Newcastle United Football Club - Match reports

Season 1999-00
Helmond Sport (Netherlands) (a) Friendly

Date: Saturday 17th July 1999, 7.00pm

Venue: DeBraak Stadion, Helmond.

Conditions: The hottest of the three days

Admission: 20 Guilders (about £6)

Programme: Free

Helmond Sport		Newcastle
	1 -2
Half time:	1 - 1

Score Sheet:
(45) Vroomans		Andersson (25) Ketsbaia (90)

	Teams
8 players tbc plus Weijers Vroomans De Wolf		Perez Griffin Charvet Goma Dumas Domi McClen Dyer Andersson Kerr Ketsbaia

Substitutes:
tbc		Kerr for Barton(46) Serrant for Dyer (46)

Subs not used:
tbc		Beharall S.Caldwell

Bookings:
None		None
Dismissals:
None		Griffin (30)

Referee: tbc

Attendance: Approx. 1500 - around 250 United fans. A combination of drink, sun and not getting to many matches may have accounted for some of the more eccentric chants aired (and a new spelling of Newcastle.) However the messages of undying amour directed to the United goalkeeper were rather more unequivocal. The United players again took advantage of the security fencing to avoid signing autographs for the hopeful bairns at the front - not a good PR move. DeBraak Stadion, Helmond (East of Eindhoven, not quite as far as Deurne). Another two sided effort with two identical and modern stands and nowt much behind the goals, apart from some garages at one end, where rotund locals sat on deckchairs sipping cocktails, probably. The home team arrived on the field to a synthesised rendition of the "Peter Gunn" theme that would be more appropriate blaring out of the waltzers on the Town Moor. Not quite "Local Hero." A welcoming supporters bar did allow weary travellers to minimise the risk of dehydration.

Goals

25 mins: Striker Andreas Andersson was allowed to turn on the edge of the box and steer the ball past a seemingly hypnotised keeper, with Jamie McClen involved in the build-up 1-0.

45 mins: Just as the referee was about to blow for halftime. Roland Vroomans was afforded time and space to slot the ball home into the corner of the net from the edge of the area, leaving United's five man French defence "dans la merde" when they got back to the dressing room. 1-1.

Half time: Helmond 1 Newcastle 1

90 mins: Somehow a winning goal from Temuri Ketsbaia, as a shot that appeared to be well covered by the home goalkeeper was diverted crazily into the unguarded side of the net.

Lucky white socks, Rudi probably thought…. 2-1

Full time: Helmond 1 Newcastle 2

We Said

Ruud Gullit said:

To follow

They Said

Louis Coolen:

To follow

Stats

United debuted their predominantly white away kit.

Pre-season pitch time (in minutes):

Andersson 37+0+90=127 (1 goal)
Barton 90+45+45=180 (1 goal)
Beharall 0+45+45=45
Caldwell 0+14+45=14
Charvet 90+45+90=225
Coppinger 90+14+0=104 (2 goals)
Dabizas 0+45+0=45
Domi 0+0+90=90
Dumas 90+45+90=225
Dyer=0+69+45=115
Glass 90+0+0=90
Goma 90+45+90=225
Griffin 90+0+30=120
Hughes 0+45+0=45
Kerr 53+21+45=119
Ketsbaia 0+90+90=180
Lemmens 33+0+0=33
Marcelino 0+90+0=90
Maric 0+76+0=76
McClen 90+45+90=225 (2 goals)
Perez 57+90+90=237
Serrant 90+45+45=180
Shearer 0+76+0=76 (1 goal)
Speed 0+45+90=45

Duncan Ferguson kicked a ball around at half time but was only there as a spectator (so what's new I hear you say). Speaking to a Dutch newspaper, Gullit revealed that the player was fit, but had been to visit physiotherapist Charley Heus in Amsterdam to work on his co-ordination and hopefully, decrease his sensitivity to injury.

Silvio Maric was listed on the teamsheet, but Brian Kerr actually took his place.

Waffle

Newcastle maintained their 100% record in the Netherlands at the end of a 72 hour stay, despite playing with ten men for an hour following the dismissal of Andy Griffin.

Following victories over top-flight and amateur sides, Ruud Gullit's side accounted for second tier (Eerste Divisie) opposition as the sun went down on another beautiful day in North Brabant.

Ahead through Andreas Andersson's routine finish, the evening went decidedly fruit-shaped with the 30th minute dismissal of Griffin for a tackle on Frank Weijers that was either mistimed or just plain naughty, depending on your point of view.

In view of his recent miscalculation of the trajectory of a large yellow train, the former would seem more likely. Whether Professor Griff incurs a domestic ban seems to depend on whether the Dutch FA can afford to put a stamp on the referee's report and inform their UK counterparts.

Once United were one short, all thoughts of tactical experimentation were banished and a victory looked somewhat unlikely given the obviously motivated opposition.

The nearest United came to another goal before the last-gasp winner had been a mazy run by the Georgian, who put three home players on their backsides before ramming his shot into the keeper.

Helmond included 36 year-old former Wolves player John De Wolf in their side, looking like an amply proportioned club committee man. With a ponytail.

Biffa

Page last updated 19 November, 2019