virtually every profesional team or national team meant there was an almost endless supply of pieces to collect.

I initially only submitted one kit design which was modeled after the 1974/75 season Newcastle United kit.  I added some red accents to give a little Canadianana and to make it my own.  This was suppose to represent my home kit.

I later decided to try and design an away kit and thought it should also be modeled after a historical Newcastle United away kit.  Considering the vast array of designs and colours used by Newcastle over their history, from red to blue to yellow and even a dreaded red striped number, I had plenty of options to choose from.  I chose to model is after  the 1985/86 season Newcastle United away kit as it was attractive in it efficiency and also used a subdued colour scheme.

So these are my two entries for The League Of Blogs which also includes almost 90 other kits designs from a vast array of football blogs. At the time of writing there are still a few spaces left so if you would like to contribute then make your contribution quickly.

After suffering a surprising defeat at the hands of Wigan at the weekend to end their 6-game winning streak, Newcastle travelled to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea in a key game for the battle for 4th position.

The game started out well for Newcastle as they controlled the game in the first half and went ahead in the 19th minute when Papiss Cisse continued his scoring form by notching his 12 goal in as many games.  Demba Ba almost doubled the score just before half time when his shot hit the bar.

The second half Chelsea managed to apply much more pressure and it looked like it may be a repeat of the visite to the Emirates when the Magpies couldn’t hold on and were hemed back in their own end as the game wore on.  That is until Papiss stepped up and put the game beyond doubt in injury time.

Pappis Cisse may just have scored the goal of the season.

It was bound to happen sometime but few thought it would happen against Wigan.  The sprint is now on to the finish line starting Wednesday against the resurgent Chelsea.  Time to start a new winning streak.

After 12 days rest as a results of last weekends fixture being rescheduled, Newcastle looked to continue their brilliant run of form with a visite from Stoke to St. James’ Park.  After five wins in a row, Newcastle were the form team in the league and talk of Champions League football next year was a serious possibility.

The team started with the same formation of Cisse, Ba and Ben Arfa up front and with the only change being Tiote returning from injury to replace Perch in the midfield.

The game started about as well as it could have with the Magpies scoring two goals in the opening 20 minutes to take a lead the would never relinquish.  The first came after some nice work by Ben Arfa down the left side who crossed in for Cisse who headed off the bar only for Cabaye to be Johnny-on-the-spot and head the rebound in for the opening goal.  The second had Cabaye as the provider as he put in a beautiful through ball for Cisse that he ran onto and slotted away to continue his incredible scoring streak, making it 11 goals in his first 10 games.

At this point the match was all but over but Cabaye managed to put the finishing touches on his man-of-the-match performance in the 57th minute when he caressed his shot just inside the far post for the third and final goal of the match.  Stoke offered very little as a response and they finished the match with only 8 shots, none managing the reach the target which must have made for one of the easiest matches in young Tim Krul’s young career.

This was the 6th win in a row for Alan Pardew’s squad which is the first time Newcastle United have managed this feat since the days of the Entertainers with Kevin Keegan.  With other results going there way it now leaves Newcastle sitting pretty in fourth place, only 3 points behind Arsenal with a game in hand, and looking forward to trips to the continent next season.  Most fans would have considered any type of European football next season a monumental success had you asked at the start of the season but after recent results it seems the mood is moving towards hoping for Champions League football.  Alan Shearer may have been right when he said there may be “a slight disappointment if they dont’t get into that Champions League spot”

With the latest string of results the chances of Newcastle United playing European football next season have increased dramatically.  It is almost certain that the 6th place finisher in the league will get a European place and this has lead some people to conclude that Newcastle have this guaranteed already with a 12 point gap to 7th place.  Even more exciting would be Newcastle finishing in the Champions League places, which has become a real possibility considering they’re tied for 4th, and bringing a return to the days under Sir Bobby Robson.

But qualifying for Europe may not be all good times as the team Newcastle will play today, Stoke, can attest.  After qualifying for the Europa League courtesy of a runners up position in last years FA Cup they entered the Europa League in the Third Qualifying round which began in late July.  Their run to the knockout stages resulted in an extra 12 competitive matches and put a significant stain on a thin squad.  This would also be a major concern for Newcastle as the squad as it stands would find it difficult to maintain a high performance level with an extra 8-10 highly competitive matches added to the schedule.  But I’m sure every player, and fan for that matter, would not look down on the added fixture load if it meant a few excursions to the continent in a return to European football.  Especially after a season of relegation and another in the second tier.

Derby day is always the first one circled on the calendar when the schedule for the new season is released.  The first one this season occurred on the second weekend of the season.  Fans on both sides had to wait over six months for the return leg which took place at “St. James Park” the past weekend.

Both teams entered the match after dissapointing results in recent weeks with Newcastle losing heavily to Tottenham and blowing a lead against relegation battlers Wolves last week.  Sunderland, who were riding high until recently, suffered their worst defeat under the new O’Neill regime when they lost 0-4 to West Brom at the Hawthornes.

The match started off as you might expect with emotions running high with tackles flying in from all directions and Mike Dean giving out cards for fun.  It culminated with a card and penalty given for a Mike Williamson foul on Michael Turner, which Nicholas Bedtner converted, to open the scoring.

Newcastle ended up playing poorly in the opening half but after a tactical substitution bringing on Hatem Ben Arfa for Davide Santon, the team seemed to have settled in the second.  The team, Alan Pardew in particular, thought they had drawn level when Shola drew a penalty from a Frazier Campbell takle only for Mignolet to save the shot.  But with time running out Shola again came to the rescue and converted a Ryan Taylor cross at the far post to put the stadium in a frenzy.

A 1-1 draw may not have been the result that Newcastle wanted coming into the match but after struggling to score for 90 minutes to score a draw will feel like a win to most Toon fans.  It must be said that legend of Shola “The Makem Slayer” Ameobi continues to grow.  He may be a player that gets a lot of schtick from both fans and media alike but it’s performances like this one that endear him to every Toon fan.  May it continue.

After a two week break for the FA Cup fixtures, Newcastle United took on a Wolves team who were coming off their own embarrassing defeat in the previous fixture.  It was bad enough that it resulted in the dismissal of manager Mick McCarthy after five and a half seasons in charge.  The new gaffer, former assistant Terry Connor, was taking charge of his first match as a manager at any level.

The game started off well for the Magpies as they went ahead 2-nil within the first twenty minutes with goals from Papiss Cisse and Jonas “SpiderMag” Gutierrez.  The match seemed to be well in hand at half time with the home team dominating leading into the break.

The second half was a different story and the rookie gaffer may have given the team talk of his career as his team came out rejuvenated and immediately put pressure on Newcastle.  Within five minutes they had levelled with a Javis deflected shot and then drew level fifteen minutes later when Kevin Doyle put away his own rebound.

Substitute Hatem Ben Arfa came on and had a couple chances that went just wide but in the end the points were shared.  This is the type of draw that feels like a defeat as it is not only points that were dropped but also a wasted opportunity to beat a team in trouble, at home, and keep up with the race for 4th spot.

Here is the match in pictures (click to enlarge):

I can’t be bothered to write anything on this match.  If you’re a sucker for punishment look for the highlights.

Newcastle United continued their dream run with another victory of Aston Villa on Sunday.  It was their fourth win in five matches and brings them to within one point of Chelsea for fourth spot.

This match saw the return of both Senegalese strikers, Demba Ba and newcomer Papiss Demba Cisse, after they crash out of the African Nations Cup with three disappointing losses.

Aston Villa started the stronger squad with Darren Bent forcing Tim Krul to make some important saves in the early going.  Papiss Cisse started the match on the bench but got his chance to play when Leon Best hurt his knee from a Stephen Warnock tackle after only 15 minutes but it was the original Demba who opened the scoring.  A Danny Guthrie ball into the box was headed on by Original Demba for Ryan Taylor who’s shot was blocked and landed nicely for Original Demba to slot home, continuing where he left off with his 7th goal in 7 matches.  While attempting his shot Raylor took a knock on the shin from Warnock (again) and was forced to leave the game.

Aston Villa drew level just before the break when Jonas Gutierrez was striped of the ball and Robbie Keane linked up with N’Somnia to slot home his 3rd goal in 3 matches and his 3rd game in a row scoring at St. James’ Park.

This set the scene perfectly for New Demba to make his impact on his first match for the club.  With twenty minutes to play, Danny Simpson made a run down the left flank and squared the ball for New Demba who chested it at the top of the 18-yard box and struck a perfect left-footed half-volley to put Newcastle United ahead for good.  It was the perfect way to start your career in the black & white and is a small step in fulfilling the expectations of the #9 shirt.

Here is the match in pictures: