The Vodacom Challenge tournament next month has been called off by the organizer.
Newcastle United had been strongly rumored to have been one of the two teams invited to play in the Challenge tournament.
But the news is coming out of South Africa, via Durban newspaper The Mercury, is that the organizer, SAIL, has cancelled the event, because they say that two of the four teams that were to participate have still not yet signed on to participate.
One of the clubs is Newcastle United, who only yesterday announced they would be playing a tournament in Portugal in late July, and it had been hoped to get the famous English team to participate in the event in South Africa.
The two local sides, Kaizer Chiefs, and the Orlando Pirates were to have taken part along with Newcastle and SuperSport United, a team located in Pretoria.
Durban’s acting deputy manager for sustainable development, Philip Sithole, said that as of the beginning of this week, only the two local sides, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, had officially signed up for the tournament.
This is also becoming political, in that opposition parties have asked why the city of Durban have to spend millions to attract sports events to the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
And with the 2013 African Cup of Nations to be hosted next January in South Africa, Mayor James Nxumalo is concerned that the cost of hosting the tournament has still not been finalized.
It’s clear Newcastle will not be participating in South Africa next month, and that will surely be a huge disappointment to all Newcastle fans in South Africa.
Maybe next year?
Thanks to reader Paul Jenshen in South Africa for alerting us to this news.
Comments welcome.
NUFC News 24/7
75 responses so far ↓
1 Tsunki // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:14 PM
Oh Dear.
2 tarie4 // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:15 PM
Repost
I don’t think moyes would got to spurs, not at all, wouldn’t bet 1p on it. At Everton he has 100% control on all football matters, who he is sold, bought, the youth system everything, whereas spurs operate like we do, levy has the final say on who is bought and sold etc, that is the main sticking point in agreeing a new deal with harry.
harry wants more control over football matters. Unless spurs change that system, the can forget about moyes, they will just have to find a manager who can work under that, like we did I also wudnt bet on Martinez also. Coz of the same reasons.
Liverpool had to change their system in order to attract BR. Moyes will demand the same.
3 Dannyo // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:16 PM
I think this is only beneficial. It didn’t really seem that all the traveling and issues last year helped the pre-season too much.
Focus on playing some local teams, plus the tourno in Portugal. We also have a play off match for the EL if i remember correctly.
4 GeordieToon89 // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:17 PM
tarie4 – Andres Vilas Boas will get the Spurs job, watch this space
5 GeordieToon89 // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:17 PM
Colin ?@cwarr07
BREAKING NEWS – Harry Redknapp has left Spurs tonight to become Demba Ba’s agent #nufc #thfc
6 No Plain Saylor // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:19 PM
Pity that! I always liked to see pre season somewhere different
7 lobacka // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:19 PM
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11661/7811092/Redknapp-to-leave-Spurs-
8 Gateshead-Mag // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:20 PM
repost
graham cwarr
u pullin me leg or am a just showin me age?? never herd that 1 before like haha
9 Tsunki // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:20 PM
The hollish are paying the price for not putting vorm or krul between the sticks. Oh and for being generally crap.
10 Marty-Toon // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:23 PM
Durban’s acting deputy manager for sustainable development, Philip Sithole,
Very unfortunate name there Philip
A surname that implies you just sit on yer hole
11 WWYCD // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:25 PM
Dannyo
I agree on Moyes if Pards left Id have him in to replace in a heartbeat
Ah well bye bye ‘arry hopefully Spurs will drop like a stone without him
12 Tsunki // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:26 PM
Marty – just wondering if his name was on the brochure for the tournament and was unfortunately misread. I’ve heard Durban is a nice place.
13 graham cwarr // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:26 PM
@gateshead centuries old term mate. Now graces medieval fantasy rpgs and the like mostly
14 Tsunki // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:27 PM
back to mid table when a couple of the big hitters leave spuds I fear. Harry is running out of clubs near his house now mind.
15 No Plain Saylor // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:27 PM
Haha at redknapp, he’ll p1ss of now to a job in the middle east and launder some money. I didn’t actually mind the fella till he opened hia mouth about ba’s contract
16 Dannyo // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:29 PM
@WWJCD
Think Verthogen still joining them? Maybe we have a shot on him again?
17 Tsunki // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:30 PM
Cwar Er are you misunderstanding gateshead’s irony deliberately, or raising him one?
18 No Plain Saylor // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:30 PM
@ dannyo
That’s a good shout! We might do
19 graham cwarr // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:31 PM
Tsunki shhhhhhh i might have a bite
20 Gateshead-Mag // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:32 PM
lol nevermind think a prefer to think of them as transfer herbs
21 Marty-Toon // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:32 PM
Tsunki
I’m sure it’s a nice spot but yer mans name maybe put the other teams off and all the fans that were expected lol
22 Tsunki // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:34 PM
cwarr – you do and it’s me apparently!
Marty – yes a shame shows you really need to proof read your brochures and not just get them sent straight out from the printers ha ha.
23 MagpiesFlyHigh // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:35 PM
Nobody seems to REALLY know if floppychops is on his way. Press statement tomorrow morning.
It’s good for us if any side just above or just below us is in disarray as it will disrupt them next season.
Ah reckon it’ll take a goodly while for Liverfool to undo the damage done by Dogleash too. The Swansea way took several seasons to develop.
Is Anfield a wide pitch ?
24 tarie4 // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:35 PM
GeordieToon89
Yeh maybe, but as I said, they will need to revamp their structure in order to attract the likes of moyes rvb etc, its like if pards left us, we would have no hope hell in getting likes of moyes etc as they will not agree to work under this structure we have. We got lucky with pards tbh. He was a diamond in the ruff.
25 graham cwarr // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:38 PM
@Tsunki you should know me by now. Never the serious type for too long. Especially in silly seasin
26 tarie4 // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:39 PM
Dannyo
Verthogen will still join them if spurs meet Ajax valuation, he pretty much said that the wage packet he had been offered at spurs was important to him, so yeh..he is theirs unless another team offers the same wage packet and is in the CL.
27 Tsunki // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:39 PM
mfh – not sure it is, it’s smaller than ours I think. You think this will affect the way the new man shapes his side?
28 hotdog // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:44 PM
Seems strange that Floppy Chops (Who came up with that name class) is on his way and Di Matteo is announced as Chelsea boss. Why the same day any link here??
29 WWYCD // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:44 PM
Dannyo
Reckon his asking price puts us off him though he might be put off by HR leaving as far as I know he wanted to play under ‘arry
30 Beardo // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:46 PM
Moyes will skim Everton, taking Fellaini and Baines with him, along with other signings making Spurs into a real force
31 MagpiesFlyHigh // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:48 PM
Tsunki,
Swansea played like crabs half the time.
Am very interested to see if he can turn the bindippers into a really good side. It’s a lot different from inheriting a way of playing, like he did at Swans, and a side mostly already in place and just tweaking it. And their only real star is getting on a bit.
Mind you , who’d have thought the grey fox would have done the biz so well for us. I think managers are the biggest plus for any club followed by the money they are allowed to invest. That’s why Moyes is so good and also why it was a shame Bolton went down too.
32 hotdog // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:49 PM
Jesus have you seen the knockers on the News Reader on Skysports News
33 hotdog // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:51 PM
No replies – you all got remotes in hands haha
34 MagpiesFlyHigh // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:52 PM
If I was Levy I wouldn’t even try to get Moyes. I think he might prove to have real loyalties to the blues.
He has got a lot of choice – there’s some good managerial talent around…Jus hope we have stability for a good few years even if had the occasional rough season and dropped 3 or 4 places. I think Pardiola is aiming higher than 5th though
35 Tsunki // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:53 PM
The scousers of even a few seasons ago used to play fast paced one or two touch stuff and did it all game which along with their tireless closing down made them proper awkward to play against. They looked nowt like that at all for a season or two now. Still don’t see where Carroll fits in though?????
36 MagpiesFlyHigh // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:56 PM
Here are the top 20 pitches ranked in order of size. The large number after the size of the pitch is calculated by multiplying the length and width of the pitch (in yards):
1. Manchester City, City of Manchester Stadium, 116 x 77 yards, 8932
2. Manchester United, Old Trafford, 116 x 76 yards, 8816
3. Blackburn Rovers, Ewood Park, 115 x 76 yards, 8740
4. Everton, Goodison Park, 112 x 78 yards, 8736
5. Aston Villa, Villa Park, 114 x 75 yards, 8550
6. Middlesbrough, Riverside, 114 x 75 yards, 8550
7. Arsenal, Emirates Stadium, 114 x 74 yards, 8436
8. Derby County, Pride Park, 114 x 74 yards, 8436
9. Reading, Madjeski Stadium, 111 x 76 yards, 8436
10. Sunderland, Stadium of Light, 114 x 74 yards, 8436
11. Wigan Athletic, JJB Stadium, 114 x 74 yards, 8436
12. Portsmouth, Fratton Park, 115 x 73 yards, 8395
13. Chelsea, Stamford Bridge, 110 x 75 yards, 8250
14. Fulham, Craven Cottage, 110 x 75 yards, 8250
15. Liverpool, Anfield, 110 x 75 yards, 8250
16. Birmingham City, St. Andrews, 110 x 74 yards, 8140
17. Newcastle United, St. James’s Park, 110 x 73 yards, 8030
18. Tottenham Hotspur, White Hart Lane, 110 x 73 yards, 8030
19. Bolton Wanderers, Reebok Stadium, 110 x 72 yards, 7920
20. West Ham United, Boleyn Ground, 110 x 70 yards, 7700
37 MagpiesFlyHigh // Jun 13, 2012 at 10:58 PM
Tsunki
No, nor me. It was Dogleash who loved his 4-4-2 with big CF target man. Reckon Carroll might be on his way out – either that or he adapts his style of play with a new coach. Do you reckon he’s good enough to do that ?
38 Tsunki // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:00 PM
damn was sure SJP was bigger than anfield. Where did you get that list? Groundsman’s monthly? Is the Etihad pitch a centre-page pullout? Free bag of grass seed? Ok stopped now.
39 hotdog // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:00 PM
MFH – That cant be right can it, Craven Cottgae bigger pitch than toon!!!
40 Gateshead-Mag // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:00 PM
MagpiesFlyHigh
i thort nufc had the maximun dimentioned pitch that ur allowed to have??
41 lukes26 // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:01 PM
My speculation is that Harry knew he was at the heights of his powers and wanted to negotiate a cushy new contract before his last year. Tottenham can’t match this year’s 4th place finish….theyre old and need to sign new players on a limited budget.
42 Sazzer // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:01 PM
He will probably try Carroll in position he played Graham.
43 MagpiesFlyHigh // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:02 PM
nothing so complicated jus picked out the top google
http://soccerlens.com/premier-league-pitch-sizes/3683/
it’s 2007 mind..
44 MagpiesFlyHigh // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:04 PM
luke
I think you’re right – and if Modric and Bale were on their bikes the spuds team would be seriously weakened
45 Sazzer // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:07 PM
Imagine what Carr would do with the collected money from Modric and Bale sales.
46 Tsunki // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:08 PM
Sazzer – evidently he has to do something with him or he’ll be an expensive car-waxer. Think Andy may have to adapt his style a bit to fit in, otherwise the team may have to adapt for him. It doesn’t work at the moment though that’s for sure so something has to change.
47 Tsunki // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:13 PM
actually thinking about it the swans couldn’t get a good cross in ( as they couldn’t find the last third generally) and couldn’t walk it in either. Having a big lad to drive up to and hold up might give their wingers time get down the side from lay-offs and then through the penalty area. Oh, wait. They’ve got Downing. Strike that.
48 Sazzer // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:20 PM
I don’t think it can become worse than with Daglish though so I’m bit worried they will improve. How much or little that’s the question.
49 Tsunki // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:24 PM
Not gonna come good in one season though is it? It still needs a change of pitch personnel. So that’s them having a middling season to come in my book.
50 GeordieToon89 // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:25 PM
tarie – AVB is a manager that works with a director of football or similar to our model.. he did it at Porto and never god a good enough chance at Chelsea
51 GeordieToon89 // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:27 PM
Colin ?@cwarr07
Tomorrows Times & Guardian reporting Chelsea want Ben Arfa & prepared to pay 18m #nufc
52 santonthenewmaldini // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:30 PM
was graham carr at spurs when they signed Bale and Modric?
53 Sazzer // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:35 PM
Hopefully not, but I think Rodgers will settle quickly. He seem to have more tools in the toolbox than Daglish – to get and allow – the players to play their strength. A bit like Pardew.
54 Tsunki // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:37 PM
gt89 – you’re bored aren’t you
55 GeordieToon89 // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:41 PM
Tsunki – Just abit mate ha
56 Sazzer // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:43 PM
No it was Damien Comolli.
57 JAMSHA // Jun 13, 2012 at 11:49 PM
harry potter off so does that mean we
get verthonghen?
58 GeordieToon89 // Jun 14, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Why will we get vertonghen :s we never even went in for him plus it was Levy dealing with tht transfer anyways
59 toonruz // Jun 14, 2012 at 12:25 AM
More bull shit press about our players southern press stirring shit again . Ben arfa won’t leave
60 RonVanDam // Jun 14, 2012 at 12:25 AM
For 1m, i wounder why MA isnt going after Yakubu as a backup striker
West Ham are preparing a bid for Blackburn striker Yakubu, 29, who would cost the Hammers £1m.
Source: The Sun
61 lukes26 // Jun 14, 2012 at 12:33 AM
Because Yak = Ameobi
62 gonufc (up and Hatem) // Jun 14, 2012 at 12:36 AM
Because Yak = old and high wages
63 RonVanDam // Jun 14, 2012 at 1:26 AM
Spurs after David Moyes
64 Kc-Toon // Jun 14, 2012 at 1:59 AM
The prospect of being able to advertise sports direct to worldwide public during the europa is going to be mouthwatering for mike ashley, Imagine how taccy the place is going to look!
65 Kc-Toon // Jun 14, 2012 at 3:14 AM
Worrying words from turkey on demba
Apparently some fella called bulent tulen representing galatasaray has been in negotiations with ba, and all but agreed fees, With the hold up being Fatih Terim, whoever that is, Needed to confirm he wanted the deal to go through.
7 million is peanuts for a player capable of scoring 16 goals in half a season, Never mind when you take off the 3 mil going straight into dembas pocket!
66 phoonck // Jun 14, 2012 at 4:02 AM
@RonVanDam
i seriously think Yakubu will not be interested to come here if we make an approach to sign him only to offer him a place on the bench..
67 phoonck // Jun 14, 2012 at 4:21 AM
@RonVanDam i seriously think Yakubu will not be interested to come here if we make an approach to sign him only to offer him a place on the bench..
68 GeordieToon89 // Jun 14, 2012 at 7:11 AM
Kc-toon – Fatih Terim is the Galatasaray manager mate, a want this Ba thing to come to an end one way or another
69 GeordieToon89 // Jun 14, 2012 at 7:15 AM
http://m.habermonitor.com/en/haber/detay/galatasaray-attack-demba-ba/185451/
70 redondo77 // Jun 14, 2012 at 7:37 AM
Van der Vaart will move to bundesliga, Harry is gone.
Does Verthongen still want to join Spurs?
71 AntonioSA // Jun 14, 2012 at 7:52 AM
Very dissapointing that Newcastle will not be coming to South Africa. Its been confirmed that ManU will be coming here for their pre-season, playing in both Durban and Cape Town: http://www.manutd.com/en/tour2012teaser.aspx#
Please bring the Magpies next year!!
72 Whistler // Jun 14, 2012 at 7:56 AM
Have Galatasaray agreed with Ba or is it that they’ve agreed the fee with Newcastle and are negotiating with Ba? Hard to tell from the article in broken English….either way it needs dealt with asap so we can move on….this will be his 4th club in 18 months if he goes. Disappointing if he leaves but we’re more effective with a front 3 and Cisse has to be the central striker
73 Whistler // Jun 14, 2012 at 8:05 AM
Redondo
Good point on Vertonghen…for all I dislike Harry Redchops, he WAS Spurs. Hard to understand why they’ve not renewed his contract after he dragged them away from relegation and got them into the Champions league….reminds me of Villa and Martin
Oneill….look what happened there.
74 redondo77 // Jun 14, 2012 at 8:09 AM
Well …. it’s good news to us, hopefully.
Unless Guardiola become spurs manager.
75 Owldman // Jun 15, 2012 at 7:34 AM
Levy was handling Spurs transfer deals to stop dodgy deal Harry from getting a cut as he did at Portsmouth
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