Toon fans certainly know Bassong's name now - and so do Spurs
When Newcastle United signed a player called Sebastien Bassong just over 12 months ago quite literally "nobody knew his name" as he trotted out wearing number 46 in a friendly against Doncaster Rovers.
Back then Bassong probably would have snapped your hand off to play against Championship opposition every week as he looked to make a name for himself in England while on trial at Newcastle.
Now after a sniff of the Premier League, he explained today that he had to stay in the top flight in order to keep his career on track.
Make no doubt about it Newcastle will probably deem it good business as Bassong walks away leaving them with a £7.5million profit and he laps up a lucrative five-year deal at White Hart Lane.
But it goes without saying they've lost a player who didn't take long to capture the imagination of the St James's Park crowd.
By going to Spurs, he's walking a well trodden path too, Waddle, Gazza, Jenas, Fox and Ferdinand to name a few.
But Newcastle could really have built a team round a player like Bassong and that hurts.
It's accepted that Bassong will get many who claim he did not care.
However, certainly while he wore the black and white shirt, it's safe to say he cared.
As far back as Coventry, Bassong was keen to talk about his debut in the Carling Cup and even though the bus was waiting for him as the last player to get on, he wanted to stay and finish his first interview.
When sent off at Wigan he could have simply got on the bus but stopped to remove his ear plugs on his iPod and apologised to the fans for the card that contributed to a 2-1 defeat at the JJB.
Then there was the infamous clash with Hull City in the FA Cup third round replay when Bassong lost it in the tunnel with on loan Sunderland man at the time Paul McShane.
At mid-interview stage McShane, who had been involved in a battle on the field with Bassong that night, was stunned when Bassong grabbed him before clipping him round the ear before the pair were pulled apart.
Of course he was wrong to do it but emotions run high in this game and as a young man in football, Bassong was no different.
Yet perhaps the final memory of Bassong at Newcastle came after the distraught defender emerged from the stands at Villa Park after painfully sitting through the 1-0 defeat in the stands as a suspended player, following his red card against Fulham.
He then walked into the dressing room and was stunned to hear a section of players discussing their holidays not even an hour after being relegated!
For him that was the final straw.
And coupled with the lack of appointment of Alan Shearer it signalled the beginning of the end of a player that could well have been moulded into one of the best defenders this club has ever had.
Newcastle's loss is undoubtedly Tottenham's gain.
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Lee Ryder - Proudly born and bred on Tyneside, the Chronicle's chief sports writer has followed the fortunes of the club over the last three decades as a Toon fan and football writer.
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Sadly, I can't blame him - much as I'd like him to stay. Reading about the new moves on the bid front, it seems that the farce is set to continue.
Just got onto this story cos it was on newsnow Tottenham. Good luck next season - don't do a Leeds!
Its good to hear a young player that cares about the fans and takes pride in his performance.
Hopefully he can be a great signing for spurs and the 8 million can be used to bolster your (now since oba and owen) lightweight attack. Good luck
Aye...prem wont quite be the same without the Barcodes...hope Bassong is a quality player for us and wish you a speedy return to the topflight.
I've just read your comments about the departure of Seb, and although a few fans may say it's a case of a rat deserting a sinking ship, who can blame him? I now understand that our only other capable defender, beye, is going as well....to HULL!!!!
I wonder where the transfer money is going?...to Hughton to strengthen the squad? a new car for Llambias? most likely into MA's pocket where he has kept the rest of the transfer profits no doubt!
So we head into the new season without a manager, a caretaker manager without a clue, an owner who doesn't want us, no capable defenders, no proven strikers, and an overrated midfield full of has-beens and idiots! I have looked through the fixture list and I can't see a single game I am confident of us winning!! The team was gutless in the relegation fight, they don't stand a chance in the heat of the championship!!
I can't blame any player wanting to follow nellie the elephant and say goodbye to the circus, the only squad we now have left would seem to be players no one else wants!
I can't help feeling that the people running this club are actually maliciously trying to undermine NUFC as some kind of sick joke. They couldn't have disgraced Sir Bobby's memory any more if they tried! And that is more unforgivable than the mess they have made of this club!
Very good article. I'm a spurs fan and asked a good mate who is a Toon season ticket holder what he thought of Bassong and he didn't have a bad word to say about him. He obviously has rushes of blood to the head but sounds like he will be a good addition to the team. Very few players have the attitude that has been described above which is a shame. I would reiterate what the other spurs fans have said and look forward to a weekend up in newcastle for the away game in the 2010/2011 season.
Two words: asset stripping.
Bassong was a quality player for us last season, if we had more players like him,then we would still be in the premier league. best of luck Bassong! he proved he is good enough for the PL,as for newcastle united.what can i say except that Mike Ashley has been the worst thing that could have ever happened to NUFC. he has raked in money for Martins, Beye and Bassong and there isnt even a hint of any players coming in. we could still lose the likes of Duffer and Butt! We are literally doomed at this stage! the championship is a dog fight! we have no strikers left, skysports said that our key man was " shola ameobi!" the man that would score if he was a foot away from the line. its scary times! it will be an absolute miracle if we even get near the play-offs! Ashley isnt goin to pump a single penny into the team. its all about what he can get back in return! £££££££££££££££££££££££s!
Another stripe in the death of a thousand cuts.
Simon, do you know what asset stripping actually is? And al the morons who claim that the money from Shay, Oba, Beye and Bassong is going into the pockets of the directors, is that how you think business actually works?!
I despise the current regime as much as everyone else, but these players are being sold so that the club can keep operating, i.e. paying running costs and wages. Where else do you think the money is coming from. Comments from these people make us look like the stereotypical fools that the national press seem so keen on highlighting.
How about a bit of dignified support for the toon for a change.
cant blame him really, every player who would have stayed for shearer is now going and of course we arent going to buy anyone.
academy kids and shola ameobi will be the team...its league one all the way!
cheers Mike
Bassong has a short fuse and probably would only get himself sent off regularly playing in the Championship. Not s big loss overall.
And the sale saga drags on, and on, and on, .............. Another season of Ashley that could end in more despair and another slide down the divisions! If he was smart he would take the first offer of 20 quid.
The bright spot is that there will be no return of Shearer.
Bassong has a short fuse and probably would only get himself sent off regularly playing in the Championship. Not s big loss overall.
And the sale saga drags on, and on, and on, .............. Another season of Ashley that could end in more despair and another slide down the divisions! If he was smart he would take the first offer of 20 quid.
The bright spot is that there will be no return of Shearer.
I don't quite understand where Faustino is coming from , anybody with any vision can clearly see that all Ashley is doing and has done since the sale of Milner is cash in on our best players, King Kev could see what was going on and stood up for his principles and because he cared about the club and it's supporters. What sort of a manager is Chris Hughton , any thoughts of Kevin Nolan as a striker alongside Shola is an admission that we don't fancy our chances at WBA . I have to say I wasn't sorry for the loss of Owen , and Viduka to name but two , but now with the sale of Martins , Bassong and very soon Beye , by my reckoning that's nigh on 300k a week saved from the wage bill plus of course Cacapa and Edgar going , whatever anybody thinks that's still quite an in road in to what in all honesty was an excessive wage bill . Now's the time for adventure and positive play not playing out defensively for a point away to WBA. Let's blood the youngsters Lua Lua , Ranger and Carroll. Fergie did this and won the league . Yes I'm sure some Smart alec will say they were world class , but my argument is these kids won't be playing at Premier League level and this is the time to give them a go , otherwise we could go down without even a whimper. I hate the Cockner Ravi Shanka and his mates but Toon is still my team, will watch them away from home and hope that a new regime comes in soon . I honestly think I could do a better job than the clueless Hughton and Calderwood never mind the Old Boy who could drop down dead on the touchline . Perhaps I should apply for the job, can't do any worse than our current coaching staff
Clearly the 'asset-stripping' is being done to balance the books. The largest source of revenue for most, if not all, Prem clubs is from TV, so without that NUFC will struggle to meet their commitments. Hence, the necessity to sell high wage earners to get them off the payroll, whilst also putting some money aside to pay the bills!
Let's hope your takeover gets sorted soon, and your back in the Prem soon... I'm gonna miss coming up once a year and sh@gging all those Geordie girls!!!!!
And lets hope Bassong can be a goog signing for us!
Bassong was an absolute star last year, many newcomers wilted under the pressure that all the turmoil caused but Seb thrithed and gained a big reputation. I don't blame him for leaving, he was about the only player who didn't deserve relegation.