AND SO IT BEGINS

.... the 2024 - 2025 football season.  

(non football fans feel free to ignore what's below) 

Newcastle United had a home match this afternoon against Southampton... traditional 3pm kick off.  I got to town early and had a mooch around then headed for St James Park and got there around 2.30pm.  The ground was quite full already.  Great atmosphere.

What to say about the match.  Its a tricky one to describe.  Newcastle did win 1 - 0 .... but it wasn't a good match to sit through.  My favourite player Fabian Schar was sent off after only 28 mins.  From what I could see out of nowhere Southampton player Brereton Diaz ran over to Fabian and pushed him in the back knocking him to the ground.  Fabian should not have reacted.... but unfortunately he did.  He bent his head towards Brereton Diaz but didn't make contact.  Diaz  reacted as though he had been head-butted  and fell to the ground as if in pain.  ( Fooled the referee into thinking he was hurt)   Fabian got a red card and was sent off.  Diaz only got a yellow card.  As far as I could see they should both have got a yellow card or both got a red. The ref was useless for the whole game really.   Fortunately Newcastle scored just before half time but for the whole of the second half all Newcastle fans were in a nervous state  hoping their 10 man team could stop Southampton from equalising  I was so relieved to hear the final whistle with the score still at one nil to Newcastle.

The top shot of my blip show The Stack -- a newly opened Newcastle United fanzone made from shipping containers,  Its full of different bars and eating places as well as a big screen which will show Newcastle matches - but only if they are on TV.   The bottom photo shows local lad Kieran Reilly who won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in the Men's BMX Freestyle event. He made an appearance at half time.  ( The lady in green is Serena Taylor the Newcastle United official photographer ).My shot isn't very clear as I was on the other side of the ground.... and the water sprinklers kept going off spoiling my view.

After the match I did a bit of food shopping in Tesco.  Then I caught a bus home.  It wasn't busy as most of the footie fans seemed to be staying in town to go for a meal or a drink.

There was a bit of a chilly wind today and not a lot of sunshine.

Steps today - 7,559