Newcastle v Everton Murrayfield friendly: empty seats, Scotland interest and abomination question
Overpriced EPL pre-season friendly failed to whet the appetite
Eleven months after their spat with Dundee High School, Newcastle United clearly reckoned it was safe to make the trip to Scotland. The streets don’t forget, however.
The St James’ Park club couldn’t cancel the school’s order for 45 tickets for a Champions League clash against Barcelona last September fast enough. Bought in good faith from an agency, details about where these tickets were destined emerged in the days before the pupils' eagerly awaited trip. Geordies railed against the idea of out-of-towners getting into a game they were being forced to sell a kidney to see.
So it was slightly amusing to see acres of empty seats in the closed-off top tier of Murrayfield for this 3-1 friendly defeat against Everton in Edinburgh. To be fair, there were more in attendance than perhaps had been anticipated – or feared. The bottom tier was almost full, despite – or maybe because of – messages that were being pinged around on the eve of the fixture with links and codes to obtain free tickets.
Newcastle won on the fans’ count, unsurprisingly given the easier transport links compared with their opposite number from Liverpool. However, they were comfortably beaten in the actual game, with Everton posting a comprehensive win on their return to Scotland.
North of the Border has been a happy hunting ground this summer following last month’s 4-0 win over Dundee. It might be argued the Dens Park side put up more of a fight than Newcastle, who struck a late consolation goal.
‘Solar Eclipse’ match
Former Scotland target Harvey Barnes has at least now scored on Scottish soil. The winger came on as a second-half substitute and applied a neat far-post finish to a cross from fellow sub Jacob Murphy with six minutes left in front of a 22,982 crowd. But earlier strikes from Thierno Barry, Iliman Ndiaye and Tyrique George meant Everton claimed the bragging rights in this ‘Solar Eclipse’ challenge match – so called because it’s hoped it might be as long as 2090 before we see something like it again.
The biggest farce in a city currently specialising in such performances was sponsored by Visit Malta, which was appropriate too, actually. Visiting somewhere or indeed anywhere else sounded like a good idea. People had plenty of opportunity to ponder winter sun destinations as the ball was stroked around the lush grass.
It might still be pre-season for top-flight English clubs but there were few with Finn Russell’s ball skills on show, although Hayden Hackney, a midfielder who is eligible to play for Scotland on account of his Edinburgh-born mum, caught the eye for Everton.
It was a difficult debut match for new Newcastle manager Matthias Jaissle, whose players were piped off their bus with a blast of 'Local Hero' by Alastair Leonard, formerly of the High School of Dundee coincidentally.
Jaissle was comfortably overshadowed by David Moyes. The Everton manager not only claimed the win but also distinguished himself by reprising his centre-half days along the road at Dunfermline and heading a clearance back into play. He was centre of attention for other reasons, too. Positioned high in the bookies’ next-Scotland-manager list, Moyes’ future has been the subject of considerable speculation.
The 63-year-old was at the wrong national stadium as far as some members of the Tartan Army were concerned. It wasn’t possible to quiz him about it as he wasn’t made available for interview afterwards. According to Merseyside insiders, he hasn’t spoken all summer amid transfer frustrations. One reported target is Celtic’s Alistair Johnston.
Scotland international Nathan Patterson patrolled the right-back beat for the first 50 or so minutes, delivering one good cross from which Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall ought to have scored. Afterwards it was Jaissle who was complaining about a lack of options in the right-back area. Perhaps Johnston could do a job for Newcastle?
The ‘Big Dunc’ derby
Another Scotland managerial candidate cast his large shadow over the proceedings. Duncan Ferguson, who of course played for both clubs, pressed flesh and posed for pictures in the West Stand. His presence lent the fixture some credibility. Suckers had initially been asked to pay over £70 for tickets before sense prevailed and prices fell slightly.
It was perhaps no surprise given their recent history that Newcastle might get involved in this rather unsavoury bit of profiteering at the expense of their own fans as well as those locals attracted by the glitter dust of er – checks team sheet – Sven Botman and Michael Keane.
But Everton? The people’s club? Very, very disappointing, as teachers used to say when they had been let down by a star pupil. What’s wrong with their own nice new shiny stadium on the banks of the Mersey? They actually have two stadiums for goodness’ sake. Goodison is still standing and held a Carabao Cup match between Preston North End and Huddersfield Town as recently as last weekend. So why the need to traipse up to Edinburgh? Their fans are a more discerning lot. They were quite clearly outnumbered by hordes of replica strip-wearing Geordies.
Newcastle United v Everton: attractive clash of two of English football’s traditional giants – the Big Dunc derby if you will – or an abomination of a fixture to be staged in Scotland, especially so soon after Scottish football wrenched some interest away from the “EPL” at the tail end of last season?
Its scheduling in the middle of a world-famous arts festival was always going to be challenging. It also fell on the first day of the new school term at most Scottish schools. Parents who have spent the summer taking their little darlings to various forms of activities were possibly not quite as motivated to rush to Murrayfield straight from the school gates for the 5.15pm kick off, especially given the competing cosmic phenomenon in the skies. Those who stayed at home or climbed a nearby hill were the sensible ones.
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