52mins A harsh penalty award from referee Styles, who adjudged that Nicky Butt had handled the ball when it was blasted at him from point blank range on the byline by Adrian Mariappa. Marlon King sent Shay Given the wrong way from the spot. 1-1

Full time: Watford 1 Newcastle 1

Caretaker boss Nigel Pearson said:

"Transitional periods are always potentially very disruptive, and this is no different. It has only been a week, but it has been a long one.

"It has not been particularly easy. Aside from what you know about my future, there is not a great deal to add at this point.

"He is in fantastic nick, and I have no qualms about him at all. He will have a headache tonight, but he will be fine."

"He (N'Zogbia) was originally on the bench but he didn't really want to be there.

"You can make your own judgements about it but it is very important that everyone associated with the club acts in a professional manner."

It's reported that Obafemi Martins declared himself unfit to travel (with a knee problem) when he learnt that Pearson intended to name him on the bench. He then went AWOL from the team hotel.

The Chronicle's ubiquitous club insider (who said more than Pearson) added:

"When the team reported on Saturday for training, Oba Martins declared himself unfit, even though the medical people could find nothing wrong with him.

"He did not want to travel, but Nigel Pearson and Lee Clark, who were in charge of the team, told him he had to get on the plane and that he would have to undergo a fitness test at Watford yesterday morning.

"On Sunday morning he did not have a fitness test but declared himself unfit. He said that he had no intention of going to Vicarage Road, even though he was ordered to by the coaches as he was still a member of the squad and everyone should stick together.

"As a result, Martins did not go to Vicarage Road. He did not fly back with the team and at this moment in time nobody knows where he is."

"In the team meeting, while Nigel Pearson and Lee Clark were going over tactics, N'Zogbia was texting on his mobile phone.

"Some of the senior players were furious, and as a result N'Zogbia was removed from the substitutes' bench."

Nicky Butt tends not to say a great deal, but when he does speak publicly, it's worth far more than the cloying tosh and doublespeak that some of his colleagues indulge in:

"It needs to be put out that not every player playing in Newcastle colours this season has played for the shirt or played for everybody connected with the club.

“The new manager is definitely a good capture for us and hopefully he can come in and sort a few things out. The majority of lads in the dressing-room are good lads and good professionals, but there are a few who don’t want to play for the club.

“The sooner he gets them sorted out the better. If players don’t want to play for the club, they should be got rid of as quickly as possible. I’m not normally one who will come out and slag my teammates off, but there are genuinely one or two lads in there who don’t want to play for the club. We know that and the fans know that.

“I feel there are a lot of players who give 100 per cent the whole time and maybe don’t always do well, but there are others who have ability and don’t want to do well.

”I'd like to play for Sam. He's a no-nonsense man. I'm only talking from an outside point of view but everyone has respect for him as a coach and he embraces the new things that come into the game. He looks forward at new things coming into the game and that can only be good."

Aidy Boothroyd said:

"We could have sealed the win, but the game almost summed up our season, we just didn't have enough quality in the end.

"Lee Williamson had a great chance at the end, sprinting 70 yards with the ball, getting into a great position, and then hitting a steward with his finish.

"He might have passed to Marlon King, or even Jordan Stewart, who could have scored his first goal in ten years! I shouldn't be flippant though and that's been the difference for us this season.

"We've had plenty of soldiers out there, but we've not had enough artists at this level. I need a couple of piano players now."

"It was a nice for Ben to be able to say goodbye the fans, we'll miss him. But his story has been a great one. He came to us a boy and is leaving a man, with an England cap under his belt

"People talk about the Ryan Giggs's of this world, who've won nine titles, but they too easily forget people like Alec (Chamberlain), who has been a fantastic professional.

"I know he's had a couple of clubs, but Watford will always be his club and I'm delighted to have him on my coaching staff now."

"I'm starting work tomorrow but I am working for a winning organisation. It'll be a difficult task, and we will respect the Championship, we know it'll be hard. But if it was easy anybody could do it."

It scarcely seems possible in a stand as small the one at Vicarage Road, but Nigel Pearson and Lee Clark looked to have lost the dressing room on Sunday at the first and only time of asking.

In fairness this was merely the final act in a power play that's rumbled on all season and ultimately claimed Glenn Roeder after the Blackburn Rovers home game.

The fallout from that saw the caretaker duo opt to bench Obafemi Martins and Charles N'Zogbia for this game - or rather they would have done had they got the chance.

The striker ends his first season in England with 17 goals - which is a reasonable total, but includes half a dozen efforts against sub-standard non-Premiership sides. 

For the last three months though it's been the law of diminishing returns from Martins, who has gone full circle back to the early weeks of his time here when he was alarmingly erratic and unproductive.  

As for the French youngster, his on-field efforts to rid himself of this club now seemed to have extended to some off-field louchness. Unlike Martins though, he returned to Tyneside with the Newcastle party, which may indicate things are fractured rather than completely fettled.

The world of Newcastle post-Shearer isn't a happy one, with the squad seemingly at each other's throats - or at least the elements of it that are still speaking to each other. 

As he remained on the field to take the cheers of the Newcastle fans at the final whistle, Nicky Butt doubtless reflected on the events of the last twelve months that have seen him reborn in a black and white shirt.

Avoiding a pre-arranged transfer to St.Andrew's only due to City's demotion, he returned to Tyneside with an uncertain future, only to take his chance in pre-season games.

Now after a season in which he's received regular and deserved performance-related praise, he can prepare to face Steve Bruce's side next time round having shown a damn sight more professionalism than many of his colleagues - including those who have succeeded him at international level. 

A thoroughly uninteresting draw then in an utterly meaningless match and a suitably drab ending to a season of little domestic cheer - especially on the road. 

Our final placing of thirteenth position in the table makes for awkward reading - Bolton taking the final UEFA Cup spot with a thirteen point advantage over us, while Intertoto-bound Blackburn amassed nine more than Newcastle.

But it's towards the bottom of the Premiership that things get really uncomfortable - Sheffield United slipping away with just five points fewer than our measly 43.

Meanwhile street parties were held in Smogside as Gareth Southgate's side overcame Fulham to finish one place above us in 12th position.  

Back to Hertfordshire though, where Michael Owen ended a troubled seven days with a bang on his head to go with the earache and headaches he'd been suffering from all week.

The striker could have been forgiven for already feeling a tad nauseous, following his agent and Chairman's verbal diarrhoea. 

However a blow to the head (accidental we assume) from team mate Matty Pattison saw him laid on the field and requiring the attention of the club doctor, before being stretchered off midway through the second half.

If this was the last sight of Michael Owen in a Newcastle shirt it seems rather fitting that he left as he arrived - dazed and bemused and nursing another injury.

The chant of "we want our money back" from the away section was harsh, but typical of a day on which goalscorer Kieron Dyer also found himself verbally abused by an away following who weren't in the most forgiving of fettles. 

Watford had the chances to win this game - but made and missed them, prompting choruses "that's why you're going down" from the sold-out away section.

At least they were having shots though - unlike our shy bairns. Taylor's presence at the back was vital on more than one occasion, while Butt's midfielder entanglements put others to shame.

A word also for Pattison, who made his first start since the Birmingham cup debacle and struggled manfully with an inappropriate left wing role before looking steadier in the centre.

Sorry to say though that his time in a black and white shirt - along with fellow reserve Alan O'Brien should now be up.

As to which other of our top boys will be departing before hostilities recommence, only time will tell.

The appointment of Sam Allardyce has been seemingly inevitable for some time and we've mentioned our reservations previously.

Regardless of that though, the alarming dip in the club's fortunes in 2007 leaves us in a position where we've probably done as well as we realistically could in filling the vacancy with an "operator" - whatever that means.

Whether the promise of organisation and discipline arising from chaos and anarchy is enough to sell those season tickets though remains to be seen. 

Glenn Roeder often spoke of his desire to write the name of Michael Owen on his teamsheet, only to enjoy that feeling only twice before time was called on him. 

For the new boss to be able to name Owen in his side after the summer transfer window closes  would be a major boost to him and us - and a boost to the necessary recruitment drive.

As ever, it's never dull here - and perhaps we should give silent thanks that those players who now seem to be rocking the boat did just enough at some points in the campaign to keep us up.

Shame they did sod all else though for their money though, isn't it? 
 
Biffa

PS - From Oslo to Watford, from July to May. 60 first team games, thousands of conversations, plenty of pints, plenty of laughs, barrowloads of encouragement and assistance.

A massive Thank You to everyone who has contributed to another season of madness - we couldn't keep this show on the road without you. Too many to mention by name, but you all know who you are, on both sides of the fence.  

Reports