United complete pre-season schedule

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With the World Cup not really affording us much of a break from football, the news that our pre-season campaign has been finalised feels a bit like overkill at the moment.

However we have at least gone about arranging fixtures early this year giving us a structure to pre-season and allowing fans around the world to be able to plan early if they wish to see Newcastle, especially fans in Germany or further afield in New Zealand.

For fans on Tyneside there is just one home pre-season friendly to consider with the most recently announced visit of Real Sociedad taking place on Sunday 10th August. If you fancy an away day before the season then you can always take a trip to Oldham (Tuesday 15th July), Sheffield Wednesday (Wednesday 30th July) or Huddersfield (Tuesday 5th August) but for any of the others you’re going to need a passport at the very least.

That’s because we play two games in New Zealand against Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix (Tuesday 22nd July and Sunday 26th July respectively) before taking part in a four team tournament in Gelsenkirchen where we’ll play two teams from West ham, Shalke and Malaga on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd August. The full fixture list is as follows.

Date Opposition Kick-off (local time) Venue
Tuesday 15th July Oldham 7:30pm Boundary Park
Tuesday 22nd July Sydney FC 7:30pm Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Sunday 26th July Wellington Phoenix 4:30pm Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Wednesday 30th July Sheffield Wednesday 7:45pm Hillsborough
Sat 2nd/Sun 3rd August Schalke/Malaga/West Ham TBC VELTINS-Arena, Gelsenkirchen
Tuesday 5th August Huddersfield 7:45pm John Smith’s Stadium
Sunday 10th August Real Sociedad 1:30pm St James’ Park

Please note that all kick-off times are local time so whatever times are decided for our two games in Germany just take an hour off and you’ll have the UK kick-off time which is easy enough but for the two games in New Zealand please bear in mind that they are 11 hours ahead of us so kick-off times here in the UK will be 8:30am and 5:30am respectively.

However there is a long way to go until pre-season and there are still many issues to sort out. In terms of United we have a huge strengthening task on our hands which will keep people occupied but on the grander scale there is the World Cup which is now just 19 days away. You can have a World Cup free bet if you fancy it and feel like getting in the mood by clicking on the link.

Keep this safe. Thanks for reading!

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

270 thoughts on “United complete pre-season schedule

  1. Axel – I think Ince is a bit of a mercenary to be honest mate, but he has potential to be a real talent.

    I think it really depends on who comes in at Spuds as to who they keep and who goes. I think they may well have to clear some of their squad to bring new players in (size wise) so players like Townsend and Sigurdsson may be available – though who knows what price tag they’ll have on them.
    Similarly with Man Utd and Van Gael, if we are still interested in Zaha.

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  2. My other big concern at the moment is who the hell scores the goals next season?.
    I don’t about anyone else but I can’t say I’m convinced about those we’ve been linked with so far.

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  3. Sharpy ,I agree mate ,I’m just praying someone really decent is lined up under the radar for up front. TBF, in the past the club has sprung the odd surprise signing but really this owner is in the last chance saloon with me like.

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  4. Kim – I hope there is a surprise too but the way we have performed in the transfer windows over the last 2 years I don’t dare hold my breath!.
    I do have a cracking recipe for humble pie, but I’m not convinced I’m going to need it.
    My worry is that Ashley will think, do as little business as needed this summer and if things aren’t great we can always spend in Jan.
    I may be wrong, but previous windows have left me thinking that.

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  5. KIM &SHARPY i was hoping we would get the German Lad Lasogga but i read today that his club president has said no way will they sell him ,even if it means he will walk for free next year .

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  6. A lot of you are telling me that you aren’t excited about next season! How is that possible mates? We’re going to have owner and manager shenanigans all summer, followed by excuse making, followed by plenty of bragging about our squad by Pardew. Now get excited!

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  7. But apparently Lassoga’s mam is in England to talk to various Prem clubs Axel mate. I read it on another blog so it has to be true! Fact!

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  8. g2 ,your right mate , as of now i shall start getting excited but i will build it up slowly but surely a bit like the club build up our transfer dealings 😉

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  9. We may sign Pete Townsend Axel mate @150. That’s part of the excitement I was talking about earlier!

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  10. Football wasteland
    It’s Ashley’s football wasteland
    Football wasteland
    Football wasteland!
    He’ll sing it before wor home games. Beautiful.

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  11. Good Axel @159. That’s excellent mate! A very slow buildup. Yes, like our squad, Build slowly, slowly, then power our way to a 14th place finish next season! Huzzah!

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  12. I don’t understand how you lot can’t be excited yet? Colour me puzzled mates? 😕

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  13. Axel@155, If that’s true then Jabba will let us make do until next year and get him on a free 🙄

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  14. Kim – Jabba DID say that – about Shola last season!.
    Just as well, can you imagine how much worse it could have been without his goals this season!.

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  15. That photo in the link that KIM TOON posted of Lassoga with his mother ,is that not a bit too much motherly love ?

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  16. I’ve just read something quite worrying. Apparantly Grenier and Sissoko have the same agent. So if the ****** is trying to manufacture a move for Moussa – how keen is he likely to be trying to get Grenier here?.

    Axel – 😆 Yes it does look from that picture that Mrs Lassoga still baths her boy doesn’t it 😆

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  17. I still like Abel Henandez – he can play as a CF or on the left of an attacking midfield 3 if we player 1 up front. Naturally left footed as well so could get crosses in from that side hopefully.

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  18. Sharpey – If any potential signings talk to current players we might has well turn the lights off. I just cannot for the life of me think that the clubs current players would give this basket case a glowing reference to potential signings. Conversation would go like this;

    “Won’t win anything, you will be expected to throw cup games, the teams better players will be sold if a half decent bid comes in and don’t expect to improve your game. On the other hand, the fans are great and you will use the club as a stepping stone”

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  19. Axel ,His mum looks like you wouldn’t wanna mess with her though 😆

    Sharpy @167, Shola doesn’t count cause he couldn’t give him away 😉

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  20. Stu – it’s hardly what you want to hear like is it?. And it’s not even like we are signing or going to sign player that would make potential signs think ‘well if he’s going there, it must be ok’.
    Abel Henandez has said in the past that he’d love to play for us, and I think he’s a similar style to Remy (though probably not as good just yet). But if he fancies it then get him in.

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  21. Grenier and Cabella would be terrific, if they we sign complement players, to have that balance skills/workrate. Grenier alongside Tioté, Cabella alongside the Striker 442. Or if we play 433, Tioté Sidwell Grenier, Cabella left flank could do something

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  22. Cholo – I think we need a 3 man midfield to allow players like Cabella, Grenier – or dare I say Benny play their best football.
    Stick 3 grafters like Colback/Tiote/Sissoko infront of the back 4 and allow either 2 attacking midfielders and a forward or 1 attacking midfielder and 2 forwards to focus solely on doing the damage.

    Kim – get him signed up and even write a sell on clause for Athletico or Real if needed – it might even be an incentive to play his bollocks off for us in a hope one of those clubs see him playing well and want to take him – a cheeky £20m clause would probably do it I reckon.

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  23. Sharpy17- Colback would be good to play 4312, with Sissoko Tioté Colback, Grenier as 10, Cabella and ST(Target Man, Goalscorer), which will give flanks to full back, Debuchy Santon Tavernier fits to that, Haidara Dummett(more defensive minded but still decent) too. Or Sissoko Grenier Tioté Sameobi(?), Cabella ST upfront

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  24. What about Jonas, still think he can do a good job if he’s used properly, as RM with an offensive RB to cover defensively or as backup CM.

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  25. In Grenier’s role, Siem de Jong and Aaron Hunt are options to not underestimate, Rodwell too as N8

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  26. Cholo – Jonas played that role the season we finished 5th and did it well mate. But he’s clocked miles up bit now and wouldn’t be box to box anymore I wouldn’t think. Besides, I think because of the clause in his contract I don’t think they want to play him any more mate. He’s a big wage that they’d want to get off the books if possible I’d think as well mate.
    I’m a big fan of Siem De Jong, not sure on Hunt or Rodwell though mate.

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  27. Jonas is done with us Cholo mate. He’s lost a few steps and he’s too old now. No chance he will be a big factor next season that I can see. His best days are long gone (that was 3 or 4 years ago now).

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  28. As for Lassogo’s mam I think we could use her in the player acquisitions department couldn’t we? She looks like a capable negotiator.

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  29. Sharpy- If only we tried to resign Milner from City, who wants to leave for 1st team football, and prob available for good price.

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  30. Cholo – Milner is good but he’s clocked up the miles as well mate. Plus I think he still sees himself as able to compete for titles and CL footy. His wages would be high and I reckon he’s gonna end up at either Liverpool or Arsenal – or possibly Everton as Barry’s replacement depending on his wage demand.

    Colback is a natural left of centre midfield player so would give a good balance with Tiote and Sissoko. I would prefer Holtby personally as I think he would fit in that position and would be better on the ball and at set pieces, but I’m not sure we would meet his wage demands again.
    Shane Fergusson is in the squad and would also be a natural left sided midfielder but I haven’t seen much of him this season, so I’m not sure how good he is really.

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  31. Sharpy, Do you still think Fergie has a future with us mate, I’m not sure the powers that be rate him that much, he made under 20 appearances for Brum last season. I think Brum must like him though as he re-joined them after the shorter loan spell previously.

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  32. “Won’t win anything, you will be expected to throw cup games, the teams better players will be sold if a half decent bid comes in and don’t expect to improve your game. On the other hand, the fans are great and you will use the club as a stepping stone”

    So pretty much the same as the last 50 years then…

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  33. Kim

    Im sure they would have gladly paid £8m for Remy if he had shown the slightest inclination that he would join permanantly

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  34. Kim – I wish I knew what the powers that be are thinking up there at the minute!. 😕
    I think it depends on what formation we go with to be honest. Fergie isn’t a wide left midfielder and he isn’t a natural central midfielder in a 4 man midfield. I think he is suited to the left of centre in a 3 man midfield or a left wing back if we played 3 CBs.
    He’s 22 so not quite ready for the scrap heap, but I can’t see him forcing his way into the first team.
    He was solid at Brum from what I read so a decent squad player maybe.

    Kim – re Remy. I think that’s the problem, we could meet the fee and maybe even the wages for a proven goal scorer for us – but the fact that we have no intention of going for European football of competing for cups is inevitably going to put alot of players off.

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  35. Sharpy&CC, That’s my point, £8M is no money for a proven scorer, just a shame we can’t offer even a sniff of glory 🙁

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  36. We had our brief little dalliance with the big boys and glory in the 90’s and that was our chance to add something special to our history under KK and Sir Bob later. Alas that’s gone now seemingly never to return, well not under this ownership anyway. Too many rich clubs now, unless we get a mega rich guy buy us our only hope of glory is the cups and any players coming in will know this so why the regime chose to publicly state they aren’t priority I don’t know. 🙄 Even if it’s true for most clubs, to come out and say it isn’t honesty, it’s foolishness imo, all it does is alienate the fans and possibly put off potential signings.

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  37. Kim – I also think that Remy knows if we bought him then that would be it. We couldn’t continue to strengthen and would rely solely on him.
    I wonder if there will be any signings this week as they reckoned our business would be done before the World Cup kicked off.

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  38. Sharpy ,That’s a good point on Remy actually, it’s his goals that kept us up this season, they would probably be over reliant on him again if he’d stayed .

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  39. KIm – “alienate the fans and possibly put off potential signings”. That seems to be how ‘we’ operate these days. The suits that have absolutely zero charisma are the only ones representing the club now. Then the idiot will come back and ooze rubbish, ably protected by wendy. Does anybody really think that Charnley is going into negotiations in France and be able to charm a player into coming. To present an attactive proposition? The mess is now too big to describe.

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  40. Kim

    You sure a sniff of Glory is Remys priority; The same player who left a club of marseilles stature to join QPR ?

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  41. So are we still whinging about signing all the **** players were are linked with and not signing all the good players the papers are telling us we are after? :mrgreen:

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  42. In 1966:

    Eurovision – Austria

    Champions League – Real Madrid

    La Liga – Athletico Madrid

    Fulham relegated

    World Cup – England

    Which one does this theory fall down on…

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  43. Oz any excuse to slag off everybody coz the world doesn’t work the way they want it too. I’ve got a ten yr old who’s learnt that one.

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  44. Aussie- How many players have we been linked with now ? 1000s and no truth in any of it. Ashley can’t afford to pay 6 million on one man that would break his heart.

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  45. CC@203, Well he obviously wanted into the PL with all it’s riches that can’t be argued, he chose QPR over us for money and London. Now it looks like he has to decide between Arsenal and Liverpool both of which can offer CL footie, be interesting to see who he picks.

    CC@206 😯 Is that right, how strange.

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  46. Prem – the world works fine for me mate, it’s Ashley that doesn’t!
    And if your 10yr old has settled for mediocrity at such a young age then you maybe need to start treating him/her a bit more buddy 😉 😆

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  47. Prem@207, Blimey that’s harsh, do you seriously think the fans are wrong to be brassed off at no signings in two windows and seeing reports of a mass exodus of players with only two talked about coming in by the club. 😕 .I don’t think many fans are expecting too much but they are right to expect something and any pessimism being shown is down to our experience over recent windows and losing out on decent players due to valuation differences . If the fans were all throwing their toys out the pram because the ” world doesn’t work the way we want it too ” you wouldn’t be getting 50 odd thousand at SJP every other week after a 45 year trophy draught.

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  48. Kim – stop being so bloody negative lass!!. We’ve posted profits for the last 2 years and THAT’S what it’s all about – can you PLEASE stop confusing us with a football club FFS!!. 🙄

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  49. Kim – you can keep ya sorrys lass!. You should know better by now!. Nowt personal, were just all sick of hearing it now!. Enoughs enough ok 👿

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  50. Just watching Sky Sports and it is utterly depressing to think we use to have striking options of Shearer, Ferdinand, Beardsley, Asprilla and Ginola! 😯 😥

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  51. Kim – I hope you know I was just pissing about earlier? 😉

    If we can get £5m for Saylor I’d rip their hands off!!.

    Lescott on a free and that £5m pays his wages for the next 2yrs. Or put the £5m towards Richards or Caulker.

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