Is it time to light the dark at Fratton Park?

Posted by Lee on April 12, 2007 3:10 PM | Permalink

It seems a long time ago now but Newcastle United's last win at Fratton Park came way back in 1991 with Kevin Brock grabbing the winner down on the South Coast in the old Second Division.

True, Pompey have often been in the division below Newcastle since then but nevertheless the seasons when the two sides have remained in the same League, have usually resulted in misery.

Three draws in the Premiership may have been yielded but just like the many abject visits to Southampton during their top flight stint, Fratton Park holds no special memories for United fans since the days of Peter Beardsley and Kevin Keegan.

In fact since Brock's winner we've watched Mick Quinn break his leg whilst scoring the consolation in the 1991/92 season during a 3-1 loss, David Kelly blaze over a penalty in a 2-0 loss under Kevin Keegan and even had our own player in Lomana Lualua score past us when he was on loan in 2004.

It's all so typically Newcastle!

A couple of dire draws since then have also made sure there hasn't been much to shout about on the long journey back from Pompey.

So what will Saturday hold?

United do go into this one on the back of a mini-unbeaten run of two games!

But will they make it three?

Both Arsenal and Sheff United could have took more from the last two results if we are to be hyper critical.

However, one suggestion is that Newcastle seem to play better away from St James' Park at the moment due to the pressure of the home crowd.

Yet the partisan home support of Pompey usually make it a hostile ground to start with, and that's something the United players will have to stand up to.

David James is obviously confident though.

The England keeper has shaven off his beard ahead of the game even though he hasn't beaten David Seaman's record of 141 clean sheets in the Premiership.

There's certainly a possibility United could dent that but the worry that it will be a wasted 696 round mile trip must be causing those loyal Toon fans hell-bent on making a weekend of it at least a bit of nervous energy.

The finishing line is in sight, but just who has got the legs to make it there?

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Comments (4)

Ian Teasdale wrote...

As usual i fear it will be a long journey home again.Don't get me wrong the glimmer of hope still burns away but as we have seen so often this season the mounting pressure in the press will take its toll on the team, not to mention where the hell are the goals going to come from?
our away form is better this season than in recent seasons but i think the home crowd and the confidence of beating Man U 2-1 in their last home game will help them along on their way. Although if they do win it will be their first victory ever against us in the premiership i think another share of the points might not be a bad result.
All the best lads.

Posted by: Ian Teasdale | April 12, 2007 7:19 PM

oxboy wrote...

Calm down Lee. Two points from the last two games seems to have over excited you if the thought of victory at Portsmouth is in your mind.
Pompey, under one of the best and proper football managers, play with passion, determination and not a little skill. Put simply - we dont!

Posted by: oxboy | April 13, 2007 9:22 AM

Dave (Ashington) wrote...

When i was a bairn (L) years ago, an elderly gent said in passing that you could put, "eleven dustbins" on St James's Park and you would still get a full house, nothing has changed since then, except for the Keegan era. We have spent millions on so called Superstars, but have had no one of any note to play alongside or around them. The same pertains to Michael Owen. The tabloids are full of Owen back in full training and how it could turn the fortunes of "ENGLAND" around, very little about the club he plays for and who pay his astronomical wages. Until we see the day, when NUFC, see the light and get a good blend of players who have the right mentality and personal awareness, NUFC will remain a mediocre team, deserving no more than mid-table status. When Alan Shearer signed for us, even a Mackem Director put money on us to win the Premiership. Just how daft can one be. The old adage being, that no one man makes a team. Don't get me wrong, i am not and never will, deflect from what Shearer did for the club. It only goes to prove, that one BIG UN doesn't help TEN LITTLE UN'S.

Posted by: Dave (Ashington) | April 13, 2007 9:26 PM

paul dodd wrote...

It is a pleasure to hear that we are at last looking to rebuild a team based on up and coming youth rather than big-money pre-retirement 'coups' like Kluivert, Owen, Babyarro, Carr etc, all of whom
received well paid extended leave on landing at St. James! Key to this though is landing a strong, mature and pacey centre half leader like Woodgate but minus the injury bug. Remember just how good and composed he made Bramble look! Someone with fire in his belly, like (whisper) Roy Keane, and guess what, he came from Nottingham Forest not southern Spain. We would have won the league three times on the trot if we had picked up Jaap Stam once he proved he wasn't a Ferguson poodle and left that team. Someone with a big mouth to position the rest of the defence and keep them ahead of the oppositions' thinking. Stick 2 lightning full backs alongside him and with him providing live continuous improvement to Taylor and Bramble we would need just one Makelele class/type defensive midfielder on the park at all times.Ferguson's successful cloning of Keegan's style with half a dozen quick thinking counter-attacking players able to pass and interlink has been outstanding this season. Get Dyer,Emre, Nzogbia and Milner up to this standard and playing fast forward, passing to their own players at speed and we would be getting there. Back them up with 4 or 5 more forward thinking fast young bloods at £2 million a piece and the Premiership might just start to remember the terror Keegan reign.Pick up a young, fit,big, centre forward who has proven he can score with his head, preferably English, maybe from the lower leagues, for maybe £5 million, as a buffer to Owen and Martins, and a speed-up call to the so-far intermittant Ameobi and I think we would have something. Just a thought after probably the worst season since the black and white days before Keegan.

Posted by: paul dodd | April 14, 2007 4:04 PM

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