Big Geordie

As ever - early bits and bobs from nufc.com;

Premiership:
West Ham (h)

Sunday sees Alan Curbishley's side in Toon for a 1.30pm kickoff in a fixture being beamed out live by SkySports1 and HD1.

Important Travel Update: The closure of Haymarket Metro station on Sunday means that no trains will run between Monument and Jesmond all day.

Replacement buses will run over that route but delays are inevitable as kickoff approaches.

For fans coming from the Coast, trains are running to St.James via Wallsend with additional services before and after the game.

Post-match, Nexus request that passengers going to destinnations across the Tyne use Central not Monument to ease congestion.

Traveline: 0871 200 2233 www.nexus.org.uk

NUFC: To follow....latest reports suggest that Owen will be fit to play in this one after being withdrawn with a groin twinge at Derby.

Rozehnal has confirmed that he expects to be OK also after picking up a leg injury when landing awkwardly on it at Pride Park.

News on hamstring injury strugglers Viduka and Enrique is awaited, while Babayaro, Barton, Carr, Duff and Ramage make up the crocks list. Emre is also presumably still not in contention.

WHUFC: To follow...

Former Magpie Scott Parker played the full game for West Ham Reserves on Tuesday evening and is now in line to make his debut at SJP on Sunday after recovering from injury.

Fellow debutant-in-waiting Nolberto Solano didn't play in that reserve game, in which new loan signing Henri Camara scored twice as Pompey were beaten 2-1.

With Craig Bellamy suffering from a recurrence of a groin problem and Kieron Dyer a long-term absentee with a double leg break, the only Toon old boy who is fit and in form is Lee Bowyer, who has scored twice in four Premiership games - his first since leaving SJP at the end of the 2005/06 season.

Referee: Mike Riley. After numerous late call-offs last season, the Yorkshire-based official made only one appearance in the middle for our fixtures last season - away at Reading.

His last outing at SJP came in the final fixture of the 2005/06 season when Chelsea were beaten 1-0 to secure an Intertoto Cup spot.

Hammers in Toon - Premiership years:

2006/07: Drew 2-2 Milner, Solano
2005/06: Drew 0-0
2002/03: Won 4-0 LuaLua 2, Shearer, Solano
2001/02: Won 3-1 Shearer, LuaLua, Robert
2000/01: Won 2-1 Cort, Solano
1999/00: Drew 2-2 Dabizas, Speed
1998/99: Lost 0-3
1997/98: Lost 0-1
1996/97: Drew 1-1 Beardsley
1995/96: Won 3-0 Albert, Asprilla, Ferdinand
1994/95: Won 2-0 Clark, Kitson
1993/94: Won 2-0 Cole 2

UK TV: Live on Sky

Overseas TV:
C+ Sport 1 (F/N/S only)
C+ Sport HD (D/F/N/S)
EuroSport 2 (HU/RO)
Fox TV Turk
Galaxie Sport
Pink Montenegro
Show Sports 1 & 2
Slovenia TV2
Supersport 3 (Hellas)
Supersport 3 (ZA)
Supersport Maximo
SKY Sport 2 (New Zealand)
Diema 2 (Bulgaria)

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Going to be an interesting one this. West Ham seem to be on something of a roll at the moment. We 'were' until the debacle at Derby on Monday. Fair to say that most Newcastle fan's will be waiting to see how Fat Sam addresses the problems we currently have - ie a lack of balance, a lack of genuine creativity in midfield, what Alan Smith actually does and also who plays up front. From the noises that seem to be coming out, it'll either be Ameobi or Martins to partner Owen. For me it should be the latter, due to Shola's woeful performance on Monday.

Prediction ? I'm gonna go for Newcastle 2 West Ham 1 with Owen bagging the first.

atvkwkad

can't decide who I hate more to want to lose this, so come on a nuclear blast

batch

whs

Crazy_T

Don't care who wins.

But please play el toro at LB :cool:

Big Geordie

Not sure if he'll be fit. He has hamstring trouble at present by all accounts.

Bliss Seeker

were very good away from home this season, very quick on the counter. I expect Newcastle to win though, although you were shocking against Derby.

I think Parker should be back.

Big Geordie

BS - we can only improve after Monday. It was that bad.

nbrocky

Gonna miss this as going to a re-arranged music festival

Neil Purvis

Is that in general or more because of Bellamy?

We've looked increasingly vulnerable on the counter attack this season.

Jonny "Kid" Pilko

For those who cannot remember, allow me to point out the result of last seasons encounter:

"West Ham haven't scored an away goal in 900-odd minutes of football."

Twenty minutes in, Newcastle are 2-0 down. A goal that should have been offside on the stroke of half-time by Milner, and then a Nobby penalty got us a point.

Likely formation:

Given

Beye
Taylor
Rozehnal
Enrique/Zoggy

Smith
Geremi
Butt
Milner

Owen/Martins (Owen has slight hamstring twinge)
Viduka/Ameobi (Viduka has hamstring complaint too.)