MATCH PREVIEW: NEWCASTLE UNITED vs CARDIFF CITY
Match Previews
3rd November
Cardiff City travel to the North East to take on Newcastle United at St James' Park - this Saturday at 3pm.
THE OPPOSITION
The Magpies, managed by Rafa Benítez, have won their last seven games in all competitions and currently sit top of the Championship table.
That run was sparked by a dramatic win over Norwich City towards the end of September. Newcastle were trailing at home in the dying minutes, but goals from Yoan Gouffran and Dwight Gayle deep into injury time gave them a 4-3 win. In their most recent outing, United beat Preston North End 2-1 at Deepdale with Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrović grabbing both goals.
The Bluebirds will have to keep close tabs on striker Gayle on Saturday - the striker is the top scorer in the Championship with eleven goals to date.
CLUB CONNECTIONS
Legendary Cardiff City manager Jimmy Scoular signed for the Magpies in 1953 and went on to make nearly 250 appearances for the club over the next seven years. Scoular was appointed City manager in 1964 and took the club on some unforgettable European adventures. These included making the Semi-Final of the European Cup Winners Cup in 1968 and famously beating Real Madrid 1-0 at Ninian Park in 1971, thanks to Brian Clark’s goal.
Craig Bellamy is a player remembered fondly by both sets of supporters in more recent times. The former Wales international played for Newcastle from 2001-2005. Having had a spell with the Bluebirds during the 2010/11 season, Craig returned to play a key part in City’s 2013/14 Championship title winning campaign.
Other players to have represented both clubs include Michael Chopra, Wayne Routledge, Haris Vučkić and late Wales international, Ivor Allchurch.
MEMORABLE MEETING
The Bluebirds travelled to Newcastle on 4th January 2014 to take on the Magpies in the Third Round of that season’s FA Cup.
In the first half, the teams cancelled each other out, with clear cut chances restricted to a minimum. The best effort of the period fell to Newcastle when midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa rattled the post.
After the hour mark, the Bluebirds went a goal behind. Moussa Sissoko saw his effort blocked but striker Papiss Cissé was on hand to fire home on the rebound to give his side the lead.
That goal sparked City into life and they equalised just ten minutes later. Craig Noone had only been on the pitch for a minute when he picked up the ball and arrowed the ball into the back of the net from thirty yards out.
City went in search of a winner and advanced into the Fourth Round of the comptetition, as Peter Whittingham swung in a corner ten minutes from time and Fraizer Campbell bulleted his header home for a Bluebirds winner.
MAGPIES FACTS
- The Magpies were formed in 1892
- They have won the FA Cup six times with the last occasion coming in 1955. In that game, Newcastle beat Manchester United 3-1 with club legend Jackie Milburn scoring their first goal after 45 seconds.
- Newcastle’s record fee received for a player is the £35 million that Liverpool paid for striker Andy Carroll in January of 2011.
- United were relegated from the Premier League last season after finishing in 18th place, two points behind arch-rivals Sunderland.
DON'T MISS A MOMENT!
LISTEN: Supporters can listen in live on Cardiff City Player HD* for all the action from the Magpies vs City.
WATCH: Extended highlights of the match will be available to subscribers of Cardiff City Player HD*
SOCIAL: Live updates from St James' Park will come via our official Twitter account, @CardiffCityFC.
*Search ‘Cardiff City’ on the App Store and Google Play Store to view Cardiff City Player HD on Smart Phones, with content available to subscribers 24/7.
