The crazy tales from Newcastle United's training ground that left the football world in shock
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Newcastle United training ground at Benton, Newcastle
Newcastle United have been known to be up for the fight at St James' Park down the years - both on and off the field.
We all know that teams need to have a fighting spirit and stick up for each other - as shown by England U21s last night jumping to Tino Livramento's defence.
But what about the moments when things spun completely out of control? Seasoned Newcastle fans have seen it all from sponsor boards being battered, team-mates brawling and even managers getting in on the act!
Here we look at some of the most shocking moments in black and white history as Newcastle rocked the football world.
Graeme Souness offered Craig Bellamy out for a fight in the gym at Benton
The fiery Welshman had his moments at Newcastle but was managed brilliantly by Sir Bobby Robson during his stint as boss. Bellamy was made to feel special and man managed uniquely compared to some of his team-mates.
In Paul Ferris' brilliant book Once upon the Toon, the ex-physio talked about how the ex-England manager would put his arm around Bellers and have a quiet word saying things like: "We need you fit, can't win without you at the weekend son."
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Sir Bobby was too wise to be troubled by his back-chatting but Souness took a different view and ended up losing Bellamy to Celtic then Blackburn - before losing his job. The problem started when Bellamy shook his head in a team meeting before Souness exploded.
Souness grabbed Bellamy and said in front of his team-mates: "In the gym now. Let's sort this out like f-----g men!"
Ferris reflected: "Craig could be the most difficult of characters and how Souness reacted is how, I suspect, most mere mortals would. "Sir Bobby tolerated the nonsense and got the best out of his prized asset. That's why he is rightly remembered and revered as one of the greats."
Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer come to blows against Aston Villa in April 2005 - a game Newcastle United eventually lost 3-0
Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer come to blows against Aston Villa in April 2005 - a game Newcastle United eventually lost 3-0
Lee Bowyer vs Kieron Dyer
The pair came to blows during a 3-0 home defeat against Aston Villa in 2005 when they heaped shame on Newcastle United. Dyer says that it was a personal insult aimed at Bowyer’s lack of ability that pushed him over the edge.
The former Toon star said: “We were playing the game, he came short and wanted the ball and I passed to someone else.
“He was like ‘Give me the ball’ and I was like ‘I haven’t given the ball away, what you talking about’. Five minutes later he came again and I gave it to somebody else.
“And he said, ‘You never pass to me!’ I said, ‘The reason I don’t pass to you is because you’re s--t basically’.
“There were a lot of swear words. And that was it then you just saw him lose his head.
“He said, ‘You what?’ And I said, ‘You heard me.’ As he was walking towards me I just thought he was going to grab me or push me.
“When he was raining the punches in I thought, ‘You need to get on the weights because they aren’t hurting.’ Secondly, I was thinking, ‘I can’t believe he’s doing this in front of 50,000 people’.
“I didn’t know you could get sent off for fighting your own team-mate, so when the red card came out I thought, ‘What the hell!’
“I was sent off first, and I was waiting in the tunnel to get some revenge. He came in, and we had two massive masseurs and they just dunked us on their shoulders.
“It was like a cartoon when your feet are dangling off the ground and we were trying to get at each other. We are sat in the changing room and they were in the middle of us."
But the bust-up, which was part of a farcical defeat, was only the start of the issues. Dyer went on to say: "Boumsong came in and said, ‘If you want to fight, fight now.’ I was wanting to fight and get the revenge.
“Then Souness came in and said, ‘If you want to fight I’ll beat both of you.’ Al came in and I never saw him lose it like that – he went mad and called us selfish and a disgrace. He knew we’d have a three-match suspension and miss the FA Cup semi-final that was coming up.”
Dyer has since patched things up with Bowyer. He said: "I still see him now, we are friends. That’s just the way Lee was. But I still want to beat him up."
Andy Carroll vs Charles N'Zogbia
Charles N’Zogbia and Andy Carroll traded blows in an amazing training ground bust-up - and it made the front page of the Evening Chronicle in the 2008/09 season.
The team-mates had to be dragged apart as they went toe-to-toe with one another in a brawl which led to the training session being scrapped. But even after being separated, they clashed again in the dressing room and later in the car park at United’s Benton training ground.
The flare-up, in the full glare of fellow stars, security staff, and visiting players from Carlisle United at the ground for a friendly game. Then boss Joe Kinnear said: "It was just handbags, and it’s been blown out of all proportion. I can’t stop players being passionate, and wouldn’t want to. I won’t be taking any action.
"It was a very intense, excellent training session, as we always have at the club. It was a fiery session. There was a late challenge and a reaction to it. The players were working to the max – it was as simple as that."
Temuri Ketsbaia takes his anger out on a sponsor board
Temuri Ketsbaia shocked the entire football world on a chilly January day at St James' Park when he decided to take his anger out on the advertising boards.
After the Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper Keith Branagan dropped a cross, the Georgian swooped to tap home and score the winning goal. It came after the Georgian had come on as a substiture, having been left out of the starting XI.
Ketsbaia ripped off his shirt and threw it into the Gallowgate End before kicking the hoardings and trying to take off his boots.
Newcastle v Bolton 17/1/98 Premiership / Newcastle's Temuri Ketsbaia celebrates scoring the winning goal
Newcastle's Temuri Ketsbaia celebrated scoring the winning goal against Bolton in some fashion
(Image: Pic : Brandon Malone / Action Images)
Within seconds his team-mates sensed something wasn't right and Alessandro Pistone tried to cover things up by hugging his topless team-mate as part of the celebrations. However, it was too late and as Alan Shearer and John Beresford appealed to the crowd for Ketsbaia's shirt back in order to restart the game, a huge football story was unfolding.
Ketsbaia said: "It was because I felt disappointed about selection. So when I scored a goal that day all of it came out.
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"It's something that I would never like to see again. To be honest, I have never looked back at that goal on TV or anything. Even when it happened, I couldn't look."