Our tickets weren’t duds and neither were the team – Hull 0 Newcastle 2 and our number 20 MOTM

Hull 0 Newcastle 2 – Saturday 27 July 2024 (2pm kick-off)

Having successfully negotiated the turnstile at the MKM stadium without the need to provide a DNA test to demonstrate I was the legitimate owner of the ticket that I’d scanned, I still paid an astronomical price for two bottles of rank lager that would categorically prove I was there, just in case my fourth loyalty point doesn’t materialise.

In the run-up to this pre-season friendly with Hull City, the debate concerning the ongoing imposition of random ID checks has intensified, with no real consensus on this thorny issue, if reading The Mag’s comments section is anything to go by.

On Thursday, my phone pinged and NUFC told me that photo ID was required for this one.

Were our tickets duds, I kept wondering as we drove down the A1, onto the 62 and towards the Humber Bridge?

Despite my vehement opposition to Margaret Thatcher’s desire to impose ID cards in the 1980s, a measure that I felt demonised working class football fans, I have to ask whether presenting photo ID to attend a football match in the second decade of the 21st century is really such a big deal?

For me, at the heart of the debate isn’t an aversion to Big Brother watching our every move, hell they can do that in so many other ways in the modern world, many of which I’m pretty sure we’re not even conscious of. I think it’s more an inability to transfer the ticket to a person of one’s choice, without fear of losing the loyalty points that have been so painstakingly accrued through thick and thin, mostly thin. Maybe the club should set a limit for this sort of thing, with the loyalty point also transferring?

Judging by the demographics in the away end at the the MKM Stadium, I’d wager that many away tickets are still being transferred illegitimately and the draconian measures put in place by the club are being flagrantly ignored.

That means for some individuals, loyalty points are presumably still accruing without them actually attending.

In the end, our tickets turned out not to be duds and without the need to trek to wherever the Hull City ticket office was located, it made a pleasant change to seamlessly pass through a turnstile at a football ground, with the fact we didn’t have to haul ourselves up 14 sets of stairs an added bonus.

As for the match, well it was standard pre-season fayre and the toon came away with a more than credible 2-0 win.

A decent line-up, despite those who’d been on Euro and Copa America duties missing, with a rare outing for the likes of Jamal Lewis and Jamie Miley.

Some rustiness brought a modicum of unnecessary pressure early on, but United dominated possession and in an eight minute spell starting with Alexander Isak diverting Jacob Murphy’s cross into the net on 32 minutes, the game was won. Murphy made it 2-0 in the 40th minute when his cross-come-shot beat everyone and in between, Nick Pope reminded us why he’s our Number One and was missed so badly last season, with a fantastic save to keep the lead intact.

I thought Lewis Hall was MOTM, playing in front of the back four until reverting to his more customary left-back position late on. It was interesting to see that of those who started, only Dan Burn and Emile Krafth weren’t subbed off, the pair of them grafting right to the end on a pleasantly warm afternoon.

On 60 minutes, most of our big hitters were replaced, at which point the home side stepped up their game. Whilst Hull had most of the ball for the final half hour, they rarely troubled, although our new signing from Nottingham Forest, Greek international Odysseas Vlachodimos, was called upon to make a decent save shortly after replacing Nick Pope in the 74th minute.

With the game petering out, the stadium announcer proclaimed that 13,670 hardy souls had taken time out of their Saturday schedule to attend, with 4,500 of those in the away end.

Walking back to the city centre, I was amused to hear a frustrated father explaining to his young son that Hull City needed a 10, an 8 and a 6, otherwise it was going to be a long, hard season. Given they’d just seen our 20 put in a stellar performance as a 6, before reverting to being a 3 late on, no wonder the young lad looked totally baffled. HTL.

Final score:

Hull 0 Newcastle 2 – Saturday 27 July 2024 (2pm kick-off)

Newcastle United:

Nick Pope (Odysseas Vlachodimos 74), Tino Livramento (Trevan Sanusi 64), Jamal Lewis (Johnny Emmerson 74), Emil Krafth, Dan Burn (c), Lewis Hall (Dylan Charlton 84), Jamie Miley (Ellis Stanton 79), Jacob Murphy (Anthony Munda 74), Joelinton (Alfie Harrison 64), Harvey Barnes (Jay Turner-Cooke 64), Alexander Isak (Ben Parkinson 64)

Unused Subs:

John Ruddy, Cathal Heffernan, Garang Kuol, Ciaran Thompson

Newcastle United schedule to end of September 2024:

Saturday 20 July 2024 – Newcastle 3 SpVgg Unterhaching 1

Saturday 27 July 2024 – Hull 0 Newcastle 2

Wednesday 31 July 2024 – Urawa Red Diamonds v Newcastle United friendly in Japan, playing at the 62,000 capacity Saitama Stadium, the largest football-specific stadium in Japan.

Saturday 3 August 2024 – Yokohama F Marinos v Newcastle United friendly at the National Stadium in Toyko.

Friday 9 August 2024 – Newcastle United v Girona FC friendly 7.30pm kick-off (SJP Sela weekend)

Saturday 10 August 2024 – Newcastle United v Stade Brestois 4pm kick-off (SJP Sela weekend)

Wednesday 14 August 2024 – The Carabao Cup second round draw will be made around 10pm.

Saturday 17 August 2024 – Newcastle v Southampton (3pm)

Sunday 25 August 2024 – Bournemouth v Newcastle (2pm) Sky Sports

Week commencing Monday 26 August 2024 – Carabao Cup round two matches will be played

Friday 30 August 2024 – Summer transfer window closes at 11pm.

Sunday 1 September 2024 – Newcastle v Tottenham (1.30pm) Sky Sports

(The first international break of the season)

Sunday 15 September 2024 – Wolves v Newcastle (4.30 pm) Sky Sports

Weeks commencing Monday 16 September AND Monday 23 September – Carabao Cup round three (This round split over two midweeks)

Saturday 21 September 2024 – Fulham v Newcastle (3 pm)

Weeks commencing Monday 16 September AND Monday 23 September – Carabao Cup round three (This round split over two midweeks)

Saturday 28 September 2024 – Newcastle v Man City (12.30 pm) TNT Sports

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