News today that local boy Alan Thompson, who played for Newcastle from 1991 to 1993, will be returning to the club as a coach with the Newcastle Academy.
Alan Thompson - in his Celtic days
Alan was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne and was sold when he was just 20 years old by Kevin Keegan to Bolton Wanderers, for whom he played 157 times and scored 37 goals.
Reports today in the Evening Chronicle say that that Dennis Wise, who is also responsible for developing youngsters at the club, will bring Alan Thompson back to St James’ Park.
The 34-year-old Thompson will take a coaching role, looking after a specific age group at the Newcastle Academy, as he gets the coaching badges necessary for a career in coaching.
We wonder how Dennis Wise’s responsibilities interact with those of Joe Joyce, who is Manager of the Academy? We’re not clear how that works.
Alan went onto Aston Villa from Bolton in 1998, where he played 46 times with 4 goals and then played for Celtic from 2000-2007. He played for the Scottish Giants a total of 158 times scoring 37 times.
Alan is currently at Leeds but on loan to Hartlepool United. He received one cap for England in 2004.
It’s always good to have local lads coming back to the club, since they know what it’s all about, and we are pleased that Alan is coming back home.
Comments welcome.
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22 responses so far ↓
1 broon ale // May 8, 2008 at 16:13
Hmmm, Great
2 seetow // May 8, 2008 at 16:17
nothing much to say but i get the first comment!
just.. is this possible ed?
“played from 2000-2007 for Celtic for whom he appeared a total of 158 times scoring 237 times.”
3 Ed Harrison // May 8, 2008 at 16:21
seetow - you beat me to it - it should have been 37 goals - so I changed it - otherwise we’d ask him to play for us up front next season - if it was true
4 Hamas (51times) // May 8, 2008 at 16:22
I went to school with his cousin. Just thought I’d say that haha
5 Big Phil // May 8, 2008 at 16:26
Excellent a coach with no experience to join our director of football who has no experience of his own job. Oh but he’s a local lad so that’s ok….
6 Eric // May 8, 2008 at 16:27
Nice to have a local lad and former player at the Academy.
7 Ed Harrison // May 8, 2008 at 16:28
Big Phil - but he starts by coaching the youngsters while he takes his coaching badges - not sure there’s too much wrong with that.
8 ScottyT // May 8, 2008 at 16:32
looks like we like signing people from leeds.
woodgate, speed, milner, bowyer, viduka, smith, wise, thompson.. who we signing next ken bates?!
9 ObaFan2 // May 8, 2008 at 16:40
More backroom staff, we want new PLAYERS lol.
10 Toonlad // May 8, 2008 at 16:52
ScottyT: Some years ago there used to be a show on the telly broadcast from the Leeds City Variety Theatre. It was called “The Good Old Days.” Maybe someone is trying there hardest to bring it back…
11 UTD111 // May 8, 2008 at 17:01
Thommo was a smashing young player for United and should never have been allowed to go!! Good to see him coming home.
12 Gordon // May 8, 2008 at 17:09
Virtually identical records at Bolton and Celtic!!!
13 Bill F // May 8, 2008 at 19:21
As a matter of curiosity where does KK figure in this arrangement. Does he actually have a say in anything.
14 Leo // May 8, 2008 at 22:30
nope bill f haha, keegan probably doesnt but im sure he will be happy about getting another coach :-/
15 Big Phil // May 9, 2008 at 0:08
Didn’t KK get rid of him in the first place? We’ll be getting Darren Huckerby in next….
16 Lawman // May 9, 2008 at 1:18
Agree with ObaFan2… it’s all very well getting the structure right at the club and laying foundations.
The problem is we seem to be concentrating a lot - and I mean A LOT - on backroom staff and not too much on players. We’ve probly brought in twice as many backroom staff than we have players since MA took over. No point in appointing all these backroom staff when we don’t get the players on the field and getting results.
A MASSIVE backroom team aint gonna do much good when (IF) we have another relegation battle again next season due to a shortage of playing personnel.
Unless Wise and Thompson intends to pull on the B&W. Don’t think Ken Bates would run fast enough though ScottyT hahahaha….
17 ScottyT // May 9, 2008 at 1:36
haha no spose not.. gotta lv him tho, single handedly got leeds a 15 point deduction brilliant lol (have a leeds fan as a m8).
have to say tho if we do have a clearout of players nd if wer only bringing 4 or 5 in we’ll actually have less players than this year.. bit worrying.
18 richie // May 9, 2008 at 1:40
i want us to spend 60 recover 10 from sales, we need to spend that much t have a chance of fifth
19 Guinea Mag // May 9, 2008 at 7:57
Whatever happened with talk of offering Gazza a position of some kind at Newcastle Utd?
Gazza has been silly with his life and money, but he’s one of us and would love to see him back home, but doing what?
Ed; can you run an article of who would like to see Gazza back at Newcastle and in what capacity?
20 figsdad // May 9, 2008 at 8:04
no we should of got the likes of beardsley or even nobby to take over the kids…
21 Big Phil // May 9, 2008 at 8:11
Gary Speed would have been a better bet, we should give him a coaching role when he retires.
22 Punk Skunk // May 9, 2008 at 10:28
Aye figsdad, Get Pedro back NOW!..
…Speed is also a good shout!..
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