Season 2009/2010 - Match 12

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NOTTINGHAM FOREST

 v

NEWCASTLE UNITED

Ground Guide:

CITY GROUND

Address:

Capacity: 30,576

Away Allocation: 4,300 in the Bridgford Stand  (sold out)

Miles from Newcastle: 213

Match Preview:

Football returns to the Coca-Cola Championship after an international break for the final round of World Cup qualifiers, and in the televised match of the weekend Newcastle United travel to Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening (UK time).

The is Newcastle United's first visit to the City Ground since 1998/99 when goals from Alan Shearer and Dietmar Hamann gave the Magpie's a 2-0 victory.

That season Forest were relegated from the Premiership in last place, and have never looked like returning to the top flight since.  The were relegated again at the end of the 2004/05 season, and spent two season's in the 3rd tier before promotion, an unthinkable thought for a team who were European Champions 25 years previously.

Billy Davies took over as manager of Nottingham Forest after current Newcastle assistant, Colin Calderwood, was sacked in 2009. After keeping Forest in the Championship Davies set about rebuilding the thin squad for this season with a string of astute signings.

With possibly the coup of the Championship close season Davies signed 20 year-old Welsh international defender, Chris Gunter, from Spurs for £1.75 million. Gunter started his career at Cardiff before the move to White Hart Lane, however, he struggled to make an impact on the first team but managed to establish himself as a key figure at international level. The classy defender played 8 games for Forest on loan last season and decided to move to the City Ground ahead of alleged interest from Ipswich, Everton, and Newcastle.

Former England U21 international, Dextor Blackstock, was Forest's eighth signing of the close season, and the striker has proved an instant hit with 5 goals from 10 games already this season.  The 23 year-old former QPR and Southampton striker has over 50 career goals to his name and will be the man to stop for the Newcastle defence.

Forest come into this fixture in the best form of the season winning their last three games, moving them up the table to 10th place on 16 points.  However, they have struggled at home only winning 2 and losing 3, whilst away they remain unbeaten from 6 matches.

The international break will have hopefully done Newcastle some good, despite being top of the league their form had started to stutter with disappointing home draws against QPR and Bristol City.  The break will have meant a well earned rest for the small squad, as proved with influential left-back Jose Enrique returning to the squad.

Enrique's return should mean Danny Simpson moving back into his more familiar right-back role, with Ryan Taylor either moving into midfield or onto the bench.

After two goals for England U21s Andy Carroll comes back from the break full on confidence and is likely to go straight back into the starting line-up alongside loanee striker Marlon Harewood.

Harewood, makes a return to familiar ground, he made 204 appearances for Nottingham Forest and scored 55 goals between 1996–2003.

The Toon Army will be out in force for this fixture between the two former top flight heavyweights, they sold out their allocation of 4,300 tickets well in advance, and home fans have also snapped up tickets with only a few hundred remaining on Thursday.

So this sell out live TV game is building up to one of our biggest games of the season so sit back and lets enjoy watching this one.