WEEK ONE:
The Month started off with a conclusion to one of the more disappointing moments in the clubs recent history. Both Toon legend Peter Beardsley and Kenny Wharton were cleared by an FA Premier League panel of any wrong doing with the claims made against them by Academy duo Ross Gardner and James Beaumont. The duo claimed that Beardsley and Wharton were mistreatring them, verbally abusing them in training and wanted out of their contracts, out of the club and chose to call the FA into the matter to achieve these results. The club stood behind Beardsley and Wharton the whole way and felt vindicated by their stance after the FA panel's findings. Both players have since been placed on the transfer list.
Malcolm Macdonald was honoured for his services to newcastle United by being the latest person inducted into the newly formed hall of fame at the Metro station. Sir Bobby Robson, Alan Shearer, Bobby Moncur, Shay Given and Peter Beardsley all have been placed on the hall of fame since it started and "Supermac" as he was affectionately known to the Toon Army, put on his old boots and stepped into the concrete to be the latest immortalised.
The Toon placed 5 players from the squad onto the transfer list as we look to get rid of those who've become dead wood to free up the wage bill a little ahead of the summers transfer additions. Midfielders Jamie McClen and Clarence Acuna and defenders Nikos Dabizas, Wayne Quinn and Robbie Elliott were the 5 listed. Shortly after this it was found out that Nikos Dabizas, while in home nation Greece had been injured in a car crash! The horror news broke in the early hours after Nikos had helped Greece defeat Ukraine 1-0 in Athens.
 
WEEK TWO:
The Fixture list came out in the second week of the month and we found out that our former Leeds United duo Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate would be making an early return to Elland Road (provided their both chosen of course). Leeds United away we found out would be the first game of the season with a game against Man Utd right after it while we'll be travelling to Anfield on the last day of the season with a match against Arsenal just before that!
Stevie C and Tony Caig both put pen to paper on one year extensions to stay with Newcastle United another season, much to the delight of the Toon Army who were afraid that Stevie C was about to walk out after not getting the contract offer he wanted after breaking into the first team so well last season. Then of course was the news that we'll be seeded in pot 3 for the upcoming Champions League campaign, recognition for last season achievements as we were seeded in pot 4 last season.
 
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WEEK THREE:
This week was a week of transfer speculation. Talk of Stephen Carr, Wayne Bridge, Gareth Southgate, Ronaldinho, Brett Emerton, Paul Konchesky, Michael Bridges, etc... all heated up with the papers going nuts as to who was coming in or not. Meanwhile Dabizas, Acuna, Solano and Cort rumours for who's leaving also heated up with varies supposed quotes popping up and stories being revealed.
Papers speculated that we'd agreed transfer fee's for Konchesky, Carr and Emerton though nothing has come of it and one or two rumours have been flat out denied by Freddie Shepherd while we were supposed to have met with Ronaldinho's camp about a supposed move but this transfer saga is far from done, at least in the media anyway.
WEEK FOUR:
Both Peter Beardsley and Kenny Wharton took up new positions with the club after changes were made to the structure of the Youth Academy. It's not clear if this has been done following what happened with academy players Ross Gardner and James Beaumont or not but you do get the impression that whether or not that's specificly why, what happened with the academy players may well have made the decision to move them to other parts of the club much easier.
Got the news of Ken Bates that once again he had jacked up the price of tickets for away fans wanting to travel to Stamford Bridge to watch their team play. We were classed in "cat A" as Bates calls it (how we weren't AA is beyong us) which means the ticket alone will cost 42 pounds. Those travelling down, including food, drink and all the rest could be made to pay a massive 100 pounds just to watch the Toon play Chelsea. Mr Bates, F*** Off you greedy B*****d. Meanwhile Lee Bowyer got ready to finally have his medical which would be the final step to take before becomming a Newcastle United player.
The month then ended on a truly tragic note. Marc-Vivien Foe unfortunately died just minutes after Cameroon defeated Colombia 1-0 in the Confederations Cup semi final. Foe, playing in his 62nd cap for Cameroon, collapsed during the game and after medics tried to resuscitate him for around 45 minutes without success a doctor from FIFA confirmed the news at the medical centre of Lyon football club's Stade Gerland shortly after the match. "Marc-Vivien Foe, who fainted, was taken to the medical block at the stadium to be placed under cardiac reanimation for 45 minutes. That was not sufficient and he died. It is a sad day for football," said Dr. Alfred Muller. "It is still too early to determine the exact cause of death."
Foe, a Lyon player, scored nine goals in 35 games in a season-long loan at Manchester City last year. The 28-year-old played for West Ham between 1999 and 2000 and scored eight goals in 64 games for Cameroon, playing in the 2002 World Cup. He also won the French title with Lens earlier in his career as well as winning it again with Lyon a couple of years ago and winning the French League Cup a year before that. The match between France and Turkey in Paris was preceded by the image of Foe on the stadium's big screen and a minute's silence. Arsenal and France striker Thierry Henry - who had been informed of Foe's death minutes before kick-off - dedicated the opening goal against Turkey to him, pointing to the sky after netting in the 12th minute.
Speaking about the tragic incodent, Harry Redknapp had this to say: "I can't believe it. It just came as such a shock. I've never seen a fellow in better physical condition. I've been speaking to Marc and we've been looking to bring him to Portsmouth. You couldn't have met a nicer fellow, a quieter, more gentle giant than Marc. He was as strong as an ox, had had a great year at City last year. They wanted to take him back for another year and we offered him a two-year deal at Portsmouth."
Redknapp said Foe was a popular figure in his days at Upton Park. "Everybody loved him. Everybody liked having him around. I don't think he made an enemy in his life - maybe one or two on the pitch, because he was such a strong player, but none off it. He was a fantastic person and not a nasty person. He was such a special person and a terrific footballer."
Redknapp believes that Foe will be missed throughout football. "Everyone who came into contact with him would have loved the man. You only had to see the reactions of the French players tonight - Thierry Henry was crying his eyes out, some of the others were inconsolable."
And Redknapp said Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who almost signed Foe in 1998, would be upset at the news from Lyon. "I know Alex will be devastated - he spoke to him a lot over the last five or six years. Marc was a great young man - it's so sad."
 
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