Final match day thread - Fulham v NUFC

[Toondes]

Fulham (a)



Newcastle end their season on the banks of the Thames when they face already-relegated Fulham on Sunday.

In common with the rest of the PL programme that day, the game at Craven Cottage is a 3pm start.

Currently sitting fourteenth in the table, Rafa Benitez's side can move a maximum of one place up or down, or remain in an unchanged position at full time.

Five previous visits to London this season for Newcastle brought them just a single point (0-0 at Palace) and a solitary goal (1-2 at Chelsea), with defeats at Spurs (0-1), West Ham and Arsenal (both 0-2).

Our last Capital success came at West Ham - a 3-2 victory back in December 2017.

This has hardly been a happy hunting ground and Rafa Benitez will take charge of Newcastle for the last time under his current deal, seeking to avoid what would be a seventh straight loss here.

It's also worth mentioning our lamentable record in season-closing top-flight away games, just one in 23 attempts - at Loftus Road six years ago.

Final away game results - Premier League:

2017/18: lost 0-1 at Spurs
2015/16: drew 0-0 at Aston Villa
2014/15: lost 1-2 at QPR
2013/14: lost 1-2 at Liverpool
2012/13: won 2-1 at QPR
2011/12: lost 1-3 at Everton
2010/11: drew 2-2 at Chelsea
2008/09: lost 0-1 at Aston Villa
2007/08: lost 1-3 at Everton
2006/07: drew 1-1 at Watford
2005/06: drew 0-0 at Birmingham City
2004/05: lost 0-2 at Everton
2003/04: drew 1-1 at Liverpool
2002/03: drew 2-2 at West Bromwich Albion
2001/02: lost 1-3 at Southampton
2000/01: lost 0-3 at Liverpool
1999/00: drew 0-0 at Derby County
1998/99: lost 0-2 at Leicester City
1997/98: lost 0-1 at Blackburn Rovers
1996/97: drew 0-0 at Manchester United
1995/96: drew 1-1 at Nottingham Forest
1994/95: lost 0-1 at Blackburn Rovers
1993/94: lost 0-2 at Sheffield United

NUFC: Injury means that the season is now over for Florian Lejeune, Sean Longstaff, Miguel Almiron, DeAndre Yedlin and Ki Sungyeung.

The Magpies are rated at 7/4 to achieve their fourth PL away win of the season, following victories on the road at Huddersfield, Burnley and Leicester.


FFC: On the eve of ending their single season stay in the Premier League, Fulham confirmed that they had appointed interim manager and former Magpie Scott Parker on a permanent basis.

18 previous home games have seen them win six, draw three and lose the other nine - actually a better points return than Crystal Palace who currently sit twelfth.

Following a 2-0 success against Everton and a 1-0 victory over Cardiff City, the Cottagers go looking for their third successive home win.

Former Magpie Aleksander Mitrovic has scored 11 PL goals this season but just one in his last 12 outings and none on home turf in the last 466 minutes.

Travel: Tubes are running to Putney Bridge and Hammersmith on Sunday, but there are various line and station closures elsewhere on the network details

From LNER:

Due to sporting events taking place in London the services below will be designated as alcohol free (Dry Trains) on Sunday May 12th:

18:00 London Kings Cross to Edinburgh
18:27 London Kings Cross to Newcastle
18:30 London Kings Cross to Edinburgh
19:00 London Kings Cross to Edinburgh
19:30 London Kings Cross to Newcastle
20:00 London Kings Cross to Newcastle
21:00 London Kings Cross to Newcastle
22:00 London Kings Cross to Newcastle

Having allowed alcohol to be consumed and bought on trains following previous NUFC games in the capital this season, we asked LNER to justify their decision.

We had anticipated that they were preparing for the possibility (now averted) of the mackems travelling on the same trains, but here's their reply:

As a result of a number of serious incidents on board our trains following the game away to Tottenham on Saturday February 2nd 2019, LNER have decided to implement an alcohol restriction and operate dry trains on all services from London Kings Cross calling at Newcastle from 18:00 on Sunday 12th May.

Whilst only a small minority of fans were responsible for these offences, several were classed as ‘hate crimes’ and all were linked to alcohol consumption.

As such LNER have decided on this occasion to implement the alcohol restriction in the interests of all its customers and staff and to help ensure everyone has a safe and pleasant journey.

Tickets:

In a nutshell, FFC sold neutral section tickets to NUFC fans then came under pressure from their own safety advisory group for that policy.

FFC responded by cancelling bookings made from addresses with some North East postcodes NE, DH and TD - a totally arbitrary selection.

However, that doesn't mean NUFC fans cannot occupy the neutral section and in practice those fans affected were able to rebook tickets in the same areas using different postcodes.

For anyone worried about FFC's threat to eject away fans from the neutral area, this warning routinely appears on their ticketing website and in our experience is not adhered to on matchdays.

Entry to both the neutral and the away sections is obtained via the same turnstiles at the Putney End and both FFC and NUFC fans wearing black and white!

The only warning we would give is that the cancellation of some tickets after they were physically issued means that although totally worthless, they could be offered for sale by unscrupulous individuals

After our game, the bulldozers will move in to tear down the Riverside Stand (top of photo) ahead of building work on an enlarged structure extending into the river.

That means Fulham will play at a three-sided ground for the whole of next season.

Stats:

Magpies @ Fulham - PL era:

2016/17: Lost 0-1
2013/14: Lost 0-1
2012/13: Lost 1-2 Ben Arfa
2011/12: Lost 2-5 Guthrie, Ben Arfa
2010/11: Lost 0-1
2008/09: Lost 1-2 Ameobi
2007/08: Won 1-0 Barton (pen)
2006/07: Lost 1-2 Martins
2005/06: Lost 0-1
2004/05: Won 3-1 Ambrose, Kluivert, Ameobi
2003/04: Won 3-2 Robert, Shearer 2*
2002/03: Lost 1-2 Shearer*
2001/02: Lost 1-3 Speed

(All at Craven Cottage except *Loftus Road)
(All in Premier League except +Championship)

Referee: Kevin Friend - fourth appearance this season for the Leicestershire-based whistler, who took charge of our 1-2 loss at Manchester City and 1-1 home draw against Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup.

Friend's last Toon appointment was the 2-0 victory over Huddersfield Town at SJP, when his dismissal of Tommy Smith made him the first referee to red card an opponent in an NUFC PL game since 2014.

UK TV: None

Overseas TV:
Astro Go
beIN Sports Connect
beIN Sports MENA 12 HD
BesTV China
Canal+ Sport Online (Poland)
DAZN Japan
Digiturk Play (Turkey)
Flow Sports App
Hotstar VIP (India)
Now Sports 3 Hong Kong
Olympic Channel (USA)
Optus Sport (Australia)
PPTV China
QQ Sports (China)
RMC Sport en direct (France)
Sky HD (Mexico)
SportsNavi Live (Japan)
SPS HD (Mongolia)
Ssports (China)
S Sport+ Turkey
TSN Go (Canada)
TV2sumo.no
Watch ESPN Brazil

UK Radio: None

Local Radio: Live on BBC Radio Newcastle

Current PL table - bottom end:

Pos Team Played Gd Pts
11 West Ham 37 -6 49
12 Crystal Palace 37 -4 46
13 Bournemouth 37 -12 45
14 Newcastle 37 -10 42
15 Burnley 37 -21 40
16 Southampton 37 -20 38
17 Brighton 37 -22 36
18 Cardiff 37 -37 31
19 Fulham 37 -43 26
20 Huddersfield 37 -54
Final PL fixtures:

Sun 12.05.2019:
Brighton v Manchester City (3pm) Sky
Burnley v Arsenal (3pm)
Crystal Palace v Bournemouth (3pm)
Fulham v Newcastle (3pm)
Leicester City v Chelsea (3pm)
Liverpool v Wolves (3pm) Sky
Manchester United v Cardiff City (3pm)
Southampton v Huddersfield Town (3pm)
Spurs v Everton (3pm
Watford v West Ham (3pm)

[Toondes]

Seems like there’s a bit of confusion to the ticketing .

[Chappy]

Reckon they'll beat us like...

[originallad]

I'd take us losing 7 nil if it meant Rafa agrees to stay with us for another few years.

[bodacious benny]

They’ve improved a lot under Parker, had it not been for the disastrous Ranieri appointment they might have had a chance of survival. Think we’ll lose 1-0.

[The Deluded Pablo Diego Jose Francisco]

3-0 loss, Mitro hattrick

[Sanchino]

Fulham to win in a exciting 3-2 thriller. Open game due to having nothing to play for so players can express themselves and play with a lot of freedom. Mitrov to score a brace and Babel to score the winner. Rondon & Perez to score for us.

[Speedo]

Anybody got a stream?

[Don Sholeone]

https://www.vipbox.live/football-live

[Somebodys pinched my sombrero]

https://www.vipbox.live/football-live

Doesn't work for me? Anyone got a click and play one?

[Colly]

Watching the City game. As much as the inevitable Diame hat trick will be wonderful I'd rather watch that than our meaningless fall squib.

[The Deluded Pablo Diego Jose Francisco]

1-0 Shelvey

[Don Sholeone]

2-0 perez

[Tsi]

2-0 perez

[bodacious benny]

Unbelievable!

[Don Sholeone]

https://www.vipbox.live/fulham-vs-newca ... -fc-2-live

[Donkey Toon]

Got a stream briefly to see the 2nd goal!

[Don Sholeone]

1-0 Liverpool

[jpg]

Does Diame playing mean that his automatic two year extension clause has been triggered?

[Donkey Toon]

Brighton 1 up. Bugger!