But Peter Lovenkrands gave the perfect reply with his FA Cup hat-trick ... suggesting we don't need the Leeds striker after all.
The Dane took his tally for the season to five with Wednesday night's treble in the third-round replay victory over Plymouth, and suddenly Beckford must have thought the trek from Leeds to St James' Park was a lot more than 76 miles!
But Lovenkrands is more concerned about West Brom than Leeds United.
Lovenkrands: "It's a different team we are going to play on Monday, so it is up to the coach and what he has in mind, what is going to be the best team to put out there to get the victory we need.
"Of course I can only hope this hat-trick helps me to start. We will just have to wait and see, but I hope so.
"It was incredible. My first hat-trick for Newcastle, that's special and in the FA Cup, it's something to remember. I'm delighted."
THIS WEEKEND'S NORTH-EAST GIG GUIDE ...
FRI JAN 15TH 2010
ROAD RUNNERS Garricks Head, North Shields
SKA TOONS The Three Tuns, Sherrif's Hill, Gateshead
THE STROBES The Miners Arms Black Hill Consett
THE FORCE Magnesia Bank, Camden Street, North Shields
DVD Cj's Bar 96 High Street Stockton-on-Tees
JASPER HART BAND The Bell & Bucket, North Shields
SCRATCH AT THE SURFACE TJ Doyles, Sunderland
THE LIZARDS The Normanby, Normanby
PREACHER Pemberton Arms, Hawthorns, Seaham
MAGNETIC CHERRY The Pack Horse Newcastle
DVD CJs Bar, High St, Stockton
WITCHKRAFT High House Church Road Murton
CITIZENS ERASED Nikhs Bar, 11-13 Stanley Street, Blyth, Northumberland
THIS ONE GOES UP TO 11 Tudor Rose, Dunston
DRIVIN RAIN Sleepers Station Approach Boldon
MUGSHOT Grand Hotel, South Church Rd, Bishop Auckland
NEW AGE JAM Black Bull Lingey Lane Wardley Gateshead
GREEN ROOM EauZone Bar Norfolk Street Sunderland
FM Fat Ox Whitley Road Whitley Bay
BLACK RIVER Garricks Head Saville Street North Shields
PHIL CAISLEYS DIRTY DOGS Keelboat Stockfold Fatfield Washington
DAVE BLACK Masons Arms Plessey Road Blyth
STICKY FINGERS The Star Westgate Road Newcastle
THE THROES The Station Killingworth Road Killingworth
THE WOLVES The Studio Tower Street Hartlepool
SHANGHAI The Lord Clyde Western Approach South Shields
CAPTAIN ROCK £2.50 Houghton Buffs Houghton le Spring
VICTIMS OF THE FURY cc Hearts Of Oak Medway Close Peterlee
JUDAS BEAST Trillians Princess Square Newcastle
TUMBLIN DICE Steels Social Club, Sunderland
BULLET The Daisy Hill, Heugh Edge, Sacriston
THE ENZYMES Paddy Whack's, Sunderland
SAT JAN 16TH 2010
ROAD RUNNERS Elmfield SC, Hebburn
VENDETTA The Three Tuns, Sherrif's Hill, Gateshead
THE WHOLE HOG Colliery Tavern Boldon
THE STROBES The Sun Inn Newebottle Houghton
BORDERLAND The Office, South Shields
INSANITY The Borough, Vine Place, Sunderland
ANGELS OF HARLEM The Alexandra, North Shields, Queen Alexandra Road
HOT ROCKS The Tap & Spile Darlington
THE FORCE The Mallard, Stockton Road, Seaham
PAUL JEANS & THE INVISIBLES Pelaw Inn, Pelaw
SCRATCH THE SURFACE George Stephenson, West Moor
DVD Owton Lodge, Hartlepool
SCRATCH THE SURFACE The George Stephenson, Newcastle
THE PERSUADERS The Park 406 Linthorpe Middlesbrough
THE LIZARDS Station Hotel, Station Road, Billingham
MCADAMSTOREY The Porthole, North Shields
BABEL FISH The Duke Of Albany, Washington
DVD Owton Lodge, Hartlepool
WITCHKRAFT The Duke Of Albany Washington
THE SHEIKS Nikhs Bar, 11-13 Stanley Street, Blyth, Northumberland
JUMP THE GUN The Station, Loftus
SOMEONE ELSE’S OMELETTE Garricks Head, North Shields
FM Whitburn Lodge, Mill Lane, Whitburn
SOUND OF THE 60'S Azure Blue Eastbourne Avenue Gateshead
PHIL CAISLEYS DIRTY DOGS Britannia Newbottle Street Houghton Le Spring
LOUNGE LIZARDS Earl Grey High Street Gosforth
ROY ORBISON TRIBUTE NIGHT Jolly Steward Fulwell Avenue South Shields
MOURNING AFTER Moorhouse Front Street Seaton Burn
THE RIVES Smugglers Bar Marine Walk Roker Sunderland
DIABLO The Star Westgate Road Newcastle
FRANKIES CAFE The Station Killingworth Road Killingworth
TRIBUTE cc The Studio Tower Street Hartlepool
SOMETHING REAL Brandling Villa, South Gosforth
THE POOR BOYS The Lord Clyde Western Approach South Shields
LAST MINUTE Firtree Trimdon
GOLD DIGGER The Wheatchief Roker Avenue Sunderland
DANIELLES ATOMIC PLAYBOYS South Hylton Club, South Hylton, Sunderland
RELOAD Steels Social Club, Sunderland
TUBESNAKE The Beamish Mary Inn, No Place, Near Stanley
THE PAUL RODGERS STORY The Ancient Unicorn, Bowes
THE NOTE The Inn Place, Doxford Park, Sunderland
THE SUSPECTS The Royal Stanley
BULLET Coundon WMC Coundon
TIME MACHINE Acklam Iron & Steelworks, Acklam
JAMES WALKER Billingham Catholic Club
TUMBLIN DICE The Kingfisher Spennymoor
SUN JAN 17TH 2010
RUSS TIPPINS The Copt Hill, Houghton le Spring
ACOUSTIC MAGIC CLEAR BLUE SKIES/MICKY OLIVER Chambers Morpeth
SUNDAY SCHOOL ADVENTURE CLUB/RAINFALLDOWN/ The Tyne Bar, Newcastle
LOUNGE LIZARDS Tap & Spile, Hexham
LA FARO/KNUCKLE DRAGGER The Borough, Vine Place, Sunderland
TOM MITCHELL George Stephenson, West Moor
BECKETT Sleepers Wine Bar, Station Road, East Boldon
DVD Times Inn, Dalton le Dale
101 The Normanby, Normanby
MCADAMSTOREY 2 P.M The Bensham Jockey, Gateshead
MAGNETIC CHERRY Stanwix Park, Cumbria
DVD Times Inn, Dalton le Dale
GLADSTONE 4 p.m The Fox and Hounds, Main Street, Crawcrook, Ryton, Tyne & Wear
BEARDSMITH Usworth Top Club
DRIVIN RAIN The Star inn, Westgate Road Newcastle
THE LONGSANDS 6 p.m Bensham Jockey Bensham Road Gateshead
TONY LIDDLE Poachers Cottage Armstrong Road Callerton Newcastle
ACOUSTIC BLUES & FOLK NIGHT Smugglers Bar Marine Walk Roker Sunderland
MICK EWINGS IRISH + 50'S 4 p.m Smugglers Bar Marine Walk Roker Sunderland
DOC BROWN Sour Grapes Newgate Street Morpeth
MUSICIANS UNLIMITED noon cc The Studio Tower Street Hartlepool
LAST MINUTE 12.15 - 1 Grindon Club, Grindon
BULLET The Golden Fleece, Silksworth Terrace Sunderland
THE TONY LIDDLE BAND 4 p.m The Wheatchief Roker Avenue Sunderland
BUSKERS NIGHT Borough Arms Gateshead
DAMAGED GOODS St Peters Social Club, Byker