The Newcastle Journal is reporting today that goalkeeper Shay Given is indeed leaving the club, and his move to Manchester City for £9M is now imminent.
We should stress this is not absolutely certain, but it would be a big surprise if Given now elects to stay at Newcastle, after the 3rd offer from Man City is said to be £9M.
Shay Given – leaving the club after 460 appearances
Given’s understudy for the last 11 years, local lad Steve Harper, 33, has been told by manager Joe Kinnear that he will take over first-team duties when Newcastle face City at Eastlands on Wednesday night, which signals the end of an era.
We don’t know if Newcastle have received any players in part exchange or just the £9M in cash, but it’s an excellent signing for Man City, that’s for sure, and a good deal for our club too.
Kinnear has now given up hope of persuading Shay to stay at the club and it is understood that his representative, the lawyer Michael Kennedy, was also at the training ground as the way is paved for him to leave the club he has served for 11 years.
We were told yesterday that a decision would be made on Given soon, and it looks like his last game for the club was the 3-0 hammering at Blackburn.
Now we have £9M for Shay that’s £19M to spend so we expect to see at least another 5 players brought in during the next 6 days.
Given’s leaving Newcastle is almost an indictment of Ashley’s reign at the club, so he and the Board had better ensure the fans see some new good players arriving by next Monday, or else there could well be a lot more trouble from the Newcastle faithful, who are just fed up with things that have transpired since last August.
We’ll have to get over the fact that Shay left the club he loved and served so well, because he just gave up hope that any success was anywhere close on Tyneside.
That’s very sad, but could be very true too.
Shay will be one of the few players who when he returns to St. James’ Park who will not be booed, but rather given an ovation, because he was one of the best players Newcastle ever had, and played more games for Newcastle than all but a couple of players, and he was completely committed to the Newcastle cause and saved us many many times.
He is great professional and a great guy, and it’s very sad that he has found it necessary to leave the club, so that his ambition of playing for a top club and getting some honors would finally be realized.
He had hoped for over 11 years that that club would be Newcastle, but it was not to be.
We wish Shay the very best of luck, and thank him for his wonderful service on Tyneside.
The end of an era indeed. 🙁
Comments welcome.
58 comments so far
Whumpie
Jan 27, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Comment #41Gnnn… can’t….. stop… typing…. comments…. GNEAAARRRRRR….
azim
Jan 27, 2009 at 10:38 AM
Comment #42Vital Football is reporting that Albin Ebondo in coming on loan with a view to sign a permanent contract in the summer if he impress JK
This shows we are not going to spend any money this window, are we?
The Real Entertainers
Jan 27, 2009 at 10:40 AM
Comment #43If we get 9 million and a player, then its a good deal.
If its a ‘portly’ 9 million for the best keeper in the PL then our managment team need shot
Toon Sweden77
Jan 27, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Comment #44Actually I was hoping that City would be relegated this season… witch wouldnt be fair to Shay as he has been a great servant to Newcastle united for many years, I really earn him some success.
Stardust
Jan 27, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Comment #45“The Real Entertainers // Jan 27, 2009 at 10:40 AM
If we get 9 million and a player, then its a good deal.
If its a ‘portly’ 9 million for the best keeper in the PL then our managment team need shot”
A very very poor comment by you fella – your now telling the man who will stand the cost of any deal what price to sell at. Believe it or not Ashley might have a few million reasons more than you to get the best deal. I expect better of you.
rooks
Jan 27, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Comment #46it’s a good deal for a 32/33 year old keeper – a great deal if Johnson is included (though he probaly won’t want to come).
I know Ashley’s been a sneaky fcuker in the past but I’m prepared to give him the benefit if the doubt that he is actually chasing bonafide players & that the money will be spent
doofa the loofa
Jan 27, 2009 at 10:50 AM
Comment #47the toon was no longer big enough for given and harper. harper wants his first choice shot and rightly so. shay is great at toon but can he take that class to city? maybe their defence will be a leap to far..what with dunne getting confused which end hes trying to score in…. i hope so. good bit of business if is bout 10m plus johnson me thinks..
Sav
Jan 27, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Comment #48Its not a question of how much ‘we’ get for Given.
Far more important is who is bought in to reinforce the squad with whatever the Given fee earns for the club.
In that sense, it may not be possible to fully assess how the club has performed in the transfer window.
So far, Joe Kinnear’s comments are not encouraging. He says he spotted Ebondo while watching some other players and Mbia was a tip from ‘an old mate’ in France. I thought we had a scouting network led by Dennis Wise and Jeff Vetere who have been targeting players for over 12 months.
Time will tell. Shay has already made his assessment and I’m inclined to agree with him.
NorthernPaul
Jan 27, 2009 at 11:55 AM
Comment #49I’m gutted.
This is a sad day for NUFC, as it proves we are now a selling club.
We are officially just another Wigan/Fulham etc, who will battle relegation every year.
I think I knew that anyway though, but for Shay to want to leave things must be extremely bad at the club. This sort of confirms our status in the league for me, as I had always had a little bit of hope we would improve.
Gutted, good luck Shay.
Shanghaitoon
Jan 27, 2009 at 12:33 PM
Comment #50Just 2 put my views in, I think 9m plus Johnson is a good deal for the club. Harper is excellent and I really didn’t want to see Krul leave (Which he would’ve done had we kept both Shay and Steve). I think Shay is a great keeper, but Harps is just as good as many on here say.
Johnson will be a good addition and I just hope the 9m is going to be put to some good use!!
Good luck to Shay, however, I do feel it may out the frying pan, into the fire with city… ?
Nenad
Jan 27, 2009 at 12:44 PM
Comment #51So sad.
ian
Jan 27, 2009 at 3:15 PM
Comment #52It is sad and Given is a brilliant player, he has been good for us, I prefer players sold before they drop in performance though, that way we get money towards other players.
I agree with those above though, what is crucial is the money is used to either buy a good scoring midfielder, who can and does score in the premiership or the dream buy which will not happen would be Keane to replace Owen, Owen sold and a good midfielder amongst the other deals.
I honestly think Krul is the next Given and Harper we all know is brilliant too, having the next keeper after Harper, already sorted so we have cover for years to come is a plus for us, keepers like Krul arent everywhere to be found.
I hope if we get up the table a bit that Krul can get the odd game to keep him sharp in case Harper gets injured and he is thrown in to one of our most important games.
Piers
Jan 27, 2009 at 3:27 PM
Comment #53I wish Shay the best of luck with all my heart………He will always be remembered as our greatest keeper………
Piers
Jan 27, 2009 at 3:29 PM
Comment #54Everyone wake up, this is not a sad day at NUFC……….pretty much everyone with half a brain knew this move was eminent…….we still have time to get some players in………as i’ve said many times, a keeper is the easiest person to replace.
petey
Jan 27, 2009 at 4:36 PM
Comment #55joe hart on exchange? wud be nice lol
cant beleive shay is going 🙁 unhappy but he is a legend and deserves success somewhere else i guess…
boooooo, sad day…
petey
Jan 27, 2009 at 4:38 PM
Comment #56altho, on a happier note, it means we can welcome aboard tim krul to warm reception sometime soon….
celebrate one of our youth signings making himself slowly
VanToon
Jan 27, 2009 at 6:46 PM
Comment #57I like how Ed says that Shay will be given an ovation when he comes back to play at St. James…I wonder when that’ll be? Maybe in the FA Cup? The League Cup perhaps? ‘Cause it sure as hell won’t be in the league…Premiership and Championship teams don’t play league games against each other.
No offence to Harper…great bloke…but Shay Given is the kinda keeper that can save teams from relegation.
Good Bye Premiership!!!
Tom_Toon
Jan 27, 2009 at 6:50 PM
Comment #58.