Toon down under

Great news for Fredor.
He will be able to watch his beloved Toon.


http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/spor...ws/newcastle-united-facing-23234-mile-7059136

Newcastle United are facing a 23,234-mile round trip Down Under as part of their pre-season preparations for the 2014-15 season.

The long-haul trip will be used as a team bonding exercise and to help spread global awareness of the Magpies – as well as giving ex-pats the chance to see the black and whites in action in two matches against Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix.

The trip was already capturing the imagination of supporters Down Under who seldom get the chance to see their side in action.

Newcastle, though, will hope for less problems than their last long-haul experience during pre-season three years ago, when a host of setbacks left the club frustrated.

The Magpies lost Hatem Ben Arfa after an ankle injury in a 0-0 draw in the heat of Kansas City before pitch problems in Orlando resulted in an unsuitable roll on turf pitch being ripped up hours before the kick-off with the plastic surface beneath meaning some players with knee problems were rested.

A 1-0 win for Orlando City was also classed as a shock result.

Newcastle then jetted to Columbus where they rounded off the pre-season tour with a 3-0 win only for Jose Enrique’s Twitter rant to leave the trip shrouded in negativity, as he complained about the club’s lack of ambition.

Despite the controversy, United finished fifth in the Premier League and qualified for Europe for the first time since 2006.

And United manager Alan Pardew will be hoping that his side’s long-haul experience can help inspire another positive season.

Newcastle’s tour will kick off at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin during New Zealand’s winter.

The stadium is an indoor venue.

It is known as the ‘The Glasshouse’ due to its resemblance to a horticultural hothouse and holds 30,000 fans. It will be there that United take on Sydney FC.

The Sky Blues will be without the recently-departed former Italy and Juventus star Alessandro Del Piero but the Australian A-League side will relish the chance to tackle a Premier League outfit.

Newcastle will then fly from Dunedin to Wellington on the South Island to face the Phoenix at the Westpac Stadium.

The venue holds 34,500 fans with the Nix finishing last season in ninth spot in the A-League.

United will also be joined by West Ham on the trip, but the two sides will not face each other.

The Hammers will also tackle the same opponents though in exhibition games in a week-long event that has been dubbed Football United by organisers.

The tour has already sent a ripple of excitement across New Zealand.

Pardew said of the trip: “Football has grown impressively in both New Zealand and Australia in recent years, with some excellent players and teams coming to the fore, so the Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC fixtures will provide a good test for our players as we prepare them for next season.”

Links between New Zealand and United aren’t new though.

The Magpies jetted over to the country in 1985 and visited Christchurch, Wellington, Napier and Auckland.

In 1992, Newcastle also invited the national side to St James’ Park for a friendly and beat the Kiwis 2-1 on Tyneside.

Newcastle have gone long-haul for pre-season on five different occasions during their Premier League years.

Ahead of the 1996/97 season, a trip in which United announced they were signing Alan Shearer for a then world-record £15million fee, United went on to finish second in the top-flight.

In the 2000/01 campaign a trip to America to face Columbus Crew and DC United resulted in 2-2 draws and a 3-1 defeat with Bobby Robson’s side finishing 11th in the table.

Many felt that an energy-sapping journey to Malaysia was to blame for getting knocked out of the Champions League by Partizan Belgrade in 2003/04.

And a trip to Thailand and Hong Kong a year later saw Newcastle end the next campaign in 14th spot, with Robson losing his job early in the season.

 

Maybe we're finally getting our act together for pre-season.

Just for you Fredor, please see Facebook link for Aussie Mags Supporters Club.
Get down to the Pig N Whistle in Brisbane, and get across to Dunedin for the match with Sydney FC.
There are no excuses for you not getting to the game, especially when NUFC have gone to such lengths for you.

https://www.facebook.com/AussieMags

 

I want a pic of fared or in his Toon top.

 

Serious question Fredor.. will you pop along to a game?

 

In his gimp suit, on that daft trike thing?

 

Thanks for giving me that horrendous image! Git!

 

Wait till he removes the gimp mask, and you are confronted with skeletor.

 

was enjoying my soup there... but I dribbled.

 

You were drooling over Fredor in a gimp mask?

 

Come on now Obi, don't tell me you didn't get a little excited too.

 

yes. it was the thought of him straddling his trike in a manly fashion with his hair blowing and his Toon top wafting in the wind.... ahh......

 

Interesting that they will be playing against two of the weakest teams, Brisbane Roar had the title sewn up four weeks before the end of the season and that would have been a game I would have given my right arm for, well maybe my left

 

Knowing Ashley it will be to do with money.

 

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