A great foreboding has descended but did not prevent appreciating my visit to St James Park on Saturday 13th December to watch Newcastle play Norwich in the Premiership from the vantage point of an excellent seat in the Platinum Club area of the min stand. I set off in good time using the Metro train from South Shields and exiting at the Lord Grey Monument and where the following week Robson of Hexmonwick visited the descendents at the home of the former Prime Minister whose family created the Earl Grey tea, although from which they never gained money although these days they do have an Earl Grey Tea Room attached to their home with the woodland to sea and the gardens open to the public most of the year .
I made my way to the Granger market to buy .2 bags of winkles for £1.50 and where the young Asian couple before me purchased a tray of king prawns for £26 pounds
The Platinum Club at St James runs the whole length of the main stand comprising several bars and food counters, betting and tables with comfortable chairs facing several dozen screens watching the mid day match where Man City were beating Arsenal by 6 goals to 3. There were few vacant seats available but I managed to move a chair against a wall to see the game and to read the free programme which is now part of the ticket price which cost £38 and is a reduction from what is used be although individual tickets are graded accorded the quality of the opposition. I arrived after eating lunch at home although after the Granger market purchase I did stop for a coffee at the Macdonalds close to the market on the way there also checking out the cost of notebooks and pens at W H Smith where the cheapest are tucked away on the first floor with the premium selection on the ground.
I made my way into the stand for my stand regretting I had not brought my head covering and gloves but the weather was not too bad to spoil enjoyment. The seats are padded and have arm rests compared to those in other stands and my view was to the left of the centre circle and midway in the three four level stand with the lower level also have club facilities, and above the boxes and the upper tier in the Gods called level 7 The new VIP entrance has lifts and opens to area before the Platinum club lounges but I am not sure if this can be used by club members.
It was a proverbial game of two halves with Newcastle dominant in the first half as Norwich altered their system and nothing went right for them Newcastle had some poor linesmen decision with the one on our side of field reluctant to put up his fag and the other rising at every opportunity which worked against Newcastle and in favour of Norwich where there was a question mark about the equalizing goal. However in fairness to Norwich they played well close to the table position throughout the second half. A tremendous shot hit a goal upright and bounced out while at the other end Remy missed an open goal from a few yards out.
The draw was a fair result on the day as manager was given the Manger’s award for the Month and the goal keeper that for the player. They remain 6th in the table behind Liverpool but there is now a gap 3 points with the 5th placed team Liverpool, 4 fifth from Everton in eth and 4 Man City an 6 Chelsea in second. Despite the defeat Arsenal remain at the top on 35 points.
I found it difficult chose which of the five remaining participants in Strictly Come dancing should go out at the semi final stage but agree with the position on Sunday that the remaining man had to depart leaving four very good dancers although if there is justice the final two will be Abbey the wife of the footballer Peter Crouch who plays for Stoke and are playing Man City in a blizzard this evening and Natalie from Coronation street.
The programme was followed by the X Factor Final with three candidates to be become two for the sing off on Sunday. There is an element of padding in having the two shows back to back but I always enjoy the visits to the home towns which is also a way of gauging the local popularity. The most surprising successful contestant has been young Luke from the South West with a distinctive voice and a great personality who on the night was the best of the three. The other young man from Scotland is only 17 and has a good voice but at 17 his ability to deliver a song with meaning and emotion is still a long way ahead. The surprise is that it was he and not Luke that got the votes to contest the final with Sam, wife and mother, former cruise ship singer and prison officer who is an outstanding singer with a great range and ability to communicate with any audience any kind of song With the phone lines open from the end of the programme adding those already given in my view the outcome was no longer in doubt.
I also kept an eye on the test in Australia where England looked doomed.
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