A History Of Toon Violence: Top 10 Newcastle fights and flare-ups

By Mirror Football in Football Banter

Published 17:01 23/03/10

Newcastle Top Ten - When Newcastle Go Wrong

The state of Steven Taylor's jaw is the latest in a long line of trouble on the Toon between Newcastle players.

While most managers will tell you that, 'this type of thing happens at training grounds all over the country', the testosterone seems to run higher at Newcastle. It's not so surprising at a club that's had Lee Bowyer, Craig Bellamy and Joey Barton on its books at one time or another.

MirrorFootball's Richard Arrowsmith looks at a history of in-fighting that has happened at the club...

10) Alan Smith v Mike Williamson
Alan Smith has always been a feisty character, although at least his arguments are usually a consequence of his competitive streak and reserved for footballing matters.

Earlier this season, Smith was seen to slap team-mate, Mike Williamson, after Newcastle conceded a late consolation goal against Watford. To describe the incident as a fight would be an insult to everyone else in this list and the pair were able to exchange man-hugs afterwards.

9) Joey Barton v Jose Enrique
It has been suggested that Joey Barton should take to the field wearing a muzzle - and team mate, Jose Enrique, would probably agree after he was given the 'pep-talk' of his life in a game against Blackburn last season.

Barton wasn't pleased by Enrique's positioning for Blackburn's third goal and let him know with an unseemly slanging match that came close to getting physical before Michael Owen interrupted as peacemaker. Enrique can probably count himself lucky if you consider the case of Ousmane Dabo.

8) Andy Carroll v Charles N'Zogbia
Although the latest altercation with Steve Taylor hasn't been fully disclosed, the fact it involves a broken jaw in one corner and an injured hand in the other means you don't need to be Columbo to reach any conclusions. And, it's not the first time that Carroll has let his temper get the better of him.

Back in January 2009, Carroll and N'Zogbia had to be separated when the Frenchman took offence at a late training ground tackle. It was dismissed by manager, Joe Kinnear, as "handbags that had been blown out of proportion" - which surely sounds more like suitcases.

7) Joey Barton v Alan Shearer
Barton arrived at Newcastle with a deserved reputation as being the angriest little man in football since Dennis Wise started an argument with himself - something to do with using player's faces as ashtrays and spending time behind bars for assault.

Barton repaid Shearer's decision to give him yet another chance by getting sent off and then proceeding to tell him, "You're a s**t manager with s**t tactics" before the pair were inevitably being pulled apart by team-mates.

6) Graeme Souness v Craig Bellamy
Souness' troubled reign at Newcastle involved a number of bust-ups but the one that most comes to mind is his argument with serial offender Craig Bellamy.

Despite Souness probably eating smaller scraps for breakfast, Bellamy confronted the manager complaining at being played out of position. Unfortunately, it only evolved into a war of words with Souness claiming the winger was feigning injury and Bellamy calling him a "liar". One £80,000 fine and loan spell later, Bellamy was sold to Blackburn Rovers.

5) Craig Bellamy v John Carver
Bellamy is someone whose mouth just can't seem to close. In 2004, Bellamy's argument with Newcastle assistant manager, John Carver, in the waiting room of an airport escalated to the point where the Welshman threw a chair at him.

Carver played down the incident by claiming to have caught the chair - unlikely to be thrown from a great height after all - but was probably thankful that Bellamy hadn't packed his golf clubs for the trip.

4) Alan Shearer v Keith Gillespie
Shearer never seems to be far away when the fists start flying but, since he is more saintly in Newcastle than the Angel of the North, he always manages to get away with it.

This occasion was supposed to be a night on the town as part of a team bonding experience. Unfortunately, Gillespie took this to mean he could get away with flicking bottle tops at Shearer in a bar - before waking up on the pavement outside.

3) Craig Bellamy v Alan Shearer
Perhaps the Gillespie incident convinced everyone's least favourite sufferer of Napoleon Syndrome, Craig Bellamy, not to actually get physical in his argument with Big Al.

Instead, he waited until he had safely crossed the border on loan with Celtic before plucking up the courage to send Shearer some abusive text messages following Newcastle's loss in the 2005 FA Cup Final. Shearer probably speaks for most people when he says, "It's quite simple. He dislikes me and I despise him".

2) Newcastle v Relegation
Perhaps the most important scrap that Newcastle have lost in their history was their battle against relegation last season. In between having a chairman who wasn't aware of due diligence, the second coming and going of a Messiah, and renaming the stadium.com, even Alan Shearer couldn't save them.

Nonetheless, the club currently lead the Championship and are favourites to return to the Premier League next season - where rumours that they will change their famous strip from black and white to black and blue stripes have yet to be confirmed.

1) Lee Bowyer v Kieron Dyer
This is the bout that made all the headlines - not least because it wasn't reserved for the training ground but contested gladiator-style in front of over 52,000 stunned spectators and broadcast on live television.

An ignored pass was enough to see the pair re-enact a typical late-night scene from Newcastle's Quayside area, including torn shirts and complete failure to land any of the wild punches thrown. All that was missing was the sound of hysterical girls screaming, "Leave it, it's not worth it!"