... we thumped the Darlo for seven and Orient hit us for six, police were called to stop fighting on the pitch at Huddersfield, and players went AWOL at Dublin.
But the ONE Toon player to look upon it as a success is youngster Nile Ranger, who score his first goal in the first team.
Ranger has put himself in the frame for Newcastle United's season opener at The Hawthorns with his summer exploits for club and country.
Ranger was heartbroken on Sunday when England's Under-19s were beaten 2-0 in the final of the European Championships by host nation Ukraine.
But the 17-year-old quickly put his disappointment behind him with a goal for the club's reserves in last night's 4-2 over Blyth Spartans at Croft Park.
Ranger was a late addition to the team-sheet, having begged second-string bosses Alan Thompson and Richard Money to let him have a run out, such was his determination to impress caretaker manager Chris Hughton ahead of Saturday's game against West Bromwich Albion.
And the Londoner came off the bench to score United's fourth goal with two minutes left.
"Chris is looking at him in the next few days," said Thompson. "He'll see how he looks in training to see whether he travels with the first team to West Brom.
"We've seen plenty of him to know he's a threat, but Chris Hughton will monitor him to see if he is going to travel to West Brom."
NEWCASTLE UTD PRE_SEASON:
SHAMROCK ROVERS 0 NEWCASTLE UTD 3 (S Taylor, Ameobi, Ranger)
Steve Harper, Habib Beye, Callum Morris, Fabricio Coloccini, Tamas Kadar, Wesley Ngo Baheng, Nicky Butt, Joey Barton, Damien Duff, Kevin Nolan, Nile Ranger
Subs: Jose Enrique, Danny Guthrie, Ryan Taylor, Alan Smith, Shola Ameobi, Steven Taylor, Frank Wiafe Danquah, Ole Soderberg, Ben Tozer, Kazenga LuaLua, Tim Krul, Ryan Donaldson
DARLINGTON 2 NEWCASTLE UTD 7 (Duff, Nolan, Gutierrez, S Taylor, Carroll, Ameobi 2)
Krul (Forster, 46); R Taylor, Beye (Coloccini, 46), S Taylor, Kadar (Enrique, 46); LuaLua (Guthrie, 46), Barton (Butt, 46), Nolan (Xisco, 59), Smith (Donaldson, 59), Duff (Gutierrez, 46); Ameobi (Carroll, 46).
HUDDERSFIELD 0 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (Nolan)
Harper, Coloccini, Enrique (Donaldson 80), Barton (Smith 58), Guthrie (Tavernier 80), Gutierrez (Duff HT), Xisco (Ameobi HT), Beye (Kadar HT), Taylor S (Taylor R HT), Lua-Lua (Adjei 73), Carroll (Nolan 58).
ORIENT 6 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (Barton pen)
Krul (Forster, 46); Beye (Tozer, 80), S Taylor (Lough, 80), Coloccini (Geremi, 46), Enrique (Kadar, 73); Gutierrez, Barton (Xisco, 46), Smith (Guthrie, 60), Duff (LuaLua, 73); Nolan; Martins (Carroll, 46).
NEWCASTLE UTD 0 LEEDS UTD 0
Harper, Beye, Bassong, S Taylor, Enrique, R Taylor, Smith, Barton, Gutierrez, Ameobi, Carroll Subs: Coloccini, Nolan, Xisco, LuaLua, Krul, Donaldson
DUNDEE UTD 1 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (Carroll)
Harper; R Taylor, S Taylor, Kadar, Enrique; Gutierrez, Barton (LuaLua, 75), Smith, Duff (Geremi, 88); Nolan; Carroll.