Oba Martins has talked today about his time at Newcastle United, and admits he had never heard of today’s opponents Hull City, who of course have done so well to make their way into the Premier league. We need to help Oba brush up on his history and geography.
Oba Martins – never heard of Hull City
Martins of course was a £10M signing from Inter Milan in August, 2006, which is 2½ years ago, and he is well aware of the situation at the Newcastle club, in terms of the team fighting yet again for survival, as he said today:
“Since I have been at Newcastle, it has been difficult, like we are going to be relegated but I never think about it,”
“I just try to play my football and try to help the team.” “Even now, there are still ten games left to play.”
“We just need a couple of wins so that we don’t get relegated.” “When we came in on Thursday morning everyone talked about Blackburn winning and what are we going to do.”
“We’ve just got to try to . . . I’m not saying die there on Saturday but we just have to win.”
Newcastle of course have struggled at the wrong end of the table since his arrival, and this is the thurd season in a row that we have been in the bottom half of the table.
Martins feels that today’s game will be little different from other games, because it’s just another must-win game for the lads.
Martins continued:
“I have been playing important games since I came here,” “Saturday is going to be a tough one because Hull, like us, want to win.”
We are just going to go there to try to win to bring back the three points. It will not be easy.”
“When I came to Newcastle, I came to play football in Newcastle and to enjoy myself as well. I never thought that this team could get relegated because there are enough good players.”
“But now we are fourth bottom, everybody now is looking at each other and saying to each other ‘something is not right.’ “So we have to try to get out there and try to get ourselves out of the relegation positions.”
Martins of course injured his groin back when he scored Newcastle’s second goal at Portsmouth on 14th December, when we got our first away win of the season at Fratton Park by 3-0.
Oba was out of the team until late February and still has just 6 goals this season, so he’sprobabaly due a few goals shortly.
Oba has started the last two games and looked sharp and good alongisde Peter Lovenkrands against the Red Devils, and we expect both of thos to start again today, even though both Michael owen and Andy Carroll are fit again.
Martins talked about his groin injury:
“It was hard because I was out for two months but now I am happy I am back with the team and happy to be playing again,”
“It is a little bit difficult when you are injured and you first come back.” “You need a little bit of luck to try to score goals and play well. Ideally, I need more games but I am not thinking about that.
“I just want to go out and play well and try to score a few goals and try to help the team.”
Michael Owen will be back today, and we think he’s already haveing a positive effect, not just on the training fields but he seems calm and beleives Newcastle can put togetgher a good run again and get themselves clear of the relegation zone – we hope so.
Michael has not played since suffering ankle ligament damage at Manchester City on January 28th, but he’s been sharp in training and will in all liklelihood play some part in today’s vital game at the KC Stadium.
Oba continued:
“I’ve been training with Michael for three or four days now,” “We are happy he is back because we need him as well.’’
It turns out that Oba had never ever heard of Hull City before this season, with of course Hull coming up through the lower leagues, and doing so well to make the Premier League.
They started so well at the beginning of the season with 20 points form their first 10 league games, but since then they haver gained just 12 points fromn their last 18 league games, but still have 4 points more than Newcastle right now.
Oba admitted he had never heard of Hull City:
I’d never heard of them, never been there.” “It is quite strange when a side like that comes through the divisions but that is football,”
“We just have to go there and try to win but we cannot predict the win because they are playing very well.”
“I would maybe have got there with my satellite navigation, but I’d have no idea where it is on the map.”
Just think – it’s great being a footballer, when you not only get to play but you also get the opportunity to learn all about the history of different towns – including Kingston Upon Hull.
=======
Kingston upon Hull, almost invariably referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is located 25 miles (40 km) from the North Sea on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary. Hull has a resident population of 257,000 (2007 est.).
Renamed Kings town upon Hull by King Edward I in 1299, the town and city of Hull has served as market town, military supply port, trading hub, fishing and whaling centre, and industrial metropolis.
Hull was an early theater of battle in the English Civil Wars, and was the backdrop to events leading to the abolition of the slave trade in Britain.
The city was unique in the United Kingdom in having a municipally owned telephone system from 1902, sporting cream, not red, telephone boxes.
After suffering heavy damage during the Second World War, Hull weathered a period of post-industrial decline, during which the city gained unfavourable results on measures of social deprivation, education and policing.
However, the city has embarked recently on a program of regeneration and renewal and a range of sporting and cultural activities is available.
=======
Can somebody let Martins read this and let him know there will be a test all about Hull on Monday morning. 😀
15 comments so far
Toon_Factor
Mar 14, 2009 at 10:32 AM
Comment #1I never heard of Hull till they got promoted!
Wiser_than_wise
Mar 14, 2009 at 10:39 AM
Comment #2me too never knew them the first time i saw dean windass thought it was their coach
Stuart79
Mar 14, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Comment #3We’ll all need sat nav next season!
Soren
Mar 14, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Comment #4Thanks for the historylesson Ed. Hope Oba will make history of his own today with his first hattrick for us, then he will always remember where Hull is.
beyethegreat
Mar 14, 2009 at 10:54 AM
Comment #5is hull near the north east coz they were in the north east group for the respect the ref campaign
batty
Mar 14, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Comment #6beye its norht west m8 up from preston
Johno Toon
Mar 14, 2009 at 11:14 AM
Comment #7love the history lesson, cheers ed
Sav
Mar 14, 2009 at 11:16 AM
Comment #8you forgot to mention that their mascot is an Emu…..
workyticket
Mar 14, 2009 at 12:10 PM
Comment #9Sav // Mar 14, 2009 at 11:16 AM
“you forgot to mention that their mascot is an Emu…..”
Or their most famous MP, William Wilberforce, their beautiful victorian public conveniences etc etc.
Beye, Hull used to be the south eastern tip of the North East. Northumbria means the land north of the Humber, the river which flows through Hull. It’s around 140 miles from the Toon.
workyticket
Mar 14, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Comment #10It isn’t really counted as the “North East” now though Beye.
AngerOfTheNorth
Mar 14, 2009 at 12:55 PM
Comment #11Batty, you’re kidding, right?! They’re nowhere near Preston, it’s the opposite side of the country. It’s on the East coast. Hull is essentially part of Yorkshire in all but name.
workyticket
Mar 14, 2009 at 1:15 PM
Comment #12AngerOfTheNorth // Mar 14, 2009 at 12:55 PM
“Batty, you’re kidding, right? … Hull is essentially part of Yorkshire in all but name.”
AngerOfTheNorth, you’re kidding, right? it’s a part of Yorkshire in name too. It’s in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
clinta
Mar 14, 2009 at 1:39 PM
Comment #13Went to Hull once to visit a friend that moved there, waste of time that was, would never nother going back.
Shanghaitoon
Mar 14, 2009 at 1:46 PM
Comment #14Ha ha … didn’t anybody here study Geography at school…??
Tom_Toon
Mar 14, 2009 at 9:10 PM
Comment #15Hull is a dump.