Town's only worry for tomorrow's game at Newcastle United is James Scowcroft. The Town striker or midfielder has a thigh problem, but will have a test in the morning and is likely to be OK.

If he is fit he could hope to make a start after scoring the winner in Wednesday's Worthington Cup match at Arsenal. Richard Naylor, however, also has a good claim after scoring the first goal in Town's win over Middlesbrough last weekend.

Elsewhere, Mark Venus will vie with Titus Bramble for a centre-half's place alongside John McGreal, although Venus must be the favourite after Bramble's withdrawal at Arsenal.

A visit to Newcastle means re-acquainting ourselves with some old friends, Bobby Robson, Charlie Woods and Kieron Dyer. Surprisingly George Burley told us that he and Robson haven't been in contact with each other in the run-up to the game while Kieron has made his aims clear: "I still have a lot of great friends at the club including Richard Wright who is my best friend in football. I'm really looking forward to putting one past him tomorrow!"

Town will be looking for their fifth straight away win as well as looking to continue an amazing away run in the North. Town haven't lost a game in the North of England since the 3-1 loss at Huddersfield on November 2nd last year, a game in which Marcus Stewart put one over on his future team-mates. It is a brilliant record on our longer travels.

Newcastle will be looking to get their first home League goals for three games, a period in which they have also failed to win at St James' Park, the Worthington Cup aside.

Anglia TV have reacted to criticism over their choice of Norwich City over Ipswich Town on their Kick Off programme on Wednesday. The reason for Norwich City's dismal 3-0 defeat to Derby County being shown ahead of the Town game were due to possible editing problems.

With the Town game looking like it was going to go into extra-time the game wouldn't have been finished prior to the programme beginning. It was decided it was easier to go with the Derby-Norwich game, a match that was decided well inside the first half.

It is likely that Simon Hunt will be named as Town's new European Scout early next week. Hunt played for Wrexham during the eighties and then moved to Sweden with his Swedish wife. More information over the weekend and in previous stories.

John Wark is likely to be watching Town again on Saturday. Now the Coventry Chief Scout the Town hero ran his rule over the Blues at Arsenal and with two games in ten days against Town he is likely to be assessing his old club again.

Photo: Action Images

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