Football: Sidelines

How Magpies turn

into Cockerels

The traffic in personnel between Newcastle and Tottenham, who meet this afternoon, has been largely one way. A steady stream of likely lads, from genuine Geordies to the adopted variety such as Ruel Fox, Les Ferdinand and David Ginola, have left to join their friends in the south.

Paul Gascoigne is the most celebrated example, the Gateshead galumph costing Spurs pounds 2m in a 1988 deal which also landed the infamous Five Bellies. Chris Waddle, who earned Newcastle pounds 590,000 when he made the same move, was already in town to show Gazza where to get the best silly haircuts.

The Waddle of his day, left-winger Albert Gosnell, undertook the journey in 1910 after gaining FA Cup and championship medals at Newcastle. Two years on John McTavish made the reverse trek, as did Bill Nicholson - later Spurs' Double-winning supremo - as a wartime guest. Keith Burkinshaw, the manager who brought Ossie Ardiles to White Hart Lane, cut his coaching teeth on Tyneside.

Jim Iley and Kevin Scott later played for both, while Spurs reserves Mark Stimson, Peter Garland and Paul Moran all tried their luck at St James' under the Ardiles-Tony Galvin management duo. Curiously, the only Novocastrian likely to be involved today, Chris Armstrong, is a Cockerel who has never been a Magpie.

Ten things that Leeds United's South African Lucas Radebe might be missing

today

1 Mrs Ball's Fruit Chutney. So tasty it is the most sought-after food amongst South Africans in the UK.

2 Boerwors sausage and stewed vegetables.

3 The Kori bustard - the world's largest flying bird. (Nigel Martyn can be good in the air, but he is not an especially elegant bustard.)

4 Lions, cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs, hyenas, jackals and foxes. (All tamer than Leeds squads of yore).

5 The Cape of Good Hope.

6 26,000-year-old rock and cave paintings by the San bushmen. Only slightly older than memories of the last attacking George Graham side.

7 Diamond mines.

8 Table Mountain. Like Ilkley Moor only higher, by the coast, and with views of a beautiful city.

9 Polygamy.

10 Hillbrow in Johannesburg, South Africa's Soho, featuring restaurants, cafes, bars, discos, prostitutes, drunks, beggars and street kids. Not unlike Leeds city centre on a Saturday night, really.

NAME OF THE GAME

No 3: THE THROSTLES

While other clubs have associations with mighty eagles, elegant swans or wise old owls, West Bromwich Albion take their traditional nickname - "Baggies" is the preferred moniker these days - from the humble thrush (or throstle). It was chosen as the club emblem because of the bird kept by the landlady of the pub which was Albion's original headquarters. Another useless fact: The Hawthorns is the highest League ground in England, standing 541ft above sea level.

THIS

WEEK

On 5 October 1985, Manchester United travelled to Luton having won 10 consecutive matches at the start of the season and needing one more victory to equal Tottenham Hotspur's record of 11. United took the lead through Mark Hughes, but David Pleat's Luton rallied to draw the game 1-1.

In Italy, Mark Hateley was in negotiations with his club, Milan, over a new contract that would make him English football's second millionaire (Kevin Keegan being the first).

Bobby Robson made a trip to watch Hateley in action and saw his England centre forward score against Sampdoria in a 1-1 draw. Robson was also impressed by Milan's Ray Wilkins, but Sampdoria's Trevor Francis got no further than the bench.

HISTORY

LESSON

How will Manchester United fare without the injured Roy Keane? Pretty well, on the evidence of Wednesday's win over Juventus and last season's record.

In 1996-97 United earned proportionately more points when Keane was not playing than when he was. With Keane, who missed nearly half the season, United's Premiership record was W11, D7, L3. Without him, the figures were W10, D5, L2.

Keane played in the 5-0 defeat at Newcastle in October but missed the subsequent 6-3 and 2-1 reverses against Southampton and Chelsea as United suffered their traditional autumn wobble. In fact, Keane missed so many games that he only played in two home Premiership matches before Christmas.

THis WEEK'S TRANSFERS

TRANSFERS: Dean Holdsworth (forward) Wimbledon to Bolton (pounds 3.5m); Petter Rudi (midfielder) Molde (Nor) to Sheffield Wednesday (pounds 800,000); Graham Lancashire (forward) Wigan to Rochdale (pounds 60,000); Jason Dozzell (midfielder) Tottenham to Ipswich (non-contract); Scott McGleish (forward) Leyton Orient to Barnet (undisclosed fee); Dean Walling (defender) Carlisle to Lincoln (undisclosed fee); Carl Bradshaw (defender) Norwich to Wigan (free).

LOANS/TRIALS: Gareth Hall (defender) Sunderland to Brentford; Petr Kachuro (forward) Sheffield Utd to PAOK Salonika (Gr); Leon McKenzie (forward) Crystal Palace to Fulham; Michael Black (midfielder) Arsenal to Millwall; Tamer Fernandes (goalkeeper) Brentford to Peterborough; Richard Flash (midfielder) Watford to Lincoln; Raymond Kelly (forward) Manchester City to Wrexham; Sandro (midfielder) Real Madrid to Coventry (trial).