Pod On The Tyne: an independent NUFC podcast

Newcastle’s financial results were published on Monday with a press briefing held at St James’s Park held by CEO David Hopkinson and CFO Simon Capper. The headline story was the transfer of the leasehold of the ground; have NUFC joined the creative accounting collective?

Whenever senior club officials speak to the press footballing matters dominate the questioning and, after a terrible week on the pitch, this time was no different. We consider some of David Hopkinson’s answers, not least his response on Eddie Howe.

Newcastle’s Under 15s won a Premier League tourname...

That wasn't the week that was in the script. Two huge games, two miserable collapses, several thousand angry geordies.
Will Eddie Howe carry the can for those performances? For the first time in his Newcastle career, there are real concerns about whether he can take the team forward with a squad that lacks the drive, nous, and unity that have been hallmarks of his tenure.
Or, will he finally be given the significant overhaul of playing staff that feels long overdue. European qualification would be a positive step forward, but it feels a distant hope.
Elsewhere, TheLasses...

A friendly set of Premier League results on Saturday had presented NUFC with an opportunity to get themselves back into the Champions League picture and we all know what that means this season.
After a positive start, Howe's men proceeded to stink out St James's Park, particularly in a second-half that horrified even the most ardent context-hunters. Did anyone in black and white emerge with credit? It's going to be a loooong three weeks until the next league game.

Newcastle United emerged from the Camp Nou dressing rooms a goal behind in the Champions League last 16; twenty minutes later their hopes were shattered, with shards strewn amongst a debris of defensive calamities.
What could have been Eddie Howe's greatest ever managerial achievement will be remembered as an evening of embarrassment. There's only one way to redeem that, along with a sterile performance at the Stadium of Light in December, and that's a derby win at the weekend; ideally in some style.
Different story for TheLasses(TM) who vanquished Birmingham City to boost their promotion hopes with Crystal...

Usually, when you win at a ground for the first time in a decade (second time in four decades!), you'd be thinking limbs, cans, maybe even can cans.
Newcastle's away end certainly enjoyed today's victory at Stamford Bridge, but there was no great spectacle or sense of an event.
Reporting from Fulham Broadway, Chris Waugh is joined by a competition winner to recap a job well done, even if we're all thinking about Barcelona already.

Newcastle's hopes of progress to the Champions League quarter finals had a huge boost with Harvey Barnes late goal in the first leg of their last 16 tie against Barcelona...
...and then took an equally large hit with Lamine Yamal's late penalty. Was it the best performance of the season? Were Barca a little complacent? Where will Lewis Hall finish in the Ballon d'Or list?
We also consider the small matter of Chelsea away in the league, we hear from Jemma Purfield as The Lasses resume hostilities in WSL2, and there's a brief reaction to the news of...

Newcastle United are out of the FA Cup, having been thoroughly beaten by Pep Guardiola's Manchester City 3-1 at St James's Park. Chris and Luke Edwards analyse a deflating evening.
With the cup exit, dreams of domestic silverware will have to wait, but Barcelona are the visitors in Tuesday's Champions League last 16 tie and Eddie Howe is certainly not underestimating the scale of that fixture.

Manchester United have been through some tough times recently but an unbeaten run under interim boss Michael Carrick brought them to St James's Park full of confidence.
Yet, on a clear Wednesday night, Newcastle United defied their own dodgy league form, yet more questionable refereeing, and anyone else who wants some, to hold firm with ten men before a true moment of inspiration.
Spring is in the air, and there was a spring in Will Osula's step as he first won possession from Bruno Fernandes before speeding onto Trippier's through ball and curling home a delicious winner...

Newcastle's form has seen a slight uptick in recent games, but absolutely not in the Premier League.
Newcastle have lost five from six in the league, and this defeat makes it three successive league games at home for the first time under Eddie Howe.
Having twice overcome their own attacking difficulties to equalise, they quickly gifted the lead back to Everton, who were also grateful to Jordan Pickford for a magnificent save late on.

Today's title is three things Eddie Howe has built his team around, but are desperately lacking from the podcast as we lurch from gaffes to factual errors via hungry cats.
Yes, Newcastle are through to the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time since we did it before in a different format, which technically wasn't the last 16, it was the second group stage... anyway, it's a great achievement.
Of course, the play-off tie with Qarabag was all but over after the first leg, and it WAS all over eight minutes into the second. The game at...

Newcastle's mileage has topped 5,000 this week and they added a few hundred more with a journey to Manchester to take on City, who have had a week off.
Confidence was rock bottom going into this one; the team's record at the Etihad Stadium is woeful but, while another defeat goes on the list, there were a fair few encouraging aspects.
Chris Waugh is joined by the Daily Telegraph's Luke Edwards for analysis of our best attempt yet at breaking the Etihad duck.

Newcastle's agony at missing out on direct passage to the Champions League last 16 was eased slightly as they made light work of their play-off tie.
Five first-half goals, four from centre forward Anthony Gordon, effectively put the tie beyond hosts Qarabag.
Next up, Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.. it's a graveyard of geordie hopes and dreams, can three consecutive away wins trigger a change of fortunes? Things are on the up for Newcastle's women as well going into the international break.

Back-to-back away wins for Newcastle United, two goals for Sandro Tonali, and a first strike of 2026 for Nick Woltemade... a simple victory? Well, maybe not.
George and Chris assess an obstacle-filled afternoon for Eddie Howe and co. Injury absences, including the captain, were as nothing compared to some of the refereeing decisions.
Tell me ma...

This week has been about the hardcore... we delivered a special tribute to the away end on our Extra Tyne feed last night (podonthetyne.supportingcast.fm).
It was about Newcastle's hardcore as well. Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn rolled back the years as starting fullbacks, Joe Willock bolstered the legs in midfield, and Eddie Howe's team outfought a Spurs team that, OK, may not have been the toughest nut to crack, but have some talent in their ranks.
New boys Elanga and, especially, Jacob Ramsey did their bit too, of course, but for old times' sake here's our...

People are already calling it shambolic, a new low, embarrassing to see a man underperforming so badly... but, in Chris's defence it was supposed to be his day off.
Live from St James's Park (and central Halifax), we look back at a woeful evening when Newcastle threw away a leading position, equalised, then threw away a point.
Where do we go from here, other than to the Tottenham surgery... and can the attack-minded summer signings make some sort of an impact in the last three months of the season?!

Can you be dumped out of the cup in a semi-final? If so, that's what happened to Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium, and thoroughly unceremonious it was too.
Needing to overturn a two-goal deficit, Omar Marmoush (x2) and Tijjani Reijnders instead gave Manchester City a five-goal cushion at the break. Despite a nice goal for Anthony Elanga and several more chances, the game had been decided almost before it begun.
We consider a miserable evening, which also included a hamstring injury for Anthony Gordon, and there's a pre-match discussion of the January transfer window and a disappointing...

Newcastle have an unenviable record at many of the Premier League's more illustrious venues, but Anfield stands with the best of them.
Could this time be different with Eddie Howe throwing a striker-free 4-3-3 curveball at Arne Slot and Anthony Gordon capping a positive start to give Newcastle the lead...
No.

Another trip to Paris, another 1-1 draw, but instead of deflation there was a sense of pride and encouragement. That was despite confirmation of a play-off place for Eddie's Mags rather than direct passage to the quarter-finals.
A back three and some interesting rotations made it look like the manager had at least one eye on the Liverpool game but they overcame an early onslaught from the European champions and some interesting decisions from the referee. By the end, Newcastle were ruing a big missed chance for Harvey Barnes that would've won it.
In this hybrid matchday/weekly...

Newcastle don't win when Bruno Guimaraes doesn't start. That holds true to a tally of eleven games now and, with PSG away in the Champions League on Wednesday, nerves are frayed in the PotT bunker at St James's Park.
That PSG game is the first in a hugely testing run of fixtures, six of the next seven are also away from home, and it could be a make or break stretch for the team should they wish to challenge for a trophy again this season.
It looks an increasingly difficult task and one thing that will have to...

A facile win over PSV Eindhoven at St James's Park means Newcastle have qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time ever (big asterisk).
They will now travel to Paris to face holders PSG knowing that they can finish in the top 8 of the league and bypass the first play-off round. What does success look like in the competition this season, and how is it compatible with challenging for domestic glory?
We also hear from Academy Director Steve Harper after a 1-1 draw against Sunderland for the U21s helped "stop the bleeding"...

Why are you here?

Newcastle drew 0-0 at Wolves, and it was life-draining.

Honestly; listen to the podcast by all means, there's a discussion about strikers and away form and you can hear from Eddie Howe as well, but the fact you're still reading this is a cause for concern.

Newcastle United have been close to invincible in the Carabao Cup in recent years, but now face a challenge tougher than anything they've done before; go to the Etihad Stadium and turn over a two-goal deficit.
In a tightly contested first leg of the semi-final, at St James's Park, Manchester City retained possession but refused to over-extend themselves and wastefulness in front of goal cost Howe's team dearly.
A new mindset installed by CEO David Hopkinson urges positivity; will that culture clash with fatalistic Geordies and the reality of an injury-crisis amid a four-fronted campaign?

Another day, another madcap finish in a Newcastle match. Or should that be three?

Not only did Anthony Gordon’s injury-time penalty prevent an FA Cup exit but, having seemingly won the tie through red hot Harvey Barnes late extra-time header, passage to the fourth round was up in the air again when Bournemouth equalised in the few seconds that remained.

Progress they did, though. An encouraging performance from Aaron Ramsdale in the game continued as he saved three shootout penalties. Through, but is it a win? And can George finish talking about the Big Ni...

It's the morning after the night before; a remarkable finish in Newcastle's 4-3 Premier League win over Leeds United. We have a go at analysing some of the action, but it's a bit like trying to organise jelly; jelly that's on fire.
As many thousands have already pointed out, there could have been no more fitting tribute to the great Kevin Keegan. It was lovely to see such warmth for the great man on such a cold night, and there was a show of support for Joe Willock as well.
What next, then? On the up in the...

Newcastle United opened their account in 2026 with a Premier League win at home against Crystal Palace.
Individual fortunes within the team were a mixed bag, Malick Thiaw and Lewis Miley were terrific again, Jacob Murphy struggled.
The captain, Bruno Guimaraes, summed up the whole affair. It was an imperfect performance, but he scored the opener on another day when he refused to let the story end without three points for his team.

Newcastle won away... at Burnley... and made hard work of it. But, Yoane Wissa got another early goal on another debut, Joelinton put a Big Joe shift in, and we got the three points.

Looking at the rest of 2025, it's difficult to imagine it being more of a mixed bag. Newcastle won a major domestic trophy for the first time in 70 years and celebrated like it. They also qualified for the Champions League again, and look set to qualify for the knockout stages.

But, that away form stinks, and we had another nightmare summer. Is it...

Well, that wasn't very Christmas-y, at all. Not only did Newcastle not build on the positive first-half performance at home against Chelsea, they reverted to their worst away-day selves.
Failing to create enough chances against a heavily-depleted Manchester United team, shorn of their captain and several senior figures, we were also profligate with the few we had. It's difficult not to be feeling a bit Grinchy.

2025 has been a historic year for Newcastle United as they won their first domestic trophy in 70 years. Remarkably, part-way through the season, manager Eddie Howe was hospitalised with pneumonia.

Talking about that incident, and the care he received from the NHS and Newcastle Hospitals, Howe agreed with the suggestion that nothing happens in a vacuum; the city, the people, and the football club are intrinsically linked.

To further investigate those connections, George Caulkin spoke to Bruno Guimaraes and childrens' support project co-ordinator Melissa Scott at Newcastle's RVI. A group of first team players, including captain Bruno...

The early Saturday kick-off hasn't been kind to Newcastle in recent times, especially when it comes to fast starts.
Different story against Chelsea today, as crowd and team were on it from the first minute. Just like old times, and at half-time the major concern was that we hadn't put the third, or even fourth, goal past Rob Sanchez.
As energy levels dropped in the second half an improved Chelsea were able to level before a frantic last half-hour with Newcastle left ruing missed chances and at least one penalty decision at the Gallowgate End.

Newcastle United moved fairly comfortably through to another Carabao Cup semi-final, where they will face Manchester City, albeit needing a late Lewis Miley header to clinch the victory.
Yoane Wissa had settled early nerves on his first start as our new number nine, scoring with his first shot, but Fulham's Sasa Lukic was given the freedom of the Gallowgate penalty area to equalise soon after.
In this extended matchday podcast we also hear from Eddie Howe, MOTM Miley, and youth team manager Adam Lawrence on the conclusion of a difficult campaign in the UEFA Youth League.

Nerves were jangling going into the first Tyne-Wear derby, in the league, in almost a decade. Taylor has been feeling it even more than most, but we all had doomsday scenarios running round through our heads.
Well, this was pretty close. Manager sets up defensively, but not even really aiming to hit them on the break (if his quotes are understood correctly). That gamble then backfires when our new striker scores with a magnificent header... at the wrong end.
In addition, Dan Burn was forced off with suspected broken ribs leaving us dangerously short of numbers in defensive...

Our stomachs are turning, and it's not because of wriggly worms (although in Chris's case, it may be bratwurst). It's the first league derby in almost a decade, and we are nervous, just like our expert fans, Thomas Concannon and Lisa Mole.
Nervous, because we are the football team with the bigger reputation, which means we've got more to lose. But also, because we keep conceding late in games, and did so again in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Having conceded from a set piece (another theme), Howe's men had fought their way back to lead in Germany...

It was important to get a win against Burnley for a few reasons; to banish the memory of Spurs' twin-equalisers, to carry momentum into a big week, and to climb the Premier League table.
Did Howe's much-changed eleven and squad, boosted by the first appearance from Yoane Wissa, do all of that? Maybe not quite, but they won the game.
From a sluggish start, through Bruno's Olimpico and Gordon's livewire performance, to Wissa's reception and the late drama, it was the least routine routine win.

It's the morning after the night before the night before; Taylor and Ollie backed up a winning appearance at the FSA awards with Spurs on telly in the pub (yay!), but we're feeling the worse for wear now.
It didn't help that Cristian Romero equalised twice for Spurs last night, once with a great header and then again with a miserable overhead kick that dribbled agonisingly past defensive statues.
How bad was that Spurs result? Where's the momentum? How did the Stack event go on Monday? And what's Tanya Oxtoby looking forward to as she starts as Newcastle's...

It's been 84 years (well, seven months) but Newcastle United have won away in the Premier League, and in some style.
Malick Thiaw scored his first (and second) goal for the club, Lewis Miley scored and assisted, and Nick Woltemade iced the cake with a sumptuous finish.
Shout-out to Jacob Whitehead, he was on terrific form as our matchday reporter at his spiritual home... for now #oneofus.

Epic PotT warning: this episode comes in at a whopping 70 minutes before ads. Is it worth it? Who knows, but it's got everything.
There's heartfelt emotion as George checks in with family and friends in Portland, Oregon, and David Hopkinson gives thanks for the West Coast massive.
There's more reaction to madcap football and unpleasant policing in Marseille, where Eddie Howe's Champions League Mags shot themselves in the pied. Will Nick Pope keep his place?
There's a bona fide club legend on the show as Chris catches up with one of the latest entrants to the Hall...

Newcastle United returned to Premier League action after the November international break with a host of problems and worries echoing in supporters' memories.
The return of our dynamic fullback duo would help, and the manager has had a good spell reviewing those stuttering early-season performances in minute detail.
In Howe we trust, of course, but it would be too much to ask for a win against second-placed City, his personal nemesis.
OR WOULD IT!?!?!

Newcastle's women have had a rocky start to the season. A much-changed squad struggled to assert themselves in WSL2 with promotion the clearly-stated aim, but a big win in the derby game at St James's Park will go a long way to galvanising the mood on Tyneside.
Chris has also been at the Sport Newcastle awards this week, where United picked up several prizes. We hear from a couple of the rising stars who were recognised on the night.
It's the last international break in the men's game until March, and Eddie Howe's squad will have to refocus...

He's had a magnificent run as Newcastle manager, so much so we made a documentary about it (if you didn't know). But, the challenges keep coming for Eddie Howe; this season's Premier League form, especially away from St James's Park, needs a fresh approach.
Lisa Mole was, not too long ago, ratified as the Chair of Newcastle United Supporters' Trust. She already has a new CEO with which she hopes to build channels of communication, and she answers your questions on ticketing, membership, and more.

To join NUST, go to their website.

For more info...

It would be fair to say this isn't the way Eddie Howe would have liked to mark his fourth anniversary at Newcastle United.
The manager who finally ended the club's trophy drought and brought top-tier European football back to the North East has solved pretty much every problem presented to him since taking over, but there IS one exception.
The international break feels like it has come at the right time for most of our squad; poor old Nick Pope, perhaps not. Will we see significant changes to how the team approach away games when domestic football returns?