Latest reaction to Big Sam's arrival at St James' Park
The last time Newcastle United's Press room housed so many journalists Glenn Roeder's side had just lost 2-0 to Blackburn, season tickets were being chucked on to the track pitchside, groups of fans had started to form outside the Milburn Stand to shout for the manager and the chairman's heads and the slight chances of qualifying for Europe had just gone up in smoke.
The next day Sunderland romped to a 5-0 win over Luton to rejoin Newcastle in the Premiership, Roy Keane's wry smile made a mark on cameras all over the world and the team United famously chucked away a 12 point lead against in 1996 were spraying champagne all over the place 11 years after the Toon clung on to their coat-tails.
Today, and 12 months to the day that Glenn Roeder was installed as full-time boss after guiding the Toon Army back into Europe - a new man was in the same seat facing the world media.
Welcome aboard Sam Allardyce. A new man. Some new hope. And a new era.
With cameramen anxiously poised in front of the stage at the Press Conference Allardyce was traditionally five minutes late for his meeting with the world media but he didn't disappoint.
Big Sam lived up to his name and looked an imposing figure in front of journalists without ducking any tricky questions and looking like a man on a mission.
Considering Paul Jewell quit football yesterday for health reasons Allardyce declared he was fit and raring to go and after spending 90 minutes in his company, it was hard to disagree.
First he explained that the so called ugly football that Bolton played could ensure success after leading the sleepy little club into two European finishes in the last three years.
Then he went on to vow how he would get to the bottom of the serious injury problems that have plagued Newcastle in the last couple of years by using up to date technology.
The serious business of keeping Michael Owen came next, as well as Oba Martins - I will keep my goalscorers - simple as that, OK Big Sam, that's good enough for us.
Talk of the England job was quickly dismissed by Allardyce too with the new gaffer suggesting the Newcastle manager's hotseat more than made up for missing out on the international hotseat.
And at a time when the dressing room is clearly split - with egos in danger of spilling out of control - Big Sam says he will sort the Toon camp out and cut out the bad feeling that currently exists at SJP.
All in all a very positive 90 minutes work for Big Sam, who also met some of the Toon Army along the way, and he can certainly talk the talk.
Judging by the job he done at Bolton he can walk the walk too.
Now he has to do it all again with Newcastle.
And you wouldn't bet against him doing it again on this evidence.
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