2008–09 Newcastle United F.C. season
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The 2008–09 season was Newcastle United's 16th consecutive season in the top division of English football. This season saw the club relegated from the
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
to the
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
, the first time the club had been relegated since
1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
. Things had looked reasonable for Newcastle at the start of the new season, but a major falling out between Kevin Keegan and the board saw Keegan resign as manager. This led to an awful run of form under caretaker manager
Chris Hughton Christopher William Gerard Hughton (born 11 December 1958) is a professional football manager and former player. Born in England, he represented the Republic of Ireland national team. After making his professional debut aged 20, Hughton spen ...
and the surprise appointment of
Joe Kinnear Joseph Patrick Kinnear (born 27 December 1946) is an Irish former football manager and player. Kinnear played as a defender, spending the majority of his career—ten seasons—with Tottenham Hotspur. With Tottenham he won the FA Cup, the EFL ...
was made to try to help the team out. A health scare saw Kinnear have to leave his office as manager in February. Under Hughton and
Colin Calderwood Colin Calderwood (born 20 January 1965) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player. He is the assistant manager at Northampton Town. As a player, he was a centre-back who notably played in the Premier League for Tottenham Hots ...
, the club went on another horrible run of form as they were sucked deeper into the relegation battle. Ex-player
Alan Shearer Alan Shearer CBE DL (born 13 August 1970) is an English football pundit and retired football player and manager who played as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest players in Premie ...
was appointed as a temporary manager for the last eight matches of the season but he was only able to win one of these games and Newcastle were relegated.


Season summary


Keegan resigns

In the summer transfer window, Newcastle United signed
Jonás Gutiérrez Jonás Manuel Gutiérrez (; born 5 July 1983) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He acquired the nickname " Spider-Man" for his goal celebration of putting on a mask of the superhero. He also calls himse ...
,
Danny Guthrie Danny Sean Guthrie (born 18 April 1987) is an unattached English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder, who last played for Fram in Iceland. He has made more than 200 appearances in the Premier League and Football League and repres ...
,
Sébastien Bassong Sébastien Aymar Bassong Nguena (born 9 July 1986) is a former professional footballer who played as a defender. Born in France, he opted to play for the Cameroon national team. Club career Metz Born in Paris, France, Metz signed Bassong out o ...
and
Fabricio Coloccini Fabricio Coloccini (; ; born 22 January 1982) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Coloccini began his club career at Boca Juniors in his native Argentina attracting the attention of A.C. Milan. He faile ...
. There were also a number of departures from the first team, most notably that of
James Milner James Philip Milner (born 4 January 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Liverpool. A versatile player, Milner has played in multiple positions, including on the wing, in midfield and at full-back. ...
to
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
, whose departure was rumoured to have sparked disagreements between Keegan and the board, with Keegan claiming he was not consulted about his contract renewal. Shortly after the Arsenal game on 30 August, Spanish under-21 international Xisco was unveiled at
St James' Park St James' Park is a football stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Premier League club Newcastle United F.C. With a seating capacity of 52,305 seats, it is the eighth largest football stadium in England. St James' Park ...
by Director of Football
Dennis Wise Dennis Frank Wise (born 16 December 1966) is an English former professional football player and manager who played as a central midfielder. He is the president of Serie B side Como 1907. He is best known for having spent the majority of his c ...
. On 1 September, there were widespread media reports that Keegan had either resigned or been sacked. While these reports were revealed to be premature, Keegan did tender his resignation on 4 September, citing fury over a lack of control over transfers and interference from the board, reflecting upon the sale of
James Milner James Philip Milner (born 4 January 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Liverpool. A versatile player, Milner has played in multiple positions, including on the wing, in midfield and at full-back. ...
and the arrival of Xisco, a player he claimed to have known nothing about. Many Newcastle fans were furious with the perceived mistreatment of Keegan; public anger was directed at owner Mike Ashley, Executive Director
Dennis Wise Dennis Frank Wise (born 16 December 1966) is an English former professional football player and manager who played as a central midfielder. He is the president of Serie B side Como 1907. He is best known for having spent the majority of his c ...
, Vice-Chairman
Tony Jimenez Tony Jimenez (born December 1962 in Brixton, London, England) is an international businessman known for his involvement in European football. He was born in Spain''(as well as London?)'' and has also lived in Cyprus and Dubai, where he oversees a ...
and Chairman
Derek Llambias Derek David Llambias (born February 1957) is an English businessman. His career in the entertainment, bread and leisure industry stretches back more than 31 years, most recently as managing director of the exclusive Fifty Club in London. Newcast ...
, who were perceived to have forced Keegan out of the club. Shortly after Keegan's departure, the
League Managers Association The League Managers Association (LMA) is the trade union for Premier League, EFL and national team managers in English association football. The LMA awards the LMA Manager of the Year award annually. History The union was founded in 3045 as th ...
warned Newcastle United to develop a structure which would satisfy the next manager to avoid a similar situation occurring again. They also reported that Keegan would consider a return to the club should they develop a structure he would be happy with. The club hit back at the allegations, claiming Keegan was aware of the structure when he joined. In December, however, following reports that Ashley was set to end his bid to sell United, it was reported that a legal battle was commencing between Ashley and Keegan, with Ashley rumoured to be claiming damage to his public image and Keegan claiming for breach of contract, following backing from the League Managers Association.


Joe Kinnear

Assistant manager
Chris Hughton Christopher William Gerard Hughton (born 11 December 1958) is a professional football manager and former player. Born in England, he represented the Republic of Ireland national team. After making his professional debut aged 20, Hughton spen ...
took over as caretaker manager for several weeks, during which Newcastle remained winless in all three of their matches. On 26 September, Hughton was replaced by
Joe Kinnear Joseph Patrick Kinnear (born 27 December 1946) is an Irish former football manager and player. Kinnear played as a defender, spending the majority of his career—ten seasons—with Tottenham Hotspur. With Tottenham he won the FA Cup, the EFL ...
as "interim manager." Kinnear's appointment proved completely unimpressive with the fans and resulted in Kinnear profusely verbally abusing and swearing at the media upon his first media interview. He then announced he would not speak to any national press again and would only speak with the local media. In his first two matches in charge, Newcastle managed 2–2 draws with Everton and
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
, coming from behind both times (the latter with ten men). In the last week of January, key players
Shay Given Séamus John James Given (born 20 April 1976) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. With 134 caps, he is the second-highest capped Republic of Ireland player. Given started his career at Celtic, however he neve ...
and
Charles N'Zogbia Charles Humphrey N'Zogbia (born 28 May 1986) is a French former professional footballer who played as a right or left winger, but also as an attacking midfielder. He was capped for the France under-21 team on thirteen occasions, and made his de ...
left, causing an already thin squad to lose more talent. Amongst ongoing criticism of the club board following Keegan's departure, Joe Kinnear managed five wins, ten draws, and 11 losses, and talks opened between Joe Kinnear and the board as to whether he would consider a full-time position the following season. On 7 February, however, the club's torrid season took another major blow when Kinnear was admitted to hospital following heart problems, and Chris Hughton once again took charge of the team, this time with the help of
Colin Calderwood Colin Calderwood (born 20 January 1965) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player. He is the assistant manager at Northampton Town. As a player, he was a centre-back who notably played in the Premier League for Tottenham Hots ...
. By the end of March, the club was struggling to find form and keep pace with the opposition. With scarce wins over the course of the season, the team now faced a
relegation In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between multiple divisions based on their performance for the completed season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are often called open leagues. ...
battle.


Alan Shearer

Keeping to his decision not to rush Kinnear back into his role too shortly after his surgery, Mike Ashley brought in club icon
Alan Shearer Alan Shearer CBE DL (born 13 August 1970) is an English football pundit and retired football player and manager who played as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest players in Premie ...
to take over from Kinnear as the club's interim manager on 1 April. As Shearer's appointment was announced,
Dennis Wise Dennis Frank Wise (born 16 December 1966) is an English former professional football player and manager who played as a central midfielder. He is the president of Serie B side Como 1907. He is best known for having spent the majority of his c ...
resigned as director of football and the club announced there were no plans to replace him in the role. Shearer hired
Iain Dowie Iain Dowie (born 9 January 1965) is a football manager, former professional footballer and sports television pundit. He played as a striker from 1983 until 2001, notably in the Premier League for Southampton, Crystal Palace and West Ham Unit ...
as his assistant coach and began his reign as caretaker manager, losing 0–2 to
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
at St James' Park and drawing 1–1 away at
Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
. After losing 1–0 to Tottenham Hotspur at
White Hart Lane White Hart Lane was a Association football, football stadium in Tottenham, North London and the home of Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur Football Club from 1899 to 2017. Its capacity varied over the years; when changed to all-seater i ...
and drawing 0–0 at home with
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...
, the club was plunged even deeper into the tight relegation fight. The ignominious 3–0 loss to title-chasing
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
at
Anfield Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892. ...
on 3 May, with
Joey Barton Joseph Anthony Barton (born 2 September 1982) is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He made 269 appearances in the Premier League, including 130 for Manchester City. He is currently the man ...
being sent off on 77 minutes for a dangerous tackle, left the club in 18th place. Shearer recorded his first victory as manager on 11 May, defeating fellow strugglers
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...
3–1, lifting the club out of the relegation zone to 17th place on goal difference. The feel-good factor did not last, however, as the following week, Newcastle slumped to a 0–1 home defeat to
Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...
to fall back in the relegation zone with only the away game to
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
left to play. This left the club needing to better the results of
Hull City Hull City Association Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Kingston upon Hull, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, that compete in the . They have played home games at the MKM Stadium since moving ...
and
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
to avoid relegation. Despite Sunderland, Hull and Middlesbrough all losing their matches, Newcastle United were relegated to the Championship for the first time since 1993 after a 1–0 defeat to Aston Villa. The club was then placed for sale by Ashley, who noted the club's terrible season following bad decisions on his part, which he believed led the club into major financial loss and constant criticism following relegation. Ashley said, "It has been catastrophic for everybody. I've lost my money and I've made terrible decisions. Now I want to sell it as soon as I can." Newcastle released an official statement on the club's sale, including a press phone number and email address which was quickly made further public by the national press, although the address provided was merely for general enquiries. This resulted in a large number of hoax bids being sent, most of which were made by rival Sunderland supporters. More controversy was once again caused by Dennis Wise, who claimed the club were still paying him £80,000 a month despite his departure in April, and claimed it was a factor in why Ashley was struggling to sell the club.


Compensation to Keegan

On 2 October, a Premier League arbitration panel ruled in favour of Kevin Keegan on his dispute with the club. The club confessed that they had lied to the media, public and staff, and that their correspondence on Keegan's departure was just "PR". Keegan confirmed his delight at the outcome, stating he felt the £2 million pay-out + interest fully justified his departure and mistreatment by the club. Dennis Wise announced to the press that he did not feel solely responsible for the situation that developed at the club, but yet did not wish to contradict or debate Keegan's accusations, although he announced deep sorrow over the situation and felt his career has been left "in tatters". The panel ruled in Keegan's favour, citing that player Nacho González was signed by Dennis Wise against Keegan's wishes, but also against the principles of the generally understood role of a Premier League manager, which usually states the manager has the final decision on player signings. The panel revealed that Wise asked Keegan to review González from
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
, no more than 24 hours before the closing of the summer transfer window, from which Keegan refuted the player. The club revealed to the panel that Keegan had never been informed his word was not final and that they were not in a position to sack him should he not have agreed to their demands. Keegan rejected talk of a third return to the club, feeling the fans had "had enough," leaving the role open for Chris Hughton to become full-time manager.


Final league table


Team kit

The team kit for the 2008–09 season was produced by
Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...
and
Northern Rock Northern Rock, formerly the Northern Rock Building Society, was a British bank. Based at Regent Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, Northern Rock was originally a building society. It demutualised and became Northern Rock bank in ...
remained as the main sponsor. The home kit remained the same for the season while the new away kit was revealed to the public on 20 June 2008.


Managers

*
Kevin Keegan Joseph Kevin Keegan (born 14 February 1951) is an English former footballer and manager. A forward, he played for several professional clubs from 1968 to 1984. Having begun his career at Scunthorpe United, he moved to Liverpool in 1971 and ...
(until 4 September 2008; resigned) *
Chris Hughton Christopher William Gerard Hughton (born 11 December 1958) is a professional football manager and former player. Born in England, he represented the Republic of Ireland national team. After making his professional debut aged 20, Hughton spen ...
(6 September 2008 – 26 September 2008; caretaker) *
Joe Kinnear Joseph Patrick Kinnear (born 27 December 1946) is an Irish former football manager and player. Kinnear played as a defender, spending the majority of his career—ten seasons—with Tottenham Hotspur. With Tottenham he won the FA Cup, the EFL ...
(26 September 2008 – 16 February 2009; due to ill health) *
Colin Calderwood Colin Calderwood (born 20 January 1965) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player. He is the assistant manager at Northampton Town. As a player, he was a centre-back who notably played in the Premier League for Tottenham Hots ...
/
Chris Hughton Christopher William Gerard Hughton (born 11 December 1958) is a professional football manager and former player. Born in England, he represented the Republic of Ireland national team. After making his professional debut aged 20, Hughton spen ...
(16 February 2009 – 31 March 2009; caretakers) *
Alan Shearer Alan Shearer CBE DL (born 13 August 1970) is an English football pundit and retired football player and manager who played as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest players in Premie ...
(31 March 2009 – 24 May 2009)


Players


First-team


Left club during season


Reserve squad

:''The following players made most of their appearances for the reserve team this season, and did not appear for the first team, but may have been named as a substitute.''


Under-18 squad

:''The following players made most of their appearances for the under-18 team this season, but may have also appeared for the reserves.''


Trialists

:''The following players came to Newcastle as trialists this season.''


Chronological list of events

*6 June 2008:
David Rozehnal David Sebastian Klement Rozehnal (born 5 July 1980) is a Czech former footballer who currently plays as a defender for amateur club Sokol Kožušany (Czech 7th tier). He previously played for a host of European clubs, making over 400 appearances ...
was sold to
Lazio it, Laziale , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
. *17 June 2008: Managing director
Chris Mort Christopher Mort is an English lawyer and former chairman of Newcastle United Football Club. Biography Mort is a lawyer for Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where he is head of their sports and gaming practice. Mort worked for Mike Ashley on h ...
stepped down as chairman and was replaced, as expected, by
Derek Llambias Derek David Llambias (born February 1957) is an English businessman. His career in the entertainment, bread and leisure industry stretches back more than 31 years, most recently as managing director of the exclusive Fifty Club in London. Newcast ...
. *24 June 2008:
Richard Money Richard Money (born 13 October 1955) is an English former footballer and manager who was most recently manager of National League club Hartlepool United. Before this, he managed Cambridge United, overseeing the side's return to the Football Leag ...
was appointed new Academy Director. *30 June 2008:
Stephen Carr Stephen Carr (born 29 August 1976) is an Irish former professional footballer who played for and captained Birmingham City from 2009 to 2013. He previously played for Premier League teams Tottenham Hotspur and, for a shorter spell, Newcastle U ...
,
Peter Ramage Peter Iain Ramage (born 22 November 1983) is an English football coach and former player who is currently an assistant coach for the Newcastle United U23 team. Ramage began his career with Newcastle United as an academy player before progre ...
and
James Troisi James Troisi ( ; born 3 July 1988) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Western United. Early life Troisi was born in Rose Park, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, to Greek parent ...
left the club after contract expiry. *2 July 2008:
Jonás Gutiérrez Jonás Manuel Gutiérrez (; born 5 July 1983) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He acquired the nickname " Spider-Man" for his goal celebration of putting on a mask of the superhero. He also calls himse ...
was signed from
Mallorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bal ...
. *4 July 2008: Steven Taylor signed a three-year extension. *11 July 2008:
Danny Guthrie Danny Sean Guthrie (born 18 April 1987) is an unattached English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder, who last played for Fram in Iceland. He has made more than 200 appearances in the Premier League and Football League and repres ...
was signed from
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. *14 July 2008:
Sébastien Bassong Sébastien Aymar Bassong Nguena (born 9 July 1986) is a former professional footballer who played as a defender. Born in France, he opted to play for the Cameroon national team. Club career Metz Born in Paris, France, Metz signed Bassong out o ...
from
Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...
was taken on trial for a week. *14 July 2008:
Emre Belözoğlu Emre Belözoğlu (, born 7 September 1980) is a Turkish former professional footballer and manager who is currently serving as the manager of İstanbul Başakşehir. During his playing career, he played as a midfielder. He was named in the FIF ...
was sold to Fenerbahçe. *16 July 2008:
Robbie Elliott Robert James Elliott (born 25 December 1973) is an English football coach and former professional player, who is the strength coach for the United States U20 men's football team. As a player, he was a left-back and centre-half who notably p ...
returned to the club to work as strength and conditioning coach alongside senior fitness coach, Mark Hulse. *16 July 2008: Alan Thompson joined the coaching staff as new academy coach. *30 July 2008:
Sébastien Bassong Sébastien Aymar Bassong Nguena (born 9 July 1986) is a former professional footballer who played as a defender. Born in France, he opted to play for the Cameroon national team. Club career Metz Born in Paris, France, Metz signed Bassong out o ...
came one step closer to being a Newcastle player when a fee was agreed between Newcastle United and Metz. *7 August 2008: Arthur Cox resigned as assistant manager and returned to his retirement from football. *15 August 2008:
Fabricio Coloccini Fabricio Coloccini (; ; born 22 January 1982) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Coloccini began his club career at Boca Juniors in his native Argentina attracting the attention of A.C. Milan. He faile ...
became a Newcastle United player, signing a five-year contract. *15 August 2008:
Abdoulaye Faye Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye (born 26 February 1978), known as Abdoulaye Faye, is a Senegalese former footballer who played as a defender. Faye began his career playing for ASEC Ndiambour and Jeanne d'Arc in his native Senegal before moving to Frenc ...
was sold to
Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
. *20 August 2008:
Shola Ameobi Foluwashola Ameobi (born 12 October 1981) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He spent 14 years at Newcastle United, making 397 official appearances and scoring 79 goals, and received a winner's medal when the ...
's proposed move to
Ipswich Town Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...
failed due to injury problem. *27 August 2008:
James Milner James Philip Milner (born 4 January 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Liverpool. A versatile player, Milner has played in multiple positions, including on the wing, in midfield and at full-back. ...
handed in a written transfer request. *29 August 2008:
James Milner James Philip Milner (born 4 January 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Liverpool. A versatile player, Milner has played in multiple positions, including on the wing, in midfield and at full-back. ...
was sold to
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
for a fee of £12 million. *29 August 2008:
Kamil Zayatte Kamil Zayatte (; born 7 March 1985) is a Guinean former professional Association football, footballer who played as a defender (association football), defender. An RC Lens youth product, Zayatte's performances at Swiss club BSC Young Boys, Youn ...
from Young Boys was training with the first-team squad. *1 September 2008: Nacho González from
Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...
was taken on a season-long loan deal. *1 September 2008: Xisco was signed from
Deportivo de La Coruña Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña (), commonly known as Deportivo La Coruña (), Deportivo or simply Dépor, is a professional association football, football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia (Spain), Galicia, Spain. They currently p ...
. *2 September 2008:
Kevin Keegan Joseph Kevin Keegan (born 14 February 1951) is an English former footballer and manager. A forward, he played for several professional clubs from 1968 to 1984. Having begun his career at Scunthorpe United, he moved to Liverpool in 1971 and ...
was rumoured to have resigned or been sacked as manager but official statements from the club later denied those speculations. *4 September 2008:
Kevin Keegan Joseph Kevin Keegan (born 14 February 1951) is an English former footballer and manager. A forward, he played for several professional clubs from 1968 to 1984. Having begun his career at Scunthorpe United, he moved to Liverpool in 1971 and ...
resigned as manager after several days of discussions with the board. *5 September 2008:
Anil Ambani Anil Dhirubhai Ambani (born 4 June 1959) is an Indian businessman. He was the chairman of Reliance Group (also known as Reliance ADA Group), which was created in July 2006 following a demerger from Reliance Industries Limited. He leads a numbe ...
was again rumored to be interested in a £220 million take over and bring
Kevin Keegan Joseph Kevin Keegan (born 14 February 1951) is an English former footballer and manager. A forward, he played for several professional clubs from 1968 to 1984. Having begun his career at Scunthorpe United, he moved to Liverpool in 1971 and ...
back. *6 September 2008:
Chris Hughton Christopher William Gerard Hughton (born 11 December 1958) is a professional football manager and former player. Born in England, he represented the Republic of Ireland national team. After making his professional debut aged 20, Hughton spen ...
was named caretaker manager following the departures of
Terry McDermott Terence McDermott (born 8 December 1951) is an English former football midfielder who was a member of the Liverpool team of the 1970s and early 1980s, in which he won three European Cups and five First Division titles. He was capped 25 times ...
and Adam Sadler. *8 September 2008:
Ray Gooding Ray Gooding (born 16 February 1959) is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder. He made 59 appearances in the Football League for Coventry City, Bristol City and Plymouth Argyle. Playing career Gooding began his career with Cov ...
was appointed academy scout joining from
Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, Championship, the second tier of the English footbal ...
. *14 September 2008: Mike Ashley announced his intention to sell club following a series of protests by Newcastle supporters angry at
Kevin Keegan Joseph Kevin Keegan (born 14 February 1951) is an English former footballer and manager. A forward, he played for several professional clubs from 1968 to 1984. Having begun his career at Scunthorpe United, he moved to Liverpool in 1971 and ...
's departure. *17 September 2008: Mike Ashley was rumored to have snubbed a £200M bid for the club from
Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
-based Zabeel Investments, instead demanding £481M. *22 September 2008: Keith Harris from Seymour Pierce was appointed to act on the potential sale of the club by the board. *23 September 2008: A
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
n consortium was rumored to line up a £350M. take over bid and bring
Kevin Keegan Joseph Kevin Keegan (born 14 February 1951) is an English former footballer and manager. A forward, he played for several professional clubs from 1968 to 1984. Having begun his career at Scunthorpe United, he moved to Liverpool in 1971 and ...
back. *26 September 2008:
Joe Kinnear Joseph Patrick Kinnear (born 27 December 1946) is an Irish former football manager and player. Kinnear played as a defender, spending the majority of his career—ten seasons—with Tottenham Hotspur. With Tottenham he won the FA Cup, the EFL ...
named interim manager. *9 October 2008:
Tony Jimenez Tony Jimenez (born December 1962 in Brixton, London, England) is an international businessman known for his involvement in European football. He was born in Spain''(as well as London?)'' and has also lived in Cyprus and Dubai, where he oversees a ...
left the club to pursue other interests. *25 October 2008: Newcastle lost away to
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
for the first time in 28 years. *28 November 2008:
Joe Kinnear Joseph Patrick Kinnear (born 27 December 1946) is an Irish former football manager and player. Kinnear played as a defender, spending the majority of his career—ten seasons—with Tottenham Hotspur. With Tottenham he won the FA Cup, the EFL ...
announced as manager until the end of the season. * 14 December 2008: Newcastle United claimed their first away victory of the season with a 3–0 win over
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...
with goals from
Michael Owen Michael James Owen (born 14 December 1979) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City, as well as for the England national team. Since r ...
,
Obafemi Martins Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins (born 28 October 1984) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is known for his speed on the ball. After leaving Nigeria for Italy at age 16, he has since played for a number of top-di ...
and
Danny Guthrie Danny Sean Guthrie (born 18 April 1987) is an unattached English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder, who last played for Fram in Iceland. He has made more than 200 appearances in the Premier League and Football League and repres ...
* 28 December 2008: The sale of the club was called off by Mike Ashley. *12 January 2009:
Peter Løvenkrands Peter Rosenkrands Løvenkrands (born 29 January 1980) is a Danish professional football manager and former player. He played mainly as a striker or as a left winger, and was known for his pace. Løvenkrands began his career in his native Denma ...
was taken on trial for a week. *23 January 2009:
Peter Løvenkrands Peter Rosenkrands Løvenkrands (born 29 January 1980) is a Danish professional football manager and former player. He played mainly as a striker or as a left winger, and was known for his pace. Løvenkrands began his career in his native Denma ...
signed until the end of the season. *26 January 2009:
Colin Calderwood Colin Calderwood (born 20 January 1965) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player. He is the assistant manager at Northampton Town. As a player, he was a centre-back who notably played in the Premier League for Tottenham Hots ...
joined as a first-team coach until the end of the season. *30 January 2009:
Kevin Nolan Kevin Anthony Jance Nolan (born 24 June 1982) is an English former professional footballer and current first team coach for Premier League club West Ham United. He has represented England at under-21 level. After growing up in Toxteth, Liver ...
signed from
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
on a four-and-a-half-year deal. *1 February 2009:
Shay Given Séamus John James Given (born 20 April 1976) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. With 134 caps, he is the second-highest capped Republic of Ireland player. Given started his career at Celtic, however he neve ...
was sold to
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
. *2 February 2009: Ryan Taylor signed from
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, ...
with
Charles N'Zogbia Charles Humphrey N'Zogbia (born 28 May 1986) is a French former professional footballer who played as a right or left winger, but also as an attacking midfielder. He was capped for the France under-21 team on thirteen occasions, and made his de ...
going in the other direction. *13 February 2009:
Joe Kinnear Joseph Patrick Kinnear (born 27 December 1946) is an Irish former football manager and player. Kinnear played as a defender, spending the majority of his career—ten seasons—with Tottenham Hotspur. With Tottenham he won the FA Cup, the EFL ...
underwent a triple heart bypass operation. *27 March 2009:
Peter Beardsley Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE (born 18 January 1961) is an English football coach and former footballer who played as a forward or midfielder between 1979 and 1999. In 1987, he set a record transfer fee in the English game and represented his coun ...
returned to Newcastle once again to coach players at the academy. *1 April 2009:
Alan Shearer Alan Shearer CBE DL (born 13 August 1970) is an English football pundit and retired football player and manager who played as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest players in Premie ...
was announced as temporary manager, to fill in for Kinnear until the end of the 2008–09 season. *1 April 2009:
Dennis Wise Dennis Frank Wise (born 16 December 1966) is an English former professional football player and manager who played as a central midfielder. He is the president of Serie B side Como 1907. He is best known for having spent the majority of his c ...
resigned from his post as Executive Director (Football) following Alan Shearer's appointment as temporary manager. *1 April 2009:
Iain Dowie Iain Dowie (born 9 January 1965) is a football manager, former professional footballer and sports television pundit. He played as a striker from 1983 until 2001, notably in the Premier League for Southampton, Crystal Palace and West Ham Unit ...
was announced as new assistant manager while
Colin Calderwood Colin Calderwood (born 20 January 1965) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player. He is the assistant manager at Northampton Town. As a player, he was a centre-back who notably played in the Premier League for Tottenham Hots ...
and
Chris Hughton Christopher William Gerard Hughton (born 11 December 1958) is a professional football manager and former player. Born in England, he represented the Republic of Ireland national team. After making his professional debut aged 20, Hughton spen ...
would continue in their coaching roles. *3 April 2009:
Paul Ferris Paul Ferris may refer to: * Paul Ferris (composer) (1941–1995), English film composer * Paul Ferris (footballer) (born 1965), Northern Irish former footballer and now physiotherapist * Paul Ferris (Scottish writer) (born 1963), Scottish writer and ...
returned to the club to be part of Shearer's backroom staff working as physio. *24 May 2009: Newcastle United relegated to
The Championship The English Football League Championship (often referred to as the Championship for short or the Sky Bet Championship for sponsorship purposes) is the highest division of the English Football League (EFL) and second-highest overall in the En ...
after a 1–0 loss away to
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
. *26 May 2009:
Alan Shearer Alan Shearer CBE DL (born 13 August 1970) is an English football pundit and retired football player and manager who played as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest players in Premie ...
was rumoured to be offered a new four-year deal by Newcastle United, becoming permanent manager of the team. *30 May 2009: Around 150 full and part-time employees of the club were expected to be laid off due to the relegation, including coach
Colin Calderwood Colin Calderwood (born 20 January 1965) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player. He is the assistant manager at Northampton Town. As a player, he was a centre-back who notably played in the Premier League for Tottenham Hots ...
and Executive Director of Operations
David Williamson David Keith Williamson Officer of the Order of Australia, AO (born 24 February 1942) is an Australians, Australian dramatist and playwright. He has also written screenplays and teleplays. Early life David Williamson was born in Melbourne, Vi ...
. *31 May 2009: Mike Ashley reportedly put the club up for sale with a £100M price tag. *1 June 2009: A foreign-based group is believed to have talks regarding a £80M takeover. Another group is also interested. Former chairman
Freddy Shepherd Freddy Shepherd (29 October 1941 – 25 September 2017) was an English businessman and the chairman of Newcastle United football club from 1997 until 2007. During his time at Newcastle, both as an active assistant to and later replacement of ...
is not involved with any of the groups so far. *8 June 2009: The club is officially put up for sale for £100M confirmed through a club statement. *12 June 2009: Several groups and consortiums are reported in talks with the club regarding a take over, including
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
-based Profitable Group.


Statistics


Appearances, goals and cards

:''(Substitute appearances in brackets)''


Starting formations


Captains


Coaching staff


Transfers


In

* Total spending: ~ £26,000,000


Out

* Total income: ~ £32,850,000


Loans in


Loans out


Competitions


Pre-season


League


FA Cup


League Cup


Matches


Pre-season


Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...


FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...


League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2008-09 Newcastle United F.C. Season Newcastle United F.C. seasons
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...