Why aye man it's Toon Time again

ANOTHER Saturday and another 3pm spent away from a football ground because the TV cameras want a slice of Villa again.

Newcastle away used to be a fixture to fill every Villa fan with dread. Six straight defeats at the start of the Premier League, then a 1-0 win at the start of the 1999/2000 season broke the hoodoo.

A draw in the FA Cup in January 2001 gave further hope of a shift in fortunes. Then two successive 3-0 defeats brought them crashing back to earth at St James'.

But the last six visits to the venue- bringing just one win, four draws and an unlucky January 2007 defeat when they played probably as well as at any time on the ground in recent years- have smashed United's stranglehold over Villa.

So the ground holds no fears. And in any case head to the North-east as favourites to continue their seemingly irrepressible momentum built up with wins over Ajax, Wigan and Blackburn at a time when Joe Kinnear's side look decidely average. They managed a timely win over Albion but it was rather less than impressive.

That one Villa win- April 2005- was of course was the most memorable of the lot. And not because of the 3-0 margin.

Steven Taylor's dying swan act still sticks in the memory to earn his red card, but it was the incredible fight between Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer that took all the glory and still ranks as the most bizarre incident perhaps ever witnessed on a football pitch.

Gareth Barry saved Dyer from a mauling that day by pulling Bowyer away. I wonder if he'll be as keen to get involved with Joey Barton?

It promises to be quite an occasion. Last year the fixture witnessed it's first goalless draw at United since 1922, but it wasn't a dull game.

Two years ago Villa were also up there for a late night affair. I remember working 'til well past midnight with Villa tasting that unfair defeat and then putting the finishing touches to Shaun Maloney's transfer. There was the sight of Richard Fitzgerald (remember him?) walking around with his mobile phone glued to his ear.

It's a fine stadium alright- even if the one stand does completely swamp the rest.

I have stumbled upon the match programme and team-sheet for my first trip to Newcastle as the Mail's Villa reporter.

The date was January 2001, and the occasion an FA Cup third round tie that, if memory serves me right, ended 1-1 with Steve Stone opening the scoring for Villa at the club he supported as a boy before Nobby Solano got a late leveller.

Villa completed the job at Villa Park to reach the fourth round with a goal from Darius Vassell.

The Newcastle team-sheet is littered with the good- there was no Alan Shearer but Dyer was there, as was Gary Speed and Nobby Solano- the not so good: Aaron Hughes never lived up to his billing in later years at Villa but is still earning a living in the Premiership at Fulham- and the 'who on earth was that?'- Alain Goma, Clarence Acuna, Christian Bassedas.

There was also a 19-year-old up front with seeingly a huge future ahead of him. He is still popping them in for the Toon- Shola Ameobi. It's just a pity that he sort of disappeared during the middle six years.

Anyway the match programme is worthy of note for the fact that there is an interesting interview with Tommy Craig inside. He goes on to say that his move from Newcastle to Villa for £275,000 in January 1978 was a disaster from start to finish.

The reason? Ron Saunders and his long ball game.

He says: "The Villa style was to hit them long all the time to Andy Gray up front alongside Brian Little. I didn't fit into that style in any way, shape or form."

If you cannot agree with that footballing argument then at least you have to thank Craig for his honesty.

He adds: "I was a bad purchase for Villa in every way. They paid paid £275,000 for me and I only played 27 games, which is ten grand a game.

"I know some Villa fans are fairly critical of me for my time there as a player- and I really don't blame them."

Villa should be too strong. John Carew and Steve Sidwell will surely start for Stiliyan Petrov- who will miss Slavia Prague and Middlesbrough too- and probably a tiring Nigel Reo-Coker.

So here's to another away win.