Mountain of Madness on Tyneside


By Adam Beckett
January 10 2008

On January 9, 2008 Newcastle United Football Club fired Sam Allardyce. Allardyce had been in charge of Newcastle for less than 9 months. At the beginning of the season many Newcastle fans were expecting a top six finish under Big Sam, and good times were round the corner when on opening day Newcastle and Big Sam returned to Bolton and won convincingly 3-1.

However, as time went on the team lost its way and slipped from the dizzy heights of the top five into middle table obscurity. Of course unlike most teams in the same position fans all over the country remained sure that the team would push for a top six finish. Allardyce seemed sure that he could suck up all the pressure and push on for what he called ‘revamping’ the club at all levels. New chairman Chris Mort also acknowledged that while pressure was part of the game in the Premier League, the rumors of Big Sam leaving were ‘tedious’ at best.

However, cracks began to appear as last minute wins against Birmingham and Fulham did little to convince the fans that Sam was getting it right. A last minute game saving goal against Derby heightened the tension on Tyneside. Perhaps the last straw came in a weeknight home defeat to high flying Manchester City. The team looked terrible and the crowd let Allardyce know how they felt.

Chairman Chris Mort 

The media frenzy that has always existed around Newcastle turned to over drive as newsstands and TV shows continued to sly Allardyce. However, still Mort and Ashley stood by their man. A draw in a very tricky tie against Stoke seemed to have saved Allardyce as the travelling Toon fans cheered the boys off the field and gave Big Sam a standing ovation as he left. Allardyce looked safe – yet drenched in Sunday rain.However, just as common sense had looked to prevail the announcement came around 5 o’clock on Wednesday afternoon. The broadcaster on Sky Sports News began: “Newcastle fans stand by…” and that was the end of Sam Allardyce at Newcastle United. Once again the madness that is Newcastle United reared its ugly head.

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