Before kick off.

Footie this afternoon.  Newcastle v Watford in the FA Cup.   My collage shows a worried manager - and some of the pre- match rituals I managed to capture.  You blow on your fingers.  You scratch your b@lls. You gaze up to heaven hoping God might help your team win the match. You pull up your socks.  You have a team huddle.  I thought some of these shots were a bit silly. Thanks to admirer for hosting Silly Saturday.

The Manager was right to be worried.  None of the rituals worked. It was a disaster for NUFC.  The 34,000 fans in St James Park had nothing to cheer about this afternoon.  Newcastle were dreadful - their first shot on target wasn't until the 67th minute.  Not one player showed any energy or creativity.  It was no surprise that the final score was Newcastle 0  Watford 2.   So its the 13th straight year where Newcastle have failed to reach the last 16 of the FA Cup.

To add to the woes of the afternoon it started raining around 4pm and by the time I left the ground the rain was lashing down and I got soaked on the way to catch the bus.

Steps today - 8,592.