Newcastle United 2013/2014

newcastle-united-stadium

Newcastle United quick review - season 2013/2014

Newcastle United Football Club (often abbreviated to NUFC) is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne. The club was founded in 1892, by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since. The ground was developed into an all-seater stadium in the mid-1990s and now has a capacity of 52,404. The club has been a member of the Premier League for all but two years of the competition's history, and never dropped below the English football's second tier, since joining the Football League in 1893. In 2007, long term chairman and owner Sir John Hall sold his share in the club to Mike Ashley.

They have won four League Championship titles and six FA Cups, as well as the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup. Newcastle United has the ninth highest total of major honours won by an English club.[2] The club's most successful period was between 1904 and 1910, when they won an FA Cup and three of their First Division titles.

They have a fierce local rivalry with Sunderland, and the two clubs have engaged in the Tyne–Wear derby since 1898. The club's traditional kit colours are black and white striped shirts, black shorts and black socks. Their traditional crest takes elements of the city coat of arms which features two seahorses.

Supporters of Newcastle United are drawn from all over the North East and beyond, with supporters' clubs all across the world. The club's supporters are also known as the Magpies, the Geordies or the Toon Army. The name Toon originates from the Geordie pronunciation of town. In a 2004 survey by Co-operative Financial Services, it was found that Newcastle United topped the league table for the cost incurred and distance travelled by Newcastle based fans wishing to travel to every Premier League away game. The total distance travelled for a fan to attend every away game from Newcastle was found to be equivalent to a round-the-world trip. In the 2009–10 when the club were playing in English football's second tier, the Football League Championship, the average attendance at St James Park was 43,388, the fourth best for an English club that season. At the end of the 2011–12 Premier league season, Newcastle United held the third highest average attendance for the season of 49,935. This figure was only supassed by Arsenal and Manchester United, the only two clubs in the premier league with larger stadiums.

The club's supporters publish a number of fanzines including True Faith and The Mag, along with NUFC.com, which was established in 1996. They set up Newcastle United Supporters Trust in September 2008, aiming to "represent the broad church of Newcastle United's support".

In addition to the usual English football chants, Newcastle's supporters sing the traditional Tyneside song Blaydon Races.

Traditionally, Newcastle's main rivals are Sunderland, against whom the Tyne–Wear derby is competed.

To date Newcastle United have spent 80 seasons in the top-flight. They are eighth in the All-time FA Premier League table and have the eighth highest total of major honours won by an English club with 11 wins. The holder of the record for the most appearances is Jimmy Lawrence, having made 496 first team appearances between 1904 and 1921. The club's top goal scorer is Alan Shearer, who scored 206 goals in all competitions between 1996 and 2006. Andy Cole holds the record for the most goals scored in a season: 41 in the 1993–94 season in the Premier League. Shay Given was the most capped international for the club, with 80 appearances for Republic of Ireland.

The club's widest victory margin in the league was in the 13–0 win against Newport County in the Second Division in 1946. Their heaviest defeat in the league was 9–0 against Burton Wanderers in the Second Division in 1895. The club's longest number of consecutive seasons in the top flight of English football was 35 from 1898–99 until 1933–34.

Newcastle's record home attendance is 68,386 for a First Division match against Chelsea on 3 September 1930. The club's highest attendance in the Premier League is 52,389, in a match against Manchester City on 6 May 2012. The highest transfer fee received for a Newcastle player is £35 million, from Liverpool for Andy Carroll in January 2011, while the most spent by the club on a player was £16 million for striker Michael Owen from Real Madrid in August 2005.