Valencia (a) SOLD OUT
Bayer / Strasbourg (h) Public sale now
Liverpool (h) ST forwarding/resale now
Spurs (a) SOLD OUT
Bournemouth (h) Member sale Mon 10.08, 10am

Update:
Bruno a Go(o)ner

Bruno Guimaraes will be joining Arsenal for a £75m fee, having met incoming boss Matthias Jaissle at the club's La Manga training camp and confirmed his wish to leave.

News broke on Monday of a failed first official bid from the Gunners, claimed to be around £69m, but their increased offer was accepted - with no other clubs in the running.

A payment structure has been agreed to assist NUFC meet their SCR (squad cost ratio) requirements and Bruno's former club Lyon reportedly have a sell-on clause.

The Brazilian international becomes the first player to move from Newcastle to Arsenal since defender Mathieu Debuchy back in 2014; Mikel Merino's journey from Tyneside to North London taking him via Real Sociedad.  

This continues what is already an unprecedented close season during which Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, previous club captain Kieran Trippier and of course manager Eddie Howe have all ended their time in Toon. 

Added to the sad loss of club legend Kevin Keegan, it's been a remarkable Summer, even for Newcastle United.

Listing the alterations to squad and staff since March 2025's Carabao Cup Final success at Wembley is a thankless task and that churn almost inevitably has an adverse effect on our reputation and effectiveness. With Bruno following Trippier down the road, leadership becomes even more of a concern.  

There are parallels with Alexander Isak last year with how Bruno has extricated himself from the club, but his legacy among fans seems less clear than that of the Swede, with something approaching sympathy for wanting a last big contract and an increased chance to win silverware.   

The loss of Howe in some ways makes it more palatable for the Brazilian to go now, although replacing his goals, assists and general talismanic value is another unwanted task for those in charge - and another potential disaster area.  

Like Isak though, if players want to go then there's little point in keeping them. As we've said before, if everything was so wonderful last season on the field, we'd not have endured a bottom half finish. Change was needed.

Rather than bemoaning the loss of players, the emphasis for us at times like this remains on who the next occupants of the black and white shirt are. That lesson was harshly learnt as a teenager when Peter Withe left, but became less and less emotional as it was perpetually repeated.

That's not to say that we'll not be giving our old boys grief when facing Spurs, Arsenal (and Liverpool) - sadly the opportunity of ridiculing the one who went to Barcelona won't present itself anytime soon....    

A reminder of CEO David Hopkinson's quotes shortly after joining the club*:

"By 2030, I see this club being in the debate about being the top club in the world. That's where I see us by 2030 - and that kind of progress doesn't take as long as you might think."

Strap yourself in for what should be an amazing three or four years then....

Meanwhile, Newcastle's relegation odds for the coming season have been slashed further. At this point, quite simply anything could happen.

* The appointment of Matthias Jaissle on Wednesday saw Hopkinson supply what may become equally notorious "Newcastle 2.0" quotes - see below.

Update:
At last, Matthias

Although he'd been overseeing the club's pre-season training in La Manga since the weekend, formal confirmation that Matthias Jaissle has been appointed in succession to Eddie Howe finally came from United on Wednesday night.

The 38 year-old German-born coach said:

"It is an incredible honour to become head coach of Newcastle United. This is one of the biggest clubs in European football, with a unique history, identity and supporter base, and I am excited to experience that passion and connection first-hand.

"When Newcastle United comes your way, you take notice. The ambition of the club, the vision for the future and the opportunity ahead made this an incredibly compelling place to be. I have followed the club's journey closely in recent years and the progress that has been made is clear for everyone to see.

"I am incredibly excited about the future. I fully and unreservedly believe in this project, the ambition and the direction the club is taking. There is a clear vision, strong leadership and an exceptional platform to build on.

"My teams are built on togetherness, hard work, intensity and a passion to improve every single day. I will bring full commitment, full energy and a determination to give everything I have to help this club achieve its ambitions.

"I believe there is enormous potential within this squad and throughout the football club. I am excited to work with the players, staff and leadership team to help take the club forward.

"I cannot wait to get started and will attack this opportunity. I give my complete commitment and total energy to bringing further success to Newcastle United."

Jaissle had been in charge of Al-Ahli since 2023. He arrives at Gallowgate with his own support staff although an announcement regarding those is awaited.

Geordie reset:
Land of Hop & glory?

Following belated confirmation of Matthias Jaissle's installation as Newcastle coach, The Athletic carried an in-depth interview with club CEO David Hopkinson:

“We have a plan here, we have an ambition and we’re right on track. There’s no Newcastle 2.0 without Newcastle 1.0. It ignited this community and allowed us to dream. It brought us spectacular nights here, it brought us a trophy and a parade and watching those scenes is one of the reasons I decided to uproot my life and come here. It was a great chapter, but we were living beyond our means. And, at some point, you’ve got to pay the credit card bill.

"We’re going forwards, in a way that is built to last. We are pivoting in line with our reality, but we will surge forward from here and get into a position where we can win consistently. This Newcastle 2.0 team will be young, hungry, ambitious, relentless. They want to be here and they will fight for everything. This is exciting. This is transformational. This is intentional. Let’s go.”

"Eddie (Howe) is the architect, the leader, the author of Newcastle 1.0. He did an extraordinary job. There is so much about him I truly admire, including his total commitment. I’ve been in this business more than 30 years and I can’t think of anybody who outworks Eddie, but there’s nothing that gives that doesn’t also take. Eddie has done that at a tremendous cost, with time away from his family and, as his friend, I think it has impacted him.

"He loves this club so much, but when he put his hand up and said ‘I’m not sure I can go on’, we were faced with a choice. Do I talk him into staying or do we need to accept that answer and accept that Eddie knows what’s best for himself? Eddie also made this decision through a lens of what’s best for Newcastle and knowing we need a level of energy, passion, commitment and work that, in his own estimation, he’s unable to deliver right now.

"I’m still checking in on him because I really care about him. I think he’s going through a difficult period because of how much love he has for this club, but he’s made a really admirable decision to recognise that it’s time for a new voice, a new tone and a new leader. The guy is such a professional and he cares about this club so much that he said: ‘Please look for my replacement. But until then I’m here giving 100%’”

"We had a succession plan for Eddie, just as there’s a succession plan for every key role at the club, including mine and Ross’s. That is our duty. We have an incredible data team, we activated the plan and I believe we sifted through something like 178 names. We had a clear set of criteria of what we want from the manager that succeeds Eddie. MJ (Matthias Jiassle) fits every one and exceeds others that we hadn’t even contemplated. This guy’s a born winner.

"I’m not going to tell you what he’s going to do at Newcastle because that story is still to be written, but let me tell you what he’s done. He’s won six pieces of silverware in his young managerial career. He is high-impact. He is high-energy. He has a clear vision of what it takes to win. I have had the privilege of working with some extraordinary managers and coaches, Eddie being one, and this young man has no ceiling on where his career could go.

"This was not an easy conversation (with Jaissle). He was not sitting on the sidelines, figuring out what he’s going to do next for work. He was employed and delivering and he had earned the right already to be very selective about where he wants to go next and he’s chosen Newcastle.

"We have a shared conviction of what this club can be. We’re welcoming his leadership and his passion. The people here are going to fall in love with what he brings to Newcastle. Eddie leaves big shoes to fill. I have every confidence MJ is the right man to lead us into the future and build on everything Eddie has done for this club. This guy is really impressive. This guy is fire. He is a rock star.

“Newcastle 1.0 under Eddie’s leadership, under PIF’s ownership, delivered something that had not been seen here in decades and that was a wonderful outcome. 

"We need more of them. But that means it is also time to look at the lifestyle and make some short-term adjustments in order for us to compete for those trophies again on a consistent basis.”

“I’m not blaming anyone for the decision to overspend. I celebrate everyone who contributed to those transformational moments in the long history of this club. Our job now is to build from here. That means we’ve got to get our lifestyle commensurate to the regulatory environment and in line with our revenues.

"There’s a growth plan and we’re in the middle of executing it. Anchoring that growth plan is raising our revenues, so that we can move on to credibly and consistently compete. 

"It’s great we had a trophy here, but one in 70 years isn’t enough. That’s not consistently competing. Our ambition, our mission, is to deliver them with frequency.

“Ross (Wilson) is a spectacular executive, we work incredibly closely together and in the next chapter it will be him, MJ and I. We are completely aligned. Ross has been bringing in young athletes with high ceilings, huge growth potential, and we want to see that growth unlocked here at Newcastle.

"All successful clubs have some level of trading in their model, and we will going forward.

"Not only is PIF committed to Newcastle 2.0, they demand it, The ambition I’ve articulated has been generated in concert with the owners. I refer to the owners there because it’s not exclusively PIF, but also the Reuben family.

"I talk to our owners multiple times a day. They commit time, energy, people, resources, consulting, advice. They are the most leaned-in owners I’ve ever worked with. All they want to know is how they can help. 

"They challenge our thinking and push us. They’re absolutely extraordinary partners. There’s no one that wants to see Newcastle 2.0 succeed more than they do.”

2026/27:
U21s learn NLC foes

Newcastle have once again entered their U21 side in the National League Cup and will play four group stage ties, visiting Boreham Wood, Hartlepool United, Solihull Moors and Tamworth.

Two dates have been announced by home clubs so far:

Tue 18.08.2026 Tamworth v NUFC (7.45pm)
Tue 13.10.2026 Hartlepool V NUFC (7pm)  

2026/27:
Spurs (a) extra train

FAO anyone looking to head north by train following the Spurs (a) game on Saturday August 29th:

In addition to the 21.03 LNER departure from London Kings Cross to Newcastle, there will now also be an earlier LNER departure at 20.33 from London Kings Cross to Newcastle.

Incoming:
Horni is a Geordie

Newcastle confirmed their fifth senior signing of the current transfer window on Monday morning, goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek joining from Portuguese side Sporting Braga.

Although the transfer fee is undisclosed, a £25.7m release clause was claimed for the 24 year-old Czech international custodian who has signed a five year contract.

Pulled out of Braga's Europa Conference tie last Thursday, Hornicek travelled to Spain for his medical before linking up with his new colleagues at their La Manga training camp.

He will be the third player from that country to play for the Magpies, following Pavel Srnicek and David Rozehnal.

Standing 6 foot 6 inches tall, Lukas was on the bench for all three of the Czech Republic's three ties at this summer's World Cup Finals in the USA, having won his first senior cap at the end of last season.

(Spoiler alert: the club posted a link on social media "Lukas' first words after landing in Spain", which proved to be "hello, how are you?" not "who is the manager...")

Update:
Valencia (a)

Newcastle's next pre-season game - and the first since the departure of Eddie Howe - sees them head 175 miles north from La Manga to Valencia on Saturday.

Their opponents in a 9pm kick-off (8pm BST) at the Mestalla Stadium are a Valencia side who finished ninth in La Liga last season under Carlos Corberan - who previously managed both Huddersfield Town and West Bromwich Albion.

Their most recent pre-season game was a 1-1 draw at Stoke City, which followed a training camp at the FA's St.George's Park facility.

Valencia don't have a game on the opening day of their domestic league season, opening up at home to Celta Vigo on Saturday August 22nd. 

The Magpies will be playing for the Trofeu Taronja (Orange Trophy), the 54th staging of Valencia's annual curtain-raiser, kicking off what should be their final season at the 1923 vintage Mestalla.

Although preparation works for the Nou Mestalla, three miles to the north of the current ground, began in 2007, it's only now that construction of the 70,000 capacity arena has advanced to the point that a 2027 opening date is likely.

This is Newcastle's first visit to the Mestalla, having faced Valencia at Gallowgate in pre-season back in 2008 when Damien Duff and James Milner goals secured a 2-1 win.

The initial away allocation was increased from 1,381 to 2,000 although the stadium won't be full, with some home areas not on sale. The hosts were gifting tickets in recent days to supporters who donated blood at the stadium!

This and United's other public pre-season games are available as paid live streams from NUFC here 

PS: Valencia's official Youtube channel is advertising live coverage of our game, but it's unclear whether there are territorial restrictions.

Update:
Carabao Cup stuff

A rejigged fixture calendar sees Carabao Cup First Round ties played this weekend, after which will come the draw for the Second Round that includes Newcastle United*.

35 First Round ties are scheduled between Thursday (06.08) and Monday (10.08) involving teams from the Championship, League One and League Two.

The Magpies are then one of 11 Premier League clubs that enter what is a regionalised Second Round, to be played during the week commencing Monday 24.08.

That tie will take place between United's opening two Premier League fixtures, at home to Liverpool on Sunday 23.08 and away at Spurs on Saturday 29.08.

* the EFL are yet to announce when this season's Second Round draw will be staged. 

2026/27:
Ticket to ride

2026/27 Magpie Mover tickets are now on sale, allowing public transport use in Tyne & wear on home matchdays from three hours before kick-off until the end of service*

Held at £25 for each of the last four seasons, the price has increased to £35 this time round, with no concessions.

Available to season ticket holders, Magpie+ members are also eligible to purchase them as was the case last season - although pass validity depends on having a match ticket.

* competitive senior games only, no friendlies/U18/U21s.

Update:
Amandaland

From the BBC, Sunday:

Former West Ham co-owner David Gold's daughter Vanessa has confirmed the family plans to sell its shares in the club to a consortium headed by ex-Newcastle co-owner Amanda Staveley.

Gold's family had been holding discussions with Staveley's consortium, which also includes her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi, over a 25% stake in the Championship club.

In a statement, Vanessa Gold said: "I have now reached an agreement to sell my family's shareholding to a consortium of PCP Capital Partners, led by Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi, in partnership with Ashland Forest Capital Partners.

"While the process has not yet concluded, I wanted to be open with our fans about where things stand and my intentions."

Vanessa Gold added: "My ambition throughout this process has been to ensure the club has the right leadership and ownership to enable West Ham to achieve its potential and return to its rightful place in the Premier League.

"Amanda Staveley, Mehrdad Ghodoussi and PCP Capital Partners will bring deep experience and understanding of what it takes to lead a successful football club. I have every confidence in what she and her partners can bring to West Ham."

2026/27:
Hot and bothered

Bristol City  4  Newcastle  1

Match report

Match action

Loan lads:
The borrowers

Antonio Cordero (Cadiz):
Wednesday brought a 2-0 win over Granada in a training ground kickabout with our man completing 63 minutes.

Odysseas Vlachodimos (Seville):
Bayer Leverkusen (a) Friendly, Saturday.

Harrison Ashby (Luton Town):
Gillingham (a) Carabao Cup, Saturday.

Update:
Sho goes on

Newcastle have added a new Head of Corporate Affairs to their management team in the form of Shola Ameobi, who vacates his previous role of club loans co-ordinator.

Announcing the news, the club confirmed that Shola was part of the Premier League’s Executive Pathway Scheme in 2023 and graduated with a master’s degree in strategic leadership at Newcastle University in December 2025.

There's no mention of who will take on the "loan arranger" role, or whether the post will be filled at all. 

Update:
Squad updates

Senior players signed (5):
Aladji Bamba, Lukas Hornicek, Ewen Jaouen, Sean Steur, Bazoumana Toure. 

Development players signed (1):
Afner Ca

Academy players signed (3 - all tbc):
Eli Hall, Kyle Healy, Kryan Thompson

Senior contracts extended (3):
Harvey Barnes, Mark Gillespie, Fabian Schar

Senior players sold (3):
Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Sandro Tonali (Spurs), Bruno Guimaraes (Arsenal) tbc

Development squad players sold (2):
Travis Hernes (Groningen), Joe White (Crewe Alexandra)

Senior players loaned (3):
Harrison Ashby (Luton Town), Antonio Cordero (Cadiz), Odysseas Vlachodimos (Seville)

Professional contracts signed (6):
Sam Alabi, Guy Bloomer, Jake Durrant, Henry Johnson, Mason Miley, Kacey Wooster

Scholarship contracts signed (8):
Chukwudi Afumuzor, Theo Benjamin, Roman Dowell, Jayden Kouossu, George Mair, Leon Mukumbira, Alfie Seldon, Lesecond Yeutembip


 

What Else?

1950 Edinburgh Select (a) 1-1 (0-1) Friendly  Milburn(65) Bauld(27)  50,000  An all ticket Tynecastle crowd were treated to "a feast of first time passing and grand shooting by Newcastle United", at least according to the Scotsman correspondent. Jambos forward Willie Bauld put a joint Hearts / Hibs XI ahead before Jackie Milburn levelled - both goals scored by lobbing the respective goalkeepers as an offside flag never came. The annual charity match ended all square and the Allison Challenge Trophy was presented to Magpies Captain Joe Harvey - the visitors holding the silverware for six months. United would return five years later to contest the fixture, drawing 1-1 at Easter Road. Team: Fairbrother, Cowell, McMichael, Harvey, Brennan, Houghton, Walker, Taylor, Milburn, Hannah, Mitchell. 1968 Aberdeen (Scotland) (h) 1-0 (1-0) Friendly  Bennett(20)  16,000 United rounded off their pre-season programme with this Monday evening friendly, ahead of the season opener at home to West Ham. The Dons were without Jimmy Smith, who became Newcastle's first £100K signing a year later. His replacement Tommy Craig would also become a Magpie, but not until 1974. Among the crowd was Tommy Gibb, following completion of his move from Partick Thistle. Team: McFaul, D.Craig (Burton), Clark, McNamee, Iley (Young), Elliott, B.Robson, Bennett, Davies, Ross, Sinclair (T.Robson).  1969 Hibernian (Scotland)  (a) 0-0 (0-0) Friendly 15,309 Having beaten Hearts on Tyneside one week before, Newcastle were unable to complete an Edinburgh double on this visit to Easter Road. Team: McFaul, Craig, Clark, Gibb, Burton (McNamee), Moncur, Sinclair (Elliott), Dyson, Davies, Smith, Foggon (Arentoft). 1969 A Magpies XI won 4-0 at non-league Evenwood Town, but the game was marred by the 87th minute dismissal of United's Bob Noble for fighting. Alan Duffy helped himself to a hat-trick after Thompson opened the scoring for Newcastle. 1969 Newcastle defender Graham Winstanley exited Gallowgate, making a £7,000 move to Carlisle United.  Following the successful conclusion of talks with Cumbrians boss Bob Stokoe, "Tot" was withdrawn from the squad for Hibernian. 1970 Dundee United (Scotland) (h) 1-0 (0-0) Friendly  Davies(71)  15,000 A second friendly visit by the Tangerines to Tyneside within a year. The Fairs Cup fixture had made it a trio - and Newcastle won all three. Following victory at Tannadice four days earlier, fitness issues saw a much-changed Newcastle side rookie goalkeeper Martin Burleigh deputising for Iam McFaul, Ron Guthrie replacing Frank Clark and new arrival Stewart Barrowclough debuting. Team: Burleigh, Craig, Guthrie, Gibb, McNamee, Moncur, Dyson, Robson, Davies, Smith, Barrowclough (Foggon 67). 1972 Morton (Scotland) (a) 1-1 (0-0) Friendly  Howard(80) Gillies(61)  4,061 After visits to St. Johnstone and Partick Thistle, United's pre-season tour of Scotland concluded on the banks of the Clyde at Cappielow. A rather tempestuous affair saw Iam McFaul pick up a knee injury while Bob Moncur, Tommy Gibb and Terry Hibbitt were booked. Team: McFaul, Clark, Craig, Gibb, Moncur, Howard, Green, Tudor, Macdonald, Hibbitt, Smith. Subs tbc. Further down the west coast meanwhile, a Magpies XI were beaten 2-3 by Division Four Workington. Striker Paul Cannell got both Toon goals while Rowlands (2) and a Tyrer penalty won it for the Reds.   1978 A Magpies XI faced Berwick Rangers at Shielfield Park and won 1-0 through an 80th minute effort by Ray Blackhall. Team: Mahoney, Kelly, Barker, Blackhall, Barton, J.Scott (Hughes), Callachan, Ferguson, Manners (Mitchell), A.Guy, S.Robinson. 1984 Hibernian (Scotland)  (a) 3-0 (2-0) Friendly  Beardsley(6), Wharton(40,64) 6,000 A Sunday Testimonial for Hibs player Jackie McNamara saw George Best return to Easter Road to play 72 minutes for another one of his old clubs.  Youngster Darren Melville appeared as a second half substitute for a Magpies side overseen by coach Willie McFaul in the absence of manager Jack Charlton. Team: Thomas, Brown, Ryan, Carney, Haddock (Anderson 6), Saunders, McDonald, Wharton, Waddle, Beardsley, McCreery (Melville 66). 1986 Linfield (Northern Ireland) (a) 3-2 (2-1) Friendly Whitehurst(22,38), Allon(75) Murray(25), McGaughey(60) 5,000  United journeyed to Windsor Park to mark the Belfast club's centenary celebrations. Team: Thomas, McDonald, Tinnion, McCreery, Clarke, Anderson, Stewart, Davies, Whitehurst (Allon), Beardsley, Ferris.  1987 Newcastle announced that they had reached agreement to sign Brazilian striker Mirandinha, and he would join his new team mates within a few weeks after his current club Palmeiras concluded their own season. A deal was struck after club President Nelson Duque flew to Tyneside and successfully acquired a work permit for the forward. 1987 In a private friendly played at Benfield, United drew 1-1 with Middlesbrough. 1993 Gateshead (a) 3-0 (3-0) Friendly  Mathie(13,25), O'Brien(23) 4.500 United provided the opposition in a testimonial for midfielder Derek Bell, who was forced to retire from full-time football through injury in 1983, when on the books of Newcastle. Bell went on to make over 300 appearances for Gateshead over the next decade and played for both sides during this kickabout. A mixed side of first teamers and reserves were fielded by United, with Graham Pepper, Tony Dinning, Graham Stokoe and Shaun Baldwin all making rare senior appearances for the club.  Future Magpie coach Simon Smith was in goal for the hosts, who fielded SJP old boy Paul Sweeney as a trialist and signed him straight after the game. Team: Srnicek, M.Appleby (Pepper 63), Roche (Dinning 81), Kilcline, Neilson, Stokoe, O'Brien, Cole, Mathie (Baldwin 84), R.Appleby (Bell 76). 1994 Manchester United (a) 1-1 (1-1) Friendly  Fox(19) Cantona(43) 27,282  Toon fans were accused of displaying anti-Munich sentiments after throwing of paper aeroplanes at the few Manchester United fans who bothered to turn up for the first day of the Ibrox Tournament.  Ruel Fox's rasping drive put Kevin Keegan's side ahead but Eric Cantona's equaliser took the game to a penalty shootout ending 6-5 to Newcastle. Marc Hottiger struck the winner after Peter Beardsley, Steve Watson, John Beresford, Darren Peacock and Andy Cole netted.  Jason Drysdale and Ruel Fox missed from the spot, while Pavel Srnicek saved future Magpie Keith Gillespie's effort and Cantona's impudent chip missed the target.   In the other game, Rangers were beaten 2-4 by Sampdoria, the home side going 2-0 up thanks to Mark Hateley and a Rossi own goal. The Italians came back though with goals from Bertarelli (2), Jugovic and Melli (not George)... Team: Srnicek, Hottiger, Beresford, Fox, Venison, D.Peacock, Watson, Elliott,  Beardsley, Cole, Guppy (Drysdale, 62) Youtube footage is online here 1995 Celtic (Scotland)  (a) 1-1 (0-1) Friendly  Ferdinand(56) Collins(29pen) 34,500  After wins at Hartlepool and Rushden, Kevin Keegan's side lost their 100% record at Parkhead in blazing sunshine.  Referee Hugh Dallas penalised Darren Peacock for upending debutant striker Andreas Thome and John Collins blasted home the spot kick. Back came United after the break however and Les Ferdinand headed home a Scott Sellars centre before hitting a post late on. The game saw the home side return after a year exiled at Hampden while the Jungle Terrace was replaced by a new North Stand. Hoops fan Rod Stewart performed the opening ceremony, but thankfully didn't sing. The whole affair was later released on video, marking the first game at Parkhead in charge for Celtic boss Tommy Burns - although he'd taken the job 12 months previously. Team: Srnicek, Hottiger, Beresford, Peacock, Fox, Howey, Lee, Beardsley, Ferdinand, Ginola, Sellars. Subs n/u: Clark, Harper, Watson, Elliott, Kitson, Gillespie. After the game, KK said of David Ginola: "He showed some class and certainly he's different to anything we've had before. He could be potentially dangerous, and if he plays as well as he can, he might have to carry a Government health warning!" 1998 Bray Wanderers (Ireland)  (a) 6-0 (3-0) Friendly Shearer(11,29,41), Dalglish(61,88), Hamman(81) 5,700 United's second pre-season game in Ireland saw them in rather better nick at the Carlisle Grounds than they had been at Bohemians nine days earlier. New boy Stephane Guivarc'h made his Magpies bow but lasted just 11 minutes before going over on his ankle and hobbling off.  NUFC.com match report 2000 Feyenoord (Holland)  (a) 1-2 (1-1) Friendly Lee(44) Tomasson(17), Korneev(59) 32,340 United's indifferent pre-season continued in Rotterdam as they suffered defeat in De Kuip Stadium.  Feyenoord took the lead through old boy Jon Dahl Tomasson before Robert Lee equalised, driving home from the edge of the box following futile appeals for handball after Carl Cort rose to meet a Daniel Cordone cross.  NUFC.com match report 2003 Bayern Munich (Germany) (h) 2-2 (1-0) Friendly Shearer(40,85) Hargreaves(61), Pizarro(89) 32,277 Two expertly-taken Alan Shearer goals almost gave Newcastle an undeserved win over the reigning Bundesliga Champions. Shearer looked to have sealed a 2-1 victory with the better of his two strikes, before Claudio Pizarro replied late on to level United's final pre-season friendly. NUFC.com match report 2006 Villareal (Spain) (h) 3-3 (1-2) Friendly Ameobi(22), Butt(79), Butt(80) Josico(13), Pires(34), Rodriguez(62) 20,144 Two fine headers in as many minutes from forgotten man Nicky Butt salvaged a draw, within 12 minutes of coming off the bench.  Like the appearance from the bench against PSV, he was jeered by sections of the crowd but his quick-fire brace silenced the boo-boys and did much to resurrect his SJP career. NUFC.com match report 2007 Sampdoria (Italy)  (h) 1-0 (0-0) Friendly Smith(59) 23,078 Debutant Alan Smith got the winner - a phrase never to be used in anger as this was his only Newcastle goal - nodding in Geremi's corner. Also making his club bow was Mark Viduka, while fellow new boy Cacapa took part in a half-time kickabout for his new side. Jose Enrique meanwhile watched the game from the Directors Box, having travelled to SJP to finalise a £6m move from Villarreal. NUFC.com match report 2009 Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse.... Former interim Magpies boss Joe Kinnear broke his silence on Radio5: "I have been offered a two-year contract and it is something I am mulling over at the present time.  "I have told Mike (Ashley) I am not going to go back to football for at least another three months and we will look at the situation then. "I told him I would refuse to go back for pre-season friendlies as I was not up to it for medical reasons. I needed to take time out and re-assess the situation and take it from there. But obviously in another three months the picture might be completely different. "In the meantime if Newcastle feel the need to go and get another manager then so be it. But should that happen I will be on the look-out elsewhere and as we all know the only time you do get asked to take these positions is when someone else loses their job. "I was definitely offered the job a couple of weeks ago. I sat down and spoke in depth to Derek Llambias and the offer was a two-year contract. "I left the club who were lying thirteenth when I had my illness, and I would have staked my life on us staying up. We were in good form at that particular time, we were playing extremely well." He made an abortive return in 2013. 2011 United's reserves rounded off their public pre-season programme on a Friday night with a 2-1 victory against Northern League side Ashington at Woodhorn Lane. Brad Inman and Phil Airey were on target for the orange-clad Magpies. NUFC.com match report 2013 Loic Remy completed a season-long loan move to SJP from relegated QPR. The Magpies had made an unsuccessful attempt to sign the striker from Marseille in the previous transfer window but were outbid by the R's. 2014 Huddersfield Town (a) 2-2 (1-1) Friendly Riviere(16),Cabella(88) Majewski(36), Stead(65) 5,896 Following the weekend exertions in Germany, a third game in four days saw full back Daryl Janmaat debut against the second tier Terriers. A third goal of pre-season for Emmanuel Riviere put United ahead only to concede twice, before quick thinking from Ayoze Perez set up Remy Cabella to chip in a late leveller. NUFC.com match report 2016 Fulham (a) 0-1 (0-1) Championship P1, 0pts, 24th/24 Smith(45) 23,922 United's first league game out of the top flight since 2010 was this Friday night live Sky game, 7,000 away fans witnessing a false start. Referee Simon Hooper waved away two penalty claims for handball but worrying defensive deficiencies allowed Matt Smith to nod home Fulham's winner from a set-piece. Matz Sels, Grant Hanley, Isaac Hayden, Matt Ritchie and Dwight Gayle all made competitive debuts for the crestfallen Magpies. NUFC.com match report 2022 Eddie Howe signed a new extended contract to remain as Newcastle boss. Initially agreeing a deal until the end of the 2023/24 season when succeeding Steve Bruce in November 2021, the revised deal was of an undisclosed duration. 2023 Fiorentina (Italy) (h) 2-0 (1-0) Friendly Almiron(38), Isak(82) 36,725 United took pole position after day one of the Sela Cup, goals from Miguel Almiron and Alexander Isak deservedly defeating Serie A opposition at Gallowgate. NUFC.com match report