On the 22nd anniversary of our 8-1 hiding at Upton Park (the one when Peter Beardsley ended up in goal!) it's fair to say that Newcastle United are building up to the big one in the East End in fine spirits after seeing off the Mackems on Sunday in a superb 2-0 win.
The emotionally charged day for Kevin Keegan's boys will live long in the memory with the Geordie Nation enjoying a day when you were proud to be a Geordie and proud to be from Tyneside.
Now all of that will be transferred to West Ham and a side that have been walloped by injuries.
The not so happy Hammers will be without former Toon trio Kieron Dyer, Craig Bellamy and Lee Bowyer so no painful celebrations if West Ham score are likely but with Scott Parker and Nobby Solano still lurking, the mandatory goal from an old boy is still a possibility.
Upton Park of course can be a cauldron of hate and even a 2-1 win over Derby forced boos in their last game.
It was only last season but the contrast between Newcastle United today and last term is nothing short of incredible.
From the players involved in the 2-0 win in September 2006, only goalscorers Oba Martins and Damien Duff were in action in our last game against the red and whites at the weekend.
And if that isn't staggering enough the fact that we've also had three managers in that period shows that stability is vital on Tyneside for the next few years.
The scenes were akin to that of TV series Casualty last time out as Shay Given punctured his bowel following Marlon Harewood's heavy challenge.
What followed behind the scenes was awful to look at and probably the most serious situation this author has encountered in football.
Given of course collapsed in the dressing room after the game and was rushed down the tunnel and past the media on a stretcher much to the distress of his watching team-mates Duff and Stevie Harper.
It certainly took the gloss of the 2-0 win on a day when Glenn Roeder had been taunted by sick West Ham fans over health fears during his time at the club.
We could all do without the same kind of drama this season but with confidence high a repeat result is certainly up for grabs against injury ravaged West Ham.
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