Nolan - It's Up To Ashley To Put It Right!

Last updated : 27 August 2013 By Footy Mad - Editor

Kevin Nolan:Of course I was surprised at the lack of spending. That’s all we were asking for a few years ago.

k“Look, at the end of the day, I’m away from it now, and I’m not going to comment.

“That’s for Alan (Pardew) and everyone else to do, but I wish them all the best. It’s a fantastic club. I love coming back. The people were fantastic with me.

“I do miss it, but I’m at a great place now, and I’m really enjoying my time at West Ham. I’m loving football, and I’m loving life.

“It’s up to Mike (Ashley) - he’s the owner.

“I thought the (Newcastle) fans were fantastic. They did stick behind them.

k“They’re going to be needed. It’s been tough for the players and for Alan. They need to stick behind them.

“If they do, they’ll do OK. I’m sure they will, because they’ve got good talent in the squad. The lads have got to stick together in that dressing room, and I’m sure they will.

“They’ve got good leaders in there - the likes of Colo (Fabricio Coloccini) and Shola (Ameobi).

“I thought Shola was fantastic. He didn’t give our centre halves a minute’s peace.

“I thought they handled it really well after what they’ve been put through.”

“At West Ham I’m just delighted that the owners got behind Sam (Allardyce). They’ve given him a new contract, and we’re moving in the right direction.

“The positivity around the club is fantastic. We’re just looking forward what hopefully will be a good season. We’re building for the future.”

NEXT AWAY GAME ...

MORECAMBE - GLOBE ARENA 

How To Get There And Where To Park

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Exit the M6 at junction 34, then take the A683 towards Lancaster and take the A589 towards Morecambe. Go straight across two roundabouts passing a McDonalds outlet on your left. At the next roundabout (where there is a Toby Carvery) take the first exit into Westgate Road (signposted West Promenade, Sandylands). Continue along this road for about one mile and you will reach the stadium on your right.

Parking at the stadium is for permit holders only so it is a case of finding street parking. If you continue along Westgate passing the stadium on your right, then on the other side of the railway bridge there is plenty of street parking to be had in the side roads on either side.

Post Code for Sat Nav: LA3 3DF (This takes you to the nearby Regent Holiday Park).

By Train

Morecambe railway station is around a 25-30 minute walk away from the ground. As you come out of the railway station turn left down Central Drive past Frankie and Benny's, a Morrisons superstore and a KFC outlet and you will reach the sea front. Turn left along the promenade passing the Ranch House pub on your left and then take the 5th left into Regent Road. Proceed straight up Regent Road and continue along into Westgate. You will reach the stadium on your left hand side, just over the railway bridge. Morecambe is served by trains from Lancaster.

David Foster adds; 'From near Morecambe train station you can get a bus number 6 or 6A, from the bus stop located opposite Frankie & Benny's. This drops you right outside the stadium. Coming back there is a bus stop outside the ground, the bus then which goes into town along the sea front and then onto the railway station.'

Paul Legon informs me; 'There is new bus service number 12, that runs from Lancaster Station via the Heysham By-Pass to the Battery on Morecambe sea front. This is a 3 minute walk from the end of Regent Road. It is by far the best bus for supporters arriving at Lancaster station'.

Where To Drink?

The closest bar that admits away supporters is on the Regent Leisure Holiday Park. This is situated just a few minutes walk away from the stadium along Westgate (with the stadium entrance behind you, turn right, cross over to the other side of the road and the Regent Park entrance is down on the left). David Foster a visiting Chesterfield fan adds; 'I had a drink across at the Regent Caravan Park. This was fully accessible, offered a decent pint and food, plus had Sky television on a big screen and generally had a good atmosphere.'  You can also park at Regent at a cost of £3 per vehicle.

Otherwise if you turn left out of the stadium entrance then around a ten minute walk away (located opposite a Lidl supermarket on Westgate) is the William Mitchell pub, which also shows Sky Sports. If driving to the stadium from the direction of Lancaster you will pass a Toby carvery which offers reasonably priced food.

A better bet (as we are at the seaside after all) is to take a 15 minute walk down to the sea front. With the entrance to the stadium behind you turn right and it is then a straight road up to the promenade. On reaching the sea front (where there are some great views across Morecambe Bay) turn right and you will reach a few more bars, including Davy Jones Locker in the basement of the Clarendon Hotel, as well as a cafe, for those feeling peckish. Continuing to walk along the front for about another five minutes you will reach the Ranch House pub. Good real ale on offer, hot pies at reasonable prices, large screen TV showing Sky Sports and an adjoining small amusement arcade to keep the kids happy, then what more would you want?

If arriving by train then you may care to try a Wetherspoon outlet in the town centre, called the Eric Bartholomew on Euston Road or on the sea front the Station Promenade pub, which also has a Wacky Warehouse for the young children. Anthony Yellop a visiting AFC Wimbledon supporter adds; 'We stumbled upon the Kings Arms which is located right opposite the Eric Morecambe statue. The upstairs has 4 pool tables, 2 darts boards, 3 massive televisions and a table football game. It did a really nice breakfast and had great staff. It was only a £5 cab ride to the ground, a brilliant base camp for larger groups'.

Near to the old Christie Park is the York Hotel, which was popular with away fans visiting the old ground. It lays on a double decker bus in matchdays to take fans to the new stadium from the hotel. See the York Hotel website for more details. Daniel Pemberton a visiting Lincoln City fan adds; 'I parked at the York Hotel, it was very friendly and did a nice meal. The Hotel lays on a bus (Cost £1) to take you to the ground, however I walked it and only took 10 minutes. Come out the main entrance to the hotel, turn right then immediately right again and follow the road down, you come to a sports and social club "Trimpell" on your left, continue on down past some stables on your right.  The alley way brings you out right by the ground'.

There is also the CAMRA listed Smuggler's Den on Poulton Road, which if you have time on your hands is worth a visit. Otherwise alcohol is served inside the stadium in the form of Carling, Guinness, Caffreys & Strongbow.

NEWCASTLE UNITED 0 WEST HAM 0

NEWCASTLE UNITED

d

    1. Tim Krul
    26. Mathieu Debuchy
    13. Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa
    2. Fabricio Coloccini
    3. Davide Santon
    10. Hatem Ben Arfa
    7. Moussa Sissoko
    8. Vurnon Anita
    22. Sylvain Marveaux 66'
    23. Shola Ameobi
    9. Papiss Cisse 72'

Subs

    11. Yoan Gouffran 72'
    15. Dan Gosling
    20. Gael Bigirimana
    21. Rob Elliot
    28. Sammy Ameobi 66'
    29. Haris Vuckic
    36. Paul Dummett

WEST HAM UNITED

d

    22. Jussi Jaaskelainen
    20. Guy Demel
    19. James Collins
    2. Winston Reid
    17. Joey O'Brien
    21. Mohamed Diame 75'
    16. Mark Noble
    4. Kevin Nolan
    23. Stewart Downing 64'
    11. Modibo Maiga
    7. Matthew Jarvis

Subs

    5. James Tomkins
    8. Razvan Rat
    12. Ricardo Vaz Te
    13. Adrian
    15. Ravel Morrison 75'
    18. Alou Diarra
    26. Joe Cole 64'

 
We have scored 7 goals in the last 13 games, and we couldn't even get a shot on target at St James' Park on Saturday.

Where do I start? This was the first game of the season at St James' Park, always a day of high expectations in a party atmosphere ... and I swear ... it was like a funeral.

dEven after relegation, there was always a buzz around the place on the start of a new season as we beat Leeds 5-2 back in 1989 and Reading 3-0 in 2009, but this was like an invitation to a wake!

The Hammers fans taunted us with "Were's your famous atmosphere?" and 99.9% of the Toon fans in St James' didn't even have the enthusiasm to reply.

Rather than a build up to something new, it was 90 minutes of watching a side so lost in ideas, tactics and motivation.

Substitute Sammy Ameobi came within inches of salvaging three priceless points for under-pressure Alan Pardew but it would only have papered over the cracks.

Ameobi's injury-time cross caught the inside of Jussi Jaaskelainen's post and bounced back out to Yoan Gouffran who somehow contrived to spoon the rebound over the bar from point-blank range.

The near-miss summed up the frustrations of the Newcastle players who once again started without Frenchman Yohan Cabaye.

Cabaye didn't fancy playing because Arsenal want him, and he continues his Prince-like strike against humanity "I'm a slave!" protest that defies belief.

So we watched a side who failed to muster a single shot on target through the afternoon, while Kevin Nolan did us a massive favour by heading over the bar when the goal was at his mercy.

Former Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce stretched his record of never having lost at his former club since his departure, but will have left the north east frustrated at not having taken all three points in a game his side edged.

Winston Reid, Kevin Nolan and substitute Joe Cole all missed good chances before the Hammers briefly thought they had won it themselves in the 89th minute when a Modibo Maiga tap-in was ruled out for offside.

United's best chances fell to Hatem Ben Arfa, who hit a couple of free-kicks well wide, and a misplaced back-pass by Reid which trickled inches past the post with keeper Jaaskelainen beaten.

He seemed on a mission to score and seemed to head for goal at every opportunity, bypassing those in better positions simply because he seemed to have no faith in them!

It was as though, "I'm not giving you the ball because I know I won't get it back!"

The Hammers had looked sharper from the start, winning a third minute corner which was flicked on to the far post where the lively Reid poked a shot towards goal which was blocked by Vurnon Anita.

The home side's first foray forward in the seventh minute was brought to an end by James Collins' foul on Ben Arfa, and the same player stepped up to scoop his dangerous-looking free-kick way over the bar.

Mohamed Diame was posing the home side some threat down the right but they came closest after 13 minutes when Anita played the ball towards Papiss Cisse and Reid's interception trickled inches past his own post with Jaaskelainen beaten.

Despite that near miss the visitors continued to shade the opening exchanges, and might have gone ahead five minutes later when Guy Demel dug out a cross from deep on the right but Maiga could not quite connect in front of goal.

Ben Arfa continued to be at the centre of most of Newcastle's attacking moves, screwing a hopeful effort wide in the 25th minute, while Reid had another chance at the other end, stretching for a flick-on by Maiga only for home keeper Tim Krul to get there first.

The darkening sky gave way to rain at the start of the second half and it was the Hammers who had the first chance, Stewart Downing bursting through down the left flank but hitting his shot straight at Krul after good work from Fabricio Coloccini to jostle him out wide.

Sylvain Marveaux belatedly stirred the home fans by surging into the box after a neat one-two with Ameobi, but the Frenchman slipped as he bustled past Collins and an all-too-rare opportunity for the hosts went begging.

Anita hardly played a ball forward the entire 90 minutes, choosing to play the simple ball left or right. Yes we kept possession, but it's a bit of magic we needed, not a crab in the middle of the park.

Meanwhile Mathieu Debuchy was as slow as normal, three times skinned down the right flank by West Ham's pacy wingers, and if he is any better than Danny Simpson ... I will show my arse in Fenwick's window!

But the Hammers had arguably the best chance of the game on the hour when Downing found space to cross from the right and the ball deflected wide off Nolan's shoulder when the former Newcastle man really should have scored.

Allardyce made his first change in the 63rd minute, replacing debutant Downing with Cole, while Newcastle soon followed suit by bringing on Ameobi for Marveaux - a change greeted with some displeasure by the home fans.

A series of further substitutions included the 75th minute introduction of Ravel Morrison for his Premier League debut, but it was fellow sub Cole who almost won it when he screwed a rising 82nd minute effort inches wide.

After Maiga briefly thought he had clinched it for the visitors there was even later drama when Ameobi came so close to easing the pressure on Pardew.

Newcastle United Fixtures ...

dWednesday August 28
19:45 League Cup - 2nd Rnd Morecambe v Newcastle United *Sky Sports

Saturday August 31
15:00 Premier League Newcastle United v Fulham

Saturday September 14
15:00 Premier League Aston Villa v Newcastle United

Saturday September 21
15:00 Premier League Newcastle United v 
Hull City

Monday September 30
20:00 Premier League Everton v Newcastle United *Sky Sports 

NU-MAD - WE TELL IT AS IT IS!

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