Sandro Tonali was issued with a suspended two-month ban from competitive football by an independent Regulatory Commission, this after self-declaring breaches of the FA Betting Rules. Tonali was also fined £20,000 and warned by the FA as to his future conduct.

As the ban is fully suspended for the duration of the 2024/25 season, he will be available to return to competitive football upon the conclusion of his existing ten-month sanction imposed by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on 27 October 2023. On the proviso that he does not commit any further breach of the FA Betting Rules during the cause of the suspension period, he will not have to serve any part of this new two-month sanction.

Acknowledgement of his cooperation and assistance with the enquiry, even to the extent of self-declaring breaches where there was no evidence to support them, was included in the independent Regulatory Commission’s written reasons. Indeed it was remarked that such cooperation was extraordinary and unprecedented.

According to the club Sandro is continuing to follow a therapeutic plan and educational programme with the club's full support and will continue to train with his teammates.

Former Newcastle United forward Cole was selected from a shortlist of 15 former players by fans worldwide through an online public vote and the Premier League Awards Panel. The Hall of Fame celebrates individuals who have an exceptional record of success and have made a significant contribution to the Premier League since its inception in 1992.

He is one of the Premier League's most prolific strikers, ranking fourth with 187 goals, and he also made 73 assists, from 414 Premier League appearances. He ranks fourth on in the league's all-time goalscoring charts, given that his goal tally only includes a single penalty it is even more impressive than it first seems.

Cole won the 1993/94 Golden Boot after scoring 34 goals for Newcastle in his first season in the Premier League, and sped to 50 goals in just 65 games.

In January 1995, Cole moved to Manchester United, winning five Premier League titles with them, before featuring for Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Manchester City, Portsmouth and our 'nearest and dearest' Sunderland, before announcing his retirement in 2008.

After weeks of speculation, and already knowing the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) decision, Sandro Tonali has been banned from competitive football for ten months. The ban is effective from Friday, 27th October 2023 until Tuesday, 27th August 2024.

The FIGC's sanction, following illegal betting charges whilst Tonali was with AC Milan, sets an overall 18-month ban, however eight months of this is commuted as Tonali participates in a therapeutic plan and educational programme in Italy consisting of 16 commitments.

With FIFA endorsing the sanction this means the ban is effective worldwide.

Personally I can't see what all the fuss is about. By Tonalki's own admission he only ever bet on Milan to win, so it's not as if he was prepared to 'throw games' just to win a bet!

Following a huge earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria (on February 6, 2023) the Ronesans Residence, a block of high-rise luxury flats in which Atsu was resident, was one of many that toppled over in Antakya city in Hatay. There were initial reports that Atsu had been found safe, but injured, and taken to hospital. However, these reports were later denied. Then on February 18 it was confirmed that Atsu was one of the over 43,000 people to have lost their lives as his body was discovered in the rubble.

According to Turkish state news agency, Anadolu, the Turkish police arrested the building's contractor at Istanbul airport as he appeared to be heading to Montenegro.

Almirón was in brilliant form throughout the month, contributing six goals comprising of a double at Fulham, one against Brentford, the winner against Everton, another decisive strike at Tottenham Hotspur, and a terrific curling effort from distance against Aston Villa.

It‘s the fifth time that Howe has won the award, and the second time as Newcastle United manager, he also received the award in February, and he insisted on members of his backroom team and support staff joining him to receive the trophy. Speaking to Sky Sports on Friday, he said: For me, really the award is for the team, the team of staff, and the team of players. I‘m delighted to collect that for them.

Scoring six goals in as many matches during an outstanding run of form, which also saw Almirón picking up the EA Sports Player of the Month award in the process, he now adds the Goal of the month award.

Scoring six goals in as many matches during an outstanding run of form, which also saw Almirón picking up the EA Sports Player of the Month award in the process, he now adds the Goal of the month award. Netting his first of two goals against Fulham in terrific fashion, where, exchanging passes with Bruno Guimarães before rifling an excellent first-time volley into the far left-hand corner. This is his second Goal of the Month award, during the calendar year, after he won the prize in April (2022) with a stunning solo effort in the 1-0 home win against Crystal Palace.

Almost as soon as this friendly fixture was announced it was shrouded in controversy, with some Mainz fans, including the fan association, calling for it to be cancelled. The reason being that they take umbrage at the Saudi Arabian consortium which owns Newcastle. Whilst I fully understand their concerns, a one‑sided cancellation, as their board member for sport and communication, Christian Heidel, pointed out …could have serious legal and economic consequences. In an obvious, if unintended, admission of a failure to understand their fans, their chairman, Stefan Hofmann, said We didn't expect the reaction we got from some fans. Whatever the reason for that disconnect the match goes ahead, so guess what, money wins again!

As an aside, whilst I have sympathies with the Mainz fans, I would suggest that a cancellation was probably not the best option. Now that they know there would be legal and economic consequences, I would suggest their best course of action would be not to attend the match but protest outside the arena. Peacefully protest I hasted to add! That way their feelings are clearly known, they provide no economic support to the fixture, and more importantly anyone who does not share their view can attend should they wish. Afterall, why should they suffer just because they don't share your viewpoint?

A local lad, born in Newcastle, Dummett joined Newcastle‘s Academy when he was 8yrs-old and progressed through the ranks, captaining the Under-21s, breaking into the first-team and at times captaining them too. With the exception of loan spells, Dummett is a one club and at the time of writing had made 204 competitive appearances, with over 40 more appearances friendlies.

One of the aforementioned loan spells was with St Mirren with whom he won the Scottish League Cup. Dummett also represented Wales, qualifying through his grandfather at Under-21 and full international levels.

On signings the extension Dummett said: This is a hugely exciting time for the football club and the city so I‘m delighted to be committing another year here and staying at my boyhood club. adding I‘m immensely proud that next season will be my tenth involved with the first team and I‘m really looking forward to being part of what is a big season to come. Howay the lads!

Newcastle United manager (Head Coach), Eddie Howe, said: Paul is a consummate professional who has given so much to this club and I‘m delighted he will be staying with us. He is a player and a person I like very much. He leads by example both in the dressing room and on the pitch and I’m pleased to retain someone with his positive influence and defensive capabilities.

The club statement, with the usual platitudes excluded (they make me sick, with their obvious banality and insincerity) reads:

An investment group led by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), and also comprising PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media (the Investment Group), has completed the acquisition of 100% of Newcastle United Limited and Newcastle United Football Club Limited (Newcastle United or the Club) from St. James Holdings Limited.

All requisite approvals have been obtained from the English Premier League and the acquisition was completed on 7 October 2021.

The Investment Group is comprised of long‑term, patient investors who have every confidence in the future success of the Club. Today‘s announcement is the conclusion of a thorough and detailed process that has allowed the Investment Group to arrive at a deal that benefits all stakeholders and will leave Newcastle United well‑placed to pursue a clear, long‑term strategy.

His Excellency Yasir Al‑Rumayyan, Governor of PIF, will serve as Non-Executive Chairman of Newcastle United. Amanda Staveley, chief executive of PCP Capital Partners, will have one seat on the board. Jamie Reuben will also be a director of the Club, representing RB Sports & Media.

For PIF, one of the world‘s most impactful investors, the acquisition is in line with its strategy of focusing on key sectors including Sports and Entertainment, and aligns with PIF‘s mission to actively invest over the long term - in this case, to harness the Club‘s potential and build upon the Club‘s legacy.

Newcastle United confirmed today that Callum Wilson will wear the famous, indeed coveted, No.9 shirt for the 2021-22 season. Joelinton, the current holder, will switch to No.7 which is vacated by the leaving of Andy Carroll.

With the best will in the world Joelinton was never a No.9 in the manner of my understanding of what a No.9 should be, i.e., Hughie Gallacher, Jackie Milburn, Malcolm Macdonald, Alan Shearer et al. Don‘t get me wrong, I truly believe that Joelinton can become an excellent player and perhaps with the pressure of the No.9 being lifted from him he can deliver upon my expectations.

It was confirmed today that Federico Fernández, Dwight Gayle and Jacob Murphy have all signed new contracts with the club. Also confirmed was that the options to extend the contracts of Paul Dummett and Fabian Schär would be exercised ensuring both would be with us next season at least. Good news all round I‘d say.

It was confirmed on the Newcastle United website today that no fewer than fifteen players were to be released from the Academy. These being:

Owen BAILEY; Lewis BRANNEN; Tai EBANKS; Ludwig FRANCILLETTE; Lucas GAMBLIN; Josh GILCHRIST; Josh HARRISON; Florent INDALECIO; Oliver MARSHALL; Tom MIDGLEY; George ROUNSFELL; Kyle SCOTT; Jude SWAILES; Yannick TOURÉ and Oliver WALTERS.

Contract extensions were offered to the following ten Academy players. As, when, and if, they accept will follow.

Under-18s: Nathan CARLYON; Lucas DE BOLLE; Joe OLIVER; Josh SCOTT and Dylan STEPHENSON.

Under-23s: Ryan BARRETT; Will BROWN; Oisin McENTEE; Mo SANGARE and Adam WILSON.

Well, I can‘t remember this happening before! Newcastle United playing their first-team in two games, on the same day. Of course, the squad is big enough to accommodate such fixtures, even allowing for substitutions, and in one way I really like the idea.

On the one hand, rather than the usual pre-season friendlies where there are wholesale changes made, which in effect negates any real chance of assessing either a players‘ form or fitness, two teams will get the opportunity to play a full game, and what an excellent opportunity to introduce some of the academy players to first-team action. On the other hand, it worries me slightly that it doubles the opportunity for injuries to occur.

It is with the greatest of sadness that the news of the death of former Newcastle manager Jack Charlton broke today, aged 85 after a long-term illness.

Whilst his time at Newcastle was short, his status in the game was long and proud, being a World Cup winner in 1966, along with younger brother Bobby, and being a World Cup hero for the Republic of Ireland when he managed them to their first-ever World Cup finals in Italia 90 and incredibly reached the quarter-finals.

Whenever I met Jack, he was always straight-talking and forthright, a true gentleman of the game who could criticise but never ridicule and gave praise where it was due. My deepest, deepest sympathies go to his good lady wife Pat and the rest of his family.

Ok, so I have to admit I‘m one of the very few Newcastle fans who is not distraught at the departure of Rafa Benítez, good luck to him, but as I say I‘m not that bothered. However, to see Ayoze Pérez leave IS something that bothers me!

To me it signifies that there is little, if any, motivation within the club to improve upon last season, it will merely be a case of "same again please". Another season where survival in the top-flight is the ONLY ambition.

Again I‘m probably one of the very few Newcastle fans who doesn‘t (completely) blame Mike Ashley for this. Would anyone want to invest in a club where the fans have demonstrated such vitriol gainst you? We fans have to shoulder quite a large chunk of the blame for the state of affairs at St James‘s Park.

Newcastle‘s new record signing - let‘s hope he is a damn sight better than the last one!

The talk is that he will play as a No. 10 for Newcastle, sitting just behind the strikers and being the main play-maker. However, when was the last time Benítez played with two strikers for him to sit behind? Maybe it was because Benítez didn‘t feel confident enough in the players we have to do so, well now he has broken the transfer record to get Almirón he can no longer use that excuse. If Almirón and Shelvey can play together in the midfield, with Almirón being the more forward thinking of the two, and with Kenedy and Ritchie wide on their respective wings things will once again begin to happen. Rondón, Pérez, Joselu, etc, would then be able to do their jobs more effectively - instead of being lonely figures up-front and having to run around chasing scraps. Yes, could be exciting times ahead.

Ranger has been jailed for eight months after admitting online banking fraud.

Currently at Southend United he was sentenced to eight months for conspiracy to defraud by obtaining bank details and transferring money.

An accomplice, Aseany Duncan, 19, from Enfield, North London, was also jailed for eight months for the same offence. The case against Reanne Morgan, 18, also of Enflield, was dropped due to a lack of evidence.

The court heard Ranger, now of Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend, conspired to use the bank details of Diane Bloss in February 2015 and move £2,090 from one account to another.

Ranger played for Newcastle United, England Under-19s, Swindon Town and Blackpool, before moving to Southend United in August 2016.

Whilst admitting the charge, Newcastle have asked that their case to be re-assessed after submitting mitigation over the incident, which surrounded captain Fabricio Coloccini‘s dismissal by referee Robert Madley in first-half injury time after he had a penalty awarded against him. In an official statement the club said:

Newcastle United have admitted a charge of failing to control their players in last weekend‘s Tyne-Wear derby defeat at Sunderland. The charge relates to the players‘ reaction to the match official‘s decision, which saw Sunderland awarded a penalty and captain Fabricio Coloccini issued with a red card, which has since been rescinded." The club has admitted the charge, but has submitted an application for it to be re-assessed due to mitigating circumstances.

Only moments after the referee had failed to award Newcastle a penalty for a foul by Lee Cattermole, Coloccini and Fletcher were chasing down a through-ball from Defoe when Coloccini shoulder-charged Fletcher and he went down in the box. Referee Madley, without any hesitation, pointed straight to the spot.

Coloccini, and several others from Newcastle surrounded Madley to argue the decision but this only compounded the issue with Coloccini receiving a red card.

Newcastle‘s appeal against the red card was upheld by the FA and it was rescinded on the following Tuesday (27/10/2015). Not that it made any difference of course as 10-man Newcastle went on to lose the game 3-0.

Steve McClaren admitted that whilst that decision was welcomed it only added to his misery. He said: "It makes it even worse because we felt at the time - I will still debate the penalty - that it definitely wasn‘t a goalscoring opportunity. The ball was in (Newcastle goalkeeper) Rob Elliot‘s hands. It spoilt the game, really - obviously not for Sunderland, but it really spoilt it for us in terms of being a football match."

Karl Darlow, grandson of Ken Leek, ex-Newcastle and Wales Centre Forward, and Lewis Suddick, grandson of ex-Newcastle midfielder, Alan Suddick, were both involved in the friendly tonight against York City at Bootham Cresent.

Whilst they weren‘t on the pitch together, with Darlow playing the first half in goal and being replaced by Elliott at half-time, and Suddick coming on as a 70th minute substitute for Mitrovik, it was nice to see Newcastle "keeping it in the family".

Newcastle United confirmed, via their official website, that both Jonas Gutierrez and Ryan Taylor will be released by the Club when their current deals expire on 30th June, 2015.

Issuing the typical rhetoric Managing director Lee Charnley was quoted as saying: "Ryan and Jonas have both contributed significantly to Newcastle United over a number of years and on behalf of the board, I would like to place on record our sincere thanks to both players for the excellent service they have given the Club.". Adding: It was a great pleasure to see Ryan and Jonas come back into the team in recent weeks and compete at the highest level after the injury and illness battles they have had to overcome. To come through those difficult periods with such strength and dignity will have given hope and inspiration to many and it is clear that our supporters have a deep connection and affection for both players, as does everyone associated with the Club.

Both players have had a difficult end to their Newcastle careers with Taylor suffering two seriuos knee injuries and Gutierrez being sent out on loan, seemingly never to return, then suffering testicular cancer and upon recovery being sent back to Newcastle.

Gutierrez, via social media, had a slightly different opinion of things than Charnley, saying "Two things I learn from my illness: how you can support a player [Newcastle fans] and how you leave a player alone [Newcastle owner]. Thanks to all football fans and Newcastle fans for supporting me and [having] trust in me."

Exactly six years to the day when Newcastle were relegated from the Premiership in 2009 they found themselves in the same position on the last day of the season, either they or Hull City would be relgated.

Hull faced a daunting visit from Manchester United whilst Newcastle faced a Sam Allardyce led West Ham United. It all came down to a simple fact - Newcastle had to match, or better, Hull‘s result.

In what was a nervy, but very spirited, performance Newcastle took control of their own destiny beating West Ham 2-0 whilst Hull drew 0-0, a result that no longer mattered of course with Newcastle winning.

In the second half of the game against Chelsea today (15/05/2011) young Sammy Ameobi was introduced as an 82nd minute substitute. With his elder brother Shola already being on the pitch this made it the first time that Newcastle had played a pair of brothers in a League game since the 1950‘s.

The last pair of brothers to play for Newcastle - in a league game - were the Robledo brothers, George & Ted.

However in the 1990‘s Newcastle did have the brothers Richard and Matty Appleby appearing in the same match, in the Anglo-Italian Cup game on 08/12/1992 versus AS Bari, a game Newcastle lost 3-0.

Newcastle have had other brother pairings on their books at the same time: Peter & Chris Withe, Ron & Chris Guthrie, Stephen & Gary Caldwell, and Lomano & Kazenga LuaLua, but they never appeared in the same side together.

Mr Julius Askeland, a well respected official at Newcastle United, was acting in his usual capacity of match superintendent at the game on Saturday, December 4, against West Ham United at St James's Park. At this game he was said to have caught a chill, with pneumonia rapidly supervening, and following a brief illness passed away at his home in South Shields.

Mr Askeland‘s official association with the club was one of long-standing and went back to the time of the amalgation of East End and West End to form United. The funeral is to take place at St Andrew‘s Cemetery tomorrow, Saturday, December 11.

At a meeting today (Thursday, September 03, 1914) held at the training quarters at St James‘s Park the players unanimuously decided to subcribe 2½% of their wages, on a weekly basis, to support the War Funds. The money to be apportioned as one week to the Lord Major‘s Releif Fund and the following week to the Belgian Relief Fund.

Well done Lads!