It’s always good to see former Newcastle players and local lads come back to coach at the club, once they retire.
Alan Thompson - while at Celtic
And that’s happened for two local boys this pre-season, with 34 year-old Alan Thompson now joining Robbie Elliott coaching at their home town club.
Robbie took up a position as Fitness coach recently and Alan Thompson will be coaching the impressive youngsters at the Academy, as he gains his licenses to coach at higher levels in the future.
The former Newcastle United, Celtic, Bolton and Aston Villa Villa star Thompson gets the formal position of Newcastle Academy coach.
The midfielder started his career with Newcastle back in 1991, but left the club when he was just 20 years old, when a certain Kevin Keegan had just started his first management spell at the club.
Alan played 16 times for Newcastle, but went on to play 157 times for Bolton and 158 times for Celtic, scoring exactly 37 goals at both clubs - and he gained one England cap four years ago against Sweden.
Alan made over 400 first team appearances at 6 different clubs and scored a total of 84 goals - not too shabby at all.
Alan finally decided to retire in the summer, and we’re very pleased to see the local lad back at the club.
Now we have to win that FA Youth Cup next season, to go with the times we last won it in 1985 (Gascoigne) and 1962 (Moncur, Craig).
Comments very welcome.
15 responses so far ↓
1 mr_flibbles // Jul 30, 2008 at 13:30
We have a good coach to player ratio then.
2 Luke // Jul 30, 2008 at 13:32
there’s some speculation today that gazza might come to the toon for a coaching job… seems dubious i must say
3 staffsmag // Jul 30, 2008 at 13:33
Luke - it is dubious mate - it was in the sun lol
4 bowburnmag // Jul 30, 2008 at 13:41
Tomma had a lovely left foot and a good football brain. Hope he converts it well onto the coaching field. Used to train us at the School Of Excellence up at Benwell and Wallsend BC when he was YTS. Good lad and a bit daft. Made us ‘run the gauntlet’ if we messed up. Basically, the other lads would make a tunnel and you’d run through as quick as possible while the other lads booted you up the ar*e. Can’t see him doing the same at the Academy…..
5 NUFCFAN // Jul 30, 2008 at 13:54
Love the idea of a big geordie coaching team, will rub off onto the players I hope
6 Beattie // Jul 30, 2008 at 13:55
while it’s nice to see locals in the coaching setup, we run the risk of rose tinted appointments over better coaches that arent from newcastle
7 Stami // Jul 30, 2008 at 14:03
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_3886568,00.html
Spuds are in talks with arshavin…
8 Michael // Jul 30, 2008 at 14:10
Spurs don’t need Arshavin and he is overpriced so they are welcome to him.
It isn’t a blow for him to join somebody else because we never had a chance of getting them.
9 ToonEskimo // Jul 30, 2008 at 14:16
At this rate they’ll be playing never mind coaching…
10 BennAllen // Jul 30, 2008 at 15:11
thompson.. all we need now is shearer back at the club then we have the creative midfielder and striker we desperatly need haha
11 Beastie // Jul 30, 2008 at 17:17
a love it robbie ellioit, thompson would love to see other lads like beardsley, gazza, rob lee, les ferdinand and big al eventually all at the town coaching at least these we know all the above care about newcastle united
12 AngerOfTheNorth // Jul 30, 2008 at 17:53
Let’s leave the Gazza thing alone… The guy couldn’t organise his underwear drawer, let alone coach professional players or even youngsters. He needs help, not charity.
13 eric crammy mag // Jul 30, 2008 at 20:10
what,s gan on we are signing more coaches than players . ??????
14 Nenad // Jul 31, 2008 at 9:02
Too bad he didn’t say longer as a player at Newcastle. Could have been a legend like Rob Lee or Scott Sellars…
15 MAG PIE // Jul 31, 2008 at 23:21
feeling sorry for this neglected blog topic so posting a pointless little post to up the number. Let’s see if we can make it to 20
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