CAN TOON END WOEFUL RUN AGAINST VILLA?
Remember the day that Russian president Vladimir Putin criticised the United States for its "almost uncontained" use of force around the world during his speech at the 43rd annual Munich Conference on Security Policy?
Ah come on! You must do!
On that day I bet you had a big smile on your face and if you drink you probably over indulged.
OK, I'll put you out of your misery - it was the last time we won at home in the Premiership more than six months ago - February 10, 2007 - the day we beat Liverpool 2-1, the day before the wheels started to fall off for Glenn Roeder.
United will go into their game with Aston Villa for the first time in eight years with no Kieron Dyer on the scene.
Ironically Dyer made his debut in the 1-0 defeat against Villa in 1999, the same day that Alan Shearer was sent off and Ruud Gullit lost the plot when he ran on to confront Uriah Rennie at the end.
Well, saying as we've spent the last few weeks talking about Dyer and whether he will or won't stay, now is surely the time to focus on the players who are here after a club from the East End finally ended the soap opera that has been Kieron Dyer on Tyneside.
But even though I have always been a fan of a fully fit Dyer on the field, I can't help thinking as he drove over the Tyne Bridge for the final time (without crashing) he must have been left wondering 'what if', because even though he had some stormers in a black and white top, he never found the consistency required at top level - if he had, he could have been a real star.
Now though it's time to talk about just whether Newcastle can keep up their 100% record and win at St James' Park for the first time since February, oh and we haven't scored for 470 minutes in home Premiership games!
Against Villa we get the chance to do both and United fans go into the game on the crest of a wave after beating Bolton 3-1 at the Reebok.
To be fair Bolton were all over the place in the first half but you can only beat what's put in front of you*.
For Toon fans though, it's all about home games and winning at home ahead of anything else.
And Villa are a team that Newcastle fans expect to beat.
Early indications suggest that United will be unchanged for the visit of the animated Martin O'Neill and his side, meaning that Michael Owen could be on the bench.
Brazilian new boy Cacapa will probably be there to keep him company but the game comes too early for Jose Enrique.
Meanwhile it looks like Nobby Solano remains a United player and the Peruvian was at St James' Park signing autographs at a Junior Magpies session.
It is now common knowledge that Solano wants to go and play down south which I think most of the Geordie public will understand.
But if he manages to get on the field against his old club Villa tomorrow for one last contribution in a black and white shirt, what price him departing Tyneside with a final gift for the Toon Army?
A fairytale would be great but a straight forward three points will do.
*Courtesy of Ron Atkinson's 101 Great Cliches
NEWCASTLE UNITED fans are hoping to Bring Back the Noise to St James’ Park this weekend but those who manage to bump into the famous 118118 twins could end up getting the chance to prove they are the best.
For the dynamic duo have been scaling the length and breadth of the country to find the number 1 fan’s chant and on Saturday they will bring their cameras to St James’ Park.
The pair will be scouring the ground before the game armed with a cameraman who will film a video of them chanting before posting them on the website www.118footie.com
And if their chant is good enough it could reach number 1 in their chart.
Organiser Tim Hampson said: “We are on a mission to find the loudest, funniest, most bizarre football chants in the land and are scouring the nation’s football grounds to find them and film them so that the public can decide who are the ultimate fans.
“Every week the 118118 boys go on tour around the grounds and film supporters chanting. Check out the website to see how the search is going so far.�
“Fans have also already started to film their own vids and post them up there - this is set to become a Football Fans YouTube.
“Interestingly we are in Sunderland the following weekend so this is Newcastle fans chance to set down a marker!�
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