TOON: Harper, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Guthrie, Nolan, Smith,Gutierrez (Ryan Taylor 21), Carroll (Lovenkrands 78), Harewood (Ranger 77).
Subs Not Used: Krul, Geremi, Butt, Kadar.
POSH: Lewis, Lee, Morgan, Bennett, Rowe, Whelpdale (Batt 75), Diagouraga (Coutts 46), Keates, Boyd, Rose (Mclean 46), Mackail-Smith.
Subs Not Used: Amos, Martin, Zakuani, Frecklington.
Att: 43,067
Fans next to me were thrown out for holding a banner that read: "Ashley Cockney Rapist", and anyone holding aloft any banner immediately had it confiscated.
I have NEVER ... in all of my years following Newcastle Utd ... seen so much HATRED towards one man as we are witnessing at SJP these days.
Lord Westwood, McKeig and Fat Fred had fans chanting "Sack the Board", but this is a different level. So much so, those three I have mentioned are not even in the same ball-park!
Westwood and McKeig were from the 'old school'. They knew nothing about football and were in it for the prestige. It showed them as men of power, supping claret in the boardroom and smoked Cuban cigars to impress.
They didn't mean any harm, were obnoxious rather than hateful, and did try their best to some degree.
Fat Fred was/is a genuine fan, but has a bigger lover for money than Newcastle Utd.
He, along with Dastardly Doug Hall, had his finger in the pie, and was open about it.
A true supporter, granted, but he wanted paying for that support.
Ashley on the other hand ... is out to SHOW the Toon Army who holds the keys ... and the further he degrade them the happier he becomes.
He has no Geordie roots; Geordie passion; and God only knows why the hell he even turns up at games, because one day someone is going to put his Cockney nose to the back of his Cockney head.
The penny is starting to drop, and as we saw at Portman Road ... he was the unhappiest (alleged) Toon fan in the ground as the Toon took Roy Keane's side to the cleaners ... and he sat listening to hostility for 90 minutes.
Yesterday he was spared a mauling as Newcastle cruised to victory over Peterborough to cement their place at the top of the Championship table, but there were still protests.
And who knows what would have happened if we lost!
It was a day of firsts for the Magpies: the first game since Ashley re-named the ground the sportsdirect.com@St James' Park Stadium, Chris Hughton's first home game as permanent manager and first goals for Jonas Gutierrez and Danny Simpson.
But from the moment Gutierrez capped an enterprising 15th-minute run with the opening goal, the bulk of a crowd of 43,067 were at least able to enjoy the fare on offer on the pitch.
Andy Carroll made it 2-0 with an 18th-minute header and Simpson's curling effort seven minutes after the break secured the points long before Dean Keates' consolation strike 10 minutes from time.
Gutierrez was denied a seventh-minute opener after a mesmerising run into the box when his shot was blocked by defender Ryan Bennett but he did not have to wait long to make his mark.
With 15 minutes gone, the Argentina international set out from half way before cutting inside from the left wing and carving his way through the blue shirts then firing right-footed past keeper Joe Lewis.
Newcastle were 2-0 up within three minutes when Carroll guided Danny Guthrie's corner beyond Lewis with a deft near-post header.
Kevin Nolan fired over from 20 yards as Posh struggled to keep the home side at bay but Newcastle were dealt a blow when Gutierrez limped off with only 21 minutes gone to be replaced by Ryan Taylor.
Guthrie fired against the foot of the far post with 28 minutes gone but, as the visitors finally responded, the Magpies became sloppy in possession.
However, Lewis was beaten for the third time seven minutes after the break when full-back Simpson cut inside from the right and curled a left-foot shot into the top corner.
Steve Harper had to make his first real save of the game from George Boyd's 57th-minute shot and was stretched further by substitute Aaron Mclean's effort seconds later, and he excelled himself once again to block Craig Mackail-Smith's 62nd-minute shot from point-blank range.
However, in the meantime, Lewis had had to deny first Nolan and then Marlon Harewood in quick succession, and he later had to keep out a Jose Enrique piledriver as the home side went for the kill.
Keates struck from close range with 80 minutes gone but there was no way back for Posh.
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