Sou Unhappy With 'Crazy' Festive Fixtures

By Matt Jones
December 22 2005

The "crazy" time of the year is now upon us, as Newcastle Untied prepare for their ever busy Christmas programme - with four games in the next week. Manager Graeme Souness has slammed the people who are in charge of the fixtures, saying that they "obviously do not understand football".

Souness' side have to travel to Liverpool on Boxing Day, before facing Charlton at home just two days later. The Magpies' will then travel down south to Tottenham on New Year's Eve, then prepare to take on Middlesbrough on the 2nd January.

GRAEME SOUNESS: "We have a hard programme, as everyone has.

"Whoever makes the decision to play these games as close to together as they do obviously does not understand football.

"It's crazy.

"After the first game you are risking muscle injuries, you go into the second game on a wing and a prayer, and when you get beyond the second one you really are in the lap of the gods.

"Whoever decides to play these games, then if this is the best they can come up with then I suggest they go and look for another job.

"This is not helping anyone to play good football, or help the well-being of the players.

"People pay good money to watch football, with tickets and corporate hospitality. Whatever that costs, it is a fortune, and they are not seeing their players perform to the best level.

"This year people will say it is because the way the Christmas period has fallen, but there must be something better than playing all these games all at once."